35 Chapter 35
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The pirate ship slowly halted beside the Endless Dream, without following the normal procedure for docking alongside.
The pirates on deck, after verifying this was indeed a newly opened floating restaurant, leaped from their ship in a bold and domineering manner and stormed directly into the Endless Dream.
"Welcome to the floating restaurant Endless Dream. What would our guests like to eat?"
Zyhark, who had been waiting at the restaurant's counter on the first floor, greeted them while assessing the group of grim-faced pirates.
The group wasn't large, only seven members, all dressed in plain dark clothes with swords at their waists and some carrying flintlock pistols.
Leading them was a burly man with a face full of scars, carrying two large scimitars crossed on his back.
"The floating restaurant Endless Dream? I've never heard of it in the East Blue; is it new?"
The pirate captain's gaze also turned towards the counter.
Seeing the small-scale restaurant manned only by a seemingly unimpressive young man and a delicate-looking young woman, his eyes briefly flashed with a ruthless glint.
"Money is not an issue. Bring us meat and booze, whatever kind you have, and as much as you can!"
With that, the pirate captain gestured arrogantly and took a seat at a nearby table, followed by his smirking crewmates.
"Understood, please wait a moment. You can start with some peanuts as a starter."
Zyhark, smiling, was quite pleased with the pirates' brazen attitude.
He liked these overbearing pirates who seemed unlikely to play by the rules.
After instructing Aqua to serve some appetizers, he went into the kitchen, leaving behind the East Blue Pirate Wanted Poster.
Twin Scimitars Smophis, a notorious pirate known for attacking merchant ships on the high seas, with a bounty of 2.5 million belly.
Though the bounty was significantly lower than the mountain bandit king Higuma's, it was still an eye-catching figure.
For the first catch, it was somewhat satisfactory.
'Brothers, please don't pay later!' Zyhark silently prayed.
He had principles; as long as patrons paid their bill in the restaurant, whether they were wealthy merchants or pirates, he would thank them and let them leave safely.
There weren't more than five businesses operating floating restaurants in the East Blue.
If he were to tie up every pirate that came in without asking questions, his reputation would eventually suffer, hindering long-term business prospects.
Of course, if a pirate with a bounty of over ten million, not too troublesome to handle, came along,
Zyhark would consider lowering his professional standards to rid the seas of such nuisances, bringing peace and tranquility to these vast waters.
"Here are some complimentary appetizers from our restaurant."
Aqua, carrying plates of peanuts, placed them on the pirates' table with grace.
Initially reluctant to play the role of a waitress upon hearing Zyhark's request, Aqua's attitude shifted completely when she learned it came with a daily wage of one Chopper (1000 belly).
It was all about seeing money open doors!
"Oh, the little lady here is quite a beauty, isn't she?"
Pirate captain Smophis, impressed by the flawless young woman before him, couldn't help but compliment her.
The other pirates, too, couldn't conceal their admiration for Aqua, though surprisingly, despite their typically brutal and lascivious nature, they made no untoward advances, merely returning to their calm demeanors after a few glances.
Perhaps it was Aqua's inherent divine aura that cleansed their lascivious thoughts, or maybe Aqua had blessed herself to ward off such desires.
Given Aqua's intelligence, the former seemed more likely.
"Thank you for the compliment."
Aqua, sensing these men were similar to the bandits from Windmill Village, had no intention of engaging further and merely responded briefly.
The pirates, unbothered, grabbed the peanuts and began munching, commenting on their tastiness.
About half an hour later, Zyhark, who had been busy in the kitchen, turned off the stove, hung up his apron, and returned to the counter beside Aqua—who, unsurprisingly, had sneaked a few bites.
By then, the meat dishes had been served, and crates of chilled beer placed by the pirates' feet.
Gathered around their captain, Smophis, the pirates ate and drank without restraint, recounting their recent plundering exploits with loud laughter.
As the sun set, painting the sky fiery red and night began to approach, the pirates, having had their fill, stood up to leave.
As expected, they showed no intention of paying, striding towards the restaurant's exit.
"Guests, you haven't paid your bill yet."
Zyhark, casually flipping through the newspaper with his head down, tensed his muscles subtly under his light blue short sleeves.
"Oh? We have to pay for eating here?"
Pirate captain Smophis paused, hands in his pockets, and glanced back at Zyhark with ill intent.
"This is a floating restaurant, not a charity for the stranded. You've eaten our meat and drunk our wine, so naturally, you have to pay."
"If you don't have money, I'm afraid you won't be leaving through this door today."
Zyhark's eyes narrowed as he slowly stood up, ready to unleash his Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki to take down these pirates daring to dine and dash.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
At Zyhark's words, the pirates were initially stunned, then burst into uproarious laughter.
Though they weren't major pirates, they were seasoned enough not to be intimidated by mere words.
"Boss, you might have forgotten something important, right?"
Captain Smophis raised his hand to stop his crew's laughter, his smile turning dark.
The atmosphere in the restaurant grew eerily silent.
The intense aura of imminent danger made even Aqua, who had been idly by, tense up.
"Aqua, now's the time, soak their flintlock guns!"
Spotting the pirate captain reaching for his weapon at his waist, Zyhark, fully prepared, leaped over the counter like a human tank charging towards the pirate crew. In this crucial moment, Aqua finally didn't drop the ball. After quickly casting a buff to boost Zyhark's attributes, she prepared to summon a water column to attack, aiming to render the pirates' most lethal firearms useless first.
The coordination between the two was remarkably seamless, taking the pirates by surprise before they could properly react. With his speed now enhanced, Zyhark had already closed the distance and was ready to engage them head-on!
Everything seemed poised for a swift victory, promising an easy claim of 2.5 million belly.
However, life often has a way of throwing unexpected curveballs.
Just as Zyhark raised his fist to strike the pirate captain Smophis on the head, Smophis pulled out his "weapon" from his waist.
It wasn't a sharp blade or a gun, but...
The sign that Aqua had hung at the entrance of the restaurant!
Thanks to his heightened focus and activation of Conqueror's Haki, Zyhark managed to catch a glimpse of the sign's content in just a moment, reading it clearly.
[Welcome to the floating restaurant Endless Dream. Any adherent of the goddess Aqua's faith dines for free! ('')]
Zyhark: "..."
I... my goodness!!!
That explains her sudden eagerness and thoughtfulness in making a sign for the restaurant!
This damned goddess!!!!
(End Of Chapter)
