Hachinosu, the pirate tavern.
"Wahahaha, Kaido, are you drunk yet? If not, get up and keep drinking!"
"Orororo, you're the one who's drunk! I'm a legendary drinker who can handle ten thousand cups! Bottoms up!"
"Gulp, gulp, gulp—"
Oak barrels, each over a meter tall and packed with cheap ale, were stacked like poker chips along the bar.
Half-naked giants roared and guzzled, lost in debauchery.
Every table around them brimmed with pirates from every crew.
Most were from the Rocks Pirates.
But other crews were represented too.
The air reeked of sweat, liquor, and tobacco, goading everyone toward madness.
It was the kind of place that drove men wild.
With a creak, the warped door swung open; a towering silhouette filled the doorway, blocking the daylight and every eye inside.
The shock of white hair atop his head gave him away at once.
"It's the new Fourth Division Captain—Captain Carlo—the one who beat Captain Wang Zhi!"
Rocks, mid-toast with Kaido, sensed the shift and waved him over.
"Carlo! Over here!"
Carlo threaded the narrow aisle under stares of every temper, heading their way.
Meeting those assessing eyes, he flashed a grin and thrust his right hand high. "Ale's on me today! No one leaves till their bellies burst!"
The tavern fell silent for a heartbeat.
Then every wary look melted into raucous cheers.
"Uooooh! Long live Captain Carlo!"
"Booze, booze, bring out every last drop!"
"I declare this Unlimited Ale Day! Praise Captain Carlo's generosity!"
The whole bar plunged into jubilation.
For blood-splattered buccaneers, nothing beats a roaring drunk.
Sometimes a pirate's joy is that simple.
Carlo cut through the revelry and dropped onto the bench opposite Rocks.
"Rocks, what did you want?"
The moment he sat, Rocks shoved a foaming tankard of murky ale his way.
"To drink, of course!"
"Where the hell have you been? I told you we're celebrating your promotion to Fourth Division Captain today!"
"What's to celebrate? It's just a squad leader, not captain of the whole Rocks Pirates."
"Besides, shouldn't you spare a thought for your underling?" Carlo grabbed the mug and, to Rocks' delight, drained it.
Rocks roared with laughter.
"Wahahaha! So you've got your eye on my seat, you brat? Bold!"
"As for Wang Zhi—"
He swept an arm and hoisted an entire keg onto the table.
"I'll be happy whenever I damn please—why should I care what he feels?!"
"I'm Rocks, got it?!"
"Rocks!"
"Rocks!"
"Rocks!"
The tavern answered his bellow with chanting.
"Shut it, you lousy pirates!" A crimson-faced Kaido barked, drowning the noise.
Ignoring the murderous glares, he glowered down at Carlo.
"Hey, Carlo! Does that free-round include me?!"
"Which remark?" Carlo smirked.
Something about Kaido's temper always amused him.
"The one about drinks for everyone!"
"Of course it includes you."
"You sure? I'll drink you into bankruptcy!"
"Not scared."
"Why not?"
"I'm broke."
"The hell… you're throwing a party with no money?" Kaido choked.
The bald tavern keeper's budding grin froze.
"Put it on his tab!"
"My last raid flopped—didn't snatch a single Berry. Where would I get cash?"
"Bill him! Deduct it from my captain's cut!" Carlo jabbed a thumb at Rocks.
Rocks blinked, then cracked up.
"Wahahaha, fine—put it on me! Tonight's ale is mine!"
"No, a deal's a deal. I'm buying, you're just paying." Carlo upended the keg, filled his mug, then topped up Whitebeard beside him, followed by Kaido, Rocks, and Maron.
Rocks twitched a grin. "Wahahaha… thanks, I guess."
"Gurarara, cheers for the drink, Carlo." Whitebeard clinked mugs.
Maron spun his oversized revolver and tapped glasses. "Very proper."
When it came to Kaido, the man snorted and yanked his tankard away, chugging straight from the barrel.
"Hmph! I'll drink you dry whether you pay or not!"
Same old prideful Kaido.
Carlo shrugged and set to drinking with Whitebeard, Maron, and Rocks.
"By the way, where's Shiki? Not here?" Carlo noticed Golden Lion was missing.
So were Gan Sui and the women like Stussy.
Whitebeard answered offhandedly, "He's on a job."
Carlo's eyes sharpened. "What job?"
"Uh, Stussy spotted some loaded monks scamming fortunes across the New World. Shiki's flying over to rob them—took Gan Sui and Gloriosa along."
Whitebeard saw no need to hide it.
He spilled it straight.
"Rich monks?" Carlo had no recollection and let it drop.
Cup after cup they drank, round after round.
Barriers melted under the flood of cheap ale.
Even Kaido and Maron, now shirtless, settled their last grudge with an arm-wrestling match.
Just then the door burst open again.
Several pirate scrum burst in waving newspapers.
"Huge news! Huge news!"
"Captain Rocks! Captain Newgate! Captain Carlo! Big news about us Rocks Pirates!"
They scurried up, fawning, and shoved the paper forward.
Others handed out wanted posters, showing off to rival crews.
"New bounties? Whose?" Rocks grabbed one.
The scrum looked nervously between Carlo and Kaido.
"Captain Carlo and Lord Kaido, sir."
"Huh? My bounty?" Kaido's eyes lit up mid-grapple with Maron.
Veins bulged; with a roar he slammed Maron's arm through the table—crash!—and drove the man head-first into the floorboards, legs kicking.
Ignoring him, Kaido snatched the poster from Rocks.
Rocks fumed.
"Oi, brat Kaido, ever heard of respect? I hadn't even looked!"
He kicked at Kaido's backside, but Kaido couldn't care less.
Blood-shot eyes wide, he stared at the paper.
There was his mugshot.
Kaido beamed, a snot-bubble of joy popping.
"Ororororo, that's me alright!"
"Did it go up? Lemme see—how much—"
He looked at the number beneath the photo.
His grin froze.
"Huh? Why… why is it fifty million?"
"It was seventy last time!"