For the next five minutes, Rayleigh found himself pinned to the ground, subjected to a violent beating, while Yoruichi took advantage of the situation to playfully paw at him. The tavern resonated with cries and commotion during this unexpected turn of events.
Fortunately, Rem and the others refrained from inflicting fatal harm. Although Rayleigh suffered some flesh wounds, they spared his internal organs. Grinning through the pain, he complained, "Tear..."
"Little ghost, didn't you say that all fighting is forbidden in the tavern?!" Rayleigh protested.
Ron shrugged, "That rule applies to the guests, not our own people."
Rayleigh's expression darkened at this blatant double standard. If he couldn't best Ron in a physical bout, he wished Ron could understand the trials of society through a good beating.
Suddenly, a red magic circle adorned with countless obscure spells appeared above Rayleigh's head, emitting fragments of light. It was the healing magic of the Dragon Clan. As the light touched his wounds, they swiftly began to mend. In less than a minute, Rayleigh's body was restored to its normal state.
"You still have a bit of conscience," Rayleigh commented, slowly getting up. "It's time for me to check on Ace, and the goods will be delivered to you tomorrow."
He left a stack of Berries on the table and exited the tavern.
Ron intended to rise and see him off, but a glance in the periphery revealed Rem's angry gaze. The cheeks of the twin sisters were slightly puffed, their willow eyebrows creased, and their eyes filled with sorrow, making them look genuinely adorable.
"It was a misunderstanding just now, and you all saw that I was passive," Ron said with a wry smile.
"Hmph!" The two sisters turned their heads away, refusing to meet his gaze.
"Don't be angry; this kind of thing will never happen in the future."
Ron gently rubbed Rem and Ram's heads, reassuring them, "And I have nothing to do with Morgana."
"Hmm... It's impossible for you to see this kind of thing again in the future!" Ram remarked suspiciously.
"Really?" Rem inquired, looking doubtful.
"Really," Ron affirmed seriously. Suddenly, his expression turned stern, and he added, "You can't beat the guests of the tavern anymore. Remember?"
"Understood... Master," Rem and Ram quickly whispered, appearing timid. "It won't happen in the future!"
"Get to work," Ron said softly.
With their master no longer angry, Rem and Ram exchanged sweet smiles, putting the earlier incident behind them. They then headed to the kitchen to start preparing the evening's ingredients.
Observing their delicate figures, Ron sighed inwardly. Rem and Ram were indeed quite easy to appease, unlike Gion...
If there's no hoeing at night and at noon, it's a problem yet to be resolved.
After Rayleigh and the others left, the tavern remained devoid of customers throughout the afternoon. Around nine in the evening, Ron concluded his day's business and retired to the backyard for some rest.
The following morning brought the usual routine—familiar figures, familiar dressing movements, and the familiar gesture of tossing money.
After three consecutive times, even the novelty of the sage mode causing trouble was beginning to wear thin. Ron found himself surprised at the lack of emotional disturbance.
Except for the nights, of course!
As Gion was about to jump out of the window that night, Ron halted her, asking, "Can you give me a reason?"
Gion turned around slowly, caressing Ron's face with her tender palm:
"Reason?"
"Little brother, you are so cute. There is no reason in the adult world, only comfort or discomfort. Don't worry, I won't pester you. You and I will only maintain this relationship. Do you understand?" Gion explained, and without waiting for Ron's response, she turned and leaped out of the window.
However, as she turned away, Ron caught a glimpse of pain in her eyes, a lingering cruelty that was difficult to ignore. Perhaps what Gion had shared earlier wasn't the whole truth, and there was another version of the story. The demeanor she presented might be a facade. Despite having the ability to use dragon magic to delve into Gion's memories, Ron refrained from doing so. He desired her to reveal her truth willingly. Maybe, once she confided, the Gion Ron saw would be the genuine one.
After freshening up, Ron returned to the pub from the backyard. The breakfast for the day consisted of buns and soy milk. While eating, he perused the freshly delivered newspaper.
[World Government Issued an Order to Convene Shichibukai; Will the Marines Make Big Moves in the Near Future?!]
[Revealed: Supernova Kid's Arm Was Actually Chopped Off by the Shanks!]
[Condemn: The Golden City Distributes Small Chips for Free; Ordinary People Don't Have Them, But the Nobles Can't Hold Them. This Newspaper Severely Condemns Them!]
Observing this, Ron smiled and shook his head. "Good fellow, this carriage incident before time travel can't be said to be similar; it can only be said to be exactly the same." The faces of capitalists remained unchanged, whether in the pirate world or the earth transversed by money.
At that moment, the tavern's door swung open, and Rayleigh entered with a grim expression. He walked towards the bar, shouldering a sword, and held a box in his hand. With a resounding "bang," Rayleigh placed the items on the bar and cursed:
"My coffin was really cleaned out by you!" Rayleigh exclaimed. Shifting the topic, he started to grin wildly, saying, "But it's so worth it! Shaky was so obedient after being fed obedient broad beans! I can only say that last night I felt like I was in heaven, and I couldn't extricate myself..."
Ron, silently complaining about Rayleigh's antics, calmly suggested, "It is recommended to remove the dirty roots, so that you can live for two more years."
Opening the box in front of him, Ron revealed a fruit covered with strange lines.
[Ding, the fruit Gobu Gobu no Mi. Mythical Beast zoan, Crow Tengu form!]
Ecstatic at the hint, Ron considered this transaction a blood profit. One mythical zoan could be exchanged for one thousand points. If Rayleigh were to discover that this fruit was a mythical zoan, he might be driven to a blood-vomiting rage.
"Your drink is free today. Drink whatever you want," Ron declared with a smile.
Rayleigh paused for a moment, then asked warily, "Why are you so generous today? You're not going to dig another hole and wait for me to jump in, right?"
Before Ron could respond, the tavern doorbell rang with a jingle. The door swung open, revealing a blond man walking in. The man had deep facial features and a handsome appearance. Despite wearing a dark blue tight-fitting uniform, he didn't look bloated; instead, it highlighted his strong figure. The only oddity was that he held a baby bottle in his mouth.
Approaching the bar and taking a seat, the man set down the bottle and flashed a smile. "I will have Have a glass of wine. I'm very unhappy now. If I'm not satisfied, the consequences will be serious..."