Chapter 65: Arrested
The Red Earl, who had just stepped into the tavern, nearly stumbled after hearing Charlotte's brazen announcement.
He frowned at Charlotte. He had encountered shameless people before, but this was on a whole new level.
"Ahem!"
The Red Earl cleared his throat loudly, reminding Charlotte of his presence.
Charlotte turned, grinning, and pulled the Red Earl to a clean seat.
"Hahahahaha! Redfield, we're definitely having a drinking contest later!" Charlotte said as he sat down, already brimming with excitement.
Hearing this, Redfield's disdainful expression deepened as a thought crossed his mind.
"Wait… aren't you only twenty years old?" Redfield asked, sipping from a cup of black tea he had picked up.
"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?" Charlotte asked, puzzled by Redfield's sudden question.
"Hahaha! It just seems pointless to have a drinking contest with a twenty-year-old kid. Even if I win, it won't be satisfying!" Redfield replied, mocking him mercilessly.
Bang!
"Redfield, stop looking down on me! Oh, by the way, isn't someone here the one who just lost to a twenty-year-old boy?" Charlotte shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Bang!
"You!" Redfield slammed the table, pointing at Charlotte.
But then…
Hahahahahahaha!
Both burst into laughter, their previous tension dissolving in an instant.
The laughter left the other patrons scratching their heads in confusion.
Bang!
Swish!
Just as one particularly annoyed drunkard slammed the table and prepared to shout, Charlotte and Redfield simultaneously drew their weapons.
Redfield's umbrella gleamed as it sliced through the air, while Charlotte pulled out a dagger.
Two slashes—one red, one white—struck the drunkard before he could say a word.
"Ahhh!"
Charlotte's strike severed the drunkard's arm as he raised it, while Redfield's umbrella left a deep gash from his waist to his chest.
The intense pain sobered the drunkard immediately, but it was too late.
The other patrons froze in shock, their faces pale as they realized how quickly these two acted.
Crash!
In unison, the crowd bolted for the door, screaming as they fled.
"Murder! Murder!"
The cries echoed through the streets, drawing the attention of passersby. Those curious enough to peer inside the tavern saw the gruesome scene and quickly retreated in fear.
Meanwhile, Charlotte and Redfield laughed heartily, unfazed by the chaos.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"Boss! Where's the wine? Bring it here, or I'll break your legs!" Charlotte bellowed at the trembling man behind the bar.
The terrified tavern owner finally emerged, carrying a tray with two bottles of wine, his hands shaking so much that the bottles rattled.
"Here, s-sir, your wine!" the owner stammered, placing the tray on their table and backing away quickly.
Charlotte grabbed a bottle and handed one to Redfield before uncorking the other and raising it high.
"Let's drink it all in one go!" Charlotte declared.
Clink!
The two clinked their bottles together and tilted them back, chugging the wine in one go.
Bang!
Charlotte smashed his empty bottle on the floor and roared with satisfaction. "Now that's what I call drinking!"
"Bring me all your wine!" he shouted at the owner, who scurried off to comply.
Despite the bloodied drunkard lying nearby, Charlotte and Redfield continued their drinking contest as if nothing had happened.
---
Outside, pandemonium erupted as the news spread.
"What? Someone committed murder in broad daylight in Water 7? Who would dare?" Mayor Hoyle shouted, slamming his desk. "Sheriff! Get over there and arrest them immediately!"
"Yes, Mayor!"
The sheriff rallied his men, and they rushed toward the tavern, but they were already too late.
---
Inside the tavern, Charlotte and Redfield were deep into their drinking contest.
"More! Drink more!" Charlotte shouted, his face flushed as he leaned on the table, holding a half-empty bottle.
Redfield wasn't far behind. Though silent, he continued pouring wine into his mouth, his expression determined.
"Hahahaha! I finished my bottle first! I win again!" Charlotte exclaimed triumphantly before collapsing face-first onto the table.
Bang!
Redfield slammed down his bottle, only to fall over moments later.
The two lay sprawled across the table, unconscious from their excessive drinking.
---
In the kitchen, a group of men hiding in the shadows exchanged glances.
"Boss, they're really out cold! How much did they drink?" a greasy man in a vest whispered, clicking his tongue in amazement.
The leader, a man with a scorpion tattoo on his face, took a puff of his cigarette and sneered.
"Quick! Put slave collars on them and take them to the auction house. These two will fetch a fortune!"
"Got it, boss!"
Four lackeys stepped forward cautiously, locking the collars around the necks of the unconscious pirates.
One of them, clearly still holding a grudge, kicked Redfield. "Not so arrogant now, are you?"
"Hey, don't damage the goods! That's the Red Earl, Patrick Redfield, with a bounty of 11 million berries. These two are worth a fortune, so don't mess this up!" another warned.
"Hmph, fine. But they won't escape the nobles. Those perverts will have fun breaking them!" the first man spat.
Chuckling among themselves, the group hoisted Charlotte and Redfield onto their shoulders and headed toward the Seven Waters auction house, dreaming of the riches they'd soon earn.
---
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