27 Chapter 27

With Tashigi in charge of food and water. Kaya went shopping with a curious look on her face. She had lived in Syrup Village since childhood and had never ventured outside to see a town more prosperous than it. Immediately, she was drawn in by the various goods on both sides of the street.

"Wow, Brother Ron, look there, so many people!" Kaya exclaimed, taking Ron's hand and running forward.

Ron looked where Kaya was pointing and saw a juggler on the street. The man had dexterous hands, juggling a dozen apples in mid-air, forming a perfect circle. Each falling apple, he caught effortlessly. A large crowd of children cheered among the onlookers.

After a while, the man grabbed all the apples that had fallen from the sky and distributed them to the watching children with a smile on his face. A clever little boy followed him, holding a hat and shouting, "Brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, and my fellow good people could you please support us!"

The children who received the apples ate them happily, and the adults nearby took out some coins and threw them into the boy's hat.

The man approached Ron and Kaya, and even though his intention was to give apples to younger children of seven or eight years old, when he saw Kaya looking at him expectantly, he couldn't help but smile and handed an apple to her.

"Thank you!" Kaya politely expressed her gratitude and gazed at the apple in her hand with a happy smile.

Seeing this, Ron smiled and pulled out a banknote, tossing it into the boy's hat.

The boy, noticing Ron's generosity, who contributed more money than the others beamed with happiness. He bowed to Ron with gratitude, saying, "Thank you, handsome brother! Thank you, beautiful sister!"

Ron led Kaya away, looking at the big red apple in her hand. He coughed and said, "Wait until you can wash it before you eat it!"

Kaya, who was about to take a bite, paused and turned to look at Ron. After thinking for a moment, she nodded and said, "Okay!"

The two continued to stroll down the street, occasionally stopping at stalls to purchase small, delightful items. Kaya accumulated more and more items in her hands, including some snacks like delicious dried fruits, and tasty juicy fruits, as well as exquisitely crafted rag dolls and a variety of other trinkets.

Kaya was happy, but Ron found himself scratching his head a little. Was he treating Kaya as a child? Cough... She's sixteen years old, isn't that a bit odd? However, when he looked at Kaya's innocent expression, Ron decided not to dwell on it.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, a petite figure appeared in front of Ron, and he couldn't help but be dazzled. "That orange hair, the agile figure, and those sly eyes that have a mischievous glint—this girl... Isn't this Nami?"

"What a coincidence to meet Nami here!"

Ron suddenly smiled and said to Kaya, "Let's go, we've found a new crew member!"

"Huh?" Kaya, who was happily munching on a snack, looked bewildered, not quite understanding what Ron meant.

As they strolled through the streets, Nami was secretly scanning the crowd, searching for a target. She wasn't planning to steal from ordinary people but rather from the local tycoons who looked wealthy or the pirates who came to buy supplies.

Nami's eyes darted through the crowd, and suddenly, they lit up as she spotted a well-dressed young man with a lovely girl beside him, slowly approaching. The teenager's clothing and demeanor indicated that he was no ordinary person, and the assortment of items in the girl's arms confirmed that they were quite well-off.

Furthermore, when Ron and Kaya left, Kaya's father had given them a significant amount of Berries as travel expenses, ensuring they wouldn't have to worry about food and drink.

A smirk crossed Ron's lips as Nami's gaze lingered on him, and Kaya continued to follow him with an innocent expression.

Nami probably thought to herself, "Just you—there must be a lot of money!"

Nami began to move, blending into the crowd and heading toward Ron. As she brushed past him, Nami's nimble fingers deftly grazed Ron's body, and she was overjoyed as she clutched a money pouch. It felt substantial; there must be a lot of money inside.

Nami was delighted and dashed away with her newfound riches. After running for a while, she cast a cautious glance behind her, but saw no one pursuing her. She couldn't help but smile, "Haha, it's been a while since I had such a big score. Let's see how much!"

Hiding in an alley, Nami gently opened the money pouch, only to find a substantial sum of money inside. She began counting with a pleased expression, "One thousand, two thousand..."

"Don't bother counting. There's a total of 135,400 Baileys in that pouch."

A voice, filled with amusement, came from behind Nami, startling her. She turned around, nearly jumping out of her skin.

Ron and Kaya stood there, observing Nami's surprised expression with a smile. Ron noticed Nami's darting eyes, and he could tell that she was contemplating an escape.

But what could she do after being caught red-handed while trying to steal money?

"It's over!" Nami thought to herself, irritated. "These two can't be ordinary rich folks. I couldn't tell from up close... With the two swords at his side, he's probably a powerful individual. I might not stand a chance. To escape, I need to find an opening quickly!"

Nami twisted her body, intending to flee into the nearby alley. However, she ran into Ron again.

Swish!

Ron's figure appeared in front of Nami like a wall, blocking her path.

"Ouch!"

Nami clutched her head and cried out, feeling as though she had run into an immovable object. When she looked up, she was face to face with the teenager she had been trying to evade. How had he managed to catch up to her again?

Nami couldn't figure it out, but with time running out, she couldn't dwell on it. She hastily got to her feet and exclaimed, "Here's your money pouch back! Please don't chase me anymore!"

Nami tossed the money pouch back at Ron, hoping it would divert his attention and allow her to make a quick escape.

But once again, she ran into Ron!

Ron reached out and caught the money pouch, then swiftly closed the distance between himself and Nami. With a quick movement, he seized her by the back of the neck, preventing her from fleeing any further. She struggled, but Ron had her firmly in his grasp.