One Piece: It All Started When I Found Shanks' Arm

Chapter 75: Kuina and Tashigi

"We're finally here!"

Nami cheered, kicking her mop and broom aside and being the first to step onto the docks.

She looked around curiously. "So this is Loguetown? It's pretty bustling!"

As natives of the East Blue, most of them had heard of Loguetown.

This was the hometown of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger—the place of his birth and, later, his execution. The chaotic Great Pirate Era had begun right here.

With such a famous reputation, the town was naturally quite large. A casual glance showed streets lined with a dazzling array of shops selling everything imaginable.

The town was filled with people coming and going, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

"Is that… the place where Roger was executed?"

Kuina gazed into the distance. In the center of the town square, where the streets converged, the execution platform stood tall. Even from several streets away, it was clearly visible from the docks.

It had originally been intended as a deterrent from the World Government to all pirates.

But after the Great Pirate Era began, Loguetown had gradually become a popular tourist destination for pirates.

Especially for those setting out from the East Blue for the Grand Line; it was almost a rite of passage. If you didn't visit, you couldn't really call yourself an East Blue pirate.

"Let's split up and look around. There are a lot of pirates who come to this island on pilgrimage, but because of the Marine base, they usually don't dare to get too out of hand, even if disputes arise. So it's relatively safe," Shane said, glancing at the clock on the bank. "It'll be lunchtime in two hours. Let's meet up in the central square then."

"Understood, Captain!!!"

The crew responded with a roar and went their separate ways, eagerly disappearing into the streets.

Including the days they were off course, they had been drifting at sea for nearly half a month. After finally arriving in a bustling town, everyone was itching for some shore leave.

Gin excitedly followed Zeff to buy strawberry milk, while Kuina decided to check out the nearby bookstores and weapon shops.

Nojiko, on the other hand, dragged Nami to the street lined with clothing and jewelry stores.

The girl had run away from home with very few belongings and had been wearing Nojiko's clothes for days. It was time to buy her some of her own.

"Tattoos, ladies? Want a tattoo?" the owner of a tattoo parlor called out with a smile, trying to attract customers at the street corner.

"Not interested," Nami and Nojiko said in unison, glancing instinctively at their own bare arms and pursing their lips.

—What kind of proper girl gets a tattoo?!

…

Elsewhere, Shane wandered aimlessly through the streets, letting fate guide him.

He remembered that Loguetown had several named characters from the manga.

It would be great if he was lucky enough to "shear their wool," but it didn't matter if he didn't run into them. Their value wasn't that high anyway.

His real target, of course, was…

Shane looked up towards the execution platform.

It witnessed the death of the Pirate King and the dawn of the Great Pirate Era. That has to be worth a lot, right?

It was just a bit too big. The square was packed with tourists, and Marine soldiers were standing guard in the towers on either side. Making it disappear in broad daylight would cause quite a commotion.

It would probably be better to do it in the middle of the night when no one's around.

As he was contemplating this, a tall young man with green hair, earrings, and a nose ring walked towards him, head down, and bumped right into him.

"Ow! That hurt like hell!!"

The punk-looking young man winced in pain, blood streaming from his nose. He quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand.

What the hell does this guy have in his chest? He felt like he had just run into a steel plate. Stars danced in his vision, and he felt so dizzy he almost passed out.

"My apologies," Shane said, handing him a tissue with a smile. "Here, wipe that up."

"Watch where you're going next time!" the green-haired punk shot him a glare, then stuffed his hands in his pockets and swaggered into a nearby alley.

The moment he entered the alley, he burst out laughing, all traces of his previous anger gone. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a wallet from between his fingers.

"I'm telling you, Barto, you're the boss of a few streets now. You're already making more than you can count from protection money. Why are you still doing this petty stuff?" a teasing girl's voice came from behind him.

"What do you know, Desirée," Bartolomeo sneered. "This is called 'staying true to your roots.' It's not about the money; it's about reliving the thrill of being a low-level street punk."

"Guess how much…" he said, turning to his childhood friend and waving the wallet. "How many Berries are in here? Fifty thousand? A hundred thousand?"

Wait a minute…

This doesn't feel right. Barto instinctively checked the wallet's compartments and found it completely empty.

"It's zero!" Desirée burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. "You made such a big deal out of it, I thought you'd robbed a rich guy! But there's not even a single bill!"

"Dammit! How could this happen?!"

Barto turned the wallet upside down, but not even a single coin fell out. He was furious. "That guy didn't look poor! How can his pockets be cleaner than his face?!"

Oh well, sometimes you misjudge people.

"Forget about it. You're just in time, Desirée. I really liked the bracelet you gave me last time. I keep it in my pocket because I don't want to wear it out. So, I made a little something for you too…"

He grinned and reached into his coat, but his expression suddenly froze. "Huh?"

The entire alley then echoed with his anguished cry—"WHERE'S MY WALLET?!!!"

...

[You have sacrificed Bartolomeo's seashell necklace and received 60 points.]

[You have sacrificed Desirée's plastic bracelet and received 40 points.]

"Five hundred thousand Berries, 100 points. Not a lot, but for a freebie that walked right up to me, it's not bad."

Shane chuckled, stuffing the wallet into his pocket.

The local gangs here have no manners.

Trying to pickpocket me the moment they see me. With that level of skill, who did he think he was messing with?

He whistled a cheerful tune and continued on his way.

…

In the bookstore.

"The 24th issue of 'Germa, Hero of Justice' is out!!"

"Whoa, really? Get me one too!"

"Hey, you little brats! If you don't have any money, don't just stand there reading for free! You've got five minutes, then buy it or get out!"

"Excuse me, coming through."

Kuina sidestepped the children squatting on the floor, reading the comics for free. She stood on her tiptoes, reaching for a book on the top shelf titled A Discourse on Sword Forging.

But at almost the same instant, another slender, pale hand reached for it too. Their index fingers touched the spine of the book at the same time, their shoulders almost brushing against each other.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

Kuina immediately turned with an apologetic smile. "Please, you go first. I can look for something else."

The black-haired girl across from her, who looked exactly like her, was also looking at her apologetically.

Huh?

Is that a mirror?

She pushed up her glasses, trying to get a better look.

The girl across from her did the same, leaning her neck forward. The cold tips of their noses touched…

The all-too-real sensation made both of them widen their eyes. They stared at each other for a good four or five seconds before finally crying out in unison:

"EHHHH————?!!!"

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