Chapter Thirty-One: Berumeber

When it came to buying clothes, Luo Lan admitted that he could be somewhat high-handed. Even though little Donna had repeatedly refused, he still bought all the dozen or so expensive dresses they had just looked at, along with several sets of training outfits suitable for her. As a result, he ended up spending a large sum of Berries, which made Nami wince with pain.

For Nami, who had been scrimping and saving every penny in order to buy back Cocoyashi Village, such lavish spending was something she had never even dared to imagine, though she did secretly covet those luxuries herself.

With the shop assistants beaming at them, Luo Lan carried big and small bags, leading Nami and the still sulking Donna out of the boutique. To Luo Lan, little Donna was now like a younger sister, so he wanted to give her the best—there was nothing wrong with that. Donna’s refusal stemmed from her good sense, but Luo Lan couldn’t withhold the best from her just because she was sensible. His only mistake, perhaps, was letting her know the true value of those clothes.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but as they stepped out of the shop, the street suddenly seemed livelier again. Vendors on both sides were hawking their wares, and passersby no longer spoke in hushed tones as they had earlier. Luo Lan recalled explaining to Nami that this oppressive atmosphere had been due to Morgan’s despotic rule, but now it seemed that might not have been the whole story.

Still, Luo Lan didn’t much care about these changes, since he planned to leave Shells Town and board his ship right away. As for Morgan, Luo Lan would deal with him after officially becoming a Marine; otherwise, attacking a Navy captain rashly would make him a wanted man in an instant. Luffy had been able to charge in without a second thought because he’d always intended to be a pirate—his dream was to become the Pirate King—so he had no such scruples.

But when Luo Lan looked back and saw little Donna, cheeks puffed out in anger, his previously buoyant mood deflated at once. Sometimes, a child being too mature wasn’t such a good thing, after all.

Walking down the street, Luo Lan glanced around, wondering if he might buy something else to cheer Donna up. As he looked, he did indeed spot a shop—a place that just might make Donna stop being angry with him. It was a blacksmith’s shop that sold weapons.

He remembered that, back on the island, Donna had asked him if she could learn swordsmanship from him. But because he’d been focused on helping her recover her health, this matter had been set aside. Now, however, Donna’s body was nearly fully recovered; it was time to consider some basic training.

Koby was on his ship as well, so if Donna was to be taught, he might as well include Koby too. Since he’d disrupted Koby’s chance at meeting Garp, it was only right to make it up to him in terms of martial training.

With this in mind, Luo Lan picked up little Donna and approached the blacksmith’s shop. “Uncle,” he said, “could you custom-make a few iron swords suitable for a girl her age? I’d like one with a sharpened edge, and several without—preferably in different weights, from light to heavy, so she can train progressively.”

Hearing his request, and glancing at the adorable little girl in Luo Lan’s arms, the old blacksmith looked at him as if questioning his sanity. This sweet little thing, and you want her to practice swordsmanship? Even if you want her to be able to defend herself on these dangerous seas, isn’t it too soon to start her on the sword?

Luo Lan, seeing the look, explained helplessly, “Don’t give me that look, uncle. She asked to learn, I’m not forcing her.”

The old blacksmith glanced at Donna and, seeing her nod, dropped the suspicious look and said slowly, “I’ve never had an order quite like this before. I’ll price it the same as a standard custom sword—one hundred thousand Berries for a sharpened one, eighty thousand for the blunt ones.”

This price didn’t faze Luo Lan in the slightest, but Donna’s face changed. Was a single sword really that expensive? In the days when her father was still alive, the most money she’d ever seen was just a few tens of thousands of Berries, and now, even putting aside the cost of those dresses, these swords alone would cost several hundred thousand.

Donna looked up at Luo Lan, wanting to persuade him not to spend so much, that she could make do with something else. But when she met his gentle gaze, the words caught in her throat.

“Don’t worry about the money. Didn’t I show you earlier? A few hundred thousand Berries is nothing to me. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”

He ruffled her hair, then took a wad of bills from his pocket. “So, let’s see—one sharpened sword for a hundred thousand, five blunt ones at eighty thousand each, that’s four hundred thousand. Altogether, five hundred thousand Berries.”

He counted out fifty ten-thousand-Berry notes and handed them over. “For the five blunt swords, make the heaviest one match the sharpened one’s weight—”

“Well, well, Boss Nus, you’ve struck it rich, haven’t you?”

A hand suddenly reached out and snatched the five hundred thousand Berries straight from the blacksmith. Strangely, the blacksmith didn’t show a hint of anger at being robbed in broad daylight. Instead, he looked at the man who took his money with a fawning smile. “Mr. Helmeppo, there’s five hundred thousand Berries here—please, take it as pocket money.”

Looking at the man, Luo Lan immediately understood why the blacksmith dared not resist, and also why the street had felt so oppressive earlier. So, it seemed he was fated for a run-in with Morgan after all.

That arrogant blond man was none other than Helmeppo, the only son of Shells Town’s tyrannical Captain Morgan.

If Luo Lan hadn’t witnessed this with his own eyes, perhaps he could have ignored it. But when injustice played out right in front of him, he couldn’t just stand by. So what if it meant attacking the Navy? Worst case, he’d get a bounty on his head and become a pirate. In any case, reviving the Sky Pirate Crew was his responsibility, and this would be a good opportunity to make their debut.

“Hey, what you’re doing is wrong!” Luo Lan and Nami hadn’t yet spoken, but little Donna couldn’t hold back. Glaring at Helmeppo, she shouted indignantly.

As a child from a poor family, she understood all too well how much that sum meant to a household. And this villain just took it without a qualm—how could that be right?

“Hush, child, you’ll get yourself in real trouble,” the blacksmith hurriedly stepped in front of Donna, casting a placating look at Helmeppo. “Mr. Helmeppo, she’s just a child—please don’t take offense. Here, there’s another two hundred thousand Berries, please take it too—just to calm your anger.”

As he spoke, the old blacksmith pulled out a thick wad of cash and handed it to Helmeppo.

“A mere two hundred thousand Berries, and you think that will appease me?” Helmeppo sneered as he accepted the money. “But if you want to calm me down, it’s simple—just make sure my pet is happy and I’ll let it go.”

With that, he loosened the rope in his hand, and a vicious wolf lunged straight at the blacksmith, Luo Lan, and the others.

“Nami…” Seeing this, Nami immediately pulled Donna and the blacksmith behind Luo Lan. She knew Luo Lan’s strength—he’d dealt with pirates like Krieg without breaking a sweat. This beast was nothing in comparison.