Chapter 47:

He Is Not a Pirate

One Piece: The Black Ledger

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That abrupt question made Corvin look at Tatamu strangely.

The word itself felt strange.

Corvin did not think of himself as a pirate.

In the future, he would not be very interested in defining himself that way either.

"No."

Without thinking too much about it, Corvin answered Tatamu's question.

Tatamu subconsciously glanced toward the stairs leading to the second floor. Then he lowered his head, silently picked up the glass, and began wiping it again.

Corvin looked at Tatamu.

"You haven't answered my question."

"I sell it."

Only after Corvin pressed him did Tatamu belatedly answer.

His bar could indeed be considered an information market.

That was also why Wolf Rat had always stayed here and how the two of them had come to know each other.

Corvin wore a look that said he had expected as much.

In his view, a bar opened in a place like this usually served more than drinks. It was also a place for information trading.

In that sense, it was much like the Hunter world.

He glanced once more at the empty seating area, then smiled.

"This place is good. I'll come here often."

Tatamu paused slightly. After a moment, he nodded and said, "Welcome."

Their contact had lasted only a few minutes, but Tatamu had formed a faintly favorable impression of Corvin.

Then he thought of Wolf Rat and the dangerous woman, whose target seemed to be Corvin, and he could not help glancing toward the stairs again.

From Wolf Rat's interaction with that woman last night, Tatamu could easily guess Wolf Rat's true identity.

He also understood why Wolf Rat had brought Corvin here.

A new friend...

Tatamu silently wiped the glass. He had no intention of interfering.

Although his first impression of Corvin was good, Wolf Rat was his close friend. Wolf Rat mattered more.

After exchanging a few lines, Corvin noticed that every time Tatamu opened his mouth, he never said more than a few words.

Still, Corvin could understand why.

For a grown man with a voice like that, anyone would avoid speaking unless necessary.

Corvin tilted his head toward the stairs and suddenly asked, "Does Wolf Rat live here?"

Tatamu nodded.

Corvin understood. He lowered his gaze to the drink and thought about Wolf Rat's motive.

What concerned him more was that Wolf Rat had managed to find him just now.

Like a hunting dog.

That meant disguises were meaningless in front of Wolf Rat.

Yet Wolf Rat had pretended to be a stranger today when approaching him.

Revenge for the shot Corvin had fired at him yesterday was possible, but that still did not explain why Wolf Rat had blocked Kazt.

The more Corvin thought about it, the more contradictions he found. He could not analyze the likely direction of Wolf Rat's motive.

"Tatamu, Wolf Rat isn't his real name, is it? It sounds more like a nickname."

Tatamu looked at Corvin and chose silence.

"All right. That was rude of me."

Seeing Tatamu's reaction, Corvin smiled without caring much. Then he took a bill from his pocket and pressed it under the glass.

"Leaving?"

Tatamu glanced at the bill under the glass.

Normally, he would almost never ask.

"Mm. I'll come again."

Corvin rose and smoothly picked up the white skunk, which had somehow managed to crawl under a chair.

The skunk clearly had a very strong will to live.

Unfortunately, the person it had met was Corvin.

"I'm leaving. Tell Wolf Rat for me."

Carrying the white skunk, Corvin walked toward the bar door.

Tatamu silently watched him leave.

Ten minutes later, after treating his wounds, Wolf Rat came downstairs.

When he saw that no one was sitting at the bar, he froze.

As for the white skunk, he had long since forgotten about it.

"Where did Usopp go?"

"Left."

Tatamu glanced at the bandages wrapped around Wolf Rat's hands.

"Damn it. He actually just left!"

Wolf Rat dropped onto a seat at the bar, somewhat annoyed, and tugged at his hair.

"I finally managed to become friends with him, and I was going to strike while the iron was hot and deepen the bond."

"Tatamu, do you know what that Usopp bastard put me through today?"

"Look at my hands. Look at my back. Look at my ass. Every one of these injuries is because of him!"

"If I didn't have thick skin, forget drinking. Standing would already be a blessing."

As Wolf Rat complained, he slipped the bill Corvin had left under the glass into his own pocket.

One drink did not cost ten thousand Berries.

Tatamu helplessly watched Wolf Rat's little movement. He had long since gotten used to Wolf Rat talking to himself and usually did not answer.

After putting away the bill and finishing his daily complaints, Wolf Rat drank the untouched glass in one swallow.

"Another."

Tatamu nodded. Before long, he mixed another drink and placed it in front of Wolf Rat.

Then he asked, "Is he the target?"

"Who?"

Wolf Rat asked reflexively.

"Usopp."

"What, Tatamu? That's not like you."

Tatamu said nothing.

"I'm telling you, don't be fooled just because Usopp doesn't care about your voice. Trust me, that guy is trouble. Stay as far away from him as you can."

Tatamu still said nothing.

"Also, you should keep out of this. Even the things you already know, pretend you don't. If I hadn't stopped that woman last night, with her temper, the simple fact that you're a pirate would have given her ten thousand reasons to cut you down. Of course, I know you aren't one."

"Neither is he."

Tatamu looked at the seat where Corvin had been sitting.

Wolf Rat looked at Tatamu in surprise.

"Tatamu, I don't care whether he's a pirate right now. All I know is that he will absolutely become one in the future, and he'll be a great pirate who gives the Marines a real headache."

"What do you mean?"

A trace of confusion appeared on Tatamu's face.

Wolf Rat slowly set down his glass and pressed his thumb against the side, turning it.

"The reason is complicated. I don't want to say, and you shouldn't ask."

Tatamu nodded and said nothing more.

"Actually, if the situation allowed it, maybe..."

Wolf Rat's usually teasing expression gradually turned grave, and a cold, murderous look crossed his face without warning.

Crack.

Wolf Rat accidentally crushed the glass in his hand.

With his heavily injured hand.

"This..."

Wolf Rat looked at the shards in his palm, heartbroken.