Xia Tali was sleeping in her room because it was daytime and the sun was very bright today. For a Vampire, this was quite terrible weather, so she naturally hid in her room to sleep.
Luo Yan, who received no response, wasn't embarrassed, or rather, he was already used to being the only one on deck.
"Go call them, we're about to go ashore."
"okay, captain."
Potter flapped his wings and flew to the cockpit first, waking Mite before going to the bottom of the ship's hold to inform Luo Ta. Luo Yan didn't stay idle either; he knocked on Xia Tali's door and woke her up.
The ship slowly sailed into the port of Sabaody Archipelago. As the entrance to the New World, this small island located below the Red Line was very lively. The port was always bustling with ships, whether merchant vessels or pirate ships.
When Luo Yan's ship entered the port, it docked next to a grey pirate ship that was two or three times larger than his. However, he wasn't worried about his ship being attacked. Although there were many pirates here, the island had always been controlled by the Navy, and their forces were substantial. Unless there was existing animosity, no pirate would be foolish enough to cause trouble here.
As soon as they disembarked, Luo Yan handed Luo Ta and Mite five hundred thousand Berries each, then sternly instructed:
"You two, take the money and go have fun wherever you want. Come find me after you're done. Oh, and Mite, take the astrology orb with you. Later, just use divination to find me. Xia and I have serious business to attend to."
Mite and Luo Ta took the Berries, both a little surprised. It wasn't that they were surprised Luo Yan would let them go have fun; after all, they always used to go to Happy Street when they were in Alabasta, and now they had been at sea for so long, finally having an opportunity, they naturally wanted to go.
They just hadn't expected Luo Yan to give them money. They had earned quite a bit in Alabasta and still had plenty of money, enough for the Pleasure Quarter at least.
"Hey! Thank you, Captain!"
Although they didn't know why, the two of them certainly weren't foolish enough to ask. They happily took the money and ran off to have fun.
"Let's go, time for business."
Luo Yan turned to look at Xia Tali, then strode forward. Xia Tali quickly followed, simultaneously asking with barely concealed curiosity:
"Captain, why did you send them away?"
"Heh! It's not really sending them away. I'm afraid that fellow Luo Ta might get beaten to death, so I'm having him hide for now. We'll talk after we've made contact with the other party."
"Beaten to death?"
Xia Tali tilted her head in thought, but couldn't figure out why. However, her confusion didn't last long. After walking for less than half an hour, Luo Yan arrived at his destination: "Shakky's Rip-off Bar."
"This! Do we really have to go in?"
Xia Tali hesitated when she saw the bar's name. Luo Yan smiled and said playfully:
"Now you know why I had Luo Ta hide, right? Just by the name, you can tell the people inside aren't pushovers, and I might not even be able to beat them right now."
As he spoke, Luo Yan pushed open the bar door. As the bell above the door jingled, Shakky, who was smoking behind the bar, looked up.
"Oh? We have customers? What would you like to drink?"
"A beer."
Luo Yan strode forward and sat down at the bar. Shakky nodded, turned around, and placed a glass of beer on the bar. Luo Yan didn't stand on ceremony, picked up the beer, and chugged it, drinking more than half the glass.
"One million Berries."
Seeing that Luo Yan had already drunk the beer, Shakky narrowed her eyes and smiled as she stated the price. Xia Tali, who had hesitated at the door and just entered, widened her eyes when she heard one million Berries for a beer, wondering if something was wrong with her ears.
"Haha! That's not expensive at all."
Luo Yan didn't think it was expensive. Instead, he laughed heartily, pulling out the money he had prepared beforehand and placing it on the table, as if it wasn't one million Berries but one hundred Berries.
Shakky's narrowed eyes opened slightly, as if she was only now beginning to size up this customer. At the same time, her hand didn't hesitate; she immediately picked up the one million Berries and put it away under the bar.
"What an interesting young man."
Shakky said, exhaling a large puff of smoke from her mouth, holding the cigarette between her index and middle fingers of her right hand.
Luo Yan picked up his glass, drained the remaining half of the beer, and let out a long burp.
"*Burp*~! This beer has quite a kick."
"Hehe~ Of course, it's good liquor. So, young man, do you need anything else?"
Shakky didn't delay too long and got straight to the point. How could someone who came to this bar to drink a one-million-Berry beer be here just for a drink? They must have another purpose.
Luo Yan understood the meaning behind Shakky's words, and the smile on his face didn't diminish at all.
"I'm going to the New World and need to coat my ship. I'm sure you, Boss, can help me."
Shakky flicked the ash from her cigarette, put it back in her mouth, took a deep drag, and exhaled slowly.
"I do know a coating craftsman. By my calculations, he should be arriving soon, if he hasn't gone missing yet."
"So, all I have to do is wait here?"
"That's right."
Luo Yan nodded and looked back at Xia Tali, who had been standing behind him, a little dazed.
"Come sit down, why are you standing?"
"Ah? Ah! Okay!"
Xia Tali quickly snapped back to reality, taking a few quick steps to sit down at the bar.
Luo Yan first nudged Xia Tali with his chin, then looked at Shakky.
"Give her a glass of juice."
"Hehe~ Drinking juice at a bar, that's quite rare."
Shakky said this, but her hands were quick, and she soon placed a glass of orange juice in front of Xia Tali. But Xia Tali didn't dare to drink it, after all, she had heard the price of that beer earlier, so she looked at Luo Yan with pleading eyes.
Luo Yan chuckled softly and took out another one million Berries, placing it on the bar.
"Just drink it, it's just a glass of juice."
Saying this, Luo Yan pushed the Berries forward, indicating that Shakky could take the money, but Shakky shook her head.
"This glass of juice is on the house, consider it a gift for this lovely little one."
"Thank you..."
Although Xia Tali was still a bit hesitant to drink the juice, she quietly thanked her.
Her apprehension wasn't just because the beer had cost one million Berries, but also because Luo Yan had said before they came in that he might not be able to beat the other party.
"Hehe~ What a polite child. You two don't look like pirates?"
Shakky asked with a confident tone. Luo Yan nodded very frankly.
"No, we are Adventurers."