The red-haired man chuckled and paid it no mind. Instead, he added another reminder. "This drink is on me. Remember, go home as soon as you finish it."
"Captain Shanks, kids will hate you if you keep nagging!" Lucky Roux grinned as he stuffed his face with meat, the fat on his body rippling like waves in a rather comical sight.
Shanks laughed and scolded, "You should worry about yourself, Lucky. You're always the one who talks the most."
Then Makino returned to the bar with a glass of rum and slid it over to Chu Yang.
Chu Yang accepted the drink and raised it toward Shanks, who lifted his own glass in return. Chu Yang drained it in one go before saying, "You got one thing wrong. Even after I finish drinking, I can't go home."
The smile on Shanks's face suddenly faded, and he frowned.
Chu Yang explained, "I'm a slave. I only seized an opportunity to escape not long ago. The word 'home' is a luxury to me."
As he spoke, Chu Yang pulled down his clothes slightly, exposing the faint scar on his chest. Though it had already faded considerably, Shanks could tell from its shape that it had once been an extremely severe, potentially fatal wound.
The tavern gradually fell silent. The Red Hair Pirates' crew all focused their gazes on Chu Yang. Hearing a child speak such words so calmly was undoubtedly a powerful shock.
Upon hearing of Chu Yang's miserable experience, Shanks suddenly thought of the arson case that had taken place at Mary Geoise several months ago. Back then, many Celestial Dragons' slaves had escaped from Mary Geoise.
Shanks instantly understood Chu Yang's identity, and sympathy naturally surfaced in his eyes.
If slaves in this world could be ranked, then the Celestial