I collect everything in the One Piece world.

"Ah! Yes! I'm so sorry, Colonel!" Tashigi blushed and hurriedly handed the briefcase to Morsen, her voice stammering with nervousness: "Mr. Morsen, this is the reward for capturing 'Wavebreaker' Jack and his gang. Please, please count it!"

Mosen smiled as he took the box, finding it quite heavy. After casually weighing it in his hand, he remarked with some emotion, "The style of the Loguetown Naval Branch is truly different."

This was the first time Morsen had received the full bounty; previously, he had always received at least 20% less.

Smoker understood his implication, snorted coldly, and the glow of his cigar flickered at his lips: "Hmph, I wouldn't stoop to such a despicable thing. You get what you deserve."

His words were firm and demonstrated his principles.

Mosen nodded in agreement, feeling that this "white hunter" was not much different from the impression he had in his mind. He was equally committed to his own sense of justice and had a very straightforward personality.

"Thank you very much, Colonel Smoker." Morsen thanked him and was about to take his leave when his gaze suddenly swept over the long sword at Tashigi's waist.

To be honest, his ordinary longsword had become somewhat worn out after this period of fighting.

Thinking of this, Mo Sen stopped and looked at Tashigi, who was still a little flustered, and asked in a gentle tone, "By the way, Miss Tashigi, there's something I'd like to ask you for a favor. I wonder if it's convenient?"

"Huh? Me?" Tashigi pointed to herself, somewhat surprised.

“Yes.” Mosen patted the sword at his waist and said, “My sword is getting old and I want to get a new one. But I’m not very familiar with the sword shops in Loguetown.”

As he spoke, he pointed to the sword at Tashigi's waist, his eyes showing appreciation: "I see that your sword is in good condition, which means you are obviously knowledgeable about swords. So, I would like to ask if you could be my guide and take me to a few reliable sword shops?"

"Don't worry, I won't let you come for nothing. I can pay you a certain fee as a token of my gratitude."

Mosen's request was reasonable and his attitude was very sincere. Tashigi herself was obsessed with swords, and when she heard someone praise her sword and ask her about sword shops, she was actually somewhat tempted.

She instinctively wanted to nod in agreement, but then she remembered that it was still working hours and leaving her post without permission seemed to violate regulations.

So, she habitually looked up at her superior, Smoker, beside her.

Smoker looked at Tashigi's "Does this seem appropriate, sir?" expression and exhaled a puff of smoke with a hint of helplessness.

His subordinate is quite capable, and his personality is both upright and conscientious. However, he lacks initiative and self-confidence, and even for small matters that are purely personal favors, he has to ask his superior for permission.

"What are you looking at me for?" Smoker said irritably, moving his cigar in his mouth. "This is your own business, you decide for yourself. Go if you want to, but remember to return to the team on time."

Although he didn't say it outright, he felt that it might not be a bad thing for Tashigi to come into contact with this formidable "collector".

The Navy needs to recruit talent, and this Morsen might be a potential candidate. Let Tashigi go and find out about his personality and thoughts first.

Upon hearing Smoker's words, Tashigi quickly nodded to Morsen, "No problem, Mr. Morsen. I'm quite familiar with several long-established sword shops in Loguetown."

"As for the reward, there's no need. You have a good weapon, which will help you fight pirates more effectively, and that will also help the Navy."

She spoke very sincerely, and her perspective was entirely from the standpoint of "for the cause of justice."

Mosen smiled and didn't insist on paying immediately: "Then I'll trouble you, Miss Tashigi. Shall we go?"

"Okay, please follow me." Tashigi adjusted her glasses and turned to lead the way.

Watching the two leave the naval base side by side and walk into the town's streets, Smoker took a deep drag on his cigar, slowly exhaling as he pondered deeply.

The fact that Morson could defeat Crocodile shows he's quite capable. Furthermore, his actions seem relatively disciplined and principled. It would be even better if someone like him could serve the Navy.

However, he probably has his own reasons for choosing to become a pirate hunter, and it would be awkward if he were to be rejected rashly.

Although Smoker is straightforward, he is not entirely inflexible.

