Chapter 104

Chapter 104: The Laziest Man on this Great Sea

  "Hey, lad, your tavern is quite famous now!" a regular customer exclaimed.

  "Oh? What happened?" Adrian was prepared for this conversation.

  "I heard that you guys caught three bounty criminals the day before yesterday, and they were all Devil Fruit users! Is that true?"

  "Well... there's some truth to it. Does everyone know about this?" Adrian asked.

  "Of course, a lot of people on the island know now. I never thought that our drinking spot would be this impressive. It's really something!"

  When they brought those three out from the unlawful area, quite a few people saw it happen. Plus, there's no guarantee that there aren't friends or relatives among the Marine soldiers on the island. So, with everyone talking about it, the news spread far and wide.

  In the end, it wasn't such a bad thing. After all, anyone who needed to know was already aware, and spreading it a bit more could deter some troublemakers from causing a scene.

  Adrian decided to play along with the group: "It's troublesome, though. I originally wanted to interact with you all as an ordinary person. Since you all know now, I won't pretend anymore. Actually, I'm quite skilled..."

  Others didn't give him face and chimed in:
  "Huh? What's it to you? Isn't it all thanks to Artoria-san?"

  "That's right, that's right. We all know that Adrian is the weakest in the tavern!"

  "Ha..." Tom couldn't help but laugh and then quickly covered his mouth.

  Adrian patted Tom's head, pretending to be annoyed, and shouted, "Rui Mengmeng! Remember these people. Charge them double when they pay later!"

  "Sure thing, boss." Rui Mengmeng responded with a smile, holding a tray.

  "No, Adrian!" The tavern erupted in protests.

  …

  The so-called fame didn't bring much change to Adrian and the others' lives. The only difference was that Adrian didn't dare to go out alone anymore.

  If he didn't have Artoria with him, he worried that someone with sharp blades might suddenly appear and attack him.

  Although he could cut through steel with magic now.

  After a few quiet days, Adrian waited every day to see news of Old Sand's plan being exposed and the news of him being removed as one of the Seven Warlords. However, he had yet to see his wish fulfilled.

  So, he continued to diligently exercise every day, hoping that someday he would be able to face enemies like Old Sand and win.

  At the same time, he intentionally collected information about the unlawful areas. Besides the news related to the human trafficking ring they had taken care of, he also obtained information about the locations and scale of other similar establishments, as well as the presence of various criminal organizations.

  Adrian quietly noted it all down, planning to deal with these scoundrels one by one in the future.

  Until one day, something truly extraordinary happened that made the tavern truly famous.

  On that gloomy noon, the sky was overcast, but the clouds were far from thick enough to bring Rui Mengmengn.

  A small boat, shaped like a coffin, quietly reached the shore. A man wearing a black top hat and a black coat, exuding an elegant aura, leisurely stepped onto the Sabaody Archipelago.

  Passersby, whether recognizing him or not, quickly gave way, with some brave enough to study this rarely seen character.

  This man seemed unfazed by the gazes of those around him. He paused at the entrance of a small tavern and pushed the door open with an air of nonchalance.

  Adrian fulfilled a few customers' requests by sharing some interesting news. He had just finished recounting how the Red-Haired Pirates had clashed with the Straw Hat Pirates and emerged victorious in the New World and under the command of the Pirate King.

  The crowd discussed this "rookie pirate" who was recklessly making a name for himself in the New World. Some said that according to insider information, the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates had wanted to dock at a certain island, which happened to be the territory of the Pirate King. There were over a hundred people stationed there.

  At that time, the captain of the Red-Haired Pirates had hoped the other side would give them face, hold a banquet, and then they would leave. But the other party insisted on their surrender, which resulted in a fight.

  Many thought this was nonsense. How could such a massive battle erupt over such a trivial matter? It was absolutely impossible.

  Adrian actually wanted to nod and say it was entirely possible.

  As the atmosphere heated up, the bell on the door rang a few times.

  Immediately, the tavern fell silent, and the sounds of people swallowing saliva filled the air.

  Some people were so astonished that they scrunched their eyebrows together, tilted their mouths downward, and revealed their quadruple chins in amazement.

  "That person... Could it be?"

  "No mistake, those sharp eyes of his..."

  "Dracule Mihawk, the World's Greatest Swordsman!"

  "Why would one of the Seven Warlords come here?!"

  Mihawk walked directly to the counter. His gaze swept past Adrian and Rui Mengmeng one after the other before finally settling on Artoria.

  Artoria met his gaze head-on. Her right hand was held loosely, and seeing that Mihawk hadn't drawn his sword yet, she refRui Mengmengned from making any sudden movements.

  Rui Mengmeng sensed that something was amiss and stood by Artoria's side, her sword placed behind the counter where she could reach it with a quick movement.

  Tom bit his finger, his gaze fixed on the cruciform sword hanging on Mihawk's back. It was as though he was fixated on the gem embedded in the hilt. No one knew what was going through his mind.

  Adrian held Tom a bit tighter, seeking some reassurance and simultaneously trying to deter any reckless thoughts. He asked, "What would you like to drink?"

  Mihawk momentarily shifted his gaze and answered, "Red wine."

  "Wait a moment." Adrian breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Mihawk wasn't here to pick a fight. He turned and fetched a bottle of wine and a wine glass, pouring it for him.

  Mihawk picked up the glass and swirled the wine around. His elegant actions, combined with his attire, strangely reminded Adrian of a certain vampire.

  "Is there any

specific reason why one of the Seven Warlords would come to my little tavern?" Adrian looked at Mihawk. He guessed Mihawk was around thirty years old. This refined, handsome uncle-type aura made Adrian somewhat envious.

  Mihawk took a sip of the wine. "I'm looking for someone."

  Adrian glanced at Artoria. "Who are you looking for?"

  Mihawk posed a counter-question, "Haven't you already figured that out?"

  "But... why? Our reputation shouldn't have spread overseas yet, right?" Adrian quickly considered whether someone was trying to harm him.

  But Mihawk didn't seem like the kind of person who could be manipulated by Crocodile or Doflamingo.

  "I just heard there's a powerful swordsman here." Mihawk's gaze briefly stopped on Tom, and he had a feeling that, besides the three individuals before him, the feline pet might also wield a sword. This tavern was quite intriguing.

  "..." Adrian seemed to know who was setting him up, "Could that person you're talking about be a man with red hair and only one arm?"

  Mihawk nodded subtly.

  Meanwhile, the onlookers were in shock. The tavern owner was actually conversing casually with one of the Seven Warlords! And from the sound of it, he might have met Red-Haired Shanks too!
  At this moment, the expressions in their eyes seemed to say to Adrian, "We thought you were just an ordinary person, but you secretly know so many influential figures!"

  "So, did you come all the way from the New World to spar with us?" Adrian couldn't help but say. "Is it necessary?"

  "I'm just bored, passing the time."

  Indeed, Adrian finally remembered. This man in front of him was so bored that he had chased after weaklings like Krieg all the way from the Grand Line, through the Calm Belt, and into the East Blue, all to the point of chasing him down in the end.

  And he hadn't even killed him in the end.

  He truly was the laziest among the Seven Warlords, perhaps even the laziest man on this great sea.