One-Punch Man in the One Piece World

40. Invite Ace to join the team!

The architecture of Rogge is generally in the style of the European Renaissance.

The arched portico, like a continuous crescent moon, connects the buildings facing the street. The red tile roofs gleam warmly in the sunlight, contrasting beautifully with the off-white stone walls.

Vendors set up their stalls, and fresh fruits and vegetables and colorful fabrics shimmered under the eaves. The wide street was paved with patterned stone bricks, and the crowds surged like a tide.

In the distance, red-roofed houses rise in layers, and the silhouette of the clock tower appears and disappears among the white clouds.

A chase is unfolding in a narrow alley.

"Stop right there! You dine-and-dash brat!"

"Don't run away! Pay for your meal!"

Five men who looked like shop owners were panting as they chased after a figure ahead.

He was a young man wearing an orange hat, shirtless, with the brim pulled low, but his black hair and freckled face peeking out from under the brim were very striking.

As he ran, he turned back and shouted, "Sorry, sorry! I really forgot to bring any money! I'll definitely make it up next time!"

"Who would believe you!"

The butcher brandished his cleaver—just a scare tactic, of course—"This is the third time!"

"I can vouch for him! He did the same thing to my fruit stand last time!" the fruit shop owner shouted as he ran.

Ace grinned, but his pace didn't slow down at all. He nimbly weaved through the alley, occasionally leaping over stacked wooden crates, his movements as light and agile as a lynx.

In fact, with his abilities, getting rid of these ordinary townspeople would be a piece of cake.

But for some reason, he seemed to enjoy this "game" of being chased.

Just as he turned a corner, a figure suddenly rushed out from the side.

"Make way!" Ace shouted.

The man didn't move aside; instead, he reached out and pressed down on Ace's shoulder.

Ace instinctively tried to break free, but was surprised to find that the hand was unusually strong.

"Captain, you're here again." A helpless voice rang out.

The person holding Ace down was a young man wearing a black trench coat and a black eyepatch over his left eye.

He was pale, his black hair was disheveled, and the traces of bandages were faintly visible under his trench coat.

"Dius!"

Ace's eyes lit up. "You've come at the perfect time! Lend me some money!"

Diuss sighed, took out his wallet from his pocket, and turned to face the shop owners who were chasing after him.

When the business owners saw Deuce, they all stopped in their tracks, their faces showing expressions of "It's you again."

"Everyone, I'm very sorry." Deus bowed slightly and counted out some peso from his wallet. "This is the money our captain owed for his meal, plus some extra compensation. Please accept it."

The butcher took the money, counted it, and his expression softened slightly, but he still couldn't help complaining, "Can't your pirate crew control their captain? It's always like this!"

"We'll be careful," Diuss said apologetically, watching the bosses leave grumbling.

Ace was already leaning against the wall, hands behind his head, looking relaxed: "Xeradius! I'll definitely remember to bring money next time!"

You've said that seventeen times.

Dios sighed, "Captain, we need to talk about financial management. If this continues, our voyage funds..."

Before he finished speaking, Ace suddenly straightened up and stared sharply at the rooftop at the other end of the alley.

Diuss followed his gaze, his pupils contracting slightly.

In the morning light, a silver-haired man sat on the edge of the roof, his legs dangling in the air, in a relaxed posture.

The silver-haired man, dressed in a gray nautical suit with a black cashmere overcoat, was looking at the two below with a thoughtful smile.

"Oh," the silver-haired man said in a clear voice, "I've been looking for this place for ages, and here it is."

Ace narrowed his eyes slightly: "Who are you? Do you need something?"

The silver-haired man did not answer directly, but instead leaped off the roof and landed lightly in the alley, only five steps away from the two of them.

This distance is dangerous in combat, and both Ace and Deuce tensed up at the same time.

"Let me introduce myself," Norton said with a smile. "You can call me King. As for why I'm here..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ace for a moment before saying, "I'd like to invite you to join my pirate crew."

...

Meanwhile, at the naval police station in Rogge town.

"What did you say?! Norton's crew's ship has appeared in the harbor?!"

A roar came from inside the office, startling the guards outside the door.

In the office, Colonel Smoker slammed his fist on the desk, and a tiny crack appeared on the heavy solid wood surface.

The two cigars in his mouth burned fiercely due to his excitement, and the smoke almost filled the entire room.

"Yes, yes! The lookout confirmed the flag! It's a silver skull and crossbones flag with crisscrossing scepters and kings, exactly matching the design on the wanted poster!"

The soldier who was reporting stood at attention, his voice trembling slightly.

Smoker's face was terribly grim.

The bandage on his right arm was still in place—it was a wound from the last raid on Norton in the Baratie Sea.

What angered him even more was that his beloved weapon, the Jitte, was also taken away by Norton in that battle!

