Chapter 36: Wanted All Around!
Watching the villagers cheer and jump with joy, the Straw Hat Crew all showed sentimental smiles.
Chen Yu was not idle either. While Nami was reuniting with the villagers, he eliminated all traces of the Arlong Pirates in the vicinity. In the entire Arlong Park, only the unconscious Hatchan remained; the rest was nothing but pools of magma.
The red glow emitted by the magma reflected against the sunset on the horizon. This scene filled Chen Yu with many emotions.
Soon, everyone was invited to Cocoyasi Village as guests. At this moment, all the villagers felt nothing but gratitude toward the Straw Hat Crew.
On the other side, somewhere in the Grand Line, a serious meeting was taking place.
"The meeting regarding the Straw Hat Crew is now in session," said a burly leading general clad in a Marine uniform.
"Seconded!" xN
"Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hat Crew, hails from the East Blue. He is a Rubber-Rubber Fruit user. According to investigations, he is closely related to the Four Emperors' Red Hair Shanks and poses an extremely high threat to this world! He is also suspected to be the grandson of the Marine Hero Garp."
"In just a few days after setting sail, the Straw Hat Crew has turned the East Blue upside down."
"First, he defeated Alvida, then Captain Morgan of the Marine Branch, and continued his triumphant advance, defeating Buggy the Clown, Don Krieg, and now the Arlong Pirates."
"Based on the intelligence collected so far, it can be inferred that Captain Nezumi of the Marine Branch also fell at the hands of this group; his current status is unknown."
"In the East Blue, where the average bounty is less than 3 million, this group has defeated several great pirates with bounties exceeding 10 million in succession. This is not good news."
"We must take this very seriously and eradicate this evil sprout as early as possible!"
"In other words, no single branch is currently capable of dealing with this group alone," another grim-faced general spoke up.
Hearing this, the leading general nodded and then added, "This is only the surface intelligence!"
"According to reports from scouts, the threat of the Straw Hat Crew is not limited to just this."
"Roronoa Zoro, a combatant of the Straw Hat Crew, born in the East Blue. He fought one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Dracule Mihawk, at the seafaring restaurant Baratie. Although he was defeated by Hawkeye, he gained Hawkeye's recognition after the battle."
"How many years has it been! Hawkeye has never placed such importance on a young man. This person's potential danger is by no means lower than his Captain's!"
"Seconded!" xN.
"Not only that, but the Straw Hat Crew's first mate, Chen Yu, is of unknown origin. This man is an even greater concern for our Marines and the World Government! His record is even more illustrious than his Captain's!"
"He also challenged Hawkeye at the seafaring restaurant Baratie. He is suspected of controlling flames, with abilities similar to Fire Fist Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates."
"Because the commotion from Chen Yu's challenge to Hawkeye was so grand, our intelligence officer was unfortunately sacrificed! However, he also brought us important combat data!"
After saying this, the leading officer played a video of the battle between Chen Yu and Hawkeye.
"Chen Yu's technique of countless fire swords falling from the sky poses a massive threat to our Marines! Aside from the Admirals taking action, I fear no one could completely block such a move! Furthermore, we have not grasped any subsequent intelligence."
"According to later findings, the result of the battle between Chen Yu and Hawkeye was a draw!"
"The fact that the East Blue produced a Fire Fist Ace was already a great humiliation for the Marines! We must never allow a second Fire Fist to emerge!"
"This sprout must be nipped in the bud as soon as possible to maintain military prestige!"
"Seconded!" xN
"Option one: set the bounty for Chen Yu, the Straw Hat Pirates' first mate, at 300 million," the leading general said, looking down at the others.
"Seconded!" xN-1
"Inappropriate. The bounty amount is fine, but do you think the World Government will agree to such an absurdly high bounty? Especially for a first-time bounty!" one of the generals said.
As soon as these words were spoken, there was much discussion below, but in the end, everyone agreed. After all, that was the World Government for you.
"Seconded!" xN-1
"In that case, we will take option two: issue bounties for the entire Straw Hat Pirates, lowering Chen Yu's bounty while raising the bounties of the other members," the leading general continued.
After a period of discussion, the generals below agreed one after another.
"This is the most reasonable plan for now, but Chen Yu's dangerousness must be clearly marked within the military. We must not let our Marine heroes sacrifice themselves in vain!" one of the generals added.
"Seconded!" xN-1.
"Very well, we will now proceed with the final bounty resolution for the Straw Hat Crew."
"I propose a bounty of 60 million Berries for Monkey D. Luffy, Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates; 90 million Berries for Chen Yu, the first mate; 45 million Berries for Roronoa Zoro, the combatant; 30 million Berries for Sanji, the cook; 20 million Berries for the Navigator, 'Little Thief Cat' Nami; and 20 million Berries for the sniper, Usopp," the leading general proposed.
"Seconded!" xN.
"There are also two newly joined combat members whose strength cannot be clearly determined: Joseph and Johnny."
