"By the way, little girl, fill this with your strongest liquor. I'll settle the tab for the drink and the food together in a bit."
Rowan unhooked the empty gourd from his waist and handed it to the girl with a kind smile.
"The strongest liquor?"
"Yes, Grandpa, please wait a moment."
After confirming his request, the little girl hugged the oversized gourd and hurried back toward the kitchen.
Once she was gone, Rowan placed his lit pipe back between his teeth. Amidst curls of drifting smoke, he unfolded the newspaper and began to read.
"Ace, that boy... he really can't stay out of trouble, can he?" Rowan muttered, his brow arching slightly.
On the most prominent spot of the front page, Ace's latest bounty poster was boldly printed. Seeing that familiar, freckled, grinning face, the corners of Rowan's mouth couldn't help but turn up.
Ace's bounty had climbed again—it now stood at 680 million Berris.
Below the poster was the main headline of this edition:
"CLASH BETWEEN THE YONKO! PORTGAS D. ACE, COMMANDER OF WHITEBEARD'S 2ND DIVISION, VS. CHARLOTTE SNACK, SWEET COMMANDER OF THE BIG MOM PIRATES!"
The article detailed the cause of the confrontation and the specifics of the battle. It concluded by noting that Ace had led the 2nd Division to a decisive victory over Snack.
"Ace?! Great-Grandpa, what about Ace?"
Luffy, who had been devouring his meal, perked his ears up the moment he heard the name. He swallowed a massive mouthful of food instantly and leaned over, eyes wide with excitement.
"Whoa! News about Ace! He's at 680 million now? Gahahaha! As expected of Ace! He's so cool!" Luffy roared with laughter, looking at the poster.
Luffy didn't truly grasp the staggering weight of 680 million, nor did he fully understand the political implications of being a Division Commander for the Whitebeard Pirates. But whenever he heard news of Ace, he felt a surge of genuine joy.
As Luffy's head crowded his personal space, Rowan set down the paper and shot the boy a look.
His eyes then fell upon the dining table. The crispy roast duck and the shredded chicken that had been served only moments ago were gone—replaced by a few bone fragments picked remarkably clean.
Rowan's eyes bulged with fury. "Luffy! Did you seriously eat everything already?! You didn't leave the old man a single bite?!"
Does this brat have no sense of etiquette? No respect for his elders?! In the time it took to scan a headline, two massive platters had been emptied. You've been starving, but do you think I'm not hungry, you little monster?
Looking at the barren bones, Rowan felt a pang of genuine grief. He had barely eaten last night to make sure the boy was satisfied, and this was his reward.
Realizing he had crossed a line, Luffy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh... Great-Grandpa, I didn't mean to. I just... I couldn't help myself."
"You... sigh." Rowan let out a long, weary breath. "Fine. I'll wait."
Then, his gaze sharpened, and his tone shifted to a growl. "If you snatch the next dish that quickly, I'm shipping you straight back to Foosha Village!"
Though his stomach was still growling, Luffy didn't dare argue. He grinned and promised, "I won't! Don't worry, Great-Grandpa, I won't touch a single piece of the next one!"
Facing the boy he had helped raise, Rowan couldn't stay angry for long. The irritation soon vanished from his face. Luffy, seeing the storm had passed, leaned in again to look at Ace's bounty.
"Only one year, and Ace has gotten so much stronger," Luffy whispered. A flash of resolve crossed his face, and his tone became firm. "I won't slack off on my training either. Two more years until it's my turn to set sail. Then, I'll be a pirate too!"
"Ace, you might be strong, but I'm not handing over the title of Pirate King to you." Luffy clenched his fist and raised it high.
"I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"
SLAM!
The words had barely left Luffy's mouth when a loud crash echoed through the restaurant. The front door was kicked open with violent force.
A young man in a purple suit, sporting a flamboyant blonde middle-part, strode into the room with an arrogant swagger. He was thin, scrawny, and had a remarkably shifty, punchable face—especially when he smirked.
The moment he appeared, the once-bustling restaurant fell into a deathly silence. Every customer stopped eating. No one dared to even look at the man; they kept their heads down, staring intently at their own tables.
The reason was clear: the man held the leashes of three vicious-looking hounds, and behind him stood several burly, cold-faced Marine soldiers.
The man scanned the room before locking his gaze onto Rowan and Luffy in the center of the hall. He smirked and led his dogs toward them.
"I thought I heard someone just now... saying they wanted to be a pirate? And the Pirate King, no less?"
The man looked down his nose at them. His three hounds bared their teeth, growling ferociously as foul-smelling drool dripped onto the floor. They looked ready to tear the two apart the moment their master gave the word.
"He... Helmeppo!"
Before Luffy could respond, a sharp gasp came from the direction of the kitchen.
Helmeppo frowned and turned his head. He saw the little girl standing there, her young face pale with terror. It was the same girl who had served Rowan. She was holding a large platter of roasted lamb legs in one hand and Rowan's gourd in the other.
At the sight of Helmeppo and his beasts, she began to tremble, backing away so quickly the platter nearly slipped from her grasp.
"Oho, if it isn't little Rika." Helmeppo's eyes lit up as if he'd found a new toy. He began walking toward her with his dogs, a cruel grin on his face.
"My dear Rika, it seems there are pirates in your establishment. You know the penalty for harboring pirates, don't you? What are we going to do about this?"
But before he could reach her, Helmeppo heard a high-pitched cry from behind him.
"AAAH! No! Stop! That's my meat!"
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