Running Off with Tashigi

"Captain Smoker..." Tannis still wore that obsequious smile, but Smoker had not come for him. "I heard Zhou Qi is here? Where is he?"

"Zhou Qi?" Tannis froze for a moment, then immediately understood.

But Zhou Qi had arrived less than half an hour ago. He had not even stepped outside and had been sitting in the living room the entire time. How did Smoker know he was here?

You planted someone in my house, didn't you!

But even if he knew, Tannis only dared to be angry in silence. He obediently nodded. "Yes, he's in the living room. Do you want to see him?"

"Obviously!" Smoker said as he strode directly into Tannis's house.

"Hey? Hey!" Tannis sighed. For some reason, he suddenly felt that no matter how much money he made, his status in this world would never amount to much.

"Perhaps our Tannis family really needs to explore other paths. Strength? Power?" Tannis shook his head. His only descendant was Kaya, and she did not look like someone with exceptional combat ability. On the contrary, she was frail and sickly.

Whether it was joining the military or entering politics, there was basically no hope.

This was hard!

"Smoker, you're a captain. Shouldn't you be out catching pirates instead of coming to see me every day? Isn't that inappropriate?" Zhou Qi asked lazily from a hardwood chair, while silently cursing. This damn chair is so uncomfortable.

He had no idea why wealthy people liked this sort of thing. Why sit on this when there were sofas?

"The medicine in your hands can save tens of thousands of Marine soldiers. That is more useful than capturing ten thousand pirate crews!" Smoker said. "I've already communicated with Marine Headquarters. We now need you to provide a batch of medicine for testing at Marine Headquarters. If it receives their approval, you'll receive an endless stream of orders from the Marines!"

Zhou Qi nodded. "No problem, but my factory hasn't been built yet. You'll have to wait for a while!"

"Still need to wait?" Smoker was stunned, but quickly remembered. Right, Zhou Qi had told him that before!

"How long?" Smoker asked.

"I don't know either. Probably within a month," Zhou Qi said.

"A month..." Smoker nodded. A month was not short, but neither was it long. The Great Pirate Era had already been underway for so long. One more month would not matter.

After speaking, Zhou Qi looked at Tashigi behind Smoker.

There was no helping it. Beautiful people naturally drew attention.

"Smoker, I've already discussed the wholesale price with the Tannis Trading Company. Twenty pills per box, ten thousand Beli per box. Can the Marines accept that price?"

"I don't know, but I'll do my best to make this cooperation happen!" Smoker said.

"What if I don't want Beli and will only accept payment in gold?" Zhou Qi asked again.

"Why not use Beli?" Smoker asked.

"Because our country has never interacted with the outside world. I only came here because I accidentally gained a special ability!" Zhou Qi said. "Beli is nothing but waste paper in our country, so naturally I can't accept it!"

"I see!" Smoker nodded. "I'll report that issue as well! Is there anything else? If it can be resolved, I'll resolve it for you!"

"Oh, I need to leave Loguetown for a while. How about sending someone to protect me? After all, if something happens to me, it will affect our cooperation too, won't it?"

"Aren't you a Devil Fruit User?" Smoker was speechless. He had never heard of a Devil Fruit User needing protection!

"But my ability isn't suited for combat!" Zhou Qi said, rolling up his sleeve again. "Look at these skinny arms, and this body that starts gasping after taking two steps..."

"This..." Smoker frowned. He really was rather weak.

Smoker had never seen anyone so weak. Even ordinary people in this world were a little stronger than him. He probably could not even beat Sengoku's goat.

What exactly was going on with that country of his? Did they only study etiquette and not combat? No wonder they had secluded themselves from the world!

"You're already this weak. Maybe you shouldn't go out at all!" Smoker said. "Wouldn't it be better to stay put and make money?"

"How could I do that? A man born between heaven and earth cannot remain depressed in one corner forever!" Zhou Qi shook his head. "Besides, this trip concerns my family's future commercial territory. I have to go!"

"You!" Smoker gritted his teeth. "How long will you be gone?"

"Five days!"

"Where are you going?"

