Robin casually linked her arm with Carl's and they strolled into the city together.
Sanji's teeth ground together in frustration at the sight, but he could only seethe silently, not daring to voice his displeasure.
Marie, her expression unchanged, watched Robin and Carl's retreating figures before pulling Tashigi along into the city. Though she felt a closeness to both Robin and Carl, she also sensed that her presence would be unwelcome at this moment.
Carl and Robin wandered at a leisurely pace, savoring this rare moment of relaxation.
In the City of Seven Waters, there was a creature called a Blue, capable of pulling boats and offering rides to sightseers. Carl and Robin rented one, bought the local specialty, water meat, and enjoyed the scenery while they ate, snapping photos with their cameras.
Later, they had to accompany Robin to buy clothes.
Women were generally more particular about their attire. Nami, for instance, had a vast wardrobe and changed outfits daily.
In contrast, Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp seemed to own only two or three sets of clothes, which they hadn't changed in days.
Carl was grateful he had brought a substantial amount of money and generously paid for his girlfriend's purchases. However, Robin's shopping spree was extensive; she not only bought clothes for herself but also for Carl and even Marie, which slightly alarmed Carl.
That little girl, Marie, only ever bought biscuits when she had money and nothing else. She always wore the same clothes, and even tea seemed to be something she got for free. It was as if her entire existence revolved around biscuits.
Fortunately, she still remembered to buy paint; otherwise, she wouldn't be able to use her Devil Fruit powers.
However, Carl had underestimated the impact of his reputation.
In the first half of the Grand Line, the appearance of a pirate with a 1.3 billion Berry bounty was a major event, causing a sensation throughout the entire island. Fortunately, everyone was wary of offending the Straw Hats, so they treated them like VIPs.
Consequently, Carl noticed that many people showed them great respect and didn't dare to be even slightly neglectful.
Some merchants even offered enthusiastic discounts.
This slowed the depletion of Carl's wallet, but it didn't make him particularly happy.
Indeed, fame often smoothed things over, but not always in a desirable way.
Carl disliked the fear he saw in ordinary people's eyes, but as a notorious pirate with a 1.3 billion Berry bounty, it was unavoidable.
"If you're not enjoying this, we can head back to the ship," Robin murmured.
"It's not that I'm unhappy, it's just that I'm not used to people being afraid of me," Carl replied, shaking his head slightly.
Robin looked surprised but remained silent. They then bought two masks from a stall. Once they put them on, ordinary people rarely recognized them, and they happily continued their stroll.
Wandering over to a biscuit shop, they saw Marie carefully selecting various kinds of biscuits.
The shop owner seemed to recognize Marie and was initially a bit scared. However, seeing how much she enjoyed their biscuits, he quickly relaxed and happily described them to her.
Finally, with a decisive gesture, Marie spent all her money and bought two large bags of biscuits.
Carl was rather exasperated. "Marie, are you alone?"
Marie munched on a biscuit and said, "It's Teacher Carl and Sister Robin! Why are you wearing strange masks? Oh, I'm not alone, Tashigi's with me... Huh? Where's Tashigi?"
It seemed she had been so engrossed in the biscuits that she had forgotten about Tashigi.
Or perhaps Tashigi had spotted a famous knife shop or something similar and had forgotten about Marie.
Either was possible; both girls were somewhat unreliable. If it weren't for their strength, Carl wouldn't dare to let them team up alone.
The three of them retraced Marie's steps and soon saw Tashigi talking to a middle-aged man.
The middle-aged man, with a ponytail, round glasses, and what appeared to be men's clothing from Wano Country, held a sword for Tashigi to examine. He looked at Tashigi with affectionate eyes, and there seemed to be tears welling up in the corners.
"That is..."
Carl was stunned; he hadn't expected this man to be here.
Of course, he should have considered Tashigi's bounty poster!
"Tashigi, where have you been? I almost lost you," Marie said as she walked over.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Marie. I saw this gentleman had a famous sword, so I asked to take a look. It's such a beautiful blade!" Tashigi said happily.
Carl led Robin over and greeted with a smile, "You must be Zoro's master, Mr. Koushirou?"
The middle-aged man looked surprised for a moment, then smiled and said, "You are Carl, the Lightning Great Swordsman. Didn't expect you to know me. Did Zoro tell you?"
...asking for flowers...
Tashigi, standing beside them, paled in shock. "Sir, you're the master of the Three-Sword Style? In other words, you're Kuina's father?!"
This time, both Carl and Koushirou were taken aback.
They hadn't expected Tashigi to know about Kuina. Zoro must have told her!
Koshiro wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, his voice thick with emotion. "Please excuse me.
When I saw your bounty poster, I truly believed my daughter was still alive, so I couldn't resist coming to the Grand Line.
I received news that you were heading to the Grand Line, specifically Sky Island, so I came to the City of Seven Waters first to wait, thinking you would eventually arrive here.
Fortunately, fate has been kind; today, I can finally meet..."
As he spoke, his face was filled with sadness.
Tashigi looked touched but also a little awkward.
She had previously asked Zoro about Kuina and knew the reason why Zoro often called her a fake. She genuinely felt sympathy for Kuina's father. However, now that Kuina's father was here in person, Tashigi didn't know how to react.
After all, she wasn't Kuina!
Seeing the scene, Carl felt a bit awkward and quickly interjected, "Ahem! Mr. Koushirou, why don't you come back to the ship with us and meet Zoro first?
Actually, I have a request. My swordsmanship is self-taught, and Zoro isn't really capable of teaching others.
This might hinder Tashigi's kendo potential.
Mr. Koushirou, as the master of a kendo dojo, you undoubtedly know how to instruct people. I would be very grateful if you would guide Tashigi."
Koshiro immediately expressed his willingness. "It would be my honor!"
Tashigi also breathed a sigh of relief. If Carl hadn't spoken, she wouldn't have known what to say.
They quickly returned to the ship. Zoro, who had been sleeping, slightly opened his eyes at the sound of their approach. When he saw who it was, he fell to the deck in shock and rolled around a few times.
"Master Koushirou! You... how did you get here?! And... how do you and..."
Zoro pointed at Tashigi, momentarily speechless. It was all too sudden; he hadn't expected Master Koushirou to come looking for Tashigi, he hadn't anticipated this situation at all.
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