Chapter 157: Water 7 – Who Isn’t a Master of Deception?

Takumi was absolutely certain—the "girl" who had just walked past him was none other than his shadow clone!

He locked his gaze on the clone, who had already seated itself in the front row. Takumi felt an overwhelming urge to walk over and punch him right in the face.

After spending all this time in the pirate world, there had been very few occasions where Takumi genuinely wanted to hit someone…

"Huh? Isn't it a little early for the 'Masked Carnival'? Why's that girl wearing a mask?" Iceberg noticed the clone too.

The Masked Carnival was a unique festival in Water 7, where the locals donned masks and bizarre costumes to disguise themselves.

Takumi snapped out of his thoughts, trying to figure out how to handle the situation.

Kalifa adjusted her glasses, speaking in her usual calm voice. "That's probably Takumi's girlfriend."

Takumi: "???"

Girlfriend? What girlfriend?

Iceberg's expression lit up with surprise. "Wait, really? Takumi, you're so young, and you've already got yourself a girlfriend? Impressive!"

Takumi: "…No. I don't know him."

His expression darkened. Sure, it wasn't technically him in that outfit, but since the clone looked exactly like him, it felt just as embarrassing.

If the plan was to go undercover, the clone should've gone for something more discreet. But no—of course, the clone had to dress up like some kind of gothic lolita. It's like he wanted to attract attention.

Takumi glanced toward Aokiji's direction, and sure enough, the admiral had noticed the shadow clone.

Kalifa's voice chimed in again, "Oh? It's not your girlfriend? Because, on the way here, I distinctly remember seeing you come out of a dress shop, carrying a dress that looks exactly like the one she's wearing now. Maybe I misunderstood?"

"Wait, Takumi went to a dress shop?" Iceberg asked, looking at Takumi like he'd just discovered something groundbreaking.

Takumi: "…It wasn't me."

Kalifa nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, I must've been mistaken. That person didn't have a sword, so it probably wasn't you."

Iceberg sighed, looking a bit disappointed.

Takumi wasn't interested in continuing this ridiculous conversation. His eyes shifted back to the clone, and he realized nearly everyone in the room had taken notice of the flashy "girl."

People were even starting to approach and chat with him.

What in the world was that clone trying to pull?

"Well, isn't that odd…" Aokiji's lazy voice came from the aisle, just beside Takumi's seat. The admiral was staring at the clone, sounding as unbothered as ever. "Why do I feel your presence coming from that strange girl?"

Takumi gritted his teeth.

Aokiji was clearly talking to him now.

Takumi: "…"

Aokiji glanced at Takumi and pointed directly at the shadow clone. "So, do you know that person?"

Takumi replied flatly, "No."

Scratching the back of his head, Aokiji turned back to the clone, muttering, "Weird. Must be my imagination."

Soon, the auction began, and Aokiji returned to his spot in the corner.

As expected, the host spent a ridiculous amount of time with pointless chatter, hyping up the crowd before the actual bidding started.

The first items on the block were things like jewelry and antiques. Despite the Navy undercover agents scattered throughout, there were plenty of genuine bidders in attendance, too.

Each round of bidding went smoothly, with items being sold off one after the other.

Seeing that the regular items were nearly all sold, Iceberg finally spoke up. "Looks like the person the Navy is waiting for isn't going to show."

Not showing up is the normal outcome, right? Takumi thought. He didn't recall Law ever getting caught in Water 7.

At this point, his only concern was whether or not the Silent Fruit would actually be auctioned off.

The host suddenly paused as someone whispered something in his ear. He cleared his throat before addressing the crowd. "I'm terribly sorry, but due to unforeseen circumstances, the final item for today's auction has been withdrawn. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience. The auction will continue as planned."

The audience erupted in groans of disappointment.

Takumi: "…"

Of course.

The worst-case scenario had come to pass.

The Silent Fruit would be taken back into Navy custody, and if Takumi wanted to get his hands on it, he'd have to deal with Aokiji directly.

At that moment, Takumi noticed his shadow clone glance back at him—was it…winking?

Takumi: "!"

What was that idiot up to now?

The clone smirked, elbowing a greasy-looking man sitting next to him. In a deliberately high-pitched voice, it asked, "Hey there, big guy. Do you know where the bathroom is?"

The man blinked, pointing to himself. "You talking to me?"

The clone gave him a playful smack. "Of course I am, silly~! So, do you know or not?"

The man grinned in a slimy way. "Oh, I know where it is, alright. How about I take you there?"

The clone giggled. "Sure~!"

And just like that, the greasy man escorted the clone out the back door.

Takumi, using Observation Haki, listened in on their conversation. His face darkened, and an overwhelming aura of murderous intent surrounded him.

Iceberg shivered suddenly. "What the…? Why'd it get so cold all of a sudden?"

The man led the clone to the restroom door, grinning like an idiot. "Wait here, cutie. When you're done, I'll take you somewhere fun, yeah?"

The clone pretended to blush. "You're too forward~! Hey, what's that over there?" It pointed dramatically behind the man.

The greasy man turned to look.

The clone immediately leaped up and slammed the man's head into the ground, knocking him out cold.

"Trash," the clone muttered, dusting off its hands.

It grabbed the man's ankle, dragging him to a nearby storage closet and shoving him inside. Then, it messed up its own outfit, deliberately making it look ragged, and sprinted toward the room where the auction items were stored, where two undercover Navy officers were stationed.

"Help! Somebody help me!" The clone shrieked in a pitiful voice, throwing in a theatrical stumble as it neared the officers. "Some creep's after me!"

One of the officers quickly helped the "girl" to her feet. "Uh, you okay? Who's after you? Everyone's in the auction hall, so how could someone be chasing you?"

"It's true!" The clone pointed shakily in the direction it had come from. "He was right there! Please, you have to protect me!"

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