Loguetown's buildings were largely styled after the European Renaissance.
Arched porticoes stretched like a chain of crescent moons, linking the buildings along the streets. Red-tiled roofs glowed warmly in the sunlight, complementing the creamy white stone walls.
Vendors set up stalls beneath the porticoes, their fresh produce and colorful fabrics gleaming. Crowds surged like tides along the broad streets paved with patterned stone tiles.
In the distance, red-roofed houses overlapped in layers, and the silhouette of a clock tower flickered into view between white clouds.
A chase was unfolding in a narrow alley.
"Stop! You brat, you ate without paying!"
"Don't run! Pay for your meal!"
Five men who looked like shop owners chased a figure ahead of them, panting for breath.
It was a shirtless young man wearing an orange-red hat. Its brim was pulled low, but the black hair and freckled face beneath it still stood out.
As he ran, he glanced back and shouted, "Sorry, sorry! I really forgot to bring money! I'll pay you back next time!"
"Who would believe you?!"
The butcher shop owner waved his meat cleaver-only to scare him, of course. "This is the third time!"
"I can vouch for that! He did the same thing at my fruit stand last time!" the fruit shop owner shouted as he ran.
Ace grinned without slowing down in the slightest. He darted nimbly through the alley, occasionally leaping over stacks of wooden crates with the light-footed agility of a wildcat.
With his abilities, shaking off these ordinary townspeople would have been child's play.
Yet for some reason, he seemed to enjoy this "game" of being chased.
Just as he rounded a corner, a figure suddenly rushed out from the side.
"Coming through!" Ace shouted.
Instead of moving aside, the man reached out and pressed a hand onto Ace's shoulder.
Ace instinctively tried to pull free, only to discover, to his surprise, that the hand was exceptionally strong.
"Captain, here you go again," came an exasperated voice.
The man holding Ace wore a black trench coat and a black eyepatch over his left eye.
His face was pale and his black hair disheveled, with traces of bandages visible beneath his coat.
"Deuce!"
Ace's eyes lit up. "Perfect timing! Lend me some money!"
Deuce sighed, took a wallet from inside his coat, and turned to face the pursuing shop owners.
At the sight of Deuce, the owners all stopped, their expressions saying, "You again."
"I'm terribly sorry, everyone." Deuce bowed slightly and counted out some Beli from his wallet. "This covers our captain's unpaid meals, along with some extra compensation. Please accept it."
The butcher shop owner took the money and counted it. His expression eased somewhat, but he still couldn't help complaining, "Can't your pirate crew keep your captain in line? It's the same thing every time!"
"We'll be more careful," Deuce said apologetically, watching the owners leave amid a chorus of grumbling.
Ace was already leaning against the wall with his hands behind his head, looking utterly relaxed. "Thanks, Deuce! I'll definitely remember to bring money next time!"
"You've said that seventeen times."
Deuce pressed a hand to his forehead. "Captain, we need to discuss our finances. If this keeps up, our sailing funds..."
Before he could finish, Ace suddenly straightened, his gaze sharpening as he looked toward a rooftop at the other end of the alley.
Deuce followed his gaze, his pupils contracting slightly.
In the morning light, a silver-haired man sat casually on the edge of the roof, his legs dangling.
He wore a gray sailing outfit beneath a black cashmere overcoat and watched the two men below with a thoughtful smile.
"Hey." The silver-haired man's voice was clear. "I've been looking all over. So this is where you were."
Ace narrowed his eyes slightly. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
Rather than answering directly, the silver-haired man jumped off the roof and landed lightly in the alley, only five paces away.
That was a dangerous distance in a fight. Ace and Deuce both tensed.
"Let me introduce myself," Norton said with a smile. "You can call me King. As for why I'm looking for you..."
He paused, looking Ace up and down. "I'd like to invite you to join my pirate crew."
Meanwhile, at Loguetown's Marine Police Station.
"What did you say?! Norton's crew's ship is in the harbor?!"
The roar from the office made the guard outside the door flinch.
Inside, Captain Smoker slammed his fist onto his desk, leaving fine cracks in its thick, solid wooden surface.
The two cigars in his mouth burned fiercely with his agitation, their smoke all but engulfing the room.
"Y-yes, sir! The lookout confirmed the flag! A silver skull flag with a scepter and a king's chess piece crossed behind it. It matches the design on the wanted poster exactly!"
The reporting soldier stood at attention, his voice trembling slightly.
Smoker's expression was frighteningly dark.
The bandages on his right arm had yet to be removed-the injury was from their last attempt to capture Norton in the waters around Baratie.
What enraged him even more was that Norton had also taken his favorite weapon, his jitte, during that battle!
