Chapter 131: The Bounties Are Here!
The sky was a translucent azure, white clouds unfurling to paint a beautiful scroll.
The sun hung high overhead; it was currently noon.
Since the crack of dawn, the crew had been fast asleep in Iceburg's study. Even now, at noon, most of them had yet to awaken.
Reiner sat on the floor, leaning against a sofa. He groggily opened his eyelids and rubbed his eyes.
Sleepy-eyed, he fumbled around on the sofa behind him for a moment.
Putting on his glasses, he stood up and looked around. Sanji and Zoro weren't there; everyone else was still sound asleep.
The two girls lay on the sofas, both covered with blankets, likely put there by Sanji.
Luffy and the other two (Usopp and Chopper) were sprawled out together, snot bubbles rising and falling from their noses in time with their snores.
Tiptoeing out of the room, he gently closed the door behind him and came to the corridor paved with light blue tiles.
Two men stood guard not far away; judging by their attire, they were probably Galley-La shipwrights.
One of them, a man with short, choppy hair and a red bandana, noticed him approaching.
"Ah, you're awake, little bro."
"Mm. Where are they?"
Reiner smiled faintly and walked over. "Two of them should have woken up first, right?"
"They went to eat first."
The bandana-wearing man pointed towards the back, then turned and gestured. "In the reception hall. I'll take you there."
"Okay, thanks for the trouble." Reiner followed slowly behind him.
After a few turns, they arrived at a large hall. In the very center stood a long marble table, laden with all sorts of food.
Sanji and Zoro were already eating. Noticing his arrival, they merely glanced at him before continuing with their meal.
Besides the two of them, Iceburg and Franky were also present.
The two sat together, a blueprint spread out on the table between them, engaged in a 'friendly' discussion.
"This design of yours is passable, I guess."
"What do you mean 'passable', idiot Iceburg!?"
"It just means 'so-so'. Also, why add so many bizarre weapons?"
"What the hell do you know!? Is it still called a ship without weapons!?"
"How could Mr. Tom have taught an idiot like you?"
Iceburg picked up a pen and directly crossed out a pile of weapons labeled 'Franky XXX Cannon' on the blueprint.
"A ship's mission is to carry people from one island to another. Weapons are fine as long as they're sufficient."
BANG!!
"Weapons are precisely what's used in that process!"
Franky slammed his large hand on the table and roared angrily, "You deadpan-faced man! You don't understand a man's romance at all!"
Reiner walked up, sat down beside Zoro, pushed aside some tableware, and directly reached for a roasted, golden-brown beef leg, tearing into it.
"Didn't Chopper say no drinking?"
"I know. This isn't booze."
Zoro casually brushed him off, took a large gulp from a full glass of low-alcohol fruit wine, then declared righteously:
"This is fruit juice!"
"Tch."
Reiner rolled his eyes at him, then continued to eat heartily.
A little bit of alcohol wasn't a big deal. Zoro usually only drank this kind of stuff to try something new; he was already holding back. Reiner didn't say any more.
After wolfing down food for a while, he felt he had eaten enough and stopped.
"Are you free later?"
Click!
Reiner leaned back in his chair, lit a cigarette, and casually tossed the pack to Sanji.
"I'm planning to go out and buy some things. Want to come along?"
"Perfect timing. I was planning to go out myself anyway."
Sanji took the pack, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. "When that idiot captain wakes up, the first thing he'll probably do is clamor for a banquet. As a chef, I need to prepare the food in advance."
"Then it's settled. Let's go."
Reiner pushed his chair back, stood up, and left the mansion with Sanji.
Due to Aqua Laguna, the residents of the Back Streets had all come to the upper shipyards for refuge.
Now that the water level had receded, everyone was beginning to move back. Some of the shipyard workers had already started working, while others were helping to evacuate the residents.
Although the Back Streets were still relatively deserted, Central Street, being on higher ground, hadn't been much affected by the tsunami, so many shops were still open for business today.
It was even livelier than usual; many of the refugees would also stroll around here before heading back.
Reiner and Sanji made a few inquiries, then walked out of the shipyard.
It was currently noon, the sun shining directly overhead. The bustling streets were filled with pedestrians, coming and going, treading on their own shadows.
"The vegetable market is over that way."
Reiner looked up at the market entrance sign and said, "Let's split up here first. I'm going to check out the furniture store; planning to get some new things for the Going Merry."
"Alright then. Let's meet up later."
Sanji finished speaking, turned towards the vegetable market, and waved without looking back. "Remember my lockable fridge! And the giant mousetrap!"
"Ah, got it."
Reiner smiled helplessly. If there really were rats that big, they'd definitely be spirits. A mousetrap wouldn't catch them. But...
People, on the other hand, aren't so certain!
Arriving at a furniture store, he first took out his list and scanned it briefly; the items on it had been listed before they even arrived in Water 7.
Inside the store, a salesman was holding a feather duster, carelessly waving it to dust a bookshelf.
