"Is it a Logia fruit, giving you the illusion of invincibility?" Rodin said to Smoker, his tone light as he walked past. Crocodile's strength was definitely on par with the original, and with her upgraded Haki, the outcome of a fight was out of question.
Mihoko, following close behind, looked back at Crocodile. "Little crocodile, stay here and stand guard. Kill anyone who causes trouble."
Crocodile's frown deepened. "You arrogant woman, are you giving me orders?" The more she saw of Mihoko, the more irritated she became. Just like the male Hawkeye, this one was so condescending. Did she think Crocodile was a pushover?
Crocodile stood tall, her eyes shifting from Mihoko to Smoker's thirsty lips. She stomped on his face. "Are these men so perverted that they look at me like that?"
Smoker's cigars fell to the ground as his nose began to bleed. He was feeling a profound sense of injustice.
"Okay, watch them here. If they get in the way, kill them all," Rodin said. He then headed toward the crowded port with Mihoko. His goals were simple: stock up on supplies and sign in.
The longer they waited, the higher the chances of a Marine support fleet arriving, especially with Garp likely to be involved in the near future. They needed to move quickly.
"She's really making me stand guard?" Crocodile grumbled, her body unable to defy the order. She watched her unconscious colleagues as a determined Tashigi, now armed with a different machete, ran towards her.
"Justice never loses!" Tashigi yelled, chopping a pile of sand.
"Rodin told me to go easy on women, but I'm a woman too," Crocodile smirked, reaching out and grabbing Tashigi's neck. "I don't need to show you any mercy."
Just then, a group of pirates ran into the port. "Look, the Marines have been defeated!" one yelled. "Let's take advantage of this and loot the town!"
Tashigi, barely able to breathe, struggled against Crocodile's grip. "It's all your fault! You've let them do whatever they want!"
Crocodile scoffed. Weak people always blamed others for their own failures.
Rodin and Mihoko walked through the streets of Loguetown, ignoring the chaotic port. A child ran past them, accidentally dropping their ice cream on Mihoko's pants.
"I'm sorry, big sister!" the child said, but upon seeing Mihoko's sharp eyes, the child froze and burst into tears.
"Hmm," Mihoko said, walking on. Children were always so troublesome.
"In your world," Rodin asked, "do you give birth to men or women?"
"Women, of course," Mihoko smiled. "Do men have that function?"
"Uh, I guess you women are very busy then," Rodin coughed. He imagined a world where women did all the fighting and all the child-rearing. The men, it seemed, had a very easy life.
Suddenly, a system notification popped up.
[Ding, fame detected! Is the host signing in at 'Loguetown'?]
"Sign in," Rodin responded without hesitation.
[Ding, congratulations to Host for successfully signing in at 'Loguetown'! You have received 'Genius Faucet', a Paramecia 'Transparent Fruit', and a 'Space Storage Ring'!]
Rodin's heart pounded. Three rewards! This was a monumental haul compared to the simple socks he had received from the Baratie. He was especially excited about the Transparent Fruit and the Space Storage Ring.
But then he read the first reward. "Genius Faucet"? What was that?
Rodin pondered, "System, show me the details."
[Genius Faucet: Wine-red silk fabric, which not only automatically adjusts for size and comfort but also accelerates the wearer's training progress to a certain extent.]
[Transparent Fruit: A special version of the Devil Fruit from the sign-in. It has no side effects from seawater. Note: (No limit for one person to eat).]
[Space Storage Ring: Keeps items fresh and can only store non-living objects. The space is the size of Loguetown.]
[The system cannot store items for a long time. Would you like to take them out now?]
Rodin took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. "Wait," he said. He looked at Mihoko. "Little Eagle... I mean, you. Follow me." He walked toward a clothing store.
"Little Eagle?" Mihoko was taken aback. What kind of name was that? She was pretty sure she was older than the captain.
Inside the store, a young clerk greeted them with a professional smile. "Welcome!"
"Little Eagle," Rodin said, gesturing to her ice-cream-stained pants. "You can pick out some new clothes. I didn't bring anything with me, so you can choose whatever else you need."
"Understood," Mihoko said with a nod. But when she saw the colorful women's clothes, her eyelids twitched. In her world, those were men's clothes. Choosing them was going to be difficult. But it was the captain's order, so she bit the bullet and picked out a few wide pairs of pants before heading to the changing room.
Rodin started to follow her. "Sir, that's for ladies only," the clerk said, stopping him.
Rodin paused, realizing his mistake. He had wanted to give her the "Genius Faucet" pants. After all, he couldn't wear them himself. Mihoko, who was about to break through to the next level of strength, needed them more.
"It's okay, Captain. Let's go in together," Mihoko said, completely unconcerned.
The clerk's face flushed, but she couldn't argue. Rodin coughed and followed Mihoko into the changing room.
Inside, he took out the three items. "Do you know what these are?"
"Devil Fruit, a ring, and…" She trailed off, staring at the final item with a look of confusion.
"Don't worry, they're all for you," Rodin smiled. He put on the storage ring and handed her the patterned "Genius Faucet" pants.
Mihoko swallowed. Who would wear something so "manly"? She couldn't bring herself to take them.
"That's an order from the captain," Rodin said seriously.
Mihoko gritted her teeth, unbuttoning her pants with difficulty. Rodin turned away. He understood how she felt; it was like a man being forced to wear women's underwear. But this was a different world. He silently ate the Transparent Fruit, feeling the power surge through him. As a support character, this fruit was invaluable.
He tested the power, and his hands and feet disappeared. He was completely invisible.
Mihoko, meanwhile, was completely unfazed.
"Aren't you afraid of me peeping?" he asked.
"Why would I? There's nothing to see," she replied. But she did cover herself, remembering the modesty of this world. "So, Captain," she continued, "do you feel it?"
Rodin coughed. A little too empathetic, but he appreciated the gesture. After a while, they left the store with new clothes and supplies.
Outside the port, among the unconscious Marines, some pirates had started to cause trouble. Tashigi was tied up with a rope, thirsty and defeated, as was Smoker.
Crocodile sat on a stone, her legs crossed. "Got any cigars?" she asked Smoker.
"Why would a woman want a cigar?" Smoker struggled against his bonds, hiding his cigars.
Crocodile's frown deepened. She turned her hand into a ball of sand, ready to kill him.
"Mr. Smoker, look over there!" Tashigi suddenly yelled.
Both Smoker and Crocodile looked up. A coffin boat was approaching, with Mihawk on it.
"Why is he here?" Crocodile muttered, feeling a mix of annoyance and excitement.
"Mr. Hawkeye!" Tashigi yelled. "I have something important to tell you!"
"Shut up, Tashigi," Smoker said, giving her a stern look. He didn't want her to ask for help from a pirate.
"What is it?" Mihawk asked, approaching the dock.