"Considering our target won't arrive here for another week, I'm giving everyone a break for now!"
Back on the ship, Caesar announced to the crew.
"Swallow Island is a famous tourist spot in the North Sea. If you're interested, feel free to explore, but remember—girls must move in pairs at the very least!"
"Woohoo! Long live Caesar!"
The younger crew members cheered in unison. Since leaving Cocoyasi Village, they hadn't properly set foot on land except for brief stops—like during the search for the Flare-Flare Fruit or when looking for Issho.
"Nami, Baby 5, Robin!"
Nami eagerly called out to the girls. "Let's go shopping! How about some new clothes?"
"Hmm..."
Yamato glanced down at her white kimono with blue patterns. "My clothes aren't torn yet."
"Seriously..."
Nami's eye twitched. Just what kind of life had this girl been living before?
She then shot Caesar a sideways glance. "Honestly, Captain, you're slacking as a boyfriend."
"We've been pressed for time lately."
Caesar chuckled helplessly. "After leaving Wano Country, the longest we stayed anywhere was Loguetown, and back then, we were too new to think about shopping. This is the perfect chance to make up for it! Also..."
He snapped his fingers, and with a thud, a large suitcase materialized out of thin air.
"Here's 100 million Berries—10 million per person for each of the ten of you."
"10 million?!"
Nami's eyes sparkled like stars. "Long live the Captain! Ahahaha~"
"Isn't this... too much?"
Kuma's honest face showed hesitation. "Bonney and I don't need that much—just some clothes and snacks would be enough."
Caesar waved it off. "Keep it for now."
"Woohoo! 10 million!"
Deuce stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Let me think... I'll buy some books, a few new outfits, and maybe some shipbuilding materials? Speaking of which, it's about time we started working on that Flame-Powered Ship."
"I've got the highest-quality wood. You just need to buy the parts," Caesar reminded him.
"The highest quality?"
Deuce raised an eyebrow. "Redwood?"
"This is Adam Treasure Tree Wood, grown in the Land of Giants. A single log goes for hundreds of millions on the black market."
Caesar smirked. "By the way, the only ship to ever conquer the Grand Line—the Pirate King Roger's Oro Jackson—was built from this very material."
"Ooooh—"
The crew chorused, their eyes gleaming mischievously as they turned to Ace.
Ace's face darkened, unsure how to respond.
Part of him wanted to defiantly declare he'd never use the same wood as that man.
But then again...
Why the hell shouldn't I?
Issho, who had recently joined the crew, observed their reactions and glanced at Ace before nodding in understanding.
The Pirate King's child, huh...
"Alright, split the money and get ready to head ashore!"
"YEAH!!!"
With cash in hand, everyone was fired up. Except for Barto, who stayed behind to guard the ship, the rest disembarked.
Due to their bounties, Caesar, Yamato, and Robin disguised themselves slightly before stepping onto the island.
Caesar and Robin each wore a pair of frog-shaped sunglasses, with Robin tying her hair into a neat high ponytail, while Yamato sported a pair of fake mustache glasses.
The girl didn't seem to fully grasp the point of disguises, but since she clearly loved those glasses, Caesar didn't bother correcting her. A silly, adorable girl was just fine.
Not like his and Robin's disguises were any less half-hearted.
Kuma, on the other hand, was simply too tall to hide, so he'd given up entirely.
The father-daughter duo entered the town and, after some inquiries, headed straight for the food street.
Issho was busy asking around for the nearest casino, while Ace and Deuce stuck together, gravitating toward wherever the crowd was thickest.
Caesar, meanwhile, had been gloriously reduced to a pack mule and walking wallet for the girls…
As Nami put it, shared spoils were one thing, but surely Caesar wouldn't skip buying gifts for his girlfriends, would he?
Caesar found her reasoning sound, so he ended up showering Nami with presents as well. After that, the little brat shut up with an awkward look on her face.
"Ha! Caesar! I love this!"
Passing by a clothing store, Yamato's eyes lit up as she pointed at a red-and-white gradient cheongsam in the display window. "What kind of outfit is this?"
"It's called a cheongsam."
Caesar pushed the door open, and a plump, bejeweled woman wearing triangular glasses eagerly greeted them, rubbing her hands together.