"Although records show these two were once obscure bounty hunters in the East Blue, for some reason they were appreciated by the first mate Chen Yu and recruited into the crew."
"Even a man like Chen Yu, the first mate of the Straw Hat Crew, respectfully refers to them as the 'Sword God Duo.' Everyone, please begin discussing their bounty amounts!" The leading general threw out the question once more.
---After a period of discussion, the bounties for the two were set at 17.5 million Berries each, bringing the total bounty to 300 million Berries. This was the Straw Hat Pirates' first bounty, and it was unprecedented!
"Hopefully, this will cause conflict between the Captain and the first mate!" one of the generals said indifferently, taking a puff of his pipe.
On the other side, the Straw Hat Crew, still partying, was completely unaware. They had been invited to hold a banquet for three consecutive days.
Knowing he could eat meat for three days, Luffy hurriedly begged Chen Yu to agree. Sanji, hearing that there were many beauties waiting for him to save them, also joined in.
Seeing this, Zoro curled his lip but didn't say anything. Thus, Chen Yu, who was waiting for a conflict to break out between the two, was somewhat disappointed.
Later, hearing that fine wine was also prepared for the banquet, Zoro joined the ranks with a flushed face. However, Chen Yu still hadn't expressed his stance.
It wasn't until the end, when Nami also expressed her wish to stay for a few days to say goodbye to the villagers, that Chen Yu finally nodded in agreement.
Chen Yu: Then what the hell is there to consider!
After the others learned that Chen Yu had nodded, they swarmed into the "battlefield." Usopp began his impromptu storytelling, while Chen Yu was called to a corner by Genzo for a man-to-man talk. Chen Yu was very respectful toward him.
In modern times, wouldn't Genzo be his father-in-law!
On the other side, the bounty posters were already being rushed through printing. By the next day, as the News Coos flew across the four seas, the entire world was in an uproar!
The Straw Hat Crew, slow to catch on, was still reveling. Sanji had completely forgotten his vow from two days ago to awaken Haki and was currently enjoying himself far too much to think of home!Chapter 37: Arrival at Loguetown
Time flew by, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Looking at the villagers on the shore, each one was filled with resentment, shouting that Nami, who had stolen their wallets, was a bad child, a big villain!
"Na-chan! Remember to come back and visit when you have time!"
"That's right, that's right! This will always be your home!!"
"Take care, Little Na!"
Amidst the reluctant goodbyes, she raised her arms high, happily waving farewell to the villagers on the shore, completely different from a certain Curly-Haired guy.
"Kid! Remember our promise!" Genzo stood on the shore, waving towards Chen Yu.
Seeing Genzo's greeting, Chen Yu waved back very solemnly: "Of course! Leave everything to me, please rest assured!"
Hearing the mysterious conversation between these two, Nami was a bit puzzled. Her clever eyes rolled half a circle, and then, as if thinking of something, she led Chen Yu back to the room and gently closed the door. Then she pouted, her cheeks puffed out with air, and her cunning big eyes blinked incessantly, staring straight at Chen Yu without saying a word.
Nami had discovered that Chen Yu seemed to be very susceptible to this. As long as she acted like this and then made a request, Chen Yu would basically agree; at least, he hadn't refused yet.
Seeing Nami's delicate and charming appearance, Chen Yu was very troubled. He also realized that he simply couldn't refuse Nami when she was like this. Every time he saw her this way, his heart felt like it was melting. If Nami acted a little spoiled and used a slightly higher-pitched voice, his heart would instantly liquefy, and he would choose to agree brainlessly over being firm and calm!
Before Nami could speak, Chen Yu blurted out the answer: "I told Uncle Genzo that since we've already done everything we should do, we were discussing when I could marry you and bring you home."
After saying that, Chen Yu shrugged, looking like he didn't care if she believed him or not! As long as I speak first, you can't seduce me! Hah! Women!
"You... you you... you!" Hearing what Chen Yu said, Nami was so shocked she couldn't say a word. Her face gradually turned red, and her finger trembled as she pointed at Chen Yu's nose, constantly backing away.
"How can you talk such nonsense!"
"Who has done everything they should do with you!!"
With nowhere left to retreat, Nami leaned against the wall, defending herself very shyly.
Seeing this, Chen Yu got excited~
Placing his hands behind his lower back and tilting his head slightly, he approached Nami step by step.
Nami was extremely nervous!
She didn't know where to put her hands, moving them around randomly—one moment her fingers were interlaced, the next her hands were slightly clenched into fists, then she was clutching the hem of her clothes on both sides. Those arrogant eyes from before now didn't dare to meet Chen Yu's gaze at all.
Chen Yu gradually backed Nami into a corner, but he didn't do any flashy 'kabedon' or anything like that.
He simply extended his right hand, palm slightly drooping and relaxed, index and middle fingers slightly raised. He slowly slid the nails of those two fingers from Nami's chin upwards to below her ear, and finally gave Nami's earlobe a gentle pinch with his index and middle fingers.
