12 Chapter 12

After transferring all the treasures onto Logan's boat, Alvida's minions sailed away hastily, as if fleeing.

"Thank you so much." Coby kowtowed on the deck to Logan and Luffy, expressing his gratitude.

Only when it was confirmed that Alvida's ship had truly departed did Coby allow himself to relax a bit.

"What are you doing~?" Luffy wore a puzzled expression, his face adorned with question marks.

"You are my saviors. Thanks to meeting you, I can escape from Alvida's shadow." Coby looked up at Luffy, his face adorned with a grateful and flattering smile.

Luffy, even more confused, scratched his head. "Since you don't want to stay with her, why not find a chance to escape?"

"Run away... run away? No... no, no, no, impossible! No way! Every time I think of Ms. Alvida's Mace, my... my, my legs go limp..." Some horrifying memories seemed to resurface, causing Coby, who had been communicating normally, to even stutter.

His head was dripping with sweat, and his expression conveyed horror. "Ah! It's terrible!" Coby was in a state of panic.

Observing Coby's reaction, Luffy placed his hands on his hips and, with a sincere smile, remarked, "Well, you are really stupid and useless, and you are also cowardly!"

Coby's face turned into a display of distress. Why, oh why did you smile so sincerely while saying such hurtful things?

"Yes, cowardly people have no future. Coby, don't you have any dream?" Logan interjected.

"dream...?" Coby hesitated, his gaze drifting toward the pirate flag hanging on the mast. "Don't even dare to say your own dream? Then you are really coward." Logan rested his chin and shook his head with a hint of resentment.

Having known from the Mangas that Coby was cowardly, witnessing it firsthand made Logan realize that using the term "cowardly" to describe Coby might be an understatement. It was like trying to build a wall with mud that couldn't support it.

Logan's words seemed to touch a nerve in Coby, awakening his last semblance of courage.

"Huh~"

Coby took a deep breath, clenched his fist vigorously, a self-deprecating smile suddenly appeared on his face, and he said bitterly, "Can someone like me join the Marines?"

"Marines?" Luffy froze for a moment.

"Yes! Although I will become enemies with you, as a Marine, I will become stronger and catch all the bad guys..."

Speaking with newfound determination, Coby, teary-eyed and sweating, shouted at the two people in front of him with an aura he had never used before, "This has been my dream since I was a child!!!"

"Look... it's actually not that difficult to shout out your dreams, huh?" Logan walked up to Coby, smiled, and patted his shoulder.

"Huh~"

"Yeah, I feel much happier when I say it! The fear of Alvida in my heart seems to be reduced." Coby felt that his breathing became smoother.

"Actually, if you have the courage, it is not difficult to realize your dreams. If I remember correctly, the Marine Base closest to here should be in Shells Town. When you get there, join the Marines. More than half of your dream have been realized. As for the next road, it depends on you. Good luck~" With a character like Coby, Logan had no intention of recruiting him into the group. Moreover, recruiting members into the team was the captain's decision. If there were no special circumstances, Logan did not want to deviate from the plot direction. If one element went awry, it could trigger a butterfly effect, and the Straw Hats might not be as cool as expected, impacting Logan as well.

"Really?"

Not long ago, he was a slave on Alvida's ship, and now he was on the verge of realizing his dream? Coby couldn't believe this fact.

But upon reflection...

Yes!

Shells Town was not far from here, and once he arrived there, joining the Marines meant he no longer had to worry about Alvida chasing him.

"You are right Logan, thank you for the encouragement"Coby's confidence increased, but the next moment his face showed worry again. "But... are you willing to take me to Shells Town?"

Logan shrugged. "As long as you can navigate this ship to Shells Town, we will get you there."

"I'm not going to lie, we're both sailing idiots..."

Hearing this, Coby was excited: "No problem, this voyage is on me!!!"

In the control cabin, Coby carefully observed the ocean current while steering the ship.

"I found it. It's this ocean current. As long as you go straight along this stream, you will soon reach Shells Town."

After confirming the course, Coby fixed the rudder. No further action was required until reaching the port.

"I wonder what Luffy and Logan are up to?"

With nothing to control for the time being, Coby immediately thought of Luffy and Logan. After all, they were the first "good guys" he had encountered since growing up.

Upon reaching the deck, he saw Luffy looking at something.

"Ah! Damn it! Can't defeat that guy!"

"I'll try again!"

"Hey? I just remembered; it was the last chance for today. Ahhh! It seems we'll have to wait until tomorrow."

Luffy yelled in frustration.

"Luffy, are you reading Mangas?"

Coby moved closer, his eyes falling on the Manga book in Luffy's hand. A little curious, he cautiously asked, "Can you let me see it?"

"That won't work! I still need this Manga for important things. If you lose it, I'll be in trouble!"

Luffy waved his hand and refused directly.

"Oh…"

Coby didn't dare say anything more. About to leave timidly, he heard Luffy's hearty voice: "But, if you want to read Mangas, you can go to Logan. He has drawn a lot of Mangas; there must be something you like."

"Is this drawn by Logan?"

"Of course! He's a Mangaka!"

"Really? Logan is amazing!"

"Well, you don't need to say this. Go, I will take you to him."

With that said, Luffy took Coby and entered the cabin.

Soon, the two arrived at Logan's studio.

"Luffy?"

Pausing the paintbrush in his hand, Logan said suspiciously, "You don't think you want another Manga, do you? Hasn't a copy of [Akame ga Kill] cut off your interest yet?"

Luffy shook his head. "Ah~ no. It's Coby! He also wants to read Mangas, so I brought him to you."

"So that's the way it is. Coby, you can choose one yourself." Logan readily agreed.

As a Mangaka, Logan felt proud when more people read his Mangas. While Logan had prevented Luffy from coming to his studio to avoid any potential destruction, it was not because he didn't want to share his Mangas with Luffy.

"Ah! Thank you! Thank you..."

Coby was very grateful. When he reached the bookshelf, he didn't dare to take too long, selecting one at random and quickly returning.

"Oh, that's right. Coby, this Manga is for you."

Seeing Luffy and Coby leaving, Logan suddenly realized that he would soon part ways with Coby when they reached Shells Town. Although Coby's character was not the most pleasing, his interest in Logan's Mangas hinted at a shared vision.

It's just a Manga, a parting gift.

Upon hearing this, Coby was deeply moved. He hadn't received a gift from others since childhood, and now he was not only rescued by Logan but also given a Manga.

"Thank you, Logan! I promise I will cherish this manga!"

In his heart, Coby had so much to express.

This is a symbol of our friendship!

Yet, he couldn't articulate it, fearing that he wasn't worthy of discussing friendship with Logan.

But no matter what his thoughts, Coby, in his heart, would always remember Logan's kindness.