However, when the morning light spilled across the land the next day and his restaurant opened for business, Barta's mood inexplicably sank, because
"Hahahaha!!!"
"This country is seriously hilarious!"
"Right? They actually claimed they wiped out the Gambino family, hahaha! Only the idiots in this country would believe a ridiculous lie like that."
"Hey, don't say it like that. Didn't you hear that king's big talk yesterday? He said the Zephyr Kingdom is going to become the strongest kingdom in the future, hahahaha!"
...
Early morning in the town of the Zephyr Kingdom, unrestrained laughter echoed through a restaurant.
Inside, forty or fifty pirates sprawled across most of the tables. Empty bottles and half eaten dishes were scattered all over the floor.
They were the Raging Wave Pirates, a small crew of fewer than fifty that had started to make a name for themselves in the West Blue these past few years.
Normally, a small-time pirate crew like them, with neither strong firepower nor any truly outstanding members, should have struggled to survive in the tangled, dangerous West Blue.
Yet they had been lucky enough to run into a crumbling Zephyr Kingdom.
Here, even a crew like theirs could run wild without a care in the world.
As for the kingdom's army?
Hah. They could barely protect themselves, so how would they have any spare energy to deal with pirates?
Yesterday, at the king's coronation ceremony, when Roy declared that the Gambino family had been destroyed by the Zephyr Kingdom, they had almost laughed their stomachs off.
Even this morning, they were still eating while using that incident as a joke, completely ignoring the residents around them whose faces had turned livid.
"Damn it! These pirates actually dare insult His Majesty like this! I can't take it anymore!"
At last, one resident slammed down his chopsticks, paid, and stormed out.
Right after that, the other residents also left one by one, faces dark with displeasure, silently filing out of the restaurant.
It was not that they did not want to speak up for Roy.
It was just that, in the face of pirates who treated human lives like dirt, what could ordinary residents possibly do?
"Haha!! Look at those guys. They can't handle hearing a few truths, so they tuck tail and leave!"
"Sigh, can't really blame them. The king's like that, so how much better can the citizens be?"
"Haha, for once you said something that actually makes sense!"
Seeing the residents leave, the pirates' laughter only grew more arrogant and unrestrained.
Behind the counter, Barta, his wife, and their daughter stared at the pirates with grim faces.
Their brows were tightly furrowed, eyes filled with resentment and helplessness.
"Dear, don't do anything rash." His wife clutched Barta's arm tightly, worry written all over her face.
"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. I won't do anything stupid."
Barta turned to his wife and forced out a smile to reassure her. Then his gaze returned to the pirates as he lowered his voice and ground out, "These bastard pirates... His Majesty will wipe them all out sooner or later..."
"Don't you dare talk about King Roy like that!!! You bad pirates!!!"
A childish but furious voice suddenly rang out. Barta and his wife's expressions changed instantly as they hurriedly looked up.
In the short moment they had been talking, their eight-year-old daughter had somehow run right up to the pirates. She was glaring at them, cheeks flushed bright red with anger.
"Yu!!"
Barta and his wife cried out at the same time and rushed over.
Barta scooped his furious daughter into his arms, fear rising in his face, and quickly apologized to the pirates, "I'm really sorry, I'm really sorry. My daughter's young and doesn't know any better. She offended you. This meal is on me, consider it my apology. Please, you gentlemen, be generous and don't take it to heart."
The pirates looked at each other, then burst into a roar of laughter.
Then, a tall, powerfully built pirate stood up and swung the axe in his hand hard.
Bang!
Clang!
The food and bottles on the table were swept away in an instant, crashing to the floor in a mess.
"Ah..."
Barta's wife screamed in fright. Barta immediately held his daughter tight against his chest, his expression turning tense.
"Hmph, do I look like I'm short on that little bit of money? You think I need you to pay?"
The burly pirate slung the axe over his shoulder, a savage grin on his face. Dangerous light flickered in his eyes as he stared straight at the little girl trembling in Barta's arms.
"Been a long time since I ran into such an interesting little brat. I'll give you a chance. Hand the little runt over right now, or I'll smash this lousy shop into pieces today!"
"Daddy..." The little girl's face went pale with terror as she looked up at Barta.
"Yu, don't be afraid. Daddy's here. I won't let anyone hurt you..." Barta soothed her softly, then forced himself to steady his nerves. He glared at the towering pirate and shouted, "You... you can't do this! The kingdom army won't let you off!"
"The kingdom army?"
The burly pirate and the pirates around him immediately erupted into loud laughter.
The burly pirate sneered viciously. "The kingdom army? That bunch of trash who can't even take care of themselves? If they dare come, I'll"
Tap tap tap!!!
Before he could finish, rapid footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door.
All the pirates, and Barta's family too, turned toward the entrance at the same time, then froze.
A squad of kingdom soldiers rushed in from outside, more than a hundred of them.
Their formation was neat. They wore matching blue and white uniforms, fully armed, the firearms in their hands gleaming coldly.
Click! Click! Click! Click!
Without a single unnecessary word, every soldier raised their gun and aimed directly at the pirates.
The pirates went completely dumbfounded!
Barta's family was just as stunned!
The kingdom army actually came?!
Then the pirates snapped out of it.
"Crap! It's the kingdom army!"
"What... what's going on? Didn't the kingdom army always ignore what happens in town?!"
"Captain, what do we do now!"
Even the arrogant, domineering burly pirate was panicking now, hurriedly grabbing a weapon or firearm nearby, his heart filled with disbelief and fear.
(End of Chapter)
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