"Oh!"
"This guy seems nice!"
"Let's start the banquet!"
"Everyone, hurry and go help!"
"Yes! If we scoop all the fish out, they'll sink if we leave them too long!"
"You women spread the word about the upcoming banquet, then call all the women in the village to help prepare the ingredients. Let's have a good time tonight!"
"The village chief is right, our Foosha Village hasn't been this lively in a long time!"
Vic's words instantly ignited everyone's enthusiasm. Although Garp was a high-ranking officer in the Navy, he wouldn't hold such a banquet in the village, and it wasn't just because of money.
It would be even more difficult to get the villagers to organize themselves. Their Foosha Village belongs to the Goa Kingdom, which is one of the Affiliated Nation of the World Government. They also have to contribute to the Heavenly Tribute of this country, so they have to be careful with every penny.
"Great! Great! Let's start the banquet! Let's start the banquet!"
Seeing everyone so happy, Luffy got excited too, bouncing around in the old man's arms. Although he didn't understand what a banquet was, seeing everyone's smiling faces filled his little heart with contentment—a feeling he couldn't quite describe at his age.
But he longed for this feeling, and later developed a strong liking for Vic, this flamboyant older brother, and jumped from his grandfather's arms onto Vic.
Finally, he climbed onto the Thunder Drum behind Vic, grabbed onto Thunder Drum, and swung around on it, having a great time. The village chief watched in horror, as he had just seen several bolts of lightning shoot out from this little drum, and he was afraid that Luffy would get electrocuted.
The old man laughed heartily upon hearing Vic's words. Vic's idea was good; banquets weren't just for pirates. He was also a person who enjoyed lively gatherings. Holding a grand banquet in his hometown would be a rare memory for him in the future.
The old man was very satisfied with Vic's performance. He had initially thought Vic was just trying to show off in front of the villagers of Foosha Village, but now he realized that Vic was preparing ingredients for a banquet. He had misunderstood Vic.
" Rebecca! Eating fish all the time isn't enough. Why don't you take Wendy and Barnett to the forest and hunt some game? If you meet anyone in the mountains, invite them over for a feast tonight!"
Vic turned to Rebecca and said that he hoped Rebecca and the others would encounter Dadan's band of bandits, so that they could openly meet Ace.
With the old man around, he wouldn't openly go looking for Ace. The fact that the old man didn't keep Ace in the village already speaks volumes. If it was just a coincidence that Dadan and her gang came along, that would be quite good.
At this time, Ace was only five years old, and whether he could hunt was another matter. Dadan and her gang were simply not capable of hunting. To say they went hungry for three days and nine meals would be an understatement. So, it was quite possible that they came down to freeload.
Rebecca agreed and led the three of them up the mountain. The villagers were also busy fishing. Some of the fish were really big and couldn't be caught by just one or two people. Many naval soldiers were already helping.
The old man didn't make many connections when he heard Vic say that. He thought Vic was referring to the villagers who went into the mountains. If he encountered them, he would naturally invite them back for a feast. He even thought Vic's consideration was very thoughtful. Eating only fish was indeed a bit monotonous. He was also a meat lover and had a grandson who also loved meat.
"Village chief! There's a tavern in the village, right? Food alone isn't enough; some drinks would be even better!"
"There is one tavern, but..."
"Haha! Don't worry, I'll pay for the drinks. If we're going to have a banquet, we should have a good one. We can't let it end halfway through. Village chief, lead the way! You guys come with me to move the wine!"
Vic knew what the village chief was thinking, but he didn't care. This was the mindset of a small person. The old village chief was protecting the interests of the villagers, Vic thought the old village chief was doing a good job. He directly grabbed Luffy from the Thunder Drum and stuffed him into the old man's arms. He then ordered a few burly marines to follow him to the tavern to do hard labor.
The old village chief was relieved to hear Vic's words. Actually, his original intention was that his village could provide the drinks without any problem, since the fish and meat were provided by the navy. However, he couldn't let the tavern provide the drinks. He planned to have the village share the cost of the drinks.
But since Vic had said he would pay, he didn't say it Heavenly Tribute, and this young navy man named Vic looked like a high-ranking official, not someone who was short of money.
Garp didn't say anything. Their navy was quite profitable from fighting pirates. Which pirate ship didn't have some treasure? Although the spoils were handed over, they usually kept some as a reward.
He knew that Vic had dealt with many pirates, so it wasn't surprising that he had a small fortune. But he couldn't imagine that Vic carried two mountains of gold with him. That was wealth comparable to that of all the Celestial Dragons, truly enough to rival many countries. A little money for drinks was nothing to him.
Although Foosha Village is a small village, it is well-planned. The houses are built on both sides of a road, and the village tavern is located in the middle of the road, with several shops on the side. It is the liveliest place in the village.
The village chief led Vic and his companions to the outside of the tavern. Vic looked at the tavern's exterior and felt it looked familiar. Perhaps all taverns in this world were like this, Vic thought to himself, without giving it much thought.
A lively commotion emanated from the tavern, indicating that business was booming. The village chief pushed open the door and went inside, followed by Vic and several naval soldiers.
The tavern was quite full, with all the tables occupied, and people were drinking enthusiastically. The old village chief looked at this scene and thought to himself, "Oh no! So many people are drinking, and there are so many empty bottles on the tables. Where is there any extra wine to hold a banquet?"
Vic frowned when he saw the attire of the people drinking, and his frown deepened when he saw the somewhat apprehensive look on the man and woman behind the bar.
The people drinking were all dressed as bandits. When they saw the Marine's uniform and Vic's Justice Cloak, they stopped drinking. They naturally recognized the Navy's seagull insignia and Justice Cloak.
Moreover, the navy soldiers wearing the Justice Cloak were not ordinary soldiers, and they were not people that small-time bandits like them could afford to offend. The bandit leader secretly reached for the long sword at his waist; at this moment, only his weapon could give him a sense of security.
He assumed the navy had come to arrest him on the tip of the old man who had led the way, and that the men were high-ranking officials who looked like they were not to be trifled with.
Is it really necessary for a mere bandit leader like me to make such a big fuss? Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? If you really want to arrest me, just say so. I promise I'll tie up my men and deliver myself to your door. Why bother the Navy officer to make the trip himself?