Shendu seethed with anger. He had been quietly drinking at the bar, minding his own business, and now he was kicked without reason. Why? Just because he had assumed the appearance of an ordinary person?
His scarlet eyes fixed on Blackbeard and the others, and his murderous intent, tangible and domineering, left them paralyzed with fear, stripping away even the courage to escape.
"Boss... What's going on with this guy?" Burgess asked, his body trembling.
Blackbeard remained silent, a potent fear swelling within him. It was the most primal fear, a raw and unbridled terror. At this moment, Blackbeard was utterly subdued, his eyes no longer holding the arrogance he had when he first entered the tavern.
"Yes... I'm sorry. My men didn't mean to offend. Please forgive me," Blackbeard gritted his teeth, each word a reluctant admission of defeat.
Ron spoke calmly, "Mr Shendu, please refrain,all fighting is prohibited in the tavern."
Shendu nodded, understanding Ron's message. Fighting might be forbidden within the tavern, but outside its confines, anything could happen.
"We're leaving now," Blackbeard declared, standing up. From this moment on, until their strength reached a level comparable to Shendu's, they would not dare to set foot in this tavern, perhaps not even in Area 12.
Just as Blackbeard was about to turn and leave, Ron uttered softly, "Wait a moment."
"What else do you want?" Blackbeard stopped in his tracks, forced a smile on his face, and turned around.
Although the tavern owner hadn't taken any action, the man standing next to him exuded an air of authority. Blackbeard couldn't help but be extremely afraid, especially after consuming the Dark Fruit. He valued his life and didn't want to inexplicably meet his end here.
"The wine has been served; finish it before leaving," Ron said softly. "Oh, by the way, now it's my turn to blackmail you. Five million berries for a bottle—isn't that reasonable?"
Blackbeard's face darkened. Five million a bottle? Wasn't that too much? It's like Ron is robbing the ocean, and he's not even a pirate!
Despite their reluctance, under Ron's compelling power, the five Blackbeards reluctantly returned to the bar, heads hanging low. They had learned their lesson from the previous encounter.
This time, they dared not pour too much into the bottle, cautiously introducing new products. Nevertheless, even with these precautions, the wine still felt like a knife slicing through them when it reached their stomachs.
After an hour, the five Blackbeards finally drained the bottle with tears in their eyes.
"Pay up—four people, total of 20 million berries," Ron said with a smile.
Blackbeard, Burgess, and the others exchanged glances, forced to place all their money on the bar. In the end, it wasn't enough.
Blackbeard reluctantly handed over all the rings on his fingers and necklaces around his neck to Ron, saying with a wry smile, "Boss, we really have no money."
"Forget it. It's not easy being pirates. Let's go," Ron smiled and waved his hand.
Relieved, the five Blackbeards rushed out of the tavern without a second thought.
"Boss, they've left the tavern," Shendu announced as he stood up.
Ron whispered, "It's okay to deal with them, but try not to harm civilians. Find a place where no one is around."
If Blackbeard had just had a drink and left, they could have had a friendly conversation. The feud between Ace, Rayleigh, and Blackbeard had nothing to do with Ron. However, with a gun pressed against his forehead, Ron had no choice but to eliminate the threat.
The reason Ron hadn't taken action earlier was to avoid breaking the rules he had set.
At that moment, Rem and Ram excitedly ran over from the backyard, looking at Ron with admiration.
"Apart from grilling fish every day, I have never experimented," Ron admitted.
"You guys go too, and pay attention to safety," he whispered to Rem and Ram. A baby swallow fell into the forest and landed in Ron's arms. "Okay, Master!" they replied.
With that, Shendu, Ram, and Rem dashed out of the tavern.
Meanwhile, on a plain far from the tavern, Blackbeard looked back and saw that no one was pursuing them. Relief washed over him, and he and his men collapsed on the ground, catching their breath.
From the moment they left the tavern until now, they hadn't dared to stop for fear that Ron might chase them down with a knife.
"Boss, why should we be afraid of him?" Burgess raised his fist and declared loudly, "In a fight, it's really not certain who will live and who will die!"
Blackbeard's face darkened. "You reckless man, you're not afraid of death. I am!"
Seeing the crew's bewilderment and grievances, Blackbeard sighed softly, "Use your brains. Since that man listens to the tavern owner, have you considered the tavern owner's strength? Remember, everything is arranged by fate; in the face of any situation, you must live into the next second!"
For Blackbeard, survival was the only hope and an opportunity to repay today's humiliation.
Burgess and the others were both frightened and relieved by his words, grateful they hadn't rushed into action earlier.
While the five were chatting, the temperature on the grassland suddenly soared. In the night sky, a burst of vibrant fireworks erupted, casting a fiery glow. Countless dazzling lights filled the sky.
In the distance, a fireball formed in Ram's hand, and flames surged on the ground.
As Shendu soared in mid-air, his scarlet pupils now bore a hint of gold.
Witnessing this transformation, Blackbeard immediately got up and shouted, "It's Akainu's Meteor Volcano, run!"
However, it was too late. Two scorching laser beams shot from Shendu's eyes, reaching Blackbeard and his crew almost instantly. A deafening explosion followed, knocking them all to the ground.
Meanwhile, the falling fireworks in the sky revealed their true nature—countless pieces of lava. Rem recognized the technique as one she had seen Akainu use before. While not as potent as Akainu's, Shendu's version still had a vast coverage, making it impossible for Blackbeard and his crew to evade.
Boom———! The lava crashed down, setting the entire plain ablaze. Simultaneously, the fireball in Ram's hand was hurled towards Blackbeard and his crew. Accompanied by Shendu's continuous "Electric Eyes" firing and the rain of lava, the entire Sabaody Archipelago shook violently that night.
Meanwhile, the residents of the archipelago panicked, their attention drawn to the brightest flames.
"Fire Fist Ace is fighting Admiral Akainu again?"
"Stop talking and run! When gods fight, mortals suffer!"
"There's an earthquake. Don't stand there! Run for your life! It's no joke if you get hit!"
Rayleigh, plowing his fields at home, saw the chaos and didn't have time to react. He hastily picked up his pants and went outside to assess the situation.
At the same time, Ron sat at the tavern door, observing the distant firelight calmly.
"If this allows Blackbeard to survive, he'll be lucky," he remarked.
Yoruichi in his arms raised her head and protested loudly, "I don't know if he can survive, but you're going too far by disturbing people's sleep!"