Suddenly seeing a blond man standing at the entrance, he couldn't help but size him up.
Shirt paired with trousers, clean and simple. Wearing glasses, hair meticulously styled. A suit-and-tie appearance, coupled with that kind of temperament...
At a glance, clearly someone with a decent income. Perhaps he just got paid and wanted to buy new furniture for his home?
The salesman walked up with a smile on his face. Who cares? Reel him in!
"Gehehehe! Welcome to Aqua Furniture City!"
The salesman bowed slightly, then looked up with shifty eyes and an obsequious expression.
"You've truly come to the right place, sir! Let me tell you, our Aqua Furniture City is one of the top two furniture stores in this city! Our specialty is Water 7's unique features—"
"I said, Ting—Ting! I only have two requests." (Ting-Ting means stop-stop)
Reiner raised his hand, interrupting him, and said with a serious expression, "First, please find me a beautiful saleswoman. Second, still, find me a beautiful saleswoman."
"Ah, this..."
The salesman was immediately stumped. This person looked so prim and proper, yet he spoke like a pirate.
A beast in sheep's clothing! Ptooey!
"This is your tip."
Reiner knew they all earned money based on commission; they certainly wouldn't easily pass a customer to someone else.
He wasn't stingy either, taking out his wallet and stuffing several Beri bills into the other's hand.
—Hiss!
The salesman sucked in a breath of cold air. Such a lavish spender! Don't tell me you're really a pirate!
He glanced left and right. Seeing no one around, he quickly accepted the Beri and stuffed it into his breast pocket.
"The customer is God! And you, my father! Whatever you say, that's our store's guiding principle!"
Reiner: "."
Whitebeard, Blackbeard, Brownbeard, Cho-beard... And I, No-beard!
The salesman grinned cheekily, then turned and yelled towards the back, "Little Peach! Little Purple! Quick, come out and greet the customer!"
???
Reiner paused, thinking he had misheard. A furniture store on the surface, but actually a flower street (brothel district) in disguise?
Bang! Bang! Bang! The ground suddenly trembled.
"Coming~~"
Two women ran out from the back, striking seductive poses as they came. True to their names, their hair colors were pink and purple respectively. It's just...
"Are you sure these are the best-looking saleswomen in your store?"
Reiner's eyes instantly turned into dead fish eyes as he looked at the two Kokoro look-alikes.
Their every frown and smile made him want to commit murder. Who could stand 60-year-old "little fairies"!!
"Uh, well..."
The salesman looked troubled and said awkwardly, "Our store only has two female employees."
Reiner: "."
"Tell them to go back!"
A cold glint flashed in Reiner's eyes as he directly pulled out his gun. "Now! Immediately! NOW! Otherwise, I'll shoot you and offer you as a sacrifice to the pirate flag!"
You really are a pirate, damn it!!
The salesman's face turned ashen with fright. He immediately waved at the two 'Granny Kokoros' and yelled, "Go back! Quick! You two, scram!"
"Hmph~ How annoying. Do you really not need our services, sir?"
Click-clack!
Hearing the gun being cocked, tears almost welled up in the salesman's eyes. "I'm begging you, please just go."
"Tch!"
"Spoilsport!"
The two 'great' beauties scoffed and walked back.
Reiner, expressionless, reached out and took back the tip from the salesman's breast pocket, even feeling like making the man pay some compensation for emotional distress.
"Forget it. You can be my shopping guide."
If he hadn't just inquired and found out this store had a good reputation, he would have definitely turned around and left.
Tucking the pistol back into his waistband, he said with a disgusted look, "First, take me to try out the sofas. You have Aqua Sofas, right?"
He had tried one at Iceburg's place earlier and had been longing for it ever since.
Before coming to Water 7, Reiner already had the idea of redecorating the Going Merry. It was a good opportunity to get it done along with the ship's major repairs.
"Yes, yes! This way, please follow me."
The salesman, still with lingering fear, had his eyes light up again. He led Reiner inside. "You must be an outsider, sir! Such excellent taste! Let me tell you..."
The salesman chattered on, introducing products. After trying the Aqua Sofa, Reiner also tried an Aqua Mattress.
The mattresses were for Nami and Robin; on the ship, only the girls' dormitory had beds.
The men's dormitory was too crowded; to save space, they all slept in hammocks.
Reiner wasn't used to it; it was too restrictive. He had always slept on the floor.
After selecting the sofa and beds, the salesman enthusiastically began introducing other items.
"Sir, please look! This is our Aqua..."
"I said, Ting—Ting!"
Reiner raised his hand to stop him. "Enough with the 'Aqua'. Introduce some other types. Do you have any good wooden products? Ones with excellent insulation?"
"Aiya! Then you've truly come to the right place!"
The salesman's eyes lit up. "Although Water 7 doesn't produce much timber, as the location of the renowned Galley-La shipyard, wood is one of the most traded materials here..."
