"Should I report him… or maybe I should report him?"
Weiss mused lazily, sprawled atop the thick canopy of a massive tree, the sun boldly basking his face in warmth.
"A local trying to assassinate a Celestial Dragon—what a bold idea. I wonder if Sengoku would even believe me?"
Below, the bustling street was filled with people, none of whom noticed someone sunbathing up in the tree. Weiss plucked a strange fruit from a nearby branch. It smelled sweet but looked unfamiliar—he wasn't about to risk eating it.
As he inhaled the fruit's fragrance, his gaze drifted to a nearby building's upper floor. It was a bedroom—clearly a woman's, judging by the decor. He spaced out, staring for a moment.
Wait a minute. From this angle… I can see straight into her room. Crap!
Weiss jolted upright, realization dawning. Thank goodness no one was inside—otherwise, this would've been real bad.
If anyone mistook him for a peeping tom, he'd be crying in shame.
He silently leapt down into a concealed corner of the alley. Only once he confirmed no one had spotted him did he casually stroll out into the street.
"You just jumped down from the tree,"
came a young voice from behind. Weiss turned around guiltily, only to see a little kid. He quickly blurted,
"No, I didn't! Don't talk nonsense. You're mistaken!"
"I saw it! That tree gets climbed all the time. People go up there to peek at Sister Sophie. Don't deny it."
...
The kid was about four or five years old—clean, well-groomed, round-faced, with clothes neatly patched up in several spots. He looked completely serious, and Weiss internally cursed his luck. He was just trying to enjoy a bit of sun—how did things end up like this?
"Kiddo, you got it wrong. I just climbed up to pick this fruit, see?"
Weiss calmly raised the fruit in his hand, hoping to play it off.
"Liar. Everyone on Canopy Island knows this fruit smells good but not even dogs will eat it," the boy said, pointing at it skeptically.
"I swear I'm innocent!" Weiss defended himself.
"Got any money? I'll keep your secret for just a hundred Berries."
The kid's tone was all too practiced.
Weiss squinted at him. It was obvious this brat was a seasoned scammer.
He crouched slightly, meeting the kid's eyes.
"Hey, little guy. Do you know who I am?"
"No?"
"Ever seen me before?"
"Never."
"Know where I live?"
The boy hesitated, then answered, "Nope."
"Well then, see ya!"
In a blink, Weiss vanished.
The boy stood there, dumbfounded, before suddenly screaming, "A ghost!"
A soft, melodic voice chimed in behind him.
"Willis, where's the ghost?"
Despite how gentle the voice sounded, Willis's face drained of color. He turned around, trembling, to see a beautiful, long-haired woman standing there. She was slim, graceful… and holding a wooden bat as thick as an arm.
Willis gulped.
"S-Sister Sophie! Let me explain! I wasn't extorting anyone, I swear! I was—uh—monitoring the perverts! Yeah, watching out for peepers! You have to believe me!"
"Oh really? So I paid you to help keep an eye out for perverts, and you turned that into a business opportunity, hmm? Such entrepreneurial spirit!"
Sophie said with a sweet, chilling smile, tapping the bat against her hand as she approached him.
"Nooo! Please, Sister Sophie!"
Willis tried to flee, but his stubby legs were no match for hers. In two steps, he was caught.
"Not the face! Not the faaaace!"
His screams echoed through the alley.
---
Meanwhile, what was Weiss doing? Nothing at all—just strolling through the streets aimlessly.
He spotted a woman followed by a group of people burdened with large and small bags. Onlookers pointed at her, muttering things like:
"What a wasteful woman."
and
"Why didn't she come shop at my place?"
When she noticed Weiss, her face lit up.
"Weiss! There you are!"
It was Karina. After being cooped up on the ship for too long, she had gone a bit wild upon landing, excited by the island's exquisite fashion. She ended up hiring locals just to carry her bags.
The money? Her salary from the Chris.
What's that? Repaying the ship?
Please, she'd say.
The ship basically belongs to me. Why should I pay anything back?
"You blew six months of wages on clothes?"
Weiss stared, dumbfounded.
"Yup! So what? It's all clothes—it's not that much."
"And the ship decor you mentioned? What happened to buying supplies for the crew?"
"Oh my god. You're not seriously squeezing your employees that hard, are you? Isn't that your job as the captain—to buy ship stuff? Don't tell me you were counting on my wages?"
She took a wary step back, glaring at him.
"No, no, forget it. I'll handle it myself. Just be careful, alright?"
Weiss sighed and walked deeper into the street, not the least bit worried about Karina's safety.
After all, the sea isn't just about blood and battle. On commercial islands like this one, pirates knew better than to start trouble—unless they were provoked.
Anger the merchants, and they'd post a bounty in no time. Then bounty hunters would descend like sharks smelling blood.
These local rewards often surpassed even the Marines'—a profitable hunt for the hunters.
That kind of chaos? It wouldn't come from Weiss. He wasn't some drama-magnet who had to meddle in everything.
"Hey there, handsome~ Wanna see a newspaper?"
As he wandered, a woman suddenly yanked his arm from a nearby alley, trying to pull him in.
"Thanks, but no thanks, miss. Not into newspapers!"
Weiss bolted. Was everyone on this island so… bold?
The woman watched him go, her expression unreadable. She slipped back into a pink building and vanished.
"Are all the women here this intense? Grabbing people in broad daylight? Seriously?!"
Weiss muttered as he munched on snacks he'd bought from a street vendor.
"I'm a well-raised young man, nurtured by the ideals of a new era. I won't fall for your… seductive traps!"
He declared silently.
"What a joke! They've seriously underestimated the moral integrity of me —Weiss!"
"I stand firmly against gambling and drugs!"
With those noble thoughts echoing in his mind, he happily wandered on, nibbling on his treats.
Indeed, this bustling commercial island offered a kind of joy and surprise that no place like Twin Swallow Island or Loguetown could ever match.
---
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27