"Oh? You recognized me? Hahaha, don't worry, I won't let you go hungry," Zeff laughed heartily.
He'd been doing this for over a decade, so it wasn't unusual for someone to recognize him. But he'd long since retired, so it didn't really matter.
"You know him?"
Lida asked quietly as she followed Zeff into the restaurant.
"An old pirate."
Kuro curled his lips. "He used to be a pirate, but he's been retired for so many years that the government doesn't care anymore. Neither do the Marines. Don't worry about it. As long as there's food, it's fine. If he tries to charge us, I'll just arrest him."
Arresting a retired pirate wasn't a big deal.
It's not like he was the Golden Lion or anything.
Zeff chuckled to himself. Still taking eating this seriously—how much could a meal possibly cost him?
...
The clatter of stacking plates echoed throughout the restaurant.
The Marines sat at other tables, while the central table was occupied by three people.
Klahadore sat upright, occasionally pushing up his glasses, with wine and steak in front of him.
Kuro slouched lazily, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, occasionally glancing at the white-haired girl devouring food beside him.
Lida's table was piled high with plates as she buried her head in the food.
The chefs attending to them looked pale.
At first, they'd looked down on Kuro, thinking the little girl must've been abused or starved, given how hungrily she was eating.
But soon, they realized something was wrong.
She could eat.
She could really eat.
That towering stack of plates? Already the third round.
Many Marines had already finished their meals, but the kitchen was still working non-stop, just to keep up with that one girl. Her eating speed rivaled that of eighty Marines combined—like a bottomless pit that couldn't be filled.
The food vanished the moment it was served. To keep up, they had to deliver dishes without pause.
Kuro took a drag of his cigarette—not to appear indifferent, but to subtly let the chefs know: Lida's appetite has no end.
Watching the chefs' expressions change from fondness, to confusion, to anger, and finally to despair—it was just too amusing.
Ah, raising a foodie is always a nerve-wracking and exhausting ordeal.
"Chef, we're out of ingredients!"
Chaos broke out in the kitchen.
Zeff emerged from the back looking grim. Seeing Lida still eating, he forced a smile. "How's the food?"
"Mm, not bad! I'm about 60% full!"
Lida nodded vigorously, still chewing. "Baratie really is Baratie! Way better than the base cafeteria!"
"Sixty percent…"
Zeff was stunned for a second, then burst out laughing. "Still not full, huh? Alright! As a chef, I'll never lose to a customer!"
He stormed back into the kitchen, shouting:
"Get more ingredients—now! We must fill our guests' stomachs. That is the purpose of Baratie! This is battle—this is war!"
A chef immediately left Baratie to procure more supplies by boat.
"Kuro, am I eating a bit too much?"
Lida asked nervously after polishing off another plate, licking her oily lips.
"You, worried about that? Just eat. The chefs here all have the heart of a chef. Feeding you is a battle, and they won't rest until you're full," Kuro said casually.
There was a nearby town, so the supply ship quickly returned. The chefs resumed their "battle," and Lida, happy to eat, kept going.
The meal continued until late at night.
"Full, finally full! Haven't eaten this much in so long. So satisfying."
Lida leaned back without a care, rubbing her round belly and letting out a long sigh.
"This place is amazing. Once we're done at HQ, let's hurry back to East Blue. I want to come here again!"
Kuro glanced at the exhausted chefs, collapsed from fatigue, and tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Let's show some mercy and spare these people…
"Making sure the customer is full—that is Baratie's greatest principle,"
Zeff said as he walked out, clearly exhausted but forcing a smile.
Total loss.
He bitterly regretted ever saying those words, regretted treating them, and regretted that this girl could eat so much.
Of course, Kuro didn't let the old man suffer a total loss. Since Lida ate so much, he left behind a pirate with an 8 million bounty—to balance things out and take some credit for himself.
The Marines boarded their ship. Some rested, some prepared for the journey. Their next destination: Loguetown.
...
"Loguetown, huh…"
Klahadore looked at the approaching town and sighed.
"Hmm? Been here before?" Kuro asked.
"No, I never planned to enter the Grand Line. This is my first time."
Klahadore replied. "Besides, there's a Smoker stationed here now. Since his arrival, pirates haven't been able to land in Loguetown."
A few years back, Loguetown was still a mess. Pirates would gather here often, trying to reach the Grand Line.
But after Smoker's assignment, the place had calmed down.
After all, he's a Logia-type.
What? You think he's weak?
Depends who you compare him to.
