Luffy handed the wallet to Uta, who tilted her head in confusion.
"You mentioned it yourself; I don't really need to carry money since I just charge everything to the Navy. But it must be inconvenient for you not to have any, right?"
Uta nodded, taking the wallet, and Luffy placed his straw hat on her head for shade.
"Alright, when I become a big star, I'll pay you back," she said, grinning as she adjusted the hat.
---
"I thought the Navy had come, but it's just two kids…"
The villagers, seeing the Navy flag flying from the ship, gathered curiously. They found only two kids on board, with a lounging animal basking in the sun on the deck.
Rear Admiral Pudding-Pudding had left the flag with Luffy, thinking that, as Garp's grandson, he was naturally aligned with the Navy. After all, in this area, Pudding-Pudding's authority was supreme. Only a major general could outrank him, and in the East Blue, a major general was unlikely to appear. Even if one did, they wouldn't hold a candle to Vice Admiral Garp. With such confidence, Pudding-Pudding intentionally left Navy supplies for Luffy's use.
Luffy examined the map closely, noting that Pudding-Pudding's nearest base was indeed the one closest to Cocoyasi Village. As for the infamous Captain Nezumi, who collaborated with Arlong, he was stationed at Branch 16, a bit farther away and only at the rank of captain. No wonder there was no impression of Pudding-Pudding… perhaps he met Arlong and was sunk on sight?
"Hey, how'd you two end up with a Navy flag?" a curious villager asked, seeing the Navy's symbol, which was not something normally available to civilians.
"Good afternoon. I'm Luffy, grandson of Vice Admiral Garp, visiting here on a trip. We'd appreciate it if you could let us stay for a bit."
"Oh, so you're Garp's grandson…" the villagers murmured, nodding. If he was Garp's grandson, it made sense that he'd have a Navy flag.
Wait—"Garp's grandson?!"
The villagers stared in shock at Luffy, then at the ship behind him. It certainly resembled a Navy vessel. They decided they'd better consult Bell-mère, a former Navy soldier, to verify the truth.
"Welcome to Cocoyasi Village," the villagers said, rallying to welcome the two warmly. They figured it was best to assume it was true. If it turned out to be false, they'd ensure the young man learned a hard lesson!
"Wow, Luffy, your grandpa's name really opens doors!" Uta stomped a bit, pouting as she walked beside him.
In this regard, Shanks really couldn't compete with Garp.
"When Shanks passes his manhood trials, he'll gain a reputation like this too!" Uta insisted.
"Sure, then people will use his name to keep kids in line," Luffy teased with a laugh.
Ruling the seas as a Yonko had a dark and fearsome reputation, but only in Shanks' territory would it mean much. Elsewhere, it would just invite trouble.
"Hmph!" Uta stretched her neck and bit down on Luffy's neck, exposing neat rows of white teeth beneath her cherry blossom-colored lips.
"No bad-mouthing Shanks, even from you!" she mumbled with her mouth full.
The ticklish feeling of her tongue made Luffy shiver. Was that really bad-mouthing? Uta truly had zero tolerance.
Leaving a faint bite mark, she finally released him, looking satisfied.
"Ouch!" Luffy exaggeratedly winced.
"Hmph! With your tough skin, I can only teach you a lesson with my teeth!" she declared, touching her lips. "You taste a bit salty."
"That's probably the sweat," he replied.
"Hey, stop, thief!" A distant shout echoed, followed by a young girl's cheerful laughter.
Around the corner came a girl with bright orange hair, clutching a heavy book. Luffy noticed the word "contour" on the cover as she ran straight into him, nearly tripping before he quickly grabbed her arm and caught the book in his other hand.
"Huh?" The girl with orange hair looked up at the stranger whose face was silhouetted against the midday sun, radiant and bright. He wore a clean, white T-shirt with a sun emblem, and his fabric looked luxurious and smooth, barely concealing the toned, steel-like build beneath. Slung across his back was a jeweled, elegant sword.
"Careful," he said, helping her up and returning the book.
