The marketplace in Loguetown bustled with activity, the clamor of the crowd blending with the vendors' shouts, creating a lively atmosphere.
The elite officers from Navy Headquarters moved through the crowds and Mike, as the leader, was naturally busy, his eyes scanning the various stalls.
"Boss, how much for this tea?"
Mike walked up to a tea stall, picked up a canister and took a gentle whiff of the aroma.
"Is this good for slacking off at work?"
The vendor, an enthusiastic middle-aged man, laughed at the question.
"Handsome marine, this tea is perfect for slacking off at work!"
"Drinking it will make you feel completely relaxed, allowing you to slack off with even greater ease."
"Great!"
Mike beamed. "Wrap it all up! I'll take everything!"
With a wave of his hand, he directed the Navy soldiers behind him to carry the packed tea leaves.
After all, the bill would eventually be sent to Smoker's desk.
When officers from Headquarters visited a branch, they were entitled to proper supplies—why should he pay out of his own pocket?
Not far away, a dessert vendor called out to him loudly, "Hey, handsome! Try our specialty snacks—sweet and perfect for work, guaranteed to lift your mood!"
"Oh?"
Mike stroked his chin, picked up a pastry and popped it into his mouth.
The flavor melted on his tongue, the sweetness bringing him immense comfort.
"Wrap it up!"
Mike bought all the pastries in one go.
"Brother, check out our comics—the ultimate boredom-killer for work hours!"
The neighboring book vendor chimed in.
"Yo~ Wrap it up!"
Mike didn't hesitate.
Anything that brought him joy, he bought without question.
With another wave of his hand, the soldiers scrambled to gather his purchases.
Suddenly, Mike felt a chill on his leg, followed by a 'splat'.
His gaze dropped instantly.
A cute little girl stood awkwardly beside his leg, holding a cup with only a trace of yogurt left.
She looked up at him with panic in her eyes, while his pants were now stained with white yogurt—clearly, she had bumped into him, spilling it all over him.
The surrounding crowd fell silent, everyone holding their breath.
"She's done for!" a bystander whispered in alarm. "I heard these are elite Navy officers from Headquarters, and this young man is their leader!"
"Navy officers from Headquarters should be more understanding, right?" Someone whispered.
"That officer seemed quite friendly and approachable just now."
"Hard to say," another muttered uncertainly, "The Marine HQ officer's uniform isn't ordinary—probably custom-made and super expensive."
"Maybe... we should ask Captain Smoker to mediate? Captain Smoker has prestige in Loguetown, and I think he's also from the HQ."
"But look, even if Captain Smoker comes, his rank might not be higher than this young officer."
For a moment, the surrounding people were whispering among themselves, an uneasy atmosphere hanging in the air.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on Mike and the little girl.
The little girl was clearly frightened, nearly dropping the yogurt cup in her hands.
Tears welled up in her eyes as if she might burst into crying at any moment.
"Big brother..." the girl called timidly, her voice trembling, "I... I didn't mean to..."
Before she could finish, tears rolled down her cheeks, and she finally burst into loud sobs.
Mike looked at the girl's nervous little face and sighed softly.
He crouched down, gently patting her head with a warm smile.
"It's okay. Sorry about that—my pants were the problem. They 'drank' your yogurt."
He glanced at the nearby yogurt stall, using his Observation Haki to quickly assess the situation.
Mike chuckled, "Did you come here alone to buy yogurt?"
"That's amazing! You're so young and already buying yogurt by yourself."
Mike gestured to a lieutenant, who immediately understood and handed a stack of Berries to the yogurt vendor.
The vendor promptly handed over a fresh cup of yogurt, which Mike took and offered to the little girl with a smile.
"As compensation for my pants drinking your yogurt,"
"You can have free yogurt from now on."
"I've already paid for it all!"
The girl wiped her tears, took the yogurt, and whispered, "But... Mom says too much yogurt isn't good."
"Is that so?"
Mike blinked and lowered his voice conspiratorially, "Then let's keep this our little secret, okay?"
"Whenever you want yogurt, just sneak over here and have some!"
The girl's tears turned into giggles as she nodded softly.
"Okay!"
"Thank you, big brother! You're really kind and handsome!"
Happily clutching her yogurt, the little girl skipped away.
The onlookers sighed in relief, their faces brightening with smiles again.
Mike stood up, watching the girl's retreating figure and couldn't help but laugh.
"That little one has great taste at such a young age."
He smugly smoothed his hair—damn right he was the handsomest~
Just then, a familiar voice came from the side.
"Marine-san, about the tea earlier—it's buy one, get one free now. Here's the free portion."
The tea vendor from before approached with a large bag of tea leaves, his face plastered with an ingratiating smile.
"Hey, my desserts are buy one get one free! Take this!"
The dessert vendor wasn't about to be left behind, handing over a bag of sweets.
"Bro, here are some picture books for you—high-definition edition, guaranteed to be good."
The book vendor mysteriously stepped forward, stuffing a few books into Mike's arms.
Mike glanced down at the cover—it read Encyclopedia.
He raised a skeptical brow.
"Boss, are these books... proper? If they're proper, I ain't interested."
The vendor winked and whispered, "Guaranteed!"
Guaranteed not proper!
Mike smirked and waved a hand. "Alright! Pack 'em all up! I'll give them a thorough 'critique' when I'm back at HQ!"
[Ding!]
[Host receives warm hospitality from some residents of Loguetown. A good deed a day, merits abound—host is in high spirits. Happy Points +500.]
This scene was witnessed by Tashigi, who happened to be patrolling the area.
She walked over. "Captain Mike, you really are a fine Marine."
"Oh, Tashigi."
Hearing her voice, Mike turned his head, a lazy grin curling at the corner of his lips.
With practiced ease, he lit a cigar, the smoke curling gently with each exhale.
One hand rested casually on the blade at his waist, the other holding the cigar—his posture utterly relaxed.
Tashigi's gaze naturally fell on the sword at Mike's side, her eyes involuntarily brightening.
As a "sword fanatic," she was intensely curious about all famous blades in the world—especially one as unique as this demonic weapon.
She took a deep breath, unable to suppress her curiosity any longer.
"Captain Mike... may I take a look at your sword?"
Just then, Zoro, who's hopelessly lost in Loguetown wandered past by.
"Weapon shop... weapon shop..."
"Where the hell is that damn weapon shop?"
"Wait..."
Zoro suddenly froze.
"Mike???"
He frowned, muttering under his breath, "Mike... that name... I feel like I've heard it somewhere before?"
"Captain Mike!!!"
"The Captain Mike Mihawk mentioned??!!!"