OPTC Chapter 328: What Do You Mean by 'Sneaking in Private Goods'
Shells Town was a fairly wealthy place. The Navy had stationed Merveille nearby precisely because of this—it could provide the poorer island with aid and job opportunities.
After the alarm earlier, townspeople swiftly took shelter far from the coast or hid in their underground basements. In this era, a hidden basement was essential—for hiding people, money, or both.
Some residents watched the distant naval battle from rooftops. When they confirmed that the navy had won, they cheered and spread the good news through town. Every time the navy defeated pirates, it was a cause for celebration. Tonight, nearly every dinner table would have extra dishes or a few more bottles of wine.
The citizens who had evacuated hurried back home or to their shops, nervously checking for damage or stolen goods.
Amid the relief and joy, only a small group walked against the crowd—going wherever shops reopened, ready to spend.
"Welcome! Fresh fruits—everything twenty percent off today!" shouted the owner of a small fruit stand.
"Really? That's a good deal." Zhang Da Ye grinned and waved generously. "I'll take everything!"
The owner's eyes lit up. Even with the discount, this sale would bring in more profit than usual. He quickly packed the fruits by type but set aside one large bag filled with mixed fruit.
"What's that for?" Zhang Da Ye asked, pointing to the separate bag.
"Oh, sorry. That one's not for sale. I heard the battle was brutal, so I'm taking it to the navy base to comfort the wounded."
And he wasn't the only one. Many others were already on their way to the navy base carrying meat, vegetables, eggs, and more.
People's hearts were made of flesh. Seeing familiar faces risk their lives to protect the town from ruthless pirates filled them with gratitude.
Some might think it was just a soldier's job, but most townsfolk knew better. The average seaman made only tens of thousands of Berries a month—not enough to risk their life for. They fought because of duty and conviction.
They had heard stories of corrupt officers abusing power, so having an honorable, responsible garrison nearby was something to be thankful for.
Zhang Da Ye almost regretted asking. Would it feel wrong to feast at the base now? But then again, it wasn't the marines' own money, so he shrugged it off.
He rented a flat cart, loaded several crates of fruit, and continued shopping.
Tom, of course, immediately sat on the cart. That lazy cat would never stand if he could sit, never sit if he could lie down.
Wendy, exhausted after using her magic, let Perona coax her into sitting too—and Perona used the excuse of "taking care of her" to sit beside her.
"Shouldn't certain people walk instead?" Zhang Da Ye said pointedly. "All that sugar and no exercise—you'll end up as round as Mount Reuben!"
A white thought bubble popped over Tom's head, showing him plump and round. He just shook his head, thinking it didn't matter—he could always lose weight later.
Zhang Da Ye swiped the bubble away. "I wasn't talking to you."
Perona huffed. "Mind your own business! Think of it as interest for stealing my snacks! And weren't you supposed to buy more snacks?"
"All you ever think about is snacks. I should sell you at the pet market."
"Why 'pet' market?!"
They bickered and laughed as they walked through the main street, their cart filling with vegetables, meat, toothpaste, and daily necessities.
Artoria, holding a skewer of dumplings in one hand and a taiyaki in the other, turned to eye an ice cream shop next. Her gaze practically spelled out "I want ice cream."
A few minutes later, everyone had an ice cream cone—except Ye Yan, who decided to become one. He called his act "Coldness in Winter," which, at night, would become "Coldness Under the Moonlight." A work of art, apparently.
The shop owner, refusing to take his money, even paid him to advertise the place.
Ye Yan tried to explain it was performance art, but eventually accepted the flyers and cash. As he walked, he enthusiastically shouted, "Ice Cream Parlor! New flavors! Twenty percent off!"
Everyone exchanged glances. Rui Meng Meng asked curiously, "Why is he so good at that?"
"One part shamelessness, one part experience," Zhang Da Ye said dryly. "He's probably done tons of odd jobs like this."
The owner clearly had a sharp eye. Ye Yan's ice-cream act drew a crowd, especially kids and young women who couldn't resist taking photos with him before happily heading to the shop. Business boomed.
Once he finished handing out the flyers, Ye Yan strutted back to the group. "See? My performance art is top-tier."
"Brother Yan, if I ever go broke, I'll count on you," Zhang Da Ye said, patting his back. With Ye Yan's face and charm, he'd make a great host in some very questionable establishments.
Ye Yan gave him a dead-eyed stare. "You're plotting something again."
"Not at all!"
After returning the goods to the ship and returning the cart, Zhang Da Ye accepted the navy's invitation to visit their base.
The marines who recognized them lit up with gratitude. Whether it was intercepting the cannonball or saving dying soldiers, their respect for the Amber Travel Crew skyrocketed.
Especially for Wendy—she had pulled their comrades back from the brink of death, and she was so small and kind that everyone adored her.
Lieutenant Fullbody greeted them. "My apologies. The base commander and Captain Monka are seriously injured and can't meet guests, so I'll be your host today."
"That's fine," Zhang Da Ye said. "But how are their injuries?"
"No danger. Surgery went well—they just need rest."
