Yun Lie and Smoker chatted for a long time.
The coffee on the table had long since gone cold, and the cigar in Smoker's hand had lit and extinguished multiple times, but no matter how logically the Marine Captain tried to persuade him, Yun Lie remained unmoved.
However, this seemingly opposing conversation instead fostered a sense of mutual appreciation between the two, leading them to exchange Den Den Mushi and agree to chat again if the opportunity arose in the future.
Before parting, Smoker patted Yun Lie's shoulder and said with a serious expression, "If you encounter any scoundrels in the Marine, be sure to contact me immediately to handle it. After all, you're not a Marine, and acting rashly will lead to a bounty from Marineford."
Yun Lie looked at the sincerity in Smoker's eyes and nodded solemnly; he understood that the Marine Captain was genuinely considering his well-being.
After Yun Lie's figure disappeared around the street corner, Smoker returned to his office and took out a Den Den Mushi from a drawer that had remained in call mode.
The Den Den Mushi's crimson eyes glowed faintly, seemingly silently conveying that the conversation had been fully overheard by the person on the other end.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, you heard it too, right?" Smoker broke the silence first.
The Den Den Mushi's mouth opened and closed, transmitting Sengoku's steady and powerful voice: "Yun Lie having no intention of joining the Marine is within my expectations. Once he enters the Grand Line, he might indirectly help the Marine."
The faint sound of rustling papers came from the Den Den Mushi, as if the Fleet Admiral had not put down his work even while listening to the conversation.
Smoker thought of Captain Nezumi's despicable actions, and his eyes instantly turned cold, saying directly, "Fleet Admiral, Captain Nezumi's matter, leave it to me to handle."
Sengoku was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons, then responded: "You may, but try to capture him alive and personally escort him back to Marineford for final judgment at Enies Lobby!"
He already had a plan in mind; he had been looking for an opportunity to transfer the capable Smoker back to Marineford for focused training. This capture of Captain Nezumi was undoubtedly an excellent opportunity for Smoker to gain merit.
"As long as I bring him back alive?"
A meaningful smile played on Smoker's lips.
Before Sengoku could continue to explain the details, he decisively hung up the phone and then yelled loudly, "Everyone assemble! Prepare for the mission!"
With that, he quickly put on his Marine uniform and strode out of the room with determined eyes, as if he couldn't wait to bring the Marine's parasites to justice.
In the evening, the orange-red sunset dyed the sea a brilliant hue.
Yun Lie had already released the Infinite Space at the gathering point and was standing on the deck, feeling the salty sea breeze on his face, looking at the evening glow in the sky, his thoughts drifting to who knows where.
Just then, Nami's familiar and clear voice suddenly came from the shore: "Yun Lie! We're back!"
Yun Lie looked in the direction of the voice and saw Nami and Nojiko walking side by side at the forefront, both with excited smiles on their faces.
Behind them, dozens of burly men pulled carriages piled high with boxes of all sizes, a truly impressive sight.
He knew with a glance of his perception that these were supplies the two women had purchased extensively in Loguetown; because there were so many items, the shopkeepers had sent people to deliver them.
"Coming."
Yun Lie shook his head helplessly, yet with a doting smile, he quickly went down the ship to help guide the Handling.
Once all the supplies were on the deck, those men received their final payment from Nami and then left one after another.
At this moment, Yun Lie noticed a purple-haired girl standing beside Nami, who was nervously tugging at her clothes, her eyes curious and slightly uneasy as she looked around.
Yun Lie couldn't help but ask, "Who are you? Why aren't you leaving yet?"
Nami quickly pulled the girl's hand, her eyes sparkling as she introduced, "This is my good friend Karina. I want to invite her onto the ship; she sings exceptionally well."
Only then did Yun Lie realize that the beautiful girl in front of him was Karina, who was as famous as Nami and known as the "Little Fox."
Yun Lie gave Karina a thoughtful look, then pulled Nami aside and whispered to her.
It turned out that while Nami and Nojiko were shopping, Karina, feeling an itch, stole Nami's wallet, but Nami immediately discovered and caught her.
What was expected to be a fierce conflict turned into a conversation between the two, who, after some bickering, talked about their experiences over the years as if they were long-lost sisters.
When Karina learned that Nami had retired from her thieving ways and was sailing with Yun Lie, she initially didn't believe it, thinking Nami was blinded by love.
Under Nami's patient persuasion, her curiosity got the better of her, and she followed them onto the ship, wanting to see what was so special about this man who could change Nami.
Yun Lie frowned, saying with some concern, "But Nami, you and Nojiko both... wouldn't it be inconvenient for her to come aboard?"
Nami pouted, pinched his face, and feigned anger, "You were staring at her with your eyes glued, what are you pretending for!"
In fact, she and Nojiko had already discussed it privately. On this vast sea full of unknowns and dangers, having one more reliable companion, one more good sister to look out for each other, was not a bad thing.
Moreover, she knew Karina too well; from the way Karina occasionally stole glances at Yun Lie, she knew Karina had developed a strong interest in him.
Yun Lie awkwardly rubbed his head, arguing, "I was just looking normally, appreciating the beauty of things."
"Forget it, I'll listen to you." Seeing Nami's half-smile, Yun Lie had no choice but to compromise.
Anyway, it wouldn't harm him, and he always trusted Nami's judgment and decisions. Listening to his wife was always the right thing to do.
Nami smiled and took his arm as they walked back.
At this moment, Nojiko and Karina had already divided the supplies into two parts.
Nojiko pointed to the larger pile and said somewhat helplessly, "Yun Lie, the warehouse can't hold these anymore; why don't we put them over there?"
Karina looked at the tall pile of boxes with a puzzled expression. She had just seen the ship's warehouse and indeed it couldn't hold so many things. Just as she was wondering how to solve the problem, she saw Yun Lie slightly raise his hands, and a faint silver light emanated from around him.
He enveloped the supplies with his perception, and in the next second, a silver flash occurred, and the supplies on the deck instantly vanished, as if they had never existed.
Karina's eyes widened, her mouth forming an "O" shape; she couldn't believe what she had just seen, and the magical scene kept replaying in her mind.
"Where? Where did everything go?"
Karina forgot her modesty and quickly scurried over to Yun Lie, fumbling around.
"How can it be gone?"
Karina's face was full of confusion. Having been a thief for so many years, she didn't even know how things had disappeared.
"Karina, not there!"
Nami saw Karina's hand being mischievous, about to touch Yun Lie's lower body, and quickly stopped her.