119 Alright, let's get down to business

After getting off the boat, we went deeper into Cactus Island. Once in a while, I ran into a few people, and they all had something in common.

My heart raced when I saw several people erecting two wooden planks forming a cross on the hill. I thought, 'All of their eyes emanate a fierce aura. I wonder if there are good people in this place.'

Every day, new corpses would be buried, and even though I had only heard it speculated by others that these bodies belonged to pirates, I had a hard time believing it. Because, in some cases, these people can be even more cruel than pirates.

"We arrived," Mr. 9 woke me up from my reverie, and when I saw him enter a bar, I hurriedly followed behind him.

*thud

*thud

When the people inside heard someone coming, they immediately went on alert. However, they returned to drinking more relaxed once they realized it was us.

The thick fog that occasionally rolls in and out of the area contributes to the eerie atmosphere of this place, which is reflected both inside the bar and throughout the entirety of the island.

When a nun is working behind the bar, it is an unusual sight. She is also tall and muscular, which makes her appearance even stranger. Despite this, I have become accustomed to seeing her.

She greeted us with a warm and friendly tone, saying, "Welcome back to Whiskey Peak, Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday," before handing each of us a glass of our favorite libation.

"Thank you very much, Miss Monday. May I ask where Iga... er, Mr. 8 is?" When I realized I had almost accidentally revealed Igaram's identity, I had a brief moment of panic. Nevertheless, no one seemed to have noticed.

"Uhh, he's shopping off the island, you know yourself that due to the condition of this island, we can't grow anything, so we're always out of food."

*thud

Mr. 9, who was sitting next to me, yelled out, "I want sake, can you get me a full glass?" His red face showed that he was already heavily intoxicated, and I could only sigh because I knew what he would do next.

"The first glass is on me, but after that I'll have to start charging," Miss Monday said before heading to the warehouse in the back of the bar.

I was thinking, 'Next time I'll give her more suitable clothes... seeing her in a nun robe for her disguise still makes me feel uncomfortable,' but all of a sudden, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up immediately.

"Hey, I know that even though we've been working together for a year, we are not that close... I have an idea that will help our relationship even closer."

When Mr. 9, who had been leaning his head on the bar counter, suddenly stood up straight and started saying strange things, I couldn't help but feel repulsed when I saw his gaze darting all over my body.

I tried to convey to this man that "I believe our cooperation as partners is already good, so you don't need to bother" while maintaining a stiff smile.

Perhaps due to his intoxication, Mr. 9 did not give up, and he was not even aware of the discomfort I was experiencing. "I agree with you, but lately, I can't help it. I'm really stupid not realizing a woman as beautiful as you are my partner."

It's not the first time I've heard him say those things. In fact, when he comes out of his drunken stupor, he acts normally, so it's safe to assume he'll only talk about these kinds of things when he's drunk.

"In comparison to all the other women in Baroque Works, you are the prettiest, and your blue hair is also very gorgeous... in fact, there are times when I am unable to concentrate on my tasks because your beauty always distracts me."

When I first started working at Baroque Works, I had to work my way up from the bottom. I also frequently encountered some people who tested my patience, but with Igaram and my best friend Karoo, I could brush it all off and move on with my purpose.

'Sorry, I'm not interested in you. You're not my type,' I wanted to answer like that but couldn't. The other thing is the fact that he tries to pass himself off as King is enough to make me feel sickened.

Luckily, Miss Monday came back on time, and when she set a large glass of sake in front of him, he drank it right away and seemed to forget about what he had said.

In the beginning, Igaram, my bodyguard, suggested partnering with me, but I decided against it because I didn't want the two of us to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves. After our split, I realized it would be difficult to find a better partner, so I had no choice but to put up with him.

During the time that Miss Monday and I were having a good time chatting with each other, two people entered the bar and immediately approached us. One of them, a man with short, spikey hair, abruptly put his hand on Mr. 9, who was sleeping, before banging his head against the bar counter so hard that it went through to the floor.

Miss Monday yelled out in her irritation at the commotion in front of her, "What are you doing, Mr. 5!" but the man kept quiet and took one of the chairs before sitting down.

The woman with a bright appearance replied as she rested her head on my shoulder, "Don't worry, this is just his way of greeting you guys."

"hmph, I just don't like seeing losers like him lounging around like that. It's embarrassing for us."

"Mooo, I'm trying to improve your image just a little bit, but you don't appreciate it," This lady's name is Miss Valentine. I've had a few encounters with them, so I'm familiar with their peculiar behavior.

"argkk... that's hurt! Who would have the audacity to wake up this king?" Mr. 9 immediately stood up and barked. Seeing the blood coming out of a lump on his head made me feel some sense of satisfaction.

When he saw Mr. 5 not too far away and Miss Valentine waving at him, his eyes immediately widened to their fullest extent. In the end, the pretend king moved the chair a little further away from them and sat back down. Aside from his pitiful groans, he did not make any other noise.

*clap

"Alright, let's get down to business."