The Red-Light District?
Isn’t that basically the modern equivalent of… the red-light district?
Thor went to such a place for his morning workout?
Considering his build and age…
Maude was speechless.
The shop opened for business, but it was deserted.
Sunny didn’t ask Maude to do anything, and Maude didn’t volunteer either.
He leaned against the corner, closing his eyes to continue organizing his memories of One Piece.
Once his memories were sorted out, he planned to resume the daily training he had long abandoned.
After all, the Hunter’s Notebook couldn’t provide substantial help in the short term unless another Watt came knocking on his door.
Time passed slowly.
Two hours went by without a single customer.
Maude glanced at Sunny, who was sitting at the counter, repeatedly reading a newspaper.
From her calm reaction, poor business seemed normal for this weapon shop.
Moreover, it was too quiet.
Maude turned to look at the slightly ajar double wooden doors.
For a place where street brawls and fights were common, the only sounds he had heard in the past few hours were some faint footsteps outside.
Curious, Maude walked towards the shop door.
Seeing no reaction from Sunny, Maude confidently opened the door and peeked outside.
After a moment, he retreated and silently closed the door.
Damn, isn’t this an alley in a residential area?
No wonder it was so quiet most of the time.
Running a weapon shop in such a location, one might think they were selling alcohol instead.
Maude cursed silently in his heart.
The grand image he had of Mad Hat Town was steadily diminishing.
He suddenly had the urge to go out and see the streets, but he quickly squashed the thought.
Instead of thinking about that, he figured he should plan how to get a gun from Thor.
Maude turned and headed back to his corner.
Before he took a few steps, the shop door suddenly opened.
Maude instinctively looked back and was surprised to see who entered.
Three men stood at the door. They appeared to walk side by side, but the two men on either side habitually lagged half a step behind to emphasize the status of the man in the middle.
The man on the left had curly hair parted in the middle. He carried a long-barreled flintlock musket on his back, a wide dirt-colored belt slung diagonally around his waist, and a pouch filled with ammunition hanging on the left side.
The man on the right was obese but taller than the other two.
He wore a green headscarf, small burgundy sunglasses that didn’t match his face, and held a half-eaten piece of meat.
The wooden double doors were pushed open by the man in the middle.
Seeing Maude’s reaction, the man laughed heartily, “Hey there, did I almost hit you?”
Mad Hat Town, Hope Street.
This place was adjacent to Bar Street and also the location of the black market.
All shady deals could be conducted openly here.
With Mad Hat Town’s largest auction house at its center, Hope Street was surrounded by various places tied to black-market industries.
Arthur’s workplace, The House of Beauty, was one of them.
As an undertaker, he always had plenty of work.
Of course, most of his business was secured through his “abilities.”
Today was his rare monthly day off, and he had planned his schedule meticulously the day before to enjoy it fully.
However, just as he was about to head to the Red-Light District after a hearty meal, he had a bad feeling when his Transponder Snail rang.
Half an hour later, he was back at work.
Working for someone else meant being at their beck and call.
Sighing internally, he changed into his work clothes.
Uniform, mask, and armband with the word Death.
These three items were the standard equipment for an undertaker.
After changing into his work clothes, Arthur awaited further instructions.
Colleagues hurriedly returned to The House of Beauty, likely summoned back by the boss.
“Why are you back too? Is there trouble at the ‘Pig Farm’ again?”
“Yes, another riot among the slaves this morning.”
“How many slaves were injured or killed this time?”
“Not sure, but it’s said to be worse than last time.”
“Tsk, I thought we had a big job, but it’s just another mess from there.”
An undertaker grumbled.
The lead undertaker looked at the colleagues present and said calmly, “We’ll leave when everyone’s here.”
Arthur sat quietly in an inconspicuous corner, listening to his colleagues’ conversation.
So, there was another riot at the Pig Farm, likely resulting in many slave casualties.
Which meant today would be busy.
And it was a low-paying, high-workload job.
Arthur sighed internally.
What a waste of a rare day off…
“I heard there will be some major items at the auction at the end of the month.”
“What items?”
“A Devil Fruit, a famous sword, and a Fishman slave.”
“Really? Where did you hear that? The auction hasn’t even released the catalog yet.”
“I swear on my honor!”
“So, it’s fake then.”
“?”
“Oh, I forgot I’m an emotionless undertaker. I lost my honor when I took this job. Should I swear on something else?”
In the corner, Arthur’s ears twitched. He glanced at the colleagues whispering nearby.
A Devil Fruit and a famous sword?
Arthur was surprised but skeptical about the authenticity of the information.
In this mixed place, thanks to alcohol, some rumors might surface faster than official news. But a Devil Fruit was extremely rare.
If the auction house had acquired one, they would have publicized it already.
“A Devil Fruit, huh…”
Arthur’s eyes showed a hint of longing.
With his income, it would take decades of saving just to have a chance at bidding.
If there truly was a Devil Fruit at the end-of-month auction, even if he couldn’t bid, he could at least go see it.
As for the famous sword, Thor would probably be interested.
On Bar Street, in a certain tavern.
It was noon, and the tavern was bustling.
As a major money-squandering establishment, bars were always a top choice for pirates. The crowd was no surprise.
Kid occupied a table alone, standing out in the crowded tavern.
Despite this, no one dared to bother him.
The ten or so pirates lying on the floor served as a warning.
At that moment, a man wearing a blue mask entered the tavern, looked around, and headed straight for Kid’s table.
Upon reaching Kid’s table, the masked man sat down directly.
Kid glanced at him and said, “You’re here.”
The masked man nodded and asked, “Did you get the gun?”
“No.”
Kid shook his head.
“Someone else bought it?”
“No, the boss wouldn’t sell it to me.”
“Wouldn’t sell? What happened?”
“I don’t know.”
Kid irritably downed his drink.
The masked man had a pretty good idea of what happened. “Give me the money, I’ll go buy it.”
“The money’s almost gone.”
“…..”
The masked man was speechless.
Kid looked indifferent.
To him, money was easy to get with a bit of robbery.
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