"Yo yo yo!!! Aren't these our big brothers Ximei and Ross?!"
Suddenly, several young men ran over from across the street, surrounding the "premium unlucky brothers" standing in front of Arashi.
"Ximei, didn't you guys set sail with a pirate crew? Why are you back?"
"Hahaha, they must've been exiled and kicked out by their captain!"
"That's rough! We were even hoping you two would make it big and take us out to have some fun!"
"Come on, tell your brothers about your experiences at sea!"
"Let's go to the bar across the street—drinks are on us! You just need to tell some exciting stories!"
Glancing at the bar across the street, Ross looked a little tempted, but instead of going immediately, he quickly stepped in front of Arashi and introduced him to the group:
"This is Mr. Arashi, the benefactor of Ximei and me. If not for him… we wouldn't be here to see you all again. And he's a traveler!"
"A traveler?"
The leading young man's eyes lit up as he said excitedly, "Then he must have even more stories!"
As he spoke, he removed his hat and gave Arashi a slight bow, displaying impeccable gentlemanly manners.
"Mr. Arashi, since you are the benefactor of Ross and Ximei, then you are the benefactor of all of us brothers! So tonight's drinks—no need for you to pay anything!"
What the hell?
Are these guys really street punks?
Each one of them acting like such perfect gentlemen—why not just go home, get married, have kids, and farm the land instead?
Aren't punks supposed to be arrogant, waving knives around, strutting like they own the place?
Even if they're weak, they should at least shout things like "Come at me!" to look tough. But what's going on with these guys?
Well… maybe this is just the local culture of Sig Town?
Although it felt a bit strange, Arashi realized that the West Blue already seemed far more interesting than the East Blue. Real thugs or fake punks—it didn't matter, as long as it was fun!
The East Blue was the most detailed region in the original story, and since Arashi had started from Foosha Village, his entire journey there lacked novelty or excitement.
But now, seeing these gentlemanly cowboy-like figures in the West Blue, Arashi found himself genuinely looking forward to this trip.
Inside the bar.
After several of the young men took turns toasting Arashi, they immediately surrounded Ross and Ximei, insisting that the two brothers recount their pirate experiences.
Arashi was more than happy to relax, casually observing his surroundings.
Without exception, whether it was the customers or the staff, everyone wore hats. Even those who weren't wearing them had them in hand or placed nearby—very similar to the customs of some Western countries he had visited in his previous life.
"What?!!!"
Suddenly, a young man sitting beside Arashi jumped up in excitement, his expression exaggerated as he exclaimed:
"You're saying you ran into Dracule Mihawk? The one from the Seven Warlords of the Sea—the world's greatest swordsman? Oh my God! You guys have the worst luck imaginable!"
Realizing he had overreacted, the young man quickly sat back down and politely nodded to Arashi.
"Mr. Arashi, I hope I didn't disturb you."
Arashi said nothing, merely nodding slightly to signal them to continue.
"I don't think it's all bad luck!"
Another young man chimed in enthusiastically.
"I think Ximei and Ross are amazing! Even though they ran into Hawkeye Mihawk, they somehow survived and made it back alive. That alone is something they can brag about for the rest of their lives!"
"How would they brag? 'I'm a man who got cut down by the world's greatest swordsman'? Hahahaha…"
"But Ross, what kind of person is that Mihawk really?"
"Yeah, yeah, tell us! Is he as cool and imposing as he looks in the newspapers?"
At the mention of Hawkeye, Ross and Ximei both felt a chill run down their spines. The terrifying slash they had witnessed resurfaced vividly in their minds…
"Ross?"
"Ximei?"
"Hey, don't zone out! Tell us—was Mihawk super stylish when he appeared? Super cool?"
"No…"
Ross shook his head blankly. Then, lifting his wine glass, he stood up and began recounting the scene with vivid detail:
"He was incredibly proud, yet carried himself like a refined gentleman… At the same time, he was cold, domineering, and utterly invincible… Most importantly—he understands emotion!"
At this point, Ross suddenly turned toward Arashi with his glass raised, then bent down in a perfect gentleman's bow.
"Mr. Arashi, thank you so much…"
"To show my sincere gratitude, I offer you another toast!"
Arashi felt a headache coming on.
Whether it was Ross or his companions, their overly polite manners made him deeply uncomfortable.
Damn it—you've been pirates before, haven't you? Is it really okay to be this polite?
No, this needs correction.
With that thought, Arashi suddenly slapped Ross on the shoulder and grinned.
"What's the use of just saying thanks? Go, go—get on the dance floor and show everyone some moves!"
"And you, Ximei—what kind of pirate drinks like that? Even women drink more boldly than you! Toss that tiny cup away and get a bigger one! And you guys too—what's with the glasses? Drink straight from the bottle, doesn't that make you more like real men?!"
Arashi's sudden shift in attitude caught everyone off guard. They all stared at him wide-eyed, completely stunned.
"What are you all standing around for? Hurry up, get the atmosphere going! Ever played Fifteen-Twenty? No? Doesn't matter, I'll teach you later!"
"You there—come sit over here. Let's start with rock-paper-scissors. Loser drinks!"
Hearing Arashi's words, Ximei, Ross, and their companions were utterly dumbfounded.
But they quickly snapped out of it. Following his lead, they pushed the glasses aside. Ross even grabbed a large bottle of wine and jumped onto the table, exuding a fierce, bandit-like aura as he shouted:
"Brothers! Tonight, we drink with Mr. Arashi until we drop! Anyone who sneaks off halfway gets thrown into the sea to feed the fish!"
Perhaps it was Ross's exaggerated movement, or maybe his loud voice disturbed nearby customers—but as soon as he finished speaking, countless gazes turned toward them.
"What are you looking at?!"
Feeling the stares from all directions, Ross immediately turned and barked angrily:
"Keep staring and I'll kill you!"
Ah!
Now that's more like it.
Watching Ross instantly transform into a completely different person, Arashi nodded in satisfaction. Then, casually knocking the head of the man sitting across from him, he said:
"Stop spacing out! Let's go—rock-paper-scissors!"
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