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"Buru buru buru!"
In Loguetown, Captain Smoker frowned slightly as he raised his hand to answer the Den Den Mushi.
"This is Smoker speaking."
"Smoker, it's Hina."
"Hina?"
Smoker's eyes brightened upon hearing Hina's voice.
"Hina, have you completed your investigation regarding Captain Nezumi and the Arlong Pirates?"
"Yes, Hina has gathered conclusive evidence! Captain Nezumi definitely had dealings with the Arlong Pirates, and he's committed numerous offenses over the years."
"Damn it! That rat Nezumi is truly a disgrace to the Marines."
Smoker slammed his fist against the desk, anger blazing in his eyes.
"Hina, do you know who was the person who secretly instructed those Marine soldiers to contact me?"
After calming his anger somewhat, Smoker couldn't help but feel curious about the individual who had resolved the Arlong Pirates incident.
"A man named Ikki and his two companions," Hina replied.
"This man will be heading to Loguetown soon, so you'll meet him in person."
"When he arrives, if he requests the bounty money for the Arlong Pirates and Black Cat Pirates, make sure to provide it."
"These pirates were captured by Ikki. I'll be escorting them to the Grand Line through the Calm Belt."
"There's no issue with the bounties," Smoker acknowledged.
"But aren't you returning to Loguetown yourself?"
"My subordinate Tashigi is still with you."
"Regarding Tashigi, she'll be taking Ikki's ship to Loguetown," Hina explained.
"What? Why is Tashigi traveling with this Ikki?" Smoker questioned.
"Tashigi lost her sword to Ikki's partner and is now learning swordsmanship from him."
"Lost her sword? And now she's learning swordsmanship? Hina, what exactly happened over there?"
A large question mark seemed to hang over Smoker's mind.
"Well, it's like this..." Hina began, explaining how Ikki had arranged the duel between Tashigi and Nojiko.
As she continued, Smoker's brow furrowed increasingly deeper.
"This Ikki's swordsmanship is quite extraordinary," Hina noted.
"He even has a sword technique that allows movement as swift as 'Soru' when utilized."
"And when Ikki employs his swordsmanship, he can actually manifest elemental powers such as water, lightning, and fire."
"Hina believes that if Tashigi can learn even one of these techniques, it would significantly benefit her growth."
Finally, Hina explained why she had consented to Tashigi's request to stay.
"The ability to channel elemental power, which can also be taught to others," Smoker mused.
"That's quite intriguing."
"Since you, Hina, believe Tashigi can be entrusted to Ikki, I have no objections."
"I'll keep an eye on this man when he arrives."
Hina nodded and shared a few more details about Ikki before ending the call.
She hung up the Den Den Mushi and jumped from the Explorer's deck, carrying the bounty documents for the Black Cat Pirates that she had received from Ikki.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" a voice called out.
"Wait, you're taking Arlong and the others away?"
"You haven't paid us the Berries yet!"
Nami emerged from among the trees, looking at Hina who had just landed from the Explorer with suspicion in her eyes.
"For the Berries, you can go to Loguetown and collect them from a Marine Captain named Smoker," Hina replied coolly.
"No way! What if he refuses to acknowledge that we captured Arlong?"
"It was your Captain Ikki who authorized me to take Arlong and his crew. If you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself."
Hina gave Nami a brief glance, then turned and walked toward the opposite shore.
"What! Isn't Captain Ikki concerned that the Marines might deny our claim?"
Nami pouted and leapt onto the deck of the Explorer, then quickly rushed to Ikki's captain's cabin.
"Hey, Nojiko, what happened to you?" Nami exclaimed as she opened the door to the captain's quarters.
She saw Nojiko emerging from the Sword Room with only tattered scraps of cloth hanging from her body.
"I just completed the challenge, and my clothes... were incinerated by the flames," Nojiko explained, examining herself before casually removing the few remaining shreds of fabric from her body.
"Flames? Didn't you learn Water Breathing? Why would there be fire during your challenge?"
"It is indeed Water Breathing, but my challenger also wields the power of Sun Breathing. The power of fire is incredibly intense."
"I see... wait a minute, isn't Captain Ikki seeing you like this?"
"He's currently instructing that Marine officer Tashigi in the training room."
"Is that so! Hehe, Captain Ikki will definitely regret missing the opportunity to see you like this."
Nami grinned mischievously, bumping Nojiko's shoulder with her own.
She then burst into the training room.
"I need to speak with Captain Ikki, so I'll leave first," Nojiko said, noticing Nami's determined expression.
She shook her head, walked to the closet in Captain Ikki's cabin, selected one of Ikki's t-shirts, put it on, and followed after Nami.
...
"I asked Hina to take Arlong and the others away," Ikki explained without turning around.
"Those people serve no purpose by remaining here. It's better for Hina to escort them."
"Don't worry, Nami. Captain Smoker in Loguetown is an honorable Marine. He won't withhold our Berries."
In the training room and adjoining bath, Ikki addressed Nami's concerns.
"Captain Ikki really trusts this Smoker, even though you've never met him," Nami remarked skeptically.
She pouted and sat cross-legged beside Ikki, her eyes fixed on Tashigi, who was seated in the bathtub with her entire body submerged in water under Ikki's guidance.
"Don't worry, Nami. With Tashigi here, Smoker won't fail to provide our Berries," assured Nojiko.
Wearing only Ikki's t-shirt, she approached and sat cross-legged on Ikki's other side.
Watching Tashigi immersed completely in water to practice Water Breathing, a hint of nostalgia flickered in Nojiko's eyes.
She too had once learned Water Breathing under Ikki's guidance, just as Tashigi was doing now.
"Captain Ikki, do you think Tashigi can master Water Breathing?" Nojiko inquired.
"Yes, Tashigi's physique seems quite compatible with Water Breathing," Ikki nodded.
"To make a comparison, she's actually more naturally suited to Water Breathing than either of you."
"Following standard training methods, she would likely progress faster than both of you."
Ikki turned to look at Nojiko as he spoke.
When he noticed Nojiko wearing his pure white t-shirt, which revealed her snow-white thighs, Ikki's eyes couldn't help but register surprise.