The *Freewill* slowly sailed into the port and docked.
Noticing the incoming ship, the villagers and sailors on the shore looked up to inspect it.
"It's a pirate flag..."
"Pirates entering the Grand Line have been getting more frequent lately."
"Let's hope they aren't here to cause trouble."
Seeing the black pirate flag fluttering on the mast, the villagers showed a hint of aversion and worry in their eyes, but they didn't overreact. It seemed they were already accustomed to the sight of pirates.
Seeing this, the Nyaban Brothers couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"Strange, why aren't they scared at all when they see us?"
"This kind of situation is quite normal in the Grand Line. Of course, don't expect them to welcome pirates either," Allen said casually.
The number of pirates in the Grand Line was incalculable, especially in this Great Pirate Era.
If they went to war every time they saw a pirate, many countries would have perished in endless conflicts long ago.
In fact, some powerful nations actually welcomed pirates. As long as they had the strength to defend themselves, the massive pirate population served as consumers who boosted the local economy.
As for weaker regions, most adopted a policy of ignoring them as much as possible. Avoiding any contact with pirates was enough to bypass the vast majority of risks.
After all, waiting for Marine rescue took time, while pirates could kill with a single swing of a blade.
"Assign some people to guard the ship, and the rest will disembark."
Allen gave the order and immediately jumped down from the ship.
Soon, about two-thirds of the pirates went ashore.
The rest stayed behind to guard the ship, including Gin.
In a completely unfamiliar place like this, it was highly necessary to leave a top officer on board.
Meanwhile, Allen and his group headed into town.
Under the peculiar gazes secretly cast by countless villagers, they walked down the street and arrived in front of a highly conspicuous mushroom-shaped building in town.
"7 Pools Hot Spring Inn? What a straightforward name."
Looking at the crooked, large characters on the signboard above, Nami muttered as she read it aloud.
Allen pushed the door open and led his people inside.
The lobby had over a dozen tables and a bar counter inside. It looked like a tavern, a very common inn layout.
Noticing the commotion, the lively diners in the tavern all turned their heads to look.
Seeing Allen and the hundred or so pirates swarming in behind him, the room instantly fell silent.
"Ohohoho, welcome to our establishment, everyone."
From behind the bar, a short man with fluffy, curly white hair quickly hurried over to greet them.
Approaching Allen, the man rubbed his hands together with a cheeky, ingratiating smile.
"I am the owner here. How may I help you?"
"Food, and bring out the booze."
Allen grinned, flashing his white teeth, and casually tossed a thick stack of Berries to the man.
"Ohohoho, understood. Please take a seat, everyone."
As soon as the owner received the money, his face lit up with an even wider smile. He turned his head and shouted toward the back:
"Frock! Hurry out and serve the guests!"
"Coming, ribbit!"
Accompanied by a strange frog croak, under the bizarre gazes of Allen and the others, a large green frog lifted the door curtain and walked out from the back.
To be precise, it was a woman wearing a plush frog hat, a green fuzzy mini-dress, and frog-shaped boots.
"Oh my, to think we'd have so many guests! Lady Luck is truly smiling upon us today, ribbit!"
The frog woman, Frock, cupped her face with both hands, her expression somewhat exaggeratedly happy.
Allen walked straight toward the bar counter.
His subordinate pirates followed suit and took their seats, instantly making the tavern feel a bit crowded.
Despite this, the original diners did not get up to leave.
Allen cast an extra glance at them but had no intention of ordering his men to clear the room. He simply waved for the owner to hurry up and serve the alcohol.
...
Night slowly fell, moonlight spilling across every street as lights flickered on in every household.
The caps of the giant mushrooms growing on the island emitted a faint blue glow, looking as dreamy as gemstones in the night.
The tavern was brightly lit, silhouettes mingling amidst a lively clamor.
"By the way, boss, do you know how long it takes for a Log Pose to fully record on this island?"
At the bar, Nami set down her glass and asked the man across from her.
The owner wiped a glass and replied with a chuckle:
"For Mushroom Island, it only takes half a day to fully record a Log Pose. You folks must have just arrived here."