Her earlobe, which was already pinkish against her fair skin, instantly turned a shade redder. She nervously closed her eyes, her eyelids trembling incessantly, and her long, curled eyelashes swayed along with them.
Seeing this, Chen Yu's playfulness surged. He gradually lowered his head, bringing his mouth close to Nami's neck, and gently blew a breath of cool air.
Stimulated, Nami couldn't help but let out a soft 'Mmm~' and her whole body shivered.
Chen Yu didn't stop there. He aimed his mouth at Nami's ear and whispered softly, "Then what else do you think we haven't done yet~~?"
Hearing Chen Yu's murmur from such a close distance, Nami's face finally turned as red as a ripe peach, and her lips trembled irregularly.
Chen Yu saw how fun it was and wanted to continue, but he didn't expect Nami to turn her embarrassment into anger. She snapped on the spot, swinging her fists and dealing two 'bang-bang' blows to Chen Yu's head. Then the door flew open, and she kicked Chen Yu out.
Outside, a somewhat depressed Sanji saw Chen Yu's fate and immediately regained his energy, gloating and mocking Chen Yu from the side. Chen Yu had already come out in a very confusing way, and now he was being mocked by Sanji for no reason? How could he endure this?
Chen Yu quickly got up, covered his mouth, and said with a look of grievance, "Nami just bit my tongue and it hurts. Sanji! Do you think I made Nami angry?"
Sanji: o_O???
Are you even speaking human language?
Sanji, who had never gotten the better of Chen Yu, didn't say a word. Looking dejected as if he'd lost his soul, he swayed back and forth as he left this den of iniquity, walking all the way to another corner of the deck and slapped his own face repeatedly.
And Chen Yu, realizing it later, also knelt on the ground and slapped his own face!
What on earth did I just do in that room!!!
Chen Yu didn't even want to know what he had missed; the more he thought about it, the more he felt he'd lost out! He drew circles on the ground with a bitter expression.
Of course, this small difficulty could only trouble Chen Yu for a short while. Next time, he'd just try again!
Having regained his energy, Chen Yu walked over to Sanji. With his hands in his pockets, he bent down to look at Sanji, who was squatting on the ground in a negative mood, and said, "Zoro mastered Haki in two days. Today I plan to teach him the Haki Circulation Method."
"Sanji-yo! It's been four days, yo. Have you mastered Haki yet? I remember someone told me they could master it in two days, yo. Tsk, tsk, tsk, yo!"
Seeing Sanji's 'reboot' look, Chen Yu couldn't help but sigh: As expected, Zoro is the true love; everyone else is just a side dish!
Ignoring the revitalized Sanji, he gathered Usopp, Nami, Luffy, and Zoro to teach them the Haki Circulation Method today! Usopp and Nami had already mastered Observation Haki and had a certain understanding of Haki. By teaching them the Haki Circulation Method, they should be able to figure out Armament Haki on their own. As for Usopp, Chen Yu didn't know, but Nami definitely wouldn't have a problem. Lately, Nami seemed to have activated some kind of cheat; it seemed as long as she wanted to hit him, she could beat him until his head was covered in bumps.
Nami's constitution must be an incredibly powerful one!
After teaching the circulation method and insights to Nami and Usopp, Chen Yu led Luffy and Zoro into the training room. Giving these two insights was useless; they had to be beaten! Of course, he didn't teach the application methods within the circulation method yet; that would have to wait, as that stuff was hard to crack, and even he hadn't mastered it yet.
He simply beat Luffy and Zoro a few times, then explained how to mobilize Haki, what it felt like, how to apply force, and other intuitive sensations. Finally, he beat them both again, and that was it. Every time Chen Yu taught like this, the two of them would either learn it on the spot or suddenly use it one day. Leading them was truly effortless!
After teaching the two, Chen Yu went back to Sanji and said, "Zoro has even learned the circulation method, yo!" Then he turned around coolly. A real man never looks back at an explosion!!! Even if Sanji was about to explode with anger.
While sunbathing outside, Chen Yu saw Luffy come out and suddenly fell into deep thought. Could it be that I really am a master teacher?
It was because he saw Luffy carrying his small fishing rod to go fishing again. Luffy only fished when he had nothing left to do!!
"I really am a master teacher!!" With a look of satisfaction, Chen Yu closed his eyes again to enjoy the sunbath.
What? You're asking why Nami isn't sunbathing with me? What a joke! Just a mere woman—so what if her legs are a bit long, so what if her skin is a bit fair, so what if she won't let me in the room, so what if her figure is a bit good, so what if she's a bit pretty? What's so great about that!
He, Chen Yu, was a man of iron will!
After sailing for about another two hours, they arrived at Loguetown!Chapter 38: The Renowned Straw Hat
"News Coo! Give me a paper!" On the Red Force, a burly, middle-aged man with a ponytail and a gun flicked a coin and shouted toward the sky.
