The smug laughter in the tavern came to an abrupt halt.
The pirate who'd been mocking earlier froze mid-smile.
Princess Viola of the Dressrosa royal family had joined the Thunder God Pirates.
That meant, no matter what, the Thunder God Pirates' protection of Dressrosa wasn't going anywhere.
His previous words now sounded nothing short of foolish.
"Not just the princess," the bartender continued casually.
"The Tontatta Tribe's princess and Captain Leo are also members of the Thunder God Pirates."
He spoke with unwavering calm—completely unbothered by the earlier ridicule.
With both the royal family and the Tontatta Tribe so deeply tied to the Thunder God Pirates, there were few places in the world more connected to that emperor crew.
No matter how large their empire grew, their bond with Dressrosa couldn't be erased.
The pirates around them stopped talking to the bartender and instead began quietly speculating about why the Beast Pirates had shown up too.
But Yamato's eyes lit up at one particular word.
"Tontatta Tribe? You mean there are dwarves in Dressrosa?"
"Of course," the bartender nodded confidently.
"Dressrosa is known as the Fairy Kingdom of Love and Passion."
"The 'fairies' people talk about here—are actually the Tontatta people."
"We get along peacefully now. They live underground in the forest on Green Bit Island."
"Don't be fooled by their size. They're incredibly strong, and their speed is amazing.
They're simple-hearted folk—we often bring them little gifts."
His explanation made Yamato's eyes sparkle with wonder.
"How fascinating!"
"I really want to meet them someday!"
She spoke with excitement.
"Unlikely," the bartender said with a chuckle.
"They rarely show themselves. Though I hear they often appear in the Sky City of the Thunder God Pirates."
"Sky City…"
"That's the Thunder God Pirates' main base, right?"
"A floating island in the sky… unbelievable."
"Have you ever been there?"
The bartender shook his head.
"Never. But I see Thunder God Pirates all the time—coming and going on airships."
"They dock at the skyport in the flower fields."
"Those ships can soar to ten thousand meters above sea level. Only the Thunder God Pirates have them."
"They say they're powered by lightning."
Yamato listened, her heart pounding with excitement.
From the dwarves, to a floating city, to ships that flew through the skies—she'd never seen anything like it.
Most people might never get a chance to witness such wonders.
But she had been sent here by the Beast Pirates as a guest.
That meant she just might be able to visit Sky City herself.
For the first time, Yamato felt genuinely excited about what lay ahead.
"So, young lady—what's your name?"
The bartender asked with a curious smile.
"You look like a pirate. What brings you to Dressrosa?"
Perhaps it was because they were getting along well, but the bartender began to casually probe more about Yamato's identity.
"If you need any help, feel free to say so."
"I've got quite a few connections here in Dressrosa."
"Back in the day, I was part of the Royal Guard. Most of the current guards? They used to be my juniors."
"Oh? You were in the Royal Guard, old man?"
Yamato raised her brows in surprise.
"Of course! But I got old, so I quit and opened this little tavern."
The bartender grinned proudly.
"And you?"
"You're a pirate, right? Got a bounty yet?"
Yamato hesitated for a second.
"My name is... uh, Yamato."
"I'm a pirate, but I don't have a bounty yet. This is my first time setting sail."
She ultimately refrained from saying she was Kozuki Oden, and didn't mention she came from the Beast Pirates either.
She remembered King's warning clearly—don't reveal too much.
And strictly speaking, she was just a rookie pirate for now.
"First time out at sea, huh? That explains why you look unfamiliar."
The bartender nodded knowingly.
What Yamato didn't know was that this man wasn't just a former Royal Guard—he also served as a peripheral informant for Dressrosa, under Viola's command.
Running this tavern was a cover. He kept tabs on all sorts of people passing through.
Located near the Thunder God Pirates' outpost in Dressrosa, this tavern was a key location for their intelligence division, second only to the harbor itself.
Recently, the bartender had been keeping a sharp eye out for any suspicious figures—particularly those potentially from the Marines or World Government.
That was why he had questioned Yamato. Though in truth, her bold and cheerful nature didn't match a spy's profile at all.
"So, when do you plan to leave?"
"First-time pirates usually go looking for crewmates to adventure with, right?"
"I'm not leaving for now," Yamato replied honestly.
"I'll probably stay with the Thunder God Pirates."
She didn't realize the bartender was subtly trying to gather intel.
"Oh? Planning to join them?"
"That won't be easy," the bartender said with a smile."Most pirates who come here are either challenging Lord Sanders or trying to join the Thunder God Pirates."
"But very few actually make it in. They've got strict standards."
Now convinced that Yamato wasn't an undercover government agent, the bartender lost interest in digging deeper.
Instead, he began introducing her to Dressrosa's local customs, and even helpfully recommended a few sightseeing spots.
Yamato took mental notes with great interest.
After chatting a while longer, she grabbed her spiked club and left the tavern, ready to explore Dressrosa.
She visited places like Lover's Lane and the Corrida Colosseum.
In just half a day, she experienced a ton of new and interesting things.
At the colosseum, she even got the itch to jump in and fight—but decided against it. The contestants weren't very strong, and she didn't want to cause trouble in unfamiliar territory.
Time passed quickly.
Eventually, she returned to the Flower Fields.
Breathing in the floral-scented air, Yamato looked up toward the sky—her heart filled with excitement and anticipation for the journey to Sky City.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, a tense meeting was already underway—
spurred by the presence of two Emperor crews in Dressrosa at the same time.
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T/N:
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