Nightfall Bar

Skunk.

Or perhaps we should call it a ferret.

If you wanted to lick it, though, Fragrant Weasel would actually be more accurate.

Maud suddenly brought up the ferret that was doing everything it could to flee the scene. Of course, it wasn't because he wanted to sample something fresh. He had his eye on the ferret's value.

How much could it sell for?

Thinking this, he looked at the ferret with deeper consideration.

He happened to be short of money for a good knife.

Hmm. When the time came, he could name the knife Ferret. That way, the ferret's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain.

When Maud asked whether skunks were edible, Wolf Rat actually had no interest at all.

The reason he pondered was simply that he was trying to put himself in Maud's shoes and think about the question from his standpoint.

"It's edible!"

After pondering for two seconds, Wolf Rat gave a very certain answer.

He didn't care whether it was edible or not. He had seen that Maud wanted to eat the skunk.

That reason was enough.

That was the third key point of the Art of Making Friends—putting yourself in the other person's shoes!

Upon hearing this, Maud smiled. "Then bring it along."

"No problem. I happen to have a good chef where I live. If you let him handle it, he could make even skunk meat into a delicacy."

Wolf Rat nodded, then looked at Maud as well.

The two stared at each other for a while.

Maud maintained his smile.

Wolf Rat gradually became puzzled.

Not far away, the ferret was still doing everything it could to crawl away.

"What's going on? Instead of going to get the skunk, he's staring at me like this? Did I say something wrong just now?"

Wolf Rat was first utterly confused, then felt his heart tighten slightly.

Until he figured it out, he could only stand there with Maud in bafflement.

Suddenly, Wolf Rat noticed Maud looking at his blood-covered hands.

"Hm? So he was concerned about my injuries? Looks like the Art of Making Friends really works. Once you put yourself in the other person's shoes, they'll definitely think of you in return. Give and take—that's what friends are!"

As this thought flashed through his mind, Wolf Rat couldn't help feeling moved that his efforts had finally been rewarded.

But gradually, he sensed that something was wrong.

Could it be...

Wolf Rat looked at the smiling Maud and tentatively asked, "How about I go get it for you?"

"Wouldn't that be inappropriate?"

Maud replied while glancing at the blood and dust on the ferret.

Wolf Rat relaxed upon hearing this. It seemed the situation wasn't what he had imagined.

Maud continued, "But since you brought it up, sorry for the trouble."

"..."

Wolf Rat fell silent.

He had the urge to press his blood-covered hands against Maud's face.

Ten minutes later.

The two men and a weasel arrived at the entrance of Tatam's Nightfall Bar.

"So this is the place."

Maud looked over the surroundings.

This was where he had hunted three pirates last night, and where he had first met Wolf Rat, who lacked friends.

At the time, his eyes had been fixed solely on his prey, and he hadn't had the spare attention to notice this bar tucked away in the alley.

Maud instead looked toward the distinctive skull oil lamp beside the wall at the bar's entrance. His gaze shifted slightly as the lamp stirred some memories of the past.

He remembered that back in Hunter's World, he had often visited establishments in the underworld to gather information.

The places he visited most often were bars hidden in exceptionally concealed locations.

Those bars were usually cut off from the outside world and never open to ordinary people.

Moreover, whether in atmosphere or decoration, they were filled with an eerie style, and skull oil lamps were among the most common decorations.

It was quite similar to the bar before him, which was called Nightfall, and it gave Maud a sense of familiarity.

"Come in."

Wolf Rat pushed open the bar door and led Maud inside.

After passing through the short entryway, the first thing they saw was the circular bar counter bathed in pale red light.

Behind the counter, Tatam was wiping glass cups as usual. Hearing the noise, he turned his head toward the entryway.

When he saw Maud, a nearly imperceptible glint flashed through Tatam's eyes.

He remembered the extremely dangerous woman carrying a knife from last night.

Tatam silently withdrew his gaze, lowered his head slightly, and continued wiping the glass.

Maud sized up the thick-browed, wide-eyed Tatam, then looked at the empty customer seats inside the bar.

Just like Saul's Weapon Shop, business was terribly poor.

The decor, however, was nowhere near as haphazard as that of Saul's Weapon Shop.

Whether it was the lighting and atmosphere or the arrangement of the customer seats, it was clear that the owner had put considerable thought into the place.

However, compared with refined bars, the pirates of Mad Hatter Town preferred lively taverns. It was no wonder this place had so little business.

Wolf Rat walked up to the counter and placed the utterly dispirited ferret on it.

"This is Tatam, the owner of the bar and also my friend. Don't let his sturdy appearance fool you—he's skilled at everything from cooking to mixing drinks. Leave the skunk meat to him, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Wolf Rat introduced Tatam to Maud and mentioned Tatam's culinary skills in passing.

The ferret, tossed onto the counter, trembled lightly and became even more desperate.

"His name is Usopp. He's a friend I just made."

Wolf Rat then introduced Maud to Tatam, motioning for Maud to come over.

Maud walked up to the counter and greeted Tatam. "Hello. Nice to meet you."

Tatam silently looked at Maud and nodded in response.

Wolf Rat deliberately watched Maud's reaction and explained, "Tatam's just like that. Don't take it personally."

"I won't."

Maud didn't mind.

"That's good."

Wolf Rat smiled, then lightly patted the lifeless ferret and said seriously, "Tatam, Usopp wants to eat skunk meat. Prepare it however you see fit."

Tatam glanced at the ferret, shook his head, and indicated that he wouldn't take the job.

"I'll pay more. How about triple?"

"..."

Tatam shook his head again.

Wolf Rat, however, was very persistent. He raised his right hand, which was covered in blood.

"Five times!"

"..."

Realizing that Wolf Rat was determined to have it, Tatam immediately explained, "It can't be eaten."

"Huh? It can't be eaten? Isn't it basically the same as rabbit meat?"

"..."

Tatam said nothing more.

Wolf Rat immediately looked disappointed.

Maud, meanwhile, stared at Tatam in surprise.

Despite Tatam's rugged appearance, his voice was as melodious and pleasant as a young girl's.

The stark contrast created an inexplicable sense of incongruity, reminding Maud of an old friend he had met in Hunter's World—Melody.

Both Tatam and Wolf Rat noticed Maud's reaction.

The former remained wooden-faced.

The latter saw that Maud was merely surprised by Tatam's voice and showed no sign of ridicule, so he couldn't help relaxing.

"Usopp, it looks like skunk meat can't be eaten."

Wolf Rat sounded regretful.

Maud hadn't actually intended to eat the ferret in the first place, so he didn't explain. Instead, he went along with it. "That's a real shame."

Wolf Rat picked up the ferret and casually tossed it onto a nearby seat. "Tatam, get Usopp one of your signature drinks. I'm going upstairs to treat my wounds."

"Okay."

Tatam answered and began mixing the drink.

Wolf Rat then said to Maud, "Usopp, sit here for a while."

"Mm."

Maud nodded.

Wolf Rat then walked toward the staircase leading to the second floor.

At the counter, Maud watched Tatam's bartending technique and said, "You have a lovely voice. It reminds me of someone from my past."

Tatam's movements suddenly stopped. He looked at Maud in surprise, then said nothing after a long moment and continued mixing the drink.

Maud smiled, then turned to look at the very different surroundings from Battle Axe Tavern and sighed. "This place... is really nice."

"Thank you."

Tatam gently pushed the finished drink in front of Maud.

Maud turned back and had no intention of drinking it.

"Tatam, do you sell information here?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Tatam's eyes gradually turned serious.

He did not answer the question. Instead, he asked, "Are you a pirate?"