"Right or wrong?"
Makino heard Kazu muttering to himself and was very interested in the subject too.
"Yes. On the surface, Roger started the Great Pirate Era, bringing more pirates into this world and sending the number of civilians harmed by pirates soaring."
"But he might also have been trying to push the person he placed his hopes in out to sea, to achieve his goal of reforming the entire world and securing lasting peace."
"If that's the case, a short pain is better than a prolonged one. The sacrifices now would all be worth it."
"Otherwise, the harm caused by letting this rotten rule continue for another few decades would probably claim even more lives than the Great Pirate Era."
"Never mind that it's already been eight hundred years. Who knows how many innocent civilians have died already?"
At first, Makino and the others did not understand what Kazu meant, but the latter part made it instantly clear.
It seemed Pirate King Roger had set his sights on the World Government. He certainly had lofty ambitions.
On top of that, Kazu had told them during a previous chat that Pirate King Roger had not been captured by the Navy, but had turned himself in.
The World Government and the Navy had only publicized it that way to increase their deterrent power.
If he really had turned himself in, that made what Kazu had just said even more credible.
The Great Pirate Era had not been a whim of Roger's, but something planned well in advance.
He had meant to use the impact of his death as the Pirate King to send those words to every corner of the world, so that the person he awaited would set out to sea in the future!
After seeing the Execution Platform with his own eyes, Kazu put himself in Roger's place and imagined the scene back then. He felt what Roger had felt.
There was the sorrow of a body that could no longer sustain his dream, the release of learning after witnessing history that he was not the one who would change the world, and the determination to personally set that change in motion.
Finally, there was his composure, that boldness and acceptance in the face of death.
This was the first time Kazu had reflected like this since coming to this world, and a quiet change had already taken place in his state of mind.
This was no longer merely about fulfilling the wishes of his previous life. It was an acknowledgment of Roger's thinking and a broadening of his own horizons.
Boom!!!
A burst of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Kazu, instantly intimidating some of the civilian onlookers into falling flat.
"Kazu, what are you..."
Carlmand and the others had no idea what had gotten into Kazu. Why had he suddenly unleashed his Conqueror's Haki?
"Nothing."
"I just figured a few things out, and I felt my state of mind and force of spirit grow quite a bit. My Conqueror's Haki grew stronger along with them."
"I couldn't help myself just now, so I tried it out."
Kazu's words left Carlmand and the others rather speechless.
"Are you a child? Honestly, warn us next time. You gave us a fright."
Carlmand could hardly be blamed for complaining. Anyone would be startled if something like that happened while they were relaxed.
"All right, all right, let's go see the rest of Loguetown."
Makino hurriedly changed the subject. As Kazu's woman, she had to step in and steer the conversation elsewhere at a time like this.
"All right. We already agreed on the ship. Behrens, come with me. I'll take you out to gain some experience."
"Hahaha, sure!"
Though Behrens and Carlmand were close in age, one twenty-one and the other twenty-two, Behrens had seen far too little of the world.
Carlmand was much better versed in that regard, and with a bastard like Kazu as his guide, he had certainly learned from a distinguished master.
The two turned and left with their arms around each other's shoulders. From the look of things, they would not be seeing either of them tonight.
"You two get two days. Don't forget to come back on the morning of the third day."
"Got it, got it."
Carlmand waved, then rounded a corner with Behrens and disappeared from Kazu and Makino's sight.
"Let's take a stroll too. I hear Loguetown has some pretty good liquor. Let's stock up."
Hand in hand, Kazu and Makino went exploring the various taverns. With pirates and others wanting to see the Pirate King's hometown visiting so often, Loguetown's taverns always did good business.
It also had a fairly rich drinking culture, and liquor was one of Loguetown's pillar industries.
"Hey, isn't that Her Kazi, captain of the Blond Hair Pirates, the crew that made such a splash in the East Blue a while back?"
"You're behind on the news. He defeated that monster Smoker as soon as he landed. It happened today. The news has spread like wildfire."
"Hiss..."
"He even defeated that monster of a Navy captain?"
Kazu and Makino arrived at the largest tavern in Loguetown, having quickly found it by asking the locals for directions.
Quite a few customers were drinking inside. The atmosphere had been boisterous, but the arrival of Kazu, a great pirate worth two hundred million Beli, left the tavern utterly silent.
"S-s-sir, what would you, would you like to order?"
Of course, the owner had recognized Kazu too. Taverns were well-informed places to begin with.
Kazu had a high bounty and a fearsome reputation. Even Smoker had been brutally thrashed, and the tavern owner was so nervous that he stammered.
"Boss, bring me ten bottles of your best liquor to wet my whistle first, and a few dishes too. Whatever you think is good."
"Certainly. I'll have it brought over right away."
The owner agreed without hesitation. It was only some good food and liquor. As long as Kazu did not hurt him or smash up his establishment, this little bit was nothing.
A clatter came from the kitchen, and in less than ten minutes, eight plates of food and ten bottles of the finest liquor were brought out.
"Hahaha, sampling the local food and liquor, that's what traveling is all about."
"When I was little, my mother told me that everything else was false. Only what you put in your belly was real."
Kazu began eating and drinking heartily, and even Makino felt his words made some sense.
She liked good food and liquor too. After all, she was a woman who had run her own tavern.
"All right, all right, you're right. No one's fighting you for it. Eat slowly."
Makino occasionally took a couple of bites or a sip of liquor, but she spent more of her time watching Kazu eat.
Her appetite was not that big. Watching Kazu eat, she felt he made the food look especially delicious. It was like watching a live mukbang, and quite entertaining.
Fortunately, Kazu did not know what Makino was thinking, or he would have had to show her how to eat an entire pig in three bites.
Sexy Kazu, mukbang live.
"What did you say?"
"After that guy finished looking at the Execution Platform, he took his woman to Roger Tavern to drink and eat meat?"
Smoker had already regained consciousness. To be honest, hearing his subordinate's report made him breathe a sigh of relief.
He was a Navy man, and capturing pirates was only right and proper, but that did not mean he could not distinguish right from wrong.
Kazu had defeated all of them, the Navy personnel in Loguetown. If he wanted to destroy the town, it could hardly have been easier.
But judging by his actions, his crew was probably the sort of pirate crew that preferred adventure.
Smoker was fairly flexible. Later on, he could even cooperate briefly with pirates to carry out justice.
In short, there was no one in Loguetown who could stop Kazu now. The fact that he was not slaughtering civilians without cause was already an enormous stroke of luck.