Chapter 8: Full of Positive Energy

Loguetown.

This is an island town located near the entrance to the Grand Line in the East Blue.

Because the legendary Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, was born here and also died here...

It is also known as the "Town of Beginnings and Endings."

This is the dreamland that countless pirates yearn for!

At this moment, the bustling port is filled with ships of various shapes and sizes, moored like colorful dumplings waiting to be cooked.

From a high vantage point, sailors resembling ants move back and forth, carrying all kinds of cargo.

As the waves rise and fall, an inconspicuous medium-sized sailing ship slowly docks at the port.

...

"Woo~"

"Finally, we're here!"

Standing at the bow of the ship, Kyle stretched his body into a "T" shape, loosening his stiff muscles and bones.

Although the Diga's speed had surpassed that of ordinary ships and warships, it still took them a full three days to travel from the waters near Yaksi Island to their destination, Loguetown.

The uneventful journey had left Kyle feeling quite stifled.

Now, finally seeing land, he could no longer contain his excitement.

"Diga, the task of guarding the ship is yours!"

"Leave it to me, Captain Kyle!"

Behind Kyle, the hooded figure of the child appeared out of thin air.

Although he also longed to explore the world outside the ship, as a ship spirit, he was destined to remain confined to the vessel.

Noticing Diga's subtle disappointment, Kyle reached out and gently patted his little head, smiling reassuringly.

"Don't worry, one day you'll be able to strut around the streets just like me."

"At worst, I'll create a country where ships are allowed to sail freely!!!"

"Really?! Is that really possible?!"

Little Diga looked up, his excitement evident.

Though his eyes were hidden under the hood, the "D"-shaped smile on his face perfectly conveyed his joy.

"Of course!"

Kyle nodded firmly.

"This is a promise between us!"

With that, his gaze turned toward the bustling Loguetown.

The lively town, the endless stream of tourists, the bustling commercial streets...

If his plan today succeeded, he wouldn't be far from fulfilling this promise!

"Let's hope everything goes smoothly."

A sly glint flashed in Kyle's dark eyes.

He grinned, revealing a mischievous expression.

"Well then..."

"The Twilight Pirates' first emergency mission, codename: *Deceiving the Innocent Girl*..."

"Let's begin!"

Before the words fully left his mouth, Kyle leaped from the bow of the ship onto the port's land.

Behind him, little Diga once again vanished into thin air, following Kyle's earlier instructions to turn the Diga around and prepare for departure at any moment.

Long before approaching Loguetown's waters, Kyle and his crew had already lowered their pirate flag.

Now, aside from himself and the informed Sengoku and Kizaru, no one knew of his identity as a pirate.

He walked boldly into the bustling streets of Loguetown like any ordinary traveler.

This trip to Loguetown wouldn't last long.

Kyle had only one goal...

To kidnap Tashigi, who seemed to be a perfect match for the character card Rukia!

This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision but a carefully considered plan.

First, Tashigi was the most suitable candidate Kyle could think of to match Rukia.

If he could successfully load Rukia's game panel onto her, she would become a powerful ally!

Even if the compatibility failed, Tashigi would still be a capable fighter and more familiar with the East Blue than he was...

She could help him quickly gather funds to invest in the system.

Second, as Smoker's subordinate and someone capable of managing a Marine base, Tashigi's management skills and experience far surpassed those of ordinary people.

For Kyle, money was power!

In the future, he would inevitably engage in various businesses and industries, so he needed talents like Tashigi.

These were the main reasons Kyle decided to kidnap Tashigi.

Incidentally, considering Tashigi's... *ahem*... impressive development three years later...

That was also a small source of motivation for Kyle.

Of course, it was just a small one~

His main goal was to quickly build a pirate crew of a certain scale to contribute his share of justice to the world!

At the same time...

Considering that even if the kidnapping plan failed and he was arrested by Smoker, it would just be a matter of making a phone call to his "uncle"...

So he resolutely came here!

...

With the help of some kind-hearted street thugs (and his fists), Kyle quickly found a black-market shop selling various firearms, ammunition, and other contraband.

A few years ago, Loguetown was one of the most popular towns for pirates in the East Blue.

It had many shops catering specifically to pirates.

The shop Kyle entered was one of them.

However, due to Smoker's sudden arrival, fewer and fewer pirates dared to come to Loguetown.

As a result, the black-market business had plummeted.