Alright, let Tashigi make contact first. That naive girl might be able to break the ice. The Navy, after all, needs more manpower.

Smoker took one last look at the street corner where the two had disappeared, then turned and walked back to the base.

Chapter 61, Tashigi's Dream, The People's Navy (Read on!)

On the streets of Loguetown, Mosen and Tashigi were walking side by side.

As the two chatted and became more familiar with each other, Tashigi no longer felt the same restraint she had at the naval base.

As she expertly pointed out shops along the way that might have good knives to Mosen, she launched into a lively conversation about swordsmanship.

As the conversation got more interesting, Tashigi even became a little eager to try it out, and she and Morsen made a few simple gestures with the scabbard.

Tashigi's swordsmanship is very solid, and her moves are rigorous and standardized, clearly indicating that she has undergone systematic training.

However, when facing Mosen, she felt as if she had bumped into an invisible wall.

Mosen's movements seemed casual, even somewhat "non-standard," but each strike precisely landed at the point where she exerted force or changed her moves, rendering her powerless and completely disrupting her rhythm.

After only seven or eight rounds, Tashigi felt her breathing become slightly disordered and her moves became sluggish. Morsen gently tapped her wrist with the scabbard of his sword.

"Too strong, I'm no match for him at all." Tashigi sheathed her sword, somewhat discouraged, but mostly filled with admiration.

"Mr. Morsen's swordsmanship seems to have far surpassed the basics. His grasp of timing and openings is simply amazing!"

Mosen hung the knife back on his waist and smiled: "Actually, I haven't been learning swordsmanship for very long. It's just that I have some talent and have experienced a lot of battles, so I've improved quite quickly."

"To have reached such a level in such a short time..." Tashigi opened her mouth, her envy deepening. "If only I had such talent, I could definitely achieve my dreams even better..."

"Oh? What is Tashigi's dream?" Morsen asked casually. His deepest impression of this female marine was that she looked very much like Zoro's childhood sweetheart who died young.

When dreams are mentioned, Tashigi immediately raises her head, her eyes regaining their firmness and brightness: "My dream is to become the world's greatest female swordsman!"

"Furthermore, I will collect all the famous swords that are in the possession of those who are unworthy of them, and return them to those who truly know how to cherish them!"

"Those legendary swords should not be used as tools to aid and abet evil!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable determination.

“It sounds like it won’t be easy to achieve,” Mosen nodded. “But I believe you will achieve it one day.”

"And speaking of collecting famous swords... I actually have that idea too."

"Really? That's great!" Tashigi was delighted to find someone with the same hobby, and then she asked curiously, "So, Mr. Morsen's dream is to collect famous swords?"

Mosen shook his head: "My dream is to travel the world and collect precious or unique things."

“I see, no wonder Mr. Morsen is known as a collector.” Tashigi suddenly realized, “By the way, is Mr. Morsen adventuring alone?”

“Of course not, I have companions. Two very interesting and reliable ladies,” Mosen chuckled as he thought of the two.

"One is erudite and calm, serving as the adventurer's scholar and brain; the other... is lively and playful, serving as the adventurer's 'mascot' and treasurer."

"They should be shopping elsewhere in town right now. I'll go meet them after I buy the knife."

“That sounds like a fantastic team!” Tashigi imagined the two of them together, thinking that their seafaring life must be full of stories, and said subconsciously, “Adventuring together like that would be so much fun…”

Mosen, half-jokingly and half-seriously, asked, "What, are you interested? If you'd like to experience the sea in a different way, you're always welcome on my ship. I think you'd make a great companion."

Tashigi was completely taken aback by Morsen's sudden invitation. She paused for a moment and quickly waved her hand, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, but I still want to stay in the Navy."

"I feel that I can better realize my dreams and uphold the justice in my heart here."

“Justice…” Morsen repeated the word, his tone somewhat subtle. He looked into Tashigi’s clear and firm eyes and said slowly, “It is indeed a very beautiful word.”

"If one day you feel that the 'justice' here can no longer support your dreams, or that it has deviated from your sense of justice, you can come to me at any time."

