"Cook, thank you for the bag!"
The four of them, full and satisfied, gripped the large sack of gold and continued toward the shop where they could exchange it.
"Nom, nom..."
Luffy marched ahead, carrying a hefty hunk of meat and chewing as he walked toward the water.
"This way, over here!"
Luffy led; Shirogai followed with a calm smile. He and Usopp shouldered the heavy sack of gold together while Nami scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
They wound through the winding canals of Water 7 until they reached a narrow dead end.
"Huh? There's no road ahead, only waterways. How do we cross?"
Usopp peered at the dead end, annoyance furrowing his brow.
"Luffy, you said you knew the way!"
Nami puffed her cheeks and glared at him.
"Hehe, I just follow my instincts," Luffy replied, grinning.
"Ah, tourists from out of town."
Not far off, an old man with a white beard folded his newspaper and peered up, a sly smile tugging at his mouth.
"If you want to continue, you'll need to ride one of these bulls," he said.
"Nami asked, curious, "Bulls?"
"They're Yagara Bulls," the old man explained. On the water, a small two-seater boat was hooked to a seahorse-like creature that bobbed patiently as someone fed it. "Your friend already picked one, it seems."
Nami stared. "When did you get on that thing?"
Shirogai smiled, unruffled. He just jumped on. Didn't give the creature time to react.
Luffy was rubbing meat into the bull's mouth; the creature seemed to enjoy the savory treat and snorted happily.
"So we ride them across, right?"
Usopp eyed the compact creature skeptically. "Are those things reliable? They won't dump us midstream, will they?"
The old man waved a hand dismissively. "Don't worry. Bulls are strong, they can even haul heavier cargo without trouble."
He was thinking about their wealth in a different way.
A beautiful woman, a long-nosed liar, a silly hat-wearer, and a smiling, easy-to-bully fellow—what easy marks. The old man hid a greedy calculation beneath his cordial expression. He arranged three small bull-powered boats and his eyes glittered.
"Four bulls for rental, eighty thousand Berries. Purchase price, one million Berries."
"Eh?"
Nami's hand tightened on her purse. "That's ridiculous. You're ripping us off."
"Young lady, those are the standard rates," the man lied, putting on an offended look as if his offer had been questioned.
Nami's instincts from underworld dealing flared. This man was trying to cheat them. She turned toward Luffy, who was still on the bull, and called out.
"Luffy, we're not renting from him. Let's check somewhere else."
The man's smile vanished. He snorted and for a moment his amiable façade hardened into menace. He clapped once, twice.
At the claps, nearby shutters rattled open. A dozen burly men with weapons stepped out and surrounded the group.
"Kid, you'll rent, whether you want to or not," the old man growled, hoping intimidation would force compliance.
Nami's expression didn't flicker with fear. Instead, a sly, wicked smile curved her lips. "How convenient. Then we won't have to pay at all."
She leaned back, hiding behind Shirogai, and motioned toward the old man. "Shirogai, take care of them."
The thugs scoffed when they saw who Nami had indicated. They laughed, cruel and loud.
"This pretty boy? He looks scrawny. Think he could stand up to one of us?"
"Lady, why don't you come with us? We can offer more than he ever could."
Shirogai rolled his sleeves with the same easy smile he always wore.
"Gentlemen, I'm not much of a fighter. Please be gentle."
The response was predictable. Menacing grins, brandished pipes and clubs. One of them swung a metal pipe at Shirogai's head.
Bang.
One minute later the alley made an unambiguous argument.
"Big sister, big brother, have a good journey," the beaten old man croaked, face bruised and singed, half his beard scorched as he kowtowed and watched the four leave on the bulls.
The thugs were, frankly, lodged in the wall where they'd been knocked: dazed, groaning, and very still.
Nami laughed as she guided their bull across the canal. "Feels great not having to spend the money."
"That was brutal," Usopp muttered, twitching at the sight of the men behind them, the heads of a few firmly pressed into masonry courtesy of Shirogai. "Will the authorities come after us? We still need to find someone to fix the Going Merry, and a shipwright who shares our ideals—"
"A five-meter-tall shipwright!" Luffy interrupted, meat still in his mouth, dreaming of a hulking craftsman.
"It won't be a problem," Shirogai said with a small smile. "What they were doing wasn't exactly lawful. If the local magistrates investigate, those men will answer for it."
Usopp dabbed his sweating brow and relaxed a little. "Phew. First, find a shipwright. Second, repair the Going Merry. Third, recruit a skilled carpenter."
Behind them, in a dim storeroom, the old man called into a Den Den Mushi, voice trembling.
"They beat us, they took our bulls—"
A shadowed figure shouted back across the line. "You were extorting them? How dare you touch someone under Franky Family protection! We'll handle this. They won't get away with it!"
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