Chapter 181: Loguetown's Marine Branch
Jayr POV - Blue Star, East Blue, Polestar Island - 20 GAP
After docking Athena's God Bidoof to Loguetown's port, we all disembark to take a tour of this historically important town, resupply some daily necessities like seasoning, and local ingredients for our daily meals, and complete a few other objectives, but more importantly, have fun.
Walking through the busy streets of Loguetown, I can't help but be hit by some kind of familiar feeling as I take in the sights of this lively city, the reason for that is quite simple, the layout and structure of Loguetown reminds me, in many ways, of the city of Florence, especially in its architecture as I can feel the strong presence of Renaissance architecture within the buildings all around us.
While I'm admiring the sights with the girls, all of a sudden, I hear Koby's voice behind me as he says, "Uhm... Jayr-san... I feel like everyone is staring at me... it is a little uncomfortable..."
I glance back at Koby and see him nervously looking around as he carries the unconscious and bound Kuro like a sack of potatoes on his shoulders and reassure him, "Don't worry too much about it, Koby. They are just a little wary as this town is frequently harassed by pirates aiming at the Grand Line and so about to head to the nearby Reverse Mountain."
The reason why Koby is carrying Kuro around is quite simple, as we are about to head to the Grand Line, and since Koby, in the end, was able to hit and beat Kuro before that, I'm going to keep my promise and turn in to the Marines, and since I know that the person in charge of Loguetown Marine Base is Smoker, someone that from what I know from the anime is someone that can be trusted on doing the right thing even if it goes against the "Justice" guidelines of the World Government, especially if it goes against the well-being of the common, innocent people.
Of course, that isn't the only reason they are staring at us, another one is obviously the presence of Seika, Saori, Eri, Tio, and Nikita, as they are all beauties in their own right, so catching this kind of attention is natural, in fact, I'm sure this is the main reason why they are staring at us so much and not because of the bound and unconscious Kuro.
We don't head directly toward the Loguetown Marine Base to turn Kuro in, but we stop from time to time at a few shops on the way to buy supplies or simply so that the girls can have some fun shopping, and as a consequence, the 15 minutes trip became 3 hours long, still this made it possible for us to visit a few iconic stores on the way.
The most notable among them is the Arms Shop, a family business owned by Ipponmatsu, a short man with black hair that goes to the sides of his head, tan skin, red nose, who wears a blue shirt.
The shop has been in business for over 200 years and sells antique swords, new swords, and new swords in fashion, but it also sells clubs, axes, flintlocks, rifles, armor, daggers, spears, etc.
The shop also takes polishing jobs, and it used to have a lot of customers until Captain Smoker was put in charge of the town.
The reason why that shop is basically a landmark is because Zoro stopped here to get new swords after Mihawk broke two of his swords in their battle, in that shop Zoro found the cursed sword Sandai Kitetsu, and decided to use it after a quick test and the owner, Ipponmatsu, was amazed at his swordsmanship and gave it to him for free along with Yubashiri, his family heirloom.
After a brief visit to the Arms Shop with Koby, the girls lead us to a nearby shop called Robecca Hanberg, a high-class boutique where Hanger works, a normal-sized man, with black hair, and part that resembles a clothes hanger.
He has a large forehead, thick black eyebrows, a round, long nose that goes down, and a black mustache that curls up, he wears a purple vest with vertical lines on it, with a pink long-sleeved shirt underneath, a light green tie, and black pants.
I also kinda of remember this individual and shop, if I'm not wrong, Nami tried on some clothes here before realizing that everything was too expensive and went to another shop where she ripped off the owner.
While enduring the torturous experience that is called girl shopping, Koby standing next to me can't help but whisper a complaint, "Jayr-san, for how long will this continue? We have already spent almost an hour in this shop... what is the point of all this? Why do they take so much time to buy something that to me looks almost the same? And especially why do they continue to ask your opinions when they fully ignore it a few seconds later!? And how is it possible that this hurts me more than your training!?"
