"Oi, Chicken-Head. Who else got a bounty?" Aeridar asked with playful curiosity.
"Yeah, who else?" Dimitri chimed in enthusiastically, though deep down he knew—there was no way he'd be on that list.
Arlan remained silent, still basking in the joy of his newly issued 20 million Berries bounty.
"A-And then there's your crew's dual-blade swordsman—Oliver. Also worth 20 million Berries," the scrawny man shrank his head down, answering timidly.
"WHAT?!" Arlan shouted, unable to accept it. "That lazy bum has the same bounty as me? Based on what exactly?!"
"I-I..." The scrawny man flinched, baffled by the sudden outburst.
The bar fell silent. Every patron nearby froze in place. Some even stumbled back in shock, pale-faced.
"A rookie with a debut bounty this high? Just how dangerous is he?!"
"He's the most fearsome pirate in the East Blue... that's him?"
"Forty million Berries?! No way!"
"Did the Navy mess up? What the hell did they do?"
"Hahaha! That makes three of us with bounties now. Our crew's total reward is up to 80 million Berries!" Aeridar downed his Frost Dance in a single gulp, laughing heartily.
Not far from them, a man in a dark green coat sat on a couch, hood pulled low over his face, back turned to Aeridar and company. Flanking him were two others, also hooded—one clad in black, the other in gray. Despite the loud, thumping music, they spoke in hushed tones.
"Boss, the man with the gold ring in his ear... that's the one who killed Nodori Mori," the man in black said, holding a glass and glancing toward the laughing Aeridar.
"This guy, Aeridar... he's strong," the man in gray murmured. "Our Navy contacts confirmed—he overpowered Nodori Mori the entire fight. Even I would've struggled with that. But what's he doing here? According to their route, they should've been approaching Loguetown."
"Not surprising," the green-cloaked man replied calmly, sipping from his drink. "That freak storm—one of those once-in-a-decade tempests—probably threw them off course."
"Which would also explain why the Kingdom of Sasardo has suddenly seen a spike in population these past two days."
"Could he interfere with our operation?" the man in black asked.
"Hard to say. But the Navy's Operation Weedkiller has already begun. Their East Blue sweep fleet will arrive within two days, tops—and they'll be docking here soon." The green-coated leader shook his head slowly, his voice steady. "That means we have to move—no later than the day after tomorrow."
"No problem there. But what about Aeridar? If the Navy finds out he's on this island, they might send a full unit to hunt him down. That could expose us—especially with that sharp-eyed Vice Admiral at the local branch," said the man in gray, turning slightly to reveal a sickly pale half-face.
"You want me to kill him?" the man in black asked, his palm pressing flat against the coffee table.
"Don't be reckless," the green-cloaked leader snapped, brushing his hand away. When his hand lifted, a perfect imprint of his palm—lines and all—was left embedded in the table.
"Aeridar's strong. Unless we both strike at once, killing him quietly is near impossible—and the collateral would be immense," the man in gray explained. "Even if the Navy does try to capture him here, it won't be a subtle operation. And don't forget—he's not alone. The Chris Pirates are all here. If a battle breaks out in the city, with his power level, the coastal district would be reduced to rubble. The Kingdom of Sasardo won't let that happen."
"Unless he crosses a line that both Sasardo and the Navy can't ignore... but I doubt he's that foolish," added the leader in green, calmly refilling his glass.
Meanwhile, Aeridar had no intention of starting trouble. He was about to let Mang and the others go—
When suddenly, a middle-aged man leapt forward, aiming a flintlock pistol straight at him.
"Chris T. Aeridar—the Gold Ring! Forty million Berries! And Gilbert Arlan—the Blue-Haired Swordsman! I've got you both in my sights, so don't move a muscle!" the man barked.
Aeridar, his crew, Mang and his group, and even the three hooded figures all stared in stunned silence.
"Haha! You're finished! No pirate escapes Sharpshooter Vic once I've got my sights on them! With your heads, I'll collect sixty million Berries—and become famous across the East Blue!" Vic grinned, his face stretching with delight, misreading the silence as awe.
"...Idiot," Mang muttered, staring at him like he was brain-dead. If guns were that effective, the East Blue wouldn't be crawling with pirates.
"Is this guy for real?" Dimitri sighed, palm to forehead, utterly speechless.
"That moron!" growled the man in black across the room, clearly itching to slap the fool dead.
"You bastard... do you have a death wish?" Aeridar's expression darkened. I just came here for a drink. Why the hell do clowns keep jumping out to piss me off?
"Your life's in my hands and you still talk big? Fine, then—die!" Vic sneered, pulling the trigger.
A flash burst from the muzzle.
Behind Aeridar, a bottle of Chikivi Whiskey on the bar shelf shattered.
"W-What?!" Vic stammered, dumbfounded. His aim wasn't bad—he could hit a leaf at a hundred paces. But they were only ten meters apart. How did he miss?
"Tch... No wonder he's worth 40 million." Mang sucked in a breath. He had seen it clearly—Aeridar tilted his head just enough to dodge the shot. And there was no way that had been an accident.
"Impossible!" Vic howled, firing off the rest of his rounds.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
All four bullets missed.
"Aaahh! He's trying to kill someone!"
"Gunfire! Run for it!"
Panic erupted across the bar. Some patrons and waiters fled in terror, but others stuck around—too curious to leave now that the show had started.
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