Dimon thought it over and decided not to waste the Wine of Immortality.
He had only one bottle. Indulging his curiosity would be a foolish luxury.
As a demon, he was the creator of the wine, which meant it had no effect on him.
Agelessness was merely a baseline trait of his kind. He did not need to drink it.
Someone like Imu possessed a similar power.
Imu could grant others immortality, and her control over it likely surpassed Dimon's.
Thinking along that line, Dimon wondered, Could Imu be a demon too?
Unfortunately, when he crossed over, One Piece was still ongoing. He knew little about Imu's true face or strength.
Just then, the robed elder from before returned, and behind him stood a young, striking woman.
"Lord Satan, we have prepared a sacrifice for you."
The elder dropped to his knees before Dimon. "This woman is a pure and untouched maiden, the princess of our kingdom. Please accept her. We beg you to avenge us."
The woman knelt as well. Determination shone on her face, as if she had already made peace with being eaten by a demon.
Dimon stared for a beat.
He was not sure where to begin correcting that.
He gave the girl a quick once-over. She looked barely past childhood, pretty to be sure, but not so breathtaking that the world stopped.
At best, ordinarily pretty.
"What is your name?"
"Great Lord Satan, my name is Arisa Ōseya. I am fourteen."
Her voice trembled as she answered. She did not dare lift her head.
Fourteen. He would have guessed seventeen or eighteen.
People in this world matured quickly, it seemed.
"I am not Satan. My name is Dimon. Call a demon by the wrong name and misfortune follows. Remember that."
"Yes, Lord Dimon." Princess Ōseya nodded, tense and obedient. "Lord Dimon, I am willing to give my life. Please avenge my father and the one hundred thousand citizens of our land."
"How many of you are left?" Dimon asked, genuinely curious.
Every three years, the Celestial Dragons slaughtered an island. During their hunting games, the Marines sealed the borders.
How had these people escaped?
"Only thirteen survive," the elder said bitterly. "Lord Dimon, I am the captain of the royal guard of the Shione Kingdom. My name is Rokurō Kanda. I led my men to shield Her Highness with our lives. Only then did we escape."
"The rest are dead."
"The Marines still refuse to let us go. We fled all the way to Beehive Island before we could barely survive."
"How ironic. Beehive, playground of pirates, has become our sanctuary. The Marines hesitate to come here."
"Lord Dimon, whatever you demand, we will agree to it. Please avenge us."
Dimon had no interest in hearing a long tragedy. If he were invincible, he would not mind settling their score in passing.
But to him, they were strangers.
He had compassion, though not in endless supply.
"Keep your sacrifice. You have some odd ideas about demons. We do not eat people. At least, I do not."
He waved a hand. "What I need is a bar. Nothing too large. Prepare one for me."
A subtle look of relief crossed the princess's face. No one truly wanted to die.
Kanda was overjoyed. A demon who made requests was far less frightening than one who made none at all.
Serve him well and vengeance might be within reach.
"Understood, Lord Dimon. I will make arrangements at once."
"Your Highness, please attend to Lord Dimon."
A small bar soon appeared on Beehive Island, tucked away in a quiet corner.
It was not that Kanda refused to buy something grand. He had no money.
They had been running for a year. All the gold and jewels they carried had long been sold. In the end, they could only purchase a small house and refit it as a bar.
As a pirate paradise, Beehive bristled with taverns. Most were run by the descendants of pirates.
To put it bluntly, ordinary folk were rare here. Most families had once been wealthy.
Beyond bars, there were casinos, brothels, and every other diversion pirates enjoyed.
Dimon's little bar did not stand out at all.
At noon that day, the bar received its first customer.
He was huge, far beyond normal size, with white horns jutting from his brow. A sleeveless leather vest hugged his massive frame. A spiked kanabō rested on his shoulder.
"There is a bar even in a place like this?"
Kaido pushed open the door. Inside, the tiny space held only three tables.
He had barely stepped in when a young girl hurried forward, bright and clear-voiced.
"Welcome, sir..."
At a height of one and a half meters, Princess Ōseya had to crane her neck. The newcomer loomed like a giant.
Fear flashed across her face. She stammered, "Y-you are Kaido, a member of the Rocks Pirates."
This island was ruled by the great pirate Rocks D. Xebec. The populace knew him and his core crew by sight.
Naturally, Arisa Ōseya knew them too.
Wanted posters were everywhere. There was no mistaking these faces.
At the mention of Kaido's name, Dimon folded the newspaper behind the counter and looked up.
"You may step back, Arisa."
"Yes, Lord Dimon."
The princess withdrew at once.
Kaido arched a brow and sniffed, baring his teeth in a grin. "You the owner? I smelled good liquor outside. Bring me your best."
He dropped onto a stool at the counter.
"I only serve one kind of drink," Dimon said with an easy smile. "You can have it, but you must pay an appropriate price."
"How much?" Kaido curled his lip. Money was no problem. For good liquor, he would name a king's ransom without blinking.
"One cup for one Devil Fruit."
"What?" Kaido blinked. "You jest?"
Even the cheapest Devil Fruit was worth at least one hundred million berries.
As a principal member of the Rocks Pirates, his current bounty was only five hundred million.
His expression darkened. Paying for fine liquor was natural, even for a pirate.
But he was no fool. What sort of drink cost one hundred million a cup?
"That is the price."
Dimon's tone was calm. "It is called the Wine of Immortality. One cup grants agelessness and undying flesh."
"What nonsense is that?" Kaido narrowed his eyes.
"Doubt is reasonable. As the bar's first guest, you may run a tab."
Dimon smiled. "You can drink first and pay afterward."
He drew the bottle of Wine of Immortality from beneath the counter and pulled the wooden stopper. Fragrance blossomed through the room.
Kaido swallowed despite himself. From the aroma alone, it was superb.
A single bottle yielded only four cups.
Even with small glasses, anything poured beyond the fourth would lose its effect.
Dimon filled Kaido a brimming cup and nudged it across the counter.
"But one warning."
"Once you drink, your appearance will fix at this moment. Your body will not age. Even if your head is taken, your body will return to its original state."
His certainty made Kaido hesitate.
Could a drink like this exist?
"Like a Logia's elementalization? Immune to physical damage?"
"Something like that."
Kaido grinned and added, "It had better be true, or I will smash your place."
He lifted the cup and downed it in steady gulps.
"Good," Kaido said with real appreciation. "This is the best drink I have ever tasted. Boss, another."
"More will not increase the effect," Dimon said, still smiling. "And until you pay, there will be no second cup."
Denied a refill, Kaido felt ants crawling under his skin.
He was a young drunkard. Being cut off was agony.
"Do we do this the hard way?"