"Who are these three?"
Bogart eyed the Hancock sisters curiously, noting they weren't in cages. "Friends of yours?"
"Yeah, friends." Moses nodded. "Cellmates from the same prison block. A bit dim, but otherwise alright."
Bogart looked exasperated. "Color me impressed. You managed to pick up three pretty girls in the blink of an eye."
Moses shot him a glare. "Keep talking and see what happens."
Choked by Moses' retort, Bogart coughed before asking, "So, how do you plan to settle your... prison friends?"
"Ask them." Moses turned to the visibly nervous Hancock. "Well? You wanna stay here waiting for their arrangements, or come upstairs with me for some fun?"
Hancock stole a cautious glance at Bogart before whispering, "Are you Marines?"
Moses: "He is, I'm not. I'm just a freeloader tagging along for some extra cash."
After some hesitation, Hancock bit her lip and finally blurted out, "W-won't he arrest me?"
"Hey!" Moses stepped forward, crooking his finger to beckon Hancock closer. Though hesitant, she leaned down obediently. Moses whispered in her ear:
"Got any bounties on your head?"
"No." Hancock's eyes lit up as she pulled back slightly, her beautiful gaze meeting Moses'. "I'm not even a pirate yet! So it's fine then."
Staring at Hancock's adorably clueless expression, Moses smirked and turned to the bewildered Bogart. "This one dreams of being a pirate, but she's not wanted. Was just worried you'd nab her."
Bogart's eye twitched violently. Suppressing the urge to facepalm, he explained through gritted teeth:
"Technically speaking, this girl would be a potential threat. But right now she's just an ordinary civilian, so... not my problem."
"See?" Moses spread his hands at Hancock. "You're nobody special in his eyes. All that worrying for nothing. Bit narcissistic of you."
"Keh keh keh! My deepest apologies for being so vain." Hancock's face darkened with a strained laugh that gradually turned watery. Then, in a voice barely louder than a mosquito's:
"Thank you..."
Moses clicked his tongue, observing the future Pirate Empress's vulnerable state. Standing on tiptoe, he patted her shoulder:
"Quit being so damn shy! If you're gonna thank someone, say it loud! Who's gonna hear that mumbling? Dummy."
Her flat chest heaved. Glaring at this bratty boy a full head shorter than her, Hancock clenched her fists and swung at him.
Noticing the attack,
Moses backflipped out of range, only for Hancock to pursue with another punch.
"You little shit! I'll kill you! Stand still!"
"Missed me~ Missed me again~ Dumbass Hancock~"
"AAAH!!! You called me stupid again! I'm NOT stupid! Toritoma says I'm smart! STOP RUNNING!!"
The two darted around the cramped space until Moses seized an opening. As Hancock overcommitted, he leapt up and kicked her square in the butt, sending her tumbling onto her younger sisters.
Bogart watched the spectacle with an amused grin, his lips quirking into an auntie's doting smile. "Ah, youth..."
Watching Moses run up the stairs, the Hancock sisters immediately gave chase behind him.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Bogart's eyes—Toritoma? The current ruler of the Kuja? But it had been quite a while since she'd last appeared on the seas.
So these three girls were from the Kuja tribe?
"Meh, they don't have bounties anyway. Why should I care?"
Bogart couldn't be bothered to think further. He glanced back at the prison cells behind him, leaving a casual "Rest up first, we'll deal with you tomorrow" before chasing after them.
The ship's corridor was now in complete shambles, with slave hunters strewn across the floor in disarray, blood pooling everywhere.
Moses stepped carefully on the blood-free sections of the floor as he walked down the passage, with the Hancock sisters unconsciously slowing their pace behind him.
At a corner,
a burly man lay in a pool of blood, his chest bearing a sword wound so deep it nearly cleaved him in half. The man was already lifeless. Bogart caught up and remarked indifferently:
"That's Razor Hand Jackx. I was in a hurry earlier, so I might've used too much force. Didn't expect him to be so fragile—couldn't even take one hit. Didn't actually plan to kill him."
Moses gave Bogart a strange look. "If he weren't already dead, hearing that might just finish him off. Never took you for such a savage talker."
"And who do you think I was rushing for? If not for worrying about you brat, why would I be in such a hurry?" Bogart retorted with an exasperated laugh:
"Normally, dangerous Devil Fruit users like him would be sent to Impel Down. Wouldn't let him die this easily."
