As Lorne turned a corner, the curtain of a weapon shop was pushed aside, and a short-haired girl with dark blue hair, holding a long sword, walked out.
The girl wore red-framed glasses and carefully held the sword in her arms, a satisfied and cherished silly smile on her face as she lowered her head and gently wiped the shiny scabbard with her sleeve.
Lorne paused. The girl looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old, and her face... felt somewhat familiar.
"Tashigi! What are you dawdling for?"
An urgent reprimand came from nearby. A Marine Master Sergeant quickly ran to the girl, looking anxious.
"Hurry and return to your unit! Captain Smoker's Warship is about to return to port, and a big shot is coming. The port has already begun a complete lockdown!"
The girl, called Tashigi, immediately stood at attention in a panic upon hearing this, holding her sword and giving a somewhat clumsy salute.
"Yes! I'm very sorry!"
Tashigi? Smoker?
Lorne stood across the street, taking in the entire scene, and instantly realized. So this was that muddled female swordswoman who looked exactly like Kuina.
So that's it. No wonder the atmosphere in this town felt off, like something was missing. It turned out Captain Smoker, that chain-smoking Marine who chases pirates everywhere, wasn't in town at all.
But... a big shot?
To cause such a stir among the Marines, even having Smoker escort them, their background must be quite significant!
Now that he was returning with that big shot, the Marines naturally had to clear the area in advance, putting on a formidable front.
Lorne rubbed his chin, the part of him that enjoyed a good spectacle without caring about the consequences began to stir, but his rationality told him it was better to stay away from trouble at a time like this.
After all, he didn't want to run into more trouble here right after his "friendly exchange" with that old man Garp.
Perhaps it's better to avoid the commotion first, find a place, and observe the situation.
Lorne then turned and ducked into a relatively secluded alley. After several twists and turns, he found an inconspicuous small tavern.
He pushed the door open. The tavern was dimly lit, with only a few scattered patrons, mostly merchants who traveled by sea.
"Damn it! What bad luck!"
As soon as Lorne sat down at the bar, he heard a merchant at the next table slam his glass down, his face full of indignation.
"Are those Marine guys crazy? They just lock it down, surrounding the entire dock! My cargo is waiting to be loaded and shipped! Now it's all ruined!"
Another patron chimed in, "You're telling me. I heard a big shot is coming. What an extravagant display. They don't care about the livelihoods of us common folk."
"Quiet down! Are you trying to get yourself killed? I heard even a Vice Admiral from Marine Headquarters is here this time!"
Lorne ordered a mug of ale and listened silently.
The entire dock is sealed off? This situation seemed a bit more troublesome than he had anticipated.
Should he consider leaving after just one look around?
Meanwhile, on the deck of a lavish cruise ship off the coast of Loguetown.
A corpulent man, wearing a transparent bubble helmet, held a diamond-encrusted telescope, gazing at the increasingly close outline of the town.
"Pfft~"
He lowered the telescope, his tone full of disdain and contempt,
"That pirate king, he died in this kind of rural place? How pathetic."
Vice Admiral Onigumo, behind him, bowed slightly, his posture extremely respectful.
"Yes, Saint Charlimako. Do you require your subordinate to clear out all the commoners in town in advance for your private viewing of the execution platform?"
"Clear the area? How boring to clear the area!"
Saint Charlimako parted his thick lips, revealing an ugly smile, his bloated face scrunched up.
"Clear the area? How boring!"
"This Saint wants those commoners to witness the divine majesty! Pass my order: lay a red carpet from the dock all the way to that execution platform! Make all the commoners on both sides of the street kneel on the ground and revere this Saint's arrival!"
He seemed to think this was an excellent idea and clapped his hands excitedly.
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