Chapter 78: Dining Without Paying?
Seeing the young man's excited expression, like a little fan meeting his idol, Cole was at a bit of a loss.
"Hehe! My name's Cole, nice to meet you," Cole said awkwardly, scratching his head.
"Lord Cole, you're truly amazing! Not even Marine Vice Admiral Zephyr could defeat you. And Zephyr is someone who can fight Kyo (Silver Axe) and Ochoku (Wang Zhi)at the same time!" the young man said excitedly, using Zephyr's strength as a point of comparison to emphasize Cole's power.
Luo Han couldn't watch any longer and quickly cut in, "Alright! We're here to eat."
But the young man didn't even glance at Luo Han. Instead, he bowed deeply to Cole.
"I won't disturb Lord Cole's meal then. When I become strong enough, I'll definitely join your crew, Lord Cole. Also, my name is Bill Bit!" he declared, then walked away.
Cole smiled awkwardly, unsure how to respond.
But what annoyed Luo Han the most was that this kid named Bill Bit hadn't even looked at him the entire time.
Damn it! If it weren't for the fact that this guy was clearly a die-hard fan of Cole's, Luo Han would've given him a beating. Ignoring a man with a 300 million bounty—unforgivable!
"Your feast is ready, dear guests!" the restaurant owner's friendly voice called out, snapping Luo Han's attention back to the incoming food.
The aroma of the meat dishes placed on the table quickly made Luo Han and Cole forget the young man. They instantly activated meat-devouring mode, tearing through the food like machines.
"Those are the two new members of the Rocks Pirates, huh? So young!"
"I heard they got into a fight with Kyo (Silver Axe) and Ochoku (Wang Zhi)shortly after joining, then clashed with Zephyr—ending in a draw!"
"And just look at how much they're eating! Definitely boss-level appetite!"
The other diners murmured among themselves, fascinated by Luo Han and Cole's youth and strength.
Before long, Luo Han and Cole, now full, were puzzled about one thing—they had no idea what Berries looked like. More importantly, they suddenly realized… neither of them had any money.
Seriously! They had grown up on Ring Tree Island, where there was no need for currency. The island ran like a utopia—everything was distributed, no trade, no use for Berries.
Even after joining the Rocks Pirates, they'd always stayed on the ship and never dined out on their own. Their only other meal ashore was that public feast with Rocks in the plaza, and they'd forgotten one important thing—meals usually cost money.
The two of them stared at the restaurant owner, who smiled at them warmly. They felt a little embarrassed. Were they about to dine and dash? But hey, as pirates with dreams, wasn't dining and dashing just part of the lifestyle? Luo Han tried to convince himself.
Haha! But just then, the owner suddenly burst out laughing, as if he had already seen through their awkwardness. He explained on his own: "No need to pay, gentlemen. As long as you're official members of the Rocks Pirates, meals are free on any island under Rocks' control."
Hearing that, Luo Han stared blankly at the owner. Damn it! You could've said that earlier! I was about ready to bolt. If Whitebeard found out I thought I was dining and dashing, he'd laugh himself to death.
Luo Han gave the owner a speechless look, waved his hand, and said nothing more. He just wanted to leave this awkward place and dragged Cole back to the ship with him.
"Still, I didn't expect Rocks to be this good at managing things. Creating privilege like this definitely builds loyalty," Luo Han thought to himself on the way back.
When they returned, most of the crew was already back. They had only stopped to resupply, after all.
Back on Whitebeard's ship, Luo Han didn't see Whitebeard—probably still off drinking. Only Sister Shao was leaning by the ship's railing.
"Sister Shao! When are we going to run into the Roger Pirates?" Luo Han asked as he walked up.
"According to intelligence from BeeHachinosu Island, Roger and Golden Lion had a fierce battle five days ago at Saipan Island. Both sides took losses. It's predicted they're near the island we're heading to next."
Sister Shao was holding a newspaper and spoke in an unusually calm voice, which caught Luo Han off guard.
"Here!" She handed him the newspaper. Luo Han took it and saw a report detailing the battle between Golden Lion and the Roger Pirates.
"So that means, if we just sail to the next island, we might encounter the Roger Pirates!" Luo Han exclaimed.
"Very clever, Brother Luo Han," Sister Shao replied in her usual teasing tone.
Back to that teasing tone again. Somehow, it made everything feel more natural. Was this… some kind of weird comfort? Luo Han pondered.
Still! The thought of meeting the Roger Pirates filled him with uncontrollable excitement. What was this feeling? Luo Han looked up at the sky, hoping the blue sky would offer an answer.
Tap. Tap. Luo Han turned and saw Whitebeard approaching.
"Set sail, boys!" Whitebeard shouted loudly.
"Yes, Lord Whitebeard!" the crew responded in unison, and the sails went up.
Luo Han also used Kyoka suigetsu to notify Tucker. By now, everyone on the ship knew that Luo Han's Devil Fruit ability could transmit messages remotely.
Apart from marveling at Luo Han's skill in developing his fruit powers, no one asked how it worked, sparing Luo Han the need to explain.
For now, Luo Han didn't want others to know the full extent of Kyoka suigetsu .
…
The sound of waves rippled beneath the ship as it sailed on. The moonlight shimmered on the gently swaying sea like diamonds glittering on the water.
Watching this scene, Luo Han was reminded of his childhood—standing on the cliffs of Ring Tree Island, gazing out at the sea, dreaming of exploring the mysterious ocean.
And now, here he was, really sailing. Reflecting on everything he'd been through, he had indeed seen some incredible islands.
"Luo Han! What are you doing back here on the stern deck?" came a rough voice. Luo Han didn't need to turn to know—it was Whitebeard.
"Just wanted some peace and quiet. Too crowded up front," Luo Han replied casually, though he was curious why Whitebeard had come—was this going to be a heart-to-heart?
Gulp, gulp! Whitebeard took a swig from his jug, then handed Luo Han a bottle.
"Try this—it's from Saipan Island. Pretty good stuff."
Luo Han took it and took a sip. Nope—wrong guess. He was just here to drink in peace.
"How is it?" Whitebeard asked.
"It's alright," Luo Han replied. He couldn't really tell good alcohol from bad anyway.
Leaning against the ship's edge, Luo Han held the bottle in one hand, taking occasional sips. Whitebeard sat nearby, enjoying the breeze, eyes drifting, occasionally sipping his own drink.
And just like that, the two of them drank in silence, the night slowly deepening.
By now, both pirate ships had come to a stop on the sea. Most of the crew had gone to rest in their cabins, leaving only a few keeping watch and ensuring the ships didn't drift.
Maybe it was the alcohol, but the two men at the stern weren't sleepy at all—if anything, they felt even more awake.
"Brother Newgate, how much do you know about Roger?" Luo Han suddenly asked, curious about how Whitebeard viewed the man known as Gol D. Roger.
(END CHAPTER)
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