Seeing the seagull drop a newspaper, the man casually tossed the coin. However, the seagull didn't leave; it landed on the Red Force and squawked incessantly.
The middle-aged man immediately understood—it wasn't enough money.
Having spent so long on these seas, Benn Beckman realized today's paper was special, likely containing big news. He didn't make things difficult for the News Coo and tossed another coin.
Receiving the money, the seagull gave a salute and flew off.
As Benn Beckman unfolded the paper, a small stack of wanted posters fell out. He didn't pay much mind; he'd seen plenty of this at sea.
As the first mate, Benn Beckman was used to keeping up with current events and watching for rising pirates. He wasn't an absentee boss like Shanks; he handled all the ship's affairs, large and small.
Because the first wanted poster wasn't Luffy, it was clear the Marine had racked their brains and used every trick to incite internal conflict among the pirates.
Usually, the Captain is first, the first mate second, and the rest follow. Putting Chen Yu's poster first showed their sinister intent! However, the Marine seemed to have overestimated Luffy's pettiness. It was a good move that might work on other crews, but for the Straw Hat Pirates, all one could say was: better luck next time, Marine!
A crew that could get the News Coo to distribute bounties worldwide had to have something going for it. Otherwise, if every small fry got published, how would Morgans make any money?
Beckman read slowly. His calm demeanor vanished when he saw the words "East Blue Straw Hat." His eyes widened, drawing exclamations from the other crew members.
"Beckman! What news could make you react like that?" the stout Lucky Roux asked curiously, clutching a Giant Meat on a Bone.
"It's here! It's here! It's finally here!" Beckman ignored Lucky Roux and hurried toward Shanks' room with the paper.
Lucky Roux curled his lip in dissatisfaction. "That bastard, not explaining anything. 'It's here, it's here'—what's here? Just wait, I'll add some seasoning to your dinner!"
The sharp-eyed Yasopp spotted the stack of wanted posters on the deck. Being bored anyway, he began flipping through them one by one.
"Eh!! It's here! It really is here!" Flipping to the second page, Yasopp saw a beaming young man in a straw hat and spoke with excitement.
Lucky Roux, who had just turned to leave, got annoyed. "None of you can speak clearly! Just 'it's here, it's here'!"
He impatiently snatched the wanted posters from Yasopp's hand.
Seeing the contents, Lucky Roux's pupils shrank. His large frame let out a sharp cry: "Holy crap! It's here! It really is here!"
Just then, two people ran out of the room—Beckman, who had just entered, and a one-armed man with Red Hair looking overjoyed.
"It's finally here! Luffy! We've been waiting for you!" With that, he snatched the posters from Yasopp and examined them closely.
"He looks so happy, this kid!"
"To have such a bounty for the first time... as expected of the man I chose! Ahahahaha!" Seeing Luffy's bounty of 60 million Berries, Shanks threw his head back and laughed. It was clear the young Four Emperors was genuinely delighted.
Beckman took the other posters from Shanks and flipped through them. He wasn't as simple-minded as Shanks; since it was the Straw Hat Pirates, he had to take a good look at them.
"'Fire Fist Chen Yu'? 90 million Berries? And he's the first mate?" Beckman stared at Chen Yu's wanted poster, his brow furrowing.
Beckman saw through the scheme instantly. Were the Marine trying to cause friction between the Straw Hat and Whitebeard?
"But this kid must be strong. His first bounty is even higher than Luffy's. Worth watching," Beckman muttered to himself as he continued flipping.
The others didn't seem particularly remarkable to him until he reached Usopp. The recently calmed Beckman got excited again!
"Yasopp! Usopp, it's Usopp! Isn't your son named Usopp?" Beckman shouted excitedly at Yasopp.
Beckman felt he was far from calm today, losing his composure twice. He'd have to be more careful next time!
"Nani!!!!!"
"Let me see, let me see!" Hearing Beckman's words, Yasopp practically jumped. His restless heart raced as he scrambled to grab Usopp's wanted poster.
"Souka, souka! So you've gone to sea too! That's right! A man should stand tall and do what he wants!" Looking at the face so similar to his wife's, Yasopp's eyes grew red. He hadn't been a good husband or father. Seeing his son grown up and heading to sea like him made him profoundly happy.
"Good lad! Do your best with Luffy!" Yasopp choked back his tears, his expression full of emotion.
"Ahahahaha! Yarodomo! It's party time! To celebrate Luffy setting sail, we're feasting for three days straight!!! Drink until you drop!" Shanks waved his hand, shouting with excitement.
Beckman: "This first mate and the green-haired kid must be the two 'interesting guys' Hawkeye mentioned!"
--- Meanwhile, in Foosha Village.
"Everyone! For our Luffy, cheers!"
"Oh!!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers to a great pirate coming out of our Foosha Village!!"
"How scandalous! He's a scoundrel! A disgrace to our village!" the elderly village chief grumbled, leaning on his cane.
"Cheers!"
