The proprietor looked into Kong Tai's deep blue eyes and nodded.
"Not at all, not at all. Though it's rare, we won't shortchange our customers."
As he spoke, the proprietor bent down and retrieved another jug of wine, identical to the first, from beneath the bar.
Gazing at the jug, the proprietor sighed, "I can see that you truly love my father's wine. I'll make an exception and sell you one from his private collection."
With that, he slowly peeled off the sealing paper from the jug.
The moment the paper was removed, a wine aroma, far more potent than the previous jug, began to slowly waft out.
Inhaling the scent, Kong Tai's nose twitched sharply, his throat bobbed, and his eyes gleamed as he stared at the jug.
"Hey, Kohler."
Just then, the three villagers seated in the corner of the tavern, clearly locals, their eyes lit up upon catching the scent of the wine, as if they had encountered a long-desired delicacy. They all shuffled over.
Leading the trio was a slightly hunched old man.
The old man stared at the proprietor, his deeply lined face etched with displeasure. "Young Kohler, both you and old Kohler guard this wine like a treasure. You and your father have always refused to let us taste it."
"We won't even mention the freshly brewed stuff. This wine, aged for who knows how long, since you've brought it out today, we demand our share."
"Yes, yes, our share," chimed in the other two old men behind the elder. Their gazes, fixed on the jug whose seal had just been broken before the proprietor, betrayed a distinct covetousness.
He cast a helpless glance at the three old men, and the proprietor sighed, "Don't worry. Since I've brought it out, besides filling the guest's flask, I'll also fill your cups."
He had long anticipated this outcome.
The three old men were his father's friends, having grown up together. In their old age, they had few hobbies, their only pleasure being his father's wine. They had long coveted the aged and exquisite wines his father had kept hidden.
Upon hearing the proprietor's words, the faces of the three old men finally broke into satisfied smiles.
"En!"
At that moment, everyone in the room simultaneously felt the ground tremble.
"What's happening?"
Before anyone could react, a more intense tremor began. This was followed by a cacophony of noises from outside.
"They're certainly impatient!"
Kong Tai and Kuina exchanged a look, a hint of surprise in their eyes. They had initially thought the individual had merely come down to resupply the ship's provisions. However, it now seemed they had underestimated the kindness of those pirates. The one who had obtained the Paramecia-type fruit was clearly intending to move the entire island.
"I'll go see what that guy is trying to do," Kong Tai said, looking at Kuina. "Do you want to come, or wait here?"
"Of course, we'll go together," Kuina replied with a playful smile at Kong Tai. She added with curiosity, "I also want to know who it is that obtained that fruit."
"Then let's go together to meet this guest who has descended from the heavens."
Kong Tai smiled slightly at Kuina, then turned to the proprietor. "I'll be right back. Please fill my wine gourd first."
"Yes..." The proprietor hesitated, then asked, "Is it... not a natural phenomenon, but something man-made?" He sensed something from Kong Tai and Kuina's reactions.
"En!" Kong Tai nodded, not concealing it from them. "It's a group of pirates. One of them obtained the inheritance left by someone I used to know... ah! He's become arrogant and wants to inherit his title as well!"
The proprietor could only understand the first part of Kong Tai's statement; the rest was complete gibberish to him. However, even though he didn't understand, he knew that as long as the person before him was here, no matter which pirate group arrived, as long as this person didn't agree, no one would dare to harm their establishment.
Withdrawing his gaze, Kong Tai turned, took a step forward, and his figure vanished as if stepping through ripples in water, disappearing from everyone's sight like a fleeting illusion.
Kuina, meanwhile, transformed into a streak of azure lightning and, with a *swoosh*, broke through the constraints of space, shooting out from the window.
"This, this, this is..."
The three old men stared in astonishment at the spot where Kong Tai had vanished, then looked up sharply at the proprietor. Kohler was also filled with shock.
"Is this what it means to be the strongest in the world?"
Even though it was a simple disappearance and a transformation into lightning, it showed him a world of true power. Such abilities, beyond his comprehension, could only be described as divine miracles.
...
Meanwhile.
"An earthquake?"
The bookstore was not large, but it held many interesting books. Robin put down the book she was holding, adjusted her rimless glasses, and looked outside in confusion.
"It shouldn't be," Brook said beside her, hesitating slightly. "Let's go out and take a look!"
Retracting her gaze, Brook looked at Robin. "Have you chosen? The proprietor has already gone out to watch the excitement. Judging by the expressions of the passersby outside, something big must be happening!"
Glancing down at the still trembling ground, Robin closed the book in her hands, hugged it to her chest, and looked up at Brook with a smile. "I've chosen the book. It's a very interesting collection of stories. I'm sure Captain will enjoy them."
"Stories?" Brook's interest was piqued. Then, as they walked towards the door, he chuckled, "Then I'll have to read them too."
"Hehe! Of course." Robin chuckled softly, then turned and said to the proprietor standing by the door, "I've selected my books. Please charge me."
Since the proprietor had his back to them, they couldn't see his expression. However, from his prolonged silence, they sensed something was amiss. Following the proprietor's gaze, the two of them simultaneously looked towards the rear of the island.
"Uh..."
"What is that?"
The pupils of both their eyes contracted simultaneously, and then their faces registered surprise.
"The Paramecia-type fruit."
Withdrawing their gazes, they exchanged a look and then let out a strange sound. They knew that the first major pirate Kong Tai and his crew had encountered at sea was Shiki the Golden Lion. They hadn't expected to see another user of the Paramecia-type fruit's ability here after Shiki's demise.
"This is getting interesting now."
They now understood why the island was trembling and why the proprietor was in a daze. Without going closer, they stood by the doorway to watch the spectacle. Based on their understanding of Kong Tai, he should have already gone to the scene by now.
Indeed, just as the two of them looked up, a strand of azure electricity shot across the sky from the tavern in front of the town, instantly flying to the rear of the island and hovering above a large sailing ship next to the colossal mother tree. The moment the lightning struck, it instantly drew the attention of everyone on the ship. Looking at the blue-haired girl who emerged from the lightning, both the deckhands on the ship and the vice-captain standing at the bow had their pupils shrink, and their bodies froze in place.