The tavern owner finished filling Takumi's flask and brought it out from behind the counter.
When he saw Princess Vivi sitting there, he was momentarily stunned.
He placed Takumi's flask and another large glass of liquor in front of him, then looked at Vivi and asked, "Princess Vivi, what brings you here? I thought you didn't drink alcohol. I don't have any juice or milk here either…"
"It's fine, it's fine. I didn't come here to drink," Vivi said with a smile, waving her hand dismissively.
The tavern owner nodded and couldn't help but glance at Takumi again.
There was no need to ask—he could tell that the princess had come into the tavern because of this kid.
Vivi continued to stare at Takumi, forcing a smile as she said, "Takumi, I really need to thank you for last night. If you hadn't come to save me, I don't even want to think about what could have happened."
Takumi: "…"
What could have happened?
Even if I hadn't saved you, either Pell or Igaram would have. Otherwise, how would the story continue with you meeting Luffy later?
Takumi picked up his glass and started drinking.
Vivi's eyes showed a hint of sadness, but she quickly smiled again. "Haha, you probably think I talk too much. Even though I'm a princess, I want everyone to treat me like a normal person. But no matter how friendly I try to be, there's always this gap between me and everyone else, like they can't forget I'm royalty… You may not believe it, but I have so much I want to say, and no one to say it to."
After a brief pause, Vivi continued, "Takumi, I know how hard it is to lose someone important. Even adults take a long time to recover from that kind of pain. And you're only a couple of years older than me. It must be even harder for you to handle. But no matter how much it hurts, life goes on. I don't know what your past was like or where you're headed, but staying stuck in grief is dangerous."
Takumi: "?"
What is she talking about?
When did I ever lose someone important?
The tavern owner seemed to catch on quickly. "Ah, I see now. I don't know what exactly happened to this young man, but it's true—no matter how tough things get, you can't stay down forever. Letting negative emotions take over can lead to regrets you can't come back from. Kid, the princess is right. You should find a way to deal with your feelings. Don't do anything rash. I think I understand now why you're drinking so much. You've probably heard the saying, 'Drowning your sorrows only makes them worse.'"
Takumi: "…"
Are these two putting on a show?
Takumi asked, deadpan, "So, who's this friend of mine that died?"
"Let's not dwell on sad things," Vivi said with a smile. "You're still young. You've got a long road ahead."
Takumi: "…"
"Boss, I'm paying for all the drinks he's had today," Vivi said generously.
The tavern owner waved it off. "He's already paid. Even though my place is small and a bit rundown, I can still cover a few rounds. Kid, for the next three days, you can drink here for free as much as you want. Just say the word, and I'll keep the drinks coming."
Takumi, feeling exasperated, downed his drink in one go, wiped his mouth, and hopped off the barstool. He couldn't be bothered to argue with these two any longer, so he turned and walked out of the tavern.
Vivi quickly jumped off her stool and hurried after him, just catching up to him at the door.
The tavern owner suddenly called out, "Princess Vivi, good luck!"
Vivi paused, turned back to nod at him, then resumed chasing after Takumi.
"Takumi, I know it's hard to accept, but what's done is done. No matter how much it hurts, you can't change what happened to your friend. It's better for you to move on as soon as you can," Vivi said, running alongside him.
Takumi didn't respond the entire time.
The streets were getting busier, with more and more people out and about.
Everywhere they went, people respectfully greeted Princess Vivi.
So, not only did Vivi have to keep trying to console Takumi, but she also had to respond to everyone's greetings, making her incredibly busy.
Just as she was about to give up on keeping pace with Takumi and explain to the townspeople that she was in a hurry, Igaram appeared with a squad of guards, blocking Takumi's path.
"You're suspected of murder. Come with us," Igaram said sternly, staring down Takumi.
Vivi rushed over and stood protectively in front of Takumi, frowning as she said, "Igaram, you must be mistaken. Takumi's been with me the whole time. If he had killed someone, wouldn't I know about it?"
Igaram sighed when he saw Vivi. "Princess Vivi, this isn't as simple as you think. I caught the guy who committed the murder this morning, but he claimed that Takumi was his accomplice…"
Vivi couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You believe that murderer? He had the guts to kill someone, so what's a little lie to him?"
Igaram tried to explain, "I don't believe him either, but there were a lot of people at the scene. Why would he name Takumi as his accomplice and no one else? What's more suspicious is that he knew Takumi's name… Princess Vivi, you know how arrogant this kid is. If it weren't for Pell telling us earlier, we wouldn't even know Takumi's name by now…"
"What?" Vivi turned to Takumi in disbelief. "Takumi… do you actually know that murderer?"
Takumi, completely unbothered, said, "Nope."
"See? Takumi says he doesn't know him," Vivi said, turning back to Igaram.
Igaram rubbed his forehead. "Princess Vivi, you're too trusting. Just because he says he doesn't know the guy doesn't make it true. Anyway, until we get to the bottom of this, I think Takumi should come with us for questioning."
Vivi was about to protest further.
But more and more people were gathering around them.
"Is Captain Igaram talking about that murder at the noodle shop on West Street?"
"I think so. I heard about it too. Apparently, some guy in a mask shot a fat man."
"Wow, I never would have guessed that murderer had an accomplice, and it's a kid no less. But this kid doesn't look like a killer. Maybe the murderer is just trying to frame him? But why would he do that?"
"I don't know, but if this kid really is the murderer's accomplice, that's terrifying. Planning murders at such a young age… what'll he be capable of when he's older?"
The murmurs around them grew louder.
Vivi's face grew paler.
Clenching her fists, Vivi turned to Takumi and hesitated before saying, "Takumi, maybe you should go with Igaram. There really was a murder, and… don't worry, I'll do everything I can to clear your name!"
Takumi couldn't help but chuckle at that.
Clear my name?
I didn't do anything, and I don't know that guy. What's there to clear?
Without saying anything else, Takumi ignored Vivi and Igaram, walking right past Vivi.
Igaram quickly ordered the guards to surround Takumi.
"Hey, don't hurt Takumi!" Vivi snapped.
Takumi coldly eyed the guards in front of him and said calmly, "Move."
******
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