Moses turned the corner ahead and spotted a newly revealed room—decorated with obvious care, unmistakably the captain's quarters.
"Hancock, could you three help loot the treasures from those slave hunters outside? Thanks."
Hancock frowned. When under someone else's roof, lowering one's head wasn't unreasonable. Though of course, that wasn't the only reason:
"...Fine."
She then shot a glare at Moses before leading her two sisters to scavenge the battlefield. Menial tasks like these weren't unfamiliar—she'd done similar work on Kuja ships before.
Entering the room with Bogart, they began a thorough search, rummaging through every nook. Soon, three chests—large, medium, and small—were uncovered.
Opening the small one first, they were greeted by stacks of gleaming gold bars.
"Damn, these guys were loaded. This chest alone must hold at least eighty million Belly."
"Happy?" Moses smirked. "There's still two more. Save the celebration till we've opened them all."
The medium chest was packed full with ledgers and transaction records—useless junk to Moses.
The large chest contained an arsenal of firearms, each wrapped in oiled paper and brand new. While useless to Moses, Bogart looked pleased.
This was hard currency after all.
Moses didn't mind—they could just convert the difference with gold later.
Their side venture had struck it rich, and both took their shares without qualms.
Moses didn't mention anything about handling the Slave Hunter Ship.
After another sweep of the vessel yielded no further surprises, they regrouped on the deck.
The slave hunters they'd dealt with were piled unceremoniously together, ready to be dumped into distant waters once they set sail tomorrow.
Even fish would be getting the better end of the deal with this trash.
Also, the Belly that the human trafficker named Shirley had taken from Moses was now back in Moses' possession.
Moses counted his Belly.
Bogart took a drag from his cigarette and looked at Moses. "So, are you going back to sleep on the warship, or are you staying here with me?"
Moses glanced at him. "I have no intention of sleeping next to corpses. You can sleep here alone. I'll send some people to help you tomorrow."
Without another word to Bogart, Moses walked to the side of the ship, lowered a rope ladder, and climbed down effortlessly.
Three little shadows followed behind him, leaving Bogart both amused and exasperated.
As they walked along the harbor,
Moses asked, "What are your plans? Do you have a way to contact your people from Amazon Lily?"
Hancock walked beside Moses and nodded. "I remember the Den Den Mushi number for our ship. Could you lend me a Den Den Mushi?"
Moses agreed. "Sure, come with me to the warship then."
"Moses... can I call you Moses?" After a while, Hancock spoke up nervously as they walked. "Thank you for saving us."
"Now you remember to thank me properly. What took you so long?" Moses chuckled. "Of course you can. Haven't I been calling you Hancock all this time? Names are meant to be used."
They chatted idly along the way, and soon the four of them arrived at the docked warship. After greeting the sailor on duty, Moses led them to Garp's room—which also served as his temporary quarters.
Garp hadn't returned yet.
It seemed he wouldn't be back tonight.
Moses brought Hancock to the desk and handed her the pink-and-white Den Den Mushi. He watched as she dialed the number and excitedly spoke with her companions on the other end.
About ten minutes later,
the call ended.
Hancock finally relaxed, her face breaking into a bright smile as her whole demeanor became noticeably livelier.
"I've arranged everything. They're currently near the waters of Water 7. I told them we'd meet there tomorrow."
At this, Hancock looked slightly embarrassed, her cheeks tinged pink. "Moses, could you help me one more time? Will you be passing by Water 7 tomorrow?"
"What if we aren't?"
"Then we'll just take a merchant ship there tomorrow," Hancock said helplessly.
"Fine, since you look so pitiful, I'll give you a ride." Moses didn't mention that they were already planning to pass by Water 7 tomorrow. Though he hadn't discussed it with Garp, he doubted the man would refuse. Hancock looked puzzled. "Won't it delay you?"
Moses: "It's on the way."
Hancock: "You jerk."
Watching Hancock flustered, her two younger sisters giggled quietly.
Growl—
The sound of stomachs rumbling filled the air, and all three girls blushed in embarrassment. As the eldest, Hancock spoke up. "We haven't eaten properly these past few days. Now that we're relaxed, we're hungry. Do you have any food here?"