Upon learning Kyle's true intentions, the shop owner, who had since switched to selling toys, was overjoyed!

He bowed and scraped, determined to make Kyle's experience as comfortable as possible.

The entire transaction went smoothly and pleasantly.

In the end, Kyle purchased three doses of a drug said to be strong enough to knock out an elephant for 1 million Berries.

He even tested one dose on the shop owner himself.

Hmm...

It worked quite well.

"Hmph~!"

"Daring to sell contraband to pirates! It's because of people like you that pirates run rampant on the seas!"

"Consider this a lesson for you!"

Picking up the bag of money he had just handed over, Kyle strode out of the toy store with an air of righteousness.

Behind him, the shop owner lay snoring amidst a pile of plush toys.

"The light of justice shines on the buttocks~"

Humming a tune from his hometown, Kyle walked openly back onto the streets of Loguetown.

At the same time, his eyes, hiding ulterior motives, began scanning the crowd.

Soon, he found his next target and, with a friendly smile, walked over.

"Excuse me, Marine brothers!"

Kyle reached out and stopped two Marines ahead.

Although the number of pirates in Loguetown had significantly decreased, the world was vast, and there were always fools who would charge headfirst into danger.

To ensure the safety of Loguetown's citizens, Marines could often be seen patrolling the streets.

"Huh?"

The two Marines on patrol stopped and turned to Kyle with questioning looks.

"It's like this..."

Kyle flashed a roguish smile and pulled out a long, cloth-wrapped rod from behind him.

"I'm a rookie bounty hunter, and I recently confiscated a famous sword from a pirate..."

"According to the dead pirate, this sword is one of the 50 Skillful Grade swords, known as Frost."

"So I wanted to find an expert to appraise it and maybe sell it for some cash~"

"Since I'm new here, I was wondering if you two could tell me where the most reliable sword shop in Loguetown is..."

As he spoke, Kyle unwrapped Frost from his back.

The cold, greenish blade glinted in the sunlight, reflecting into the Marines' eyes.

For a moment, the two felt an inexplicable chill.

This only confirmed the authenticity of Kyle's story!

"A bounty hunter!?"

"A Skillful Grade sword!?"

The two Marines exchanged glances, silently communicating.

As everyone knew, Smoker's subordinate, Chief Petty Officer Tashigi, was an unapologetic sword enthusiast.

This wasn't a secret among the Marines.

If Chief Petty Officer Tashigi found out that such a famous sword had appeared in Loguetown and was sold to someone else because of them...

She would definitely put them through hell during training!

"Gulp..."

After a brief exchange of glances, the two Marines quickly made up their minds.

They swallowed hard and then said to Kyle:

"Sir, the sword shop isn't far from here, just in the next block."

"But..."

The Marine suddenly trailed off, his eyes shifting hesitantly.

"But what?"

Kyle played along, curious.

The Marine paused for a moment before continuing:

"But if I were you, I wouldn't take this sword to those unscrupulous merchants."

"If you don't know the true value of this sword, you could easily be cheated by those money-hungry folks."

"How about..."

"You come with us to the Marine base?"

"We happen to have an expert there who knows a lot about swords. She could appraise it for you."

"Huh??"

Kyle hesitated, looking at Frost in his hands, then frowned as if troubled.

"But going to the Marine base out of the blue feels a bit weird."

After a moment of silence...

Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, Kyle looked up with an apologetic expression.

"How about this: you two go and bring the expert here."

"I'll wait for you right here."

As he spoke, Kyle casually pulled out two stacks of Berries from his pocket.

Not much, just around 100,000.

He grinned, stepping closer to block the view of the money with his body, and discreetly slipped it into the Marines' pockets.

Before the Marines could say anything, he preemptively added:

"Just a small token of appreciation."

"I hope you understand. In my line of work, getting too close to the Marines could lead to gossip."

"Don't worry, I'll pay the expert's appraisal fee in full."

"....."

The two Marines looked at Kyle, who was whispering in their ears, with strange expressions.

You're practically glued to us, and you call that not too close!?

However, feeling the weight in their pockets, they exchanged another glance and then said seriously:

"Ahem... Helping those in need is part of our job!"

"Wait for us at that café over there. We'll be back soon."

One of the Marines pointed to a café with few customers nearby.

"Got it."

Kyle smiled and nodded.

"Everything is in your hands."

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