Although Drake was wearing a Marine uniform, Arashi recognized him almost immediately.
From the insignia on his uniform, Arashi could tell that Drake was already a Marine Headquarters Brigadier General. In the original story, Drake left the Marines and became a pirate only after reaching the rank of Rear Admiral. That meant he hadn't fallen into piracy yet!
Drake hadn't brought any subordinates with him. After walking up to the bar and glancing at Arashi, he called out to the bartender.
"Bring me the best liquor you have."
The bartender maintained his trademark smile. No matter what kind of customer came in, he always treated them the same. It was closely tied to the atmosphere of Joy Town itself—a town dedicated to bringing happiness, warmth, and acceptance to everyone.
Arashi and Drake sat side by side at the bar, each drinking quietly.
After seeing the Marine Brigadier General enter, several customers in the tavern stood up one after another and slipped out as inconspicuously as possible before disappearing without a trace.
It was obvious that they were pirates who had mixed into the island's population, and the kind who were doing particularly poorly at that.
Drake couldn't even be bothered to spare such insignificant pirates a second glance. After the few pirates left, he suddenly turned toward Arashi and said casually,
"If you're a pirate, you can leave now. I'm in a good mood today. I don't feel like catching pirates."
Arashi blinked in surprise before shaking his head with a smile.
"A Marine who doesn't want to catch pirates. That's interesting."
"Then I assume you're not a pirate."
Drake studied Arashi for a moment before raising his bottle.
"Marine Headquarters Brigadier General, Drake."
Arashi had never expected Drake to initiate a toast, much less introduce himself first. He was briefly stunned.
Then he quickly understood.
When Drake first appeared in the original story, he was already one of the Eleven Supernovas and carried himself with tremendous confidence. But before joining the Marines, he had spent most of his life living under the shadow of his father—a former Marine officer who had fallen into piracy and become abusive.
As a child, he had even crossed paths with Trafalgar Law in Flevance, the nation known as the White Town. If Vice Admiral Tsuru of Marine Headquarters hadn't happened to appear back then, Drake would probably have died.
Although he was now a Marine Headquarters Brigadier General, he still hadn't completely escaped the shadows of his past, nor had he developed the arrogance often seen in powerful officers.
As for why Drake decisively abandoned the Marines and became a pirate after reaching the rank of Rear Admiral, there were countless theories.
Some said he discovered the corruption within the Marines and lost faith in their so-called justice, leading him to become a pirate.
Others claimed he uncovered secret scientific research conducted by Marine scientists, found it morally reprehensible, and left the organization in outrage.
Regardless of the truth, Arashi wasn't particularly interested.
Whether Drake was a pirate or a Marine had no bearing on him.
After dismissing the thought, Arashi raised his glass and clinked it against Drake's.
"Traveler, Arashi."
"Pffft—"
Drake had just taken a sip of liquor. Upon hearing the name "Arashi," he immediately sprayed the drink from his mouth.
Then he turned and stared at Arashi in astonishment.
"Y-You're Traveler Arashi?"
Arashi blinked.
"Is there a problem?"
"N-No."
After collecting himself, Drake looked at Arashi again with obvious surprise before silently taking another drink.
Of course he had heard the name Traveler Arashi.
Without exaggeration, every officer in Marine Headquarters knew that name.
Although the title Traveler Arashi had originally spread from Garp, word of mouth had amplified the story until nearly every Marine officer knew that after returning from the East Blue, Garp had become exceptionally fond of a traveler named Arashi.
They also knew that Marine Headquarters' large-scale crackdown on corruption in the East Blue had started because of Arashi.
Thanks to Garp's attention and the increasingly exaggerated stories being passed around, Arashi—despite never once setting foot in Marine Headquarters—had become one of the hottest topics among Marine officers during that period.
As for Drake, he had first heard Arashi's name from Vice Admiral Tsuru.
At the time, he had even asked her about Arashi.
From her response, it wasn't difficult to tell that she was also quite interested in him.
Her answer had been simple.
Just one sentence:
"A traveler with no desire for power and a heart full of righteousness."
After a moment of silence, Drake could no longer suppress his curiosity.
Turning toward Arashi again, he asked,
"I'm very curious. What exactly is it about you that makes Vice Admiral Garp value you so highly? Is it your strength? Or is it because you exposed the corruption of the East Blue Marines?"
Arashi blinked.
He glanced at Drake before looking away and replying calmly,
"I'm afraid that's not a question I can answer. Whether Vice Admiral Garp values me or favors me has nothing to do with me. Compared to becoming a Marine, I prefer traveling across the Four Blues."
He paused briefly before continuing,
"Of course, if I get the chance in the future, I'd like to visit the Grand Line and see its scenery as well."
"You're truly a free-spirited traveler."
Drake hadn't expected such an answer.
After a brief pause, he looked up at the bartender.
"Put Mr. Arashi's tab on my bill."
"Certainly, Marine sir."
The bartender nodded with a smile before adding,
"That will be a total of one hundred and twenty thousand Beli."
The number instantly made Drake's eyes widen.
He froze for several seconds before turning to Arashi and roaring,
"Just how much did you drink?!"
"Not much. Just three bottles."
Arashi suppressed a smile.
"They were all the tavern's special reserves, though."
Then he added,
"As a Marine, you probably don't carry that much cash on you anyway. I'll pay."
With that, he pulled out a stack of Beli and tossed it onto the counter.
"No need to settle the bill yet. Bring two more good bottles for me and this officer."
"..."
"Certainly, Mr. Arashi."
The bartender accepted the money and immediately took out two more bottles of the tavern's prized collection, placing one in front of Drake and the other in front of Arashi.
"Are all travelers this wealthy these days?"
Drake shook his head with an awkward smile.
"It seems I shouldn't offer to pay for people so casually in the future."
"Ah—!"
Suddenly, a scream rang out from outside the tavern without warning.
Immediately afterward, Perona's familiar voice echoed in.
"Robin! This person... is so... so scary!"
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