Kuro could relate. Two years from now, Smoker becomes a Vice Admiral and enters the New World. Look who he ends up facing…
The Warlord Doflamingo—a monster with Conqueror's Haki.
Vergo—with full-body Armament Haki.
Law—whose Devil Fruit was absurdly developed and who later became a Warlord himself.
Even Kuro, who had a bit of a gap compared to Mihawk—if he got too exposed and was sent to the New World to tangle with the Emperors, could he even survive?
"Stay low. I must stay low," Kuro clenched his fist.
The ship docked. A group of Marines escorted the Krieg Pirates to the base.
Meanwhile, inside the Marine base...
"Captain Smoker! Warrant Officer Luciru Kuro from Branch 153 has arrived!"
In a smoke-filled room, a Marine reported to a hazy figure.
"Quiet. Just a warrant officer from a branch. No need to make a fuss."
A deep voice replied.
"Yes, sir! But I heard Officer Kuro stopped the tyranny of former Branch Commander Morgan and captured a 6 million bounty Devil Fruit user. That's why he's allowed to train at HQ."
"Oh? A slightly capable Marine. So what?"
"They also captured the Krieg Pirates!"
Clack.
A stack of stones on the desk toppled over.
The figure stood up and opened the window. Smoke dispersed, revealing Smoker with two cigars in his mouth. He looked surprised.
"The Krieg Pirates? A branch officer?"
Thud thud thud.
Footsteps sounded outside. Smoker glanced out the window and saw a group of Marines escorting a group of pirates.
Leading them was a man in a fur-lined coat, "Justice" written on the back, looking extremely lazy.
Beside him was a white-haired kid chewing on snacks.
And a tall, slender man in a black suit and glasses.
"That man…"
Smoker's eyes paused on the suited man. "Looks kinda familiar…"
"Captain Smoker! Captain Smo—"
A woman's voice echoed down the hallway. A bespectacled woman came running, clutching a sword and panting heavily. "There's... there's big news!"
"How many times have I told you not to be so flustered, Tashigi?"
Smoker frowned. "What news?"
Tashigi's face lit up with excitement. "Mihawk! Dracule Mihawk has come to the East Blue! He had a fight with a Marine here and claimed that this Marine is qualified to challenge him! That's the world's strongest swordsman we're talking about—it's unbelievable!"
"Oh? He actually said something like that?"
Smoker was taken aback. "Which Marine?"
"I heard it was a Marine from one of the branches. His name was... Kl—yeah, Klahadore!"
Smoker looked again at the man in the black suit below. "Interesting."
Loguetown was part of the East Blue. By all rights, it should have fallen under the East Blue branch's jurisdiction. But since Smoker had been stationed there, he'd positioned himself right at the entrance to the Grand Line from the East Blue. Conveniently, this also doubled as a blockade to keep East Blue pirates from slipping into the Grand Line.
"The weakest sea?"
"Can the weakest sea produce a Pirate King and a Marine Hero?"
Who knew what kind of chaos pirates from the East Blue might unleash once they reached the Grand Line?
Like becoming the Fifth Emperor, maybe?
But that had nothing to do with Kuro.
His current goal was to become an ordinary Marine—not too important, not too insignificant. Since he couldn't avoid going to HQ this time, he figured he'd take a different approach.
If he could return, great. If not, well, there were always other options.
Like someone he admired—
Garp, a Vice-Admiral of Marine Headquarters who spent his days wandering the East Blue, ignored by HQ, catching petty pirates, and living the chillest life imaginable.
A true role model!
Marine Base Office.
Kuro met Smoker. Smoker met Kuro.
"There's no ship heading to HQ for now. Wait for the next one and go with them. After all, you're just one person—HQ won't send a ship just for you. Hope you understand."
"Totally understand," Kuro said with a pleased expression.
Perfect!
It meant HQ didn't care about him!
Smoker gave him a puzzled glance. Odd—most Marines who'd pulled off major achievements would be puffed up with pride and ambition. It was rare to meet one who remained calm in both honor and disgrace.
"Want one?" Smoker offered him a cigar.
Kuro raised an eyebrow, accepted it, warmed the tip with a match, then lit it properly.
He'd wanted to try cigars for a while.
Before, to keep a low profile, he hadn't dared to even hold one in his mouth. Besides, his rank hadn't been high enough. But now that he was a Warrant Officer, he figured it was time to level up from cigarettes to cigars.
A Marine who doesn't smoke cigars has no soul!
