After yesterday's live broadcast and the bounty posters rushed into print today and scattered across the world like snowflakes, Pero had become a name everyone knew.
So, when the man printed on those bounty posters actually walked into this tavern-
In an instant!
The entire noisy tavern fell silent, as though someone had pressed the mute button. You could have heard a pin drop.
Clang!
A pirate's tightly gripped drinking glass slipped from his stiff fingers and shattered on the floor, the sound especially piercing in the deathly silence.
Behind the counter, the owner's fat body shook like a leaf. As he watched the black-robed man approach step by step, he felt as though his heart might leap out of his throat.
Pero glanced sideways at the strange scene inside the tavern and paid it no mind.
He walked up to the counter, casually grabbed a large handful of glittering Beli from the pouch at his waist, and generously scattered them across it. It wasn't his money anyway, so spending it didn't hurt.
"One seafood rice and a pitcher of beer."
Looking at the coins, which were enough to buy his entire tavern, the owner forced a stiff smile uglier than a grimace and stammered, "Y-yes... of course... n-no problem. Coming right up!"
Pero found the oppressive atmosphere in the tavern and all those eyes on him rather unbearable.
He slowly turned around.
He shouted at the drinkers, who had practically stopped breathing:
"What are you all staring at me for? Are you drinking or not? If you're not, get out!"
The moment he finished speaking!
As though granted a pardon, every customer in the tavern instantly surged toward the door in a frantic torrent.
They were packed so tightly that they actually smashed through the already rickety tavern door.