Chapter 181

As he stood behind his bar, wiping a shot glass with a dry cloth, Terry, The Pub And Pies bartender, couldn't help but glance at the young man leisurely taking a bite out of the cherry pie he served.

The young man seemed non-threatening, even approachable and friendly to Terry's eyes, but he knew better. The young man was Johnny Silver Hand, a notorious rookie pirate from West Blue who didn't waste time terrorizing Paradise as soon as he crossed the reverse mountain.

Crushing other pirates, randomly robbing people, and even regicide were some of his milder actions as the crazed young pirate went as far as to attack a Warlord of the Sea, sir Crocodile, the hero of Alabasta, and even lived to tell the tale.

Terry even heard he survived being chased by six marine vice admirals, but he dismissed it as exaggerated rumors.

"Hey, Mr!" the pirate suddenly snapped after swallowing a mouthful of the cherry pie after thoroughly, almost religiously tasting it as he smacked the table, causing Terry to flinch, his mustache twitching for a second.

"This cherry pie is so mediocre I could die," the pirate said with a blank expression as he looked at Terry, projecting an immense aura of disappointment that Terry had never seen the like of before, for reasons he could not understand.

"I'm not the cook, but I'll make sure to convey your message..." Terry said, trying to stop his eyes from twitching, having expected the pirate to start making trouble instead of merely complaining about the pie after seeing his abrupt actions.

"Would you like me to take the pie and get you something else in the meantime?" Terry asked, his tone cautious as he looked at the young pirate with a weary expression.

"There's no need..." the young pirate, Johnny, replied, shaking his head as he heaved a sigh of disappointment, causing Terry to nod as he went back to his work.

Though his body moved in instinct as he wiped the bar and moved dishes here and there, his mind was still occupied by the things he's heard about the young pirate who was leisurely eating the same pie he declared mediocre not a minute ago.

Terry's eyes involuntarily moved to glance at the large, perhaps oversized, sheathed sword the young pirate had set aside, leaning it on the table as he consumed his meal.

It looked both beautiful and intimidating, the sheath made of brown leather and decorated with a metallic protrusion in the shape of a trident, with two red bloody red gems shining a sinister light.

Terry swallowed nervously, thinking about how many people this sword must have cut down and how much blood it had spilled since this young pirate had set sail for the first time.

Some people were even saying that the sword was cursed, perhaps even magical in nature, and that the young pirate relied on it, for the most part, to become as strong as he was.

"Hey, Mr!" the young pirate exclaimed, smacking the table after finishing the cherry pie and having a taste of the drink, making Terry flinch again, assuming he was caught staring at the sword, angering the crazed pirate.

"This drink is somehow even more mediocre!" the young pirate exclaimed, his expression deadpan as he slumped into his chair, projecting even more disappointment than when he tasted the cherry pie somehow.

"Like I said, I'm not the cook," Terry said, snapping at the old man as he finally had enough after getting jump scared for a second time, looking at the young pirate's devastated expression after tasting the drink.

The young pirate paused as he looked at him for a second and frowned, reaching into his pocket, his action making Terry pale, thinking he was done for after angering the pirate for snapping at him. And he just stood there, stunned into mortification and speechlessness, his life flashing before his eyes.

...

I smirked as I reached into my inner coat pocket, holding back a laugh as I watched the bartender's mortified expression, likely assuming I was going to shoot him dead for snapping at me or something.

"Here you go... thanks for the mediocre cherry pie and the mediocre drink..." I remarked with a smile as I slid a big stack of Berry notes on the bar towards the bartender.

The cherry pie and the drink served here might have been a disappointment, but I've had my fun by messing with the bartender at least, hence the overpayment.

I was barely holding back my laughter the entire time as I noticed the guy fearfully sizing me up from the side, cringing every time I moved too quickly, but I guess I missed with the guy a little too much. Hopefully, the little extra tip would help calm his nerves.

"Thank you for your patronage..." the bartender said in the most insincere tone I've heard in my life as he took the Berry notes, giving me an annoyed look that suggested he really wanted to slap me as I laughed and left the bar.

"Well, that was fun... for me at least..." I murmured under my breath as I remembered the bartender's expression upon realizing I was messing with him at the end.

I stood in the street for a second, trying to decide on where to go next, when my transponder snail began ringing, making me raise an eyebrow as I found a bench under the shadow of a palm tree and sat, picking up the call.

"Hey, Boss, Chababa," Fukurou's voice came from the, its face transforming to resemble the humanoid sphere's likeness. "We seem to have a slight problem here, Kumadori and me...Chapapa," he hesitantly added, trailing off.

"What is it this time?" I asked, frowning as I heaved a sigh, feeling irritated at how my holiday was being interrupted, lighting up a cigarette.

"The world government seems to have caught on to our... escapade... Chabab," Fukurou replied, refusing to declare his and Kumadori's betrayal to the world government outright and vaguely beating around it instead.

"There was even a Cipher Pole zero agent looking for us in Alabasta, but he was kicked out of the country by the king, Chababa," Fukurou added, his tone cracking at the mention of cipher pole agent.

"Even if you tell me that... I can't really help you right now..." I replied with a sigh, scratching my head in frustration. Until I can be sure there will be no more surprises, I need to lie low and bide my time.

"I know that, Chapapa," Fukurou calmly replied. "I'm calling to inform you that we'll go into hiding for the meantime and that we won't be able to provide you with much intel until we shake off the cipher pole agent, Chapapa," he added in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I understand," I replied, nodding my head. "Is there anything else?" I asked after a seconds pause of awkward silence, receiving a negative reply to my question.

"I see, then do your best to survive, and good luck," I concluded, hanging up the call with a thoughtful expression.