Chapter 8: The King of Bandits

Kaito Sakamoto showcased his skills in front of everyone, proving to Beckman the authenticity of his devil fruit. Beckman believed him; Kaito's thumbs and fingers were not calloused, showing he truly was like a novice handling a gun for the first time.

"Oh!!!"

Both Luffy and Shanks gazed at Kaito with starry eyes. Luffy was impressed by Kaito's coolness; they were the same age, yet he was so formidable. For Luffy, seeing a peer who was stronger wasn't jealousy but rather admiration for someone he thought was cool.

As for Shanks, he saw a genius who could be a valuable addition to his crew.

"Are you satisfied, even though you didn't hit all the targets, Mr. Beckman?" Kaito smiled, asking. "Or should I change how I address you?"

Beckman was about to respond, his cigarette hanging from his mouth as he leaned back with a leg crossed, when suddenly, the tavern owner, Makino, rushed out from the kitchen, looking flustered.

"Everyone!"

"What's going on? Why were there gunshots? Are you all alright?"

With her short, dark green hair and headscarf, Makino, who resembled Shanks' companion, made her entrance.

"Hahaha, it's nothing, Makino! Just our friend Kaito here showing off a bit." Shanks explained, but it was as if he hadn't explained anything at all.

Kaito had to step in, saying that Beckman was testing his shooting skills by shooting at bottles. He apologized for the broken glass on the floor.

"I see," Makino replied. "I'm just glad you're all okay. Would you like something to eat? Luffy, Kaito?"

Realizing they were just playing around, Makino dropped her concerns and smiled again, no longer worried about them firing guns inside the tavern.

"That sounds great! Let's put it on my tab of treasures!" Luffy replied cheerfully, eager for food.

"You little liar, where's this treasure of yours?" Shanks questioned.

Luffy shot back, "No way! When Kaito and I become pirates, we're going to find tons of treasure! I'll pay you back then!"

Kaito thought, Wait, how did I get pulled into this?

"Ha ha ha, I look forward to it!" Makino laughed, whether in jest or genuine belief, she seemed quite happy.

"Thank you, Miss Makino."

"No need to be polite, Kaito. Enjoy your meal."

Makino served Luffy and Kaito a portion of grilled meat. Meanwhile, Luffy started chowing down while chatting with Shanks about wanting to set sail together.

"Let's talk after we eat," Kaito said, focusing his gaze on Beckman.

Beckman seemed indifferent, already decided to teach Kaito but contemplating whether to bring him aboard.

Kaito nodded slightly, agreeing to eat first. Just as he picked up his knife and fork, a loud bang startled him as someone kicked open the tavern door.

Turning around, he found who he expected.

Holding a beer with one hand and stepping on the future Pirate King with the other, the King of Bandits, Sig, swaggered in, flanked by his underlings.

"King of Bandits" Sig kicked open the tavern door, and Kaito guessed they would show up. He immediately glanced toward Luffy.

As expected, Luffy was chewing away, already treating the Gum-Gum fruit like a dessert after a meal. Kaito hadn't tasted the fruit himself; the ability to replicate it was a gift from the system. Still, he knew the infamous reputation of devil fruits, and for Luffy to munch on it nonchalantly showed he was indeed quite tough.

"Sorry for the interruption!" Sig said. "Hehehe, this is pirate life, isn't it? It's my first time seeing it; you all look pretty stupid..."

As the King of Bandits, Sig had plenty of bravado, mocking the Red-Haired Pirates.

The others looked at Sig's group with confusion. Sig assumed they were just too scared to react, marching directly to the bar and squeezing in next to Shanks, treating him as if he were invisible.

"We're bandits; we're not here to cause trouble or rob you. Just get us ten barrels of beer."

Polite enough, surprisingly.

"I'm very sorry! We've already run out of beer for today," Makino responded nervously.

"Well, that's strange. What are these pirates drinking then? Water?"

"No, I mean, the tavern's beer is all gone. This is all we have left," Makino explained.

Kaito continued to enjoy his grilled meat, thinking it wasn't his business... but sometimes, it's best not to speak too soon.

"Even disabled brats can drink!" Sig shouted, "What kind of pirates are you? Hahaha!!"

Kaito didn't expect the banter to turn toward him.

"Brat, becoming a pirate at such a young age? You'll probably wet your pants on the battlefield."

"Take a good look! My head is worth 8 million Berries; I'm a top-tier wanted criminal!"

"I've already killed 56 like your captain."

"Don't get scared now."

This was the kind of intimidation that satisfied someone's ego by belittling others—everyone could see through that.

Kaito thought: Oh no, I'm so scared.

Putting down his knife and fork, Kaito politely replied, "That's impressive!"

"Our captain can't compare to you," he added (he couldn't compete with your 4 billion 498 million bounty, after all).

"If you're so tough, could you help us with something?"

"Oh, you've got some sense! What is it? Tell me," Sig said, clearly pleased with the flattery.

"We're really low on money. Could you turn yourself in for the bounty and give us the money?"

Silence fell. The tavern was suddenly quiet.

Then, the Red-Haired Pirates burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!!"

"That's a good suggestion, Kaito!"

"We are indeed 'low on cash,'" they chuckled.