The barbecue restaurant next door was bustling with people, lively and noisy.
The entire place was packed full, even the aisles were filled with people standing.
At a glance.
It was full of muscular men dressed in metal punk fashion, they were tearing into the sizzling oily barbecue, gulping down beer, with shouts and cheers echoing throughout.
At first glance, it seemed quite bold.
But the premise...
You have to ignore the headbands atop these muscle men, embroidered like those fan club members of underground idols—
"Lord Xiano Loyal Canine Club - Log Town Branch"
"Justice resides in the heart, not in appearance!"
"Swear an oath to follow Lord Xiano, the Sword Master's soul will never perish!"
"Endgame's Followers - Rookie Fighters (self-titled) make their grand entrance!"
...
The writings varied greatly, but without exception, they all expressed a fervent admiration for that Sea Emperor.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere grew more intense when an officer with a Mohawk hair jumped onto the table, raised his glass, and shouted:
"Hey! Boys, loudly answer me, from the East Sea, who is the number one best man!!!"
"Boss Xiano—!!!"
"Who's second then?"
"Boss Barto—!!!"
"Oh oh oh!!!"
The entire restaurant erupted in deafening cheers.
In the corner.
Bartolomeo burped drunkenly, laughing heartily with a flushed face:
"What the hell, haven't I told you guys, every time you mention Boss Xiano, don't follow up by also calling me 'Boss,' otherwise it seems disrespectful to Boss Xiano!"
The Mohawk hair officer agreed deeply, raising his right arm:
"Then let's change the title, boys, answer me again, who is the second-best man under Boss Xiano in the East Sea!"
"Barto Number Two—!!!"
"Hey! Calling me 'Number Two' is too much!" Barto roared angrily, showing his sharp teeth.
Bang!
Just then, a loud explosion came from the tavern next door, followed by the miserable screams of two teenagers.
"If you're gonna fight, do it outside!"
A woman's cold, impatient voice immediately followed, "Loser goes to the hospital, winner comes to settle the bill!"
Oh ho?
Something interesting to watch?
Bartolomeo and his followers instantly perked up, turning their heads in unison to look.
Outside, on the open ground.
A freckle-faced cowboy hat, and a Green Algae Head were sent flying out of the tavern with a kick, grimacing in pain, rubbing their butts.
Then they simultaneously turned their heads, glaring angrily at each other, suddenly shouting and charging forward, fighting together.
Bartolomeo and his people crowded at the door, watching intently, pointing occasionally.
"Haha, interesting, Green Algae Head!"
Ace sidestepped the slash, laughing as he shouted, "I didn't expect there to be another swordsman like you from the East Sea besides Xiano, so strong! However, it seems you still can't beat my fists!"
Buzz!
He suddenly clenched his right fist, and for an instant, including his entire arm, it turned black.
Zoro's pupils slightly contracted.
He had seen it on brother Xiano before, if he remembered correctly, this was the power called Armament Haki, right?
Kuina also mentioned that this power is usually mastered by pirates entering the New World, rarely seen in the first half.
This guy seemed so skilled, should it be said he really is the highest bounty among this generation of Super Rookies?
But...
"Just Haki, don't get too cocky! A swordsman's willpower is enough to cut through anything!"
Zoro snorted coldly, squinted his eyes, "Also, show more respect to brother Xiano! Once I cut you down, I can use it to offset the alcohol bill and even have money for ship repairs!
This time I'll get a big ship, waiting to reunite with that damn Curly Eyebrow, must make him jealous!
Swoosh!
The two swords were gripped again, with speed indistinguishable to the naked eye, suddenly slashing away.
"Dual-Sword Style: Seventy-Two Troubles Wind!"
...
Not far from the rooftop, two figures, faces indifferent, looked down at this battle from on high.
"Another Xiano admirer, huh."
Kid snorted disdainfully, extending his finger to tap his temple, "These guys from East Sea, one by one, seem to have some sort of brain issue."
Pirates set sail to find ONE PIECE! To conquer this sea, and become the new Pirate King, right?
And these guys, what do they think they're doing, chasing stars?
Captain Kid wouldn't admire anyone, he only worshipped himself, his fist was the truth!
"Since they're fellow countrymen, it's normal to have admiration for their predecessors."
Kira, wearing a mask, showed no expression, speaking softly:
"Compared to that, I'm more concerned about another point, isn't it said the East Sea is the weakest sea, why in our generation of Super Rookies, out of eleven, does East Sea hold five spots? That's almost half."
"Numbers are the least important thing."
Kid didn't care, grinning a cold laugh, "After all, most are useless, their bounty doesn't even surpass yours, right? But this freckled guy, huh, is bold indeed, his bounty is even higher than mine, I must openly defeat this kid in front of everyone!"
"Return the title of the strongest Super Rookie to me!"
...
"Those two ugly guys, posing dumbly on the rooftop for ages, finished yet? What are they watching so intently?"
In a high-class restaurant's second-floor balcony, a golden-haired young man as handsome as a painting, elegantly sipping his tea, frowned unhappily at the rooftop opposite.
Really spoiling the scenery.
Someone of such unrivaled elegance as him, to be listed with these people as Super Rookies, and have the spotlight stolen by the highest bounty individuals, what a humiliation indeed.