As Sora and Guina were in their intimate moments.
Outside the private room.
The old innkeeper, with his head full of white hair, was hesitating about how to open the door.
What should he say after opening the door and entering?
Although their island was a transit hub at the beginning of the New World and had a Marine base with a Marine Vice Admiral stationed there, they had never had such powerful figures visit before.
In the past, the only visitors were ignorant brats who had just entered the New World.
Though these brats were also strong, he, being an old hand in the New World, was not afraid of them.
After all, no matter how strong they were, they were still newcomers.
They would naturally become obedient after being taught a lesson by their seniors and the Marines.
As for old pirates, although they were strong, they would not act recklessly on an island guarded by the Marines. Because they knew that if they caused trouble here, the few Marine islands in the New World might soon receive reinforcements from the Marines, perhaps even an Admiral or the Marine hero Garp.
They would not seek their own demise.
But clearly, the brat in the private room was a newcomer pirate who did not fall into that category.
In his lifetime of opening a tavern on this island for decades, he had never seen such a formidable pirate.
To be honest, when he heard that someone dared to kill a Celestial Dragon, a sense of satisfaction flickered in his heart.
Those pigs who considered themselves gods but acted like devils were loathed by countless people in the New World.
Especially people like him, who were old.
Their experiences were a living history.
A living history witnessing the rise and fall of countless nations in the New World.
He himself, as a child, had escaped from a nation that could not pay the World Tribute and was subsequently destroyed, fleeing here.
Therefore, he intensely disliked Celestial Dragons.
But dislike was one thing, and facing a pirate who dared to kill a Celestial Dragon and even fought to a draw with the hero Garp was another. He still felt a touch of apprehension.
He wasn't afraid, not really. At his age, he might not even be able to get up one day and report to hell, so why would he be afraid!
He just didn't know what this newly risen, and arguably legendary, pirate brat was doing here.
If such a powerful individual were to get into a conflict here, or with the Marines, his small shop, which he had run for decades, would be reduced to ruins in an instant.
This was the reason for his apprehension and worry.
After some thought, the old man knocked on the door. Upon hearing "Please come in" from inside, he stepped into the private room with his slightly heavy gait.
The moment he entered and saw the even younger faces of Sora and Guina than their wanted posters, he sighed internally.
"So young!"
The newspapers said that Sora and Guina were both under eighteen. He hadn't believed it initially.
While this world was full of miracles, it was unlikely for someone not even eighteen years old to be standing at the pinnacle of the world.
But after seeing Sora and Guina, he had to admit that this world was indeed full of miracles.
These two could no longer be described as geniuses; they were monsters.
The old man took a step forward, stopping three steps away from Sora. He bowed slightly, a professional smile on his aged face, and said, "Two esteemed guests, the waitresses mentioned you were here to purchase alcohol. May I ask what kind of liquor you wish to buy?"
He did not address Sora and Guina by name, even though he knew who they were.
Since Sora said he was here to buy alcohol, he would treat them as if they were truly there to buy alcohol.
And he was just a tavern owner selling drinks.
Sora looked at the old man, slightly surprised, then a gentle smile appeared on his face.
He nodded and said, "We are indeed here to buy alcohol." As he spoke, he took out his gourd and placed it on the table. "Boss, please fill this gourd with your strongest and best liquor."
"Please wait a moment, guest. I will go and get it for you."
Seeing Sora's genuine actions and feeling the gentle aura emanating from him, the old man's heart relaxed. He picked up the gourd from the table and turned to leave the room.
...
At the tavern entrance.
The old man and the waitress stood there, watching the young figures disappear into the snow, lost in thought for a long time.
The waitress patted her ample chest and exhaled, exclaiming in surprise, "I didn't expect them to actually be here to buy alcohol!"
"But that wine gourd of his is too magical!"
Recalling the scene of filling the wine in the back kitchen, the waitress tugged on the old man's hand, shaking it and saying, "Grandpa, what exactly is that wine gourd? It's so small, yet it can hold several barrels of wine. It was just filled."
The old man withdrew his gaze, reached out, and gently rubbed his granddaughter's head, chuckling, "You ask me, and who would I ask?
"This world is full of amazing things. Grandpa here is just an old tavern owner. How could I possibly know everything!"
"So you don't know either!"
The waitress let go of the old man's hand, pouted, and turned to walk back into the tavern, her steps no longer heavy, but cheerful again.
The old man watched his granddaughter's retreating figure, a flicker of doting in his eyes, then shook his head and followed her into the tavern.
There was one more thing that caused him worry.
It was his granddaughter.
His son and daughter-in-law were killed by pirates during an outing at sea. Therefore, although he admired Sora for killing a Celestial Dragon, at the same time, due to Sora's pirate identity, he harbored an unshakeable hatred.
Coupled with his granddaughter's fear, he desperately wished for Sora to leave as soon as possible.
In this world, except for the Red Line, everyone lived on islands. These islands were like numerous transit points in the vast sea. The countless evils drifting on the ocean would inevitably leave the sea and strike the islands.
And among them, the Grand Line was the most severe.
Therefore, on the Grand Line, although being a pirate was a profession many yearned for, it was also the source of fear for countless others.
Commoners did not fear the Marines, nor even the nobles, but they definitely feared pirates.
As long as they lived in this world, this fear could not be avoided.
And Sora and Guina were, in the eyes of many, representatives of the evil that walked the world.
In the eyes of those who knew them, even if they displayed no aura or threat, their mere identity and high bounties brought a psychological pressure that would make countless people keep their distance.
Sora knew this, Guina knew this, and A Hua and the others also knew this.
They were not the Straw Hat Pirates.
When the Straw Hat Pirates entered the Grand Line, their bounty was only 400 million.
And Luffy's bounty only increased to 500 million after defeating Doflamingo.
500 million, while a lot, was not much in the New World.
Therefore, along his journey, Luffy did not experience much hatred from commoners.
If he were to travel back after the Wano Country arc, he would undoubtedly encounter the exact same situation as them.
Thus, after buying all the necessary supplies, they did not linger on the island but quickly gathered at the pier and set sail again, heading towards their next destination.