As soon as Law set foot on the dock, he casually tossed his finely crafted blade, Kikoku, to Bepo.
The latter caught Kikoku effortlessly, cradling it in his arms with practiced ease.
He was already accustomed to carrying Law's sword.
"Captain, it's strange... The people here don't seem to fear pirates!"
Bepo, still clutching the sword, glanced around. His expression grew puzzled as he noticed the townsfolk paying no attention to them.
After all, the uniform he wore clearly displayed the bold emblem of the Heart Pirates—though, admittedly, it didn't feature the usual skull design.
Law cast a sidelong glance at a man not far away, whose attire all but screamed "pirate," as he nonchalantly entered a clothing shop.
His gaze then shifted to the docked pirate ships; there had to be at least fifty or sixty of them.
From this, it wasn't just a lack of fear—this country seemed completely indifferent to pirates.
"This country's… unique."
Law's voice was detached, his interest in the nation's peculiarities almost nonexistent. He was here for one reason only—to obtain the root of the Suspended Lantern Vine.
"Captain! Captain! Look over here!"
Bepo's voice suddenly rang out from behind him.
Law turned instinctively and saw that Bepo was already several meters away, standing in front of a shop.
"When did you get over there?"
"Just now," Bepo replied, tilting his head in confusion at his captain's question.
Law sighed in resignation and walked over to where Bepo was standing.
In front of them was an unusual shop with a sign that read Beast Combat Equipment Store.
On one side of the entrance was a glass display window filled with various iron tools, alongside a poster boasting explosive promotional text.
Bepo pointed excitedly at the promotional poster in the window, his eyes sparkling.
"Captain, look at this!"
"I see it."
Law glanced at the poster's content. Even though the grand prize was a Devil Fruit, he couldn't muster much interest and replied dismissively.
"This looks amazing!" Bepo said enthusiastically.
Law raised an eyebrow, looking at Bepo, who seemed so excited he might lose his bearings.
"You want to join this so-called Beast Combat Tournament?" Law asked, puzzled.
"???"
Bepo tilted his head, question marks practically floating above him.
"?"
Law's brow furrowed as he mirrored Bepo's perplexed expression.
A moment later, Bepo clarified, "I don't want to."
"Then why are you so excited?"
"Look!"
Bepo placed his fuzzy paw on a corner of the poster, pointing to a photo of a snow-white bear with distinctly feminine features.
"She's so beautiful~!"
Bepo blushed and lowered his head, his gaze fixed on the image of the white bear.
"..."
Law stared at him for a few seconds before silently turning to leave.
Bringing Bepo along to this island might've been a mistake.
"Hey, Captain, wait for me!"
Seeing Law walk away, Bepo hurried after him.
After a few steps, Bepo suddenly turned back, tore the poster off the window, and sprinted to catch up with his captain.
As they walked about a hundred meters, a furious voice erupted from behind them.
"Which bastard stole… a poster of all things?!"
Completely unbothered by the distant outrage, Bepo gazed lovingly at the white bear on the poster, his expression betraying a mix of admiration and infatuation.
Law glanced at his lovestruck crewmate and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
Just then, a military unit marched down the street in formation.
It wasn't a rapid deployment but a slow, deliberate patrol.
Law quietly observed the patrol of about a hundred soldiers. Judging by their evenly spaced steps, this was likely a routine operation.
If even patrols consisted of such large numbers, the military strength of the Kingdom of Ahab must be considerable.
"It seems obtaining the Suspended Lantern Vine roots won't be an easy task…"
Law's gaze shifted from the soldiers to the vine above, which emitted a soft, radiant glow.
The roots of the Suspended Lantern Vine didn't grow into the bedrock; instead, they extended in reverse, sprawling across the surface of Leviathan Island. These roots absorbed sunlight to provide light to the vines growing deep within the island.
The surface of Leviathan Island was also where the Kingdom of Ahab's royal capital was located.
Given that even a city under its jurisdiction had such abundant military resources, it was easy to imagine how well-defended the royal capital atop the whale's head must be.
And since the Suspended Lantern Vine was considered the kingdom's national treasure, stealing a significant amount of its roots in plain sight seemed nearly impossible.
If the range of the Ope Ope no Mi were wide enough, perhaps it could be done.
But Law had no intention of stealing.
He was a pirate. What he wanted, he would take.
Of course, even that required some strategy.
"Beast Combat Tournament…"
Law suddenly snatched the poster from Bepo's hands.
Rip!
The suddenness of the action caught Bepo off guard, and the poster tore in two places as he failed to release it in time.
One of the tears, unfortunately, ran right through the image of the white bear.
"Nooo! She's ruined! My goddess bear is ruined!"
Bepo clutched his head in despair, staring in disbelief as pieces of the poster and Kikoku fell to the ground.
Ignoring Bepo's dramatic reaction, Law activated his ability with a flick of his finger, using the Ope Ope no Mi to retrieve Kikoku before it hit the ground.
He then glanced over the poster, carefully reading its text.
"A monthly event, huh?"
After finishing, Law smirked faintly.
In his mind, the climax of this so-called grand event would be the perfect moment to strike.
"A tournament where even humans are classified as beasts? How vile…"
Law tossed the torn poster back to Bepo and continued walking.
The tournament wasn't limited to animals; humans could participate as long as they met certain conditions and adhered to strict rules.
Being paraded as a beast, performing laughable stunts for the crowd's amusement—just imagining it made Law feel disgusted.
However, with a prize of a large sum of Berries and a Devil Fruit, there were undoubtedly those willing to humiliate themselves.
Law had no interest in the tournament itself. All he needed was the right moment to act.
"Let's go, Bepo."
Half an hour later, the pair reached the chaotic East Street.
"Food! Let's eat!"
Hearing Law's promise of a good meal at a tavern, Bepo perked up immediately.
As they approached a large tavern, its doors suddenly swung open from the inside.
A group emerged, blocking their path.
"Grrr!"
Perched atop Jim's bald head, a tipsy Bailey growled theatrically.
Unfazed, Law studied the group in silence.
Bepo, on the other hand, glared at Bailey, unimpressed.
"Small fry."
"Big dumb bear!" Bailey shot back.
"It talks?!"
Bepo's eyes widened in shock.
Bailey squinted, thinking to himself that this bear didn't seem very bright.
Ignoring the brief exchange between the bear and the weasel, Maude glanced at the sword in Law's hand, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes.
The tattoos, the distinctive outfit, the talking polar bear—this was Trafalgar D. Water Law.
Law also recognized Maude immediately.
Bacardi Maude.
-------
Want to read waaaay ahead of schedule?
Join here: patreon.com / emperorgarus
There are more than 200 advance chapters available for you!