53. Extremely heinous party! Title: White Devil!

They say that when a woman becomes curious about a man, it is the beginning of affection.

Unknowingly, Tashigi had already developed a growing curiosity about Chu Bawang's past.

"Boss, check, please."

Chu Bawang was certainly not lacking in money. Several of his lottery rewards had been in Berries. Counting them all up, he had amassed somewhere between eighty and ninety million Berries. Although the Sandai Kitetsu was a rare blade, its total value was only around a million Berries.

Seeing that Chu Bawang was about to leave, the female shop owner hurried over with quick, small steps into the inner shop and quickly said:

"Ba—Bawang-san... please wait a moment."

Perhaps she was struck by Zoro's courage, or perhaps she simply wanted to leave a keepsake. Rummaging through her boxes and cabinets, the shop owner retrieved her most cherished weapon from her personal collection—Yubashiri!

"The scabbard is lacquered in black, the blade features a midareba irregular pattern, belonging to the Fifty Skilled Grade Swords—Yubashiri."

"Although my shop is nothing famous, this is already the finest quality sword I possess."

"Even though I already saw that you wield the magical Blade of Thousand Blossoms in your hand, I still hope you will take Yubashiri with you into the Grand Line, to accompany Ba—Bawang-san on your conquests and battles."

The Fifty Skilled Grade Swords, the Twenty-One Great Grade Swords, and the Twelve Supreme Grade Swords totaled eighty-three famous swords in the world! They were things of rare fortune, impossible to seek by force alone, and of immeasurable value.

This was originally the ultimate family heirloom that the shop owner, Jessica, had kept locked away at the bottom of her chest. Clearly knowing that Chu Bawang already possessed a weapon well-suited to his hands—the Blade of Thousand Blossoms!—she had still, driven by some inexplicable impulse, taken out Yubashiri and explicitly expressed her wish for Chu Bawang to bring it into the Grand Line.

Chu Bawang waved his hand with wealthy nonchalance and said, "Very well, name your price for this sword."

A blush crept over the shop owner's face, and she murmured softly:

"No, this sword costs nothing. Consider it a complimentary gift from our humble shop to Ba—Bawang-san. I hope you will continue to patronize our shop's business in the future."

Zoro whistled, turned around, and muttered very sensibly and quietly: "Ba—Bawang-master, don't worry, I won't tell the mistress that you accepted a token of affection from another young maiden."

"..."

Chu Bawang was left between laughter and tears.

What in the world kind of token of affection was that?! Have you ever seen someone give their beloved a sword as a token of affection? What is this, do you want me to commit suicide by slitting my wrists?!

Though, come to think of it, had his charm really reached such a terrifying level by now? Even a worldly, mature woman like this would actually throw herself at him...

"Woman, what is your name?"

Chu Bawang paused slightly, radiating the aura of an overbearing CEO.

"Je—Jessica."

"Jessica, is it? I will remember that name. We will meet again."

It was hard to decline such heartfelt hospitality from a beauty, so Chu Bawang naturally would not refuse the young lady's kind intentions. He was no pristine saint who remained unmoved while holding a woman on his lap. Which man wouldn't want the luxury of multiple wives and concubines?!

When it came down to it, it was just Chu Bawang's mischievous adult streak acting up. It was the same logic as knowing full well that Nami was peeping on his nightlife yet still choosing not to stop her. They were all adults. Life needed a little spice and wickedness to be truly passionate! Kaya probably wouldn't mind if he strayed just a tiny bit for a taste of something different, right?

Bidding farewell to the shop owner and Tashigi as well, Chu Bawang, accompanied by Xiao Qing and Zoro, began wandering aimlessly through Loguetown, idling about as if on a sightseeing tour.

"Ba—Bawang!"

"Ba—Bawang!"

"Ba—Bawang!"

Along the way, every resident of Loguetown they encountered wore a dazed expression. They couldn't understand why, even though they clearly wanted to call Chu Bawang by his real name, the moment they opened their mouths, it turned into Ba—Bawang! It sounded just like calling someone "daddy," making them feel supremely awkward inside.

Even though Chu Bawang was extremely handsome, he still received numerous disdainful glances from the villagers of Loguetown.

"What is going on here? Why do I want to call this kid daddy the moment I see him? This is too humiliating."

"I'm puzzled too. Did he cast some kind of sorcery on us? I just called him dada too, and now my boyfriend is throwing a fit and threatening to break up with me. How do I fix this?"

"Awesome! The passive buff of making everyone in the world recognize you is simply amazing!"

Chu Bawang's mischievous streak was clearly peaking as he purposely gravitated toward crowded places. Every time he reached a new spot, the crowd would burst into exclamations of "Daddy! Daddy!"

The villagers of Loguetown were honest and simple-minded folk, generally wearing amiable smiles when they went out. But now, they were all irritable and stamping their feet in secret frustration. If Chu Bawang hadn't looked so dashingly refined—giving off the immediate impression of someone not to be messed with—they probably would have confronted him and thrown a tantrum long ago...

"Master, aren't you being a bit too black-bellied?"

Xiao Qing's exceptionally pretty lips curved upward slightly. Clever and perceptive as she was, she had naturally noticed this detail. Possessing the soul essence of the Azure Bull Python, Xiao Qing's intelligence was not inferior to that of an adult human in the slightest.

Mmm~

A black-bellied Master is so handsome!

"Zoro, let's go. Let's go see what that kid Usopp has been up to. I want to see if he can actually invent that hair-growth formula."

There was no response from behind. Chu Bawang raised an eyebrow and turned around.

However, there was not a single soul behind him. As they walked along, such a large person had simply vanished into thin air!

"Damn it, you can get lost even while following right behind me? Kid, you really are a talent!!"

Dark lines appeared on Chu Bawang's forehead, and he was instantly filled with deep regret. Knowing this would happen, he should have tested him longer and extended the observation period. Such carelessness on his part had actually allowed a direction-blind moss-head to enter his sect. If others found out that the disciple of the great Chu Bawang was a hopeless direction-blind idiot, wouldn't people laugh their teeth off?!

...........

Tashigi was feeling somewhat absent-minded.

"What is wrong with me? Why do I keep thinking of his smile?!"

She couldn't quite figure it out. Why was it that ever since parting ways with Chu Bawang, her mind was completely filled with his every expression and smile, as if she had been cursed?

Tap, tap...

Tap!

The sharp, crisp footsteps of patrolling marines disrupted Tashigi's thoughts.

Huh?

Tashigi was startled and hurriedly rushed back to the Loguetown Marine Office: "Colonel Smoker, what on earth is going on? Why are so many marines suddenly placed on high alert?!"

Before Smoker could even speak, she caught sight of two exorbitant bounty posters placed on the desk.

"This... this is..."

Tashigi froze, her hand gripping the bounty poster trembling.

The man in the photo wore a crisp white suit, sitting elegantly beside some steel reinforcement bars, revealing only a profile of his face. Yet his entire person exuded an irresistible charm!

There was no mistake. Absolutely no mistake.

It was none other than Chu Bawang, whom she had just parted ways with at the weapon shop!

"Eliminated the highest local authority figure—Captain Mouse—in Cocoyasi Village. Initial bounty reaches an astounding ninety million Berries, with a dead-or-alive order of the highest severity!"

Cold sweat trickled down Tashigi's forehead as her beautiful eyes widened in horror, staring fixedly at the photograph on the bounty poster:

"Extremely Dangerous Criminal—Ba—Bawang! Epithet—White Devil!"