Chapter 50: How Much?
After a night of partying, Charlotte woke up from the table, looking around in a daze.
The tavern hall was filled with his men sprawled on the ground in various twisted positions, evidence of their wild night.
Feeling an urgent need to relieve himself, Charlotte hurried to the restroom. After a moment of relief, he returned to the hall, feeling refreshed.
"Lord Charlotte, you're awake!"
The flat-headed tavern owner quickly approached, feigning concern. His worry, however, was more about keeping Charlotte satisfied to avoid his wrath.
Charlotte grabbed the owner's hand firmly.
"Bring me something to eat and a bowl of hangover soup!" Charlotte ordered.
"Of course! I'll have my staff prepare it right away!"
The boss stammered, panic flashing in his eyes. Charlotte let go of his hand and walked to a clean table to sit.
Not long after, a waiter nervously brought a bowl of hangover soup to Charlotte's table. He placed it down and quickly retreated.
Charlotte curled his lips, amused by the waiter's timidity.
"This will change in a dozen years when pirates are everywhere. People will get used to it," Charlotte muttered to himself as he drank the soup.
After finishing, waiters brought out a large plate of barbecue.
The aroma was mouthwatering, and Charlotte wasted no time. He grabbed a piece and shoved it into his mouth, swallowing it whole without bothering to chew.
The waiter standing nearby stared in shock, frozen in place.
"What are you standing there for? Bring more food!" Charlotte snapped, annoyed that his meal was being interrupted.
"Yes, right away!"
The waiter scrambled back to the kitchen.
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On the second floor, the tavern owner watched in disbelief.
"What a monster," he muttered, shaking his head.
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As Charlotte devoured the food, his men began waking up one after another.
"Boss!"
Paul, one of his crewmates, staggered over and reached for a piece of Charlotte's food.
Without hesitation, Charlotte grabbed Paul's hand and twisted it.
Bang!
Paul was thrown across the room, slamming into a wall.
"You've got some nerve trying to steal my food!" Charlotte growled, continuing to eat.
"Paul!"
The other crew members rushed over to check on him.
Charlotte hadn't used much force, but Paul still looked disheveled as he pulled himself out of the wreckage.
"Hiss~"
The tavern owner, watching from above, inhaled sharply.
"Are pirates always this brutal with each other?" he whispered to himself, horrified.
Paul coughed, dusted himself off, and approached Charlotte again.
"Boss, how could you do this to me?" Paul whined, looking hurt.
"Snort!"
Charlotte ignored him, focusing on his food.
Seeing that his boss wasn't paying attention, Paul shrugged and turned to the tavern owner.
"Boss, bring me some food before I starve to death!" Paul yelled.
The tavern owner, still sweating from the tension, hurried to comply.
"Right away! I'll bring it immediately!"
He ordered the chefs to speed up and even called in help from neighboring taverns and restaurants.
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Hiccup!
Charlotte leaned back and burped loudly, satisfied. His stomach, bloated from the feast, began to shrink back to normal size almost immediately.
The tavern owner, watching from the second floor, was stunned.
"What a monster…"
An idea suddenly occurred to him.
"Do all powerful people eat like this? Maybe I should start eating more…"
As the thought settled in his mind, he resolved to increase his own meals in hopes of gaining strength.
---
Charlotte, oblivious to the owner's musings, leaned back and picked his teeth.
"Isaac, go get the money from the cabin and settle the bill. How much is it, boss?"
The tavern owner's face lit up with a smile.
"Lord Charlotte, the total comes to 32.9 million Baileys! But I'll round it down to 30 million for you!"
Charlotte froze mid-bite, his drink still in his mouth.
Pfft!
Wine sprayed from his mouth, splattering the tavern owner's face.
"Thirty million?!" Charlotte exclaimed, glaring at him.
The tavern owner wiped his face with a handkerchief, suppressing his anger.
"Yes, my lord. The wine you ordered last night was our finest, collected from all over the world: the East Blue, South Blue, West Blue, North Blue, the Grand Line, and even the New World. Naturally, it's quite expensive," the owner explained nervously.
Charlotte sighed, realizing he couldn't avoid the expense.
"Isaac! Go get 30 million Baileys from the ship!" Charlotte ordered, his teeth gritted in frustration.
Isaac nodded, setting down his plate and leaving to fetch the money.
The tavern owner's relief was visible, though he quickly hid his smile when Charlotte glared at him.
"This profiteer…" Charlotte muttered under his breath.
Thirty million Baileys for one meal—it was almost the same as Luffy's first bounty. The thought made his blood boil.
Bang!
"Boss! Bring me more barbecue!" Charlotte yelled, slamming his hand on the table.
If he was going to spend that much, he'd at least eat until he was completely satisfied.
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