Moses sighed. "The cooks all went out to have fun. Come on, I'll take you out to eat. I could use another bite myself."
The four of them left the warship and enjoyed a hearty meal at the night market. After eating their fill, they realized how dirty their clothes were. Feeling generous, Moses took them shopping for new outfits—after they promised to repay him tenfold.
A hotel.
Literally named "A Hotel," Moses paid while Hancock booked a luxurious double room.
Two bedrooms, one living room, with a bathroom and toilet.
The four took turns washing up. Moses went first, then returned to his room to sleep. The Hancock sisters bathed together, and the three of them shared one room—fortunately, the bed was large enough.
The night passed without incident.
...
The next day.
Moses woke up early.
He jogged around the harbor, stopping by the warship at one point to gather fifteen marines and head to the Slave Hunter Ship. He bought breakfast, bringing a portion for Bogart as well.
After watching them open the cages and release the unlucky captives, observing as they meticulously recorded their information and began the resettlement process, Moses took the breakfast to the inn. He ate with the Hancock sisters before accompanying them to the Slave Hunter Ship.
This was Hancock's request—staying on the warship would have felt awkward and might have complicated their eventual reunion with the Kuja.
On the Slave Hunter Ship, they found Garp, who had been away all night.
Moses didn't react much, but Hancock was momentarily stunned.
She hadn't realized that the warship they boarded the previous night belonged to Garp.
The moment they met, Garp walked over with an indescribable expression.
"Moses, you were quite active last night, weren't you? You really made your grandpa proud."
Garp's rough hand landed on Moses' head, ruffling his hair before gripping his waist and lifting him up. In a dizzying spin, Moses found himself perched on Garp's arm.
Flushing with embarrassment, Moses sighed. "Gramps, there are so many people here. Can you not carry me like this? I'm not a kid anymore."
As he spoke, he noticed the Hancock sisters standing in a corner of the deck, stifling giggles.
Garp paused, then shot a knowing glance at the three before smirking at Moses. "If you're not a brat, then who is? Who's the youngest person on this ship?"
With that, he bellowed to the marines on deck, "Hey, all of you—stop for a second! Tell me, who's the littlest brat on this ship?"
Silence fell.
Then, in the next moment, countless eyes turned their way—not just the marines, but also the unlucky captives gathered on deck for registration.
A few seconds later.
Someone burst out laughing first, and like a virus, roaring laughter erupted in waves.
"Pfft—ha! Who else but little Moses?"
"Exactly, exactly! The youngest brat here is definitely little Moses!"
"Giggle, Moses is so funny. He looks so dumb being carried like that."
Moses' face burned red, but he took a deep breath, invoking the Unity of Heaven and Man to suppress his discomfort.
Perched on Garp's arm, he gazed down at the crowd with the detached clarity of someone observing idiots, his voice clear and childlike:
"Are you all morons? What's so funny? Are your brains filled with nothing but amoebas?"
Silence again.
Then—
"Little Moses' voice is kinda nice. Swearing suits him."
"Hey, Moses, say it again! I wanna hear more!"
"Yeah, yeah! That look you just gave—like we're all bugs—was perfect!"
Nearby, Hancock blinked. For some reason, she found Moses' scolding demeanor incredibly cool. If she were up there, looking down and cursing like that...
"It'd feel amazing, wouldn't it?"
A smirk curled at the corner of his lips as he gazed at Moses with amusement, as if trying to permanently etch the man's current expression into his memory.
Moses turned to look at Garp with an indescribable expression. "Old man, who did these idiots learn this foolishness from? I've heard people always admire strength, haven't they?"
Garp nodded, his eyes filled with confusion. "Is that so?"
But then he suddenly realized something was off. Staring fixedly at Moses, the corner of his mouth twitched violently. "You little brat, are you insulting me?"
Moses sighed helplessly. "How could I ever bring myself to insult you? Don't you know? You're one of the two people I respect most in this world."
Garp immediately beamed with delight.
Bogart, who was preparing for their voyage nearby, facepalmed with a dark expression. "This level of intelligence is truly unmatched."
Soon after, Garp returned to the warship while Moses and Bogart remained on shore.
With all preparations complete, the warship led the way with the Slave Hunter Ship following behind, riding the ocean currents toward their destination.