One Piece: Lost in the Tutorial #61

Blake couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at those words. "I'll have you know, lady, Penguin here is a valuable member of our crew. If not for him, we'd be eating gruel and stale bread every day," he stated firmly. "You might not be here to pick a fight, but I don't take kindly to people mocking my crew," he added, crossing his arms sternly.

Kiera shrugged her shoulders. "Then I'll refrain from doing that," she said with a chuckle. "In any case, it was nice meeting y'all, but I gotta run... literally," she added with a grin, before jumping into the water. 

Her legs moved so fast, she was able to run on the water, her form blurring as she began to put distance between them. "I'll see you boys later, probably when you have proper bounties...!" she shouted back, her hat flying off her head and landing back on the ship.

Blake didn't bother to reply, an amused expression on his face as he picked up the hat and gave it an inspecting look. Seeing this, Shachi couldn't help but voice his astonishment. "Did she just walk on water...? Well, sprinted is more like it, but still..." he said, scratching his head.

Law turned to Blake with an equally puzzled look. "Is she using something like the Rokushiki...?" he inquired.

Blake shrugged, still examining the hat. "Unlikely," he said, shaking his head. "To run on water like that, you'd need to be either extremely light, fast, or both... that isn't something humanly possible as far as I'm aware." 

He appreciated the look of the cowboy hat more and more the longer he looked at it. "It's probably a devil fruit power... something to do with speed if I had to guess," he concluded, putting on the hat and spreading his arms as if to ask how he looked.

Law gave him a blank look. "You look like a douchebag, again," he said with a scowl.

Blake rolled his eyes at Law. "You're just jealous I'm better looking than you," he said. "In any case, we should inquire more about that woman at our next stop," he added with a grin. "She did say she'll be paying us another visit, and somehow, I believe her."

Law sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine, but let's focus on getting to Lvneel Island first. We need those supplies," he reminded, his voice tinged with exasperation.

Blake nodded, still wearing the hat. "Agreed. We'll keep an eye out for her and any information we can gather once we hit land," he said. Turning to the crew, he added, "Let's get back to work, fellows! Keep an eye on the horizon and be ready for anything and everything!"

...

Lvneel Island sat on the far western edge of North Blue, a small but storied place known for its fables, the most famous being the tale of Noland the Liar. 

The island consisted of one big town that resembled a sprawling, sleepy village with rolling green hills, wooden houses with red slanted roofs, and the royal castle looming grandly above it. 

Despite its wealth, most pirates gave Lvneel a wide berth, wary of the vindictive royal family. 

Stories were already widely spread of how a vengeful member of the royal family had sacrificed many resources and called in countless favors to avenge his kin, leading to the demise of the Cutthroat Pirates, one of the most notorious and savage pirate crews to ever roam North Blue.

Standing at the bow of the ship, Blake gazed at the charming port town with a complicated expression. "So this is your home..." he muttered, placing a hand on his chest as his heart tightened. 

A flood of unpleasant memories that weren't entirely his own flashed through his mind. "You're still somewhere in there, huh, little Blake?" he remarked, a bitter smile forming on his lips. 

"Don't worry, kid. I'll do everything in my power to set things straight for your sake... I'll be sure to make the bastards who sold you off into slavery pay dearly," he continued, letting out a sigh of relief as the tightening in his heart eased.

Double Six joined him at the bow, his usual goofy grin replaced by a frown. "You alright?" he asked, glancing at Blake's clenched hand.

Blake nodded, his expression resolute. "Yeah, just... I'm just haunted by old ghosts," he replied, his voice shifting back to his usual cheery self. "I'll need to pay a visit to some acquaintances before we leave this place..."

A wide grin split Double Six's face. "Scores to settle, eh? Gotta love those..." 

...

As the ship neared the docks, Law's voice cut through the air, sharp and urgent. "That's close enough! Raise the sails before they spot our flag! Run the engines instead!"

Blake raised an eyebrow at Law's command, turning to him with a quizzical expression. "I get wanting to keep a low profile with the pirate flag, but with a mink and a giant wolf on board, blending in isn't exactly our forte," he remarked, nodding towards Sif and Bepo. 

"Besides, I've got some unfinished business here. Making a splash is kind of the plan," he added, his gaze fixed on the bustling port town ahead.

Law let out a resigned sigh, his tone calm but firm. "Standing out is one thing, but broadcasting our status as pirates to the entire island is another," he reasoned. "Let's resupply and gather information quietly. Then you can cause as much chaos as you want," he suggested.

Blake's grin widened at Law's response, giving him a playful slap on the shoulder. "Fair point. Guess that's why I keep you around," he teased, moving towards the ship's side as the crew prepared to anchor. 

"Well, that and the endless sass," he added with a chuckle, casting a glance back at Law before focusing his attention on the docks for a moment before turning to Sif. 

"Come here, girl. Let's go do some sightseeing," Blake called out to the giant wolf, Sif, who growled softly before padding up to him. He gave her a reassuring pat on the head and then approached Bepo, grabbing the mink by the back of his jumpsuit's collar. 

With a swift leap, Blake jumped onto the docks, Sif following closely behind.

Law watched with a raised eyebrow as Blake's actions caught his attention. Before Law could voice his curiosity, Blake began explaining with a grin. "Seeing as the three of us will stand out more than the rest, I figured we'd go ahead and do just that. It should give you and the others more room to move around freely and get everything we need."

Law nodded, a hint of approval in his eyes. "Good thinking, captain-ya," he said, watching Blake stride away from the ship. "But try not to stand out too much. We still need to lay low for a while."

Blake didn't bother to stop or turn around, simply waving a hand dismissively. "I make no promises!" he called back, his voice full of mischief as he led Sif and Bepo into the port town.

Sif's gigantic form cast a long shadow over the town's people who passed by her, drawing more than a few whispers and fearful glances, which she seemed to relish as she raised her head high and snarled at anyone who looked at her for too long. 

Despite his best efforts to shrink and make himself less conspicuous, Bepo received an equal amount of attention, his white fur contrasting the wooden docks. 

Blake himself drew his fair share of looks and whispers, his tall stature and muscular figure commanding attention, and yet he remained nonchalant, neither basking in it nor shirking away from the curiosity and alarm of the people. 

"Smile and wave boys... smile and wave," he said with a chuckle, getting a poke in the back from Sif. "Well, boys and girls, I guess," he corrected himself with a chuckle.