"Tashigi!" Smoker roared, "Prepare to attack! We can't let him escape this time!"

"Wait a moment, Colonel Smoker!"

At the office door, Tashigi, a young female navy officer wearing round-framed glasses, strode in.

Holding a stack of documents, her face was full of worry: "Smokers! Your injuries haven't healed yet! And the enemy is a formidable foe capable of defeating you and three branch colonels working together. It's too dangerous to launch an attack rashly!"

"Danger?" Smoker sneered, his short white hair standing on end. "As a Marine, capturing pirates is my duty! Besides, that guy stole my Jitte! This disgrace must be washed away by his capture!"

"But..." Tashigi wanted to persuade her further.

For some reason, Mr. Smoker, who is usually calm, becomes irrational and manic whenever he hears the name Norton!

Just then, the Den Den Mushi on the desk suddenly rang.

"Brubrubrubru—"

Smoker grabbed the microphone impatiently: "Who is it?!"

Den Den Mushi's expression turned serious, and it opened its mouth, letting out a gruff voice: "Smoker, you're still got a temper."

Smoker was taken aback: "Vice Admiral... Vice Admiral Garp?"

Upon hearing the name, Tashigi and the reporting soldier simultaneously straightened their backs.

Monkey D. Garp, a naval hero, is a name that represents legend in the Navy.

"I heard that Norton has already arrived in Loguetown?"

Garp's voice came through the Den Den Mushi, and in the background there seemed to be the sound of waves and some kind of chewing sound—probably eating senbei.

"Yes! I'm preparing to make the arrest!" Smoker said in a deep voice.

"Don't be impulsive." Garp's tone was unusually serious. "That kid is strong! My ship was capsized by his pet, and I'm heading full speed ahead to Loguetown. Your task now is to keep an eye on him and prevent him from escaping over sea. Once I arrive, I'll personally capture him!"

Smoker gritted his teeth: "But Mr. Karp, I..."

"That's an order, Colonel Smoker."

Karp interrupted him, "I know you want to get your weapon back, but don't let your emotions cloud your judgment!"

Silence filled the office.

Smoker clenched his fist so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palm.

A few seconds later, he took a deep breath, white smoke billowing from his nostrils: "...Understood. I will monitor his movements and await your arrival."

"Very good. It will probably take another half day. In the meantime, don't let that kid leave Loguetown."

The Den Den Mushi hung up, and the office returned to silence.

Smoker slowly sat back in his chair, his face still grim, but the impulsiveness in his eyes had subsided somewhat.

He looked at Tashigi: "Notify all on-duty naval personnel to increase patrols throughout the ports and towns. But remember—don't alert them. Until Vice Admiral Garp arrives, we will only monitor, not act."

"Yes, sir!" Tashigi and the soldier saluted simultaneously.

...

On the other side of town, the commercial district is bustling with activity at its busiest time of day.

Nami and Funing walked out of a clothing store hand in hand, each carrying large bags and small packages.

Nami changed into an orange and white dress, and her hair was still tied in her signature ponytail.

Fu Ning opted for a smart nautical outfit: a dark blue jacket paired with white trousers and a belt around her waist.

"How about this one?" Nami held up a light yellow top and held it up in front of her.

"It suits you very well," Fu Ning said with a smile, then lowered her voice, "But Nami, haven't we bought too much? The White Pearl still needs repairs, and our budget might be..."

"Don't worry!" Nami blinked, a sly smile spreading across her face. "I'm really good at negotiating! Look at this, it originally cost 3,000 Berries, but I bought it for 1,500!"

Fu Ning shook her head helplessly, but her eyes were full of smiles.

Since joining the Norton Pirates, she hadn't been able to go shopping so easily in a long time.

While serving the Duke, I had everything I wanted, but I wasn't as free as I am now. I often had to attend noble events and gatherings, and socialize with people I didn't want to see.

"Let's go check out that over there!" Nami pointed to a jewelry store on the street corner. "I want to buy a new necklace!"

As the two were about to cross the street, they suddenly heard a familiar voice behind them.

"Make way! Make way! The ingredients need to get through!"

Looking back, Zeff, along with Sanji and Paddy, were pushing three carts piled high with goods.

The cart was piled high with vegetables, meat, flour, and various seasonings, like a small mountain.

"Mr. Zeff!" Funing greeted him, "You bought so much!"

Zeff wiped the sweat from his brow: "Feeding three thousand people is no joke. This is just the first batch; we'll have to come again this afternoon."

Sanji, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, couldn't help but glance at Nami and Funing, especially when he saw the shopping bags in the two ladies' hands; he immediately flashed a fawning smile.

"Ladies, would you like some help with your things? It's a gentleman's pleasure to serve you."

"No need, thank you." Nami waved her hand, and Funing politely declined with a smile.