"Tang Peach Town and Shimotsuki Village..."

Smoker frowned. He knew Tang Peach Town, but Shimotsuki Village was unfamiliar to him.

"Tang Peach Town is famous for Tang peaches, while Shimotsuki Village has a dojo. I plan to take a master there and learn some swordsmanship!" Zhou Qi explained.

"Swordsmanship?" Smoker shook his head. "What can some rural dojo teach you? If you want to become stronger, I can train you!"

He had also attended the Marine Elite Training Camp. His teaching ability was definitely up to standard.

"How could that work? Swordsmanship is my dream!" Zhou Qi hurriedly shook his head. "A man should wield a three-foot blade and achieve immortal glory. Since childhood, I've dreamed of becoming an unmatched swordsman who travels the world upholding justice. Now that I finally have an opportunity, how can I give up so easily?"

"But you can't just find some random teacher!" Smoker said. "Join the Marines. We have swordsmanship inheritance too, as well as the world's only Great Swordsman, Momousagi Gion. She's a great beauty!"

"Sorry, but she's already forty this year, isn't she?" Zhou Qi shook his head. "And when would a Great Swordsman have time to teach me? I have absolutely no foundation. A small rural dojo is better suited to me..."

Smoker sighed. For the first time, he realized his tongue was rather clumsy.

If only he were Garp. No matter whether Zhou Qi was willing or not, he could just tie him up and take him away.

Unfortunately, he was not.

Sorry, Fleet Admiral. This guy apparently doesn't want to join the Marines.

"Fine, then I'll send a major to protect you!" Smoker nodded helplessly. "There aren't any decent pirates in the East Blue right now. A major should be enough!"

"Could you send her to protect me?" Zhou Qi shook his head and pointed at Tashigi behind Smoker.

"Huh?" Smoker froze, and his face immediately darkened. "Are you sure you only want her to protect you? You don't have any other intentions?"

"Of course I do!" Zhou Qi shrugged. "A graceful maiden is what every gentleman seeks. Anyone would be moved upon seeing a beautiful girl. Besides, between a pretty, adorable female Marine and some rough brute, everyone knows which one to choose, right?"

I'm lustful, I'm honest, I deserve praise!

Smoker was speechless. Seeing Zhou Qi's completely righteous expression, he found himself unable to say anything.

The key was that he was Tashigi's superior, not her father. It was not his place to say anything when someone pursued his subordinate!

After thinking for a moment, he said in a muffled voice, "Tashigi isn't strong enough to protect you!"

Zhou Qi ignored him and looked at Tashigi. "I heard the master of that dojo in Shimotsuki Village is a Great Swordsman!"

"Hm?" Tashigi's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Not only that!" Zhou Qi shook his head. "He also has a Great Grade Sword!"

Tashigi immediately turned around. "Captain, I-I want to go..."

Smoker rubbed his forehead. "Tashigi, with your strength, you still can't complete this kind of mission..."

"Captain, I think I'm already quite strong!" Tashigi gripped Small Night Rain tightly. "And this is one of only twenty-one Great Grade Swords in the entire world!"

Smoker's mouth twitched. "Have you considered that he might be lying to you?"

Tashigi blinked, then turned to Zhou Qi. "Are you lying to me?"

"I said it was only rumored!" Zhou Qi said. "But I won't make you go for nothing. I can give you one of my country's famous swords, Longquan. It isn't ranked among any famous swords, but that is only because our country has never interacted with the world. In my opinion, our Longquan is no worse than any graded blade!"

"This..." Tashigi froze, then immediately turned to Smoker.

Captain, I want to go...

"Besides, my country has many famous swords. Among the Ten Great Famous Swords are the Xuanyuan Sword, Zhanlu Sword, Chixiao Sword, Tai'a Sword, Seven Star Longyuan Sword, Gan Jiang, Mo Ye, Fish Intestine, Chunjun, as well as Yanling, Miao Dao, Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Shadow, Exorcise Evil, Kunwu..."

Tashigi was already starting to drool.

