Aokiji stood on the deck, looking completely speechless. He had clearly tried to offer a genuine thank you, but the crew seemed to be playing deaf. It appeared he had underestimated the Straw Hats. He once thought they were easy-going and simple to talk to, but the reality was quite different. With this young Yonko and his crew, you either gave a favor or you owed one; there was no such thing as a free ride.
"Brothers and ladies, this is highway robbery! I don't have 100,000,000 Berries!" Aokiji shouted, turning his empty pockets inside out to prove his point.
Zoro gave a dark, menacing smile. "We are pirates. Robbing people is what we do. It's perfectly normal."
Carl joined in with a devious expression of his own. "Since you're broke, you'll just have to owe us a favor instead. When the Straw Hats need you, you have to show up and act as our muscle."
Luffy pouted, not looking very pleased with the trade. "Eh? Teacher Carl, I really wanted the 100,000,000 Berries."
Usopp, Chopper, Mr. 3, and Jango quickly huddled around their captain to convince him. "Luffy, look at him. This Marine Admiral is flat broke. There is no way he has that much money. It's much better to have him owe us. Think of him as a powerful, free bodyguard we can call whenever we want!"
Usopp and Chopper were especially firm on this. They knew exactly how strong Aokiji was. Having a former Marine Admiral as a "thug" for the crew was worth far more than any mountain of cash.
Luffy thought about it for a moment. He looked at Aokiji's empty pockets and then at Usopp's wide, hopeful eyes. Finally, he gave a reluctant nod. "Fine, we'll do what Carl said. Aokiji, you're our new free fighter!"
Nami, standing nearby, considered the benefits and nodded her agreement as well. Aokiji didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He hadn't even agreed yet, and they were already acting like the deal was sealed. Furthermore, Carl had mentioned a one-time favor, but Luffy was talking like he had just signed a lifetime contract for indentured servitude.
He realized he needed to finish this negotiation and get out of there before they asked for anything else. "Alright, alright. If you need help with something in the future, I'll step in. But only once, and only if it doesn't violate my justice—uh, I mean, my principles."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Aokiji signaled his giant penguin to move. He wanted to leave as fast as possible. These Straw Hats were dangerous in a way he hadn't expected, and he decided it was best to avoid them in the future. He had also chosen his words carefully; by saying he would only help if it didn't violate his "principles," he gave himself an easy exit. If they asked for something he didn't want to do, he could just say it went against his code.
The Straw Hat crew burst into laughter as they watched the former Admiral retreat across the water. Robin reached out and playfully tapped Carl on the nose. "You're being very naughty today."
Carl shrugged as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "He used to spend his time scaring you, didn't he? It's only right that I teach him a little lesson. Besides, even if he isn't active anymore, he's still a Marine. There's nothing wrong with a pirate bullying a Marine!"
The rest of the crew immediately turned away, pretending to be busy with their own chores. They were determined not to get stuck watching the two of them act like a couple.
Sanji walked over with a sour expression. He set a fresh drink down for Robin but completely ignored Carl. "Hmph! I'm going to go find Nami-san and Tashigi-chan!" Sanji grumbled. He marched off to find the other women on the ship to try and win some affection.
However, his luck was terrible. Tashigi was completely focused on practicing sword techniques with Zoro and didn't even look up. When he tried to visit Nami, she was deep into drawing a new sea chart and quickly kicked him out of the room so she could concentrate. Sanji stood alone on the deck, feeling like the only person in the world who was suffering.
Brook walked up and patted Sanji on the shoulder with his bony hand. "Don't lose heart, Sanji! We still have other ladies in the Straw Hat crew."
Sanji raised an eyebrow and looked at the skeleton. "Brook, are you blind because you don't have eyes? Besides Nami, Robin, and Tashigi, there aren't any other women on this ship. Even the Heart Pirates don't have a single female nurse on board!"
Brook pointed toward Mari, who was sitting nearby. "What about her? Isn't Mari a lady too?"
Sanji rolled his eyes and sighed. "Brook, Mari is just a child. You aren't Franky, so stop being a pervert!"
From across the deck, Franky suddenly struck a pose. "Did someone just call me a pervert? That's the best compliment ever! I, General Franky, am the greatest pervert in the world!"
Brook ignored Franky and turned back to Sanji. "Sanji, Mari isn't a child. She is almost seventeen years old."
Sanji laughed. "Brook, what kind of nonsense is that? How could Mari possibly be—"
"I'm almost seventeen," Mari interrupted calmly. She didn't even look up from the biscuit she was eating. She said it so casually that it sounded like she was talking about the weather, but the effect on the crew was like an explosion.
"What?! Mari, you're sixteen?"
"Are you serious? I can't believe it. Is she some kind of legendary legal loli?"
"Hey, we're pirates! Who cares about 'legal' or not? A loli is a loli, but she's definitely older than I thought."
The crew crowded around her, faces full of disbelief. Everyone had treated Mari like a little kid, and very few people had suspected otherwise.
"Yohohoho! I thought everyone already knew," Brook said, sounding surprised. "I guess I was the last one to join the ship, but I figured it out."
Chopper chimed in shyly. "I found out when I was giving her a check-up. I thought everyone knew too, so I didn't say anything."
Even Robin looked a bit startled. "Wait, did everyone really think Mari was a child?"
It turned out that except for Brook, Chopper, Robin, and Carl, the entire crew had been completely wrong about Mari's age. Carl rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "You guys... if Mari were actually a child, I would have never let Luffy invite her onto the ship in the first place!"
The crew looked embarrassed, shifting their weight and avoiding eye contact. Carl was right. Bringing a young child into the life of a pirate was wrong. If the Straw Hats had actually recruited a ten-year-old, the Marines and the rest of the world would have looked down on them with pure disgust. It was embarrassing that they were only realizing this now.
Mari waved her hand dismissively to get them to move away. "That's enough. It doesn't matter what you thought before. I'm your partner regardless of how old I am."
The crowd dispersed, though they still kept stealing glances at her. No matter how much they looked, they couldn't see a seventeen-year-old girl. She looked like a child from every angle.
Sanji quickly mixed a special drink and placed it in front of her. "Mari, I am so sorry. Please accept this drink as a gentleman's apology. I hope you like it."
Mari took the drink, though she secretly wished it was tea instead. Brook leaned in and nudged Sanji in the ribs. "See? I told you there were more women on the ship. Yohohoho! Maybe you should pay more attention to Ms. Mari now."
Sanji glared at the skeleton for a split second before kicking him across the deck. "Shut up, you perverted skeleton! I'm not a lolicon!"
Franky's head popped up again. "Pervert? Is someone calling for me again?"
The battle was over, and for now, the crew enjoyed the quiet, slightly confusing days of life at sea.
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