I glance back at Koby and at the sleepy Galen in my arms, and say, "Koby you are still too young to understand, but this is what the shopping experience with a woman truly is."
I then put on a sage-like air and start to explain, "Shopping is in its specific meaning an untargeted, leisure-orientated effort to find clothing and/or accessories. And for most men shopping for these things tends to be a means to an end: a series of simple steps we have to follow. For example:
1. There is a hole in my shoe.
2. I need a new pair of shoes.
3. I know the kind of shoes I want to wear.
4. I know a shop that has them.
5. I will go to the shop that has them.
6. Do they fit? Good.
7. Take my money.
8. Home time.
It is a practical remedy to a practical problem. It is not a leisure activity. It is not a social activity. It is a means of acquiring or replacing an object to meet a preidentified need."
Hearing that, Koby nods, listening with full attention as I continue, "To many women, however, shopping is a question of 'seeing what's in the shops,' of 'seeing if anything catches my eye,' of 'maybe bumping into the girls and spend time with them.' There is no plan. There is no fixed objective, no set of criteria for success. It is all very unsettling and unanchored. Even when the goal is refined to, say, shoe shopping, to most men a shoe is a shoe. We can see that a shoe might need to be black or brown, formal or informal, low or high heeled, or a white trainer, as the occasion and other garments require. But that gives us a grid of 6 plus the sporting option."
I sigh and say, "Nevertheless, we will be asked our opinion of each item of footwear that catches their sight. Our opinion is irrelevant and wrong. The women doing the shopping are simply thinking aloud, and our presence is merely an aid to that process. We are there to say the shoes look nice, agree with her aesthetic judgment, and eventually carry the bag. From our perspective, it is not fun. It's expensive and soul-destroying and pointless and it hurts our feet and our backs and, if we're anywhere near the changing rooms in a clothes shop, the staff look at us as though we're perverts."
Then I focus back on the girls as they enjoy their time in the shop and conclude, "But going through this kind of suffering isn't meaningless, first it is a way for men to show their love, dedication, and support, after all, we are doing something that they know we loathe just to spend time with them. But more importantly, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, as all our efforts and dedication are then rewarded because we as men have our own way of showing our love to our partners, the same is also true for women..."
Koby appears enlightened as he exclaims, "So that's how is it!" but then he looks at me and asks, "But Jayr-san... Why do I also have to go through this?"
I admire the sight of Saori trying on an elegant green dress that enhances her stunning beauty even more and absentmindedly reply, "Of course, this is a form of training for when you get yourself a girlfriend... Never stop grinding."
After the girls' window shopping, we are finally able to reach the Loguetown Marine Base, it is quite easy to recognize as not only has a big sign with Marine written on it but also because different from all the other buildings in this city, the whole building is painted in the same greenish-blue basis, patterned with darker streaks of the hulls of the Marine vessels.
Just as we are about to step inside, I hear a woman's voice as she says, "W-Wait!"
Soon a familiar young woman rushes out of the building and once close enough she slows down takes a deep breath and mutters, "Haa...Just in time... I don't understand why the guys on guard duty always cut off early..."
Then she says "I-I have to warn you that you are about to enter a military facility under the control of the Marine, if you are hostile we have the right to preemptively attack and detain you. Please, identify yourself and state your reasons for coming here."
She has dark brown eyes and wears her dark blue hair between chin- and shoulder-length, wearing rectangular glasses with red frames currently on top of her head, a canary short-sleeved floral shirt covered with her white-trimmed, waist-length blue leather coat, and dark blue jeans with black shoes but has also paired white capris with tan shoes.
She also carries a katana which is attached to her hips, it is a normal katana with a green handle and a green guard with a four-petaled design, I can't see the blade, but the sheath is elaborate, with the first half being a green and bumpy design, while the second half is white and smooth, and I also notice circular designs embedded on the entire sheath.
