Chapter 23: Chapter 23: A Day in Loguetown.
Captain Hobart led the marines to the armory, but the mysterious masked person was long gone.
Hobart's face was so dark it could squeeze out water. No one dared to make a sound, fearing they would anger the base commander.
That damn masked person had been playing with the Marines in Loguetown all day!
Meanwhile, the culprits had returned to their luxurious soft bed, their faces flushed with excitement.
"Hehehe~ Ryuen, we really hit the jackpot this time!" Little Nami danced with excitement.
The treasure they just got, if exchanged for Berries, would be worth over a hundred million Berries!
"Little money-grubber, by the way, Nami, you can't tell Bellemere about what we did at the Marine base, or she'll be really mad," Ryuen warned in advance.
"I know, Bellemere used to be a Marine, so we definitely can't let her know.
Ryuen, you've achieved your goal in Loguetown this time, so tomorrow it's my turn," Nami said softly.
"Of course, I'll go with you tomorrow," Ryuen promised immediately.
Nami's most important goal was to draw the map of Polestar Island, as she wanted to create a world map!
"Hehehe... Let's go to sleep now," Nami said happily.
She quickly got into bed, and Ryuen smiled and followed her to rest.
At this time, the Marine base was in chaos. Captain Hobart ordered all Marines to be on duty and turn the base upside down.
Until almost dawn, the Marines couldn't find anything, and Captain Hobart had to accept that the mysterious masked person had already left.
The next morning, warm sunlight shone through the window into the room, casting colorful shadows on the floor.
On the soft big bed, Ryuen and Nami were still sound asleep.
The blanket on them had somehow been kicked to the floor, and they lay sprawled out like two cute little pigs.
Until the sunlight warmed them, making them feel very comfortable.
Nami slowly got up, stretched, rubbed her eyes, and fully woke up in a few seconds.
She gently pushed the still-sleeping Ryuen and said softly, "Ryuen, wake up, I'm hungry~"
"Ugh... is it morning?" Ryuen slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Nami's cute little face, and the sunlight shining into the room drove away his sleepiness.
In Cocoyasi Village, he always got up before dawn to train, and it had been a long time since he slept so comfortably.
"Growl~~~"
Suddenly, a stomach growled, and Little Nami's face turned red.
Seeing Ryuen's confused look, Nami pouted and said, "Get up quickly, let's find something to eat!"
"Oh, I'm getting up!" Ryuen quickly jumped out of bed, and they soon finished washing up.
It was already morning, and the streets of Loguetown were filled with the lively sounds of vendors.
Apparently, the chaos caused by the Marines capturing pirates yesterday had passed, and the civilians in Loguetown had returned to their normal lives.
"Wow, Ryuen, those pancakes smell so good!"
"And those spring rolls, I've never had spring rolls before, I want to try them!"
"What's this snack? It's so sweet and looks delicious. Ryuen, let's buy some to take back to Nojiko and the others."
"And that grilled sea fish, we don't have this kind of fish in Cocoyasi Village, let's buy some too!"
As soon as they reached the bustling street, the hungry Nami was immediately attracted by the food from the stalls on both sides.
Then the two kids quickly visited the stalls with delicious smells, almost clearing out the entire street of food stalls.
They only stopped when their little bellies were round and full.
"Ryuen, I need to buy some tools for drawing maps and some navigation books first," Nami said softly as they walked.
"Yeah, there should be Den Den Mushi for sale here, let's buy a few to take back too," Ryuen added.
Transponder snails aren't sold everywhere.
Only in Loguetown, because of its special geographical environment and unique significance, is it so bustling and prosperous.
So, you can buy rare items like transponder snails here.
Nami agreed with Ryuen. In Cocoyasi Village, no one had a transponder snail.
Buying a transponder snail this time would mean Bellemere wouldn't worry as much when they went out to sea, and they could stay in touch with home anytime.
After deciding what to buy, Ryuen and Nami headed to the store.
Nami found books about the weather and tools for drawing sea charts in one store.
When they were about to buy the transponder snail, they ran into Marine Captain Hobart in the store!
"Hahaha! We meet again, kid." Hobart's eyes lit up when he saw Ryuen.
Even his mood, which had been gloomy because of the masked person yesterday, improved a lot. He could sense that Ryuen was a rare talent.
So, he decided to see if he could get this promising kid to join the Marines.
When Nami saw Hobart, she instantly hid behind Ryuen, then peeked out nervously at Hobart.
After all, they had turned the Marine base in Loguetown upside down yesterday.
Seeing the main person involved now, Nami couldn't help but feel guilty.
Ryuen also felt a bit nervous when he saw Hobart, but he quickly calmed down.
After all, Hobart couldn't possibly know they were the ones who did it yesterday.
"Is there something you need, Marine?" Ryuen asked casually.
"Of course. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Hobart, a Captain from Marine Headquarters." Hobart puffed out his chest and said proudly.
The shop owner looked at Captain Hobart with eyes full of respect.
Although Hobart hadn't done a great job in Loguetown, and the Marines under him weren't very disciplined, Loguetown was still peaceful overall.
And, he was a Captain from Marine Headquarters, which was incomparable to Captains from other parts of East Blue.
"Oh~ and then?" Ryuen's tone was casual.
Hobart suddenly felt something was off. He was a Captain from Marine Headquarters!
In East Blue, no Marine had a higher status than him, but why did this kid seem so unimpressed?
"Kid, I can see you have some skills. Do you want to join the Marines?
If you join the Marines, when my term is over, I can send you to Marine Headquarters!
You have great potential. With systematic training, you could become an outstanding Marine in the future. What do you think?" Hobart looked at Ryuen expectantly after saying this.
"Ah, I'm still a kid. I don't want to join the Marines, and my mom wouldn't agree either. Sorry, Captain Hobart." Ryuen immediately refused.
No way, with his Devil Fruit ability, there would be no leisurely life at Marine Headquarters.
The elite training camp at Marine Headquarters was still run by the strict Zephyr!
Rejected? Hobart was a bit stunned.
That was Marine Headquarters, a place many justice-believing people dreamed of going!
"That's really a pity." Hobart said, a bit disappointed.
But the disappointment came and went quickly.
"Well, if you change your mind in the future, you can contact me. This is my transponder snail number." Hobart left his number and then left.
He felt that he would meet this kid again in the future, just hoping they wouldn't be enemies next time.
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