The tavern owner shuffled toward Sami's table in tiny steps, trembling slightly.
"H-Honored guests… what would you like to order? Our shop… our shop has excellent rum, and—"
Sami waved a hand casually.
"Bring us some local specialties."
"Roasted meat!" Ardo immediately added. "Big portions! Lots of it!"
"Y-Yes! Right away!"
The owner bowed repeatedly as he backed away, only to stumble over his own feet before disappearing behind the curtain.
Before long, several large platters of sizzling roasted meat were placed on the table.
Ardo laughed heartily, grabbed a steak thicker than his palm, and stuffed it straight into his mouth.
After secretly observing for a while, the pirates in the tavern gradually relaxed. Listening to Sami and his crew chatting in a casual tone, they realized this hundred-million-berry pirate didn't seem quite as terrifying as the rumors suggested.
The tension eased slightly.
Then—
Bang!
The tavern door was violently kicked open again, slamming against the wall.
"Damn it, why are all those cowards outside running around like they've seen ghosts?!"
A group of rough-looking pirates stormed inside, grumbling loudly.
They seemed completely unaware of the strange silence inside the tavern and the lowered gazes around them. Without hesitation, they swaggered over to the empty table next to Sami's group and sat down.
"Old Sam! Where the hell are you? Bring some booze! Best rum you've got—hurry up!"
The scar-faced man leading them gulped down a cup of liquor and slammed it onto the table.
"Damn bad luck! Didn't get a thing from this voyage. Almost ran into a Marine patrol ship! What the hell's with warships cruising around this area?!"
Their noisy entrance drew uneasy glances, but most people simply lowered their heads further, wishing they could turn invisible.
Meanwhile, Sami's group had somehow circled back to discussing the strange sight they had seen in the sky earlier.
"…So in the end, it was just a trick of light and shadow. The giant figures were only shadows."
"Giant shadows? Oh, you mean those big silhouettes in the sky? Yeah, I saw that too!"
The scar-faced man from the neighboring table turned his head, openly sizing up Sami's group.
Huh? New faces.
Judging by their ordinary clothes, they must be rookies who had just entered the Grand Line.
A smug look of superiority immediately appeared on his face.
"Tch. Making a fuss over nothing. That thing was just a natural phenomenon. Look how scared you all got."
He deliberately raised his voice so half the tavern could hear.
"What, you rookies just arrived on the Grand Line? Getting spooked by every little thing and you still think you can survive here?"
The moment those words left his mouth—
The pirates at nearby tables who recognized Sami felt the hair on the back of their necks stand up.
Cold sweat instantly soaked their backs.
Baggins, you drunken idiot! Shut up! Don't talk to him!!!
That's Predator Sami! A 150-million-berry pirate!
"And there's even stranger stuff out there!"
But Baggins remained completely oblivious to the sudden chill in the air. Instead, he became even more animated, putting on the air of a seasoned veteran.
"I'm telling you, sometimes an entire ship will fall from the sky—boom!"
"Ships falling from the sky?!" Isaac widened his eyes. "Wouldn't that prove… that there really might be islands in the sky? The legend of Sky Islands—"
"Sky Islands? Hahahaha!"
Baggins burst into laughter as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world.
"Kid, you've been listening to too many fairy tales. How could there possibly be islands in the sky? That's just nonsense for children!"
"Then how do you explain the falling ships?"
"Isn't it obvious? The waters around here are weird! This area sometimes has Knock-Up Streams!"
He leaned back proudly.
"You can tell just by looking at you rookies that you don't know anything. Ships that get caught in those currents get blasted high into the sky before crashing back down. Because of those unlucky fools, idiots started making up stories about sky islands! Sky islands? Don't make me laugh!"
Sami gently placed his cup on the table.
Then he looked at Baggins.
"No. You're wrong. Sky Islands do exist."
Baggins dug at his ear.
He clearly hadn't expected this country bumpkin to dare contradict the "local expert."
"Hey—what did you just say? I'm wrong?"
He had been boasting in this tavern for ten years, relying on his reputation for "experience."
No newcomer had ever dared challenge him publicly like this.
The tension in the tavern reached its limit.
Some customers wished they could shove their heads directly into their mugs.
Baggins! If you want to die, don't drag us with you!
One of his crewmates noticed something wrong with the atmosphere and quickly tugged his sleeve.
"Captain Baggins, no need to argue with some rookies. Let's just drink—"
"Get lost!"
Baggins shoved the man back into his seat.
Then he planted one foot on a stool beside Sami's table and leaned forward in an intimidating posture.
"Go on then. Tell me where I'm wrong! If you can't explain it properly today…"
He dragged the stool directly in front of Sami's table and plopped down, blocking the path.
"…you're not walking out of this tavern upright."
"In the sky, there are Sea Clouds that ships can sail on… and Island Clouds where houses can be built."
Sami didn't show the slightest anger.
He simply described the scenes in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.
But the more detailed his description became, the more exaggerated Baggins' sneer grew—until it twisted into open mockery.
When Sami mentioned the small wings on the backs of the sky islanders, Baggins finally lost it.
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA! My stomach!"
He laughed so hard he nearly toppled off his stool.
"Did you hear that?! Wings? What are they, bird-men? Why not say they can shoot lightning too? You've been reading too many fairy tales!"
"What are you laughing at?" Sami asked calmly.
"What am I laughing at? I'm laughing because you're talking like it's real!" Baggins wiped tears from his eyes. "How could sky islands possibly exist? If you're going to make up stories, at least make them believable!"
"Sky Islands exist," Sami repeated. "The giant shadows seen near Jaya are the silhouettes of sky island residents, projected downward by special atmospheric conditions."
"Hahaha! Didn't I say from the start it was just a natural phenomenon? You keep talking in circles and end up right back where I started!"
The tavern fell completely silent.
Only Baggins' laughter echoed through the room.
Then he stopped laughing and raised his chin provocatively.
"You sound awfully confident. So what—have you been there?"
His eyes narrowed with mockery.
"If you haven't, what are you doing here making things up? Taking rumors as truth… what a joke!"
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