I collect everything in the One Piece world.

The sun shone brightly on the sea, a gentle sea breeze blew, and the atmosphere on the deck was relaxed.

On a deckchair in the middle of the deck, Bakala was whispering something furtively in Robin's ear.

The two of them would occasionally steal glances at Mosen at the bow of the ship. Robin's eyes were playful and curious, while Bakala's cheeks were slightly red, and her eyes held a hint of embarrassment and an indescribable meaning.

However, when Mosen noticed their whispers and looked over with a puzzled expression, Bakala would glare at him fiercely like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and shout, "What are you looking at! Haven't you ever seen pretty girls chatting before!"

"..." To this, Mo Sen shrugged and turned his gaze away without comment.

After all, he wasn't a petty person, so of course he wouldn't argue with Bakala over such a trivial matter.

He would just secretly make a mental note of it, and then come back to teach her a lesson later that night.

To be honest, Bakala is quite stubborn. She always begs for mercy, but she never learns her lesson. As soon as she regains her energy, she starts provoking again, just like just now. She's like someone who never learns from a bad experience.

Mosen was helpless about this, so he could only work harder to deepen Bakala's impression and make her remember it so that she would not repeat the mistake next time.

This could probably be considered a... well... unique way of managing crew members and communicating with them...

However, the results so far have not been significant, and Mosen sometimes suspects that Bakara is enjoying herself, which is why she deliberately provokes him.

Hmm... This question remains to be seen; perhaps some unexpected and wonderful discoveries will be made.

At the bow of the ship, Nami was holding onto the gunwale, gazing at the gradually clearing outline of Loguetown on the distant horizon.

Her short orange hair fluttered in the sea breeze, and her face beamed with an excited and bright smile.

The last time she came here, she was all alone, burdened with a heavy baggage and the unattainable goal of a ransom of 100 million Berries. She tried every means to steal this and that carefully, and every Berry was soaked with bitterness and risk.

But today, when she sets foot on this sea again, everything is different.

Those despicable fishmen have been dealt with, and the nightmare of Cocoyasi Village has come to an end. She now has partners to fight alongside, and she will soon follow her captain on a voyage to the Grand Line, a journey full of challenges and wonders, to fulfill her dream.

“Captain!” Nami turned around, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Morsen, her voice full of anticipation.

"When we dock, I'm going to buy so many things! Like logbooks and spare logbooks for the Grand Line, and professional books about the climate and ocean currents of the Grand Line..."

"I've heard that the weather on the Grand Line is unpredictable, changing in an instant. We must be fully prepared!"

Mosen trusted her completely, and she naturally couldn't let him down; she had to do her job as a navigator well.

Mosen was pleased to see Nami's energetic and hopeful expression. He nodded and said, "Okay, buy whatever you need. Our budget is more than enough."

"I will also purchase some necessary supplies and medicines. After all, the situation on the Grand Line is unknown, so it's always good to be prepared."

At this point, he turned to look at Bakura and Robin not far away: "Robin, Bakura, take a look and see if there are any personal items you need to buy. Remember to make a list and add them one by one later."

"Yes, Captain!" Nami replied happily.

Robin smiled and nodded, considering that he might need to replenish some books and special paper and ink.

Bakara gave a soft snort, her gaze lingering on Mosen, seemingly plotting something mischievous.

As my thoughts wandered, the ship slowly entered the harbor of Rogge Town, and the familiar hustle and bustle and the unique smell of the docks wafted towards me.

As the boat came to a stop and the gangplank was lowered, Mosen and the others disembarked with Bailey.

"Alright." Mosen clapped his hands. "Splitting up will be more efficient."

"Nami, Robin, you two go together to buy nautical supplies and other personal items."

"I'm in a group with Bakala to replenish our food, fresh water, and medicine."

"There are many naval forces in Loguetown. Remember to finish this quickly, or you'll inevitably run into more trouble."

"Hmph, who wants to be in a group with you..." Bakala muttered under her breath, but her feet followed Morsen's lead.

The four split into two groups and quickly blended into the bustling crowds of Rogge Town.

Mosen led Bakala toward the town's commercial district.

Bakara was initially hesitant, but she was quickly drawn to the various interesting shops along the street and began to enthusiastically pick things out, reigniting her shopping passion.

While shopping, Mosen also "added" items to his wish list, checking off each item he needed one by one.

However, a moment later, Morsen's Observation Haki keenly sensed that there seemed to be something wrong with some of the people in the surrounding crowd.

They were purposefully converging on his location from all directions.

Mosen paused slightly, his gaze passing through the crowds and buildings ahead, looking towards the end of the long street.

There, a thick cloud of white smoke rushed from the side, then quickly condensed and shaped, eventually forming a tall, familiar figure shrouded in smoke—it was Smoker.

He stood there with his arms crossed, like an iron tower at the end of the street, the hem of his coat fluttering slightly, his eyes fixed on Mosen in the crowd.

The surrounding noise seemed to disappear at this moment, and the air seemed to freeze.

Smoker exhaled a puff of smoke, his deep voice cutting through the noise of the street and reaching Morsen's ears clearly:

“'Collector' Blakemoreson.”

"You're finally back."

"This time, we need to have a serious talk."

Chapter 96, I Don't Have Time to Waste With You

The surrounding residents and vendors finally sensed the unusual atmosphere and began to retreat, instantly moving away from the street where Morsen and Smoker were like a tide.

