72 Chapter 72

"Chapter 72: Binks' Sake"

Around four in the afternoon, Adrian spotted Guragas and his fleet of trucks outside the tavern. It seemed he was indeed making deliveries in the vicinity. The wine he ordered for his shop was really just an incidental part of the haul.

"Hahaha, Adrian my boy, I've arrived!" The big-bearded Guragas remained as enthusiastic and hearty as ever.

"Waited a bit for you. Looks like you're in for some serious business." Adrian gestured towards the fleet of fully loaded trucks.

"It's indeed a good business opportunity." Guragas laughed heartily as he beckoned to his workers. "Don't stand around, unload the cargo quickly!"

Adrian asked casually, "Is there a new tavern opening nearby? Ordering this much wine all at once."

Guragas chuckled, "Haha, these are orders from passing ships. I can't specify the exact clientele, but you don't need to worry about anyone snatching your business."

Though he didn't specify, it was quite clear he was referring to pirates. Adrian whispered, "Are you really daring enough to do this kind of business? Aren't you afraid of losing money and goods?"

"Hehe, since I dare to do it, I'm confident in my ability." Guragas patted his round belly. "This body of mine didn't come from just drinking."

Adrian glanced at his robust limbs and stout body, nodding in understanding. He reckoned Guragas had dealt with pirates more than just a few times before. "Just be careful."

"Hey, Adrian, you seem surprisingly open to this kind of business?"

Adrian pondered for a moment and said, "I'm just a small tavern owner. I can't manage too much. Besides, even the customers in my tavern might include such people. If they don't cause trouble and don't announce their identities, I wouldn't be able to tell who they are."

"If you can take it lightly, that's good. In this world... Anyway, enough about that. Let's see the fine wines I brought you." Guragas pulled out two bottles of wine from his car, neatly packaged in gift boxes.

"This is a type of rum from the West Blue, Captain-Morgan. It's not overly expensive, but it's rare in the Grand Line. It's a perfect gift. This kind of liquor is well-loved by sailors and pirates of the West Blue. You could call it 'Binks' Sake.'"

"Huh? Is 'Binks' Sake' referring to this kind of liquor?" Adrian was surprised. Most people who had seen One Piece would surely have a deep impression of the song "Binks' Sake." But what exactly Binks' Sake referred to was still a mystery.

"That's one way to put it. After all, that famous song and this type of liquor both originated in the West Blue. You can call it a sailor's song or a pirate's song. It symbolizes adventure, hope, and the gallant spirit of seafaring men." Guragas explained:

The so-called Binks' Sake in the song doesn't refer to any specific type of liquor. On the high seas, any liquor that brings sailors together for a joyful time, singing and dancing, can be called Binks' Sake."

"Oh, I see. That's enlightening." Adrian accepted the two bottles of wine. One bottle cost fifty thousand berries, which seemed expensive but not outrageously so. Most of the cost probably came from transportation.

"No, I'm the one who's enlightened..." Guragas stared blankly at the people in the tavern as they unloaded the crates of wine. He was amazed at the scene.

He already recognized Artoria, the tavern's guard. It wasn't surprising for her to carry three crates of wine.

The relatively tall girl was said to be a new waitress, and she effortlessly carried three crates of wine, which was also acceptable.

But what was up with that cat? Last time he came, it was shaky just carrying one crate. This time, how was it carrying three crates?

"Boss, are you sure your cat doesn't need help?" Guragas asked. Even though he had already sold the wine, he would still feel heartbroken if so much good wine broke right in front of him.

"Don't worry about it. It's fine." Adrian glanced at Tom. Seeing that the other two were carrying three crates each, he felt like he couldn't be left out, so he also carried three crates.

Although Tom's legs were trembling and the crates could fall at any moment, and he could even hear the light clinking of bottles inside the crates, he still managed to make it inside the gate without incident, stumbling towards the wine cellar.

Adrian believed in Tom. Even if the crates above fell, he was sure Tom would find a way to catch them with various parts of his body.

After settling the payment, Adrian watched as Guragas' caravan grew distant. He muttered, "That direction... he's heading straight for the lawless zone. Hope everything turns out okay."

Adrian brought the last crate of wine inside the tavern and closed the door. He would visit Goodman Uncle in a couple of days, bringing the gift along.

"This crate happens to be red wine. Tom, how about making red wine-braised steak for dinner? I remember we bought some beef." Adrian opened a crate and took out a bottle of red wine.

Tom gave a thumbs-up gesture and then rubbed his fingers together, miming the act of counting money.

"Do you want money?" Adrian asked.

Tom grinned, nodding.

"Alright." At noon, Adrian

was so focused on craving elephant tuna that he didn't properly organize the money. He spread two newspapers on the table and poured out all the bills, totaling over fifty-six million berries.

Most of the bills were stacked in bundles of one million berries each, and the chaotic heap of fifty or sixty bills was visually striking.

Adrian remained calm. After holding onto this money for so long, he had built up some immunity to its effects.

Artoria seemed composed too. She didn't let money dazzle her, but the pile of bills on the table kept transforming into shapes—chicken legs, cakes, chocolates...

Rui Mengmeng was a bit excited. She had never seen this much money in her life. Over the past few days, she had gained some understanding of the purchasing power of berries. She knew that this money was a lot for ordinary people.

Tom was even more straightforward. He cupped his hands over his heart, his eyes popping out of his sockets, transforming into the shape of berries, then retracting. Finally, he dove into the pile of money, rubbing against it.

Adrian considered for a moment and said, "Most of this money comes from the pirate crew we took down today. How about we split it evenly?"

Tom's eyes lit up, and he happily grabbed his share, one-fourth of the total, before dashing upstairs.

Artoria shook her head. "I'll pass. After all, you're the one who pays whenever we go shopping."

Rui Mengmeng chimed in, "Me too. I don't usually need money for much, and my salary is already quite substantial."

"Fair enough... Well, let's just consider it stored with me for now." Adrian picked up two stacks of bills and handed them to Artoria and Rui Mengmeng. "It's good to have some cash on hand. You never know when you might need it."

He stuffed the rest into the rice cooker and returned it to his inventory.

Speaking of which, this rice cooker is a bit small. It's a struggle to stuff everything in. Next time, I should get a new refrigerator and use Tom's big refrigerator to store the money.

Money stored in the fridge... I absolutely won't spend a single berry of it!