At the same time, up in a private room on the second floor of Romance Dawn, Mock thumped his chest and shot the old man next to him a wide grin. "Old man Wolf, this spot ain't half bad, right? Now that you're here, just kick back and relax. I'll make sure you get all settled in, no sweat."
Wolf stood silently beside him, staring without a word.
There had been a little hiccup along the way, but he'd accepted the invitation from the world's top scientist, Dr. Vegapunk, and ended up here at the Marine 16th Branch as their public face. Sure, "borrowing" other people's research rubbed him the wrong way, it went against everything he stood for, but he got the why behind it, so he kept quiet.
He'd planned to get his bearings at the base first, but then Mock, the so-called "East Blue Overlord" who'd dragged him here, had insisted on giving him a personal tour.
And this "tour" had led him straight here. He hadn't seen a single lab, but he'd spent the last few days soaking his feet. While the establishment was perfectly respectable and the past few days had been comfortable, it wasn't what he had in mind.
'I'm here to get familiar with the environment,' he thought, 'not to get a foot soak.'
He felt the embarrassing thinness of his own wallet. "How much is this going to cost?" he asked.
"Hey now," Mock said, looking offended. "You're out with me. You think I'd let you pay?" He thumped his chest again. "This one's on me. Call it an apology!"
With a practiced flourish, Mock pulled a black card from inside his coat and handed it to the attendant. "Put it on my tab. The usual."
Wolf blinked, caught off guard by the easy confidence of it all.
But then he remembered who this guy was, the East Blue Overlord, and thought back to the folks in his Town, the lessons he'd given Law and his friends. He fixed Mock with a steady gaze and asked, "Mind if I ask where all this comes from?"
"This? It's my salary from the boss, of course!" Mock said cheerfully, completely missing Wolf's tone. "And don't worry. I only take from the bad ones, y'know."
'Stealing from anybody's still wrong.' But people saw the world their own way, and for a pirate like Mock to draw the line there? That was already something. Wolf wasn't one to nitpick over every little thing.
Still, fair was fair...
He met Mock's eyes again, serious as ever. "I'll make the money back and square up with you soon as I can."
"Wahahaha! Next time, you buy, then!" Mock smoothly pocketed his VIP card as the attendant handed it back. Then he tilted his head, catching some noise from down below, and peered toward the wide staircase. "What's the ruckus downstairs? Somebody actually stirring up trouble in a place like this?"
"Um..." The attendant hesitated for a moment. "A group of pirates came in, sir. They were asking for you."
"For me?"
"Yes." The attendant, a long-time employee, nodded. "But please, don't worry. We've handled the situation. We haven't revealed your whereabouts, and it seems the local sheriff is dealing with them over an illegally docked ship. They'll likely be busy with a ticket for a while, so if you wait a bit before going down, everything should be fine."
"Illegally docked?" Mock repeated, scratching his head.
Wolf, standing nearby, was still trying to process what the attendant had just said.
"Is that so?" Mock frowned. "Forget it, I'm going to take a look. Wolf, you go get changed."
"Sir..." the attendant began, a hint of worry in his voice.
"Relax, this is the boss's territory. You think I'm going to get bullied here?" Mock waved a dismissive hand and swaggered toward the stairs. "Who the hell's dumb enough to kick up dust on his watch?"
Wolf glanced from Mock to the attendant. He didn't understand all the details, but the gist was clear: someone was here to settle a score with the "East Blue Overlord." And since the man had just treated him to a foot soak, he couldn't very well turn a blind eye. With a sigh, he followed.
But the second he reached the bottom of the stairs with Mock, he stopped dead at the sight of those familiar faces below.
"Law?"
'What were those kids doing in a place like this?'
--**--**
The Heart Pirates stared at the ticket in disbelief. Instead of calling the Marines or running in fear, the local authorities had issued them a fine and were threatening to tow their ship.
Was the Sheriff of the Conomi Islands seriously this gutsy?
"Captain, what's the plan?" Penguin whispered, leaning close to Law. "They might tow the ship. Should we... pay the ticket?"
'What is he talking about?' Law rested his cursed sword on his shoulder, giving Penguin a deadpan look. They were pirates. Since when did they pay fines? He'd planned for every contingency, even a run-in with the Warlord Kuma. But he had never, in a million years, planned for a parking ticket.
He'd figured the East Blue Overlord was here, and his plan had been simple: strike fast, find out where Dr. Wolf was, and get out without making a scene. But now this?
Law felt a headache coming on. As a man who preferred to be cautious, the last thing he wanted was to attract the attention of the Marines. But looking at the ticket in his hand... was he supposed to just give up and go pay it?
He tightened his grip on his sword and sighed, looking at the sheriff, whose patience was clearly wearing thin. "Can we leave the ship for now and deal with this later?"
Of course, that was a long shot...
"No way!" The Sheriff shut him down flat, voice hard. "Please resolve this immediately."
Law had expected as much, but it was still disappointing.
"Alright, then." The sword eased off his shoulder, planting firm against the floor as his hand clenched tighter. "Guess you'll all have to hang tight for a minute."
His eyes narrowed, that usual cool edge sharpening to a point.
If he backed off now, the East Blue Overlord would spot him for sure, and who knew what fresh mess that would drag in?
"Amputat-..."
He didn't get the word out.
"Stop, Law!"
A familiar voice called down from the staircase.
The Heart Pirates all looked up at once. There, descending the stairs, was a figure they knew all too well.
"Dr. Wolf?!"
"Sorry to keep you all waiting like this." Wolf gave them an apologetic look, already piecing together why they'd shown up. He headed their way, a touch sheepish, and added, "I know you've got questions piling up. I'll fill you in on everything myself, I promise..."
But before he could wrap it up...
"No need to explain!" Shachi cut in.
He and Penguin were staring at the spa robe Wolf was still wearing.
"We bust our asses tracking you down," Penguin added, his voice full of indignation, "and you've been here kicking back by yourself? That's just low, Doctor!"
Law and Wolf just stared, their expressions completely deadpan.
'Do those two have any idea what's happening right now?'
===============
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.