The next day arrived.
In the sea area where the Mok Pirate Ship was docked, more and more pirate ships began to gather as time passed.
"The Giant Stone Pirates, not good~ Their captain only has a bounty of 500,000 Berries, and as for the other crew members, there are no bounties. Even their pirate ship is a cheap, second-hand one. If sold again, it should be around 1 million Berries."
"The Sea Fish Pirates, slightly higher, 1 million Berries, but the ship's even worse. It's a rotten fishing boat, only worth scrap, probably around 300,000 Berries."
"Why isn't there a big pirate here? How many pirates do we need just to make a small goal!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, this pirate crew doesn't even have a single person with a bounty. They're just here to make up the numbers, right? We'll get rid of them later, no need to waste food."
"....."
Chacher helplessly looked at Nami, who was standing next to him, continuously scribbling something in her little notebook. He glanced at the page.
Good grief, she had written down the bounties and ship prices of all the pirate crews that had come here.
As for the ones without a bounty... After noting down the ship, she'd show a face of disdain.
But then...
"How do you remember so many bounties?"
"Hmph, don't underestimate me!" Hearing Chacher's question, Nami proudly raised her head, "To find a suitable big fat fish on the sea, sharp eyes are a must. I've trained this skill for many years. It's just a pity..."
She sighed regretfully, pouting.
"Back then, all I could do was sneak up and steal their treasure, or trick them into giving up their ships. If I could do what you do, taking both the people and the ship together, I'd have already collected a small goal."
"You didn't... memorize the bounty posters of all the pirates in the East Blue, did you?"
"Almost done. I used to collect bounty posters of East Blue pirates, but since I became a Marine Commander, it's been much easier. Every morning, someone brings me new bounties," Nami nodded, saying this with a hint of nostalgia.
Then, as if realizing something, she quickly lowered her head.
"Don't bother me. We've got a big fish today—the Alvida Pirates, Captain Alvida, bounty 5 million Berries. Oh, this ship was recently replaced, right? Not bad. If we sell it, we could get at least 6 million Berries!"
She kicked one of the Mok Pirates nearby.
"What are you doing standing there? Hurry up and go welcome them. That's 5 million Berries! You've got the chance to board the Mok Pirate Ship now. Go meet their captain!"
With that, the Mok Pirate nearby snapped to attention, suddenly realizing his job for the day... the welcoming duty.
He quickly wiped the drool from his mouth, straightened his clothes, puffed out his chest, and headed toward the ship.
He was about to throw over the ropes, which he had specifically prepared for today, when he saw Alvida Pirate Captain's size. His mouth twitched involuntarily.
Still, he gritted his teeth and threw the rope over, pulling the ship in and signaling to the two nearby to come help.
"Hello, Captain Alvida. Only those approved by our captain are allowed on board. You can come up by yourself or bring a couple of your subordinates along."
"Bring subordinates? No need. I, Alvida, can handle it alone." Alvida waved her hand dismissively, then scolded her subordinates, shouting, "You all stay here quietly. If anyone tries to run, don't blame me for being rude."
"Yes, beautiful Captain Alvida!"
After receiving her subordinates' reply, Alvida turned, jumped onto the Mok Pirate Ship.
The Mok Pirate Ship seemed to tilt slightly to one side, and the younger members of the Mok Pirate Crew felt a jolt of anxiety in their hearts.
Fortunately, in the end...
Alvida still managed to board the ship successfully.
After breathing a sigh of relief, one of the Mok crew members quickly made a welcoming gesture and shouted, "The great pirate with a bounty of 5 million Berries, Lady Alvida, has arrived!"
"A distinguished guest! Please, this way!"
"There are peanuts and sunflower seeds, soda and beer, canned oranges and orange marmalade! Please enjoy to your heart's content, Lady Alvida."
That whole enthusiastic welcome instantly made Alvida, who was carrying a spiked club, burst into hearty laughter.
It seemed that she was quite pleased with how much respect the so-called East Blue Overlord Pirate Crew was showing her.
She nodded in satisfaction and patted the shoulder of the Mok crew member.
"Not bad. As expected of a subordinate of the East Blue Overlord. Your manners are truly commendable. But I'd prefer it if you called me Miss Alvida."
"It would be my honor."
Though his shoulder ached from the slap, the Mok crew member forced a smile and politely gestured again, "Please, this way, beautiful Miss Alvida!"
Only after the laughing Miss Alvida had entered did he finally exhale and rub his shoulder.
But he quickly returned to his calm and graceful host-like smile.
Don't get angry, don't get angry. That's five million Berries we're talking about!
Next up...
There are still many more distinguished guests. Can't afford to mess this up.
Seeing the next pirate ship slowly approaching, its flag bearing a skull with cat ears, his eyes lit up once again. He quickly straightened his appearance and stepped forward.
…
"Five million, five million... Next is the Black Cat Pirates." Nami's eyes also lit up again as she looked at the slowly approaching pirate ship. "The captain of the Black Cat Pirates... now that one's worth 9 million Berries. That's nearly twice as much as the last one."
Then she sighed with a bit of regret.
"Their original captain, Captain Kuro of a Hundred Plans, had a bounty of 16 million Berries. He was almost on the same level as Arlong. I heard he was killed by the Navy recently. What a pity… 16 million Berries gone just like that!"
Then, seeing the Black Cat Pirate Ship already docked, she grew excited once more.
"But it doesn't matter. The Black Cat Pirates' ship is actually a pretty good one. It's a well-known ship called the 'Hundred Plans · Black', and it's worth at least 30 million Berries. We've hit the jackpot!"
"..."
Hearing Nami's words, Chacher raised an eyebrow.
He had almost forgotten about him.
He knew that Captain Kuro of the Hundred Plans wasn't actually dead. He had faked his death and was now hiding in Syrup Village, plotting to steal someone else's fortune.
But then—
Chacher turned his head to look at the Black Cat Pirates' ship that had just docked. The moment he saw the man on deck—wearing a suit, glasses, and his hair slicked back—his eyes narrowed slightly.
I didn't expect this guy to show up too?
Silent Step—a type of assassination technique that uses cat-like footsteps for high-speed movement.
Learning the Navy's Six Powers (Rokushiki) requires a certain level of skill. It's not easy. Even within Navy Headquarters, not every officer knows them all.
That's why, even though the Six Powers were part of the Navy's 16th Branch training manual, Chacher knew… only a handful could probably learn them. And even those who did might only master one or two techniques.
So maybe—Silent Step could be another option?
If he couldn't learn "Soru," maybe he could learn "Silent Step" instead?!
In some ways, Silent Step and Soru were similar—they were both high-speed movement techniques.
Thinking of that, Chacher looked at the figure already aboard the ship, rubbed his chin, and said, "It's decided then."
**********
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