Meanwhile, in another, relatively quieter beverage shop in town, Luffy was happily gulping down a large, colorfully-mixed special juice, gudon gudon.
Sitting across from him was Robin, who had just gathered some information.
"Boss, you're really well-informed here!"
Luffy put down his cup, let out a satisfied burp, and spoke to the shop owner who was wiping glasses behind the counter.
The owner was a kind-faced middle-aged man who laughed heartily in response. "Oh no, no, you flatter me, customer. That's just how Mock Town is. Pirates from all over stop here to rest, spend money, and brag. News naturally flows fast. After all, this is one of the favorite places for pirates who throw their money around."
Luffy nodded, though he only half-understood, his attention already returning to his cup. "But this drink is really super delicious!"
"This drink is disgusting," a man next to him said, looking like he was about to vomit.
Luffy narrowed his eyes and glanced back. Right next to him sat a man a size larger than him. He looked dark-skinned, with unruly hair, missing several teeth, dressed somewhat sloppily, with a plate of decent-looking cherry pie in front of him.
These guys...
Luffy squinted slightly, sensing that this man—no, these people's aura—made him inexplicably irritated.
The other man also seemed displeased by Luffy's praise for the drink. Their eyes met unintentionally.
For no particular reason, an atmosphere of mutual dislike began to permeate the air.
"Luffy," Robin said, moving over. "It's about time."
She had gathered just about all the information she needed. Her Devil Fruit made collecting intel second nature to her.
"Let me eat something."
Luffy's attention turned to the man's cherry pie. He was feeling a bit hungry, so he shouted to the owner:
"Boss, I'll have one of these cherry pies too!"
"Coming right up!"
Soon, the cherry pie was served.
Luffy couldn't wait. He forked a big piece and stuffed it into his mouth. However, the next second, his face scrunched up, and he violently spat it out, grabbing his juice to gulp it down.
"Pfft... Blech, blech, blech! It's terrible, boss! Has your cherry pie gone bad?!"
"Delicious! Boss, give me fifty of these cherry pies!"
Luffy stuck out his tongue, looking pained as he turned to the large, dark-skinned man beside him. "Hey, is there something wrong with your taste buds? How can you eat this stuff?"
"Terrible? I think there's something wrong with your head, kid. You don't know how to appreciate real flavor."
"What did you say?"
"Wanna fight, bastard?"
The large man also narrowed his eyes, a dangerous aura emanating from him.
Just as a conflict was about to erupt, Robin elegantly set down her coffee cup and spoke softly. "Luffy, we should head back. Miss Nami and the others are waiting for news."
Hearing this, Luffy hesitated for a moment but reined in his aggression. "I'll let it slide this time."
He had a feeling that if he fought this guy, the whole island might be destroyed.
The two stood up to leave.
The large man suddenly called out to them. "Hey, kid."
Luffy turned back. "What?"
Marshall D. Teach looked Luffy over, grinning with his gap-toothed smile. "You're pirates, right? What's your bounty?"
Just as Luffy was about to answer, the door of the beverage shop exploded inward with a deafening crash, splinters of wood flying everywhere.
"Hey, you with the straw hat! Are you the little punk with the 50 million Beri bounty?!"
Bellamy's arrogant voice echoed through the shop. He had brought a group of fierce-looking underlings and was targeting Luffy specifically.
That hat of Luffy's was far too distinctive.
Robin let out a soft sigh, seeming somewhat resigned, but her movements showed no hesitation.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest and whispered, "Fleur Fleur: One Hundred Flower Blossom."
In an instant, countless slender arms sprouted from the necks of Bellamy and most of the pirates who had charged in behind him. Like deadly nooses, the arms twisted sharply!
"Ugh!"
"Ah!"
A series of dull thuds and short cries followed. Aside from Bellamy, who swayed but stubbornly managed not to fall immediately, the other pirates collapsed to the ground in a synchronized faint, like wheat being scythed down.
It was the first time Luffy had seen Robin dispatch enemies so efficiently and silently up close. "Robin, you're really strong!"
Robin retracted her ability and smiled. "I'm more adept at this method. Engaging in a large-scale frontal conflict with the pirates of this town would lead to a lot of trouble later."
As she spoke, she took the still somewhat dazed Luffy by the wrist. "Let's go."
They hadn't gone far when Blackbeard Teach, carrying his plate of cherry pie, followed them out and called to them again.
"Hey, wait!"
Blackbeard's gaze settled primarily on Robin. "Just now, it sounded like you two were discussing history? You know a lot about history?"
"Robin? She's a scholar." Luffy pointed to himself. "Me too."
Sort of.
If the teacher is one, isn't the student?
"A scholar?"
An extremely odd expression appeared on Blackbeard's face. He looked at Luffy's face, which clearly didn't fit the image of a "scholar," then at the intelligent and beautiful, yet equally young, Robin. It seemed hard for him to connect the title of scholar with them.
Generally, people pictured scholars as old men with white hair and beards, right?
Still, he extended an invitation, a seemingly hearty smile spreading across his face. "Guhahaha! Such rare talent! My ship is still short on quite a few people, and those knowledgeable are especially scarce. So, what do you say? You two should think about it. Join us!"
Before he could even finish, Luffy cut him off decisively. "Absolutely not!"
Blackbeard was left speechless, his smile frozen on his face. He rubbed his nose, a bit sullen, but pressed on. "Well, forget it then... Guhahaha. So where are you planning to go next?"
Luffy raised his head and pointed a finger at the azure sky. "Sky Island."
His voice was loud, and combined with the commotion caused by the Bellamy Pirates, quite a few pirates had gathered around to watch the spectacle.
Now, upon hearing the words "Sky Island," a brief silence was followed by an eruption of mocking laughter, surging like a tidal wave.
"Sky Island? Hahaha! Am I hearing things?"
"Are these two for real?"
"What era is this? There are still people who believe in those fairy tales meant to fool children!"
"City of Gold, Emerald City, and whatever that One Piece is... the era of pirates dreaming that kind of nonsense ended long ago!"
"Hey, hey, hey, why isn't Bellamy here? It'd be a real hoot if he were."
In the midst of the raucous jeers, Luffy narrowed his eyes, sweeping his gaze over the surrounding crowd.
For some reason, the pirates caught in his stare felt a sudden chill of fear and couldn't meet his eyes.
***
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