Three days later, at dusk.
Guided by Sunny, the Red Force finally reached the coastal waters of [Little Darling].
At this moment, Sol was still unconscious.
This was a clear testament to the severe impact of Garp's advanced Armament Haki.
However, Sol's prolonged slumber was something Shanks welcomed.
Leaving a crew behind to guard the ship, the rest disembarked one after another onto the island Sol referred to as [Little Darling].
After the events on Mad Hat Island, Sabo and his group didn't immediately depart but instead followed the Red-Haired Pirates all the way to [Little Darling].
This decision puzzled most of the Revolutionary Army members aboard.
Sabo didn't provide any detailed explanation, though both Morley and Koala seemed to faintly grasp the reason behind his insistence on tagging along.
Upon landing on [Little Darling], a group of pirates, eager for a drink, urged Sunny to lead the way quickly.
Observing this, Maude couldn't help but glance back at the Red Force.
He mused that if Sol woke up to find [Little Darling] ravaged by Shanks and his crew, he might just faint again on the spot.
Under Sunny's guidance, they arrived at a pile of stones near the mountain's base.
The heap consisted of numerous rocks, likely fallen from the mountain and rolled to this spot.
Sunny led the group into the stone pile, stopping in front of one particularly large boulder.
The rock stood about six or seven meters tall—not the largest in the pile but certainly prominent enough.
"It's under this rock," Sunny said, pointing at it.
Though she felt a bit guilty about Sol, she figured it was necessary to bring out some of the hidden stash to entertain Shanks and his crew.
"So it's hidden here."
Shanks' eyes lit up.
Before he could give any instructions, Lucky Roux casually discarded the bone of the meat he'd just finished gnawing on and effortlessly moved the massive boulder aside, revealing an old wooden door leading to a cellar.
"Heh-heh," Shanks chuckled, grinning.
Half an hour later, night had fallen.
On the flat terrain, over a dozen bonfires burned brightly. Massive chunks of game meat were roasted over the flames, their fat dripping and sizzling tantalizingly.
A circle of stones had been arranged around each fire, piled high with a variety of seafood.
The rich aroma of roasting meat mixed with the heady fragrance of wine, carried by the pirates' laughter into the distance.
For pirates, a feast of endless meat and drink marked the height of enjoyment.
Seated by one of the bonfires, Maude glanced at the Red-Haired Pirates, who were engaged in a fierce drinking contest.
Their sheer capacity for alcohol was terrifying, as if they were merely drinking water.
Beside him, Sunny sat quietly. After three days of rest, her injuries had mostly healed.
"Maude, I'm doomed," Sunny sighed into the fire.
She had severely underestimated the drinking prowess of Shanks and his crew.
At this rate, Sol's stash—meant to last him until his final days—would likely be drained dry by Shanks and his men.
The thought gave Sunny a headache.
"Yeah, I can see that," Maude chuckled softly. He crushed the claw of a massive crab, extracted the tender white meat, and handed it to Sunny.
Before she could take it, a large hand reached over and snatched the meat.
Maude blinked, looking up at the hand's owner—Morley, the giant.
"Hee-hee," Morley giggled, winking at Maude with her large eyes.
Maud: "…"
"Morley, that wasn't for you," Koala said, standing up with her hands on her hips as she chastised the giant.
Morley quickly popped the crab claw meat into her mouth, covering her cheeks with her hands and exuding an oddly coquettish demeanor.
"…"
Koala sighed, sitting back down. Turning to Sunny, she apologized, "Sorry about Morley. Sometimes she gets a bit… playful."
"It's fine. I'm not really a big fan of crab claw meat anyway," Sunny replied with a smile, though her eyes subtly lingered on Maude as he cracked open another claw.
It was the last one.
Sabo leaned over curiously and asked Sunny, "But crab claw meat is delicious, isn't it?"
Sunny hesitated, "Uh…"
Crack.
Maud broke open the crab claw and extracted its steaming hot meat.
Sunny watched intently and began, "Even though I'm not a fan, occasionally…"
Before she could finish, Bailey leapt up and snatched the meat from Maude's hand.
"Boss! Crab claw meat is incredible! Way better than pork or rabbit!" Bailey exclaimed, stuffing the meat into his mouth, cheeks puffed out as he chewed.
Sunny looked at Bailey, her tone flat, "Then eat more."
Bailey shivered inexplicably, but without thinking too much, turned his attention to the seafood piled on the stones. "Too bad it's all gone."
"I'll go grab more," Maude said, rising to his feet.
"Bring plenty!" Sabo called after him.
"If there's lobster, grab a couple!" Koala added.
Maude gave them a thumbs-up before heading off.
As he passed by Lafitte, Maud slowed his steps and casually asked, "Lafitte, want more wine?"
Lafitte looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, before nodding. "If you don't mind."
Maude nodded slightly and walked away.
Lafitte glanced at his empty goblet and the overturned barrel beside him, his lips curling into a faint smile.
A few minutes later, Maude returned with a haul of shellfish and a fresh barrel of wine.
Bailey was the first to pounce, breaking off a crab claw and handing it to Maud.
Sunny took it from Maude and said, "Let me handle this."
"Sure," Maude replied.
Bailey eagerly watched as Sunny cracked open the claw, drooling slightly.
Of all the food, he still preferred crab claw meat the most.
Sunny carefully picked out the succulent crab meat, smiled sweetly at Bailey, and then popped it into her mouth.
"You're right—it's really good," she said, chewing.
"Boss…" Bailey stood frozen, bewildered.
Maude, noticing Sunny's rare display of mischief, chuckled softly and placed a filled wooden cup of wine in front of Bailey.
"Don't just eat—don't you love drinking, too?"
"I'd rather eat…" Bailey mumbled, reluctantly sipping the wine.
Nearby, Sabo raised his cup and clinked it against Maude's. Out of the blue, he asked, "Maude, ever thought about joining us?"
Morley and Koala stopped what they were doing, quietly paying attention.
Sunny also turned to look at Maude.
The abrupt question took Maude by surprise.
Just then, Shanks and Yasopp walked over.
"Maude, how about joining my crew?" Shanks said.
"Hmm?"
Sabo and his group turned their attention to Shanks.
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