Twenty years ago, the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, who sailed around the entire world and reached Laugh Tale, was executed here by the Marines. His final words before death set the seas ablaze with ambition—countless dreamers set sail, giving rise to this chaotic Great Pirate Era.
Since then, Loguetown has become a sacred place for pirates. Any pirate setting sail from the East Blue would make a pilgrimage here before entering the Grand Line, hoping to witness the site of Roger's last moments.
At the center of Loguetown stands the execution platform. It's said that if you look closely, you can still see the ghost of Roger's final smile. Pirates visit the platform to draw courage from it, driven by their dreams of becoming the next Pirate King—only to vanish into the sea like countless others before them.
Loguetown also hosts the largest Marine base in the entire East Blue. Every day, countless merchant ships, Marine vessels, and pirate crews dock here. After ten days at sea, the Chris finally arrived.
Under the guidance of port workers, the Chris smoothly pulled into harbor. They weren't pirates, so they could dock openly.
Pirates, well—if you're not afraid of the Marines, then sure, come on in.
"Jack, you stay behind to guard the ship," Weiss ordered. "There are way too many pirates in Loguetown. It's chaotic. Kadun still isn't reliable—I'm afraid he might get himself killed."
"Just make a list of what you need, and I'll have Kadun bring it back. He's a local, so he should know his way around."
"No problem, Captain. The ship's already fully stocked," Jack replied confidently.
Kadun looked aggrievedly at Weiss. "Captain, I know I'm weak… but did you really have to say it out loud?"
…
…
Taking a list from Jack, Kadun exaggeratedly shouted, "Why the hell is there so much on here? Are you planning to empty all of Loguetown's gunpowder shops?"
"Is that a lot? I just want to run a few experiments. What, are you worried you can't carry it all, weakling?" Jack replied with a sneer.
Ever since seeing Buggy's explosive power, Jack had been wondering if he could tweak his bullets to increase their firepower and improve his own strength.
All these materials were for that.
"What did you say, you damn broody bastard?" Kadun snapped back, refusing to back down. Their gazes clashed mid-air, sparks flying.
"Enough already. Can't you two go a single day without bickering?" Weiss muttered, exasperated. These two were born to be rivals. Ever since they'd stopped their daily training sessions, they seemed to squabble just to fill the void.
"Alright, Kadun. Didn't you say you wanted to visit home? If you keep wasting time arguing, you won't make it. We're only staying in Loguetown for one day."
Upon hearing that, Kadun immediately grabbed a chest and headed into town. The Berries inside had come from looting a pirate who'd died on the ship.
Weiss turned to Karina. "Karina, ten days on board—your bill comes to sixteen million Berry. Let's round it up to twenty million. Cash or treasure?"
"No way! Sixteen million is sixteen million! How'd it jump to twenty?!" Karina exploded in protest. There was no way she could afford that much treasure.
"Oh? So you admit to owing sixteen million? Alright then—cash or treasure?"
"I… I don't have that kind of money…" Karina's voice immediately lost its edge.
"No money? Then I guess you're planning to freeload?" Weiss's gaze grew dangerous. It was hard to meet his eyes under that terrifying pressure. People nearby instinctively stepped back, afraid of getting caught in the fallout.
"N-no! I'm not! Don't say that!" Karina was scared stiff. This man could take on a pirate with a 15-million Berry bounty by himself.
"I… I…" Her pupils dilated as she saw Weiss slowly reaching for the sword at his waist. Her whole body trembled in fear.
"I'll work! I can stay on the ship and work!" Karina shouted, panicking. A wise person knows when to retreat—survive first, figure out the rest later.
"Oh? I was actually thinking of just letting you write up an IOU," Weiss said calmly. "But if you want to work, let's call it 200,000 Berry a month in wages." He pulled out a blank piece of paper and waved it in front of her.
"I swear you're the devil!"
Don't ask. Yes—he was doing it on purpose.
After Weiss left, a man and woman who had been watching from the shadows continued to silently observe.
...
Walking through the streets of Loguetown, one thing stood out above all else: bars. There were bar signs everywhere, and people flowed in and out constantly.
Marines roamed the streets, scanning for wanted criminals possibly hiding in the crowds. But when it came to people who merely looked like pirates—scarred, burly, and wild-eyed—the Marines turned a blind eye. There were simply too many.
If they tried arresting every suspicious face, the prisons in Loguetown wouldn't be able to hold them. And sending them to Impel Down? These guys weren't even worth that.
They were too weak. Unless you committed crimes in front of the Marines themselves, they usually wouldn't bother with you.
With Kadun gone to visit home, the responsibility of gathering supplies fell to Weiss. He didn't bring much money—just made arrangements with the shopkeepers to deliver everything to the Chris, with Jack handling payment.
Karina trailed behind lifelessly, watching Weiss spend money like water. Her soul felt gray and empty. How did she let herself get scared into this?
If she'd just held out a little longer… maybe once Weiss's intimidation faded, she could've avoided this whole working-on-a-ship mess. And what IOU? Once you're out at sea, who remembers who?
While Karina was lost in thought, a skewer of grilled meat suddenly dangled in front of her nose. She looked up to see that annoying Weiss munching contentedly.
Turning frustration into hunger, she grabbed a giant skewer from his hand and began wolfing it down. Weiss was left bewildered. What the hell's her problem? With that appetite, she really would be a liability on the ship…
Pirates. Pirates. More pirates.
That was Loguetown in a nutshell. Aside from the regular storefronts, most shoppers out and about were pirates.
As Weiss walked along the street, he brushed past a squad of Marines. One of them, the squad leader, glanced at him briefly—then broke formation and dashed toward the Marine base.
Weiss either didn't notice or simply didn't care. After all, it's not like he was a pirate.
At the Marine base, Captain Endless sat in his office sorting through paperwork. He had been stationed here for five years, and his term would soon be up. Likely, he'd be moved to a clerical post at Marine Headquarters—his age wasn't ideal for field duty anymore.
He didn't yet know who would replace him, though rumor had it the new appointee was… a bit of a wildcard.
Knock knock knock!
"Sir! Reporting!"
"Enter."
A Marine stepped in and saluted.
"Captain, the person Headquarters told us to keep an eye out for—they've arrived in Loguetown."
"The one Headquarters is watching? That wandering swordsman from the East Blue?"
"Yes, sir. They turned in a bounty at the 198th Branch—took out a pirate worth five million Berry."
"Alright. You may go."
"Yes, Captain Endless!"
After the messenger left, Endless leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. His gaze landed on a document on his desk, which read in bold letters:
Chris Weiss.
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Currently at chapter 390 on Ko-Fi
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27