"Our country is now at peace, with no wars. Naturally, these treasured swords have no use anymore. They are all stored in museums for people to view. If you want to see them, I can take you!"

Before Tashigi could speak, Smoker had already reached out a hand. "Stop talking. If you keep going, even I'll want to go! This isn't about whether I allow her to. It's that her strength really isn't enough..."

"There's a poem in my hometown: the edge of a treasured sword comes from sharpening, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold. You've protected her so well, yet you don't give her enough trials. When will she ever be able to stand on her own?" Zhou Qi asked. "And you're a base commander who can't just leave whenever you want, while Tashigi's dream is to collect every famous sword held by pirates. Do you think pirates with famous swords will all take the initiative to come to Loguetown and let you capture them?"

"This..." Smoker was deeply shaken and stood there in a daze.

Tashigi lowered her head silently. "Captain, I-I won't go. I don't care about that..."

Smoker raised a hand and gently stroked Tashigi's hair. Then he suddenly said, "What he said makes a lot of sense..."

"Huh?" Tashigi froze. "Captain, don't you want me anymore?"

"Of course not, but if you stay with me, you really won't be able to achieve your dream..." Smoker said.

"I don't care about that!" Tashigi hurriedly shook her head. "And I believe in you, Captain. You won't be bound by a tiny place like Loguetown forever!"

Smoker shook his head. You have no idea how many people I've offended at Headquarters. Leaving? How difficult would that be!

He did not know that four years later, he would leave Loguetown anyway.

"You two don't need to act like this is a permanent farewell!" Zhou Qi said helplessly from the side. "She doesn't need to retire. Once we begin cooperating, my company will become something like a military factory. Sending a representative to the factory to ensure product quality would be perfectly reasonable, wouldn't it?"

"Hm?" Both Tashigi and Smoker froze.

"Besides, what is my ability? Portals. As long as she wants to, I can send her back whenever she likes. Returning to base would be more convenient than going home..."

"This..." That did seem right...

"And even if we encounter an enemy we can't defeat, can't I open a door and summon you?" Zhou Qi finally revealed his true purpose. Tashigi could certainly brighten his mood, but his true target was still Smoker!

If he merely did business with the Marines, then once the contract was signed, Smoker probably would not come see him again.

But now, your beloved subordinate is in my hands. If I run into trouble, can you still sit back and do nothing?

Smoker had not yet realized there was anything special about those words.

He only felt that it made sense. Even if they encountered an enemy they could not beat, summoning him would work just as well!

Looking at it that way, this Door-Door Fruit was extraordinarily useful. Zhou Qi himself was not strong in combat, but he could potentially summon a whole group of powerful people from behind him at any moment!

Such a person had to be kept in the Marines' hands. Otherwise, what if he was recruited by pirates like the Whitebeard Pirates someday? Wouldn't they be able to stroll through Marine Headquarters whenever they wanted?

"If that's the case, Tashigi, from today onward, I order you to become the Marines' stationed, stationed... Wait, what is your factory called?" Smoker asked.

"Uh, Morning Star Pharmaceuticals!" Zhou Qi replied.

"Oh, then Tashigi, from today onward, you are the Marine quality inspector stationed at Morning Star Pharmaceuticals. You will be responsible for monitoring the medicine's quality, as well as protecting Zhou Qi. Do you understand?"

"Yes!" Tashigi saluted, then carried Small Night Rain and moved behind Zhou Qi.

"Tch..." For some reason, Smoker felt a little upset, as though his own cabbage had been rooted up by a pig.

But when he remembered that Tashigi could return whenever she wanted, he did not feel quite as bad.

Besides, with Zhou Qi's combat ability, even if Tashigi let him use one hand, he still would not be able to beat her. So there was no way he could bully her.

"That settles it. Do you have any other requests?"

"No!" Zhou Qi shook his head. "You should report the price first..."

"Fine, then I'll be leaving!" Smoker waved his hand. He had come with two people, but left alone...

He even felt that he had gotten a good deal, since he could use Tashigi to keep Zhou Qi close to the Marines.

He had not considered whether this might be like feeding a meat bun to a dog: once gone, never returned.