This young woman can only be Tashigi, another one of the many hot women and waifus of this world, and one whose looks are very similar to Zoro's dead childhood friend.
(Image Here - Tashigi)
I step forward and say, "Good morning, Miss Marine. My name is Jayr Pucci, a wandering doctor who is currently traveling the East Blue with his family. If possible I'd like to speak with Captain Smoker about a quite delicate matter, you see, during our stop at Gecko Islands, more precisely at Syrup Village, I and my pupil came across a former wanted pirate that escaped justice until now by faking his own capture and execution."
At this point, I signal Koby to step forward and show the unconscious Kuro, while I continue, "As you can see, we were able to subdue and capture him, but since the details behind his escape and what happened afterward are quite delicate, I hope to speak of it directly with Captain Smoker in a more private setting. And if you have some doubt about me, you can try to contact Vice Admiral Garp to confirm my identity as even if we meet briefly we still had a quite amicable conversation."
While saying that, I can't help but think, 'Maybe it is too much to throw in Garp's name here, especially since our encounter was indeed very brief. But it would be a pain to wait too much time for them to go through all the usual procedures and lower their guard around us. I want to get rid of Kuro today.'
Indeed, my words have the expected result as Tashigi who lowered her glasses from the top of her head to her eyes to take a better look at the unconscious Kuro, quickly snapped at attention and asked, "V-Vice Admiral Garp you said!? W-Wait a moment please, I'll immediately contact Captain Smoker!"
After saying that, Tashigi quickly moves back and pulls out a small yellow Baby Den Den Mushi from her wristwatch and uses it to probably contact Smoker, at the same time, I hear from behind me, Galen's voice as he asks, "Papa, what is that?" pointing with his small finger at the Baby Den Den Mushi coming out of her wristwatch.
I quickly look back and answer, "That creature is called Den Den Mushi, and is part of a species of telepathic snail that serves as a means of vocal and/or visual communication across this world, they possess a mysterious capability to engage in telepathic communication with one another across extensive distances, ostensibly facilitated by electronic signals. Additionally, they possess the remarkable ability to flawlessly replicate speech, including the intonations and cadences of individual voices."
Seeing that most are interested in the topic, I continue to explain while we wait for Tashigi to return with an answer, "Over the course of numerous generations, individuals have capitalized on these abilities by affixing dials, receivers, and other supplementary components to these creatures, thereby transforming them into long-range communication devices. And much like a telephone in our world, when a certain number is dialed, the snail will launch a telepathic link with whichever snail's mechanism corresponds to that number. The signal is not infallible, but a well-kept specimen can reach across entire oceans."
I look back at Tashigi and notice that she is still talking with Smoker, so, I continue to explain, "There are also more elaborate mechanisms that can even allow them to transmit and duplicate documents and photographs, akin to our world fax machine. Overall, the Den Den Mushi do not mind being used and tamed, as the arrangement gives them access to plenty of food and their accessories are also not injurious or even especially difficult to remove, and may be done so at any time to return them to the wild."
After that, I became a little too immersed in the lesson as I started to talk about their usual behavior, "On receiving a signal, a Den Den Mushi will make a dry "Purururu" sound, rather than making any noise akin to a genuine ring. Similarly, it will make a "Gacha" sound when the receiver is removed or replaced."
At this point, I look at Koby as this information could be useful for him in the future as I add, "Remember Koby that the Den Den Mushi appear to have a separate signal for S.O.S. calls, which cause them to weep and cry loudly when they receive it. However, the recipient of the call doesn't get any information about the situation unless they actually pick up and talk to the person sending the signal. So if in future, when you are a Marine, you see a Den Den Mushi showing such behaviors, do hurry because it will surely be an emergency situation."
