Chapter 27: Unsettled Night
By the time they were pulled to the canteen, the sun had just set, and the dinner bell had rung half an hour ago.
Through the window, the house was brightly lit, and the pirates’ laughter and arguments could still be clearly heard through the wooden gate and stone walls.
“Hey! Look, those two brats are still eating!
It seems they haven’t stopped since dinner started half an hour ago!”
A pirate holding a wine glass pointed at Aoxi and Obei, who were feasting not far away, and said to those around him.
“The food they’ve eaten must weigh more than they do! How did they manage that?!”
“Could they be some kind of special ability users? After all, Burufaruto brought those two brats here.
Speaking of which, where is Brother Burufaruto?”
“Over at the counter,” the pirate who was asked pointed to the serving counter.
At that moment, Burufaruto was holding a bottle of spirits, his face flushed, shouting: “Go, Red-haired brat, take down your sister for me!
Hahahaha! Don’t be a coward, that’s the way!
Gulp gulp gulp~
Drink up! Awesome!”
Seeing Burufaruto start it off, the other pirates also began to egg them on~
“Come on! Red-haired brat, don’t stop, I bet ten thousand Berries you win!”
“My twenty thousand Berries are all on you, Blue-haired brat, don’t disgrace yourself!”
“Hmph, vulgar! I’m not here to be your boring after-meal entertainment.”
Obei said as she stopped her actions. After drinking a cup of juice, she elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin; she was full.
However, Aoxi next to her didn’t seem to be stopping yet, still stuffing a large bone meat as big as her head into her mouth…
“Haha, I won!”
“Hey, who’s going to pay up on their bet~”
“Oh! Well done, Red-haired brat! Hahahahaha~”
Burufaruto, who had also won his bet, burst into laughter and then downed the remaining half bottle of wine in one go.
Some were happy, while others were sad. Those who won were triumphant, while those who lost were dejected.
“Damn it! Just a little bit more, my Berries!”
“Wuwuwu~ I lost all the money I had to go see Miss Lilith, so I’ll have to squeeze into the shared room tonight.”
“Don’t be sad, little brother. You can’t go to accompany Miss Lilith, but you still have me~”
“Huh? You, what do you mean?”
The pirate unnaturally shifted his butt a little further away.
“What I mean is— I can completely take your place in taking care of Miss Lilith tonight~
After all, I won quite a lot of Berries just now. Hahaha~”
“Get lost!”
……
“Hey, Old Cook, I remember there should be some left of that stuff, bring it out quickly,” Burufaruto said, putting down the empty wine bottle and shouting loudly towards the kitchen.
“Got it.”
An old pirate in a spotless white chef’s uniform and a tall chef’s hat responded, then turned and carefully took out a bottle of what looked like quite expensive wine from the kitchen’s ice cellar.
This was something Burufaruto had snatched from a luxury merchant ship not long ago.
Fearing he would drink it all if he kept it with him, he had temporarily stored it in the canteen’s kitchen and took a small sip whenever he craved it.
Taking the wine bottle from the Old Cook, he shook it to confirm there wasn’t much left. Burufaruto then simply shattered the bottle’s opening and poured a small cup for Aoxi, then, without fear of cutting his mouth, he drank directly from the bottle.
“Haha~ Awesome!
Little Brat Aoxi, have a taste. This is fine wine specially supplied to the royalty of Fish-Man Island.
It’s said to be brewed using a secret mermaid method. I worked hard to get my hands on it a while back.”
“Wuwu, wuwuwu, wuwuwuwu… （ Really? Let me try. I’ve never had any alcohol other than beer. ）”
Aoxi, with her mouth full of food, mumbled as she picked up the cup, ready to taste the flavor of this fine wine from another world.
But just as her lips were about to touch the rim of the cup, a fair and slender hand grabbed her wrist.
Feeling the resistance, Aoxi pulled, but couldn’t move it.
Stubbornly, she pulled again with all her might, but still couldn’t move it…
“Wuwuwuwu! （ Who, who is disturbing this master’s drink! ）”
Aoxi turned her head and looked unhappily at the owner of the hand.
What met her eyes was a strand of brilliant golden long hair and a familiar face with a strange smile.
“Pfft! Cough cough… cough! La, La La La La Sister? Why, why are you here?!”
The moment she almost recognized who it was, Aoxi jumped up from the stool.
Her movement was like that of a middle schooler who tricked their parents into going to cram school and then secretly went online, only to be caught on the spot.
Seeing the familiar smile on La’s face, Obei also immediately stood up and explained: “Report, Big Sister! The matter of drinking was Aoxi’s sole action; I myself did not touch a drop. Please investigate, Big Sister!”
『 This guy! 』
Aoxi turned her head and looked at Obei, who was adding insult to injury, in disbelief.
“Well, well, La Sister, let me explain.
I, I actually didn’t know this was alcohol, I thought it was juice~ Haha~” Aoxi attempted a last-ditch effort.
But La ignored Aoxi and said to Burufaruto, “Mr. Burufaruto, my sisters are not yet adults, please stop trying to get them to drink, okay?”
“Haha, it’s alright! When I was her age, I could drink eighteen…”
“Okay?” La, uncharacteristically, interrupted him mid-sentence.
“Uh, okay, okay, I promise.” Burufaruto’s instincts told him not to say another word at this point.
『 This feeling was just like facing a legendary enraged Sea God. 』
Seeing this, the other pirates also fell silent, not even daring to breathe too loudly. The previously noisy canteen became so quiet that not a sound could be heard.
“Aoxi, come out with me for a moment.”
Without letting the silence, which felt like it could crush a person’s chest, linger for too long, La released Aoxi’s arm and, leaving these words, walked outside first.
Standing in place, Aoxi looked around for help, but the pirates in her sight turned their heads away, as if suddenly interested in the canteen’s interior design.
“Obei, my good sister, you…”
“Nyehehe~
I’ve always wanted to see that expression on your face, that helpless expression like when someone is called out by the head teacher!
My dear Second Sister~” Obei gave Aoxi a facial expression that broke her character.
“I’ve always remembered~
That! Day! Thing!”
“You…”
“Aoxi.” La, already at the door, turned back and urged her.
Aoxi shivered, losing her voice and strength, and slowly shuffled towards the door as if bound by chains by the King of Hell.
The large door slowly closed, but no one dared to make a sound. After a while, some of the bolder pirates in the canteen began to whisper amongst themselves.
“Th-that’s the new executive? So scary!” one pirate said in a low voice.
“I almost thought I wouldn’t see tomorrow’s sun just now!”
“Even though she’s so small, she gives me the feeling of those giant Sea Kings! As if I could be swallowed whole at any moment.”
“Brother Burufaruto, what’s the background of this new executive?”
“I don’t know. I heard from Jin that she was recruited after fighting with Boss Kaido, and Boss Kaido immediately gave her an executive position.”
“Hiss~ Fought with Boss Kaido?!
That’s too exaggerated. That brat looks only about ten years old…”
“Yeah, yeah. Those thin arms and legs, she looks more delicate than the young ladies from noble families. If you didn’t say anything, I would have thought she was a princess from some country visiting us.”
“Alright, alright, just be good in front of her from now on. That guy is definitely not someone to be trifled with,” Burufaruto pushed through the crowd and left the canteen.
…………