Following his introduction, Reiner bought a few more items, not too many.
Other things like wardrobes and bookshelves, he had already listed them before, asking Iceburg to arrange for them during the design phase. Later, the Water 7 shipwrights would help install them.
He got a receipt from the salesman; the goods would be delivered by them to Dock One.
Reiner left the store, met up with Sanji, and prepared to head back.
Meanwhile, beneath the Red Line, at Marine Headquarters, Marineford...
Numerous warships were anchored before the crescent-shaped harbor. Among them, three looked somewhat dilapidated, standing out amidst a row of deep green, ferocious behemoths.
A tall, magnificent building towered behind the plaza. Inside, in a somewhat dimly lit conference room...
Sengoku sat behind the topmost desk; even seated, he appeared tall and imposing.
Brannew, with green curly hair and a slightly balding forehead, stood on the steps below.
Below him, Marine flag officers were seated in two rows, left and right, all with serious expressions.
"Next are these two: Blue Ogre and Red Ogre."
Brannew operated the Visual Den Den Mushi, projecting photos of Blue Ogre and Red Ogre onto the white wall screen, then continued:
"In the recent Enies Lobby incident, they defeated the gatekeeping giants with a single punch each. Apart from that, the two showed no other notable actions."
Hearing this, a Vice Admiral below spoke up, "Then there's no need for any adjustments, right?"
"No, no, no. Their bounties were too low to begin with."
Another Vice Admiral retorted, "Previously, their bounties were suppressed somewhat due to their captain's bounty. This time, Straw Hat's bounty is going to increase, so theirs should also be restored a bit."
"That's true."
"If they can defeat giants with a single punch..."
Sengoku lowered his head, pondering for a moment. "Initially, we were preparing to give them two hundred million Beri. Let's just set it at two hundred million Beri now then."
The other Vice Admirals all nodded in agreement. After all, in previous reports, these two were the main combat power that defeated Crocodile.
Although they hadn't personally engaged them, estimating two hundred million each was somewhat reasonable.
"Well then, next is him."
Brannew simply operated the device, changing the image to a green-haired swordsman. "Formerly lived in the East Blue hunting bounty heads. After the Alabasta incident, Roronoa, bounty sixty million Beri."
"You've fought him, haven't you?"
Sengoku's gaze fell downwards. "Momonga, what do you think?"
Momonga crossed his arms, speaking coolly with his eyes closed, "His swordsmanship is exquisite. He has grasped Armament Haki. Although not proficient, its intensity is not lacking. Most importantly..."
An image of a pair of fierce, beast-like eyes couldn't help but surface in his mind. Momonga opened his eyes.
"His swords... are very sharp. He is a dangerous individual. To have grown to such an extent just after setting sail... Old Me believes his future danger level will be no less than his captain's."
"That's quite a high evaluation, old friend."
Beside him, Strawberry, with two longswords placed nearby, spoke expressionlessly:
"Three-Sword Style, huh? Quite interesting."
"If his danger level is no less than his captain's, should we set it at three hundred million Beri?"
"Are you kidding me?"
"Vice Admiral Momonga was talking about the future. Whether he even lives that long is another matter."
"Then two hundred million Beri it is."
"I still think that's too high."
"What nonsense! Looking down on Momonga, are you!?"
The Vice Admirals began to bicker, each stating their opinion.
"Quiet down."
Sengoku suppressed the commotion. Momonga's swordsmanship was extremely strong; as a pillar of the Marines, for an opponent to injure him in battle and still be praised for exquisite swordsmanship... two hundred million Beri was not excessive.
"Since Momonga gives such an evaluation, it's clear his strength is not lacking. Two hundred million is about right. Next."
"Yes, sir!"
Brannew changed the image to Sanji.
"Sanji. Surname currently unknown. Specializes in leg techniques. Previously unlisted on bounty posters. Performed exceptionally well in the recent Enies Lobby incident, defeating CP9's Rokushiki master, Werewolf Jabra..."
Brannew paused, looking up from the report with a puzzled expression. "He also fought Vice Admiral Yamakaji... and won??"
"Seriously?"
"Defeated Vice Admiral Yamakaji?"
"Never heard of such a character in the Straw Hat crew before."
The Vice Admirals were clearly shocked by this report, all turning to whisper amongst themselves.
"Yamakaji, is this true?"
Sengoku also cast a doubtful glance at Yamakaji. The Vice Admirals participating in the Buster Call were all figures with distinguished service records, having captured countless pirates with bounties over 100 million.
Pirates capable of defeating them... there were truly few to be found in the first half of the Grand Line.
"Aiya ya. How should I put this?"
Yamakaji scratched his head awkwardly. In front of so many colleagues, he couldn't very well say he was just casually acting back then, could he?
Momonga smirked, glancing at him. You think Old Me took this injury for nothing?
Go on. Let's see how you spin this now.
(End of this chapter)
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you