"Nice quality—not bad, Captain," Kuro praised.
Smoker ignored him and pulled out his personnel file.
Luciru Kuro, 24 years old. Joined the 153rd Branch at 14. Ten years in the Marines. Promoted to Petty Officer. Recently promoted to Warrant Officer due to the Morgan incident and the capture of a Devil Fruit user with a 6 million bounty. Summoned to HQ for training.
The 153rd Branch's report spoke highly of him…
But overall? Pretty average. That was Smoker's impression.
"You took down the Krieg Pirates?"
"That wasn't me. When we got to Baratie, some pirate had already taken them down. We just cleaned up what was left."
Kuro denied it immediately.
Was he crazy? A pirate with a 17 million bounty? He wanted nothing to do with that.
The guy was already captured—the rewards were his. Kuro had no interest in the credit.
Smoker nodded. "Yeah, you don't look like you've got the strength. But you're honest. That's good. A Marine should act like a Marine."
He set the file aside. "Those two who came with you—who are they?"
"Oh, them? Just some righteous folks who admire the Marines. I was about to recommend them for enlistment. Hope you don't mind submitting their applications for me."
Kuro handed over their documents, which he'd already prepared.
As a Warrant Officer, he didn't have the authority to recruit direct subordinates—Smoker would have to handle it.
"The short one's Florida Lida, from Gelmoro Island. Don't be fooled by her height—she's an adult with the heart of a Marine."
"The other one's Klahadore. You wouldn't believe how tragic his story is…"
Kuro launched into the same sob story he'd told Cass and the others.
"That…"
Smoker frowned as he looked over the documents. "You mean that Kuro?"
Kuro nodded. "Yeah, he looks exactly like the captain of the Black Cat Pirates. Tragic, right? I can't bear to look."
"No, I meant Klahadore."
"?"
What?
Kuro tilted his head in confusion—when suddenly, a surprised voice rang out from outside.
"Klahadore! Are you that Klahadore?!"
In the Marine training yard, Tashigi stared at Klahadore in shock.
Klahadore instantly stiffened.
What?
He'd just been casually chatting with Cass while watching the daily drills of the Loguetown Marines when one of his comments caught the attention of the female swordsman.
"Damn, this is Loguetown. If I get exposed here, even Kuro might not be able to save me… No choice."
He suppressed his presence and prepared to bolt.
But Tashigi rushed up excitedly. "Are you the Klahadore Mihawk said could challenge him?!"
"?"
Klahadore was baffled. "What did you say?"
"You know, the one Mihawk acknowledged as someone who could rival him!"
Klahadore pointed to himself, dumbstruck. "Me??"
He had no idea what she was talking about.
He quickly waved his hands. "You've got the wrong guy. That person is—"
"Ahem!"
A deliberate cough echoed from above.
Klahadore looked up and saw Smoker and Kuro leaning out of a window, watching. Kuro, in particular, was clearly giving him a warning look.
"…Yeah, that person is me," Klahadore said at once.
"It really is you! You're from East Blue, and you're a Marine, too!"
Tashigi squealed with delight, then suddenly grew serious. She drew her sword and said, "Please—spar with me!"
"...Huh?"
Klahadore stared at the blade in her hands, froze, and muttered, "I don't use swords."
"You think I'm too weak, don't you?"
Tashigi looked crestfallen. "As I thought… I'm not qualified yet."
"No, I seriously don't use swords," Klahadore insisted.
"No need to say more, Mr. Klahadore!"
Tashigi tightened her grip on the sword with both hands. "I may not be strong, but I have the heart of a swordsman. Mr. Klahadore, if you won't fight me—I'll force you!"
She slashed down diagonally.
Klahadore dodged quickly, shouting, "I really don't use swords!"
"I'll make you draw your blade—I'll earn your recognition!"
Gritting her teeth, Tashigi continued attacking, forcing Klahadore to stay on the defensive.
"Damn it!"
Even a clay doll has a temper—let alone Klahadore, a former pirate freshly ashore. After dodging one more strike, he suddenly vanished, leaving behind an opened suitcase.
Five shining slashes flew straight at Tashigi.
Clang!
The claws on his fingers collided with Tashigi's sword, sending her skidding back a few steps. Her face lit up with joy.
"You finally drew your weapon! What a strange blade… Is this what made Mihawk acknowledge you, Mr. Klahadore?"
"If you won't listen to reason, then I'll beat it into you!"
Klahadore pointed his five clawed fingers directly at her, voice cold as ice.
(*****)
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