Paddy muttered to himself, "That perverted kappa's at it again..."

Zeff kicked Paddy: "Stop talking nonsense and get the goods back. We still need to buy dried fish and pickled vegetables this afternoon, that's the real money."

Watching the three push the cart away, Nami sighed, "That must have been tough. For a pirate crew of three thousand, just feeding them is a huge problem."

"Yes," Fu Ning nodded.

At this point, the two looked at each other and saw the worry in each other's eyes.

"I wonder if the Navy has noticed our arrival," Nami said in a low voice.

"Who cares? King's here, isn't he?" Fu Ning brushed a strand of white hair from her ear and gave a reassuring smile.

...

At the Ipponmatsu weapon shop, Zoro was facing the scene he had always dreamed of.

Dozens of swords were displayed on the rack, ranging from ordinary standard-issue knives to meticulously forged masterpieces, their metallic sheen gleaming coldly under the dim lighting of the shop. The air was filled with the scent of polishing oil and the distinctive aroma of steel.

"Boss! I want to buy a knife!"

The shop owner, Ipponmatsu, was a balding middle-aged man with a snobbish smile: "You said you want to buy knives? How many do you want?"

"Two." Zoro's gaze swept over the row of swords, finally settling on two swords with different designs. "That one, that one, let me see it."

Ipponmatsu hesitated for a moment before taking down the sword and placing it on the counter: "Sir, these two swords are not cheap. This 'Yubashiri' is one of the fifty finest swords. This 'Oni-tetsu' is only a fine sword, but its craftsmanship is exquisite, and it costs 500,000 yen."

Zoro's eyes lit up. He picked up the snow-white blade and drew it. The blade was like a mirror, reflecting his serious face.

"A fine knife," he said softly.

Zoro pulled a money pouch from his pocket and placed it heavily on the counter.

The money bag made a dull, metallic clanging sound.

One of the coins was opened and glanced at when it was immediately widened in surprise.

Inside, gold bars and pewter coins were neatly stacked, their value definitely exceeding five million.

"Is this enough?"

"Enough, enough, enough!" Ippon-matsu nodded hurriedly, his attitude immediately becoming respectful. "The customer has excellent taste! I'll wrap it up for you right away!"

Instead of paying immediately, Zoro picked up the sword called "Okitetsu" and examined it closely.

The knife had a beautiful curve, and the scabbard was engraved with ancient patterns. But for some reason, when his hand gripped the hilt, a chill ran up his palm.

"This sword..." Zoro frowned.

"Ah, there's something I need to tell you about this Onikiri," Ipponmatsu said in a low voice. "It's said to be a cursed sword, bringing misfortune to its owner. Several previous buyers have met with accidents, so..."

"A cursed sword?" Zoro laughed instead. "Interesting. Then I want it even more."

He likes knives with character!

Just then, a commotion broke out outside the shop.

Through the shop window, Zoro saw several pirates dressed in Norton Pirates uniforms surrounding a fruit stand, seemingly arguing.

His eyes turned cold.

After paying, Zoro carefully tied the three swords to his waist and strode out of the weapon shop.

The weight of the new sword made him feel at ease, but what concerned him more was the behavior of those pirates.

"Feed." Zoro walked up to the fruit stand, his voice not loud, but it made the pirates turn their heads at the same time.

"Lord Zoro!" One of the pirates recognized him and immediately stood up straight.

"What happened?"

Zoro looked at the stall owner, then at the fruit scattered on the stall, and asked, "What are you doing?"

"N-nothing!"

The other pirate quickly explained, "We just came to buy fruit and accidentally knocked over the stall... We'll pay for it right away! We'll pay for it right away!"

Zoro stared at them for a few seconds, until cold sweat broke out on the pirates' foreheads, before slowly nodding: "Remember King's rules. You have to pay for what you buy, and you can't harass civilians."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Zoro watched as the pirates hurriedly packed up their stall, paid compensation, and apologized before turning to leave.

But he didn't go far. Instead, he jumped onto the roof of a nearby building, sat cross-legged, placed the newly bought knife across his lap, and began to close his eyes and rest.

From this vantage point, he could overlook most of the street.

No rule-breaking behavior escapes his notice.

In the shadows further away, Sanosuke's figure stood silently.

He saw Sauron's actions, nodded slightly, and then quietly blended into the crowd to continue the surveillance mission Norton had assigned him.

On the surface, Rogge remains peaceful.

The pirates landed in batches, strolling around, shopping, and drinking, just like ordinary townspeople.

But those with keen senses have already noticed an unusual tension in the air.

The White Pearl in the harbor was like a sleeping giant, quietly anchored.

At the naval base, soldiers were frequently being moved around.

In the business district, some are making purchases, while others are monitoring.

But in that inconspicuous narrow alley, the conversation had only just begun.