Red Hawk!
It was Red Hawk, the man who had eliminated the Shichibukai Hanafuda just over ten days ago!
The moment Rob Lucci uttered that terrifying name, the expressions of the restaurant guests froze instantly, only to be replaced by deep fear.
One after another, their gazes instinctively shifted toward the source of the voice. But the moment they saw Alvin, they quickly looked away, as if they had touched something scorching hot.
Alvin sat there, sighing inwardly with a sense of helplessness.
His reputation was completely infamous. It was one thing if ordinary people did not recognize him, but once they did, there was not a single person who was not afraid.
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the trembling diners, and spoke in a cold, stern tone, "Eat properly. Do not waste food. Otherwise, I will kill all of you."
As soon as his words fell, the entire restaurant seemed to fall under a petrification spell. Then, the guests frantically grabbed the food in front of them and stuffed it into their mouths, as if they wished they could swallow their plates along with it.
The seven members of CP9 all wore extremely grave expressions.
They had originally planned to travel quietly in disguise aboard an ordinary merchant ship. Who would have thought they would encounter the most famous Super Rookie on the seas today?
As for resisting?
They were not fools. They had that much self-awareness.
Ordinary people might only know that Red Hawk had defeated Hanafuda, but they knew far more. Not long ago, Red Hawk had also fought a fierce battle against Marine Admiral Kizaru.
Most importantly, many at Marine Headquarters had witnessed Kizaru return covered in bloodstains. The dried blood was shocking to see, and his clothes were torn to shreds, as if ripped apart by a savage beast.
They had no way of knowing whether Red Hawk had been injured in that battle. But now, seeing him sitting here calm and composed, he did not appear injured in the slightest.
With all this evidence before them, even the usually arrogant Rob Lucci suppressed his pride and did not dare make the slightest move.
At that moment, the waiter hurried back, carefully carrying the dishes Alvin had ordered.
The instant he stepped into the area, he sensed something was wrong.
The once lively restaurant had become eerily quiet. Everyone kept their heads down, and only the faint sound of cutlery touching plates could be heard.
A trace of confusion flashed across his eyes. With that confusion still lingering, he quickly approached Alvin, putting on a professional smile as he said, "Sir, your meal and juice are here. This is a very rare deep-sea fish dish."
"Thank you. Bring two more good drinks. Keep the change." Alvin casually took out ten 1,000 Berries notes and handed them to the waiter with a relaxed motion.
The Berries shimmered under the light, and the waiter's eyes lit up instantly.
"Thank you, sir!" His voice rose involuntarily in excitement.
He accepted the money with both hands, clutching it tightly before hurrying off toward the bar to prepare the drinks.
After the waiter left, Alvin picked up the juice. Just as he was about to take a sip, he noticed Kalifa sitting across from him, staring intently.
He frowned slightly, feeling a bit conflicted. After a brief hesitation, he handed the glass to her and said in a testing tone, "Miss Kalifa… would you like to drink first?"
"Thank you, but I will wait a bit. I would like to know what exactly Sir Red Hawk intends to do," Kalifa replied calmly, pushing up her glasses as she looked straight at him.
"If you do not want to drink, then forget it." Alvin took the glass back and took a small sip. "As for what I intend to do… I just like looking at beautiful women while I eat. It makes the food taste better. If I can chat with a beautiful woman as well, that is even better. It is that simple."
After speaking, he picked up his utensils and began to enjoy the so-called deep-sea fish dish in front of him.
"Beautiful woman… Thank you for the compliment, Sir Red Hawk." A faint smile appeared on Kalifa's lips as she replied softly.
"Sir, your drinks are here." Before Alvin could take more than a few bites, the waiter returned, carefully carrying two glasses.
His steps were hurried, yet cautious, afraid of spilling even a drop.
"Give one to the beautiful lady across from me." Alvin pointed at Kalifa, then frowned in dissatisfaction. "Also, what kind of deep-sea fish dish is this? It tastes terrible. The texture is mushy and unpleasant. Tell your captain it is time to replace the chef."
"Uh…" The waiter had just placed the drink in front of Kalifa when he heard this. His body stiffened, and the smile on his face faltered.
However, having worked at sea for a long time, he quickly regained his composure. "Understood, sir. I will inform the captain."
Alvin nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand. "Alright, go. Do not disturb us."
"Yes, sir. Please enjoy your meal." The waiter bowed slightly, forcing a polite smile before quickly leaving.
"Come, Miss Kalifa, let us have a toast." Alvin raised his glass with a cheerful smile, gesturing enthusiastically.
Kalifa hesitated for a moment, her gaze lingering on his face as if evaluating his intentions.
Then she gently picked up her glass and lightly clinked it against his, producing a crisp sound.
"Hiss… ha… I did not expect the food here to be so bad, but the drink is quite good. It is actually Erguotou." Alvin took a sip and immediately recognized the liquor, savoring its rich flavor.
For a moment, the taste reminded him of Erguotou, as well as the wine brewed by Madame Serena and Miss Celia. Their wine was also excellent, smooth and mellow…
"It is a bit strong." Kalifa only took a small sip, and her delicate brows immediately furrowed slightly, a hint of discomfort appearing on her face.
"That was my oversight." Alvin slapped his forehead as if suddenly realizing something. As he spoke, a bottle of fruit wine and a glass appeared out of thin air in his hand. "Try this instead. This one is more suitable for women."
Kalifa looked at him as he seemingly conjured the wine out of nowhere. A trace of envy flashed in her eyes.
"I did not expect Sir Red Hawk to be so considerate." Her expression remained composed, but her tone softened slightly.
"Hahaha… beautiful women always receive a bit of special treatment. Come, give it a try." Alvin smiled as he poured her a glass.
"Thank you," Kalifa replied calmly.
She took a sip and was pleasantly surprised. The earlier discomfort disappeared, and her brows relaxed.
"It is indeed very good. I did not expect Sir Red Hawk to have such fine wine," she said.
"Collection? These were all 'gifts' from others. By the way, Miss Kalifa, what are you planning to do on this trip?" Alvin asked casually, though his eyes showed clear curiosity.
Kalifa paused. Did he not say this was just casual conversation? Why was he asking this?
She did not answer immediately, instead glancing at Rob Lucci behind her. He gave a slight nod.
After receiving permission, Kalifa adjusted her glasses and said, "We applied for positions at a shipbuilding company. However, the company president said he would only accept us if we could find a rare type of wood in Chronos Forest."
"Oh…" Alvin nodded in understanding. He had been wondering why CP9, who should have been in Water 7, were here.
...
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