The sky gradually darkened.
Seven hundred and sixty thousand Alliance currency in hand.
Natsuhiko never expected that claiming a bounty would also require paying taxes.
It can only be said.
As expected of the Alliance.
But it's not too bad, seven hundred and sixty thousand is still acceptable.
Upon leaving the bounty place, Natsuhiko did not remove Ditto's mask.
Instead, he took a taxi to the so-called "Black Shark Bar" mentioned by Pates.
He didn't get any secret code or anything to represent identity.
But even if he had, Natsuhiko wasn't planning to replace Pates to complete any "delivery" work.
The reason for going was simply to see who would enter the seventh private room of the bar.
It wasn't about doing anything, just confirming identities, so that if they met in the future, he could take some precautions just in case.
He had seen that letter, and the content was very simple, just a string of unmarked numbers, thirteen digits in total.
He guessed that it might be using some special code or representing another special meaning.
"Black Shark Bar."
Natsuhiko glanced at the flickering neon sign, which was a fierce-looking Sharpedo.
"Such a sign is enough to scare away many kids."
Retracting his gaze, he pushed the door open and entered, the noise and the scent of malt beer rushing in, undoubtedly causing adrenaline to surge in many men.
This time, when night had just fallen, was exactly when the bar's business was booming.
However, at first glance upon entering the bar, what he saw wasn't a wild fiesta of wine and dance, but a... gigantic transparent glass tank!
The azure seawater, under the illumination of colorful lights, continuously reflected dazzling halos.
And on the high platform beside the tank, stood two people, shouting with all their might.
In the tank, there were three Pokémon, swimming rapidly.
Natsuhiko recognized one of them; it was naturally also one of the bar's notable attractions, a ferocious Sharpedo!
The other two, appearing much smaller, were a Chinchou and a Remoraid.
Enacting a chase scene.
Evidently, this was the bar's biggest amusement—watching which of the two Pokémon would be caught by the Sharpedo first.
And the burly men holding huge beer mugs around, naturally placed bets on these two Pokémon.
The smell of beer mixed with the stench of sweat, causing Natsuhiko to frown slightly, as he made his way through the bustling crowd toward the bar.
Before the bartender could speak, he said directly:
"One black malt beer."
Because the Orange Islands are located in the Southern Country, it is hot there and the sunlight lasts a long time, making the local black malt an excellent brewing material.
Not only is the taste pure, but the alcohol content is also high.
Those unfamiliar with it might underestimate this beer, and downing an entire glass might just catch them off guard.
"200 Alliance currency," the bartender said familiarly.
Natsuhiko pulled out two one-hundred unit Alliance currency notes, exchanging them for a large glass cup filled with black-yellow beer. This single cup alone was more than twice the size of the beer glasses in the bars he had visited before; even just regular beer would be quite a challenge in such a quantity.
"Sir, we're currently holding a Sharpedo chase challenge, if you're interested, feel free to participate," the bartender said with a smile.
Natsuhiko didn't respond right away, but instead took a sip from the beer glass. The icy, refreshing black malt beer tantalized his taste buds and mouth, first with a hint of bitterness, then returning to sweetness, as the aroma of malt filled his mouth.
'Drinking iced beer in winter, not everyone can handle that.'
Casually wiping away the white foam from his upper lip, he said casually, "Chinchou, 1000 Alliance currency."
With that, he slapped a stack of bills on the bar.
The bartender's eyes lit up, and with a swift swipe of the cloth on the counter, the money was gone.
Then he spoke, "Currently, Chinchou's odds are three to one, and Remoraid's odds are one to one-point-five. Sir, you have quite the courage."
Natsuhiko glanced at him indifferently.
'Didn't mention this earlier.'
He didn't pay much attention to the chase in the tank, just thought that Chinchou's Electric Type might have an advantage, and that's why he chose Chinchou.
And the reason he placed the bet.
Was just to cover up certain actions.
He turned around, leaning nonchalantly against the bar, holding the beer glass as if watching the chase in the tank, but in reality, his peripheral vision occasionally swept over the door of the closed-off seventh private room behind the tank.
Watching for a while, but nothing happened.
However, the chase in the tank seemed about to reach its conclusion.
The seemingly "calm" Remoraid, relying on its speed advantage and agile form, swam swiftly around the tank.
In terms of speed and strength, Chinchou was slightly inferior, which made Remoraid's odds lower.
However, the turning point began when Remoraid, attempting to leverage its speed to attack Chinchou, to gain a greater advantage, brought about a reversal.
Before Remoraid could get close to Chinchou, the long-suppressed Chinchou finally erupted.
Instantly releasing currents that wrapped both itself and Remoraid inside.
The outcome became evident, as Remoraid with its weaker resistance to Electric Type couldn't withstand it and was eventually caught by Sharpedo, flipped its eyes, floated to the surface, and lost combat capability.
The victory naturally went to the "dark horse" Chinchou.
The bar erupted in cheers, accompanied by a barrage of curses.
Various profanities rang one after another.
"Sir, here are your winnings."
The bar handed over a stack of bills.
Natsuhiko waved his hand, "No need, save it for the next round."
"Sure."
While the bar actively dispatched contestants for the next round, Natsuhiko noticed a man with a beer heading toward the seventh private room.
"Huh?"
Natsuhiko narrowed his eyes.
Just as that man pushed open the private room door and saw the darkness inside through the gap, the man seemed to suddenly realize, patted his forehead.
Turned and headed toward the restroom.
Drunk?
Or.....a disguise?
This was hard to determine.
But Natsuhiko had already memorized the image of the man with a scar on his neck.
No matter if it was him or not, he needed to be cautious if encountered in the future.
Soon.
The next round of contestants and their respective Pokémon arrived, amidst a clamor of cheers, both released their Pokémon.
A Qwilfish and a Barboach.
Both Pokémon Trainers wore confident expressions.
Qwilfish could inflate its body by taking in air, similar to a pufferfish, but its long needles were all poisonous, making it difficult for Sharpedo to bite.
And when the Barboach appeared, it sank to the bottom of the tank with a dull look.
'So confident in Barboach, so...its trait must be Danger Premonition?'
Seemingly only the "Danger Premonition" trait could lead Natsuhiko to think of possible victory over Qwilfish.
"Bet on Barboach then."
He put down three thousand Alliance currency as a bet again.
"Alright," the bartender said.
And just as a crowd was busy placing bets, the bar door was pushed open once more.
However, the newcomer wasn't a burly man, not even a single person, but an old and a young pair.
The elder holding the little girl's hand tightly.
While the girl, with her neck withdrawn, looked fearful. Such a bar atmosphere was indeed a bit overwhelming for her.
"Them?"
Natsuhiko showed a look of surprise.
Because he recognized the two who came in.
Wasn't it the little girl Meiyu who lived next door to him on the ship, and the guy claiming to be her grandfather?
"What are they doing here?"
And naturally, their combination, upon entering, immediately became "fat lambs" in the eyes of the brawny men in the bar.