Chapter 18: The Town of the Beginning and the End
The next morning, a faint glimmer appeared on the sea horizon as the weak dawn light sparkled across the waves.
On the crow’s nest, Reiner’s face flushed slightly in the burgeoning light. His eyes, sensing the light and warmth, slowly opened.
"Ah, my head hurts," Reiner sat up, rubbing his temples. He had drunk a bit too much competing with Zoro last night.
"First, brush teeth... nah, smoke first." Sitting on the railing of the crow’s nest, he recalled the undead he had summoned before sleep to keep watch through the night.
"Yo, Reiner! Up early? You two drank quite a bit last night." Sanji was already awake, emerging from the cabin below deck. He looked up, smiling, and greeted Reiner in the crow’s nest.
"You’re up early too. Why not sleep in a bit longer?"
"Well~, time to get up and prepare a breakfast made with love for Nami-swan."
"If you want to eat, cook it yourself."
"What was that!? What did you just say!?"
"Hahaha, just kidding. As a chef, how could I let you guys starve?" Sanji waved dismissively with a laugh and headed towards the second-floor kitchen.
Gradually, the others also woke up. After breakfast, the sun had fully risen.
"Everyone! There’s an island ahead! It should be Loguetown!"
"Coming, coming! Let me see!" Luffy excitedly ran to the bow, leaning over the sheep figurehead to gaze into the distance.
After a day’s sailing, the crew had arrived at the town known as the place of beginning and end.
"Reiner, give me money! I wanna go have fun!" Luffy grinned, holding out his hand for cash.
Reiner tossed Luffy 100,000 Beri. "That should be enough if it’s just for eating, drinking, and playing."
"I also need to buy two new swords. Around 200,000 Beri should do it."
Faced with Zoro’s request, Reiner hesitated for a moment. Would giving him the money prevent him from getting the Sandai Kitetsu and Yubashiri?
"Ah well, who can predict matters of fate," Reiner thought, giving the money to Zoro anyway.
Finally, after giving Nami and Usopp some funds as well, Reiner slung a large bag of money over his shoulder and headed into town with Sanji.
They planned to procure supplies together at the market. Sanji knew more about ingredients, so Reiner would handle medicine and other daily necessities.
Although they had brought plenty of ingredients from the Baratie, Sanji was idle anyway.
If they happened to find some rare delicacies, they could treat everyone to a high-quality meal tonight.
"Come see, come look! Deep-sea fish just delivered by a North Blue merchant!"
"Giant Mountain Wolf pelts from the Grand Line! Brought back by the Mountain Wolf Pirates risking life and limb!"
"Burge! Double cheese hamburger!".
Hm? What was that last one?
Reiner and Sanji wandered around for a while, gathering most of the needed supplies. Aside from a few nice-looking groupers, Sanji didn’t find much else of interest.
"Hey, hurry up! The cooking contest is starting!"
"It’s finally starting? Let’s go, let’s go!"
"I heard the first prize is an Elephant Tuna!"
Several passersby hurried past Reiner, apparently eager to join some excitement. Their shouts attracted quite a few others along the way.
"Elephant Tuna? Sounds interesting. I think I’ll give it a shot. Want to come along, Reiner?"
"I’ll pass. I have some other things to take care of," Reiner said, handing Sanji the backpack full of supplies he was carrying.
"How about this: after you’re done with the excitement, bring this stuff back to the ship."
"Are you going somewhere?"
"Going to check out the black market."
"Alright then, be careful," Sanji said, taking the backpack. "I’m heading off then."
"Yeah, good luck," Reiner said simply, parting ways with Sanji and heading straight into an alley.
While paying for goods earlier, he had noticed two little hoodlums eyeing him from a corner.
"Getting info from the local snakes is always easier."
Reiner strolled leisurely deep into the alley. The two hoodlums finally couldn’t restrain themselves and jumped out, blocking his path.
"Heheheheh! What’s in the bag you’re carrying? Open it up and let this great one take a look!"
One of them, a yellow-haired man, grinned menacingly and pulled out a long knife, holding it across his chest.
Why another one with that laugh? Reiner thought internally.
Reiner’s expression remained unchanged. Without a word, he reached into his coat and drew his pistol.
The knife-wielding man was startled by the sudden movement, instinctively raising his knife and tucking his chin.
"It just hit your shoulder, stop making such a fuss," Reiner said calmly, walking forward. "Where is the biggest black market in this town, and what power runs it behind the scenes?"
The yellow-haired man gritted his teeth, clutching his shoulder trying to slow the bleeding, staring in panic as Reiner approached step by step.
His companion was already paralyzed with fear, sitting slumped on the ground, hands gripping a dagger, trembling uncontrollably.
"Ai~, just two little thugs. Don’t tell me you can’t even speak?" Reiner sighed. "Then you’re useless."
"Wait! I know!" the shot man quickly yelled out. "There are two main black markets in this town!"
"One is controlled by our boss, Bartolomeo! The other..."
"The other black market is run by a mysterious group, but there are rumors they’re from the Grand Line. They say they work for someone called Joker."
"Bartolomeo?" Reiner suddenly recalled that the crest-headed guy was from around here.
But first things first. After extracting the desired information from the two hoodlums, he left immediately.
Doflamingo’s business spreads across the world. It’s perfectly normal for him to have a base in Loguetown, one of the most prosperous towns in the East Blue.
Just don’t know if they have Seastone in stock. After all, I can’t wait around here forever. This is Smoker’s territory, and even if the Smoke-Smoke Fruit is called the ’shame of the Logia’, I can’t handle it right now.
Soon, following the information he received, Reiner arrived in front of a tavern, accompanied by the Katana Devil and the Chainsaw Devil.
This was deep within a remote alley; people became scarce halfway down.
"A good place for murder and robbery," Reiner couldn’t help but comment inwardly.
The tavern was cold and deserted inside. Only four men lounged lazily at the bar counter.
Opposite them stood an old man with white hair wearing a monocle, currently polishing a glass with a handkerchief.
The old man’s face bore clear wrinkles, yet he looked radiant with vitality, standing tall and straight in his bartender uniform, complete with a red bowtie at the collar.
The tavern door swung open. The old bartender and the four slouching men all looked towards the entrance.
First, a young man with refined features and golden hair entered, bowing slightly and extending a hand as if ushering in some important figures.
The old man’s gaze couldn’t help but lift, focusing on the two figures striding confidently through the door.
"Hey, what are those things?"
"Are they human? Devil Fruit users?"
The lounging men panicked slightly at the sight of the two undead, whose appearances were both ferocious and bizarrely unique.
"It’s them?" A flicker of surprise crossed the old bartender’s mind, but his facial expression remained unchanged. His deep voice resonated:
"Looks like some big shots have arrived. The Knife-Saw Duo from the Straw Hat Pirates, who recently defeated East Blue’s number one villain, Arlong."
"It is them! I remember now!"
"From yesterday’s bounty posters?"
"The twenty-five million Beri Knife-Saw Duo!"
"They look way creepier in person than in the photo, hey!"
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