"Oh-ho, welcome! Handsome gentlemen and lovely ladies~"
Yamato scratched her head sheepishly. "Heh, I'm not much of a lady…"
"Our Yamato is absolutely stunning!"
Caesar gestured at the cheongsam. "Do you have that in her size?"
"Uh…"
The woman hesitated, eyeing Yamato, who had to duck just to enter the store. "This young lady's height is…?"
"Not counting the horns, 2.6 meters barefoot," Caesar said flatly.
"Uh… no."
"It could be arranged!"
"It really can't!"
The woman looked exasperated. She was here to make money—if she had it, why would she lie?
Caesar grabbed her wrist and slapped a stack of Skull Yugi into her palm.
"How about now?"
"Ah, well, I source my clothes from suppliers, so even if you pay me—"
Slap!
Staring at the gold brick now in her hand, the woman's eyelids twitched violently before she gritted her teeth, her expression turning almost fierce.
"Yes! There's a tailor shop just around the corner to the right—I'll have someone come over for measurements right away! I guarantee this young lady will have an identical piece by tonight!"
"And don't just stand there, everyone! Pick whatever you like and try it on—everything will be custom-tailored! If you don't like it, you can even take it home as a rag!"
Whoosh—
Soon, the dressing room curtain slid open, revealing Robin in an office lady outfit with black stockings.
Caesar silently gave a thumbs-up.
Whoosh—
Next door, Nami stepped out in a white T-shirt and black hot pants, an orange jacket tied around her waist.
Caesar nodded approvingly. Sporty was good too.
Whoosh—
Baby 5 emerged in a maid skirt and white stockings, blowing a kiss at Caesar.
He returned the gesture, feeling a faint stir of excitement.
Whoosh—
Yamato pulled back her curtain, tugging shyly at the hem of her outfit.
Caesar's gaze swept over the figure before him. The black high-necked sleeveless knit sweater accentuated an exceptionally full and adorable pair, while the body-hugging black skirt seemed almost inadequate in covering the astonishing curves beneath. Long, beautiful legs were sheathed in black stockings, with ten toes that curled and uncurled nervously, betraying their owner's shyness.
Turning to the plump woman, Caesar asked, "Where's the nearest hotel?"
The woman adjusted her glasses, a flash of light reflecting off the lenses. "Two hundred meters to the right after exiting."
Nami fell into silence as she watched Caesar lead the three women away.
Wait a minute, wasn't the rule that girls should move in groups of at least two?
"That young man has quite the stamina," the plump woman remarked, "though the ladies aren't bad either—both in figure and looks..." Her eyes lingered on Nami's chest before she added with an almost imperceptible click of her tongue, "No need to feel anxious."
"I'm only sixteen!" Nami roared with a shark-like expression.
"He really is quite the catch," the woman continued, avoiding Nami's glare. "Young, wealthy, physically fit, and generous with women. I must say, you girls have good taste in men. Those pretty-faced poor boys aren't reliable—like those two over there."
She pointed outside the glass window, where Ace and Deuce were walking down the street, arms full of packages, chatting and laughing.
"Those brats look like the type who dream of treasure hunting every day—self-centered, irresponsible fools. My judgment of men never fails."
"Well... you're not wrong about that," Nami admitted, her lips twitching. Then, her gaze drifting slightly, she asked as if casually, "So... what kind of clothes would attract a wealthy young man like him?"
"Ohoho, you've come to the right person." The woman smirked, a shrewd glint in her eyes as she rubbed her fingers together meaningfully.
Nami's face darkened as she reluctantly pulled out 1,000 Berries and handed them over.
"Not wearing any clothes."
"Give me my money back!!!"
"Of course, it's not that simple," the woman said smoothly, pocketing the cash. "But this kind of advice is valuable..."
"I'll trust you one more time..." Nami gritted her teeth and pulled out another 500 Berries. "Speak first!"
"Do you know when men get most excited? When putting on clothes? Taking them off? Wrong!" The woman wagged her finger. "It's when a woman is about to undress or when her clothes are disheveled!"
"Huh? Why?" Nami looked skeptical, as if to say, "I'm not stupid, don't lie to me."
"It's the thrill of exploration, just like how Pirates love hunting for treasure." The woman snatched the Berries from Nami's hand. "But more than that, it depends on whether he likes you. That young man seems quite interested in you. Instead of overthinking, why not make a move yourself?"