"Good." Under Fullbody's lead, they took a short tour of Branch 153.
Compared to the bases on the Sabaody Archipelago, this one was modest—smaller, simpler, and far less funded. Probably because the base commander wasn't extorting money like Monka had, leaving the budget thin.
Just a single building and a training ground—the same one where Zoro would one day be tied to a cross for punishment.
No one but Zhang Da Ye cared about that, though. Everyone else's attention was on the mess hall.
To thank them for their help and to celebrate the victory, the navy hosted a banquet at the highest standard allowed for the branch. While alcohol was limited, the food variety was impressive.
Still, since they'd already been eating all day, and the cooks here weren't particularly skilled, Artoria went easy on them—mercifully.
Even so, Fullbody and the others were stunned. When the kitchen's expense report came in, the base commander, still bedridden, nearly fainted.
His left arm was in a sling, his leg in a cast. Reading the report, he groaned. "Do you think we should suggest a rule to HQ—'Never host the Amber Travel Crew again'?"
Fullbody broke into a sweat. "But they're our benefactors. Isn't that too harsh?"
"You're right," the commander sighed. "Forget it. Edit the report. Just file it under battle losses."
Now it was Fullbody's turn to suffer. How was he supposed to write that report? "Our unit fought the pirates fiercely. All members injured, zero deaths. Consumed several shells, lost two cannons…"
That part was fine. But adding, "Also lost 100 kilograms of beef, 200 kilograms of lamb, 100 fish, 500 kilograms of vegetables, various seasonings, and twenty-one plates damaged, one missing…" Who at HQ would believe that?
---
"Hiccup!" Tom's throat bobbed as he hiccuped, gulped down hot water, hiccuped again, and drank more.
Perona and Wendy gently patted his back to help. Hiccups weren't an illness Wendy could fix.
Zhang Da Ye pulled on Tom's cheeks. "Seriously? You ate the food and the plates? Over twenty of them! Feeling bad now, huh?"
Tom glanced at Artoria, wide-eyed and innocent. Seeing her eat so happily had made him speed up without realizing—and he'd swallowed the plates too.
Artoria's expression was even more innocent. Was it wrong to enjoy food? When she saw him eating plates, she thought they were edible and even tried biting one herself…
Now her teeth hurt. Maybe she'd ask Shark Chili for dental care tips later.
"Hiccup!" Tom twitched, the tremor running through Zhang Da Ye's hand, up his arm, and into his head—his hair standing on end with a faint "hic" sound of its own.
Everyone suggested remedies—drinking water, holding breath, jumping—but nothing worked. Soon, every hiccup made the entire Amber tremble as if the ship itself had the hiccups.
"Nnnot so baaad~~ right?" Zhang Da Ye's voice vibrated mid-sentence with each tremor.
If this kept up, they couldn't set sail.
"Maybe we should s-scare him?" Rui Meng Meng suggested, her voice shaking too.
So Wendy and Perona stood before Tom, baring their tiny teeth, growling adorably, "Raaawr~!"
So fierce.
Zhang Da Ye covered his face. "Are you trying to kill him with cuteness?"
Tom just blinked at the two little girls and answered with another hiccup.
Their shoulders drooped. Then, suddenly, a loud bark erupted behind Tom. "Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Tom froze, panicked, and scrambled up the mast in a blur, clinging to the flagpole and shaking as he searched for the unseen dog.
Below him, a giant ice cream cone waved. "Relax, it's just me! I made the sound. Still hiccupping?"
Tom blinked, touched his chest, and realized—no hiccups. Still, he didn't dare come down. That bark had sounded *real*. Too real.
"Don't believe me?" Ye Yan laughed. "It's a skill from my watchman days—'Mimicry.' I can copy any animal sound."
He then demonstrated—dog barks, bird chirps, even a mouse squeak—all perfectly imitated. Tom slowly slid down, suspicious. The others were spot on, but… did mice really sound like that?
He suddenly realized, as a cat, he couldn't remember what a mouse actually sounded like.
After a short goodbye to Paul's family in Merveille, the Amber set sail again.
Wendy handed out small gifts she'd received from the grateful marines—flower crowns, clips, cookies, senbei. By the time they'd left the base, her arms were full, gifts stacked taller than her head, blocking her view. Perona looked green with envy, declaring she'd learn healing magic too.
Crunching on a senbei, Zhang Da Ye felt like he was on par with Sengoku and Garp now.
After drifting lazily for a while, he asked, "Where to next?"
Shark Chili unfolded the sea chart and pointed. "Next stop's Orange Town—about the same size as Shells Town. We'll reach it tomorrow."
Orange Town—where the great Captain Buggy once appeared. A historic battleground of the Four Emperors. Though, with Buggy already locked away, the only interesting place now was the pet food shop.
Zhang Da Ye glanced at Tom, Carla, and Artoria, wondering if he should buy them some treats.
Shark Chili continued, "We've got plenty of supplies anyway. No need to dock unless we want to. The next island after that takes three to five days—it's a small village called Syrup Village. Heard there's a famous sniper there, well-known across East Blue."
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