"Hu-la!" Noir exclaimed happily as he pushed the pile of tiles in front of him.

Ace, Skull, and Mihar immediately showed expressions of frustration upon hearing this.

Deuce, who was sitting nearby and itching to play, pushed Ace and said, "Move aside, it's my turn!

Ace angrily pounded the table and shouted, "This isn't normal! Why can't I win just once?"

Noir, grinning, teased, "Blame your bad luck."

Ace, unable to tolerate the comment, burst into flames, ready to challenge Noir to an offline duel.

The days at sea were boring. One day, out of boredom, Noir had taken the trouble to create the popular game from his former life - Shogi.

Its entertainment value was surprisingly high. Everyone except the single-minded Ace played Shogi quite smoothly.

As Noir and Ace bickered, time passed quickly and they finally reached their destination, Loguetown.

Still socially anxious, Mihar stayed behind to guard the ship while Noir and the other three disembarked.

After landing, Noir tossed a large bag to Ace and said, "We'll split up. You pick a ship you like, and I'll go to the black market to buy the Log Pose."

Ace took the bag, opened it, and saw that it was filled with berries. He said gratefully, "Thanks, Noir!"

Noir waved him off. After being a pirate hunter for so many years, he had saved up quite a bit of money.

But ever since he had met Ace, treated him to meals, and financed the purchase of his ship, the money had flowed out like water, and his wallet had gotten lighter and lighter.

Looks like he'll have to take on a few more jobs once they enter the Grand Line.

Ace, Deuce and Skull went to the shipyard on the island, while Noir went to Loguetown.

The streets were peaceful, and the townspeople all had smiles on their faces, showing that they lived well from day to day.

Noir enjoyed the atmosphere, strolling lazily down the street and soaking up the warmth of the people of Loguetown.

Speaking of which, it wasn't surprising that Loguetown was such a peaceful scene.

As the birthplace of Pirate King Roger, the Marine consciously or unconsciously kept an eye on this place.

Moreover, the Marine's leader here was known as Smoker the White Hunter, a newcomer to the village.

In Noir's understanding, placing Smoker in East Blue meant having a solid gatekeeper for the region.

As a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, Smoker's abilities were unstoppable to East Blue pirates who hadn't even heard of Haki.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Although the Smoke Devil Fruit's powers were relatively weak compared to other Logia types, dealing with ordinary pirates was a breeze.

Unfortunately, Noir's current identity as a legal pirate hunter meant that Smoker wouldn't come after him.

Noir had been looking forward to a little sparring with Smoker.

Turning into a less crowded street, Noir found vendors selling some unusual navigational tools.

He weaved his way through the area and quickly found a heavily cloaked merchant. A black cloth was spread out in front of him, displaying several strange items.

Noir's sharp eyes immediately spotted the item he needed.

Two spherical blue glass compasses, still attached to their bracelets, were definitely the Log Poses he needed.

Crouching down, Noir pointed at the Log Poses and asked, "How much for these two?"

The merchant, wearing a hood, had a weathered face that looked beaten down by life. He looked at Noir and said, "Five thousand berries each."

Not too expensive.

Without blinking, Noir pulled ten thousand berries out of his pocket and handed them to the merchant.

The merchant took the money, looked at him deeply, and asked, "You're going to the Grand Line?"

Noir was surprised, but nodded.

Fear filled the merchant's eyes as he said, "That place is a graveyard for sailors. You shouldn't go..."

Looks like he's been to the Grand Line.

Judging by his demeanor, he's been severely disillusioned by reality.

Noir smiled slightly, wagged his finger, and said, "Only for the weak.

The merchant, angered by this, snorted and turned away, ignoring him.

Noir didn't mind. His task done, he decided to look around.

Ah, the pirate king's execution platform!

Noir left the street and, after asking for directions, soon found his way.

This place was a historical site. The strongest pirate in the world, who had sailed around the globe, had been publicly executed here.

It was also the official beginning of a dark, yet infinitely promising Great Pirate Era.

Following the directions of the townspeople, Noir found the execution platform.

Unlike Luffy, he didn't climb up to feel it; he just stood below it and looked at it from the perspective of a spectator. Even from this angle, he could feel the shock of the Pirate King's execution.

Speaking of which, the spectators of the Pirate King's execution all became strong individuals.

This fact proves that watching great events not only brings joy, but also makes one stronger.

While Noir was lost in thought, there was a commotion nearby.

Using his Observation Haki, he spotted a group of pirates chasing several other pirates, with the lead pirate holding a crying child.

Hmm?

Noir could not stand by. As a young man of the new era, how could he tolerate evil happening right in front of his eyes?

Of course, while doing a good deed, catching a few pirates for money wouldn't be bad either...

With his sights set on his prey, Noir sprinted away.

With his superhuman jumping ability and speed, Noir leapt onto the rooftops, ran ahead of the pirates, and then jumped down in front of them.

Among the Marines behind him, a sweet-looking girl with glasses was leading the team.

The fearful Tashigi glared at the pirates.

How dare they kidnap a child in broad daylight?

Do they think the Marines don't exist in Loguetown?

Tashigi gathered her courage and ran after them, but before she could catch up, someone suddenly blocked the pirates.

Thinking it was a kind-hearted citizen, Tashigi shouted, "Get out of the way, they have weapons...".

Before she could finish, under Tashigi's watchful eyes, the person blocking the pirates swung his sword lightly...

A bloody, ugly head flew at her!

Tashigi screamed and stepped back, looking at the pirate's severed head in horror...

Noir approached, holding the child the pirates had taken. With a slight hum, his sword was sheathed.

Smiling at the stunned Tashigi, Noir said, "Miss Marine, I'll take the bounty on these pirates."

"Emmm... cash or credit card?"