A quick glance at the cover revealed it to be a book on cartography.
"Nami, stealing again?" a villager chuckled.
"There are plenty more books there!" Nami stuck out her tongue, clutching the book closer. She wore a faded green dress that looked a bit worn, but it was clean.
"Really now, saying things like that? Having a well-stocked bookstore is normal."
The man who had chased her over arrived, wearing a hat with a small windmill on it and sporting a few scars on his stern face.
With a stranger like Luffy helping her, Nami felt a sense of security, so she darted behind him, sticking her tongue out at her pursuer.
"Who are these two?" the man asked, looking at the unfamiliar children.
"I heard he's Garp's grandson," a villager replied. "I was just about to take him to see Bell-mère."
"Really? Garp's grandson? I was just about to see Bell-mère myself, to ask her to straighten out Nami."
"Ha ha ha! Nami sure loves books," one of the villagers laughed.
"But she can't just steal them…"
Uta, examining the village's layout, asked one of the adults, "Who's Bell-mère? Is she the village head?"
"No, she's a former Navy officer. The girl's cute. Are you here alone?"
"I'm the village sheriff—just call me Genzo."
"Yes, it's just us two," Uta nodded.
"We're here for an adventure!"
"Oh, ambitious! But isn't it dangerous without an adult around?" Genzo asked.
"Luffy will protect me, so there's nothing to worry about. He's stronger than most adults!"
Genzo eyed Luffy's muscular build and the gun holstered at his waist, feeling a hint of belief.
They soon left the village, entering an orange grove. Luffy casually plucked two oranges, peeling one to eat while handing the other to Uta.
"Hey, you over there, what do you think you're doing?" A blue-haired girl, shorter than Uta, stepped forward.
"It's fine, Nojiko. He's Garp's grandson—taking a few oranges isn't an issue," Genzo reassured her.
"A grandson of the Navy Hero? Not every day we get to help out someone like that!" Nojiko softened her tone.
Nearby, a woman with maroon hair and a high ponytail emerged from the grove, curiosity in her eyes as she looked at Luffy.
"Bell-mère, they came on a Navy ship that's still docked at the harbor. Who'd have thought Garp had a grandson…" one of the villagers explained.
"Bell-mère, you really need to rein Nami in. She ran home, but that little rascal stole another book!" Genzo grumbled.
"Yes, yes, I'll handle it. Please, come inside for some tea." Bell-mère, with a cigarette between her lips, led the way. She wore a fitted shirt that highlighted her figure, a high ponytail, and a no-nonsense gaze.
"You hear that, Nami? You're becoming infamous around here…" Bell-mère opened a window to let some air in, noticing Nami holding a book and behaving as if she was waiting for a scolding.
"Bell-mère, I'm sorry! I really wanted this book," Nami pleaded, clutching it tightly.
"You've been reading a lot of books, haven't you?" Bell-mère sighed, rubbing her temples. "Have you finished the last one?"
"Yes!"
"Then pay for it this time. We made a decent profit from the orange harvest," she said, handing Nami some money.
Nami, pouting, reluctantly took the money.
Bell-mère then turned to the two newcomers. "So, you're Garp's grandson? I'm just a regular ex-soldier; I'm not familiar with the high-ranking officials… But you sure look the part."
Bell-mère was initially drawn to the standard Navy pistol holstered at Luffy's waist, a weapon only issued to officers, confirming his identity. Even if he weren't Garp's grandson, he was surely related to some high-ranking Marine.
"By the way, I sell my oranges by the piece," Nojiko said, watching as Luffy ate another one.
"Oh, just put it on the tab," he said, pulling out his Navy-issued card marked with the seagull emblem. "Bell-mère, you probably know what this is."
"A Navy officer's ID card. It has a rotating number for identity tracking, so charges can be reimbursed at the nearest Marine base," Bell-mère remarked, examining th
e card.
"Wow… so you really are Garp's grandson."
For the first time, her normally easygoing demeanor grew serious as she addressed him
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