“Listen up!
Today we’re just stocking up on supplies in Loguetown.
After that, we’re heading straight for the Grand Line.
No causing trouble, got it?
We all have bounties now,” Nami reminded the troublesome crew in a serious tone.
After several days at sea, the Straw Hat Pirates finally arrived at Loguetown, the final stop in the East Blue before entering the Grand Line.
“Dazai.” Nami called out to Dazai Osamu.
“Loguetown is under the command of Captain Smoker,” Dazai adjusted his flat-rimmed glasses and watched the restless crew.
“He’s a Logia-type Smoke-Smoke Fruit user.
His full combat capabilities are unknown, conventional physical attacks are ineffective against him, and while he’s stationed here, the number of East Blue pirates reaching the Grand Line has dropped to its lowest point.
He’s essentially the gatekeeper.” Usopp swallowed nervously, dropped to his knees, and nodded frantically to show he understood.
Luffy, meanwhile, looked around absentmindedly.
It was obvious he hadn’t listened to a single word.
“I can’t wait!” Luffy stared toward the distant harbor, his eyes sparkling.
“This is where Gol D.
Roger, the King of the Pirates, was executed!” Zoro rested a hand on the only sword left at his waist and remained silent.
“Yes, Nami~!” Sanji gazed at Nami with hearts in his eyes.
Catching sight of Zoro’s indifferent expression, he kicked at him.
“Idiot!
Pay attention when Nami-san is talking!” Zoro leaned backward and effortlessly dodged.
“Shut up, idiot!” The two immediately resumed their daily bickering.
Their objective in Loguetown was simple: buy supplies and leave quietly without attracting Smoker’s attention.
“Dismissed!” “Zoro, keep an eye on Dazai.” After giving a few quick instructions, Nami sent everyone off.
For safety—more specifically, Dazai’s safety—she assigned Zoro to keep watch over him.
“What a pain…” Zoro brushed back his hair before glancing at the unusually obedient Dazai.
“Yeah, yeah.” “Aww…” Dazai deflated like a punctured balloon, slumping onto the ground and giving Nami an innocent look.
It didn’t work.
In the end, Dazai accepted his special treatment without much choice..
“Wooow~” Dazai’s eyes sparkled at the sight of a pile of discounted bandages displayed outside a shop.
It was love at first sight.
He turned toward the yawning Zoro.
“Dazai, you’re paying for those yourself.” Zoro said it calmly.
Dazai pouted, then happily rushed into the shop with an armful of bandages.
The shopkeeper grinned from ear to ear as Dazai paid.
When he emerged carrying a large sack of bandages, he found Zoro arguing with a short-haired young woman outside.
“What’s going on?” Dazai stepped closer with interest.
His eyes drifted to the shattered pair of glasses in Zoro’s hand before noticing the drastic change in his expression.
Stroking his chin, he looked thoughtful.
“If you can’t pay for them, you can work it off,” the girl—Tashigi—suggested.
Zoro pressed a hand against his forehead.
“Dazai.
You have any money?” Dazai glanced at Tashigi.
A Marine.
After a moment’s thought, he smiled brightly.
“I spent it all on bandages!
Ehehe~” He tapped his own head playfully.
Zoro: “…” Zoro ended up being dragged away by Tashigi.
Dazai originally intended to slip away, but Zoro grabbed him before he could escape, and the two eventually found themselves inside the Marine Base.
“Clean this place up and we’ll call it even.” Tashigi handed Zoro a broom from the corner before leaving to attend to other duties.
Zoro stared blankly at the broom.
Then he looked at Dazai, who was thoroughly enjoying the show, silently asking him to help.
“Don’t look at me.” Dazai covered his face with both hands but peeked through the gaps between his fingers.
“Besides…
it’s not like you’d honestly clean anyway.” While Zoro reluctantly swept the floor as lazily as possible, Dazai quietly observed the Marines patrolling the base.
There was something he wanted to confirm.
“Zoro…
do me a favor.” Dazai set down his bag, casually leaned against the wall, deliberately messed up his clothes, smeared blood over himself, then suddenly pointed at Zoro and shouted at the top of his lungs, “A pirate has infiltrated the base!” “What?!” Marines rushed toward the commotion.
One soldier recognized Zoro immediately.
“That’s Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro!
Fifteen million Berries!” The Marines charged with swords drawn.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Dazai melted into the shadows and quietly slipped deeper into the Marine Base.
“I’ll be waiting at the sword shop.” Watching Dazai leave, Zoro grabbed two nearby brooms, assumed a Three Sword Style stance, and prepared to deal with the Marines.
Because of Zoro’s appearance, nearly every Marine stationed at the base rushed outside.
The interior was almost deserted.
The farther Dazai went, the fewer people he encountered.
Lucky.
Smoker wasn’t here.
After confirming no powerful opponents were nearby, Dazai stood in a surveillance blind spot and quietly entered an office.
It appeared to be Smoker’s.
The ashtray on the desk overflowed with cigarette butts, and the room was thick with smoke.
Several confidential documents lay scattered across the desk, while a bookshelf stood nearby.
Dazai quickly skimmed through the books while remaining alert.
He learned exactly what he had hoped to find.
Closing the book, he carefully restored everything to its original position before quietly leaving the office.
Before the patrols returned, he was already gone.
The bell above the shop door jingled.
Zoro stepped outside carrying his newly purchased sword, with Tashigi following behind him.
