Within the crowds of Loguetown, people occasionally glanced toward Nereus and his group.
Some were merely curious. After all, a child’s wings might be a toy, but the adult’s clearly weren’t.
Such an unusual group naturally attracted attention.
Among those observers were Marine intelligence agents, but most merely took a distant look before quickly leaving.
“I want… a seven-scoop ice cream!”
The massive influx of visitors had indirectly stimulated Loguetown’s economy. Ordinary people didn’t care who was about to be executed. They were simply here to watch the spectacle, and their primary focus was doing business amidst such heavy foot traffic.
In front of an ice cream shop, Chloe counted the coins in her hand, floated up to the height of the display counter, and accepted an enormous cone amid the envious gazes of nearby children.
“Hold it carefully. Don’t drop it.”
Only after confirming Chloe could hold the cone securely did the shop owner let go.
At that moment, Nereus and Amphitrite were standing less than ten meters away, watching Chloe.
Yet as she watched the childlike scene, Amphitrite asked an entirely different question.
“How old was Nanamo… when she first saw blood?”
“Five. A pirate on Fullalead Island tried to steal her pocket money, and then…”
Nereus spread his hands. Amphitrite immediately understood what had happened afterward. Anyone foolish enough to touch Nanamo’s money would probably die in a remarkably rhythmic fashion.
With the monstrous physique she had been born with, accomplishing such a thing wasn’t difficult.
“Chloe is four now too…”
“The situation is different. That was Fullalead Island. Back then, under those circumstances, there were many things we couldn’t avoid. Chloe still has plenty of time. There’s no need to rush her.”
The minor troubles they encountered along the way had basically all been handled by Nereus and Amphitrite.
Amphitrite felt it was about time Chloe was exposed to such things. It was a mindset deeply ingrained in her generation.
The Lunarians’ living environment had forced them to adapt to killing from an early age. If they didn’t learn how to kill, they would be the ones killed.
“It’s about time. I was around that age when I killed my first bounty hunter… If any more minor trouble shows up, let Chloe handle it herself.
She’s trained for so long; it’s time she hit something other than targets.”
“We’ll see when the time comes. If the opportunity is suitable, I won’t interfere.”
As the two discussed how to handle things in the future, a middle-aged man dressed like a merchant suddenly approached them.
“Are you… Lord Nereus?”
“And you are?”
“Of course someone as insignificant as me wouldn’t be known to you. But thanks to you, my life is much better than it used to be.”
As he spoke, he turned his back to Nereus and revealed part of a fish fin on the back of his head. This seemingly ordinary middle-aged man was actually a half-human, half-Fish-Man.
“My father was a Fish-Man. He came to the East Blue many years ago, and later…”
The stranger’s story was simple enough. He had been discriminated against in the past, but with the rise of the Ryugu Kingdom and the change in public perception of his race, life had become much better for him.
Someday, if he had the chance, he wanted to visit the country where his father had once lived.
In the end, Nereus declined the man’s offer to buy him a drink and headed toward the shopping district with Chloe, who had just finished buying her ice cream.
Loguetown wasn’t a tourist town, or at least not yet.
Overall, there wasn’t much to see, but for a child, a new town was full of places worth exploring.
Even an unfamiliar signboard could keep them occupied for quite a while.
“Gold… accepted? Is this a shop that buys gold? Sister would probably like a place like this.”
“Ger.”
That was the sign Chloe had just spotted, though she had misunderstood it because it was written phonetically. [TN: Roger’s name in chinese pinyin is Ge er de which she is reading as Ger.]
“No, Chloe. This is just a bar. The sign is someone’s name.”
“A name? The owner’s name? Why would someone use a name as a signboard?”
Using a name as a signboard might seem strange, but in Loguetown at that moment, it was very useful.
Even after the World Government’s corrected spelling of Gold Roger, Roger himself remained one of the hottest topics in the town.
Whether they were tourists or local residents, everyone could hear discussions about him.
“I’m planning to take a stroll through the Grand Line—I’m really excited about it!” That’s what Roger said back then. Then he grabbed a barrel of rum, and the next day he set off as if it were nothing!
King Eric Dunn, the world’s fastest gunslinger Silver, the Great Evil Monk, the Karnz Brothers—those terrifying monsters who seemed like demons and gods! In front of Roger, they were all like babies! Completely powerless!”
This was supposedly a bar Roger had frequented. The owner himself was a fan of Roger and was loudly recounting stories from Roger’s younger days.
Meanwhile, inside the prison of the Loguetown Marine Base, heavy footsteps echoed through the silent corridor.
Garp carried a dim oil lamp and stopped outside Roger’s cell.
“The other soldiers said you wanted to see me?”
“Garp, can I trust you?”
Garp frowned slightly but did not answer.
He had no idea what Roger wanted to say. He had merely come to see the man he had chased for half his life.
Back at God Valley, they had fought side by side, and they were among the few people on the seas who knew some of the secrets.
But the words Roger said afterward left Garp with a feeling of vexation. If he hadn’t come here today, perhaps he wouldn’t have to deal with this headache.
Roger casually entrusted his wife and child to Garp, completely convinced that Garp would not ignore them.
Even without receiving a direct answer, he chose to trust Garp.
“Why did you surrender?”
“Hm? My time is running out. Even if I hadn’t surrendered, I wouldn’t have lived much longer. You’ll understand why soon enough. For a Marine, there are some things you’re better off not knowing.
If, back on God Valley, you had accepted my invitation and come aboard my ship, you would know what I’m trying to do.”
“You b*stard… you expect me to look after someone for you for no good reason, yet you won’t even tell me something like that?”
“Wahahaha, Garp, you should know better than anyone that these chains can’t hold me. And for someone like you, knowing certain answers would be meaningless anyway.”
Garp’s instincts told him that Roger definitely had other plans, but he couldn’t get any answers. Seeing Roger being evasive and speaking in riddles, he shifted to asking another question.
“You and that guy Nereus… don’t tell me you have some kind of deal too?”
“What does he have to do with any of this?”
“A few days ago, before the execution announcement was even made public, he had already arrived in Loguetown. Headquarters thinks it’s a coincidence, but I don’t.
Just like at God Valley, that guy… definitely has some other agenda.”
“Who knows? I don’t have any connection with him. Maybe he came to collect a debt from me. But I don’t really have anything left that I can use to pay him back…”
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