Chapter 86: Endless Extravagance, Endless Money to Spend!
Smoker suddenly startled awake, seeing an unfamiliar ceiling.
Or perhaps not so unfamiliar; it seemed to be from inside a warship...
"You're awake, Captain Smoker."
Smoker glanced over, looking at Tashigi guarding beside him. He sat up halfway, lowered his head to look at the bandages wrapped all over his body, and asked, "How am I on a warship?"
The last thing he remembered was fighting Sag, then passing out.
"The Straw Hat crew's doctor saved you and handed you over to us..." Tashigi pursed her lips and said.
Smoker was silent for a moment, reached out to touch his body, then found a cigar on the bedside cabinet. He lit it, took a deep drag, let the smoke brew in his mouth, and slowly exhaled.
"Straw Hat, huh…"
He got off the bed, opened the door, walked up the stairs to the deck. The first thing he saw were the dotted stars and the moon bright as a lamp. The moonlight reflected on the sea, draping the port city of Nanohana in a silver cloak.
"The Straw Hat crew has withdrawn. The Natural Disaster Pirates are still staying in this city. We've found their pirate ship, but it's heavily guarded. Should we attack?" Tashigi followed behind, asking somewhat hesitantly.
It wasn't hesitation out of fear of Natural Disaster, just…
"Before, you couldn't stop them?" Smoker asked gravely.
"No…"
Tashigi lowered her head, strands of hair falling down, covering her eyes.
She clenched her fist. "We tried to stop them before. We failed."
The Marine unit she led in pursuit of the Straw Hats had been defeated by the Straw Hats, along with 'Demon Man' Gin and 'Iron Wall' Pearl. But the strange thing was, they were also technically saved by the Straw Hat crew, at least Captain Smoker was.
"Then don't waste the subordinates' lives. Attacking the ship won't allow us to arrest that 'Natural Disaster' anyway."
Smoker bit his cigar, looking at the row of circular, pointed buildings in the city ahead, especially one relatively tall building that was brightly lit, flashing with brilliant light. If he looked long enough, he could faintly hear the lively shouts coming from there.
"That guy isn't someone we can handle with the hundred or so men we brought. Besides…"
Compared to Natural Disaster, he had more important matters.
In his hazy state, he seemed to have been treated by someone, and at the same time, heard some things…
"What do you think?" Smoker asked.
"Captain Smoker, Natural Disaster is indeed very powerful. We should call for support…" Tashigi said.
"It's not about that. And we deserted our post without authorization; there's no support to call."
Smoker shook his head. "You should have heard it too. I have an impression, about Princess Vivi, and the matter of Arabasta…"
"Yes!"
Tashigi snapped to attention. "I heard!"
She had heard more clearly than Smoker, knowing about Arabasta, Dancing Powder, and…
Crocodile!
…
Inside a certain entertainment venue in Nanohana, one could say it was a cacophony of gongs, drums, and firecrackers… well, not literally those things.
In the huge hall, over a hundred people were unrestrained, holding wine glasses, laughing wildly, occasionally competing in drinking games with those beside them, or opening their mouths waiting for the dancers serving them to feed them.
Each of them had a table laden with Arabasta's unique foods, with a scantily clad dancer serving beside them.
In the center of the hall, a group of dancers rose with the rhythm of the music, beginning a dance extremely characteristic of Arabasta style.
And at the head table, there was an even larger dining table, bearing not only Arabasta's food but also delicacies Marika had prepared using the borrowed kitchen.
Sag sat at the head, not moving, surrounded by a row of dancers with quite decent figures and looks, serving him one by one.
He picked up a wooden wine cup, let a dancer pour him some wine, raised it towards the hall, and laughed loudly, "Men! Get lively!"
"Oooh!!"
The subordinates raised their wine cups one after another, cheering for Sag.
Sag's subordinates had found a good place, so he generously booked the entire venue, had someone fetch the wine he had ordered earlier, and started the banquet.
Whatever was delicious, good to drink, or fun, serve it up. The main point was: money is no object!
If you have money, you should enjoy life. His goal of being a wealthy landlord was also for enjoyment, not to bury money in the ground.
Arabasta certainly had dancers, and even sold dancer outfits. Sag was willing to throw money around. Even if one place didn't have enough dancers, he'd make the owner find other places to gather enough dancers for him.
The grandeur must be established!
As the saying goes:
Endless extravagance to display, endless grandeur to arrange, endless delicacies to eat, endless money to spend!
Endless songs and dances to watch, endless wealth to rob, endless riches to enjoy, endless glorious years to live!
"This is what I want!"
Sag drank another cup of wine, swallowed the food placed before him like a whale, digesting it instantly.
Having fought two consecutive battles, especially using Life Return to heal after facing Ace, he himself would get hungry. This kind of technique required energy to be used without restraint.
Since mastering Life Return, his appetite had significantly increased. Besides the factor of training, he also deliberately stored some energy to use for healing injuries during battle.
Life Return and Life Return were different. He didn't know about others, but anyway, this technique, he could use it finely, until he broke through the realm he had always envisioned.
"Still too early…"
Sag clenched his hand, didn't care anymore, and laughed heartily at the crowd, "Men! Tonight, even if you get drunk, you must drink for me! No one is allowed to leave until they fall down! Ho-hahahaha!"
"Captain, we won't fall down!" Several pirates below laughed loudly.
Lily was also sitting at this huge dining table, elegantly cutting a piece of meat steak and putting it in her mouth, then taking a sip of the drink beside her, turned her head, "Sag, what about after we stay here for two days?"
"Lily, don't talk business with me during a party! What could be more important than partying? We'll talk after the party is over!"
Sag waved his hand dismissively at Lily, put his arm around a dancer, letting her pour him wine, appearing wanton and arrogant.
Pirates were this kind of creature, and Sag…
He was very dedicated to his profession.
Except for certain principles, whatever pirates should do, he would do!
"Ara, the taste of these noodles is very good."
Marika, on the other side of the table, took a bite of noodles and exclaimed in surprise.
Nearby, Renettia's small hands kept grabbing food. While burying her head in eating, she stared at the grandeur of Lily and Marika's chests and their slender waists, saying fiercely:
"I'll eat! I'll eat! After eating, I'll grow up too!"
Although the dancers' figures weren't bad either, compared to these two, there was still a gap, especially Lily…
Damn it, how did they grow to such proportions!
She resolved to use these two as motivation and eat like crazy!
"Hey, the wine's gone! Pour another cup!"
After Sag finished a cup of wine, the surrounding serving dancers were slow to move. He slammed the wine cup on the table and shouted, "Don't slack off!"
The dancers didn't move, all looking towards the center of them, their gazes astonished, mixed with a bit of awe.
In that instant, Lily stood up abruptly, gripping her sword hilt.
Marika's action of picking up noodles froze, and she backhandedly grabbed the chair beside her.
Renettia, while still eating, turned her head to look behind Sag, saying unhappily, "Who are you!"
"Having a good time, Norton Sag," a voice sounded from behind Sag's side.
Sag didn't stop his actions, picked up a fork, speared a piece of meat for himself, took a large bite, chewing even the bones to pieces.
"Don't spoil my mood, Crocodile."
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