The Terror of the Pirates

The unexpected question made Alex look at Tatamu strangely.

A pirate?

Alex didn't consider himself a pirate.

And going forward, he had little interest in such labels.

"No."

Without much thought, Alex answered Tatamu's question.

Tatamu nodded slightly, his eyes flickering toward the staircase leading to the second floor before he lowered his head and silently resumed wiping a glass.

Alex looked at Tatamu and said, "You haven't answered my question."

"We do."

Hearing Alex's follow-up, Tatamu finally responded.

His bar indeed served as a hub for trading information.

This was also why Wolf Rat frequented the place and befriended him.

Alex nodded, unsurprised.

In his experience, bars like this, tucked away in obscure locations, often doubled as intelligence hubs.

This was quite similar to the Hunter World.

Turning his gaze to the empty seats, Alex smiled. "This place is great. I'll come by often in the future."

Tatamu was slightly taken aback but nodded after a moment. "Welcome."

After just a brief interaction, he found himself developing a favorable impression of Alex.

However, when he thought about Wolf Rat and the dangerous woman who seemed to be targeting Alex, he couldn't help but glance at the staircase again.

From the encounter between Wolf Rat and that woman the previous night, Tatamu could easily guess Wolf Rat's true identity.

He also understood Wolf Rat's motives for bringing Alex here.

New friends? ...

Tatamu silently wiped his glass, choosing not to get involved.

Despite his favorable impression of Alex, Wolf Rat was his confidant and took priority.

After a few exchanges, Alex realized that Tatamu rarely spoke more than five words at a time.

But he could empathize with Tatamu's situation.

As a large man with such a soft voice, it was understandable that Tatamu might be reluctant to speak.

Alex glanced toward the staircase and asked, "Does Wolf Rat live here?"

Tatamu nodded.

Alex understood and looked down at his glass, pondering Wolf Rat's motives.

What concerned him more was how Wolf Rat had managed to find him earlier.

It was almost like a dog's tracking ability.

Which meant disguises were useless against Wolf Rat.

But Wolf Rat had approached him today pretending to be a stranger.

Was it retaliation for the shot Alex had fired at him yesterday?

If so, why had Wolf Rat stepped in to block Kazit?

The more Alex thought about it, the more contradictions he found, making it difficult to discern Wolf Rat's true intentions.

"Tatamu, the name 'Wolf Rat'—it's not his real name, is it? It sounds more like a nickname."

"..."

Tatamu glanced at Alex and chose to remain silent.

"Alright, my bad."

Seeing Tatamu's reaction, Alex smiled indifferently, then pulled out a bill from his pocket and placed it on the counter, weighing it down with the glass.

"Leaving?"

Tatamu looked at the bill under the glass.

Normally, he wouldn't have asked.

"Yeah, next time."

Alex stood up, grabbing the ferret that had been trying to sneak away under the chair.

The ferret's desire to survive was strong, but unfortunately, it had crossed paths with Alex.

"Let Wolf Rat know I've left."

Alex carried the ferret and walked toward the bar's exit.

Tatamu silently watched Alex leave.

Ten minutes later, after tending to his wounds, Wolf Rat came downstairs.

Seeing the bar empty, he froze.

As for the ferret, he had long since forgotten about it.

"Where's Usopp?"

----------------------------

advanced chapters: patreon(dot)com/oualiNovel

----------------------------

"Left."

Tatamu glanced at Wolf Rat's bandaged hands.

"Damn it, he just left like that?!"

Wolf Rat slumped onto a barstool, tugging at his hair in frustration.

"It's so hard to make friends, and I was hoping to build on the connection while the iron was hot."

"You know what, Tatamu? That guy Usopp really screwed me over today."

"Look at my hands, my back, my butt—all these injuries are thanks to him!"

"If it weren't for my thick skin, I wouldn't even be able to stand right now, let alone drink."

Wolf Rat grumbled as he pocketed the bill Alex had left under the glass.

A single drink didn't cost ten thousand berries.

Tatamu watched Wolf Rat's antics silently, accustomed to his ramblings and rarely chiming in.

Wolf Rat finished his complaints and took a sip from the untouched glass of wine.

"Another one."

Tatamu nodded, mixing another drink for Wolf Rat. After a moment, he asked, "Is he the target?"

"Who?"

Wolf Rat reflexively asked.

"Usopp."

"Wow, that's not like you, Tatamu."

"..."

"I'm telling you, don't let Usopp's indifference to your voice fool you. Trust me, that guy's bad news. Stay as far away from him as you can."

"..."

"Also, it's best if you stay out of this. Even if you already know, pretend you don't. Last night, if I hadn't stopped her, that woman would've found a million reasons to cut you up just for being a pirate. Of course, I know you're not a pirate."

"Neither is he."

Tatamu glanced at the spot where Alex had been sitting.

Wolf Rat looked at Tatamu in surprise.

"Tatamu, I don't really care if he's a pirate now. What I do know is that he's definitely going to become one in the future—a big one that'll give the Navy a hard time."

"What do you mean?"

A trace of doubt crossed Tatamu's face.

Wolf Rat slowly set down his glass, pressing and turning it with his thumb. "It's complicated. I don't want to talk about it, so don't ask."

Tatamu nodded and said nothing more.

"Actually, if the situation allows, maybe..."

Wolf Rat's playful expression turned serious, his eyes flashing with icy killing intent.

Crack.

Wolf Rat accidentally crushed the glass, using his already injured hand.

"This..."

Wolf Rat stared at the shards in his hand, wincing. "Tatamu, where did you buy this glass? It's clearly a cheap knockoff. You should take these pieces and demand a refund."

"Ten thousand."

Tatamu said expressionlessly.

"Really? Ten thousand?"

Wolf Rat's mouth twitched.

"Ten thousand."

Tatamu repeated.

Wolf Rat, on the verge of tears, pulled out the still-warm bill.

Alex returned to the weapon store without incident.

As soon as he stepped inside, he felt sharp gazes on him.

Ignoring the glares from Sonny, Alex walked over to the counter and held up the ferret.

"Look, I brought back something interesting."

"For dinner?"

Sonny eyed the ferret suspiciously.

The ferret shivered.

[What kind of people are these????]