Nami's expression darkened. "I'd never like a playboy like him!"
"You seem pretty fond of him..."
"What did you say?!"
"Nothing. That'll be 7.6 million Berries, please."
"Wait, what? Didn't I give you gold earlier?"
"Wasn't that a tip?"
"... That guy earlier was a wanted criminal worth 2.8 billion."
"I was just joking."
...
By evening, everyone had returned to the ship.
Deuce excitedly recounted the day's adventures—he and Ace had visited several shops and bought plenty of shipbuilding materials.
"The manufacturing level here is much better than in the East Blue. The gears sold here have higher precision and lower prices. I even managed to get a pair of decent small external wheels..."
"Why don't we just remove the sails and masts?" Ace suggested.
"That's not possible. Considering special circumstances, sails are a must," Deuce immediately rejected the amateur's proposal. "For example, if two people are fleeing and you, as a Devil Fruit user, lose consciousness, the other person must still be able to keep the ship sailing."
"Good point. Once we reach Water 7, we'll have a new ship," Caesar proposed. "My suggestion is to equip the new ship with alternative energy control systems, like Ace's flames and electricity. That way, as long as we embed Sea Prism Stone in the hull, we'll have the ability to cross the Calm Belt."
"What about the ship's design?"
Deuce pulled out a notebook and began sketching. "Though I'm not a professional shipwright, Captain, you can give me a rough idea of the design and requirements. This way, the shipyard will understand our vision more easily when it's time to build."
"First, it has to be big!" Caesar pointed at Kuma. "The cabins on each deck must accommodate someone of Kuma's height and meet your daily training needs. And my captain's quarters—also big, like a bed that can fit ten people?"
"Shh—"
Deuce and Ace both hissed in unison, their faces full of envy and resentment.
Earlier, Nami had returned and immediately complained about Caesar abandoning their shopping trip to go gaming, leaving the two feeling extremely jealous—no, disgusted!
"I just won a million berries gambling..." Issho suddenly spoke up between bites of soba noodles. "Then some local gangsters tried to extort me, so I dealt with them."
Caesar chuckled. He now strongly suspected that in the original story, Issho had blinded himself just to use his Observation Haki for entrapment, luring lawbreakers into walking right into his hands...
"I went to the amusement park today!" Bonney cheerfully raised her hand. "Though Dad was too big to ride the attractions, we ate ice cream together!"
"And took photos," Kuma added with a gentle smile, flipping through a small photo album to show everyone.
The album was filled with pictures of the father-daughter duo—either enjoying delicious food, wearing matching outfits, or having fun during their outing. Without exception, every photo showed them both wearing bright, happy smiles.
"Ah... so heartwarming," Barto, Ace, and Deuce sighed in unison, smiling as they looked through the album.
Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the crew chatted inside the ship's cabin. A day of leisure had completely washed away the mental fatigue from their long voyage.
Meanwhile, as they talked, a hidden underground port on the island saw a yellow mid-sized submarine slowly rise to the surface.
Whoosh—
A transparent canopy opened, and four figures materialized on the shore.
The leading boy had a somewhat gloomy expression, wearing a snow leopard-patterned hat and carrying a long sword over his shoulder. After carefully scanning the area, he finally let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"No one... at least no one's been here recently. Let's go check on Grandpa Wolf first," he said, quickly heading up the stairs toward the surface.
Had Caesar been there, he would have recognized the boy immediately—none other than the ship's doctor he had his eye on, Trafalgar Law!
Contrary to what was said on the phone, because the Polar Tang had a powerful propulsion system, it could reach destinations in just one day that would take ordinary ships two or three days to sail.
At the time of their conversation, Law was actually on a deserted island just a few days' journey north of Swallow Island!
That's right—he had lied to Caesar!
His goal was to make the other man lower his guard, then rush back at top speed to confirm Dr. Wolf's condition…
And Caesar truly hadn't expected this sneaky bastard to deceive him!
Admittedly, if not for his Observation Haki, he really would have been fooled by Law this time.
But the difference in their strength was simply too vast—Observation Haki covering dozens of nautical miles was no joke.
The moment the group approached Dr. Wolf's house, Caesar had already locked onto them!
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