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Shanks's arrival had caught Corvin completely off guard.

Although Shanks had been friendly from the moment he entered, Corvin intended to stay quiet and observe until he left.

But after hearing Yasopp and Sunny's exchange, he could no longer remain on the sidelines.

A gun was what he needed most to move forward.

He had planned to get one from Sol, but there was no chance the old man would hand him a weapon so soon.

Then Yasopp offered him an opening.

Corvin had nothing to lose by asking. If Yasopp refused, nothing changed. If he agreed, Corvin walked away with exactly what he needed.

That was why he stepped forward and drew attention to himself.

"Who's he?"

Shanks turned his head toward Sunny, who was frowning behind the counter, and asked with interest.

When their eyes had met earlier, the boy's reaction had told Shanks he had been recognized.

That did not matter much.

But before this, who would have expected a boy who had been trying to make himself inconspicuous to suddenly ask Yasopp for a gun?

The contrast was interesting.

"He's Corvin. Sol's new... employee."

Sunny answered Shanks's question.

Shanks nodded slightly and turned toward Yasopp.

Yasopp was studying Corvin.

"You know how to use a gun?"

It was the first thing Yasopp asked.

"Yes."

Corvin answered without the slightest hesitation.

Yasopp's gaze sharpened.

He was not some second-rate sniper. One look was enough to tell him that the frail boy had never handled a gun.

"I don't believe you."

Yasopp wore a faint smile, but his stare remained sharp.

Yasopp had always enjoyed needling kids, and since Corvin worked for Mr. Sol, he did not mind humoring him for a moment.

Corvin held Yasopp's gaze.

"What would make you believe me?"

Yasopp was a little surprised.

Nothing in his expression or tone suggested a lie. Even so, Yasopp trusted his own eye.

He held Corvin's gaze, then picked up the 3.8-million-Berry flintlock pistol from the counter and loaded powder and shot in one smooth, practiced motion.

"Prove it."

Yasopp cocked the gun and held it out to Corvin.

Corvin did not take it immediately. Instead, he pointed to the old flintlock musket on the counter.

"After I prove it, will you give me that gun?"

"Sure."

Yasopp smiled despite himself.

Corvin nodded, strode forward, and accepted the expensive pistol.

He knew success or failure would come down to a single bullet.

So how should he prove it?

As he thought, he noticed the shop door he had left slightly ajar, with a narrow gap between the panels.

An idea formed.

Corvin quickly walked to the wall farthest from the door, then turned to face the entrance.

Without warning anyone, he raised the pistol toward the door and fired in one fluid motion.

Bang.

Flame and smoke burst from the muzzle. A hot lead ball shot out, moving faster than the eye could follow, and passed cleanly through the gap between the doors.

The smell of burnt powder spread through the air while Corvin maintained a standard shooting stance.

He had no time to worry about an unlucky passerby crossing the line of fire.

Shanks and Yasopp looked at the door gap.

With their eyesight, they could see that the wooden doors were completely unharmed.

The gap was barely wide enough for two musket balls side by side.

More telling than Corvin's textbook stance was how smoothly he raised and fired, almost as if he had not aimed at all.

The distance was only a dozen meters or so, but there was no question.

Corvin knew how to use a gun.

Behind the counter, Sunny stared at him in astonishment.

She had not expected him to have decent marksmanship.

"Nice shot."

The praise came from Shanks.

On the Grand Line, the shot would have been unremarkable. Here, it still earned a compliment.

Yasopp said nothing. He simply picked up the flintlock musket he had called his old partner and walked toward Corvin.

"It's yours."

"Thank you."

Corvin returned the pistol to Yasopp first. Only then did he accept the flintlock musket.

'I finally have a gun.'

"Yasopp, looks like even you misread people sometimes."

Shanks patted Yasopp's shoulder from behind and offered mock sympathy.

Yasopp clicked his tongue and ignored the barb in his captain's words.

Had he really misread him?

He glanced at Corvin, who was turning the gun over in his hands, and could not reconcile what he had seen.

The boy looked like someone who had never touched a gun.

Yet Corvin's stance was textbook, and he possessed the instinctive feel every gunman needed.

Forget it.

Yasopp shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

"Boss, the liquor's all upstairs."

Lucky Roux's voice came from the back room.

"Good."

Shanks answered, then looked at Sunny with a smile.

"Sunny, remember to give Sol my regards."

"No need!"

Sol's voice came from outside before Sunny could speak.

Judging by the sound, he was still some distance from the shop. How he had heard Shanks was anyone's guess.

Hearing Sol's voice from afar, Shanks sighed.

"Now we're in trouble."

No sooner had he spoken than hurried footsteps approached from outside.

Moments later, the wooden door was shoved open hard.

Sol rushed into the shop in a fury, just in time to see Lucky Roux carrying out a wooden barrel full of fine liquor.

He exploded.

"Damn you, Shanks! Stealing my liquor again!"

"Stealing? We paid. Ask Sunny if you don't believe me."

"Don't dump this on the kid. I never agreed to sell you that liquor."

"Ha! We paid, and the barrels are ours. Too late to change your mind now."

"Get out, get out! Don't let me see your face again!"

"That won't work unless you sell me the locations of your hidden liquor too."

Shanks wore the look of a man who knew Sol could do nothing to him.

Sol went red with rage, looking ready to drop to the floor and accuse Shanks of injuring him.

Yasopp and Lucky Roux did not get involved. Sunny pressed a hand to her forehead and said nothing.

As for Corvin, the moment Sol shouted the first sentence, he had already retreated into the back room.

He did not go upstairs. Instead, he stood near the stairwell and listened to what was happening in the shop.

Hard as it was to believe, Sol and Shanks seemed to be old acquaintances.

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