Hearing that, Koby nods with a serious expression on his face, while I add some other trivial pieces of information while we wait for the call between Tashigi and Smoker to end, "During active use, a Den Den Mushi will relay not only the speaker's words and emotions, but also distinctive facial traits and even injuries. Depending on its mood, it can choose to disguise itself or mimic the traits of anyone close to it, either the one speaking or its owner. It is also possible for two specimens to converse with each other using a third party. Furthermore, they do not just pick up signals from each other, as they can also receive warning signals from Territorial Sea Slugs. They are also capable of relaying nearby sounds, such as gunshots or broken glass."
"The Den Den Mushi are very lethargic by nature, usually sleeping whenever not in use and in some cases falling asleep mere seconds after a call ends. They also do not appear to be sapient enough to understand any of the words they relay. In extreme situations, however, they are capable of emotions such as fear and gratitude. Overall, they are a quite interesting and useful species, especially if one also considers the many variants with their own useful peculiarities."
Finally, Tashigi returns and quickly says, "Captain Smoker agreed to meet with you, Mr. Pucci. If you please would follow me to his office."
But before, we could step inside the Marine Base, Saori says, "Jayr, it would be too boring for the kids to listen to such a serious adult talk. We will wait for you at the cafe down this street."
I look back at the girls and nod, "Sure." while thinking, 'This is also good, after all, Smoker is well a heavy smoker, no pun intended, and I don't want the kids to be near him yet.'
Then I focus on Eri and say in a serious tone, "Eri, if you feel the need release Noriko without any hesitation and tell her to not hold back, especially if those kinds of gazes are aimed at the kids."
In response, Eri smiles brightly, but at the same time, her eyes are masked by her glasses that start to shine as they reflect the light as she says, "Ufufufu. Don't worry. I have prepared a special nice place for people like them...", which makes both Tashigi and Koby unconsciously shudder in terror.
After that small episode, I and Koby with Kuro, who is still in a coma-like state, on his shoulder, quickly follow Tashigi into the Marine Base as she leads us to Smoker's office, and, after a couple of minutes, we stand in front of the office's closed door.
Tashigi knocks on the door and says, "Captain Smoker, it is Tashigi. I brought the guest as you ordered."
In response, from the other side of the door, a low, rough male voice is heard as it simply says, "Enter."
Tashigi quickly opens the door and leads us inside, and what immediately catches my attention is the figure of a young man with two lit cigars in his mouth sitting on a couch with his legs forming a figure 4, he is obviously the Captain in charge of this Marine Base, Smoker the White Hunter, the man who ate the Moku Moku no Mi (Smoke Smoke Fruit).
Smoker is a muscular, white-haired, and brown-eyed man, he wears a large thick white and blue specialist marine jacket which he keeps open, with greenish fur lining the neck, wrists, and hem, the jacket bears the kanji for "justice" written on the back of it, and many cigars are strapped to the jacket, brown leather gloves, blue jeans with a brown belt, and large military-issue brown leather boots, and he also carries a Seastone-tipped jitte as his main weapon.
(Image Here - Smoker)
As soon as his gaze lands on us, Smoker ignores all the usual pleasantries and goes straight to the point as he asks, "So, what did you guys want to say that is so troublesome that you need to have an audience with me just for some pirate bounty?"
I calmly grab the unconscious Kuro from Koby and walk toward Smoker while saying, "We aren't interested in the bounty. First, because we have no need for it, but especially since this particular pirate's bounty was retired a couple of years ago more or less."
Smoker simply lets out a "Hmm..." while I lay Kuro's body on the floor in front of him and continue, "This man's name is Kuro, known as Kuro of the Hundreds Plans, former captain of the Black Cat Pirates with a bounty of 16.000.000 Beli. He was supposedly captured and executed 2 years ago by the now Captain of the Marine of the 153rd Branch, known as "Axe-Hand" Morgan. But as you can see he is still alive and until a couple of months ago, quite well and free to harm as many people as he wanted."