“Got myself a good sword.” Leaning against a nearby wall with folded arms, Dazai smiled.
“Looks like today turned out pretty well.” Zoro grinned.
“Your bandages.” He tossed the bag toward Dazai’s feet.
Picking it up, Dazai followed after Zoro while Tashigi remained behind.
“Was she someone you knew?” Dazai glanced back.
“No.” Zoro’s expression softened.
“The person I knew is already dead.
She just happens to look exactly like her.” The two sat down on a nearby staircase to rest.
“Zoro…
have you ever heard of Haki?” Dazai stared absentmindedly at the sky.
“Haki?” Zoro looked at the gleaming cursed blade in his hand.
“I think I’ve heard of it.” Dazai raised a finger toward the sunlight shining through the gaps between his fingers.
“Learning Haki is one of the biggest steps toward becoming a great swordsman.” Zoro’s eyes sharpened.
A new kind of power…
Dazai jumped down from the steps, clasping his hands behind his back.
“Haki.
The power of the New World.” “Our next lesson.” “Dazai!
Zoro!” Luffy shouted while waving from afar before stretching his arm and launching himself over.
“Luffy.” Dazai’s serious expression vanished.
“Wanna get something to eat?” “Grrrr…” Luffy rubbed his empty stomach and laughed sheepishly.
“Luffy, did you find the execution platform?” Dazai asked after watching Luffy polish off enough food to round out his stomach.
“I got lost!” Luffy laughed.
Dazai nodded knowingly.
So he still hadn’t found it.
Zoro had been through enough for one day.
After being tricked by Dazai into fighting a crowd of Marines, he was starving.
“Luffy…
did you bring any money?” “Nope!” Luffy answered without hesitation.
Zoro’s forehead twitched.
“You ordered food without any money?!
What were you planning to do?
Dine and dash?” He grabbed Luffy by the collar and shook him violently until Luffy’s eyes spun.
“I’ve got money.” Dazai stirred his coffee with a smile before pulling a money pouch from his coat and sliding it across the table.
Zoro slowly turned toward the pouch.
He immediately remembered Dazai claiming he had no money earlier…
Everything had been planned from the beginning.
Crack.
His clenched fist popped loudly.
He glared murderously at Dazai.
Dazai simply smiled peacefully while sipping his coffee.
“Don’t do it again.” Zoro released Luffy, who collapsed back into his chair, dizzy.
Just then, a wallet suddenly dropped onto Luffy’s straw hat.
Luffy grabbed it.
“Berries!” His eyes lit up.
“Dazai!
Someone’s buying us lunch!” “Then we should thank them.” Dazai glanced toward the mysterious figure wrapped in a dark cloak nearby, his expression darkening for the briefest instant.
Luffy walked over, patted the man’s shoulder, and laughed.
“Thanks for treating us!” Zoro and Dazai thanked him as well before the three left the restaurant.
Walking through the streets, Dazai suddenly stopped.
Several men dressed in black were hurrying toward them, shouting after Luffy.
Dazai smiled.
“I’ll head back to the Going Merry first.” “I’ll leave the rest to you.” “Got it!
See you later!” Luffy cracked his knuckles as he turned toward the approaching crowd.
Dazai slipped past one of them, deftly stole a rifle, fired several precise shots to clear his path, and quickly disappeared, carrying the bag of bandages back toward the Going Merry.
“It’s raining…” Dazai held out his hand, watching cold raindrops splash into his palm.
Leaning over the ship’s rail, he looked down.
Below him, Mohji and his lion Richie were struggling to light a match in the pouring rain.
“Need some help?” “Thanks—” Mohji looked up.
Dazai was pointing a rifle directly at him.
Mohji and Richie jumped in fright and clung to each other while Dazai smiled coldly down at them.
“Dazai!” Nami and Usopp returned carrying bags full of supplies.
“Would you mind moving aside?” Dazai asked politely.
“No!
Captain Buggy ordered me to burn your ship!” Mohji forced himself to refuse.
Bang!
A bullet struck the ground beside his feet.
Mohji instantly cowered.
“O-Of course!
Please, go right ahead!” He hurriedly stepped aside with a deep bow.
Nami and Usopp quickly boarded the Going Merry.
The pursuing Marines arrived moments later and opened fire on the ship.
Poor Mohji had to dodge the hail of bullets as well.
“Quick!
Raise anchor!” Nami ordered.
Usopp immediately obeyed, and the Going Merry began moving.
Dazai brushed the wet bangs away from his forehead and stared toward the dark harbor.
Zoro and Sanji continuously knocked away the enemies rushing toward them.
There were simply too many Marines.
Even the two of them couldn’t hold them all back forever.
Anxious, Usopp jumped into the sea to help.
“The wind’s changing…” Dazai narrowed his eyes.
A massive whirlwind suddenly swept through Loguetown.
Luffy burst out from the town.
The Marines were blown away by the powerful wind while the Going Merry drifted farther and farther from the dock.
“Luffy!” Nami shouted.
Luffy grabbed a falling steel beam, slingshotted himself forward, caught Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp in one motion, and launched all four of them onto the ship’s sail before they landed safely on deck.
Smoker stood at the harbor, taking another drag from his cigar as he watched the Straw Hat Pirates disappear into the storm.
Even the heavens were helping them escape.
The Straw Hat Pirates had escaped in their entirety.
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