The port was bustling with people and filled with a deafening clamor. Various ships were docked at the pier, workers shouted rhythmic chants while loading and unloading cargo, and vendors pushed their goods with all their might. Among them were the occasional figures of Fishmen, members of the Long-arm Tribe, and other races, but the majority were merchants from all over the world.
Charlotte Linlin saw the old Captain negotiating with a man who looked like a Marine officer. With a fawning smile on his face, the Captain eventually pulled out a thick stack of Berries and stuffed them over. Only then did the Marine officer wave his hand reluctantly, allowing the merchant ship to dock and unload.
Charlotte Linlin turned her head and looked at Pelinna beside her:
"Do you really have to pay that much just to grease the wheels every time you enter port? Can you even make money that way?"
The money she had paid for her meals wasn't even as much as the Berries the old Captain had just handed over.
Pelinna was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected this notoriously fierce Great Pirate to care about such trivial matters. But remembering that the woman had insisted on paying for her meals and didn't seem like a typical pirate at all, she answered honestly:
"If we only accounted for the costs of the incoming trip and these... 'fees,' we would hardly make any money; in fact, we often lose money. The Captain's main way of making a profit is when we leave port."
She paused and continued to explain: "We purchase large quantities of specialties unique to the Sabaody Archipelago at relatively low prices and transport them to other islands that lack these goods to sell at a high price. The profit mainly comes from the price difference. That is our way of making money."
Perhaps Charlotte Linlin's peaceful attitude had caused her to lower her guard, as Pelinna couldn't help but whisper a complaint:
"It's only because the purchase prices for these Sabaody specialties are indeed low, and the fees to grease the wheels when leaving are much lower than when entering... otherwise, we wouldn't be able to make a living in this trade at all. We'd just be working for the Marines for free."
Charlotte Linlin was a bit surprised: "You have to pay to leave port too?!"
Pelinna looked both resigned and as if it were the most natural thing in the world:
"Yes, otherwise we wouldn't even be allowed to sail away! All sorts of inspection fees, management fees, escort fees... all these added together are no small sum. Even though the Marines don't actually provide an escort when we set out!"
Charlotte Linlin couldn't help but curse under her breath: "What a damn rip-off!"
No wonder pirates on the sea were as numerous as cow hairs. If ordinary people couldn't find a way through, or if their connections weren't strong enough, they probably couldn't survive at all! Even if they were lucky enough to find a way, after all their hard work, they might just be robbed blind by pirates... This world... After entering the port area, Charlotte Linlin, dressed in her voluminous black robe, parted ways with the Captain and the others. As a Great Pirate with a bounty of hundreds of millions, it was better for her to avoid having too much contact with these ordinary people.
After all, cases existed where the Marine had even bombarded civilians. She couldn't guarantee that the Marine wouldn't target them just because she had shared a few words with them.
She hadn't gone far when Charlotte Linlin was suddenly attracted by a rich aroma of food. Although she had eaten on the ship, the ingredients and cooking conditions there were limited; the scent of the food here was far more enticing.
Since Charlotte Linlin had already planned to enjoy herself here, she immediately decided to go sample the food.
Following the scent, she found a large, rather grand-looking canteen specifically designed to provide catering for people who had just entered port.
The interior was extremely spacious. Even with her height of nearly nine meters, she didn't feel cramped at all; it was clearly designed with the Giant Race in mind.
The canteen served a wide variety of foods from all over the world. The dazzling array of choices made Charlotte Linlin's mood much more pleasant.
She scanned the area and noticed that most windows had long lines. Only one stall, located at the very center of the canteen and boasting the most luxurious decoration, had almost no one waiting.
"Strange, the food here clearly smells quite good. Why is there no one here?"
Though Charlotte Linlin was a bit puzzled, seeing that the food samples displayed there were indeed exquisite and tempting, she didn't feel like queuing and simply walked over.
When she arrived, there happened to be only one customer finishing his meal and leaving.
Behind the stall was an Old Woman with a face full of smiles, though her eyes betrayed a hint of shrewdness.
She sized up the new customer, but the voluminous black robe concealed most of Charlotte Linlin's features.
However, when her gaze swept over the nodachi at Charlotte Linlin's waist—which, despite being covered by the robe, could not hide its massive silhouette and exquisite design—the smile on her face instantly became even more enthusiastic, almost oozing with greed.
"Hello there, distinguished guest! What would you like to eat?" The Old Woman's voice was sickeningly sweet.
Charlotte Linlin reached out and pointed to a brightly colored meat dish that looked delicious. It was a dish she hadn't seen before, and she wanted to try it.