--- Shimotsuki Village.
"Master, is this Pirate Hunter Zoro our senior disciple? Sugoi na!"
"Yeah, yeah! Master, please teach us how to be pirates!"
"Right, right!"
"I want to learn too! I want to be a pirate!"
Genzo said helplessly, "He is indeed your senior, but I never taught him how to be a pirate!"
After speaking, Genzo looked into the distance and murmured to himself, "Zoro! I'm glad to see news of you again. I see no hesitation in your eyes! A pirate, eh? Follow your heart with conviction! Carry out your Way of the Sword!"
--- Cocoyasi Village.
"The Marine are too much! Giving such a high bounty to such a cute, timid little girl!" Genzo complained while patting a wanted poster he had specially enlarged and printed on the wall.
Nojiko: "Gen-san, you're clearly happy and loving this!"
With that, Genzo also looked toward the direction the Straw Hat Crew had sailed. His heart was not at peace: "Kid, I'm entrusting Nami to you! I believe you can protect her and her smile!"
--- "Captain Buggy, look..."
--- "Captain Kuro, today's fresh wanted posters..."
Today, the whole world was in an uproar!Chapter 39: The Straw Hat's First Unequal Treaty
After disembarking, none of them had any idea what had happened at sea. Chen Yu gave Luffy 500,000 to buy meat and Usopp 2.1 million to get equipment and materials, while everyone else only received 100,000 Berries.
Finally, Chen Yu glanced at Zoro. Although Zoro wasn't short of swords at the moment, except for wado ichimonji, the other swords were trash and simply wouldn't do.
"Zoro, do you want to change your swords?"
"You should realize that the other two swords in your hands will soon fail to keep up with your growth in strength. Why not get two new ones on this island?"
"I heard there are some good blades in the weapon shop on this island. Rumor has it someone saw a Sandai Kitetsu, and another sharp blade that's quite good. Want to go buy them?" Chen Yu looked at Zoro with a calm expression, coaxing him.
Hearing this, Nami's eyes narrowed. She didn't believe for a second that this bad seed was just kindly reminding Zoro; he definitely had something up his sleeve.
"But I only have 100,000," Zoro hesitated after thinking for a moment.
"I'm just asking if you want them. If you're short on money, I can lend it to you," Chen Yu remained expressionless.
"Then hurry up and lend me some, I'll pay you back later!" Zoro was finally excited; he was already looking forward to the new swords!
"I can lend it to you, but we have to make an agreement."
"I'll give you a million, which will definitely be enough for you to buy them. But you must agree to three conditions. Don't worry, they won't violate your principles," Chen Yu looked at Zoro, continuing to coax him. "Opportunities like this don't come twice!"
As soon as those words were spoken, Nami felt instantly relieved. This was the Chen Yu she knew—never letting a bird go without catching it!
After hesitating for a while, Zoro finally agreed to this unequal treaty. Not only did he have to pay back the money later, but he also had to agree to three conditions from Chen Yu?
Holding the money, Zoro felt more and more that something was off. But Zoro had a good habit: if he couldn't figure it out, he stopped thinking about it. Just like how he didn't know directions and would just wander blindly. Anyway, someone would eventually come find him.
Chen Yu watched Zoro leave with an excited face.
Three conditions! How should he play this?
Nami, who was also present, looked at Chen Yu craftily: "I want a million Berries too! Otherwise, I'll tell Zoro to borrow from me, and I won't ask for any conditions!"
Although Nami had left all her money to her village, she could still come up with a mere million.
Chen Yu looked at Nami somewhat speechlessly. This woman was too greedy! Asking for a million right away... However, Chen Yu didn't refuse. It was just pocket change. Usually, the crew didn't bother looting, so he and Nami had been secretly pocketing it.
Since he was giving a million, he might as well give two. Chen Yu simply gave Nami three million and affectionately cupped her face, kissing her smooth forehead: "Here's three million. Don't say your man is stingy. Spend it however you like, spend it boldly, just buy, buy, buy! Ask me for more when you run out!"
The money-grubbing Nami naturally had no burden and happily accepted it. Having received a benefit, she wouldn't show nothing in return—sustainable development, she understood! Nami quickly walked to Chen Yu, stood on her tiptoes, kissed him on the lower lip, and then skipped out to go shopping.
The group, having never seen the bounty posters, naturally had no worries. Who would recognize them?
As for Chen Yu, he naturally followed Nami in secret, while also planning to buy some meat and a suit. He didn't count on Luffy bringing back any meat at all!
Walking on the road, Zoro was in high spirits. The bag in his hand contained gold worth about a million Berries, plus 100,000 Berries in pocket money.
Suddenly, a commotion broke out in the crowd ahead. He heard that a girl was being targeted by pirates for revenge.
Hearing this, Zoro also walked closer to observe.
What met Zoro's eyes were several tall and sturdy pirates raising their blades to strike at a young girl wearing glasses.
