"Ah, so full~ Eating is definitely the best part of the day."
Paimon patted her stomach contentedly. Six of the seven dishes on their table were empty, leaving only half a plate of mixed vegetables.
Kong picked up a carrot and pinched Paimon's small face.
"You didn't touch a single vegetable! Open your mouth!"
Paimon stubbornly covered her mouth.
"Mmm! No need, I'm already full!"
"You have to eat. Long voyages don't allow for sufficient vitamin intake, and you're prone to scurvy."
"Wuu..."
After forcefully feeding Paimon half the plate of vegetables, Kong poured himself a glass of water.
"Hmph, you got sick last year because you wouldn't eat your vegetables. Have you already forgotten?"
More than a system, Paimon was a living being, with emotions, thoughts, and the capacity to get sick and injured. Over the years, she had become Kong's closest companion; he never treated her as a mere tool.
"But I just don't like vegetables..."
Kong stood up and untied the rope from the railing.
"Let's go. Let's go see that Headquarters Colonel and get some money from the old man."
Hearing the word "money," Paimon instantly perked up.
"Coming!"
The two of them were quite eye-catching as they walked down the road: Kong's cape, Paimon flying beside him, and the pirates tied together behind them.
"Bang!"
Suddenly, a thin man with a yellow headband ran out from a nearby corner and bumped into Kong.
"Ow, ow, ow... I'm so sorry... Marine!!!"
Seeing Kong's cape, his eyes widened in fear.
Kong's gaze fell on the man's distinctive long nose.
"Paimon, let's go."
"Huh?"
"Just go..."
The man was undoubtedly Usopp, the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, and son of Yasopp from the Red Hair Pirates.
Kong quickened his pace, recalling the plot.
"Usopp being here... that means Luffy and his crew have landed on the island... Shoot, after four years at Marine Headquarters, I almost forgot about that. This is trouble. I need to get out of here."
In his memory, Luffy wasn't particularly strong at this point. He believed he could defeat Luffy at this stage.
But he dared not make any rash moves, because an extremely dangerous person had likely already landed on the island:
Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army!
He was a man who even his master, Sengoku, found incredibly troublesome—a man who single-handedly founded the Revolutionary Army to oppose the World Government.
Kong didn't want to get involved with the World Government's number one enemy at this time. He was currently employed by the government and had a little bit of reputation within Marine Headquarters.
If Dragon decided to make Sengoku's life difficult by targeting him, Kong's current strength wouldn't be enough to escape.
Quickly arriving at the Loguetown Marine Base, Kong presented his patrol officer's credentials and was respectfully invited into the base building.
"Knock, knock!"
The Lieutenant leading the way knocked twice on the door. A strong coughing sound came from within.
"Cough, cough... Who is it?"
"Colonel Smoker! A patrol officer from Headquarters has arrived."
"Creak..."
The door opened, and a thick cloud of smoke, laced with the scent of cigars, poured out of the room.
"Cough!"
Paimon, unable to bear the smell, was on the verge of coughing up tears. Kong placed his hand on his sword hilt, and a slight chill blew out, freezing the smoke into tiny ice particles that fell to the ground.
"Hmm?"
A light questioning sound, and the thick smoke dissipated, revealing a tall, white-haired man standing in the doorway.
Kong looked up at the man, who was a head taller than him.
"Hello, Colonel Smoker. It's a pleasure to meet you. I didn't know what to bring, so I brought some pirates as a small gift."
Smoker, with two cigars in his mouth, looked at Kong and Paimon.
"Blond kid, white-haired sprite... So it's you two. Come in."
He waved his hand, and the Lieutenant discreetly left.
Kong and Paimon entered the room. Strangely, although there was still a lot of smoke in the room, none of it came near Paimon.
Smoker returned to his office chair, comfortably crossing his legs.
"Lieutenant Commander Kong, from Headquarters. I believe I have the right name."
Kong nodded, sitting opposite Smoker.
"That's right. Colonel Smoker, I apologize for the unexpected visit."
"Heh."
Smoker snorted, then took a stack of documents from his drawer and tossed them onto the table in front of Kong.
"These are Loguetown's financial reports and some arrest records for the past few years. Patrol Officer, please have a look."
Reviewing reports from various Marine branches is part of a patrol officer's duties, but most commanding officers at the outposts were reluctant when Kong visited them in the past. Smoker's straightforwardness was a first.
Kong didn't make a fuss. Although he knew Smoker's personality, he still had to do his job; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to report back.
"Paimon, the recording snail."
"Here!"
Paimon produced a small snail and handed it to Kong. It was a special Den Den Mushi used for recording images.
Smoker looked at Paimon in surprise.
"White-haired brat."
Hearing Smoker call her, Paimon flinched. Smoker's appearance was somewhat intimidating, giving off a yakuza boss vibe.
"Wh-what?!"
"Are you also a Devil Fruit ability user?"
"Paimon isn't a Devil Fruit ability user; she's a Devil Fruit consumer."
Kong said while recording the report.
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
"New technology from Marine Headquarters. We can feed Devil Fruits to objects. Paimon's cape is special equipment that has consumed a Space-Space Fruit."
Smoker understood.
"Vegapunk?"
Kong quickly finished recording Loguetown's report and returned the documents to Smoker. He couldn't elaborate on Paimon's situation, so he blamed it on Vegapunk; the scientist who never shows his face.
"Yes, Colonel Smoker. I've reviewed the documents. While there are some significant expenditures, they all seem reasonable. I'll cross-check them with the Headquarters database later. I've stamped every page; please be careful not to lose them."
"Okay. If that's all, I won't keep you any longer. I believe I've governed Loguetown quite well these past years; you two are welcome to have a look around."
Kong had originally planned to explore, but remembering the revolutionary was also here, he just wanted to finish and leave quickly.
"No need. We have other tasks. Colonel Smoker, may I borrow a Den Den Mushi? Ours was damaged by seawater during a storm and is currently unusable."
Smoker placed his Den Den Mushi on Kong's table.
"Please, help yourself."
"Thank you..."
"Colonel Smoker! Bad news! According to the latest intel, a pirate with a 30 million Beli bounty named Monkey D. Luffy is about to land on the island!"
A soldier rushed in, reporting the news. In the East Blue, a bounty of 10 million Beli makes someone a big shot pirate; 30 million is a huge sum, indicating the enemy's strength.
Smoker looked annoyed.
"What's all the commotion? Can't you see there are officers present?"
"Uh... sorry..."
Smoker stood up.
"Lieutenant Commander Kong, my apologies. I have to handle something. Loguetown, as both the beginning and end point for him, always attracts some troublesome individuals."
Kong expressed his understanding.
"I understand. Colonel Smoker, your hard work is appreciated."
"Then, I'll take my leave."
After Smoker left, Kong's calm expression instantly changed.
"Paimon! Quickly list the items we need to buy. Once I get the money, we're leaving immediately!"
Paimon was still confused.
"Huh? So soon? Didn't you say you wanted to explore Loguetown properly?"
"Plans have changed. Hurry up and make the list."
----
__