The Old Woman's eyes darted around, but her finger pointed to a plain-looking dish next to Charlotte Linlin's target: "Is it this signature stew? It tastes wonderful!"
Charlotte Linlin's brow furrowed imperceptibly, and she shook her head.
The Old Woman then pointed to the expensive seafood to the left of the target: "Then is it this lobster set? It's absolutely fresh!"
Charlotte Linlin shook her head again, a trace of impatience already in her heart.
As if she hadn't seen it, the Old Woman pointed to the greasy-looking roast meat to the right of the target: "How about this? Even Giants say the portion is satisfying!"
Charlotte Linlin's brow furrowed completely, and a cold light flashed in her purple eyes under the shadow of her hood as she shook her head once more.
The Old Woman seemed to have a "sudden realization" and finally pointed to the dish Charlotte Linlin had originally selected:
"Oh my! Look at my eyes! You mean this 'Rare Beast Steak,' right, guest?"
Charlotte Linlin suppressed her displeasure and nodded.
"Alright! Would you like anything else? We also have..." The Old Woman continued her enthusiastic sales pitch.
"No more," Charlotte Linlin interrupted her, her voice low.
She was annoyed by the Old Woman's behavior and just wanted to eat quickly and leave.
"Then what about a vegetable dish? How about a salad to cut through the grease?" the Old Woman continued to ask kindly.
"Not needed!" Charlotte Linlin's tone already carried a chill.
"Alright, alright. Please wait a moment, guest, your meal will be ready right away!" Seeing this, the Old Woman finally served the food efficiently, though the portion of the steak seemed to have shrunk considerably compared to the sample.
Charlotte Linlin found an empty seat and sat down. When the food entered her mouth, the taste could only be described as average. It was far from being as enticing as it smelled, and it certainly didn't live up to its grand name. She finished quickly and walked to the checkout counter.
"Hello guest, your total is fifty-seven million Berries," the checkout clerk said expressionlessly, his tone as cold as if he were stating a simple fact.
The expression under Charlotte Linlin's hood darkened instantly, and her voice carried an unbelievable chill:
"How much?"
The clerk looked up and repeated, his tone without any fluctuation:
"Fifty-seven million Berries."
"Over fifty million Berries for a single dish? Are you selling meat from a god?"
The clerk seemed accustomed to such questioning and looked at Charlotte Linlin with disdain as he explained:
"Guest, you ordered the 'Three Meats and One Vegetable' set. Furthermore, you used a Giant Race-sized 'small bowl.' The utensils and usage fee alone are seven million Berries. This is the price list."
He pointed to a nearby sign where the font was extremely small and the prices were marked very vaguely.
"Three meats and one vegetable?" Charlotte Linlin laughed out of sheer anger. She had clearly only ordered one portion of steak!
"Are you sure?"
Faced with the dangerous aura starting to emanate from her, the clerk still remained emboldened:
"Yes, guest. Rare Beast Steak, Deep Sea Dragon King Lobster, Charcoal Grilled Giant Rhino Leg, and Emerald Forest Salad. If you truly cannot afford to pay..."
His gaze landed on the nodachi at Charlotte Linlin's waist:
"...you can also use the sword at your waist as collateral. Although the design is a bit peculiar, our boss said it can be used to settle the bill, and we won't charge you a single cent."
Only at this moment did Charlotte Linlin completely understand! That Old Woman from before had intentionally pointed to the wrong things and asked repeatedly just to set a trap for her!
This seemingly empty, luxurious stall was a black shop targeting outsiders! Their goal from the very beginning was her weapon.
"Very good!" Charlotte Linlin's voice was terrifyingly low, like the calm before a storm.
"Fifty-seven million, is it? And you've set your sights on my sword! I will let you... properly feel what 'value for money' means!"
Only then did the clerk sense a hint of true danger, and he shouted with false bravado:
"You... what do you think you're doing! I'm warning you! This canteen is overseen by the Marine! That Old Woman serving food is the mother of our Sabaody Marine Base Commander! Just try laying a hand on anyone here! The Marine will never let you get away with it!"
At that moment, a middle-aged man nearby with a bruised and swollen face, whose fine clothes had become tattered, couldn't help but whisper a piece of advice:
"That's right, young lady, just bear with it... what they say is true... that Old Woman really is the mother of the Marine Base Commander... I was also... sigh..." He pointed to his own wretched state.
"...Either pay the money, or hand over what they've taken a liking to... I finally understand why no one comes here to eat..."
This man was the very customer who had finished his meal and left just before Charlotte Linlin. Clearly, he had just experienced a similar forced 'consumption.'
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