They all exit and disembark the Miss Love Duck. Ben sees Maya and Izaya waiting on the land. They approached them. "Hello Grandma Izaya and Maya," Ben greeted.
"You should be more respectful to your elders," Izaya replied.
"Hello Captain, I am sorry I was not with you tonight," Maya said, looking down twiddling her thumbs.
"There is nothing to apologise for," Ben replied.
"But she broke the rule," Zala jokes.
"Yes my love, the rule," Alvida added. She had a smile on her face.
"Rule?" Maya blushed. During the girls' talk they mentioned there was a tradition to be in the Captain`s bed. She thought it was crazy but he was good looking and kind, she wanted to wait for a bit.
Ben knew what they were talking about. "That is not a rule," Ben replied.
Izaya looked at Maya who was blushing. Her granddaughter who was usually louder but she seems quieter around him. She looked at Ben. "You better not hurt her," she warned.
"I won't," Ben responded. Ben changed the topic. "So how is the venue search going?" Ben asked.
"We have found a suitable location," Maya replied.
"Yes, the old guy died a few weeks ago and it has been abandoned for now," Izaya added.
"Why has no one else bought it yet?" Zala asked.
"The paperwork was being processed and that took longer since Saga was not himself," Maya responded.
"Saga is the mayor?" Conis asked.
"No but any paper approval for a property would require Navy officer approval," Maya responded.
"This is interesting," Mikita said.
"Shall we go and see the building?" Izaya asked.
"Yes," they all said in unison. Izaya led the group towards the main town. Ben and Maya walked together.
"How are you feeling?" Ben asked.
"A bit nervous," Maya replied.
"We all were nervous when we first joined," Nojiko responded.
"It is different leaving where you have grown up and then sailing the sea," Conis replied.
"You have come from the sky so everything must be different," Kaya said.
"It is but I have good friends and Ben to be with me," Conis said.
"Ben gets a different category," Raki teased.
Conis looked down. The other girls knew what she was feeling.
They walked for a few minutes and arrived at their destination. They saw a charming restaurant. The building was well-maintained, with a fresh coat of paint.. There were large, gleaming windows which allowed passersby to peer inside.
The restaurant had wooden tables and chairs arranged neatly, with colourful tablecloth. There was a soft light from the vintage chandeliers. Potted plants dotted in the corners. The walls had photos of the island and the goddess of the island. There was a wooden counter at the back.
Outside, a small patio area with wrought-iron tables and chairs shaded by large umbrellas.
They all entered the cafe and had big smiles on their faces. "My love, this place is nice and perfect for our dreams," Alvida commented.
"The brown interior looks good and inviting," Zala remarked.
"The atmosphere is quite charming. I wonder how many spiders are here," Robin said.
"There are no spiders," Izaya shouted.
"It is nice and charming and could be fun to work here," Raki responded.
"It's picturesque. I love the vintage chandeliers and the artwork on the walls. It adds a personal touch," Kay added.
"This place looks fun," Saphir commented.
"This restaurant has such a warm and friendly feel. I think people will love coming here," Vivi added.
"The interior is so cozy. The counter looks clean," Conis commented.
"This feels nice for this town where most are on stills," Mikita added.
"It's not in town so we are a bit further away from the shoreline but close enough," Ben said.
"It is the perfect distance between the two towns and Maya`s village," Zala said.
"I think it will be a wonderful experience working here, even if it's just for a quest," Honey remarked. She nodded at Raki.
"The large windows are a great touch," Nojiko said, looking through the window.
"It is an amazing place," Marianne commented.
"So I guess everyone likes this place?" Ben asked.
"Yes," they all said. The girls all looked happy. Maya even joined in.
"Izaya, we will purchase this place," Ben said firmly, his eyes set on the restaurant for his crew, for their dreams.
"We will not accept that," Izaya replied with equal determination.
Ben looked at her, puzzled. "But why?" Vivi asked.
Izaya sighed, her expression softening. "We would give it to you for free. You have saved the women of our village; their lives could have been ruined forever. You saved our Marines who fell to the curse. We owe you so much," she responded.
"Grandma is right," Maya chimed in. "We want to gift this to you as a token of our gratitude," she continued.
Ben smiled, appreciating the sentiment but remaining resolute. "I appreciate it, but I insist on buying this place," he replied.
"You don't back down easily, do you?" Izaya remarked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.
"You should know me by now," Ben responded with a grin.
Izaya chuckled. "Fine, you can purchase it," she said.
"Could someone inform HQ to arrange the money for the purchase?" Ben asked, looking around at his crew.
"I can go, my love," Alvida volunteered, stepping forward with a confident smile.
Ben nodded, his gaze filled with admiration. "Thank you, Alvida," Ben responded.
"Do you need help?" Kaya asked.
"No, HQ is there, she would help me," Alvida said.
"Ben, do you think it is a wise idea to buy in our names?" Robin asked.
"What do you mean?" Saphir asked.
"We are wanted pirates with high bounties, Alvida and Ben both have 100.000.000 berry Beli each. This makes us a infamous wanted crew," Robin explained.
"That type of attention usually brings trouble," Zala added.
"Then we can't buy it?" Marianne said. She looked upset.
"No, it would mean, we can't buy it in our names," Ben responded.
Maya looked at the crew, her crew. "Grandma Izaya, can you purchase it in your name?" Maya requested. The other girls looked eager
Izaya smiled. "I can't deny my one and only granddaughter`s request," Izaya responded.
"Thank you Grandma Izaya," everyone said.
"What if it came from me?" Ben asked. He had a cheeky smile.
"You need to learn some respect for your elders," Izaya shouted back.
Ben smiled. "Well, Maya is now on my crew, so I guess you would be my mother-in-law," Ben responded.
"Yes," Izaya replied. "You brat," she added. Izaya smiled, seeing her granddaughter being surrounded by friendly folks.