Nami, Kaya, and of course, Allen strolled through the streets of Loguetown. Needless to say, they were attracting the attention of quite a few people, though not everyone. In the end, even if a pirate with a bounty of 100 million berries was famous, it wasn't as if every single person would recognize him or have heard of him.
A more important detail was that seeing pirates in Loguetown was an everyday occurrence. It didn't matter what island they came from; they all passed through Loguetown because it was the last stop before entering the Grand Line.
As for the murmurs and whispers behind their backs, even though Allen knew that several of those eyes held bad intentions, he didn't care too much.
That was because he was confident he could get the girls safely off the island with his current abilities.
There was only one captain in charge of Loguetown, and even if he happened to be the strongest captain in the Marines, he stood no chance against Allen. At least, that's what Allen believed, which was why he took everything so calmly.
With that in mind, the trio wandered all over the town, buying everything they needed and loading it into a cart that Allen had rented.
Food, medicine, winter clothing and raincoats, personal hygiene products, some things Nojiko had asked for, and others that Uta had requested.
Slowly, Allen's cart filled up until it looked like a mountain. Allen even had to buy a backpack three meters in diameter. It looked ridiculous when full, but it was necessary to carry everything.
Once they finished shopping, they returned to the ship, left everything in storage, and then decided to head back out, this time just for a leisurely walk.
Allen bought Kaya some cotton candy, and Nami wanted to try something called takoyaki. Allen was surprised by the existence of that food, because somehow it felt strangely familiar.
But at that moment, Allen felt everything around him begin to lose color.
"...?"
Nami placed a hand on his shoulder and pointed toward a shop selling navigation supplies. To her, seeing a high-quality mapping pen and chart paper was like other girls seeing fashionable clothes.
Kaya laughed while covering her mouth, but both girls began moving slower and slower until they stopped completely, along with everyone else.
[This is... what's happening?]
"It seems we're under the influence of some kind of power. Could it be a Devil Fruit?"
[Aren't you a little too calm?]
"I could say the same thing about you."
[Hmm, it's strange, but I don't feel any danger despite this being something completely unknown to us... Isn't that strange?]
"No, I feel the same way. It's as if a voice is whispering that there's no danger..."
A door appeared at that moment. As soon as it opened, a terrifying black abyss could be seen beyond it. However, neither Allen nor Lenalee felt fear. Instead, they felt familiarity.
Allen walked toward the abyss and stepped inside. At that moment, countless memories flooded into him like a torrent, and he couldn't help but smile.
"I'm back..." Allen said.
When he emerged on the other side, Natasha was waiting for him. The beautiful scarlet-haired woman smiled warmly, approached him, and wrapped him in a hug.
"Welcome home~"
Allen spent ten minutes holding Natasha in his arms.
Naturally, there was no show for the Chat.
At this point, many people knew that Natasha Romanoff was in a relationship with "that" Allen Walker, but Allen himself had never made it public. Not out of fear. At this point, only beings on Lucifer's level represented a threat to him, so his reasons had nothing to do with protecting them and everything to do with convenience.
Felicia, Gwen, and MJ were still attending college, after all. If people learned they were Allen's girlfriends, their lives would become incredibly uncomfortable. Many people would probably be too afraid to even talk to them. Professors wouldn't dare fail them on an exam. Governments would directly offer them jobs with astronomical salaries. It was even possible that kings and presidents would personally come to flatter those girls. It was simply exhausting to think about.
Of course, with Allen's power, erasing the memories of every person in the world if the secret were ever revealed would be as easy as blinking. No, it wouldn't even require that much effort.
"Did you miss me?" Allen asked.
"Don't be silly. For us, it was only a few days," Natasha laughed as she rested her head against Allen's chest.
There was a moment of silence, and Natasha's smile slowly faded. She looked up at Allen before gently caressing his cheek.
"On the contrary, are you okay? If I understood correctly, this time it wasn't months or years. It was an entire lifetime, from the moment you were born until now..."
Because of the changes Lucifer had made to the game, Allen was experiencing an entire life in One Piece. Unlike previous worlds, where his body operated on autopilot and only his spirit awakened, this time it was Allen himself living everything from the very beginning.
"Don't worry, it doesn't affect me." Allen kissed Natasha. There was complete sincerity in his eyes.
