A Boy Adrift

Time flew, and a week had already passed.

Su Yu had now been in the Sabaody Archipelago for a week. His bar was gradually making a name for itself, and people had slowly come to accept such a strange establishment.

There had also been people who, either drunk or simply out of their minds, tried to cause trouble in the bar. Yet without anyone seeing the owner lift a finger, those troublemakers collapsed to the floor as if their bones had been crushed. Their eyes bulged, their faces twisted in agony, but they could not make a sound. In the end, just like Abeli, they were taken to the Marine Base and exchanged for their bounties.

And there was no shortage of notorious pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million among them!

That thoroughly intimidated the pirates and the criminals involved in shady businesses, making the atmosphere in the bar far more peaceful.

Moreover, so many notorious pirates had been turned in at the Marine Base for their bounties in just one week, all by a single man, that it immediately caught the base commander's attention. He had been visiting the bar frequently over the past few days to recruit Su Yu. Of course, Su Yu refused, though he did sell him a glass of liquor for a hundred thousand Beli along the way.

Naturally, Rayleigh visited the bar every day. He had been utterly won over by that liquor costing a hundred thousand Beli a mouthful. According to the owner, it was called Wotiga or something like that. Tsk, what a strange pronunciation.

Some people were also interested in what was written on the noticeboard, but every one of them was waiting for someone else to make the first move. Not a single person asked about it. It all seemed a little too unreal to them. If the owner was just fooling people or joking around, wouldn't asking make them look like complete idiots?

For people like them, saving face was everything. Whether they made their living at sea or in the underworld, wasn't reputation what they relied on?

This day was an ordinary one, just like the days before it. A scattering of customers sat in Su Yu's bar, and Rayleigh was there too, sitting at the counter and enjoying his liquor.

Just then, the bar door swung open, and a man in a Marine uniform walked in. Judging by his insignia, he was a Marine Rear Admiral. He was the commander of the nearby Marine Base, and his name was Abel.

Once inside, he swept a grim gaze over the few pirates sitting in the bar. He wanted badly to arrest them on the spot, but fighting was forbidden here, and he was not strong enough to subdue them anyway. All he could do was sigh inwardly in frustration.

Then he composed himself and walked over to the counter. He cast a wary glance at Rayleigh, who was sitting there drinking, and deliberately chose a seat a considerable distance away. As the local commander, he was well aware that Dark King Rayleigh was living here in "retirement."

Rayleigh paid him no mind and continued drinking. He was just an ordinary old man.

After sitting down, Abel ordered a drink and made his usual attempt to recruit Su Yu, who refused as always. Abel did not mind. By now, his main reason for coming had shifted from Su Yu to the liquor. As for Su Yu, as long as he stayed out of trouble, things were fine this way.

He raised his glass and drained it in one gulp. Ahh... that hit the spot.

Abel set down his empty glass and was about to order another when the bar door opened again, and a thin figure walked in.

It was a teenage boy. He looked around the bar, then at the vicious-looking pirates, and a flicker of fear passed through his eyes. He felt an urge to turn around and leave, but a sudden gut feeling told him he would regret it if he walked away now.

He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, finally making up his mind. He strode toward the counter, ignoring Rayleigh and Abel as they drank, and looked at Su Yu.

"E-excuse me... are you the owner here?"

Su Yu smiled faintly and nodded, confirming that he was.

"Then... is it... is it true that any wish can be granted here?"

A light flickered in the boy's eyes, as though a drowning man had suddenly spotted a straw. He did not know whether grasping it would save him, but he reached for it without hesitation all the same.

At the boy's words, the interested patrons immediately pricked up their ears, trying not to show it. Abel and Rayleigh were among them. They were very curious about this!

Su Yu did not disappoint the boy. Once again, he nodded.

"Yes, I can grant wishes. But in return, you have to pay a corresponding price. Fair enough, isn't it?"

The light that had just bloomed in the boy's eyes dimmed for a moment at Su Yu's words. He was utterly penniless now. His luck had been terrible: he had run into a storm, and his boat had been destroyed. Yet he had also been fortunate enough to encounter a kindhearted merchant convoy, which rescued him from a broken plank. Even more fortunately, its destination was the same as his: the Sabaody Archipelago.

And so he had worked as a sailor aboard the ship in exchange for food and fresh water, making it all the way to the Sabaody Archipelago. He was now completely penniless.

But having come this far, he could not bear to let it end like this.

"B-boss, could I... could I pay you later? I'll work as hard as I can to earn the money!"

"So you're saying you have no money right now?"

"Y-yes."

Su Yu said nothing, tapping his fingers against the counter as though considering something.

The others figured there was no hope and lost interest, returning to their drinks. The boy simply stood there in silence with his head lowered. Each tap of the owner's fingers against the counter struck his heart like a bell tolling before judgment.

As time passed, the light in his eyes gradually faded. He had given up hope, but just as he was about to turn and leave, Su Yu spoke.

"Since you're my first customer, you can stay here and work for me for now. Consider that your payment."

After all, the first person willing to take the plunge deserved a little special treatment.

At those words, the boy jerked his head up and stared at Su Yu. Then a look of delighted surprise blossomed across his face.

"Thank you, boss! I'll work hard!"

"Tell me your wish!"

Seeing that things had taken a turn, the others began paying attention again.

The boy did not hesitate. "I want to become stronger!"

"Stronger? How strong do you want to become?"

For a moment, the boy was at a loss. He only wanted to grow stronger so he could take revenge on those pirates, but he had no idea how strong they actually were.

Yes, he was the boy whose village had been destroyed by pirates and whose parents had been killed by them. He had set out to sea to gain the power he needed for revenge.

On his very first day at sea, he had found a drifting bottle with a piece of parchment stuffed inside. Strange writing covered it. He could not read the characters, yet he could understand their meaning. They said there was a magical bar in the Sabaody Archipelago that could grant any wish.

He did not know whether it was true, but that magical writing made him want to try. Once a drowning person grabbed hold of something, they would never willingly let go.

After that, he had encountered the storm, been rescued by a merchant convoy, and finally arrived here.

The bewildered boy suddenly remembered that those pirates belonged to a crew affiliated with the Shichibukai. He spoke up at once. "I... I want power that can rival the Shichibukai!"

The pirates around him froze at his words, then burst into laughter. For a moment, the bar was filled with merriment.

"Hahahaha! Kid, do you even know what the Shichibukai are?"

"Where did this clueless little brat come from? Go home and get some sleep!"

"Those are the seven most powerful pirates on these seas, apart from the Four Emperors!"

"Hahahaha! You're killing me! Hahaha!"

"..."