[10] The Departure of Luffy and His Crew

Rengoku and Tashigi observed the aftermath of the battle.

By the time Tashigi had sprinted to the scene at full speed using Soru,

Rengoku had flown to the coordinates nearby using Sky Running.

They arrived just in time to witness the Straw Hat boy unleash the full power of his Devil Fruit ability, delivering a powerful punch that restrained the mob.

Simultaneously, the swordsman wielding the Three-Sword Style charged in, shattering the mob's weapon with his swordsmanship.

This left the mob completely defenseless,

allowing a direct hit from an explosive bullet to strike them square in the face.

It was an impressive combination.

Rengoku landed beside Tashigi after spotting her.

"Too bad, we're a step late!"

"Ah, Vice Admiral?"

"Lieutenant Tashigi, it seems you've only just arrived as well!"

"That's correct, Vice Admiral. But how did you...?"

"The villagers informed me of the situation through your Den Den Mushi!"

"The Den Den Mushi? Come to think of it... Ah!"

At Rengoku's words, Tashigi immediately started patting her clothes, searching for her Den Den Mushi.

"My apologies..."

Tashigi looked crestfallen.

"It's fine! Just be more careful next time!"

Around that time, two squads of navy soldiers were running toward them from the distance.

The first to arrive were the five-minute standby squad and the medical team.

Rengoku took the lead and approached Luffy's group, who had just finished their battle.

"Ah! Justice!"

The marines of the standby squad who arrived first saluted Rengoku as they saw him.

Rengoku returned the salute and immediately issued orders.

"The medical team will prioritize treating the most severely injured first! If the wounds are deep, perform emergency first aid and have the standby squad transport them to the medical room on the warship using stretchers! Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Did you bring the handcuffs?"

After giving instructions to the medical team and standby squad, Rengoku asked the first arriving soldier for handcuffs.

"Yes! Here they are!"

Rengoku immediately cuffed the fallen mob leader.

"Lieutenant Tashigi, has the mob's identity been confirmed?"

"Not entirely, but based on witness testimony and appearance, I believe he is Kuro, with a 16 million Berries bounty, who was presumed dead three years ago!"

"Good. We can question him later about how he faked his death to deceive the world..."

Rengoku shifted his gaze toward Luffy's crew.

"You all! Good work!"

"Ah, uh... thanks..."

"Um... who are you exactly?"

Luffy and his crew could tell from the way Rengoku commanded the marines that he was a high-ranking officer, but they weren't sure of his exact position.

"Just a passing Navy officer! I appreciate that you dealt with this mob leader before we did. I'd like to discuss this further."

"In that case, come to my mansion!"

"Kaya?"

...

Kaya, after hearing about Klahadore's suspicious behavior from the newly awakened butler Merry, hurried to the village.

Along the way, she encountered villagers heading toward her mansion, all denouncing Klahadore's atrocities.

The once-kind butler Klahadore, massacring the villagers?

The revelation shocked Kaya, but driven by a strong desire to stop him, she rushed to the village without hesitation.

There, she witnessed Luffy and his crew working together to subdue the rampaging Klahadore.

"Hmm! I see now!"

After assigning Tashigi to oversee the scene, Rengoku and Luffy's crew were now being hosted at Kaya's mansion.

"Hey, hey... So, about Klahadore—well, Captain Kuro—we defeated him. When can we get the bounty?"

"The bounty? That's an important matter! But before that, I have one question to ask."

"Yes, what is it?"

"This long-nosed boy—is he part of your crew?"

"Uh... if we're being precise, not really..."

"Then, what exactly is your relationship with him?"

"Myself and these two here are traveling companions, but this guy is actually a resident of this village!"

"Hmm! Then the bounty should be distributed according to contribution! Lieutenant Tashigi and I observed your battle from start to finish. You defeated him so quickly that we didn't even have a chance to step in!"

Rengoku started by praising them.

"And among you, the one who made the greatest contribution was the long-nosed boy with his finishing blow! Therefore, half of Kuro's 16 million Berries bounty—8 million Berries—will go to him! Any objections?"

"Nope, none."

Luffy answered immediately.

"Yeah, Usopp's bomb was definitely powerful."

Zoro didn't voice any disagreement either.

"Ah... well, at least we're getting 8 million Berries... That's something."

Although Nami felt a bit disappointed, she consoled herself with the fact that 8 million Berries was still a lot. Adding that to the 5 million Berries they already had, it totaled 13 million Berries!

"What does the long-nosed boy think about this?"

Rengoku turned his gaze to Usopp and asked.

"Uh... I'm fine with it, but, Officer, would it be okay if I donated my share entirely to this village?"

Hearing Usopp's words, Rengoku responded with another question.

"Did you say donation?"

"Yes. With Kuro causing so much chaos, many villagers were injured, and there's a lot that needs to be repaired. Plus, this village doesn't have a proper hospital, so I'd like to use my share to cover the villagers' medical expenses."

"Hmm! You have a kind heart!"

"Wow, so noble of you, Usopp! In that case, I'll donate my entire share too!"

"If it's for a good cause, I'll donate part of my share as well."

Hearing Usopp's words, Luffy and Zoro decided to join in and express their willingness to contribute.

"Hmm! This is truly admirable! So, with Usopp's 8 million Berries, the Straw Hat boy's 2.66 million Berries, and the swordsman's..."

"I'll donate 2 million Berries."

