"Hmph, that despicable profiteer! Selling one hat for fifty thousand Berries, and having the audacity to call it a 'limited edition' with only one left. If I wasn't currently wealthy, not lacking money, and didn't want any trouble, I definitely would have stayed behind and debated the price with you."
Lu Yue, who was already wearing a pink sun hat decorated with a small white rabbit, said this bitterly through gritted teeth.
The hat shop owner was truly a profiteer; selling a single hat to her for such an exorbitant price! If she hadn't genuinely liked it—and if it wasn't likely to become the symbol of her Pirate Crew—she definitely wouldn't have bought it for that much.
But now, she could only hold her nose and accept it.
At the same time, she continued walking down the street, and after confirming that there were truly no more supplies she needed to buy...
...she headed toward the shipyard. After asking around, she quickly arrived at the location.
More accurately, it was near the dock.
After all, shipyards are usually built near the sea so that ships can be launched immediately after construction.
This was true both in her previous life and in the Pirate World.
"Kuina should have already sailed the purchased ship out, right? Where is she?" Since they had agreed beforehand, Lu Yue only needed to stand near the dock and look around.
Calculating the time, Kuina should have already sailed the purchased ship out while Lu Yue was sightseeing.
"Lu Yue, over here." Kuina's voice suddenly rang out, and Lu Yue immediately looked in the direction of the sound.
The next moment, she was stunned. What was going on?
Kuina buying a slightly smaller ship than their previous pirate ship was understandable, but why did this one look like a fishing vessel?
However, since Kuina was standing on it, it proved that this was indeed the ship she had purchased.
"Wait, why did you buy a fishing boat?" Lu Yue immediately flew aboard and asked with a puzzled expression, especially upon seeing actual fishing gear on the deck.
"Hehe, the two of us can't really be considered a proper Pirate Crew yet, right? We need to add at least a few more companions." Kuina chuckled.
"That's true, but why did you buy a fishing boat? I said to buy any small ship for a temporary transition, but there was no need to buy a fishing boat." Lu Yue nodded first, then asked again with confusion.
"Because this is the best option. We can temporarily disguise ourselves as fishermen. Before we get a real pirate ship and many companions, this fishing boat will ensure that the Marines won't bother us at sea. Instead, pirates might be drawn to us. This way, we can avoid the Marines, focus on expanding our strength, and eliminate some pirates in 'black-on-black' fights to accumulate wealth."
Kuina quickly stated her reasoning with a slight smile. After hearing it, Lu Yue's eyes lit up. "That's right, this is an excellent plan!" she immediately agreed. "Let's do this."
The two quickly sailed this temporary fishing boat toward their next destination.
Lu Yue had already decided on the route. After all, they had obtained a compass and a map, and as long as they were not in the first half or the second half of the Grand Line, these items were still very useful in the Four Seas.
She had already used the map to locate their next destination and the location of their next companion. Now, they just needed to sail in that direction.
However, shortly after leaving the port, in order to deceive others and make them believe they were fishermen, the two girls put away their pirate captain outfit and swordsman outfit, respectively.
They changed into casual clothes typically worn by ordinary girls, making themselves look more like fisherfolk.
Moreover, this change made both girls feel much cooler. Their original outfits were complex and didn't provide much relief from the heat, but the simple casual clothes they were now wearing felt much better.
The two quickly continued their journey on the fishing boat, Lu Yue taking the helm and Kuina managing the sails. As for the purchased supplies, they had already been stored aboard.
When she found a moment, Lu Yue also asked the System a question.
Namely, why did her and Kuina's clothes change after they gained new powers, yet look and feel no different from ordinary clothes?
The System replied that the power it provided to the two of them was special, and using this power to grow stronger resulted in a minor, unique effect.
After understanding this, Lu Yue did not ask any further questions; after all, it was just a change into beautiful and stylish clothes.
"Huh, Lu Yue, a strange Navy warship is sailing over there."
Kuina's sudden words interrupted her thoughts.
"Hmm? A strange Navy warship? What does it look like?" Lu Yue asked curiously after snapping out of her thoughts.
Although she had disliked the Marines after watching One Piece in her previous life, this was essentially her first direct encounter.
Naturally, she was somewhat curious.
"How should I put it... the figurehead is a dog holding a bone in its mouth," Kuina said immediately.