Just as Zoro was about to step in, he saw the girl wave her hands. A flash of sword light passed, and the pirates instantly lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.
Unfortunately, the girl's coolness didn't last three seconds. She tripped and fell the moment she let her guard down. From then on, the ill-fated relationship between Zoro and his 'future wife' began!
The two bickered all the way, but Zoro was no match for Tashigi's tongue. Compensation was impossible; it wasn't like he did it on purpose, and besides, he needed his money to buy swords! Had anyone ever seen a pirate honestly pay compensation?
This woman was really getting ahead of herself! Just because she had a face exactly like Zoro's 'ex-wife,' she wouldn't stop nagging. Even after she pulled a new pair of glasses out from her cleavage, she still let him pay? Isn't that just a mess?
Despite the bumps along the way, the fate between the two was sealed.
Furthermore, Zoro's gains exceeded his expectations: one yubashiri and one Sandai Kitetsu!
Zoro only spent 50,000 to buy kikoku; the shop owner entrusted yubashiri to him!
From the remaining money, he took out 100,000 and threw it to Tashigi. Only when he saw Tashigi leave did Zoro breathe a sigh of relief.
Henpecked Zoro was a classic case of 'it's actually quite nice'!
On the other side, Usopp met an annoying blonde loli named Carol. They both took a liking to the same pair of goggles, which led to a dispute.
Meanwhile, Daddy, who had just exchanged bounties with Smoker, quietly appeared behind Usopp.
Hearing that Daddy knew his father, Usopp no longer backed down and agreed to a duel with Daddy.
In this life, Usopp was different. Since learning the Haki Circulation Method from Chen Yu, Usopp had mastered Armament Haki in a short time—half a day faster than Nami. After all, his genes were not weak!
Though the empowered Usopp was still timid, he wasn't afraid of trouble! With Two-Color Haki in hand, he didn't fear Daddy at all.
However, Usopp didn't use guns. He had no interest in a traditional duel. Moreover, Usopp pointed out that Daddy's daughter was still young; what would happen to her if he lost?
"You stinky long-nose! Who says he'll lose! My Daddy could never lose to a weird uncle like you!" Carol, hearing Usopp say her father might lose, immediately revealed her bratty personality.
But Usopp ignored the brat entirely. He made a bet with Daddy: if he won, the goggles were his; if he lost, he would accept whatever.
The two finally competed in long-range shooting. The target was a weather vane in the distance, a range exceeding the precision of a pistol. As long as Usopp hit it, he would win!
To be honest, Usopp was a bit nervous, but he was very confident in himself! Just as Chen Yu had said before they entered Loguetown, he was the sniper of the future Pirate King's ship; when it came to shooting, he wouldn't lose to anyone!
In the end, of course, Usopp won. He used Armament Haki to strengthen his slingshot, making its range far exceed that of an ordinary pistol.
Usopp also obtained the goggles he had been longing for, but seeing Daddy and Carol hugging made him feel a bit pained.
How could he not long for fatherly love? Usopp's feelings for his father, Yasopp, were extremely complex. He admired Yasopp because his mother said he was a great man. But he was not a qualified husband or father at all!
A slightly lonely Usopp carried his purchased supplies toward the going merry.
But this loneliness came and went quickly. The going merry, Kaya, and the Straw Hat Pirates were where he belonged! Besides, hadn't he been used to it for years?Chapter 40: I'm Not Into Guys!
Nami spent the whole way trying on clothes, but she didn't buy anything after trying them on. The owner was so angry he spat out, "Welcome back next time!"
Chen Yu wasn't idle either. Originally in casual wear, he now wore a deep blue striped suit, sunglasses, and had his hair trimmed short, making him look refined and capable. After changing, Chen Yu didn't hide at all; he followed her openly while holding a newspaper and a stack of wanted posters.
"Tsk tsk tsk! So the Marines are such scheming bitches?" Chen Yu sat with his legs crossed in front of a clothing store, reading the latest newspaper.
"A full-crew bounty?" Chen Yu lifted his sunglasses and looked toward the end of the street.
Smoker is likely already planning to capture their crew. He had to move faster. At this stage, the crew couldn't reveal too much excessive power; they had to stay hidden when necessary.
With that thought, Chen Yu folded the newspaper, glanced at his own wanted poster, and curled his lip: "Fire Fist, huh? It seems the Marines have miscalculated again."
Entering the clothing store, Chen Yu searched for a long time but couldn't find Nami. Looking at the endless stream of coolly-dressed beautiful girls around him, Chen Yu felt his self-control was being tested. Unable to find Nami, he simply spread out his Observation Haki.
He didn't believe anyone besides Smoker could catch their crew. Even the weakest ones like Nami and Usopp had already mastered Two-Color Haki—are you scared yet?
Chen Yu searched all over and finally found Nami in a place he never would have expected—the men's section of the clothing store.
Chen Yu immediately understood Nami's intention, but he wasn't happy at all!
