A commotion suddenly broke out on the streets of the Spring Queen's City.
The crowds on the street all pushed and pulled to get out of the way. They couldn't help but stand on their tiptoes, looking at the man and three women walking from the street entrance with both curiosity and respect.
"Hey, hey, hey, did you hear? The Demon Hunter Pirates—got wiped out completely at the harbor not long ago…"
"I heard it was those people who did it!"
"Hah? I heard the rumor it was their pet dog…"
"Shhh! Keep your voice down! Who knows if they're bounty hunters or pirates—don't risk offending them!"
…
"The news has spread, huh."
Nao bit into the popsicle he'd just bought from a small street vendor, tearing the wrapper open with practiced ease.
"Barely an hour ago when we entered the city, we weren't attracting this much attention."
There were too many stares. It was a little annoying.
Just as he was about to take a bite of the ice pop, he suddenly noticed that the three women were all staring intently at the bottom half of the ice pop in his hand. When they saw him look at them, they all casually looked away.
Oh, he was familiar with this feeling.
Nao glanced at the ice pop in his hand. This thing could be broken in half in the middle. In his previous life, only the best of friends would share the other half with each other.
Were they having a secret competition to see who could get the bottom half of the ice pop from him?
"No need for that."
He shrugged, lightly tapped the popsicle with a finger, and a breeze whistled past—splitting it evenly into four neat pieces. With a casual flick, three pieces landed precisely in the women's hands.
"Here, everyone gets one. Let's all eat together."
"Tch, how boring."
Gion and the others, embarrassed at being seen through, shot him a mix of shy and annoyed glares.
Nao just grinned, clamping the ice pop between his teeth as he clasped his hands behind his head and strode faster under the sunlight.
…
The harbor incident had spread, drawing no shortage of attention. But at the same time, it spared Nao's group plenty of unnecessary trouble.
From the music fountain, the wax museum, the ancient history museum, the Spring Queen statue…
…to the bustling food streets, they enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Even passing through some shadowy side alleys, they didn't run into any fools with a death wish.
At one point, while queuing for tickets at the wax museum, a towering four-meter-tall brute tried to muscle in and cut the line.
But the instant he saw who was standing ahead—Nao and his companions—cold sweat poured down his face. He immediately shrank back like a quail, retreating without hesitation.
"You see? Even without revealing my identity, just standing here with this kind of aura, I'm already improving the public order."
When they entered a suddenly quiet clothing store, Nao turned and spread his hands, saying this to the three women.
The Spring Queen's City had a Bohemian style, but at the same time, it also had a bit of an unrestrained tropical feel.
Nao excitedly shopped for a long time. When he came out with the three women, they were all wearing brightly colored local-style clothes. His sunglasses had also been replaced with oversized brown sunglasses.
"It's noon already."
Back on the street, Nao looked up at the sky and suggested,
"Wanna grab lunch?"
"Not hungry."
"We just sampled way too many snacks in the food street."
"Let's just save it for dinner."
The three women were in agreement. Nao wasn't really hungry either, so he simply continued strolling with them. Before they knew it, they had reached the central district.
Several casinos with extravagantly lavish exteriors stood in a row, blocking the busiest intersection and cutting off their path.
"Almost forgot."
Nao lifted his head at the sight of the casinos and chuckled under his breath.
"Besides tourism, one of this city's biggest economic pillars is, of course, gambling."
The casino entrance was like a miniature version of society.
Gamblers streamed out: some crying, some laughing. Winners puffed on cigars, flamboyantly tossing wads of cash to beggars on the street. Others staggered away hollow-eyed, faces ashen, like walking corpses…
Some even collapsed to their knees on the roadside, weeping bitterly and begging passersby to lend them just a little money—just enough to get one more turn of the cards—swearing they'd pay back double once they "won it back."
Nao gave them a single glance, not even bothering to move, with no intention of offering a helping hand.
Gamblers were beyond saving, unworthy of sympathy. And besides, even if gambling wasn't forbidden by the World Government, as a traveler with firmly upright values, he regarded gambling and drugs alike as sworn enemies.
"Want to go in and look around?"
He'd actually been planning to walk around the block, but still asked the question out of respect for his wives.
"You've ever played this kind of thing?" Gion shot him a sidelong glance, half-smiling.
"Careful—you don't want Nao the Navy's wealthy gentleman walking in rich and strolling out a penniless beggar."
"If you don't count fifty-cent rounds of Three Card Brag, then no, I haven't."
Nao shrugged. But he understood their thoughts—clearly, none of the three women had any interest in these decadent money pits, maybe even a bit of distaste. They just wanted to leave quickly.
"Let's go then."
They turned to head into a side alley, when suddenly—BANG!—a loud crash sounded behind them.
Nao instinctively turned his head. At the far eastern casino, the doors had been flung open. Several thugs in floral shirts shoved two people out, glaring with hostility.
The pair seemed to be blind, stumbling on the stairs as they were pushed, nearly falling.
The one on the left, a scrawny old man with white hair, clutched a black cash box tightly in his arms, refusing to let go even under the thugs' threatening stares, his expression stubborn.
The other was a plump middle-aged blind man in a purple robe and wooden clogs. Smiling faintly, he waited until the thugs had finished cursing and turned away. Then he bent down and whispered something into the old man's ear.
The old man's eyes lit up. He scrambled to his feet with renewed energy, hugged the cash box, and followed the purple-robed blind man into the neighboring casino, The Great Bird Carousel.
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Bellemere thought she saw the purple-robed blind man turn his head just before entering, as though "looking" in their direction from afar.
A blind man gambling? And winning a lot from that casino?
Bellemere found it strange, clicking her tongue. But when she turned back, she noticed both Nao and Gion were still staring at the man's fading silhouette with thoughtful expressions.
"…Such a powerful one," Gion murmured softly, eyes heavy with caution.
Her Observation Haki ranked near the top even among Marine Vice Admirals, almost on par with Nao himself.
At this distance, she could clearly sense the terrifying power hidden within that seemingly ordinary fat blind man…
"Indeed, a monster through and through."
Nao's gaze lingered on the purple-robed blind swordsman's back as he disappeared into the gilded hall. Then, suddenly, he snapped his fingers and laughed:
"I've changed my mind. Wives, come on—let's head inside and have a look around."