"What?!" Lu Yue was instantly shocked upon hearing this. A dog figurehead holding a bone—wasn't that Garp's warship?!
Lu Yue also looked over, and indeed saw that it was the warship of Garp, the current hero of the Marines. It was approaching from another direction, seemingly heading towards the town they had just left.
But what Lu Yue cared about more was the person aboard the ship: Garp, the Marine Hero, a top-tier powerhouse even in his old age.
He possessed the highest level of Armament Haki and martial arts mastery. Relying on his fists, he was unmatched across the sea, and he had repeatedly forced the former Pirate King Roger and his Pirate Crew into desperate situations.
Many great pirates and vicious pirates were either defeated by him or locked away in prison.
Her grandfather, Rocks, had died by the joint efforts of this guy and Roger, so Garp was essentially the killer of her grandfather.
Furthermore, she hated the Marines and would become a pirate herself. Moreover, if the fact that she possessed Rocks' bloodline were exposed, the Marines and the World Government would certainly not spare her.
Even without exposing the bloodline connection, based on the power of the Void Monster Gliza that she would display later, the Marines and the World Government would definitely try every means to eliminate her, a major threat.
Therefore, she was destined to be an enemy of these people.
Even though the old man himself was quite good-natured, when dealing with enemies, if he pushed her too far, she wouldn't be a pushover either.
After all, she now possessed the power of Gliza.
However, for now, according to her original plan, it was best to temporarily avoid confrontation. She would wait until she had recruited more companions into her Pirate Crew and had become more familiar with the template's power.
If the Marines came looking for trouble then, she would definitely repay them ten-fold, or a hundred-fold.
"Don't worry about them. We are fishermen now, and according to our original plan, we should avoid the Marines for the time being," Lu Yue said immediately.
"Alright." Kuina simply said one word, but clearly agreed with Lu Yue's statement.
But soon, Lu Yue became delighted, because... at the same time, on the other side, or rather, not far away...
Just as Kuina and Lu Yue had noticed Garp and his group, Garp and his group had also noticed Lu Yue and her companion.
"Vice Admiral Garp, there's a ship over there," one Marine Soldier immediately reported.
"I see it. It's just two young girls fishing at sea. It's only a fishing boat, likely belonging to the residents of this town. But they look very energetic! So young and already out earning a living, how capable! Hahahaha, not bad, not bad."
Garp had initially spoken with a straight face, but by the end, he couldn't help but laugh heartily.
But he quickly continued.
"Alright, I've spotted our target this time—that pirate ship docked in the harbor. Hurry up and board it. This old man can't wait to find out who these people are, haha."
Under Garp's command, they quickly docked the warship beside the pirate ship that Lu Yue had abandoned.
Under Bogard's direction, some Marine Soldiers immediately went forward to inspect, only to find that there was no one inside.
Forget people; besides the usual items found on a pirate ship, there wasn't a single Berry left.
However, these Marines were Garp's subordinates and were highly experienced.
Soon, based on their reports, Bogard and Garp immediately concluded that this was clearly an abandoned ship.
It had been abandoned by the few people they were pursuing, and all the money had been taken.
"Go immediately and ask the residents here if they saw the few people who disembarked from this ship. Since they abandoned this pirate ship, they might have wanted to buy a new one. Go ask at the shipyard here immediately, and also check the shops in the town—they must have purchased supplies."
Garp, who was very familiar with the East Blue, knew there was no Marine branch here, so he could only have his men handle the investigation personally.
As soon as his orders were given, everyone except him, Bogard, and the Marines in critical positions immediately went down to conduct the investigation.
About 30 minutes later, after listening to the reports from the returning Marine Soldiers below...
Both Garp and Bogard were dumbfounded and stunned by what they heard. Garp was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out.
This was because they had already figured out the whole sequence of events.
Fortunately, they weren't without results; at least they knew there were two people involved, and one of them was the Black Sword Princess.
"Mr. Garp, it seems the other girl, who rescued the merchant ship and eliminated those pirates, took the Black Sword Princess with her and used the time during the voyage to persuade her to become a companion."
"After arriving here, they took all the money and abandoned the ship. They purchased supplies, quickly splitting up—one continued buying supplies, and the other went to buy a ship. After the two met up at the dock, they left."