章 102: Galley-La
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--xLOVEx--
When they arrived at the Galley-La headquarters, Luffy was the first to approach the entrance, eager to see what awaited them inside. But just as he was about to step through the fence, a tall, slender man with a long nose and a distinctive hat appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
"You guys are not workers here," the man said calmly, "so let's talk outside."
Luffy blinked, looking at the man in confusion. "Oh, Usopp. How are you doing?" he asked, completely convinced he was talking to his crewmate.
Standing right next to him, Usopp facepalmed. "It's not me, you idiot!"
Nami quickly stepped forward, holding out the recommendation letter from Kokoro. "We're here to meet with Iceburg," she explained, ignoring the mix-up.
The man's eyes flicked to the letter before he took it from her. "Kokoro, huh?" he murmured, skimming over the contents.
As the man dozed off, Luffy leaned in closer to Usopp, still baffled by the resemblance. "Are you sure that's not you?"
Usopp groaned, shaking his head. "I'm positive! Just because he has a long nose doesn't mean he's me!"
Nami nodded from the side. "Also, his nose is rectangular while Usopp's is round."
The man paused for a moment, glancing at Usopp's nose as if to confirm it before continuing. "You're here to see Iceburg, huh? He's the mayor of Water 7 and the president of Galley-La Company. He's a very busy man, so getting an audience with him isn't easy. But if you've got a letter from Kokoro, he will make time."
Luffy, still curious about the stranger, leaned in closer. "So, who are you?"
The man adjusted his hat, giving a small smile. "Name's Kaku. I'm the foreman of Dock #1 at Galley-La Company. You want your ship appraised, right? I'll take care of that."
Before anyone could respond, Kaku crouched down, his muscles tensing. Then, with an incredible burst of speed, he launched himself into the air, leaping high above the buildings. The crew watched in shock as he soared through the sky, disappearing over the rooftops.
Usopp's jaw dropped. "He fell!"
Before they could panic, a calm voice spoke from behind them. "No worries. People in the city call him 'Mountain Wind.' He's one of our best shipwrights—don't underestimate the carpenters of Galley-La."
The trio turned to see a blue-haired man approaching, accompanied by a blonde woman with glasses and a stern expression. The man exuded authority, yet his demeanor was relaxed as he walked toward the Straw Hat crew. This was Iceburg, the mayor of Water 7 and president of Galley-La Company.
The woman, Kalifa, pushed her glasses up and looked at a clipboard she was holding. "Did you check them?" Iceburg asked without taking his eyes off the crew.
Kalifa nodded, flipping through the pages. "It was investigated. Straw Hat Pirates. Straw Hat Luffy, 120 million, Coby the Copy Ninja, 100 million, Devil Child Nico Robin, 79 million, Pirate Hunter Zoro, 50 million, and Usopp the Great Liar..." Usopp, hearing his title, quickly chimed in with an indignant "Oi!" but was promptly ignored.
Kalifa continued, unfazed by the interruption, "15 million berries. A total bounty of 364 million berries. They started in East Blue and currently have eight members."
Iceburg, seemingly unfazed by the crew's infamy, nodded thoughtfully. "I see. It must not have been easy to come all the way here from East Blue."
Luffy, ever the straightforward one, stepped forward with a grin. "Yep, it was fun though!"
Iceburg smiled at Luffy's enthusiasm before introducing himself. "I'm Iceburg, the mayor of this city."
Kalifa started to list Iceburg's appointments in a crisp, professional tone, but Iceburg cut her off, groaning. "Do I have to meet all these people? It's such a drag."
Usopp, watching this interaction whispered, "He doesn't seem very reliable?"
Nami nodded, a smirk on her face. "No kidding. A mayor who doesn't want to meet people? That's rich."
Luffy just laughed. "He's funny!"
Kalifa's eyes narrowed at the disrespectful comments, and before anyone could react, she charged at the crew. Her leg shot up in a high kick aimed directly at Usopp, who yelped in surprise.
But before her attack could land, Coby stepped forward and grabbed her leg, stopping her cold. His grip was firm, unyielding. "I know you're acting out of loyalty to Iceburg, Ms. Kalifa," Coby said, his tone ridiculing. "But I'd recommend not getting physical with people you don't know. Things might get ugly."
As he spoke, Coby tilted his head slightly, lifting her leg just enough to glance at her exposed underwear. He smirked, "Lacy black, good choice."
Kalifa's eyes widened in shock, her usual calm demeanor shattered. Iceburg quickly stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation. "I apologize for Kalifa," he said, his voice smooth. "She's just very loyal. Please don't take offense."
But Kalifa wasn't going to let it go. The moment Coby mentioned her underwear, her professionalism gave way to raw anger. She pulled her leg with all her strength, trying to break free from his grip. To her shock, it was as if her leg was caught in a vice—Coby didn't budge an inch.
"Hmm, good strength for a secretary," Coby remarked, his smirk widening. "How odd."
Kalifa's fury only intensified, but before she could react further, Iceburg placed a hand on her shoulder, a silent command to stand down. "That's enough, Kalifa."
She glared at Coby for a moment longer before finally stepping back, her leg still in his grip until he released her. Her eyes burned with embarrassment and anger, but she forced herself to remain silent.
Iceburg sighed, sensing the tension in the air. "Let's move on, shall we? You're here to get your ship appraised, right?"
Luffy, who had been watching the exchange with wide eyes, shook his head. "Not really. Our ship is in tip-top condition."
Iceburg tilted his head, clearly puzzled. "Then why are you here?"
Nami, passing her briefcase to Usopp, stepped forward with the letter of recommendation from Kokoro, handing it to Iceburg. "Kokoro-san told us to bring this to you."
Iceburg took the letter and quickly opened it, his eyes scanning the contents. The letter was short, with just two words: "Help them." A lipstick mark was smeared on the bottom right corner. Iceburg's expression didn't change, but without warning, he tore the letter in half, the sound of the ripping paper cutting through the air.
The crew stared at him, surprised by the sudden action.
"Why did you tear it up?" Nami asked, her tone carrying confusion and irritation.
Iceburg shrugged casually. "Didn't like the lipstick mark," he said simply. "But I'll still help you. The problem is, if you're not here for ship repairs or a new ship, I'm not sure how I can help."
Luffy grinned widely, stepping forward with a proud look. "I want a shipwright to join my crew."
Kalifa and Iceburg exchanged a brief glance at that not really expecting a pirate to ask them to hand one of the shipwrights over. Iceburg raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the request. "You came all the way to Galley-La just to steal a shipwright?"
"Yep!" Luffy confirmed, nodding enthusiastically. "We need someone who can take care of our ship, especially since I am going to become King of the Pirates!"
Iceburg leaned back slightly, considering Luffy's request. "That's a tall order. The shipwrights here are some of the best in the world. I'm not sure any of them would be willing to leave and join a pirate crew."
Luffy's expression didn't falter. "We'll see about that! I'm sure we'll find someone who's up for the challenge!"
Before Iceburg could respond, Kaku returned from his appraisal of the Going Merry. He landed lightly on the ground and walked over to the group. "I've checked out your ship," he began, glancing at Luffy and the others. "The Going Merry, right?"
Luffy nodded. "That's right! How is she?"
Kaku hesitated for a moment before speaking. "She's a fine ship, but… well, there are some serious problems."
--
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