He then walked over with an arrogant swagger to find his Nami-chan.
He saw her holding a white suit in one hand and a wine-red suit in the other, while her eyes were fixed on another black suit with dark gold patterns on the collar.
Nami originally wanted to buy Chen Yu two suits plus a set of casual wear. Now, looking at the three suits, she fell into deep hesitation; she loved all three!
It wasn't that she was unwilling to buy three, but if she bought all three suits, she wouldn't be able to afford casual wear for Chen Yu! Suits were ridiculously expensive everywhere, and none of the three Nami liked were under 300,000 Berries.
After much internal conflict, Nami simply returned her own clothes, as she only had less than a million Berries with her. She carried the three suits and one set of casual wear to the checkout counter to pay, her face beaming with an incredibly bright smile.
Witnessing the whole process, Chen Yu felt his heart skip a beat. How could he let Nami be so self-sacrificing? He immediately strode out, tossing a bag of gold coins with his left hand while resting his right hand on Nami's shoulder: "Owner, I'll cover this lady's expenses, including those clothes she just returned. Wrap them all up!!"
"Beautiful lady, I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting you to dinner?" Chen Yu slightly altered his tone, making it a voice Nami had never heard before.
Seeing Chen Yu's wealthy appearance, the shop owner's eyes crinkled into slits from smiling. He rubbed his hands and replied, "You got it!"
Feeling the sudden physical contact, Nami frowned at first, then immediately deployed her Observation Haki while reaching for the three-section staff tucked into her lower back.
Just as she was about to pull out the staff, she saw clearly who the person perceived by her Observation Haki was and was stunned.
This guy hasn't been... stalking me this whole time, has he?
Suddenly, Nami felt a bit sweet inside. She knew exactly why Chen Yu was following her, but she planned to give this bad guy—who loved stalking and taking advantage of people—a little lesson!
"Handsome, thank you for your kindness, but my boyfriend might be nearby. If he weren't here, I wouldn't mind having dinner with you," Nami said, trying to make her voice and posture as sexy and alluring as possible.
Unfortunately, the current Nami was not yet as alluring as the Nami from two years later, whose every smile and gesture exuded sexiness and charm.
Hearing this, how could Chen Yu endure it?
"What?? You girl, say that again??" Chen Yu, getting agitated, spun Nami around. She had been facing away from him, but now he manually set her to be face-to-face.
After turning Nami around, Chen Yu saw her meaningful smirk and the playfulness in her eyes. He immediately realized she had known it was him all along. It was impossible for him to be truly angry, but seeing Nami's mischievous look, he immediately slapped her perky butt.
*Smack!*
The loud slapping sound echoed. With one slap, the tactile sensation he felt was intoxicating.
He could even feel the lingering vibration that hadn't stopped even after his hand left!
In an instant, everyone in the clothing store looked over. Some envied Nami, some envied Chen Yu, and some women even stared intently at Nami's seemingly still-vibrating buttocks with complex expressions of deep longing. Some even turned around to look at their own with resentment at their lack of assets.
Chen Yu looked at the envious and jealous expressions of the men and stood tall, like a victorious gander with his chin held high!
Feeling the pain from her bottom, Nami's mind went blank for a moment. She knew where she was; Chen Yu's slap had left her brain empty and her face gradually flushing a deep red, as if her tender cheeks could drip with moisture.
After a moment of daze, Nami clenched her fists, wanting to beat up this guy who couldn't distinguish the occasion.
Just as she was about to swing her fist, she saw Chen Yu's proud and boastful look. Then she glanced at the people nearby with strange looks, especially the men who were glaring at Chen Yu.
This caused Nami's anger to instantly fizzle out. She had never seen Chen Yu act so childishly before.
Forget it, forget it! One must pamper one's own man! Nami shook her head helplessly, then dragged Chen Yu, who was carrying large and small bags, away from that troublesome place.
The two arrived at a high-end restaurant, but Nami found that Chen Yu still had that proud look, his chin held high as if he couldn't lower it. She found it quite hilarious.
How can this man be so funny? He's being so childish right now!
"Hahahahaha!" Nami's laughter, clear as silver bells, suddenly became unstoppable.
It not only attracted Chen Yu, causing his chin—which had grown accustomed to the heights—to successfully lower,
But it also drew the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
The restaurant wasn't too large, but it was filled with Noble and powerful figures. The people dining here could truly be described as having money to burn.
At the table behind Chen Yu, a young man waved over a waiter. The waiter bowed respectfully to listen to the youth. After standing up, the waiter locked his eyes on Nami for a few seconds before turning to leave.
A moment later, a Band walked in. As soon as they stepped through the restaurant door, they began playing a piece of music that was very quiet yet elegant.
As the music started, the youth at the next table also slowly rose. He held a small glass of red wine in his right hand, supporting the bowl with two fingers and gripping the stem with two others, swirling the wine with great affectation.
The waiter who had looked at Nami earlier appeared from somewhere with a bouquet of flowers—a large bunch of roses—and handed them to the youth.
