Encounter with Weirdos

Chapter 68: Encounter with Weirdos

Rob Lucci was furious. He had come out on this trip, and his beloved pigeon, Hattori, had disappeared. But now he was filled with deep fear. Who could easily take Hattoriaway from him? This was a true master.

Hattori was his pet and companion, a highly intelligent pigeon that had been with him for a long time. Losing Hattori was distressing. 

However, as a mature CP9 agent, Lucci knew he had to remain calm in such situations. He decided not to chase after the mysterious individual who took Hadoli and focused on finding his pigeon.

On the other side, Hattori, the pigeon with a tie, was being held in the hand of one of Rodneyi's clones. The clone had a sinister expression and appeared to be eyeing the bird, considering which part would be tastier.

Hattori was terrified and on the verge of tears. He didn't know how he got caught so easily. 

"Hehehe... I wonder how I should eat you," the clone said with an evil grin, and Hadoli's heart pounded with fear.

Hattori silently pleaded for his master to come and save him.

The clone seemed unsatisfied with the amount of meat on Hattori. With only about a pound or so, it was hardly worth the effort to eat it as a snack. The clone thought it was troublesome to remove the feathers and cook it. "Forget it, let me give Rob Lucci a warning."

...

Rob Lucci eventually found Hattori tied to a wooden post, with many of his feathers plucked, looking quite miserable. Tears filled Hattori's eyes as he looked at his master, as if saying he had suffered an injustice.

Though Rob Lucci was distressed by the sight, he decided not to pursue the culprits. He knew they were just petty pirates, and obtaining useful information from them was unlikely.

However, he couldn't help but wonder if Hattori's predicament was meant as a warning to him. Were these mere pirates capable of...

Rob Lucci felt a mix of disdain and fear for the pirates. They had managed to sneak up on him and take Hattori without him noticing; their strength was genuinely terrifying.

Rob Lucci transmitted the information about Rodney's ship production in Water 7 back to the World Government but received no immediate response.

Unknown to them, Iceburg had already given the Pluton blueprint to a certain lunatic...

Meanwhile, Rodney was shopping for the supplies they needed, though he couldn't help but criticize his crewmates for spending too much money on clothes. He also noticed he needed to buy new shoes.

…

Rodney had rented a four-seat since there were three of them. However, he managed to take up two seats for himself.

The Water 7 has a rich history and boasts a unique water city culture. It's the only place like this on the Grand Line. Like a pearl on the Grand Line.

As for the things they purchased, they have already been sent to Galley-La Company, so don't worry, they have the means to afford it.

"Captain, where are we going next? The Food Capital?" Robin asked.

"Tomorrow." 

Then he took off his ninja footwear, stepped on the water with bare feet. There's no doubt that Germa is wealthy, very wealthy, otherwise they wouldn't afford the expenses of scientific research, the production and operation of clone soldiers, and the profitable business of hiring out their war capabilities. 

They definitely earn more than me from hunting pirates.

Reiju asked, "So, is that the captain's ability? What devil fruit did you eat, captain? Having such a variety of abilities is unheard of in the sea."

"Why can't one learn things on their own? It's not just about devil fruits. Although eating a powerful devil fruit is like ascending to the heavens, with one's strength skyrocketing, it doesn't mean invincibility. 

If you don't know the type of devil fruit, eating it is really a matter of luck. Otherwise, if you eat a useless fruit, you might end up turning into a non-swimmer, or even get deceived by your own ability... Some fruits are truly useless..."

"I see. So the captain doesn't possess devil fruit." Reiju pondered for a moment and refrained from further questions.

"I heard there's a kind of meat here called Shui Shui Pork. I want to try it. Do you want to come along?" Rodney asked.

"I don't mind. I still want to go shopping. Robin, do you want to come?" Reiju inquired.

"I'm also going to buy books. Captain, you can go alone. Remember to come back at night."

"Alright, alright." The three split up, and Rodney confidently headed toward the place selling Shui Shui Pork.

(TL/N: Shui basically means 'Water')

Excitedly, he ran to a restaurant to purchase the meat.As a world-famous tourist destination, the scenery here was indeed beautiful. Rodney bought a large bag of jerky and savored it while admiring the stunning sights.

Then... he was intercepted by a group of perverts.

How should I put it? It was only natural for them to be perceived as perverts—dressed peculiarly during the daytime, not appearing like regular people, behaving strangely, and standing in odd poses in front of him, right?

Before him were several big hairy legs in stockings, really an eyesore.

Darn it, why dress like this? No, forget it, they're perverts!

The Franky Dismantling House, or the Franky Family, engages in ship dismantling, but they have a terrible reputation in the Water 7.

Asking someone from here could easily lead to abuse, followed by spitting at you. They could swindle and deceive you. 

Sometimes, when they were short of money, they even worked as pirate hunters to earn extra money. In the eyes of the residents of the Water 7, they were considered hooligans, bandits, shameless scum, and so on.

"Hey..." The burly man in stockings was about to say something.

Rodney took a step back first, then activated his Sharingan, stunning everyone in front of him.

One by one, the group of people fell to the ground. To avoid obstructing passers-by and disrupting traffic, he tossed the group beside the trash can. Ah, he had done another good deed today.

Thinking this way, Rodney felt a sense of elevation. Well, let's continue traveling. It's nothing serious. Tomorrow, he would head to the gourmet food capital, to enjoy a delicious meal.