The shop owner smiled warmly at the blond boy in front of him and said, "Of course, the samples are all free. If you like the taste, you can buy some to take home."
"Great, I won't hold back then." The blond boy grinned and swiftly grabbed one snack after another, stuffing them into his mouth at lightning speed.
His speed left both the shopkeeper and passersby completely dumbfounded.
Yes, the boy shamelessly devouring the snacks was none other than Sabo.
In just a short moment, Sabo had finished all the free samples on the table, his face covered with crumbs from the biscuits and chocolate.
Takumi couldn't help but smile as he watched Sabo. No wonder he was Luffy's sworn brother—his appetite was just as impressive.
"Huh? You ate everything!" The shopkeeper said, half amused, half exasperated.
Standing up straight, Sabo wiped away the crumbs from his mouth with a handkerchief he always carried, his demeanor suddenly elegant. He then politely asked, "Can I open a few more packs for sampling?"
The shopkeeper almost stumbled, clenching his fists in frustration. "Are you going to buy anything, or what?"
"Hey, Sabo, let's go already!" Ivankov, hidden under his hood, appeared next to Takumi and called out to Sabo.
"The Sabaody treats are so good! Ivankov, why don't you buy me a few boxes?" Sabo grumbled as he glanced back at Ivankov. Then, noticing Takumi turning to leave, Sabo froze for a moment. "Wait, aren't you the kid who was getting bullied by those slave traders before? You had a bubble car, right? Did they steal it?"
"No," Takumi replied, uninterested in engaging with Sabo and especially wary of Ivankov, a potential nuisance. "The car got dirty."
"Dirty? So you just got rid of it?" Sabo asked, surprised. "You could have just washed it. Throwing it away seems like a waste."
"Hey, why are you so concerned about other people's business? Hurry up and get moving, or do you need a smack, huh? Wahaha!" Ivankov lunged forward, aiming a punch at Sabo, but Sabo dodged with ease.
Takumi lowered his hat further and continued walking. He'd met Ivankov once in Shimotsuki Village, and before this carefree guy recognized him, it was better to leave.
As Takumi walked farther away, Sabo stood still, silently watching his retreating figure.
Ivankov took another swing at him.
Without even looking, Sabo caught Ivankov's hand mid-air and continued staring after Takumi. "He seems to be avoiding something."
Ivankov pulled his hand free and glanced at Takumi too, confused. "Huh? Avoiding something? What are you talking about?"
Sabo turned to Ivankov. "He lowered his hat when you showed up, and he walked away in the opposite direction. His expression also looked a bit annoyed. If I'm right, he was trying to avoid you."
"Huh?" Ivankov exclaimed in shock. "Why would he avoid me? I don't even know the kid with the hat!"
Sabo shrugged. "I don't know either. It could be a coincidence, though the odds are slim, haha."
"Che!" Ivankov huffed, looking more seriously at Takumi. Though Sabo was only fifteen, his sharp mind and keen observation skills were undeniable. If he said the boy was avoiding them, there was probably some truth to it. "What's his name?"
"I don't know," Sabo replied. "All I know is that his last name is Nakamura."
"Nakamura?" Ivankov rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I only know a few people with the last name Nakamura, and they're all older than that kid… I don't get it. Maybe it's just a coincidence."
Their conversation was too quiet for most people to overhear, especially with the distance between them.
But Takumi heard it loud and clear…
As expected from the future second-in-command of the Revolutionary Army and its chief of staff—Sabo's observational skills were impressive.
It seemed he'd need to be more careful with his actions in the future…
Sabo and Ivankov stood in silence, watching as Takumi disappeared from sight.
After a while, Ivankov couldn't hold back any longer. "He's gone! Why are you still staring? As long as that kid doesn't interfere with us, who cares?"
"It's not that," Sabo said, his expression turning serious.
Ivankov blinked, growing anxious. "What is it? Is there something wrong with our plan?"
Sabo shook his head and turned to Ivankov. "How much money do we have left?"
Ivankov, confused, replied, "Less than fifty thousand Berries. Why?"
"Perfect!" Sabo said, pounding his fist into his palm. "We can buy a hundred boxes of Sabaody's specialty snacks!"
"Huh?" Ivankov's face darkened. He raised his hands and lunged at Sabo. "You little brat! You're dead!"
Sabo sprinted off. "Ivankov, you're so stingy! You won't even buy me a few cookies! I'm still a kid; this is child abuse!"
"I'll give you child abuse! Wahaha! I've never seen such a shameless, sneaky kid!" Ivankov shouted angrily.
Soon, the two of them were out of sight, bickering as they went.
Despite the commotion, their mission still seemed to be progressing smoothly.
Takumi didn't linger any longer either.
He spent most of the day wandering around the Sabaody Archipelago, and by late afternoon, he found himself near a shipyard that was about two-thirds the size of Dock 1 in Water 7.
At that moment, Kaku was busy learning ship repair techniques from the shipwrights.
Enel, meanwhile, sat idly in a wicker chair, legs crossed, resting his head on one hand while tossing an apple up and down with the other. His expression was indifferent as he watched Kaku.
"Hey, it's getting dark!" Enel finally couldn't take it anymore and shouted at Kaku, "You long-nosed bastard! It's time to eat!"
"Hahaha, just give me a minute," Kaku called back, turning to look at Enel before spotting Takumi in the distance. He immediately waved, "Takumi, you're here!"
Hearing this, Enel perked up, catching the apple he'd been tossing. In a flash, he appeared in front of Takumi, grumbling, "Watching them fix ships is so boring. I promise not to cause any trouble here! Can't I just stop following that long-nosed idiot around?"
Takumi glanced at him, unimpressed.
With your personality, do your promises even mean anything?
Ignoring him, Takumi turned to Kaku and asked, "How much longer?"
Kaku exchanged a few words with the shipwright and then walked over, laughing and scratching his head. "Haha, I'm done for the day. I'll come back tomorrow to learn more."
Takumi nodded. "I'm taking you both somewhere."
"Where?" Enel and Kaku asked in unison.
"To the bar near Red Tree No. 13," Takumi replied casually.