They hadn't gone far before the island's living quarter came into view—a small district with a single commercial street.
Lucky Roux, Yasopp, and the others beelined for the most obvious tavern. "We're low on booze aboard. Might as well stock up."
Shanks and Benn Beckman had no objections. Xiao Kaka, still in oversized shirt and baggy shorts, followed at Shanks's side.
Inside, no one bought kegs right away. They took stools at the counter, each ordering a different drink and downing a first cup with hearty laughs.
Kaka asked for something that looked nice—yuzu wine. One sip, and her face changed. She glanced around: Shanks and the others wore the same betrayed expression—then forced their swallows down and kept drinking.
A second sip? Absolutely not.
But the Red Hair crew didn't stop at one. They raised their cups again and again between bursts of laughter, as if the taste didn't matter.
Kaka didn't get it. The stream didn't either; half of chat assumed the stuff must be delicious.
In the end, the cook himself ordered a whole barrel and hugged it to his chest as they left.
Outside, Kaka looked from the cask to their grinning faces, then finally ventured, "Shanks… did you actually like that?"
She put it mildly. The drink was objectively awful. Maybe her "player senses" were bugged?
Shanks and the others traded a glance—and burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha!"
Only after they'd walked a ways did Shanks sober and smile at her. "Kaka, we tasted what you did. It was bad."
"Then why—?"
"That's the charm of the sea," he said.
Huh? It's just… bad wine?
The others filled in the blanks, and chat caught on with a wave of ohhh's.
[ So sailing means taking the sweet with the bitter—good taverns, bad taverns, good luck, bad luck. ]
[ Food's scarce out there. Every island stop is a chance to refill water, fruit, and greens. You don't turn up your nose. ]
[ And finishing the cup without complaining keeps the tavern keeper's pride intact. Shanks is… surprisingly considerate. ]
[ He cares a lot about taverns. There's a story here, guaranteed. ]
Kaka was starting to feel it too, opening her mouth to ask when Lucky Roux chuckled. "Kaka, if we get the chance, you should try Makino's brew. That taste…"
He went dreamy. Yasopp and the others immediately started ribbing Shanks. The captain tried for nonchalance, but a blush crept up his cheeks.
"Shanks, why's your face red?" Kaka asked with an angelic blink, wickedness tucked safely behind it.
"Red? From the booze," he coughed, captainly dignity evaporating on the spot.
Kaka tucked the name Makino away, curiosity piqued.
Shanks cleared his throat. "Benn, take Kaka to buy some clothes. Girl shouldn't have to slum it in my stuff."
Benn nodded, took Kaka's hand, and led her toward a clothing shop at the corner. A bright-eyed teen and a steady middle-aged man—hand in hand they didn't look odd. If anything, they looked like father and daughter.
Chat collectively exhaled.
[ This game has an uncanny grip on human warmth. ]
[ For a "casual" title, these tiny scenes have ridiculous pull. ]
[ How did Sea Breeze make this thing? ]
[ At this point… is it even a game, or a real ocean? ]
They stepped inside the shop—then Kaka's feet stopped dead.
Her face went white.
Benn didn't soothe her. Not yet. He swept the room instead.
Behind the counter stood a middle-aged auntie—plain, unthreatening. In front of it loitered several pirates with mismatched gear. The leader was a bald, wiry young man with a mean face—the kind you knew was trouble at a glance.
Kaka tugged Benn's hand and turned to go.
Once outside, Benn finally asked, mild as ever, "Kaka—were those the ones who took you?"
His voice was calm, but it didn't make her feel safer. Panic spiked; she picked up her pace. "Mr. Beckman, no time. We need to gather the crew and get off this island—now."
Images slammed back—the looted merchantman, the girls dragged away screaming. She'd escaped. The others hadn't. She couldn't even think about what came next for them.
Benn nodded. "Alright."
He let her pull him along. They'd made it only a dozen steps when—
"Well, well. Isn't this the little fish who jumped overboard?"
The voice froze Kaka where she stood. Cold shot through her bones. She turned her head bit by bit.
Three meters to her left, the bald sub-captain leaned against a post, grinning like a knife.
He wasn't tall, and he wasn't big. But the malice in his face made her skin crawl. Next to him, Benn looked broader but… ordinary. The comparison did Kaka's nerves no favors.
Terror spiked so hard it scrambled her thoughts. She wasn't afraid to die—she was a player; death meant a reset.
But the people she'd just found—their laughter, their warmth—she didn't want to lose any of them.
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