Arm in arm, laughing and chatting, the crew followed the townsfolk into Whiskey Peak.
"Let's hold a feast for our brave warriors of the sea!"
Igaram clapped Luffy on the shoulder, beaming. "Tonight, no matter what, we'll give you a proper welcome!"
"Wahahaha! You guys are the best, old man!" Luffy shouted with pure joy.
Laina, however, only remembered this arc in fragments. He'd read the early parts of the original story when he was much younger.
What he did recall was that Whiskey Peak wasn't a friendly town at all—it was a den of bounty hunters under Baroque Works, posing as villagers to lure naïve pirates just entering the Grand Line.
"Just a bunch of small fry…" Laina thought calmly. "That mayor's probably Vivi's… what was it again? Uncle? Guard? Whatever. Doesn't matter. Aside from him and Vivi, there's nothing noteworthy here."
Crocodile held little interest for Laina anyway. His undead couldn't inherit Devil Fruit powers, and purely in physical terms, Crocodile was nothing compared to the giants of Little Garden.
Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy.
Captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates from Elbaf in the New World. The two once hunted a Sea King so massive it dwarfed volcanoes and covered half of Little Garden.
The memory of their Elbaf's Spear: Hakoku Sovereignty, piercing straight through the monstrous "Island Eater" Goldfish, still gave Laina chills.
That single blow—he couldn't imagine anyone in Paradise withstanding it.
Could a Logia-type endure?
Well… maybe not.
"Hey, girls! Look—two blond hotties!"
A chorus of shrieks snapped Laina out of his thoughts.
A group of curvaceous beauties in revealing outfits rushed forward, giggling as they crowded around Sanji and Laina.
Sanji didn't stand a chance. He was instantly lost in a daze, eyes spinning with hearts as he stumbled toward them.
"What's your name, handsome?"
Delicate hands slid across Laina's chest and waist. Even through his clothes, he felt warm, soft pressure against him.
Seriously? This is their test for officers? Who could resist this?
"What a freebie~" Laina grinned inwardly. The Grand Line is wonderful indeed.
Laughing, he threw his arms wide, pulling one girl against his shoulder and another around the waist.
"Kyaa~ you're terrible!"
"Such strong arms, sir… I can barely breathe…"
He wasn't the type to play the gentleman. If they wanted to try seduction, he welcomed it with open arms.
"Tonight, I'll take on ten of you!"
"Ufufu~ Can you really handle that, sir?"
The girls laughed and pressed closer, completely unfazed by Laina and Sanji's wandering hands.
Behind them, Nami and Zoro shook their heads, exasperated.
"Unbelievable. Those idiots are hopeless!" Nami growled. "Just think—what kind of town welcomes pirates!?"
"Eh, whatever. Let's just see how it plays out." Zoro shrugged.
"At least you're reliable."
"As long as there's booze, I don't care about the rest."
"You bastard! I was just praising you!" Nami snapped.
With the villagers' over-the-top hospitality, the crew was led deeper into town.
Before long, night fell.
The houses of Whiskey Peak shut tight, one after another, until only a single hall glowed with warm, yellow light.
Thanks to the Straw Hats' arrival, it rang with laughter and music.
"Another cook's down!"
"That's the third one! Just how much can he eat!?"
Everyone gawked at Luffy, who was devouring plate after plate like a starving beast.
On the other side of the room came more shouts.
"Incredible! That swordsman has drunk thirteen men under the table!"
"And the lady's even scarier—she's already on her fifteenth challenger!"
At one end of the room, Zoro downed jug after jug, while Nami fought fiercely in the drinking contest, driven by the promise of prize money.
Meanwhile, Laina lounged on a sofa, arms full of women feeding him snacks, thoroughly enjoying himself.
The hall brimmed with celebration, but beneath the smiles, the "villagers" cursed silently.
Upstairs, in a shadowed room, a young woman with long sky-blue hair tied in a high ponytail bit her lip in frustration as she peeked at the revelry below.
"These gluttons are going to eat and drink us into ruin! At this rate, we'll lose money on the job!"
Beside her, a blond man with a crown-shaped hairstyle scoffed. "Seriously, Mr. 8? Was all this really necessary? They're just some East Blue rookies."
"You underestimate them. Look at this."
Igaram—Mr 8—slapped a few bounty posters onto the table.
The faces of Luffy, Zoro, and the Chainsaw Demon stared back.
"Thirty million… for that goofy-looking brat!?"
"And the green-haired swordsman's at sixteen million!"
"And who the hell are these two freaks?" the blond sputtered. "Twenty-five million together? I didn't see them at all!"
"They're probably guarding the ship. My men reported seeing figures left aboard." Igaram said calmly.
"The total bounty's over seventy million!"
"If we fight them head-on, we won't stand a chance."
Creak.
The door opened.
"Relax. They're all down for the count."
A tall, dark-skinned woman with powerful limbs stepped in. "Their appetites are unbelievable. Our food stores are nearly wiped out. Good thing their bounties are worth it."
"Then it's time. Tell everyone—let's move." Igaram straightened his tie, and the group slipped out the window.
Cactus Island was famous for its jagged green peaks, covered in endless crosses that looked like spines from afar.
Back in the hall, silence settled after the feast. Laina stirred awake, sliding out from the pile of unconscious women draped over him.
"Half the night gone already… what a racket." He scratched his golden hair, glancing around at the wreckage of the party.
Click.
A lighter flared.
"Tell me about it. This schedule's no good," Sanji muttered, puffing smoke.
"Catch."
"Thanks." Laina caught the tossed cigarette, then turned to the bar where Zoro sat, pouring himself a drink.
"Where's Nami?"
"She said she was off to loot their treasure," Zoro spoke flatly. He'd been awake the whole time.
Laina smirked. "She's wasting her time. My undead already checked—this town's dirt poor."
Zzzzzz…
A thunderous snore cut through the silence.
"Sleeping like a rock in enemy territory. That's Luffy for you," Usopp groaned, dragging himself up from the floor.
Bodies were strewn across the room. In the dim glow, some smoked, some drank, none remotely concerned.
Each wore a calm face, utterly unbothered by the danger closing in.