(Samuel's POV)
"Thank you, have a nice day!" I said to the customer as he left the shop
As the doors closed, I could not help but sigh as a feeling of exhaustion filled the entirety of my body. I began to rub my shoulders as I let out a slight groan, turning around and walking over to the chair behind the counter.
"Man...." I said as I sat down, "What a day.....cannot believe people are coming in and out of the island so quickly. Always wanting to buy more and more."
My name is Samuel, I run a clothing shop for my Uncle in Loguetown. He had gotten sick and became bedridden the past couple of months, asking me to tend to the shop while he recovered. I did not refuse simply because I needed the money. Every day I stand in the shop, waiting for customers to come in from an early hour. I do not close the shop until late at night, which only gives me a small amount of time to eat and sleep. The next day, it is the same routine and it keeps going for six whole days out of the week.
On the seventh day, I rest. But it is not much of a rest, I have to go across town and check on my uncle, to see how he is doing and give the report of the week. While the clothes I sell are not really that impressive, they are desired enough from the customers that they can come in droves. One day, I had around a thousand customers in total, one of the most profiting days that I ever had.
I live on a room atop the building, just a bed, a bathroom, and a kitchen with a table in front. It is not much but it is something and that is more than enough. My life is as mundane as it could get, especially for the East Blue where nothing really happens.
This place, however, is the birthplace of the Legendary Pirate King, Gold Roger. Loguetown, the place where it began and the place where it ended, so they say. The man himself was executed here years ago.
My uncle claims he was there when it happened with my mother, his sister. He said that I was a mere baby when it happened and that my mother was holding me when they executed Roger. An execution is not something that a baby should be present for, I do not know what my Mother was thinking.
I let out another sigh, "This is the sixth day." I said to myself, "Just a few more hours and I get to close. Then.....tomorrow I go to see my Uncle..."
I looked at the counter, seeing the newspaper I had asked for in the morning was sitting there. I had forgotten to read it so I stood up and walked over to the middle grabbed it.
I read its contents and only one headline piqued my interest:
"Straw Hat Luffy Creates Havoc In The East-Blue"
"A new pirate crew...and in the East?" I said, "Hm...the Straw Hat Pirates? I wonder what they are all about..."
I saw the picture of their captain, Straw Hat Luffy. It was the same picture from his bounty poster, him smiling while holding his hand out to the camera.
"He looks like a fool." I said, not knowing what else to say, "I wonder if they will pass through here. Any upstart pirate from the East would definitely want to go to the Grand Line....hm.....He is definitely coming through here."
I heard the door open and I looked up to see a couple of Marines walking inside. This was an unusual sight in the shop; the Marines. There are plenty of them stationed in Loguetown but I barely interact with them, considering that I go about my business.
"Can I help you?" I said to the one in the front as they walked down the main aisle in between the racks, "Are you looking for clothes? Oh, I know....some new pants?"
"No." He said as he stopped in front of the counter, "We are looking for a Dante."
"Dante?" I said with a raised eyebrow, "N-No, there is no Dante here."
He narrowed his eyes, "Are you certain?"
I nodded, "Yes." I said, "I tend to the shop alone, my name is Samuel. It is my Uncle's shop, his name is Tristan."
"Tristan.....?" the Marine said, "And your relationship with Dante?"
I shrugged, "I would not know." I said, "Never heard of him."
The marines looked around, as if looking for something or someone.
"Is there any reason why you would hide anything from us?" The Marine said
"Not really." I told him, "You are welcome to look around, just do not leave a mess. The building only has the shop down here and my room up there. I can show you the room briefly if your men are kind enough to lock the door to close the store."
"Hm..." The Marine said as he turned to the side, "That will not be necessary. We were told that a man named Dante resided in this Store."
"That is strange." I said, "What is this Dante's description, perhaps we got mixed up."
"Tall, grey hair, blue eyes." The Marine said, "No way he got mixed up with you. You have black hair and green eyes."
"Yes. I got them from my late mother." I said with a chuckle
"Sorry to waste your time." He said as he turned around, "We will take our leave."
I then watched as they walked out of the shop and closed the door behind them.
"Hm...." I said, "That was strange."
"I wonder what that is all about."
*********************
"Do you know of anyone named Dante?" I asked my Uncle who was lying in bed
I looked at him, he was covered in his white sheets and a hot and wet towel was on his forehead. He had his eyes closed as he let out a slight exhale, something he occasionally did in order to bear the pain of his illness.
It was the Seventh Day, I had come to give the report to him as usual. His housekeeper, Nona, had already given him the medicine. Nona is someone that he had hired to help him in his small house in Loguetown and since he had known her for years, Nona stayed loyal to him when he got sick. Even if we could not pay her much, she still decided to stay and watch over my Uncle.
Uncle opened his eyes, they were faint green, similar to my Mother's, "D-Dante....?" He said with a raspy voice, "Why do you ask?"
"The Marines came looking for him at the shop." I told him as I was sitting in a chair next to the bed, "They did not say much but when they saw that I did not match the description, they simply left."
"Did they say why they were looking for?" He asked
I shook my head, "No."
"Hm...." He closed his eyes again, "Listen, Samuel..."
"What?" I asked
"The world is beginning to shake." He said weakly, "Do you remember those rampant news of the explosion of light in the Grand Line?"
I nodded, "Yes, what of it?"
"You may not paid much attention but a new power has arisen from that event." He said, "New Devil Fruits..."
I frowned, "Devil Fruits?" I said, "What does that have to do with the marines coming to the shop?"
"That man they were looking for." He said, "He had such devil fruit in his possession."
I widened my eyes, "Uncle, you know something?!" I said as I leaned in, "Why? Do you not know what they would do if they found out? Those guys are fucking pricks, Uncle! They will take you and torture the information out of you."
"Oh, I do not care." He said
"You may not, but I do!" I said with a scowl, "And now you tell me this? What if they do something?"
"Worry not." Uncle said, "I received a troubling report....from a comrade of mine....an old friend."
"What? Who?" I asked
"Do not concern yourself with that." Uncle said, "But.....a troubling individual arrives shortly....with the Marines looking for that man and now this one, Loguetown will soon become a place of chaos."
"Huh? What individual?" I asked
"Oh, the boy with the Straw Hat." He said with a chuckle
"Who told you about him?" I said
"Someone who has an interest in him." He said
The door opened and Nona walked in, "Samuel." She said, "I brought you tea."
I turned to see her walking up to the bed, holding a platter with two cups of tea.
"Oh...." I said, "Thank you, Nona."
She was wearing a casual dress, her black hair combed straight and draped over her shoulders. There were small streaks of white but despite that, Nona had a youthful look to her. She did not look older than my Uncle, her black eyes were still full of light.
She handed me the cup, "I heard a lot of what is happening in the world currently." She said, "Pirates are rampaging about in the Grand Line, causing havoc for those new Devil Fruits."
"Are they that special?" I asked, "Why would anyone want to lose the ability to swim?"
"Power comes at a price." Uncle told me, "You should know that."
"Well...yea.." I said
"Some of those users have become Pirates, I have been told." Uncle said, "They are very dangerous people. There is one that I wish you do not run into, Samuel."
"Why would I?" I said, "I am just a shopkeeper."
"Hm...." He closed his eyes, "It was just a pointless concern of mine."
"Do not worry at all."