The boss's emotions were well hidden.
After all, anyone who could survive in the New World amidst pirates and still manage to open a tavern was, if not incredibly powerful, certainly seasoned.
But to Kouta and Kuina, it was all very obvious.
Seeing the boss's stiff expression, clearly recognizing them, Kuina's cool face showed a slight smile towards him.
Just then, Kouta spoke again, "Boss, we are simply customers here to buy alcohol, and you are the owner."
"Hahahaha!!"
Saying this, he let out a laugh to ease the boss's tension.
Although the people here were enthusiastic about pirates, it also depended on which pirate it was. When they knew that the arriving pirates could easily obliterate the island they relied on for survival, and then obliterate them, it was understandable to develop fear due to the immense psychological gap.
Let alone the boss, even anyone on the island would have reacted the same way if they knew their identities.
If it weren't for the boss's extensive experience and strong mental fortitude, he might have already bowed down on his knees.
This was the deterrence of being a pirate.
Sometimes they were very easygoing, and other times they were incredibly cruel, so cruel that the massacre of towns and islands was commonplace.
Turning his head, Kouta met the boss's sky-blue, benevolent eyes. The boss's lips pulled into a stiff smile before he quickly placed a wine cup in front of Kouta.
"Sil..." The boss hesitated, then picked up a wine jar, peeled off the seal, and while pouring wine into the cup in front of Kouta, he explained, "G-guest, this wine is brewed by my father himself. He rarely sells it."
"Brewed by yourself?" Kouta's eyes lit up as he watched the pale green liquid pour from the wine jar. His nose twitched, and he swallowed.
He had known it was fine wine before, but upon arriving here, smelling the aroma, and seeing the actual wine, he knew this was a rare and truly exquisite vintage.
It was like the good wine he had spent three hundred thousand berries on for just a pound and a half when he first set sail, and perhaps this was even better.
"Please~"
Putting down the wine jar, the boss pointed to the wine cup and then stared seriously at Kouta.
This was one of the few things their family was proud of.
If it could make the person in front of him happy, it would also be a good story.
Ordinary pirates wouldn't get to taste his father's wine here!
Today was just a coincidence; since there were few customers, he happened to be organizing the wine jars his father had sent that morning when he encountered Kouta.
"Thank you~"
Looking at the wine cup in front of him, Kouta thanked the boss and then reached out to lift the cup.
"Huh~"
Just as he was about to bring the cup to his lips, he paused as if he had discovered something interesting, a hint of surprise appearing on his face.
Then he tilted his head and met Kuina's strange gaze.
"Is it..." Kuina thought for a moment and asked strangely, "The Bari Bari no Mi?"
She wasn't surprised by the appearance of the Bari Bari no Mi itself, but rather by whether this fruit had a connection to them. The sea was so vast, and they had encountered two previous users of the Bari Bari no Mi consecutively.
"It should be."
Kouta didn't stop his actions. Nodding, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in the cup in one gulp.
As the liquid entered his mouth, an explosion of wine aroma instantly filled his entire mouth, followed by the distinct burn of strong liquor, making him feel like a fire was dancing in his mouth.
He closed his lips, his Adam's apple bobbed, and the wine flowed down his esophagus into his stomach. The satisfaction made Kouta's eyes narrow slightly, and a blush appeared on his face.
Although the boss was very confident in his family's wine, he was somewhat anxious as he didn't know Kouta's preferences.
Seeing the satisfaction on Kouta's face now, he couldn't help but feel relieved.
Pirates were difficult to please, especially powerful ones.
His son had been cruelly murdered by a pirate for simply looking at him one too many times while serving them.
Afterward, he didn't even dare to entertain thoughts of revenge, because if he showed the slightest hint of such an intention, his entire family, his entire town, would be annihilated by that pirate crew.
Such incidents were commonplace in the New World.
Although the young man in front of him had a benevolent expression, who knew if there was a man-eating demon lurking behind that kindness?
"Good wine."
Putting down the cup, Kouta glanced at the wine jar in the boss's hand.
As if sensing Kouta's gaze, the boss quickly lifted the wine jar and refilled the cup in front of Kouta.
"It's good if the guest is satisfied."
The boss looked up and smiled at Kouta. This time, the smile was no longer stiff.
"This wine is brewed from the sap that drips from the island's mother tree every year."
Putting down the wine jar, the boss straightened up, picked up a pipe, and while smoking, said, "When you guests arrived on the island, you should have seen the large tree behind the island, right?"
Kouta picked up the wine cup and, unlike the first time, didn't drink it all at once but savored it slowly.
Hearing the boss's words, he looked up and nodded at the boss.
"Yes! I saw it."
"Is that tree the mother tree you're talking about?"
"Yes," the boss replied softly. Then he removed the pipe from his mouth, held his left arm across his chest, and dangled the pipe in his right hand.
He then exhaled a puff of thick smoke, turned his head, and looked through the tavern window towards the other side of the island, which they couldn't see directly.
"Many islands in the New World are not suitable for human survival because they lack fresh water."
"And our island actually doesn't have fresh water either."
"No fresh water?" Kouta was slightly surprised. "If there's no fresh water, how do you survive?"
As if he had thought of something, Kouta continued, "Is it because of the mother tree?"
"Yes," the boss retracted his gaze, looked at Kouta, and put the pipe back into his mouth. He took a deep puff and chuckled, "The mother tree has very developed roots. It can absorb seawater, purify it, and turn it into fresh water that humans can drink. Otherwise, our small island wouldn't have developed."
"Absorbs seawater?"
Kouta raised his wine cup and exclaimed, "Truly magical."
"And what does this have to do with the wine you mentioned?"
He didn't remember incorrectly; the boss had just said it was the mother tree's sap, not fresh water.
"The mother tree is huge. The fresh water it produces daily is enough for everyone on the island to use, but the 'moss,' which is the sap used for brewing wine, is very little."
"Oh~ I understand."
Kouta nodded. "You're trying to tell me that this wine is scarce."
Saying this, Kouta couldn't help but smile slightly at the boss. "Although it's a pity, since it's so scarce, I shouldn't be greedy."
With that, he tilted his head back, drank the wine in his cup, then put down the cup, took the gourd from his waist, pushed it towards the boss, and said with a smile, "Then please fill this wine gourd for me."
"This... that's not too much to ask, is it?"
"Don't worry, I will pay."