Bonus: Chapter 84

Chapter 84: Tom is a Generous Cat

Underworlds are rarely mentioned in anime. Adrian only remembers a few big shots from the Underworld appearing at the Grandma's Tea Party.

The most memorable one is, of course, Underworld Empress's Stussy. It's not because she's pretty, but because she's a CP0 agent.

As for the others, since they had very little screen time, Adrian treated them as extras and didn't even remember their names. Naturally, he had no idea if they had any connection to the Lawless Zones in Sabaody Archipelago.

Herz enjoyed a sip of the wine Adrian had poured for him. The feeling of not having to pay for the alcohol gave him immense pleasure.

As for revealing information, for him, it was like bragging about his experiences. If he could get some more alcohol in return, he was definitely winning:

"When talking about Underworlds, Underworld Empress is definitely one of them."

"Underworld Empress is related to the Sabaody Archipelago?"

"It's not that simple. Underworld Empress's business often involves casinos and other shady entertainment places. The headquarters aren't here, but there are definitely branches around." Herz emphasized the word 'other', making it seem like he was sharing a lot of information.

"Oh, I see." Adrian remembered Rayleigh often gambling his way into trouble, and these casinos probably also involved other dealings.

"As for other things, let's not forget the King of Loan Sharks, Du Feld, inside the casinos. People who can't repay their loans might end up selling their whole families."

Adrian frowned. On this island, owing money to loan sharks meant getting sold off for sure. While gamblers didn't deserve sympathy, their families were entirely innocent.

"When it comes to trades involving human trafficking, we might hear about 'Major Undertaker' Drug Peclo. I've heard he's involved in more than just assassination and slave trading; he's even involved in organ trafficking..."

Hearing this, Herz gagged: "Let's not talk about him. Just mentioning him makes the wine taste worse. Aside from them, there's also the 'The Concealer' Giberson in the storage business."

"Storage business is considered a Underworld too?" Adrian asked casually and then quickly realized, "It's probably not ordinary storage, right?"

"Exactly, it's the storage business that deals with various contraband and smuggled items. He's called the The Concealer because no one knows where he hides the contraband before the deals."

"So, besides pirates, bounty hunters, and gangs, the Lawless Zones also hide super complex Underworlds..."

"That's only natural. This is probably one of the reasons why the Marines haven't directly wiped out the Lawless Zones."

"Learning something new. Thanks." Adrian thought about whether the human trafficking place he blew up last time was also connected to one of these big shots.

Herz waved his hand dismissively, cheerfully saying, "These aren't really secrets; they're easy to find out. Getting a drink from you is my gain."

"Oh, I see. Well, let's just forget I said I'd treat you earlier." Adrian tried to mimic Cap's ability to retract his Devil Fruit power.

"Haha, it's fine. We're even now. Spraying the Cat Pianist with alcohol makes me wonder if someone will hit me when I go out." Herz took the towel Rui Mengmeng brought and wiped himself. He felt Tom's presence beside him, and suddenly, he was doused in alcohol.

"Tom-sensei." Rui Mengmeng brought out a towel to help Tom clean up. She felt Tom-sensei's luck today seemed a bit off; in the afternoon, he was pinched by a crab for no reason, then eaten by a sea creature, hit by Camie, and now he was drenched in alcohol after taking a bath.

Tom got up, pushed Rui Mengmeng's hand away, walked over to Herz, took a drink from the bottle in front of him, and sprayed the remaining alcohol all over Herz' face.

Herz felt conflicted, unsure whether he should continue apologizing.

Adrian knew Herz didn't mean to do it, so he handed him a towel: "Sorry, Tom didn't mean to... uh..."

Adrian got stuck, and Tom did it on purpose.

"Ha, it's no big deal. Let's call it even. Spraying the Cat Pianist with alcohol has made wine taste worse for me. Apart from that, I was about to apologize. Um, Tom-sensei, you're not mad at me, right?"

Tom got back to his original position and resumed his relaxed, lounging posture. Hearing Herz' words, he nodded in agreement, indicating he wasn't upset.

He's a generous cat; even if you spray me, as long as I can spray you back, I won't hold a grudge.

With this matter put aside, Adrian casually opened a bottle of wine and handed it to Tom. Herz happily took it, ready to show off to others.

It's worth boasting if you can get the tight-fisted boss to treat you, right?

...

After closing, Adrian arranged tea, snacks, and fruit on the bar counter, and gathered the tavern members for a brief meeting.

For Artoria, it didn't make much difference; she just changed seats and continued eating.

After Rui Mengmeng brought the last table's utensils into the kitchen to soak, she washed her hands and came over to sit down.

Instead of sitting on a chair, Tom lay on the bar counter, supporting his head with one hand while munching on an apple. Whenever Adrian saw Tom eating, he found it fragrant, no matter what he ate.

The reason they used the bar counter instead of a regular table was because Adrian was worried that sitting at a round table might trigger bad memories for Artoria.

"Today's topic is whether we should continue our plan to combat human trafficking." Adrian was the first to speak. "You probably heard the conversation between me and Herz earlier. The situation in the Lawless Zones seems quite complex."

After speaking, Adrian's gaze swept over everyone. First, he looked at Tom.

Tom finished eating an apple and threw the core behind him, bouncing it off the edge of the trash can and into the bin. Then he casually grabbed a banana, peeled it into four pieces, and resumed eating.

It seemed Tom noticed Adrian's gaze. He paused while chewing, pushed the banana slices forward as if asking if Adrian wanted some.

Adrian: "..."

Okay, this one's hopeless. Let's move on to Rui Mengmeng.

"Me? Me?" Rui Mengmeng waved her hands a bit flustered. "Boss, whatever you decide is fine. After all, we're not doing anything bad, right? I'm just an employee, so I'll do whatever you tell me to."

Adrian didn't know whether to be happy or not. He explained, "I do think we should do this, but it's risky. Exposing ourselves could get us killed. That's why I wanted to hear your opinions. Please think about it carefully."

Rui Mengmeng thought for a moment and earnest

ly said, "It's fine. If we're trying to save people from bad guys, there's no way we won't take any risks, right? Besides, didn't you say you're the weakest person in the bar, Boss? If you're willing to go, I won't be afraid either. Don't worry!"

Adrian: "..."

You make a lot of sense, but I really want to punch someone!