The once bustling commercial street was instantly emptied of most of its area, leaving only the two opposing sides and naval soldiers emerging from various alleyways and rooftops.

In a nearby shop selling delicate pastries, Bakala was holding a box of pastries she had just selected, ready to pay.

Hearing the commotion outside, she frowned, immediately put down her things, and quickly went out.

Upon seeing Morsen and Smoker confronting each other in the middle of the street, and the densely packed navy around them, Bakara's eyes instantly became wary.

Just as she was about to walk towards Mo Sen, a bright flash of light suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her way.

Bakara paused, looking down along the blade. There stood Tashigi beside her, holding her famous sword, "Shigure," with a complex expression.

The friendliness and shyness she usually showed when facing Morsen were gone from her face; instead, there was a firmness befitting a naval officer, and a hint of struggle that was hard to conceal.

“Miss Bakura,” Tashigi pushed up her glasses, “I’m sorry, the battlefield ahead belongs to Mr. Morsen and Colonel Smoker.”

She paused, her tone becoming more complicated: "Although I believe Mr. Morsen must have his reasons for taking action, the Colonel has his own ideas."

Bakara frowned even more as she looked at Tashigi blocking her way, her face revealing undisguised impatience.

She sized up the seemingly quiet and even somewhat timid female navy officer, then scoffed, "You? You think you can stop me?"

Although her fighting style isn't as direct as Morsen's or Robin's, when it comes to a real fight, she has plenty of ways to make this "glasses girl" marine suffer.

Tashigi sensed the eerie and dangerous aura emanating from Bakura. Her body tensed slightly, but she didn't back down. Instead, her resolve hardened, and she firmly gripped Shigure's hands.

"I will do my best." Her voice was still not loud, but it carried an undeniable determination.

On the other side, in the middle of the street.

Mosen seemed oblivious to the approaching navy and the fact that Bacara had been stopped by Tashigi.

His gaze remained calmly fixed on the "white hunter" opposite him, who exuded a low-key aura.

"What's there to talk about?" Mosen raised an eyebrow, his tone relaxed, even a little impatient.

"If you're asking me why I took action against Colonel Rat, I think with your 'White Hunter' abilities and style, you should have already found out all the dirty secrets of the East China Sea Naval Branch in the past two weeks, right?"

"If you want me to stay, then I can only say that you may be overestimating yourself and underestimating me."

Mosen's voice remained calm, but the aura he exuded suddenly became sharp, causing the surrounding air to freeze.

"I'm much stronger now than I was two weeks ago, but you don't seem to have improved at all, so what gives you the confidence to come here and stop me?"

“I just wanted to confirm a few things.” Smoker took a deep drag on his cigar, then spat the remaining butt onto the ground and stomped it out.

This action seemed to be a signal, the next second.

"call!"

Smoker's right arm instantly materialized, transforming into a gigantic fist made of thick white smoke, which slammed down towards Morsen without warning—his signature move, "White Fist."

This punch was extremely fast and powerful, clearly showing that the attacker was not holding back, but rather trying to preemptively test Mo Sen's current strength and weaknesses.

However, faced with this sudden attack, Mosen didn't even move a step.

He simply raised his right hand casually, as if to catch the terrifying, smoky giant fist with his bare hands.

"Collect!" Morsen's lips moved slightly.

hum!

The terrifying white fist vanished the moment it touched Mosen's palm, as if it had crashed into an invisible black hole, leaving only a sticker with faint white mist patterns around its edges in Mosen's palm.

The whole process was much easier and more relaxed than the last time in the office, as if I had just casually brushed away a speck of dust.

However, Smoker's attack did not end there; those seemingly full-force white punches were still just a cover.

The instant White Fist was "collected," Smoker's true form, under the cover of smoke, instantly closed in on Morsen from the side and rear.

This time, instead of using his elemental fist, he drew out the specially made weapon, the Jitte, with seastone inlaid at the top, and precisely stabbed it towards Morsen's lower back!

Smoker knew very well that the most effective way to deal with an opponent like Morsen, whose Devil Fruit ability was so strange, was to use Seastone to restrict him. As long as Morsen was grazed by Seastone, even if he was strong, he would become powerless.

"Success! As expected of a colonel!" The surrounding naval soldiers couldn't help but think the same thing as the surrounding soldiers, after all, Jitsu's attacks had always been successful.

However, this time it really is different.

A red glint suddenly flashed in Morsen's eyes. His Observation Haki allowed him to "see" all of Smoker's movements, and even the trajectory of his subsequent movements!

Just as Smoker's ten hands, imbued with Seastone, were about to touch Morsen's lower back clothing, an incredibly condensed layer of Armament Haki instantly covered Morsen's entire fist and forearm.

"boom!!!"

The next instant, Morsen's fist, covered in Armament Haki, slammed solidly into Smoker's face.

Smoker felt an overwhelming, terrifying force surge through his body from his cheek. His proud Logia-type elemental transformation was completely ineffective against the attack covered in Armament Haki.

Everything went black for a moment, the cigar in his mouth flew out, and his body was thrown backward uncontrollably.

"Boom!"

Smoker crashed into several fruit stands and shelves on the street before stopping, his ten hands flying out of his grasp and embedding themselves in a wooden crate not far away.

The streets were deathly silent.

All the naval soldiers, including Tashigi who was confronting Bakala, stared in disbelief at the scene before them.