Rengoku and Tashigi observed how the battle had unfolded.
By the time Tashigi had used [Rokushiki] and sprinted at full speed to reach the area.
By the time Rengoku had flown in near the coordinates with [Sky Running].
The Straw Hat boy had landed a powerful punch, fully unleashing the strength of his Devil Fruit ability to pin down the rioter.
Then the swordsman of the Three-Sword Style had charged in and shattered the rioter’s weapon with a blade assault.
And with that, the rioter was left completely defenseless before a direct hit from a powerful explosive bullet.
It was a pretty solid combination.
Rengoku spotted Tashigi and landed beside her.
"A pity, but we were a step too late!"
"Ah, Vice Admiral?"
"Lieutenant Tashigi, it seems you arrived just now as well!"
"Yes, sir. How did you..."
"A village resident informed me of the situation through your video Den Den Mushi!"
"My video Den Den Mushi? Come to think of it... ah!"
At Rengoku’s words, Tashigi immediately patted down her clothes, trying to find the Den Den Mushi.
"I’m sorry..."
Tashigi looked dejected.
"It’s fine! Just be more careful next time!"
By then, two squads of Marines were already running over from far away.
It was the five-minute standby unit and the medical squad, who had departed first.
Rengoku led the way and approached Luffy’s group, who had finished the battle.
"Ah! Justice!"
A Marine from the five-minute standby unit, who had arrived first, saluted Rengoku upon seeing him.
Rengoku returned the salute and immediately issued orders.
"Medical squad, prioritize treating the most seriously injured first! If a wound is deep, give emergency treatment first, then have the five-minute standby unit carry them by stretcher to the medical room aboard the warship! That is all!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Did you bring handcuffs?"
After giving orders to the medical squad and the five-minute standby unit, Rengoku asked the first Marine for handcuffs.
"Yes, sir! Here they are!"
Rengoku immediately cuffed the rioter lying on the ground.
"Lieutenant Tashigi, have you confirmed the rioter’s identity?"
"It’s not certain, but based on the villagers’ testimony and his appearance, he is believed to be the 16 million berry bounty, Kuro of the "Hundred Plans," who was officially reported dead three years ago!"
"Good! We can ask later how he faked his death and deceived the public..."
Rengoku turned his gaze toward Luffy’s group.
"You there! Well done!"
"Ah, yes..."
"Um... who are you?"
From the fact that he was able to command Marine soldiers, Luffy’s group knew Rengoku was a high-ranking Marine, but they did not know his exact identity.
"Just a passing Marine officer! I’d like to express my gratitude for defeating this rioter before we did! I’d also like to speak with you in more detail later!"
"In that case, come to my mansion!"
"Kaya?"
Kaya headed straight into the village after hearing from the awakened butler Merry about Kuro’s strange behavior.
By then, the villagers were all heading up toward the mansion, denouncing Kuro’s atrocities.
To think that the kind butler Klahadore had been slaughtering villagers...
Shocked, Kaya still wanted to stop Klahadore somehow, so she rushed toward the village without hesitation.
And there, she also saw Luffy’s group subduing the rampaging Klahadore together.
"Mm! Understood!"
After assigning Tashigi to on-site command, Rengoku and Luffy’s group were now being entertained at Kaya’s mansion.
"Um, um... but we defeated Klahadore, or rather Captain Kuro, so when can we get the bounty?"
"The bounty? An important matter indeed! But before that, I have one thing I’d like to ask!"
"Yes, what is it?"
"Is this boy with the long nose and the rest of you all companions?"
"Well... if you really want to put it that way, not exactly..."
"Then what is your relationship?"
"The two of us here are traveling together, and this guy is originally a resident of this village!"
"Mm! Then the bounty should be distributed according to merit! Lieutenant Tashigi and I watched your battle from beginning to end! You defeated him in an instant before we even had a chance to intervene!"
Rengoku first offered his praise.
"And the one who achieved the greatest merit was the long-nosed boy’s final strike! Therefore, of Kuro’s 16 million berry bounty, half—8 million berries—shall go to this boy! Any objections?"
"Nope."
Luffy answered at once.
"Indeed, Usopp’s bomb was powerful."
Zoro also voiced no objection.
"Ah... but still, 8 million berries... that’s a relief..."
Nami looked a little deflated, but still, 8 million berries was 8 million berries! Add that to the 5 million berries she already had, and that made 13 million berries!
"What do you think, long-nosed boy?"
Rengoku turned to Usopp and asked.
"Um... I’m fine with it, Officer, but if possible, could I donate my share entirely to this village?"
At Usopp’s words, Rengoku asked back,
"Donate it?"
"Yes. A lot of people were injured when Kuro went on his rampage, and there’s a lot that needs repairing. But this village doesn’t even have a proper hospital, so I’d like to use it for the villagers’ medical expenses first."
"Mm! You have a kind heart!"
"H-hey, that’s not fair, Usopp! Then I’ll donate all of my share too!"
"If it’s going to a good cause, I’ll donate some of mine as well."
After hearing Usopp, Luffy and Zoro also expressed their willingness to donate.
"Mm! Very admirable! Then that makes 8 million berries from Usopp boy, 2.66 million berries from the Straw Hat boy, and from the swordsman friend..."
"I’ll donate 2 million berries."
