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Seeing Byakuya remove his mask, a cold glint flashed in the eyes of Lucci and Blueno.
They then quietly removed their masks and followed Byakuya toward the tavern in the town's centre.
This time, they were acting under the identity of the "Night" organization, which is why they needed to wear masks to conceal their true identities.
Byakuya's decision to remove his mask signalled that for everyone on this island who had seen his face, there was likely only one fate—death.
Lucci and Blueno found nothing wrong with Byakuya's actions. Both had survived brutal training as agents, with hands stained by countless lives.
Hubert, still unaware of the grim reality, cheerfully introduced Byakuya to the local speciality of Whisky Peak: whiskey.
He had no idea that the three "fat sheep" he was leading were, in fact, three harbingers of death and that he was walking further down the path to his demise.
When Byakuya and his companions sat down, the tavern quickly returned to its previous lively and noisy atmosphere.
Hubert brought out steaming roasted meat and fragrant whiskey, placing them in front of Byakuya, Lucci, and Blueno.
"Go ahead, eat up! This was all freshly prepared by our chef—the taste is top-notch! And this whiskey is our specialty; you won't find it anywhere else,"
Hubert enthusiastically recommended, his expression full of expectation. Byakuya picked up the glass of whiskey in front of him, sniffing it.
The aroma was indeed enticing. As Hubert watched eagerly, Byakuya was about to take a sip when suddenly, a fragrant breeze brushed by.
The glass in his right hand was knocked, spilling the drink all over the place and even splashing some onto his cloak.
"I'm so sorry, so sorry! I spilled the drink on you; let me wipe it up for you!" Apologized a girl with long, sea-blue hair that reached her waist.
She quickly pulled out some napkins to help Byakuya wipe his cloak and then handed him a few more to dry his hands.
As Byakuya took the napkins, he immediately sensed that something was off.
While Hubert was scolding the girl, Byakuya unfolded the napkin and saw a message written in delicate handwriting:
{The food and drink are drugged. Please do not eat or drink them! These people are not what they seem; you need to leave here immediately!}
A barely noticeable smile appeared on Byakuya's lips as he crushed the napkin into powder with a slight movement.
By the time Hubert had finished scolding the girl, he turned back to Byakuya with a sheepish smile.
"Sorry about that, the people in our town are a bit clumsy. She didn't mean to bump into you."
As he spoke, Hubert refilled Byakuya's glass. "It's a shame about the last one. Go ahead, try this one—the taste is really good."
Princess Vivi, who had retreated to a corner, was anxiously watching Hubert and Byakuya from a hidden spot.
She had done her best to warn the young man, hoping he had noticed her message. There was nothing more she could do.
Byakuya, however, acted as if he hadn't seen the note at all. He picked up the refilled glass, brought it to his lips, and was about to drink.
Both Hubert and Vivi held their breath as they watched.
But just at that critical moment, Byakuya suddenly put the glass down and looked at Hubert with a sly grin.
"Why are you being so kind to us? There isn't something like a sedative in this, is there?"
Hearing Byakuya's question, Hubert instantly broke into a cold sweat, forcing a strained smile onto his face.
"How could that be? The people of our town are always warm and welcoming to every visitor," Hubert replied, wiping away the beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he spoke.
Byakuya feigned a look of realization and said, "Oh, I see! My apologies for the misunderstanding!"
Hubert waved it off, his hand discreetly wiping the sweat from his brow, and said, "It's no big deal. Everyone here is good-hearted."
With that, Byakuya, in front of both Hubert and Vivi, downed the entire glass of whiskey in one gulp. Smacking his lips, he remarked, "This is quite good!"
Seeing Byakuya drink, Lucci and Blueno also raised their glasses and drank.
The moment Byakuya finished his drink, Hubert finally relaxed, convinced that these three "fat sheep" were now trapped.
Vivi, on the other hand, grew increasingly anxious as she watched. She had just warned this young man—how could he still have drunk the whiskey?
"Vivi, let it go," Igaram whispered as he approached her. "Your actions earlier have already made Hubert suspicious. We've done what we can."
Vivi sighed deeply and said, "Let's see if there's any chance to save them later. After all, these are three lives at stake—we can't just give up!"
Seeing the determination on Vivi's face, Igaram chose not to push the matter further.
Princess Vivi had always been so kind-hearted, treating even her servants with great care.
This kindness made the royal guards willing to lay down their lives to protect the royal family.
Now that Hubert was certain of his victory, his demeanour became even more friendly.
He continued to pour drinks and serve roasted meat to Byakuya and his companions.
The three of them accepted everything offered without hesitation.
After all, their journey had been anything but easy, and now that they had food and drink, they intended to enjoy it thoroughly.
As for the sedatives mixed into the food and drink, they were of no concern to them.
For Lucci, his formidable physique, combined with the enhancements from his Devil Fruit, allowed him to break down the sedatives instantly, rendering them completely ineffective.
Blueno, on the other hand, used his Devil Fruit ability to open an Air Door inside his body, transferring whatever he ate elsewhere, merely tasting the food without consuming it.
As for Byakuya, the sedatives were so weak that he could practically eat them for every meal without any effect.
While Hubert anxiously waited for the sedatives to take effect, Byakuya and his companions continued eating and drinking from midnight until the sun rose over the horizon once more.
The chefs in the back were baffled, wondering if they were feeding people or Sea Kings. All ten chefs were exhausted, and yet these three kept eating.
Even Hubert was dozing off when one of his subordinates approached him awkwardly and whispered,
"Boss, we've run out of sedatives and ingredients. These three aren't normal!"
Hearing this, Hubert instantly snapped awake.
He glanced over at the trio, who had consumed sedatives all night and still looked more energetic than he did.
Finally realizing the situation, Hubert kicked over the table in a fit of rage and yelled, "You three think this is a game?"
"Everyone, get your weapons and attack!"
The "residents," who had long grown impatient, grabbed their weapons and surrounded Byakuya and his companions.
The angriest of them all were the chefs, who had been cooking all night—they were so furious that they even brandished their frying pans.
Byakuya, unfazed, looked at Hubert with a smile and said, "So, we're finally getting to it. I've been waiting to be full. What were you waiting for?"
"For death?"
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