However, Natasha felt a little sad. She knew Allen wasn't lying, and that made it somewhat unfortunate as well, because it meant Allen was beginning to perceive time differently from an ordinary person.
"In the future, do whatever it takes so that I never leave you alone."
Allen was about to joke that if she wanted, he could turn her into a true goddess, an immortal cultivator, or perhaps in the future even create Outer Gods and extradimensional beings. But when he saw the look in her eyes, he didn't.
"Humans aren't designed for immortality. Many go insane, like Logan, after only a few hundred years. But there are beings capable of living for billions of years without being affected. Still, none of that matters. I don't even know what our future will look like, so let's just live as humans for one lifetime, and then let time decide the rest."
Natasha smiled before kissing Allen. He picked her up in his arms and left the room.
As for the Chat that was waiting...
To hell with them. There were more important things.
....
One hour later, Allen sat down in his chair in front of the camera.
One hour for the Chat, but for Allen, it had been a full twenty-four hours devoted entirely to Natasha.
"Alright, bastards, go ahead and say whatever you want. I'm in a good mood today, so I won't hand out too many bans."
Rick – I've been wondering, every time you go through that door, you lose a little height and muscle mass. Maybe not much, but you do. So does that mean your P—
(Ban)
Allen sighed.
"This is going to be a very long Just Chatting stream..."
Rukia – Setting aside the nonsense, I have several questions.
"Go ahead. I'll answer what I can."
Rukia – What happens if you die in that world?
"The bet ends, and I'm removed from that world forever... or until my power surpasses Lucifer's."
For a moment, everyone was startled, but it was true. Although the rules stated that Allen could never return to a world where he had died, that only applied because Lucifer was stronger than him.
Emma Frost – It's a shame I can't send you money. I'd give you everything so you could become stronger and stop being in danger.
"Thanks, Emma. You're very sweet, but that's not possible."
Emma smiled, feeling as though her heart had been pierced.
The Allen of this world was gradually developing a particular air of maturity. As he sat confidently and calmly in his chair while watching the Chat, it became increasingly noticeable.
That was both good and bad. If Allen's already irresistible bad-boy charm was combined with maturity, then the men of the world might as well remain single forever.
Saeko – I noticed you used a sword against that pirate. Does that mean you retain some sort of muscle memory, even if your memories are different?
"I honestly couldn't tell you. I mean, that Allen is me. But it's true that when I'm there, I don't remember a single thing outside of what I've experienced in One Piece, although there might be some lingering memories."
Saya – We can definitely see that. You're still a shameless troublemaker in every world whenever you get bored, haha~
"Well, what can I say? Sometimes I feel like messing with people a little. It's part of who I am."
Thor – A little?! That Vice Admiral must have cursed every one of your ancestors! Hahaha!
Tony – Allen, can you really not tell us anything about why you're so obsessed with becoming the King of the World?
Allen interlocked his fingers and rested them on the desk.
"I can't. Sorry."
Akeno – This is bad. The combination of a cute rebellious Allen and a charming mature Allen is making it hard for me to breathe❤️~
Afrorida – I understand. I'm already on my third time🖤
Albedo – He's so incredible❤️~
Gwen interrupted the three of them by giving each a five-minute ban.
Gwen (mod) – I had to do it -_-
"Don't worry about it."
Erza – How do you see your chances in the current situation?
Allen fell silent before narrowing his eyes with slight concern.
Unlike Allen himself, the Chat not only possessed knowledge of One Piece, but they were also able to observe events from a godlike perspective. They were aware of the Marines' movements and, of course, of Monkey D. Garp's presence in Loguetown.
"Not very good... In One Piece, I've been thinking too simply. I've become confident in my power despite saying I wouldn't underestimate this world. I'm also relying too much on my knowledge of it, trusting the fact that Loguetown only has a Marine captain stationed here."
Allen leaned back in his chair.
"Basically, I'm making the same mistakes a seventeen-year-old Allen would make."
[Sorry. My version in that world is immature too... there's not much I can do.]
Allen smiled.
'Don't worry, Lenalee...'
[Ugh... that name makes me feel weird. Just call me System or Sister like always.]
'Alright, but honestly, I really like that name. I don't know why...'