At this point, I briefly explain to Smoker everything, how we first meet with Kuro at Kaya's Mansion, how I recognize him from an old wanted poster I had and his habit of pushing up his glasses, how he tried to escape when unmasked, and of course the poisoning of Kaya's parents and his plans for Kaya, the mansion, and their fortune, Smoker calmly listen to everything, while Tashigi in the background gasps in surprise from time to time for the various revelations.
At the end of my story, Smoker looks at Kuro for a few moments, then he orders, "Tashigi! Find and bring me a copy of Kuro's old wanted poster, and also ask for a photo of the Kuro captured by Captain Morgan!" making Tashigi rush out while replying "Y-Yes, Sir!"
Then Smoker looks at me and asks, "While we wait for Tashigi to return with what I have asked, answer this question. Why go through all these problems to bring him to me instead of going to the nearest Marine Branch?"
A wry smile forms on my face as I reply, "Well, the most obvious reason is that the nearest Branch to Syrup Village was the 153rd under the command of Captain Morgan, and his current reputation doesn't inspire much trust, as many say that he is, and quote, "A brutal tyrant obsessed with his personal status and glory above all." And since he got his promotion by capturing and executing the fearsome Captain Kuro, it is very reasonable to guess that he would do something to cover up this mess, even to the point of going as far as ignoring the truth and letting Kuro go and maybe silence everyone who knows."
Seeing the frown on Smoker's face as he listens to my explanation, I sigh and continue, "Moreover, there could even be some other Marines that could do the same for silly reasons like, "Protecting Marine's reputation", or those who simply won't believe what I say. Basically, the reason we came here instead of any other place is because I know that you are a Marine who can be trusted to do the right thing. After all, you're a pretty famous and respected figure, Mr. White Hunter."
After saying that, we fall into an awkward silence waiting for Tashigi to return with the things that Smoker asked, and unable to withstand it for much longer, I suddenly ask something silly to break the ice, "By the way, what do you think about the current Seven Warlords of the Seas (Shichibukai)?"
Smoker scoffs out loud and comments, "What can I think? No matter what the higher-ups say, all of them are still pirates, I don't trust them one bit. Once a pirate, always a pirate."
At this point, Koby asks, "Excuse me... Jayr-san taught me about the Seven Warlords of the Seas (Shichibukai) before, but he never told me who they were. Can you please tell me more about them, Sir?"
Smoker looks at Koby briefly and asks, "You are...?" making him very nervous for a few moments.
Then Koby quickly gives him the Marine salute and says, "Ah? Yes, sorry! My name is Koby, Sir. I'm currently training under Jayr-san to become strong enough to fulfill my dream. My dream is to join the Marines and one day become an Admiral so that I can catch the bad guys and protect the powerless people against the pirates!"
Smoker stares at Koby and mutters, "A Marine Admiral, eh?" a hint of a smile forms on his face for a few seconds before turning back to a serious expression as he looks at me to which I simply nod.
Then he started to explain, "Well, since you already know the basics, I'll just tell you their identities. The members of the Seven Warlords of the Seas (Shichibukai) are, the Greatest Swordsman in the World Dracule Mihawk known as "Hawk-Eyes", he is probably one of the most dangerous people in the world, luckily he is a lone wolf. "Desert King" Sir Crocodile, a powerful and cunning pirate who ate the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand Sand Fruit) a Logia Type Devil Fruit. "Heavenly Yaksha" Donquixote Doflamingo, a pirate with an enormous amount of connection and arrogance. he rules the kingdom of Dressrosa within the New World. "Tyrant" Bartholomew Kuma, an extremely vicious pirate. "Pale Menace" Gecko Moria, is an extremely elusive pirate who survived an encounter with one of the Four Emperors (Yonko), Capone "Gang" Bege, a pirate and one of the most prominent figures in the underworld, and Simon "The Divine", he is one of the most mysterious member of the Seven Warlords of the Seas, a very few information can be found about him."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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