Just as the pirate captain was having these wild thoughts, he noticed the young naval officer looking at him. His heart sank. He had only been thinking casually; could they really be here to arrest him?
Vic looked at the bandit leader mainly because he was an acquaintance. Although it was more than ten years ago, he didn't expect that Higuma would already be a bandit.
Although he's only around thirty years old now, his lewd appearance is too easy to spot. This is the kind of person who will one day step on the head of Four Emperors Luffy, Luffy, and pour wine on the head of Four Emperors, Red-Haired Shanks.
A great pirate like Red-Hair killed 56 people, a super strong man known as the King of the Mountain Bandits, but he was still no match for the Lord of the Coast who bit off Red-Haired Shanks' arm and was eventually swallowed whole.
After glancing at Higuma, Vic turned his gaze to the back of the bar, where a familiar figure stood—a girl with dark green hair, Makino, who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old.
Next to him was a middle-aged, overweight man with the same hair color. Vic guessed that was Makino's father, and that the tavern was later inherited by Makino.
Vic was surprised to see two familiar faces here. It wasn't strange to see Makino, since she was from Foosha Village, but seeing the King of the Mountain Bandits was quite surprising!
Ignoring the bandits who had paused, Vic walked straight to the bar. Higuma, who was sitting at the bar, thought they were coming for him and hesitated whether to draw his sword.
This young naval officer looked very powerful, and the floating rings behind him gave him a sense of dread; if he drew his sword, he might die on the spot.
If he hadn't drawn his sword, the worst that would have been being locked up and forced to work on a sewing machine was that he hadn't done anything so heinous that he'd be on the guillotine. With that thought, he released the sword from his waist and waited patiently for Vic's judgment.
"Boss! Do you have any more wine?" Vic asked the middle-aged boss instead of Higuma, which was his real purpose for being there. As for what to do with Higuma, he'd deal with that later.
"Sir Navy officer! I'm sorry, we're out of alcohol!"
The boss glanced at Higuma and the others somewhat nervously and said that because of the bandits, no one had come to inform them about the banquet that evening.
Although the navy man in front of them had come with the village chief, his attire and demeanor were far too extraordinary. He was really nervous, and Makino next to him was also a little scared. If it weren't for Vic's handsome face, she would have wet herself long ago. As a young girl, Makino was not the landlady who would later become the landlady.
"My lord! I'm so sorry, we seem to have finished all the drinks in the shop. Please forgive us! If you'd like some, I have another bottle here, unopened! I hope you don't mind!"
Higuma breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that Vic had come to drink. As long as he wasn't there to arrest him, he was fine. But then he thought about how they had finished all the drinks and what if they angered the navy officer and he caused them trouble? So he handed Vic the last unopened bottle of wine he had left.
Vic looked at the scene and realized it was all too familiar; it was a famous scene. Should he punch the bottle and spill the wine all over him?
However, Vic quickly realized that he was a Marine, representing justice, so how could he do something so tasteless? He decided to let the bandits Higuma do the hard labor of buying alcohol in the city, which would help them sober up. Vic thought to himself that he really was a good person!
"Judging from your attire, you're bandits, aren't you? Do you have any bounties on you? Did you pay for your drinks here?"
Vic glanced at the bottle in Higuma's hand, then fixed his gaze on Higuma's terrified and lewd face.
At this moment, Higuma wanted to slap himself twice. Why did he have to chime in? Couldn't he just stay out of the way? What was wrong with him to come down the mountain to drink for free today? Oh right, it was that round-headed little brother who suggested it. If he gets back unscathed this time, he'll beat him to a pulp. Why did he have to choose today to drink? Higuma had a lot on his mind, but he didn't dare to look Vic in the eye. It was too intimidating.
"We only became bandits because we couldn't make a living. We haven't done anything heinous, Navy officer! We hope you'll investigate! We don't have a single penny of bounty on us. We were planning to settle the bill for the drinks when we left. Boss! Calculate the amount, we'll pay now!"
Despite his fear, Higuma still wanted to give himself a good wash. He figured it was best to avoid going to the sewing machine if possible, as he also longed for freedom.
The shopkeeper glanced nervously at Vic, and seeing that Vic didn't react, he quickly started calculating the bill. He had thought that he wouldn't be able to pay for the drinks today and would suffer another huge loss. These bandits didn't seem like the type to pay. Fortunately, the village chief had brought a high-ranking naval officer with him.
He spent a long time calculating but still couldn't figure out how much it cost, and he was still a little nervous. However, Makino, who was next to him, figured it out. Seeing that Vic was helping them, she wasn't as nervous as before, although her face was a little red. After stating the amount, she secretly glanced at Vic a few more times. This brother was so handsome, completely in line with her aesthetic, and he was also a high-ranking officer in the navy, which gave her a great sense of security.
Vic watched as Higuma went around begging money from the henchmen. Higuma was embarrassed, but he didn't dare to run away. Although he had his back to Vic when he asked for money, he could feel Vic's gaze fixed on him. Meanwhile, the old village chief had already told Makino and her father about the banquet that night, but now the bandits had drunk all the wine, and the three of them were racking their brains for a solution.
Higuma managed to scrape together enough money from all his underlings to pay for the drinks. He went to the bar, paid the bill, and then looked at Vic with a fawning expression, trying to get away with it as if nothing had happened.
As soon as Vic nodded, he immediately led his underlings and fled from here, vowing to behave himself whenever he came here again... no, he would never come here again for the next ten years. This navy is terrifying.
"Alright then! Since you've finished the drinks, you're responsible for resolving this matter, boss! Where do you usually buy your drinks? Have them help transport them by truck. Let's go get some more stock now!"
When Vic first started speaking, Higuma thought to himself that he was doomed, but after hearing what he said next, he felt relieved. It was just hard labor as a coachman; a true man can bend and stretch. He would just have to put up with it this time.
"Our wine is all sourced from the city. Since we have enough manpower, let's bring back a larger quantity this time!"
The boss's eyes lit up when he heard Vic's words. He used to push his cart to the city to buy goods, and each time the quantity was small and it was very hard work. This time, with so much free labor, he was naturally happy to help.