By the time they returned to their lodgings, it was nearly midnight, and Axel and the others had mostly gone to bed.
Lind made no further arrangements. After saying goodbye to Allison, he washed up and went to sleep, completely forgetting about a certain beautiful Vice Admiral tossing and turning in prison.
Although Lind had only been talking big, someone had taken him seriously. And so, with a tangle of emotions weighing on her, Vice Admiral Tanuki suffered a sleepless night on her very first day in prison.
The next morning, in the dining room of Lind's villa.
Lind and several officers discussed the day's plans over breakfast.
Since Lind disliked holding meetings, he often used mealtimes, especially breakfast, to discuss work arrangements with his subordinates.
"As for today's plans, our main task is the cooperation agreements we reached with the various factions at yesterday's banquet-protection money."
"Larry, you know Oran Island better, so you'll be taking the lead on this. Axel, the rest of you will help Larry!"
Seeing that everyone had nearly finished eating, Lind wiped his mouth and spoke.
"Yes, boss!"
"Don't worry, boss. Leave it to us. We'll get the job done beautifully!"
At Lind's instructions, they quickly nodded, promising to complete the task.
"Good, very good. Get the factions in Oran Port sorted out as soon as possible, then take control of all of Oran Island and the surrounding waters!" Lind nodded and continued.
"Oh, and Allison, you don't need to take part in this. Come explore Oran Port with me today. I want to get a firsthand understanding of the situation on Oran Island," Lind added after a moment's thought.
With all his subordinates heading off to work, he couldn't just stay in his room alone. He had to do something, and Lind thought an incognito visit sounded like a fine idea.
"All right, boss. Do we need to prepare anything beforehand? Should we dress differently?" Allison nodded, then asked him another question.
"No need. We'll just head out together when the time comes. We're only going to wander around the city and see how people are living."
"There probably aren't many people in this city who recognize us anyway. Those who do will be busy receiving Larry and the others, so they won't have the energy to pay attention to us!"
Lind gave it a little thought and answered casually.
"All right, there's nothing else planned for today. Once you've finished eating, go back and get ready!"
Lind thought it over and found he had no other arrangements to make. His officers could handle the routine work perfectly well without his instructions.
He only needed to keep an eye on the important tasks and the overall situation.
After hearing Lind's instructions, the others didn't linger and soon went their separate ways.
"So, boss, are we heading out now?"
Once the others had left, Allison asked Lind about their incognito visit that day.
"That's right. We can just head straight out!"
"Great Kun! Great Kun! Where have you run off to now? You're coming too!"
Lind nodded to Allison, then called loudly for Great Kun to join them.
"Boss! Boss! I'm coming!"
Accompanied by a shrill cry, a black-and-white figure rushed into the room.
"Good. Just stay in your original form and fly beside us!"
Looking at the seagull, whose increased strength had made the bird much more handsome, Lind nodded in satisfaction.
And so, the two people and one bird began wandering aimlessly around Oran Port.
"It looks like Larry really did a great job before! Public order like this is definitely rare in the New World!"
The orderly streets they saw along the way prompted Lind to remark to Allison beside him.
"Hehe, I'm sure Oran Island will become even better under your leadership, Lord Lind! Larry's methods are still a pirate's methods, after all! They certainly can't compare to yours!"
Hearing Lind's remark, Allison covered her mouth and chuckled, taking the opportunity to flatter him.
"Hahahaha! Allison, you can't praise me like that just because I'm your boss. I know my own abilities perfectly well!"
Although Allison's praise made Lind happy, he still had enough self-awareness to understand his own personality.
He knew that his aversion to hassle made it difficult for him to take the initiative to change anything, such as making the territory under his control as wonderful as the place he had lived in his past life.
All he could do was stay true to himself and treat the civilians under his rule a little better.
Allison said nothing more, simply watching her boss with a warm smile.
For subordinates like Allison, Lind's greatest appeal was his genuine gentleness and kindness, qualities that seemed utterly out of place in this world.
Unlike the Marines' so-called justice, Lind's kindness came from a heartfelt respect for others, including their dignity, their lives, and all their other rights.
Lind had lived in a great country in his past life, and more than twenty years of experience there often left him feeling out of place in this world.
What Lind didn't realize was that this very quality had not only deeply drawn in his subordinates in the Seventh Division, but would also attract even more followers in the future.
Whether public order on Oran Island really was that good, or Lind and his companions' arrival had made all the city's factions behave themselves, he couldn't say.
In any case, Lind's spur-of-the-moment incognito visit yielded nothing unusual. They spent the entire morning wandering around Oran Island without encountering a single serious incident that gave them a chance to intervene.
With lunchtime approaching, Lind decided to find somewhere to eat first. In this world, taverns and restaurants of every kind were gathering places for information.
Listening to other customers chat over a meal could reveal plenty of things Lind wouldn't learn even after hours of wandering.
Soon, the two people and one bird arrived at a large but plainly decorated restaurant.
"Allison, what do you think of this place? Let's have lunch here!"
Lind smiled as he asked Allison's opinion.
"Hehe, whatever you say, boss." Allison wore the same warm smile as ever.
"All right, let's go in, then. Judging by the smell out here, the food seems pretty good!"
With that, Lind led the way into the restaurant.
Compared with the plain exterior, the interior was considerably finer. Everything from the tables and chairs to the wallpaper and flooring had been carefully designed, giving the place an elegant air.
Since it was lunchtime, most of the seats in the main dining room were occupied, with customers gathered in twos and threes, eating quietly.
Even when they occasionally spoke, they kept their voices low. Every customer was remarkably well-mannered, something exceedingly rare in this world, and Lind was very pleased.
Still, to keep a low profile, Lind asked a server to arrange a private room. With telekinesis and Observation Haki at his disposal, no information could escape his senses anyway.
"Hello, miss. May I ask if your boss is from Flower Country?"
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