"Tashigi!" Smoker roared. "Prepare to move out! We won't let him escape this time!"
"Please wait, Captain Smoker!"
Tashigi, a young female Marine wearing round glasses, hurried through the office doorway.
She held a stack of documents, worry written all over her face. "Mr. Smoker! Your injuries haven't healed yet! And he's a powerful enemy who defeated you and three branch colonels working together. Charging out recklessly would be too dangerous!"
"Dangerous?" Smoker sneered, his short white hair standing on end. "Capturing pirates is a Marine's duty! Besides, that bastard took my jitte! Only his arrest can wipe away this humiliation!"
"But..." Tashigi still wanted to dissuade him.
For some reason, the normally calm Mr. Smoker would lose all reason and fly into a rage whenever he heard Norton's name!
Just then, the Den Den Mushi on the desk suddenly rang.
"Buru buru buru-"
Smoker snatched up the receiver impatiently. "Who is it?!"
The Den Den Mushi's expression turned serious. Its mouth opened, and a rough voice came through. "Smoker, you brat. Still as hotheaded as ever."
Smoker froze. "V-Vice Admiral Garp?"
At that name, both Tashigi and the reporting soldier straightened their backs.
Marine Hero Monkey D. Garp-that name represented a legend among the Marines.
"I hear that Norton brat has reached Loguetown?"
Garp's voice came through the Den Den Mushi. In the background, there seemed to be the sound of waves and chewing-he was probably eating senbei.
"Yes! I'm preparing to head out and arrest him!" Smoker said gravely.
"Don't be rash." Garp's tone was unusually serious. "That brat is strong! His pet overturned my ship, and now I'm heading for Loguetown at full speed. Your job is to keep an eye on him. Don't let him escape out to sea. Once I arrive, I'll catch him myself!"
Smoker gritted his teeth. "But Mr. Garp, I..."
"That's an order, Captain Smoker."
Garp cut him off. "I know you want your weapon back, but don't let your personal feelings cloud your judgment!"
Silence settled over the office.
Smoker clenched his fists, his nails nearly digging into his palms.
A few seconds later, he took a deep breath, white smoke pouring from his nostrils. "...Understood. I'll monitor his movements and await your arrival."
"Good. I'll need about another half a day. Until then, don't let that brat leave Loguetown."
The call ended, and the office fell silent again.
Smoker slowly sat back in his chair. His expression was still grim, but the impulsive fury in his eyes had subsided somewhat.
He looked at Tashigi. "Notify all Marines on duty. Increase patrols at the harbor and throughout town. But remember-don't alert them. Until Vice Admiral Garp arrives, we watch. We don't act."
"Yes, sir!" Tashigi and the soldier saluted together.
On the other side of town, the Commercial District was entering its busiest time of day.
Nami and Funing walked out of a clothing store arm in arm, both carrying shopping bags of every size.
Nami had changed into an orange-and-white dress, her hair still tied in her signature ponytail.
Funing had chosen a smart sailing outfit, pairing a navy-blue jacket with white trousers and a leather belt at her waist.
"What do you think of this one?" Nami held a pale yellow top against herself.
"It suits you beautifully," Funing said with a smile, then lowered her voice. "But Nami, aren't we buying too much? The White Pearl still needs repairs. Our budget might..."
"Don't worry!" Nami winked with a sly smile. "I'm great at bargaining! Look at this one. It was originally three thousand Beli, but I got it for fifteen hundred!"
Funing shook her head helplessly, though her eyes were full of amusement.
Since joining the Norton Pirates, it had been a long time since she had enjoyed such a carefree shopping trip.
At the Duke's side, she had been able to have anything she wanted, but she hadn't had this kind of freedom. She had often been required to attend aristocratic events and gatherings, making small talk with people she didn't want to see.
"Let's check that place out next!" Nami pointed to a jewelry store on the corner. "I want a new necklace!"
The two were about to cross the street when a familiar voice suddenly came from behind them.
"Coming through! Coming through! Food supplies coming through!"
They turned to see Zeff, Sanji, and Patty pushing three carts piled high with goods.
The carts were loaded with vegetables, meat, flour, and all kinds of seasonings, stacked into little mountains.
"Mr. Zeff!" Funing greeted him. "You bought so much."
Zeff wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Feeding three thousand people is no joke. This is only the first batch. We'll have to come back this afternoon."
A cigarette hung from Sanji's lips, but his gaze kept drifting toward Nami and Funing. When he noticed the shopping bags in their hands, he immediately flashed an eager smile:
"Beautiful ladies, would you like some help carrying your bags? Serving a lady is a gentleman's honor~"
"No, thank you." Nami waved him off, while Funing declined with a polite smile.
