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Chapter 26: The Kind-hearted Person's Aid
Chapter 26 The Kind-hearted Person's Aid
The Navy began gathering intelligence, while Kuro wandered around with his crew—mostly Lida doing the wandering.
"Golden Apple! Golden Apple! The one bite that grants eternal youth!" A vendor shouted, waving an apple in the air.
Of course, the trio wouldn’t fall for such claims. Even if Lida looked young, she’d been surviving on her own since she was eight. She had no illusions about such nonsense.
Still, she eyed the normal fruits at the stall longingly.
"Kuro, give me money. I want to buy food", Lida said, holding out her small hand.
"Give you money?" Kuro blinked, then widened his eyes. "What about your money, Lida?"
"Gone."
"Huh?" Kuro glared at her.
"Huh." Lida nodded.
A moment later, Kuro’s voice pierced the crowd, pitch raised.
"Almost ten million Beri? You spent it all?!"
Kuro exclaimed, "That’s ten million! Do you even realize what that means?!"
Seeing Lida pout with that pitiful look, he turned to Klah. "What happened?"
"Well… Miss Lida just grabs whatever she wants and throws money without checking amounts. Usually, she overpays."
Klah explained awkwardly.
Lida had always had a big appetite and an even bigger spending habit. Kuro thought he’d been generous, but he’d clearly underestimated her.
"A million Beri? That’s like a tenth of what the Adamant Tree cost! You ate a tenth of a warship’s price in a few days!"
"Why don’t you eat a Haki-type Devil Fruit instead? At least the Gulp Gulp Fruit would’ve been useful! If you hadn’t eaten a Devil Fruit, I’d kill Wapol myself and hunt one down for you!"
Kuro growled.
What kind of logic is that? Eating a Devil Fruit would’ve saved money?!
Tugging Kuro’s pant leg, Lida puffed her cheeks. "Kuro, I’m hungry. Give me money."
Kuro slapped his forehead. "I’m broke! I donated my savings to Loguetown’s civilians, and I figured you’d have enough! I didn’t think you’d blow it all! My bad, I underestimated you."
"So what now? I’m starving."
Lida twirled her eyes, then suggested, "Let’s go Robbing Meal!"
Klah pushed up his glasses, looking oddly eager.
"You’re Navy! Don’t you understand the meaning of Shame?!" Kuro nearly roared.
"Enough. Follow me."
Kuro sighed and strode in another direction.
"Where to?" Lida asked.
"To find a Kind-Hearted Person to give us money!"
"A Kind-hearted Person? Where? Wait for me!"
Lida skipped after him.
...
In this world, there was something perfectly legal: gangs.
Kuro had no money, but gangs did. They were so honorable, they’d surely be "generous"!
Besides gangs, another power existed in Arabasta—even in this small port town.
"First, change clothes. No one’ll talk with us in Navy uniforms."
Kuro entered a clothing store, swapping his outfit for desert-style attire, the others following.
Klah paid. After all, he was the only one with money left.
Dressed in earth tones, Kuro led them into alleyways.
His Observation Haki wasn’t like Big Mom’s—no precognition. He couldn’t pinpoint targets, but this city’s scum was predictable.
Alleyways always drew criminals like rats. With Lida’s help, baiting them would be easy.
"Hey! You three, stop!"
As they turned into an alley, thugs blocked the exit. A hulking brute stepped forward, grinning.
"Hand over your cash."
"See? Kind-hearted Person, right on time!" Kuro pointed.
Lida rolled her eyes. "You mean mugging, right?"
"That’s right! We’re mugging you!" The brute laughed louder, thinking she meant him. "You outsiders need a lesson. Here, strong men rule everything!"
"Actually, I like that rule", Kuro nodded. "Klah."
Klah sighed. These words never preceded anything good.
No weapon needed—ten thugs fell in moments.
Lida sat on one thug’s back, wrestling a golden ring onto her finger—two sizes too big—before stuffing it in her pocket.
"Kuro, less than a hundred thousand Beri! So cheap!" she whined.
"Cheapskate? You think this is my fault?!" Kuro snapped.
"Not enough. Let’s hit another gang", she shrugged.
Kuro glanced at the groaning thugs. "Thanks for the ‘donation’! We’ll be back!"
They resumed their alley-hopping.
Soon, more gangs appeared. The more Lida flaunted her stolen jewels, the more eager "donors" came running.
Some even tried rescuing her, claiming they’d give her a better life.
These "saviors" got Kuro’s "personal gratitude."
"We… We’re Baroque Works… We won’t… let you go…" One thug rasped, bloodied beyond recognition.
"Talk again, and I’ll make you a ‘Fan Person’", Kuro sneered, letting Klah collect the loot.
Lida reluctantly took the money. "We’ve got a million now!"
Suddenly, a fireball erupted nearby, thick smoke swirling upward.
"Odd. Who sets off fireworks in daylight?" Lida tilted her head.
"Fireworks?" Kuro frowned. "That smoke… Smoker? Feels like it."
"Check it out?" Klah asked.
"No. We need more donations. Navy funds don’t grow on trees!"
Lida smirked, "Who told Navy to ‘know shame’?"
Kuro glared. "You think this is for fun?! I promised you’d eat well!"
Sighing, he marched on.
(End of Chapter)
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