Ti flew by. In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
Inside a bar in a small town on the main island of Red Adventure Island, everyone was talking about the Dream Exploration Team.
They had entered the forest half a month ago!
During this long stretch of ti, people were filled with worry and doubt about their safety.
And so far, none of the explorers who ca out of the forest brought back any news about them. It was as if the team had vanished into the mysterious woods.
If the Dream had not remained docked at the port, people in town might have thought the team had already left Red Adventure Island.
But the ship was still there...
That ant the Dream Exploration Team hadn’t left. So even believed they had run into serious trouble in that terrifying forest.
Maybe... the team had already perished in there...
"Hey!"
"Do you guys think... the Dream Team might be done for? That forest isn’t the kind of place you can just survive by being strong..."
"I think so too. It’s already been half a month. No one’s ever stayed in there that long before!"
"Hard to say... They’re not just any team. Don’t forget, they’ve explored all of East Blue and even the first half of the Grand Line..."
"But you all know how dangerous that forest is."
"There are all sorts of powerful wild beasts, and so plants and animals are full of poison. There’s even a rumor that deep in the forest, there’s a king of beasts that rules over everything!"
"This..."
Everyone fell silent, thinking about the possibility.
Even though so doubted whether the Dream Team was still alive, others believed they had the strength and experience to face any danger.
But no matter what, no one could say for sure what had happened to them. People could only quietly hope that the brave adventurers would return safely.
In the bar, an old, thin man sitting in the corner stood out from the crowd.
His face was full of wrinkles, and his beard and hair were already white. His left arm was missing from the elbow down, giving him a weathered and mysterious look.
Yet, at this mont, his eyes were sharp, as if they hid countless stories.
"Boss, check please!"
As a raspy voice rang out, the whole bar fell silent. Everyone turned to look, their eyes landing on a thin, one-ard old man.
"Yo~"
"Old man, done already today?"
Behind the bar, a man with a thick black beard looked over at the old man in the corner, clearly surprised.
Others might not know, but the bearded man did. This seemingly ordinary old man had been living on Red Adventure Island for decades.
He had a strange habit: every three days, he would co to the bar to drink, and he always drank late into the night—sotis until the next morning.
But today, it was barely past noon, and he was asking for the bill and heading out. That was very unusual to the bar owner.
"Hehehe~~~"
"It’s not early anymore. This is just the right ti. Besides... they’re already out." The one-ard old man chuckled, his face wearing a cheerful smile.
But for so reason, the people in the bar felt sothing sharp in his laugh—like it could cut skin.
It sent chills down their spines...
By now, the old man had walked up to the bar and pulled out a 1000-Beli note from his pocket, placing it on the counter.
The owner picked up the money, planning to joke around like usual, but when he looked into the old man’s eyes, his whole body suddenly trembled.
Those eyes were cold and emotionless—like a blast of icy wind straight to the bone.
The one-ard old man didn’t say anything to the owner or anyone else. He hunched slightly and slowly walked out of the bar.
His steps were slow, but each one felt steady and firm. His back looked lonely, like he had nothing to do with the rest of the world.
The bar stayed quiet. Everyone watched him leave.
Only after he disappeared from sight did the room slowly co back to life.
"B-Boss, who was that guy? His eyes just now... they were terrifying..." one of the custors asked, swallowing nervously.
Everyone turned to look at the bar owner, hoping he could tell them sothing.
"To be honest... I don’t know his na. All I know is, that one-ard old man has lived here for over fifty years. Pretty much everyone in town knows him." The bar owner paused, then decided to speak honestly.
"I feel like... when he was young, he must’ve been a famous pirate," one custor said firmly.
"I think the sa. That look in his eyes was too scary. And the pressure he gave off—he didn’t feel like just any strong guy," another added.
"Forget it. Soone like him isn’t soone we should be talking about so casually. Co on, let’s drink. Cheers!"
"Hahahaha~~~"
"You’re right!"
"Cheers!"
The bar quickly returned to its usual lively mood.
But the bar owner couldn’t stop thinking about what the one-ard old man had said: "It’s not early anymore. They’re already out..."
What did that an? The bar owner couldn’t figure it out.
"They’re already out... could it be... that the ’they’ he ntioned is the Dream Expedition Team that’s been missing for half a month?" the owner thought.
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
It looked like the Dream Expedition Team was safe!
That thought made the bar owner light up with joy. After all, the Dream Expedition Team was a kind-hearted group—they had helped countless people across the sea.
On this vast ocean, many people deeply respected them.
He was one of them.
"But... how did the one-ard old man know?"
The bar owner was really confused—he couldn’t figure it out.
"Everyone!"
Suddenly, a young man rushed into the bar, out of breath. He leaned against the doorfra, his face full of excitent.
Everyone in the bar imdiately turned to look at the door.
"I’ve got great news—The Dream Exploration Team... they made it out!"
"What!!!"
"Are you serious?"
"Of course! And they’re already on their way to the town!"
"Hahaha~"
"I knew they’d be fine!"
"No way~"
"They actually made it out!"
---
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pat reon/GMadman
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