Rogers's face darkened as he pointed at the still-drowsy Yaro.
"This guy already has a 10 million bounty on his head…"
"What should I even say to you, Rogers-nii?" Aiqi puffed up her cheeks, clearly annoyed.
"You're a captain with no money to build a ship, and now even your crewmate has a higher bounty than you?"
"Hey… it's not like I wanted this…" Rogers was close to tears. He really might be the most pathetic pirate captain out there.
"Huh? What's going on?" Yaro blinked sleepily, just waking up.
"Since you're wanted, you'll stay here and guard the boat later," Aiqi said firmly, already making her own plans. "And make sure you watch over my things carefully—especially that big bag!"
"Oh, okay, I promise I'll do it!" Yaro replied half-asleep, still lost in the dream where he had defeated Mihawk.
With Rogers doing most of the rowing alone, the small boat finally reached the shore, mooring some distance away from a pirate ship. Rogers drove a wooden stake into the ground and tied the boat securely.
"Rogers-nii, I'm ready!" Aiqi emerged from the cabin, carrying a box, her eyes sparkling with excitement. It looked more like she was heading on a shopping trip than shipbuilding—plus, it was just her and Rogers together. A "date," almost.
"Alright, let's go. Yaro, don't forget—you must watch the ship carefully!" Rogers reminded him. Yaro lazily raised a hand in acknowledgment, still half in dreamland.
"Here, let me carry the box for you," Rogers offered, trying to be gentlemanly.
"No way! This is the money, and I can't let you hold it!" Aiqi dodged back, clutching the box protectively. "Melo-neesan said that money must always be in a woman's hands!"
Rogers felt like crying. "So… we just go straight to the shipbuilders, then?"
"Nope. First we need to buy more supplies. The others gave us a few barrels of rum and crates of food, but you've nearly eaten them all already!" Aiqi shot him a look like he was some kind of monster.
Rogers gave a bitter smile. He always had a big appetite, and after eating the Dark-Dark Fruit it seemed even bigger. "I can't help it—I'm always starving!"
At least the upside was that he could clearly feel his strength growing.
The two chatted as they walked into town. Rogers grew more and more excited—the closer they got, the closer he was to having his new ship.
"Should we head straight for a shipyard?" Rogers asked impatiently.
"No, first we should stop by a tavern and gather information. We're new here, after all," Aiqi said thoughtfully.
"Perfect, so we eat first! Zehahaha!" Rogers grinned widely.
"Idiot! The important thing is the information, not the food!" Aiqi sighed helplessly.
The town was lively, with patrols of Marines walking the streets. Rogers was startled—when did Marines get so diligent?
Most townsfolk looked like ordinary residents, unarmed. They gave Rogers and Aiqi curious glances but nothing more.
Soon they found a restaurant and stepped inside. Business was average, maybe because it wasn't a mealtime.
"Boss, what's good to eat here?" Rogers strode up to the counter and asked directly.
"Buro Island doesn't have much in the way of specialty dishes," the owner replied, smiling. "But we have plenty of forests, so there's a lot of game. Beast meat here is especially good—want to try?"
"Wait, how did you know we're not locals?" Aiqi asked, curious. The man had pegged them as outsiders right away.
"I've run this place for decades. I can tell these things at a glance." The old owner chuckled, wrinkles deepening.
"Zehahaha! Then bring us a few plates of beast meat!" Rogers laughed. A real man should eat meat!
"And a few bottles of rum too… Rogers-nii, you can't just eat meat alone," Aiqi added helplessly.
"Of course." The owner nodded and went to give the order. Soon he returned with bottles of liquor.
Rogers grabbed one, drinking straight from it. Aiqi, much more ladylike, asked for a cup and sipped slowly.
"You two must be here to build a ship, right?" the owner asked, polishing cups with his ever-present smile.
"That's right!" Rogers replied, setting down his drink.
"You're really sharp at reading people," Aiqi praised him.
"It's nothing. Out of all the outsiders who come here, eight or nine out of ten are for shipbuilding," the owner said, but his smile slowly faded, his tone heavy.
"What's wrong with that? Building ships for us brings you money," Rogers said, frowning in confusion.
"True—it should be a good thing," the owner sighed, setting down the cup. "But ever since the new king took the throne half a year ago, things have changed."
"What happened?" Aiqi leaned forward, her pretty brows knitting together, curiosity burning.
"Since you're here for a ship, I'll tell you. The new king made an agreement with the World Government: from now on, this island will no longer build ships for pirates."
Both Rogers and Aiqi froze, their drinking halted. They looked at each other in shock.
"What? Just… no ships for pirates anymore?" Aiqi's eyes narrowed, and she nudged Rogers to speak.
"So what's the king thinking?" Rogers asked stiffly.
"Who knows? Stupid if you ask me," the owner said bitterly.
A waiter brought out a platter of beast meat, which the owner set before them. "If pirates can't buy ships, doesn't that just leave the Marines and the Government with all the benefits?"
"Uh-oh…" Rogers broke into a cold sweat. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?
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T/N:
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