Although Tashigi seems a bit silly and clueless, she's quite cute, and people like her are very reliable once they become your partners.

Tashigi caught a glimpse of Morsen's attitude toward "naval justice" and couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Morsen, do you have a different view on the navy?"

Upon hearing this, Mosen smiled and said, "The Navy's justice is indeed necessary and valuable, but it would be even better if it were a 'people's navy'."

"In this way, outstanding naval personnel like you and Captain Smoker, who genuinely want to protect the people, can play a better role."

"The people's navy, aren't I one now?" Tashigi said thoughtfully, not quite understanding Morsen's meaning.

The two continued walking and stopped a moment later in front of a shop that looked quite old, with a sign that read "Selling one knife".

Sure enough, we've arrived here. Having a local guide makes things much faster; otherwise, based on Mo Sen's hazy memory, I don't know how long it would have taken to find us.

“This is it,” Tashigi said, pointing to the shop. “This shop may look inconspicuous, but Mr. Ipponmatsu is a family heirloom swordsmith with excellent skills. I often ask him to maintain my ‘Shigure’.”

“He has a deep understanding of swords and knives, and the shop often has some nice collections, but…” She lowered her voice somewhat embarrassedly.

"Business seems to have been slow. It seems that Mr. Ipponmatsu's family is under a lot of financial pressure, and his wife is quite strict."

The voice just fell.

"Bang! Crash!"

A skinny man with a distinctive hairstyle rolled out of the shop in a rather disheveled state—in a physical sense.

Immediately afterwards, a tall, rather robust woman leaned halfway out of the door, holding a spatula in one hand, and shouted in a loud voice, "If you can't attract any customers or sell a single knife today, don't come back!"

Just as Ipponmatsu was about to defend himself and save face, he saw Tashigi and Mosen standing at the shop entrance. His old face immediately turned red with embarrassment.

"Ahem! Well, I was exercising, this is my family's secret recipe."

"Oh, I see. We're here to buy a knife." Tashigi adjusted her glasses without revealing the truth. "This is Mr. Morsen, a very famous pirate hunter."

Mo Sen greeted him, but seeing the red marks on Yiben's scalp, he couldn't help but ask, "Are you really alright?"

This is the first time I've ever seen such an invincible whirlwind in real life, and its visual appeal is truly...stunning.

Chapter 62, Take your money, give me my knife. (Come read on!)

[The Calm Belt, Snake Island.]

On the dock, a large number of Kuja residents gathered, excitedly gazing at the gradually clearing ship silhouettes on the distant sea, waiting for their queen to return.

In the distance, on the slowly moving Perfume Serpent, Rayleigh was saying goodbye to Lali, whose eyes were filled with tears, looking somewhat reluctant to part.

Hancock stood beside him, arms crossed, urging Rayleigh to hurry up and disembark; they'd be at the dock soon.

Inside Ipponmatsu's shop, Mo Sen was walking around, looking at the swords and blades around him, hoping to find the demon sword.

Yiben Song walked ahead, earnestly introducing his shop's "long history" and ancestral forging techniques to Mo Sen.

Although he was witnessed by the two men being kicked out of the house by his wife, he was fortunate enough to have a thick skin and quickly adjusted his mindset.

Tashigi followed Morsen, listening and muttering to him, "The boss is particularly proud of his family history, and he can talk about it for ages every time he does."

"But his cooking skills are truly undeniable, it's just... I feel like he doesn't really like me."

One Pine, with its sharp ears, immediately straightened its face upon hearing this and snorted at Tashigi, "You're not too stupid as long as you don't pretend to know everything in front of me. And those childish ideas of yours..."

"You didn't tell this guy again, did you? Something about collecting tainted famous swords and putting them back on their proper use..."

"I wasn't being childish!" Tashigi immediately wanted to retort when her "dream" was touched. She didn't say anything about what she had said before, after all, she was indeed no match for her boss in terms of professional skills.

"Alright, alright," Ippon-song waved his hand impatiently to interrupt her, then turned to look at Mosen, his tone becoming slightly more formal.

"What kind of knife are you looking to buy, customer? Judging from your posture, it doesn't seem like you're just buying it to play around with."