"What's going on? What happened in Cocoa Weed Town?"
"Come on, speak up, Ken!"
"Could it be that Wapol's goons are at it again? Almost every doctor on the island has been driven out, except for the twenty under his thumb. What more could he want?"
The crowd was buzzing with speculation.
Ken, the man who had brought the news, was gasping for breath as he replied, "It's true that the King's guard is involved, but they're not after doctors this time—they're after some kid!"
"Huh? A kid? What kind of kid?"
"What's Wapol planning now? Did he come up with another one of his ridiculous laws?"
"There's no new law—at least not yet," Ken continued. "But word has it that Wapol's been looking for a kid who can crush bullets with his bare hands. Just now, I heard that a kid in Cocoa Weed Town crushed a few bullets while trying to save the snow monster. That's what got the King's guard heading to Cocoa Weed Town."
"What? Are you serious? A kid who can crush bullets? You're not making this up, are you?"
"No, I'm telling the truth!" Ken said seriously. "I also heard that when the King's guard couldn't find the kid, they took the innkeeper hostage. They said if the kid doesn't come to the castle, they'll kill the innkeeper."
"Oh my God, is that true? That poor innkeeper… Wait, did they say what the kid looks like?"
"Let me think," Ken paused, recalling the details. "Yeah, they said the kid looks like he's only a few years old, with two swords on his waist and a gourd."
"Wait a second—are you sure the kid they're looking for is the same one you just described?"
Ken looked puzzled. "I'm sure of it. Why?"
The tavern patrons all turned to look at Takumi, who was sitting at the bar, calmly drinking.
One man swallowed nervously and pointed at Takumi. "That kid… it couldn't be him, could it?"
Ken looked over at Takumi and froze. "Huh? Yeah, that's him! It's him! What's he doing here?"
"Well, looks like you're about to become famous," Law said with a smirk.
Takumi coolly downed the rest of his second drink, unfazed by the attention.
The entire tavern fell silent, everyone's eyes fixed on him.
Takumi reached into his pocket.
The entire room collectively held its breath.
But Takumi simply pulled out another handful of Beli and handed his empty gourd to the bartender. "Fill this with the same drink," he said, his tone indifferent.
The bartender blinked in surprise before quickly taking the money and the gourd.
Law couldn't help but chuckle softly.
The tavern erupted in murmurs of doubt.
"Is this really the kid you were talking about, Ken? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"This kid doesn't seem that special, but I have to admit, he sure can hold his liquor."
"You must be wrong, Ken. If this really were the kid, why would he go through all that trouble just to come here for a drink?"
Actually, that's exactly why Takumi had come—to have a drink.
Of course, Law was probably the only one there who knew that.
The bartender quickly filled Takumi's gourd with the drink he had requested.
Takumi hooked the gourd onto his waist and hopped down from the high stool, ready to leave the tavern.
Seeing him leave, Law immediately followed.
The other patrons watched them go, their expressions a mix of confusion and unease.
After leaving the tavern, Takumi didn't linger in the town. He headed straight toward Wapol's castle.
"So, you're really going to save that innkeeper?" Law asked, keeping pace beside Takumi.
Takumi didn't respond.
Law continued, "I thought you'd just let it go. You act so distant and uncaring, but you're actually much kinder than those who only talk big."
Takumi thought to himself, exasperated. Has this guy completely misunderstood me?
Sure, he could have ignored the innkeeper's plight. But the fact was, Takumi had paid a deposit when he checked into the inn. If the innkeeper were killed, who would refund him? It might only be a few dozen Beli, but that was enough to buy several bottles of good liquor.
Besides, during his two-month stay at the inn, the innkeeper had been kind to him, often reminding him to be safe when he went out alone. Knowing Takumi liked to drink, the innkeeper had even given him some homemade liquor from time to time.
All in all, the innkeeper was a decent person.
Takumi had a clear sense of right and wrong.
Given how well the innkeeper had treated him, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
In the end, it was simply about repaying a favor. Where was the kindness in that?
Wapol's castle was situated on a drum-shaped mountain.
There were specific cable cars that provided access to the castle.
As it happened, the King's guard was preparing to send supplies up the mountain when they spotted two kids approaching.
One of the guards shouted at Takumi and Law, "This is no place for kids! Get lost!"
Takumi and Law didn't heed the guard's warning and kept walking toward the cable cars.
The guard was about to scold them further when his companion tugged at his sleeve, glancing nervously at the swords and gourd hanging from Takumi's waist. "I think that's the kid Wapol's been looking for."
"What?" The first guard took another look at Takumi and paled. "Yeah, I think you're right…"
"It's not 'think.' He is the one you're looking for," Law said with a smirk.
The two guards instinctively took a step back.
Takumi couldn't be bothered to argue with them. He walked straight into the cable car heading up the mountain.
Law followed close behind.
The two guards exchanged uneasy glances before activating the cable car and signaling their comrades at the top of the mountain.
When Takumi and Law reached the summit, they were met by a group of heavily armed guards.
Standing at the front of the group was a man with a broad build, a square face, and a green coat.
This man was Dalton.
He was the captain of Drum Island's Royal Guard and a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, specifically the Ox-Ox Fruit, which allowed him to transform into a bison-man hybrid.
Takumi remembered Dalton as a good-hearted, straightforward man.
Dalton had always despised Wapol's tyranny. Eventually, he would stand up against Wapol, only to be defeated and imprisoned. It wasn't until Wapol set sail that the villagers managed to free him. Later, with Luffy and the others' help in defeating Wapol, Dalton would be crowned king of the newly renamed Sakura Kingdom by the grateful citizens.
But for now, Dalton was still under Wapol's thumb, forced to carry out orders despite his inner turmoil.
Seeing that the two kids had emerged from the cable car, Dalton frowned and turned to his men. "Are you sure these kids are the ones you were told could be a threat to the kingdom?"
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