Chapter 54: Wine from Fishman Island

Chapter 54: Wine from Fishman Island

"Go! Of course, I have to go! I also want to try the wine from Fishman Island," Charlotte said, stepping forward without hesitation.

Jinzaemon quickly followed, with Paul and the others trotting after them, their faces brimming with excitement. The pirates, well-known lovers of alcohol, could already imagine the taste of the exotic wine.

Bang!

Charlotte kicked open the tavern door with a loud crash. He wasn't sure when he had picked up this habit, but kicking open doors seemed to be his signature move now—an entrance befitting someone of his stature.

The loud noise startled everyone inside. The tavern was filled with fishmen, most of whom were male.

"Human?"

The fishmen blinked in surprise at the unexpected visitor.

"A human?"

The entire tavern erupted in murmurs as they all stared at Charlotte.

It wasn't every day that a human stepped onto Fishman Island. In fact, it was quite rare. Most humans traveling to the New World preferred the safer, government-sanctioned route, avoiding Fishman Island altogether. Pirates and slave hunters, however, were the exception, and they rarely brought goodwill.

This history had left many fishmen with a deep hostility toward humans.

"Damn human, get off Fishman Island!"

One particularly drunk fishman hurled an empty bottle at Charlotte the moment he saw him.

Jinzaemon, standing behind Charlotte, tensed immediately.

"Could we really be this unlucky?" Jinzaemon muttered to himself as the bottle sailed through the air.

Bang!

Charlotte raised his hand and effortlessly caught the bottle mid-air. His calm demeanor belied the sharp coldness in his eyes as he turned his gaze toward the fishman who had thrown it.

"Wait, Captain Charlotte!" Jinzaemon rushed forward, panic evident in his voice. "I'm so sorry about this incident! Please don't take offense!"

The atmosphere in the tavern was suffocating as Charlotte's icy stare bore down on the drunk fishman.

"Captain Charlotte, they're just a bunch of drunkards. Please let it go," Jinzaemon pleaded.

"General Jinzaemon?"

The fishmen sobered up instantly at the sight of Jinzaemon, recognizing him immediately.

Jinzaemon sighed in relief. He turned to address the group of drunken fishmen.

"Quick! Drag that troublemaker out! Everyone else, leave immediately. I'll cover your drinks, but get out now!" Jinzaemon ordered firmly.

The fishmen exchanged confused glances, unable to understand why the general of Fishman Island was being so deferential to a human.

"General Jinzaemon, are you sure—?" one of them started, but Jinzaemon silenced him with a glare.

The guards accompanying Jinzaemon stepped in, escorting the drunken patrons out of the tavern without further argument.

Jinzaemon then turned back to Charlotte, who was still holding the bottle. He carefully took it from Charlotte's hand and bowed slightly.

"Captain Charlotte, please come in. I'll personally cover your drinks. Enjoy yourself," Jinzaemon said with a forced smile.

Charlotte smirked and sat at an empty table.

"Alright, lads! Drink as much as you want!" Charlotte bellowed, his voice echoing through the now-empty tavern.

Jinzaemon sighed in resignation, realizing this would likely cost him dearly. He turned to the elderly mermaid who managed the tavern and whispered a few instructions.

Moments later, the tavern's mermaid servers began bringing out bottles of wine and plates of snacks, nervously placing them in front of the pirates.

Charlotte opened a bottle, downed it in one gulp, and slammed it on the table.

"Good wine!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.

"More wine!" Charlotte demanded, slapping the table again.

"General Jinzaemon, sit with me and drink!"

Jinzaemon hesitated but eventually sat across from Charlotte. Grabbing a bottle, he drained it in one go, earning a hearty laugh from Charlotte.

"Good tolerance for alcohol! I like that!" Charlotte said, nodding in approval.

"Hahaha, it's nothing special. I used to drink a lot in my younger days," Jinzaemon replied with a chuckle, relaxing slightly.

The two began drinking in earnest, exchanging laughs and stories. Soon, the rest of the pirates and even the fishman guards joined in, turning the initially tense atmosphere into a lively celebration.

---

The next morning, Charlotte woke up amidst the remnants of the previous night's revelry. Empty bottles littered the floor, and his crew lay sprawled around the room, snoring loudly.

Charlotte stretched and stood up, groaning slightly from the effects of the alcohol. He glanced around and saw Jinzaemon sleeping nearby, a leg resting awkwardly on Charlotte's lap.

Charlotte shoved the leg off him.

"Ah!" Jinzaemon yelped in pain, waking abruptly.

"What happened?" Jinzaemon muttered, rubbing his leg and head. He winced, feeling the hangover from the night before.

"Good morning, General Jinzaemon," Charlotte said, smirking as he sat at a clean table and motioned for Jinzaemon to join him.

Jinzaemon hesitated, still processing the events of the night. Eventually, he approached the table and sat down.

"Feeling sore?" Charlotte asked with a teasing grin.

"No, no, Captain Charlotte. It's been a long time since I drank like that," Jinzaemon replied with a wry smile, recalling his younger days on Fishman Street.

"Good! Then let's talk for a bit," Charlotte said, gesturing for a drink to be brought over.

The sun was just beginning to shine over Fishman Island. Looking at the crew members sleeping like dead pigs around them, it was clear they wouldn't wake up for a while.

After hearing what Charlotte said, Jinzaemon looked at him in surprise.

He never expected that Charlotte, known as the Blood Swordsman, would be so easy to talk to.

Seeing Jinzaemon's surprised expression, Charlotte laughed.

Despite being older, Jinzaemon now looked at him with the wide-eyed wonder of a child.

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