Chapter 209: Branch 153

The next afternoon, Loguetown Port.

Karl had originally planned to come in a few days, but considering Ain didn't have much vacation time, he simply set off that night.

Karl hugged Ain and walked down from the Holy Light. He looked at the scenery here with relish. He vaguely remembered that the last time he came here, he was taking Ain and Smoker to investigate corrupt Marines!

Tashigi, standing behind the two, said with some emotion: "Is this the place where the Pirate King Roger was executed? It's really big!"

Karl turned to look at Tashigi with interest, feeling a bit strange in his heart.

According to the original plot, Tashigi was Smoker's little follower, but now she had become Ain's adjutant. Although she was still just a small Major, she had improved a lot compared to before.

And Karl had also cured her nearsightedness along the way. If that kid Zoro saw Tashigi...

"Vice Admiral Karl, why, why are you looking at me?"

Hearing this, Ain immediately turned to look at Karl, her eyes Move Move Like knives.

"I was just curious because I heard it was your first time here."

Ain's smile gradually appeared. She looked at the Marine base not far away and said: "Why hasn't Smoker come yet? Why don't we go over first!"

Karl's eyes widened: "What? We are guests. If Smoker dares not to come and welcome me today, I'll just stand here and not leave."

"Boring! Tashigi, let's go. Let him wait here alone!"

As soon as the words fell, a cloud of smoke drifted from the sky and landed in front of Karl, then formed a human shape. The smoke dissipated, and Smoker was standing on the ground, smiling at Karl.

"Long time no see!" Smoker opened his arms, hugged Karl, and patted Karl's back hard.

"Alright, alright, let me go. You didn't used to be Move Move Like this!"

Smoker smiled awkwardly, pulled a cigar from his pocket, and handed it to Karl: "Here, have a cigar, a specialty of Loguetown."

"Hahaha, you guy, do you have nothing else besides cigars?"

Ain, on the side, said with a smile: "You guys chat slowly, Tashigi and I are going shopping."

"Eh, alright!"

After the two women left, Karl turned back to Nelson and said: "Nelson, after you park the ship, take people to the Loguetown base. We will rest here for a few days."

"Yes! Sir!" Then Nelson smiled and waved to Smoker: "Rear Admiral Smoker, long time no see!"

Smoker waved his hand: "Hahaha, yes! Nelson, you've gained a lot of weight!"

Nelson:......

Smoker laughed and turned to look at Karl: "Shall I take you for a walk?"

"Sure."

Execution Platform.

Smoker pointed to the high execution platform and said with emotion: "I was about 12 years old back then. Roger walked past me and walked onto that execution platform..."

"Time flies. Now I am 34 years old, and the Great Pirate Era started by Roger has not ended yet..."

Looking at the execution platform, Karl smiled slightly: "Do you believe that the Great Pirate Era will end soon?"

Smoker was stunned and shook his head: "It's not that easy. Even if you send all the Four Emperors to Impel Down, there will still be other pirates sitting in that position. There will always be people who choose to be pirates, right?"

Karl smiled without saying a word and quickly changed the subject: "How is the situation recently? It should be quite leisurely in the East Blue, right?"

"Leisurely is not the word. It's just not challenging. It was quite idle a while ago."

"A while ago? Don't you look quite idle now?"

Smoker blew a smoke ring and said slowly: "Yesterday, the Anti-Corruption Bureau sent me a piece of intelligence about the evidence of Colonel Morgan of the 153rd Branch in the East Blue abusing his power and oppressing the people. I originally thought about going to the 153rd Branch to arrest Colonel Morgan in the next two days, but I didn't expect you to come so quickly."

Axe-Hand Morgan? Karl discovered the key element, but his surface remained calm.

"So, my coming has affected your work?"

Smoker shook his head: "That's not it. Isn't it just right to have you, the Marine Hero? It would be a waste not to use you."

"You guy really know how to order people around. Alright, since I have nothing to do, I'll just solve the matter!"

Smoker was a bit surprised, but soon a smile appeared: "Without further ado, let's go!"

Since the Holy Light was a steamship, it was lightning fast in the novice-level sea area of the East Blue, far exceeding other warships. So Smoker unceremoniously requisitioned Karl's Holy Light, to which Karl expressed his frustration.

"It's really nostalgic! Before the Anti-Corruption Bureau was established, I used to follow you around to investigate corrupt Marines every day!"

Karl couldn't help but reveal a smile: "Yes, I remember it started from... Cocoyasi Village! Hmm... the Arlong Pirates colluded with that guy named Nezumi."

"Hahaha, you have a good memory. The only thing I remember is that little girl with orange hair. She should be grown up now, right? I wonder what she is doing now?"

Orange hair? Smoker should be talking about Nami. It's hard to say what Nami is doing now, but she must have grown up. This is beyond doubt.

"Hahaha, who knows?"

To be honest, the distance from Loguetown to Shells Town, where the 153rd Branch is located, is indeed a bit far. At the speed of an ordinary warship, it would take at least a whole day to arrive.

However, Karl's Holy Light was faster. By 9: 0 am the next day, it had already arrived in the sea area near Shells Town. But to avoid attention, the Holy Light did not dock at the Shells Town port, but docked directly on the sea in the distance.

In Smoker's words, seeing is believing. The evidence was also compiled based on reports submitted by others. The authenticity remained to be verified, so after the staff of the Anti-Corruption Bureau compiled the "evidence of crime," they would send people to conduct on-site inspections to confirm that the evidence was true before implementing the arrest.

"This guy used to be a righteous Marine, but he became more and more inflated after becoming a Colonel. Recently, he even wants to build his own statue in front of the Marine base! Hmph, a guy who doesn't know the height of the sky."

"Heh, the report material might have been submitted by his subordinates. 'The person with power is the greatest person in the world.' How could he, a small branch Colonel, dare to say that?"

Smoker sneered disdainfully: "Who knows? Alright, we're here. Eh, why are you wearing a mask?"

"Nonsense, too many people recognize my face. If I don't wear a mask, I'll be exposed to you in minutes!"

Smoker:......

153rd Branch Execution Ground.

Zoro was tied firmly to the pillar, enduring the double torture of exposure and hunger.

At this time, a guy wearing a straw hat came to buy melons—no, to find crew members.