"If you're in a hurry to set sail, you can leave by tomorrow morning. However, before you go, I highly recommend you experience our island's specialty hot spring: the Dream Mushroom Soup."
"Dream Mushroom Soup?"
Hearing the owner's words, Buchi scratched his head in confusion. "Does it taste good?"
Thwack!
Without even looking, Nami delivered a precise karate chop to his forehead and snapped:
"Didn't he just say it's a hot spring?"
"Ohohoho, this beautiful lady is absolutely right. I'm sure you all saw them when you arrived—the giant mushrooms growing all over this island."
The owner said with a smile. Setting down the freshly wiped glass, he bent over and pulled out a red mushroom from below that was as big as his head.
Allen and the others all looked over.
Placing the mushroom on the bar counter, the owner explained to them:
"This is called a Dream Mushroom. I hope you didn't accidentally eat any on your way here, because it contains anesthetic and hallucinogenic toxins that cause physical paralysis and induce a deep sleep."
"A trace amount is fine; it can even produce a nice effect when used as a sleep aid. But if you eat too much, it will trap a person in a deep dream state from which they can never wake up—which means death."
Saying this, the owner took out a small knife, sliced a tiny piece off the red mushroom cap, and held it up to demonstrate.
"About this much is enough."
"It makes people dream of wonderful things? Sounds pretty magical. As long as it doesn't exceed this amount, it's fine?"
Sanji took the mushroom slice from his hand.
Just as he was about to place it on the tip of his tongue to taste it, he heard the owner chuckle and say:
"I meant that this amount is enough to be lethal."
"Pfft—!!"
Sanji was so startled he nearly spat blood. He rolled his eyes, glaring fiercely at the man, and roared:
"Make things like that clearer next time, you bastard!!"
"Ohohoho."
The owner chuckled, covering his mouth, and continued:
"The so-called Dream Mushroom Soup is actually a hot spring pool dug out next to a giant Dream Mushroom, where the mycelium has been soaking for a long time. The toxicity is nowhere near as potent as eating it directly."
"It allows your body and mind to feel an unprecedented level of relaxation, and you don't have to worry about the risk of poisoning at all. It's a very famous local specialty hot spring."
Listening to the owner's introduction, Nami couldn't help but recall the shop name she had seen at the entrance. Eager to try it, she asked:
"You should have it here too, right? The Dream Mushroom Soup hot spring."
"Of course! Our '7 Pools Hot Spring Inn' naturally has seven hot spring pools. If you are all interested, please step into the backyard later to experience it."
When it came to business, the owner's expression immediately became attentive and eager.
Allen's interest was also piqued. He immediately said, "In that case, we'll book all the pools. We'll go try them out together later."
"Ohohoho! Frock! Hurry up and prepare the hot springs for our guests!"
"Got it, ribbit!"
The owner happily shouted toward the back and quickly received a reply.
...
Meanwhile, in a certain room in the backyard.
A man wearing a top hat with a sword at his waist sat across from a woman at a table.
And currently laid out on the table were several wanted posters—impressively, they were of Allen, Gin, and the Nyaban Brothers!
From outside the door, the frog-dressed woman walked in. With a sly smirk on her lips, she said to the two people in the room:
"The prey has taken the bait. Mr. 11, Miss Thursday, go gather the men and get ready."
"Gahahaha, I know, Miss Father's Day. To think a pirate with a bounty of 45 million Berries would fall into our trap so easily. I'd expect nothing less from you and Mr. 7."
Mr. 11 let out a loud laugh. Staring at the wanted posters on the table, a trace of fanaticism flashed in his eyes.
"As long as we take down this crew, we won't have to worry about our fundraising quota for this month at all."
"Don't get too careless, idiot. Word from the port says the other party still has a portion of their crew left on the ship."
Miss Father's Day spun an alpaca-shaped pistol around her fingertips a few times and let out a sinister laugh.
"Later on, make sure to leave their captain alive. We'll use him as a hostage..."
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