[Well... do whatever you want, Allen-kun.]
"..."
[...]
A faint sense of awkwardness passed between them, but both ignored it.
Turning his attention back to the Chat, Allen adopted a serious expression.
"It's true that things don't look good right now. I can only hope that the resources available to me in Loguetown, along with my current strength, will be enough to survive against a monster worth five billion..."
Allen continued talking with his Chat until it was finally time to return to the world of One Piece.
....
...
....
Allen blinked, feeling strange for a second, but when he saw Nami holding several rolls of parchment from a stall with excitement, he forgot that feeling and walked toward her.
"Allen, look at this!"
Allen smiled in amusement. "Well, I'm no expert, but it looks like something used for making maps and nautical charts."
Nami looked offended. "That's obvious. Don't treat me like an idiot. What's important is the quality and the price. I've never seen it this cheap."
The owner of the stall smiled and nodded.
"Your beautiful girlfriend has a great eye. Our parchment is the highest quality, with only one thousand berries per roll."
Nami blushed at being called his beautiful girlfriend, while Kaya, standing beside them, puffed out a cheek and grabbed Allen's arm.
Allen raised an eyebrow and smirked. He knew it. This guy was treating them like tourists. Loguetown was a tourist attraction for people all across the East Blue, and naturally, some merchants tried to scam visitors.
"Oh, only a thousand? That's cheap." Nami smiled, wrapped herself around Allen's arm intimately and affectionately, and pulled out a stack of bills from her purse to pay, but "accidentally" a wanted poster fell to the ground. The moment the merchant saw the face on the poster and then looked at Allen and Nami, he turned pale.
"Miss! Sir! I made a mistake!" The man laughed nervously while sweating. "A thousand? How foolish of me! I forgot about our special promotion. It's half price today only!"
Kaya stared speechlessly at what Nami was doing. As for Allen, he felt like a proud father. Nami was a thief, but her thefts had always been discreet. She would slip in and out unnoticed. But now she was being shameless, just like her captain.
Allen joined in, his expression turning sorrowful.
"I'm sorry, Nami, but we're a little short on money."
Nami looked at Allen, and there was a tacit understanding between kindred spirits.
"That's true... We need to save money for Kaya's treatment."
"I'm sorry. I'm a pathetic man who can't give you the sky and the stars. I only have five hundred berries right now, and that's not enough to buy, say, ten rolls of parchment." Allen gently patted Nami's head while glancing sideways at the stall owner.
The man trembled.
Nami looked touched and held Allen's hands between hers.
"Don't worry, honey. Kaya's health comes first. I only have five hundred berries too!"
The merchant wanted to vomit blood. Hadn't Nami just pulled out a stack of bills?!
Both the crowd and Kaya were in shock. Those two shameless people couldn't possibly act any worse! Yet even if it was the worst performance in the world, the hundred-million-berry wanted poster on the ground delivered a subtle message.
The man cried internally but forced himself to respond.
"Don't worry, my lovely couple... I forgot we had a special promotion... a ninety-five percent discount... ugh... for couples."
Nami's eyes lit up, and she jumped with joy. Then she began grabbing several rolls of parchment, ink, drafting tools, and a new notebook.
"You're a great man. Know that I'll never forget this," Allen said with a respectful look.
"Y-yes."
Will he never forget it? Was that a threat?
Cough!
Just as Allen and Nami were about to complete their blatant robbery, Kaya, who could no longer stay silent, interrupted.
"That's enough, you two!"
Allen looked over and saw Kaya pointing at them with an angry expression, though it only made her look even cuter.
"Well..."
Allen scratched his cheek. In truth, he wasn't as stingy as Nami. At least he wouldn't do something like this just to save a few thousand berries. He just hated people trying to scam them, so he'd wanted to give the merchant a little scare.
As for Nami, she thought Kaya was about to scold her for going too far with the stall owner. Of course, she wasn't planning to leave the man with nothing. She was only going to take a few things at a discount.
Nami and Allen exchanged glances. It seemed they had gone too far. Allen prepared himself to pay full price and maybe sign an autograph for the man.
Nothing said "I'm sorry" better than one of his autographs.
However, Kaya's next words left them stunned.
"You should clearly demonstrate that you're a couple. Otherwise, it just looks like a lie, doesn't it?"