Patty muttered beside him, "That pervy kappa's at it again..."
Zeff kicked Patty. "Quit talking and get those supplies back. We still need to buy dried fish and pickled vegetables this afternoon. That's the bulk of it."
Watching the three push their carts away, Nami sighed. "They really have their work cut out for them. With a pirate crew of three thousand, just feeding everyone is a huge problem."
"It is." Funing nodded.
At that, the two exchanged a look, each seeing the worry in the other's eyes.
"I wonder if the Marines have noticed we're here," Nami said quietly.
"Who cares? We have King, don't we?" Funing brushed back the white strands beside her ear and gave a reassuring smile.
At Ipponmatsu's weapon shop, Zoro stood before the sight he had always dreamed of.
Dozens of blades lined the racks, from ordinary standard-issue swords to meticulously forged famous swords. Their metal shone coldly beneath the shop's dim yellow lights. The distinctive smells of maintenance oil and steel filled the air.
"Shopkeeper! I want to buy swords!"
The owner, Ipponmatsu, was a balding middle-aged man with a money-minded smile. "You want to buy swords? How many?"
"Two." Zoro's gaze swept across a row of blades before settling on two with different designs. "That one and that one. Let me take a look."
Ipponmatsu hesitantly took down the swords and placed them on the counter. "These two aren't cheap, sir. This Yubashiri is one of the 50 Skillful Grade Swords. This Kitetsu is only a Skillful Grade Sword, but it's finely crafted. That one costs five hundred thousand."
Zoro's eyes lit up. He picked up Yubashiri and drew it. The blade was like a mirror, reflecting his intent face.
"A fine blade," he murmured.
Zoro took a money pouch from inside his clothes and set it heavily on the counter.
Metal clinked dully inside the pouch.
Ipponmatsu opened it for a look, and his eyes immediately widened.
Neatly arranged inside were gold bars and Beli, worth well over five million.
"Is that enough?"
"Yes, more than enough!" Ipponmatsu nodded hurriedly, his manner instantly turning respectful. "You certainly know quality, sir! I'll wrap them up for you right away!"
But Zoro didn't pay immediately. Instead, he picked up the sword called Kitetsu and examined it closely.
The blade had a beautiful curve, and its scabbard was engraved with ancient-looking patterns. Yet for some reason, when he gripped its hilt, a chill spread upward from his palm.
"This sword..." Zoro frowned.
"Ah, there's something I need to tell you about Kitetsu." Ipponmatsu lowered his voice. "They say it's a cursed sword that brings misfortune to its owner. Several previous buyers met with accidents, so..."
"A cursed sword?" Zoro smiled instead. "Interesting. Now I want it even more."
He liked swords with personality!
Just then, a commotion broke out outside the shop.
Through the shop window, Zoro saw several pirates dressed in Norton Pirates uniforms gathered around a fruit stand, apparently caught up in an argument.
His gaze turned cold.
After paying and carefully fastening all three swords at his waist, Zoro strode out of the weapon shop.
The weight of the new swords felt reassuring, but the pirates' behavior concerned him more.
"Hey." Zoro approached the fruit stand. His voice wasn't loud, but all the pirates turned toward him at once.
"L-Lord Zoro!" One of the pirates recognized him and hastily stood straight.
"What's going on?"
Zoro looked at the vendor, then at the fruit scattered over the stand. "What are you doing?"
"N-nothing!"
Another pirate hurried to explain. "We just came to buy fruit and accidentally knocked over the stand... We'll pay for the damage right now! Right now!"
Zoro stared at them for several seconds, until cold sweat beaded on their foreheads, before slowly nodding. "Remember King's rules. Pay for what you buy. Don't harass civilians."
"Yes, sir! Of course!"
Only after watching the pirates scramble to tidy the stand, pay compensation, and apologize did Zoro turn away.
But he didn't go far. He jumped onto the roof of a nearby building, sat cross-legged, and laid his newly purchased swords across his knees before closing his eyes to rest.
From there, he could overlook most of the street.
No violation of the rules would escape his eyes.
Farther away, Sanosuke stood silently in the shadows.
He had seen what Zoro did and gave a slight nod. Then he slipped soundlessly into the crowd, continuing the surveillance task Norton had assigned him.
On the surface, Loguetown remained peaceful.
The pirates came ashore in batches, strolling, shopping, and drinking, no different from the ordinary townspeople.
But those with keen instincts had already sensed an unusual tension hanging in the air.
The White Pearl lay quietly at anchor in the harbor, like a slumbering behemoth.
Inside the Marine Base, soldiers were constantly being redeployed.
In the Commercial District, some went about their shopping, while others kept watch.
And in that unremarkable narrow alley, the conversation had only just begun.