"Good! Then that’s 12.66 million berries in total! I’ll add 3.34 million berries out of my own pocket!"
That made 16 million berries in total, Kuro’s original bounty.
Nami was horrified by her companions’ trolling, but in the atmosphere, she couldn’t say anything.
Zoro, knowing her personality well, immediately changed the subject.
"Well then, with 16 million berries now going toward the village’s reconstruction and recovery, that settles it. Officer, what do you plan to do now?"
"I must remain here to command the medical unit, so I’ll be staying for a while. You said you were traveling, yes? When do you plan to leave?"
"Yeah! We don’t have a plan yet, but if we can get our ship, we’ll set sail today!"
Luffy replied with a bright smile.
"Your ship? Come to think of it, Buggy the Clown’s ship was anchored along the coast over there!"
Rengoku pointed out Nami’s ship.
"Is that ship yours? What’s your relationship with Buggy the Clown?"
At Rengoku’s question, Luffy and Zoro answered calmly.
"Oh, I blasted that guy away."
"Yeah, and the underlings were weak too."
"That’s wonderful news! Then is that ship your spoils?"
"Yeah. We didn’t have a ship, so we’ve been using that for now."
"Um... sorry to interrupt, but do you happen to need a ship?"
Kaya, who had remained quiet the whole time, finally spoke up.
"Yeah! If possible, a big one!"
"Ah, then may I ask whether I could help?"
"You, miss?"
The coast behind Syrup Village.
A rather fine caravel had been prepared there.
It was a caravel with a fairly standard overall design, distinguished by a sheep-head figurehead at the bow.
Butler Merry pointed at the caravel and introduced it.
"The Going Merry! It’s a little old-fashioned, but it’s a caravel I designed myself. As for the details..."
"You can tell me the details later, as your navigator!"
Luffy and Zoro had already climbed aboard the ship.
"Heh, nice for you guys."
Usopp looked at Luffy and Zoro on the Going Merry and spoke with obvious envy.
"What do you mean, you guys?"
"Exactly."
Luffy and Zoro spoke as if they had no clue.
"Usopp, isn’t this our ship? You’ve been my companion ever since we dealt with Kuro! Heh-heh-heh!"
"W-what?"
As Usopp reacted in confusion, Kaya gently pushed his back and spoke.
"Wouldn’t it be nice for you to go out to sea as well, Usopp?"
At Kaya’s affectionate gaze, Usopp could not continue speaking.
"U-um... then I’d be the captain, right?"
"What are you talking about? I’m the captain!"
It happened in the blink of an eye.
After Rengoku handed Nami the 2.67 million berries from Kuro’s bounty that were due to her, and after Usopp went home to gather all sorts of odds and ends, Luffy’s group set sail immediately.
Only Rengoku and Kaya remained on the shore.
"Um... Marine officer."
"What is it, miss?"
"I... it’s nothing."
Kaya could not go on, worried that she might inconvenience Usopp for no reason.
"Were you trying to ask why I didn’t chase after them?"
At Rengoku’s words, Kaya seemed startled.
"You knew?"
"Know? I’m not sure what you mean. Since I met those boys until now, I never once heard them claim to be pirates."
Rengoku paused slightly, then continued.
"And the ship they departed on didn’t even have a pirate flag. Why would I chase after them?"
Understanding the meaning behind Rengoku’s words, Kaya bowed her head deeply and thanked him.
"Thank you."
In truth, even if Rengoku had wanted to catch them, he couldn’t have.
Since "pirate" was not a legally recognized status, if they had not committed a crime, he could simply let it be.
The standard of "anyone who comes to sea without government permission is a pirate" was far too vague, and in practice, government permits could be forged rather easily.
As for whether they had plundered civilians, no report had come in yet, and in fact they had just apprehended and subdued the truly vicious pirate Kuro of the "Hundred Plans."
Wanted? No.
Jolly Roger? No.
Civilian complaints? No.
These three-no pirates had, in the meantime, captured the captain of a pirate crew infamous for a 16 million berry bounty.
Even if they were dragged to Marine Headquarters, they’d be released without charges.
Even if they later became great pirates and he knew it, right now there was nothing about them that could be called pirate-like.
Meanwhile, on the coast across from Syrup Village.
"Anyway, Luffy, Zoro, next time we get a bounty or something, let’s talk it over before spending it..."
Nami’s heart ached as she thought about how the 16 million berry bounty had been reduced to just 2.67 million berries.
"What’s the big deal? We’re using it for a good cause."
"No, that’s beside the point. If we’re going to run a pirate crew, we need at least some minimum funds. If you keep spending money like that and we end up having to sell this ship too, then what are we supposed to do?"
She was complaining, and Nami did feel the loss, but she did not object.
After all, many innocent people had been hurt.
"Still, the good news is that if we add the 5 million berries I saved up, we’ve got about 7.67 million berries, so we should be fine for a while."
And so Luffy’s group went to retrieve the money from the small ship they had originally anchored, only to find a Marine warship waiting there instead.
"Huh...?"
What caught Nami’s eye were the items in the hands of the Marines repairing things on the deck.
A half-burned Buggy the Clown sail.
A treasure bundle with a familiar, bulky shape.
"Grr... my treasure..."
Nami finally understood everything.
"Guys, turn the ship around..."
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