The youth took the flowers with his left hand, closed his eyes, and leaned down to take a deep sniff. When he opened his eyes again, he looked completely intoxicated and unable to help himself.
The people around them began to stir.
"Look at that young man with the long yellow hair, he's so elegant and handsome!!"
"Isn't he! Not only is he handsome, but he has such taste. He must have hired that Band, right?"
"Hey, sisters, look, he seems to be wearing Noble attire. Those patterns on his clothes are exclusive to Nobles, aren't they?"
"It looks like he's planning to give someone flowers?"
"Yeah! I wonder who has such good fortune. If a Noble gave me flowers, I'd do anything!!"
"Give it a rest, you flat board. As long as This Old Lady is here, you don't have a chance!"
"You hussy! What did you say!!"
Of course, Chen Yu didn't notice any of this. He was focused on admiring Nami as she ate.
Watching Nami eat was enough! Food could only fill the stomach, but he was spiritually hungry!
Suddenly, a figure appeared behind Chen Yu, interrupting his focused appreciation of art. This made Chen Yu very unhappy. Turning around, he saw a long-haired, sissy-looking yellow-haired guy with a Band following behind him.
Chen Yu:????
Before Chen Yu could speak, the yellow-haired youth shot him a look. The youth glanced at Chen Yu and then jerked his head toward another spot, clearly signaling for Chen Yu to vacate his seat.
Usually, whenever these Nobles acted like this, all commoners would cooperate—they had to—and leave obediently.
And the yellow-haired youth thought the same.
Chen Yu saw this sissy staring at him, head twitching left and right, occasionally making eye contact before twitching again. Chen Yu was bewildered. Was this poor bastard's neck uncomfortable? Did he have a stiff neck? If he had a stiff neck, he should just rest more, right? Or go see a doctor! But Chen Yu was a pirate, not a doctor!
Chen Yu:????
Seeing that Chen Yu was unmoved and even staring at him with an extremely serious gaze, the yellow-haired youth immediately understood. He wants money, right? A small matter!
He immediately gave a look to his follower. The follower understood instantly and brought out a small bag of Berries—about a hundred thousand or so. In the follower's eyes, this was already a lot; usually, no one would dare accept even if he gave it!
If it weren't for his master being in a good mood today, it wouldn't have been a simple matter of giving money!
Looking at the bag of Berries, Chen Yu's expression became even more confused. Did his handsome, striking appearance look like a doctor? Had they ever seen such a suave and elegant doctor? Didn't they see the women around them whispering while looking at their table?
Chen Yu: ∠(′д̀)
He looked at the yellow-haired youth and his follower with an expression as if he were looking at a spoiled rich idiot. What was this all about? And holding a bouquet of flowers... what? Do they pay doctors with flowers in Loguetown?
But in the eyes of the follower and the youth, this look meant something else. They thought Chen Yu was being greedy! A hundred thousand Berries was not a small amount!
Just as the follower was about to get angry, he was stopped by the youth, all because Nami suddenly laughed very happily. That incredibly soothing, bell-like laughter not only healed Chen Yu but also deeply healed the yellow-haired youth.
Chen Yu was bewildered, but Nami understood instantly! It wasn't like she hadn't been hit on before; this kind of display was just rare, but that didn't mean it never happened!
Seeing Chen Yu and the yellow-haired youth staring at each other, Nami truly found it hilarious!
Chen Yu thought Nami was laughing at this sissy.
The youth, however, thought Nami was laughing at Chen Yu. How could a mere commoner compare to someone of his Noble status! After all, he was a Noble, his clothes bore Noble insignias, and he was dressed so elegantly—nothing the suit of the commoner before him could match.
Consequently, both felt they didn't need to deal with the other person so quickly; both wanted to see Nami's smile a few more times.
The yellow-haired youth felt he was simply too well-bred! To be able to maintain his poise when encountering such a brazen and insatiable commoner, he was moved by his own grace. He couldn't help but extend his palm upward, covering his eyes with the back of his hand as he looked to the sky in rapture. He then ordered his follower to add more money. To him, money was less useful than a tissue; it was just a pile of waste paper. He could never spend all the money the commoners handed over every year!
Chen Yu watched as the follower brought out an even larger bag of money. Because the yellow-haired sissy was holding a wine glass, he used the base of his palm to rub his own chest. Chen Yu felt a full-body shudder of disgust! This sissy actually has a thing for me? For goodness' sake, he won't act like a man and dares to flaunt his charms in front of me! It seems those flowers really were meant for me, but not for a medical consultation, but for... Chen Yu: (,,#?Д?)
Seeing Chen Yu's distorted expression as he looked at his chest, the yellow-haired youth assumed he had noticed the Noble crest on his chest. Scared now, aren't you? It seems this commoner is the type who lacks discernment and needs a hint to realize my Noble status.
Heh! A commoner is a commoner, simply and utterly stupid!