"Huh?" Nami froze.
Allen looked at the girl and saw the teasing look in her eyes. It was obvious Kaya hadn't appreciated the two of them pretending to be a couple in front of her, so she was getting revenge.
Nami looked at Allen, asking what they should do. Allen, of course, refused to be underestimated, so he decided to act a little more like a couple with Nami. She immediately understood the mission.
But the moment they took each other's hands, Kaya interrupted again.
"There's no better proof than a kiss."
[Haha, well, you're screwed!]
Nami froze completely. Flirting was one thing, but kissing Allen was too much for her.
Allen was in trouble too. He wasn't the same womanizer with a harem. His experience with women was mostly limited to a bunch of crazy girls who wanted to kidnap him.
There was a moment of silence.
"Oh, that's right. A truly loving couple shows their affection with kisses~" the stall owner mocked.
Allen regretted feeling sorry for the man and was now determined to leave him penniless.
"Hey... what do we do?" Nami whispered, her face completely red.
Allen was about to answer, but then he realized just how close Nami really was. And he wasn't made of stone. The girl was incredibly beautiful.
"Honestly... I don't mind."
Hearing his words, Nami turned even redder. Yet she didn't pull away. Instead, her pupils dilated as they met Allen's eyes.
Kaya, who had originally only wanted to put them in an awkward situation, noticed the strange atmosphere and trembled.
Had she just shot herself in the foot?
Nami's heart was racing as Allen stared intently at her; it was clear he intended to kiss her.
Nami slowly closed her eyes, as if accepting this.
Nobody spoke for a moment. Even the spectators remained silent.
"So this is where you were?!"
Someone interrupted at the last second. Allen turned to see who it was, and he was surprised.
....
Elsewhere in Loguetown, Uta and Nojiko walked through the streets, leaving everyone around them stunned.
Uta was humming cheerfully while Nojiko tightly gripped her rifle. It was Bell-mère's rifle, and she believed it would be ideal to learn how to use it.
"Are we really going to be okay?" Nojiko asked.
Uta laughed softly.
"That's the third time you've asked. Don't worry, nothing's going to happen~"
Nojiko couldn't understand how Uta was so calm. Everything could go wrong. They were heading to a Marine base while being pirates!
Why did Allen think this was a good idea, and why didn't Uta seem worried?!
This was insane!
On top of a building, Hina and Tashigi watched Uta and Nojiko walking toward the Marine base.
"Are these girls crazy?! Hina is in shock!"
Hina had heard that part of Allen's crew had split off, but she never imagined their destination would be the Marines.
It was true that neither of them had a bounty, but as members of a pirate crew, they'd be imprisoned if captured.
"What are we going to do?" Tashigi asked.
Tashigi was a beautiful young woman with long dark-blue hair tied into a ponytail. She wore pink glasses that gave her a harmless appearance, but she was still a full-fledged lieutenant with decent strength.
Hina, the pink-haired beauty, remained silent as she smoked a cigarette. No matter how she thought about it, none of Allen's actions made any sense. Did those girls really mean nothing to him?
Hina frowned. She had seen Allen's wanted poster. She was certain that someone capable of protecting a girl like that wasn't the kind of person who would abandon a member of his crew.
"We're going to arrest them..." Hina said, ordering her Marines to discreetly surround the two girls.
Uta smiled.
"They arrived faster than I thought."
....
Garp opened his eyes and slowly stood up. Then he walked to the room's window and looked outside.
Without warning, he jumped and landed heavily on the ground below.
A crater formed on impact.
A second later, Bogard appeared beside him.
"Did something happen?"
Garp narrowed his eyes.
"I can feel a familiar wind..."
High above the clouds, a cloaked man looked down below, specifically at the harbor where a caravel with a sheep figurehead was docking.
"The wheels of destiny have begun to move..." the man smiled.
However, when he looked elsewhere, his face darkened. Just as Garp had sensed him, he had sensed Garp.
"Why... are you here?"
The world remained unaware that two of the strongest people alive had crossed paths in Loguetown at this very moment.
Something that the Chat audience was fully aware wasn't supposed to happen, yet it was happening, and no one knew what would occur next.
Worst of all, Allen was standing right in the middle of it all without realizing it.