"Very well! That brings the total to 12.66 million Berries. I'll add 3.34 million Berries from my own funds!"

That makes a total of 16 million Berries, the original bounty for Kuro.

Nami was utterly shocked by her crew's "reckless generosity," but given the atmosphere, she couldn't say anything.

Zoro, knowing her personality well, quickly changed the topic.

"Well, with the 16 million Berries now allocated for the village's recovery and reconstruction, that wraps things up. Officer, what do you plan to do next?"

"I'll be staying here for a while to oversee the medical team, but you said you're travelers. When do you plan to leave?"

"Hmm, we don't have a set plan yet, but as soon as we retrieve our ship, we're thinking of setting sail today!" Luffy answered cheerfully with a bright smile.

"Your ship? Now that you mention it, I noticed a pirate ship belonging to Buggy the Clown docked over on the shore."

Rengoku pointed toward the ship Nami had commandeered.

"Is that ship yours? What's your connection to Buggy the Clown?"

At Rengoku's question, Luffy and Zoro responded casually.

"Oh, I sent that guy flying."

"Yeah, his so-called officers were pretty weak, too."

"That's excellent news! So, is that ship your spoils of war?"

"Yep, we didn't have a ship, so we're making do with that one for now."

"Um... Sorry to interrupt, but do you need a proper ship?"

Kaya, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up.

"Yeah! The bigger, the better!"

"Oh, in that case, may I ask if I could help?"

"You, miss?"

...

At the shoreline behind Syrup Village, a rather impressive caravel was prepared.

It had a simple, elegant design, and its most distinctive feature was the figurehead shaped like a ram's head.

The butler, Merry, pointed to the ship and introduced it.

"The Going Merry! It may be a bit old-fashioned, but it's a caravel I designed myself. If I may explain in more detail..."

"For the details, you can talk to me as the navigator!" Nami interjected with confidence.

Meanwhile, Luffy and Zoro had already climbed aboard the ship.

"Wow, that's great for you guys," Usopp said, looking at Luffy and Zoro aboard the Going Merry with a tinge of envy.

"What do you mean, 'you guys'?"

"Yeah, exactly," Luffy and Zoro replied obliviously.

"Usopp, isn't this our ship? From the moment you helped us take on Kuro, you were already my crewmate, right? Shishishi!"

"Wha-what?"

As Usopp looked flustered, Kaya gently pushed him forward and spoke softly.

"Usopp, don't you think it's a good opportunity for you to set out to sea?"

Under Kaya's affectionate gaze, Usopp found himself at a loss for words.

"Uh... uh... of course, I'll be the captain, right?"

"What are you talking about? I'm the captain!"

...

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

Rengoku handed over the remaining 2.67 million Berries bounty for Kuro to Nami.

Usopp hurried home to gather an assortment of random belongings. And just like that, Luffy and his crew set sail.

Left behind on the shore were Rengoku and Kaya.

"Um… Officer, sir," Kaya spoke hesitantly.

"Yes, young lady? What's on your mind?" Rengoku responded.

"Oh... It's nothing."

Kaya hesitated to say more, afraid she might cause trouble for Usopp.

"Were you going to ask why I'm not pursuing them?"

Kaya looked startled at Rengoku's words.

"You knew?"

"Know what? I've never once heard those boys call themselves pirates since I met them."

Rengoku paused briefly before continuing.

"Also, the ship they just left on didn't have a pirate flag. What reason would I have to pursue them?"

Understanding the deeper meaning behind Rengoku's words, Kaya bowed her head deeply and expressed her gratitude.

"Thank you."

The truth was, even if Rengoku had wanted to capture them, he couldn't.

Being labeled a "pirate" wasn't an officially recognized status, and as long as they hadn't committed any crimes, there was no legal basis to detain them.

The vague notion of "anyone who sails without government authorization is a pirate" was far too broad. Furthermore, such permits could be easily forged.

Had they looted civilians? No, there had been no reports of such. In fact, they had exposed and subdued the truly dangerous pirate, Kuro.

Wanted? → No

Flying a Jolly Roger? → No

Civilian complaints? → No

This group of "three no's" pirates had captured the captain of a notorious pirate crew with a 16 million Berries bounty.

Even if they were brought to Navy Headquarters, they would be acquitted.

Even if they were to become infamous pirates in the future, as of now, there was nothing to justify labeling them as such.

...

Meanwhile, on the opposite shoreline of Syrup Village...

"Honestly, Luffy, Zoro, next time we get a bounty, let's at least discuss how to use it first..."

Nami's chest ached as she thought about how the 16 million Berries bounty had dwindled to just 2.67 million Berries.

"What's the big deal? It's for a good cause."

"That's not the point! If we're going to run a pirate crew, we need at least some basic funds. What are we going to do if you keep spending recklessly and we end up having to sell this ship?"

Although she complained, Nami hadn't objected earlier. She knew it was the right thing to do, given how many innocent people had been injured.

"Well, at least we still have the 5 million Berries I set aside. Adding that, we've got 7.67 million Berries, which should last us for a while."

The crew headed back to their small ship, intending to retrieve the money. However, what awaited them instead was a single warship.

"Uh...?"

What caught Nami's eye were the items in the hands of the navy soldiers working on the deck.

Half-burnt sails bearing Buggy the Clown's emblem.

A familiar, hefty bundle wrapped in a treasure cloth.

"My... my treasure..."

It all clicked for Nami in that moment.

"Guys, turn the ship around..."

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