He was afraid of attracting trouble by being too high-profile. He hadn't expected their contempt.
Ryuya merely glanced at them and said nothing. They were villagers; their lack of worldly knowledge was normal.
Makino quickly served Ryuya the sake. The warm sake had a rich aroma, and Ryuya drank it down in one gulp. The refreshing feeling was exhilarating. He'd become fond of the local drinks; he'd never tasted such delicious sake before.
Ryuya said to Makino, "Where did you get this sake? Did you make it?"
Makino replied, "I brewed it myself."
Ryuya gave her a thumbs-up. "Excellent! This is the best sake I've ever had."
Makino blushed, lowering her head. It was the first time someone had praised her sake so highly.
But others overheard. They thought Ryuya was unsophisticated.
"You must only drink garbage sake. It's just sake! You look so pathetic!"
"Hahahaha!"
"He's just a poor man, bragging about how much alcohol he's drunk."
Makino said, "Please stop. This is hurtful."
Her soft words only caused more laughter. Makino apologized to Ryuya, "I'm sorry; they're drunk."
Ryuya didn't mind; they weren't from the same world. These people would never leave East Blue.
Finishing his sake, Ryuya said, "Another one, please. This is the best sake I've ever had."
"Okay, please wait."
While Makino poured, Ryuya said, "You must be the owner. Consider working for me as my personal brewer. I'll ensure your prosperity…"
Before he finished, someone kicked the wooden door open. The door flew off, landing near Ryuya's chair. Sunlight streamed into the bar. They couldn't see who it was at first. A dark figure strode in.
They saw his face: a man with a comical curled mustache, a tall hat adorned with jewels, but stained with blood. His clothes were similarly luxurious but bloodstained, and didn't match his disheveled appearance.
He looked at Makino, eyes lighting up.
"Boss, you're beautiful! I didn't expect to find someone like you in this backwater."
Drunk patrons approached the strange man.
"Hey, watch your words!"
Bang! A bullet struck the man's forehead. Blood gushed out. People were terrified. They hadn't expected the man to cause trouble!
"Hey, don't get cocky! This is our territory!"
"You won't leave alive!"
"Guys, get your weapons!"
The man, seemingly unconcerned, raised an eyebrow.
Makino said, "Stop it! This isn't a place to kill people! I'll call the Marines!"
She often used this tactic. She was used to such incidents. Even death didn't faze her.
The man scoffed, "Go ahead! Let's see who arrives first, the Marines or me!"
He sneered, "You know who I am? I'm Higuma, a Goa Kingdom outlaw with a 8 million belly bounty! I can take on a hundred of you!"
Makino called the Marines. The Den Den Mushi was answered.
"This is the Foosha Village bar. Send troops immediately! There's a Goa Kingdom outlaw here!"
Higuma licked his lips. "You're brave, little lady! But that's exciting. I'll deal with them, then come for you."
Ryuya took the Den Den Mushi from Makino.
"This is Admiral White Dove. You don't need to come; I'll handle it!"
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