Sorry for the Delay Friends, have been busy with life, so as always fanfiction updates will be irregular.
[~1400 Words]
Cocoyasi Village was exceedingly isolated, with no news carriers ever arriving, which left James in doubt about whether the Marines had placed a bounty on him.
As a result, he determined that during their flight from Cocoyasi Village to Logue Town, Kaya's Manor would perpetually soar at the same height as the news birds, allowing for easy news retrieval.
"Bye, Cocoyasi Village~"
Nami and Nojiko waved goodbye to their hometown, their hearts filled with conflicting emotions.
The villagers of Cocoyasi Village looked upon James with awe and gratitude.
Nojiko had previously mentioned that James preferred not to be interrupted by too many visitors, so they chose to respect his wishes and kept their distance.
As she progressed, Nojiko put in great effort to control the Slip-Slip Fruit's abilities, successfully removing the tattoos and other blemishes from both her and Nami.
Following that, she carried out some initial enhancements on James's concubines, perfecting their skin to achieve a smooth and firm texture.
Nojiko skillfully adjusted Porche's unique pointed nose, restoring it to its original form with the help of the Slip-Slip Fruit, eliminating any flaws and enhancing her beauty even further.
<<--⚡ ⚓ 💄 ⚓🍑⚓🍷⚓⚡ —>>
A few days later, in the East Blue, near the waters of Logue Town.
"Onii-chan! Your bounty has been issued!"
At this moment, Nami flew into the cabin joyfully holding a newspaper and James's wanted poster.
The sudden voice made Makino's heart skip a beat, startling her.
"Oh?" James raised his hand to examine the bounty. "Why is it only 300 million Belly? Fortunately, the name was correct. Sengoku proved quite reliable in handling this matter."
"Hmm~"
After tidying up the room, Makino left without uttering a word to either of them.
James did not try to stop her. Having lived together with Robin and the other goddess and Concubines, Makino had already come to terms with reality and accepted her role as one of James's Consort/Concubine.
But Nami felt distressed at the thought that she might someday become a pirate herself, hunted by the Navy with a bounty on her head.
"Those with bounties need not necessarily be pirates. Think of me, or even Monkey D. Dragon from the Revolutionary Army..."
"Oh, right~"
Nami patted her head, realizing she had fallen into a misunderstanding.
As they neared Logue Town, James reminded Nami, "We're almost there. You've been eager to go shopping, haven't you? Later on you can ask around and see who would like to accompany you. Having good company will prevent boredom during shopping."
"Hmm, is there a candidate for the Divine Consort here as well?"
"There is one - a Marine Woman. I want to get her, and once I do, I won't be focused on any other women in the East Blue."
"Marine? Not bad. She could keep Hina company."
As they conversed, the two walked to the edge of Kaya's Manor and gazed upon Logue Town.
"Nami~"
Robin and the other goddesses who had planned on going shopping sauntered slowly over to James and his companions. Most wore luxurious long dresses, exuding nobility and elegance befitting their status as his Goddesses.
James nodded in satisfaction as he looked them over.
When the goddesses and concubines of Kaya's Manor travel outside, they always dress in a dignified and elegant manner, artfully obscuring the parts of their beauty that are destined to remain hidden.
This is not only an unwritten rule respected by the concubines of the James but also a clear reflection of his intense possessiveness.
Only he was allowed to indulge in the private pleasures of his ethereal Goddesses and consorts.
"We'll depart at noon, so don't get so excited that you lose track of time."
"It likely won't be until noon. Logue Town is merely a small town; after visiting the commercial street there will be nothing left worth seeing."
"Indeed."
The Pirate world is dark and chaotic - only relatively peaceful and stable nations can develop business well enough to attract people seeking entertainment.
Soon, Kaya's Manor flew over Logue Town.
"Let's go shopping~"
James nodded, and the goddesses descended upon Logue Town riding on clouds created by Nami. The group looked like fairies as they rode on the clouds.
He had already swept through the entire town beforehand and found no unexpected strong men (such as Dragon), so he felt no concern regarding Nami's safety or that of the others.
So, `Tashigi little cutie´, here I come!
With a sudden flash of lightning, James vanished.
<<--⚡ ⚓ 💄 ⚓🍑⚓🍷⚓⚡ —>>
Within Logue Town, a weapon shop that deals solely in Swords.
Tashigi pouted as she closed the door of the weapon shop. She had just viewed its prized treasure - the Snow Walker. Unfortunately, her funds were insufficient and she could not afford to purchase it.
She turned around to leave but accidentally bumped into James who "just happened to be passing by" nearby.
"Oops!"
Tashigi's red glasses flew off, landing on the ground.
Flustered, she quickly bent down using both hands to grope for her spectacles. As she moved with urgency, her voluptuous figure became tantalizingly visible, pleasing James immensely.
"Here!"
James admired the beautiful sight of Tashigi's assests for a while before handing her glasses back to her.
"Ah~"
Tashigi quickly took them and apologized while putting on her glasses: "I'm so sorry~ I'm sorry~ Sorry for bumping into you! Are you doing okay? I don't think I hurt you at all."
"Of course, there's a problem. My chest is in pain from your punch. You are a Navy officer, right? You must take responsibility." James, the scammer king, claimed while feigning pain and covering his own chest.
"Ah~ I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Tashigi finally put on her glasses and hurriedly raised her head to examine his injuries, only to find that everyone on the street lay unconscious, their lives or deaths unknown.
She stared blankly at all this in a daze, muttering:
"What...what is going on?"
"I'm not entirely sure either. Wait? Don't try changing the subject!" James reached out, cupped her chin, and turned her face to meet his gaze.
This was of course the work of James - there was no other way to achieve this result. The Conqueror´s Haki aura could be activated with a mere thought; it was so convenient that he could easily create a private world for just himself and Tashigi in this manner, just by making everyone unconcious.
"Hmm~"
Tashigi struggled hard but found she couldn't break free from his grip, so she took several steps back until finally regaining her freedom.
She glared at James angrily but was momentarily stunned. Then she shook her head. How could the wanted criminal `James´ possibly be here? He should have been in East Blue Sea now.
"Don't worry, I will take responsibility." Tashigi clutched the corner of her clothes with both hands as she looked up at him pleadingly. "What do you want me to do? Pay compensation or send you to the hospital for treatment?"
"You don't seem like a rich woman, do you? Well then, how about this - marry me and become my wife. This way, we can become a family together and needn't worry about compensation."
"Ah? I think this is the first time we've met... I'm really sorry, please allow me to refuse..."
Tashigi was dumbfounded. How could he say such unrealistic things?
Although his appearance suited her tastes, she had to continue serving as a Marine and had no time to plan for marriage and she already has a goal of collecting Higher Grade Swords.
"You talk about taking responsibility, but then you shy away? What's wrong with this being our first meeting? We'll grow closer after spending more time together."
"This…"
Tashigi's head was starting to spin with confusion.
[That´s all for Now]