Chapter 043 – Tashigi's Excitement & Kai's Probing
"Ah…"
Smoker hadn't even opened his mouth yet when Tashigi, standing beside him, let out a cry of shock. She stared blankly at Kai, unable to believe that the person who had just seemed so heroic and righteous in her mind had actually let a pirate escape! Her eyes were full of disbelief. Kai had only just built a perfect image in her heart!
"Oh? Why? You don't mind telling me, do you?"
Smoker asked with interest.
"Nothing much. Tomorrow is the auction, and I'm in urgent need of money. He happened to be able to pay 50 million Berries to ransom himself, so I agreed!"
Kai smiled faintly.
"Ah! 'Maple Leaf Hunter'! How can you do that…"
Before Smoker could speak, Tashigi couldn't hold back and scolded Kai angrily!
"You don't need to call me that. Just call me Kai. Beautiful Marine lady, is there really something wrong with what I did?"
Kai saw Tashigi's reaction and smiled lightly, then asked back!
"Of course it's wrong! The honor of the Marines does not allow letting a pirate escape!"
Tashigi replied seriously.
"Heh heh! But I'm not a Marine! So I didn't do anything wrong, right?"
Seeing Tashigi looking a little angry, Kai found it quite novel. He rarely saw such an expression on Kuina's face, so he couldn't help but want to provoke Tashigi a bit! Because when Tashigi got angry, her righteous and upright pretty face had a special charm!
"But…"
Tashigi was instantly stumped, not knowing how to respond. What Kai said wasn't wrong. Letting a pirate escape seemed wrong to her, but Kai wasn't a Marine, so he hadn't violated any Marine regulations! Yet in her heart, she simply couldn't accept Kai's actions! The Kai in her mind shouldn't be like this!
"Hahaha! Good! Straightforward! Men! Bring out 10 million Berries!"
Smoker laughed heartily. Kai's direct and unpretentious attitude gave Smoker a sense of carefree freedom. Since Smoker's own nature was similar, he naturally took a great liking to Kai!
"Yes, Colonel!"
A Marine responded and went out, quickly returning with a large stack of Berries!
"Give it to him! This is his bounty money!"
Smoker then ordered the Marine.
"Yes! Lord Kai! Please accept it!"
The Marine then respectfully handed the money to Kai!
Kai, who had done this kind of money collection many times before, naturally took the Berries from the Marine's hands!
"Alright! Colonel Smoker! I won't disturb you any longer. Next time I catch a pirate, I'll come bother you again!"
Kai then bid farewell to Smoker!
"Hahaha! Good! Just don't let any more pirates escape next time!"
Smoker laughed, joking lightly!
"Hahaha! Sure! Of course, no problem! I won't go against money!"
Kai also laughed heartily, then turned and left!
"Tashigi! What's wrong? You keep staring at the door. Don't tell me you can't bear to see Kai kid leave and have fallen for him?"
Seeing Tashigi staring at the door with flickering eyes, Smoker couldn't help but tease her!
"No! What Kai did is wrong! I have to advise and correct him! Otherwise he'll let more pirates escape next time…"
Tashigi seemed not to hear Smoker's words at all. She suddenly murmured, then chased after Kai in the direction he had left!
"Beautiful Marine lady! Are you looking for me?"
Seeing Tashigi catch up to him, Kai asked curiously!
"My name is Tashigi. You can just call me Tashigi from now on! I'm looking for you to correct your wrong logic…"
Seeing Kai's calm smile, Tashigi quickly spoke!
"Eh? What logic of mine is wrong?"
Kai couldn't help but laugh. He already knew why Tashigi had come looking for him!
"Letting pirates escape! Even though you're not a Marine, letting pirates go is still wrong! Letting a vicious pirate escape will cause many innocent civilians to be harmed. So your logic is wrong—you can't let pirates go just for money…"
Tashigi looked at Kai and spoke continuously!
"Is that so? Then let's just say my logic is wrong!"
Kai was momentarily stunned, then smiled faintly and continued walking forward!
"What do you mean 'just say'? It is wrong!"
Tashigi refused to let it go and chased after him!
"And knowing you're wrong isn't enough—you have to be willing to correct it! …"
Tashigi continued, following beside Kai as they walked!
Listening to Tashigi's chattering voice beside his ear, Kai didn't find it annoying. Instead, he found it pleasant—like the clear, melodious sound of wind chimes. As for the content of what Tashigi was saying, Kai automatically filtered it out!
"Heh heh! Let's see if you take the bait!"
Kai thought with a secret smile. He continued walking toward the sea. Tashigi's eagerness to advise him wasn't just because of her own personality—it was also due to the influence of Kai's Emotion Fruit! Kai had deliberately lured her out!
"Stop! What are you doing?"
When she saw Kai heading toward the edge of the sea, Tashigi suddenly called out!
"Ah! This is the seaside. When did we get here?"
Only then did Tashigi realize she had followed Kai all the way to the beach!
"Uh… Beautiful Miss Tashigi, I'm going for a spin on the sea. Do you still want to follow?"
Kai chuckled lightly!
As he spoke, Kai deactivated the Phantom's stealth system. The cool sports car suddenly appeared in front of Tashigi!
"Ah! What is this? It's so beautiful!"
The love of beauty is human nature, and even more so for women. The moment she saw the Phantom, Tashigi exclaimed in surprise!
"It's sort of my ship! How about it? Want to come with me for a spin on the sea? I actually have something I want to ask you anyway!"
Kai didn't want to explain too much—Tashigi wouldn't understand anyway. It was better to just call it his ship!
"Wow! A ship like this? So unique and beautiful!"
Hearing it was Kai's ship, Tashigi exclaimed again!
"Ah! What did you say? You want to ask me something? What is it? We don't seem to know each other, right?"
Only then did Tashigi react to Kai's last words. She asked him repeatedly!
"It's too boring to talk here. Why don't we talk while we're out on the sea?"
Kai wasn't in a hurry. He opened the car door and invited Tashigi to get in!
"Sure!"
Seeing she could ride in such a beautiful and novel "ship," Tashigi agreed excitedly. She didn't suspect Kai at all—he had just saved her earlier, so how could he be a bad person?
Once she was riding in Kai's Phantom speeding across the sea surface, Tashigi reacted just like Makino had before—exclaiming and shouting in excitement nonstop. She had never ridden in such a small, fast, and comfortable "ship" before!
"Tashigi! Do you have any family left?"
While driving the Phantom at high speed across the sea, Kai began asking Tashigi questions!
"Ah! Why are you asking that?"
Tashigi hadn't expected Kai to ask about her family. She asked in surprise!
"Heh heh! Nothing much. I just have a friend who looks exactly like you, so I wanted to know if you two are related!"
Kai smiled faintly!
"What? How could there be someone who looks exactly like me!"
Tashigi exclaimed in shock!
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