Alpha's expression instantly darkened as she clenched her fists.
"Bastard Luffy!" she cursed inwardly, fuming at his dismissive attitude.
Despite her anger, she didn't lash out. Instead, she calmly stood up, cradling her overstuffed belly as she waddled toward the door. Before stepping out, she turned back, stuck out her tongue, and made a playful face at Luffy.
"Lululu~ Stingy guy! Just you wait, when I see Khalifa, I'm telling her you bullied me!"
With that, she pushed the door open and dashed out in a hurry.
Luffy simply chuckled at her childish antics.
"As expected. Girls in their twenties should have that kind of liveliness," he mused.
CP… that damned place had drained all humanity out of its people. It was never meant for humans to live normal lives.
With Alpha gone, the group assumed she wouldn't be back for a while. They resumed their conversation, discussing trivial matters over their meal.
However, just moments after Alpha had left, the door was suddenly flung open again. She burst back in, panting heavily, her face pale with shock.
"No—something bad happened! A Marine is dead downstairs!"
Her voice trembled as she pointed downward, her anxiety clear.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
Kujaku, Violet, and Gion's expressions hardened at the news.
A Marine had been killed? Right under their noses?
Who would dare commit such a reckless act?!
Violet immediately activated her Glare-Glare Fruit ability, her eyes glowing as she scanned the area below through the floor. At the same time, her mind raced.
"That shouldn't be possible… I scan the entire island every ten minutes. If a pirate ship had approached, I would've noticed!"
Could it be that someone had infiltrated disguised as a tourist or a merchant?
Alpha, still breathless, shook her head. "I don't think so. I overheard some guests saying that the Marine just… collapsed suddenly while eating. It was completely out of nowhere."
Her face turned uneasy as she clutched her stomach. "I suspect the food was poisoned… But the strange thing is, the guy's companion—who was eating with him—seems completely fine!"
As she spoke, beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
She had just eaten a ton of food in that same restaurant.
"If there really was poison in one of the dishes…"
A chill ran down Alpha's spine. Her mind filled with worst-case scenarios.
She immediately considered forcing herself to vomit everything she had eaten. Then, she'd definitely go settle the score with the restaurant owner!
Meanwhile, Violet had locked onto the scene with her ability.
Through her enhanced vision, she spotted the so-called "dead Marine."
A black-haired young Marine, slumped over his plate of fried noodles, completely motionless.
Beside him, a blond Marine stood with a tense expression, speaking to the restaurant owner—probably demanding an explanation.
Around them, the restaurant's guests had gathered, their faces filled with alarm and suspicion.
Clearly, they were all shaken by the unexpected incident.
If the owner failed to give a proper answer, the situation could spiral out of control.
"The situation looks serious," Violet said grimly. "That Marine isn't moving at all… He might really be in danger."
Hearing this, Kujaku instantly stood up.
"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's head down and check things out! No matter what the cause is, we need to get him to a hospital first!"
Her voice carried urgency, and her body language made it clear she was ready to take immediate action.
But in the midst of all this tension, no one noticed that Luffy hadn't reacted at all.
From beginning to end, he remained seated, unbothered.
He sipped his drink leisurely, as if nothing had happened.
Just as Kujaku and the others prepared to rush downstairs, Luffy finally spoke, his voice calm and composed.
"Relax. Stop making a fuss. That guy isn't dead—he's just asleep."
"…What?"
A collective question mark formed in the minds of the four women.
They all turned to him, completely baffled.
"Did he just say… asleep?"
"What kind of joke is that?! Who just randomly falls asleep while eating?!"
Violet frowned, using her ability once again to observe the scene carefully.
"But he really isn't moving! He looks dead!" she insisted.
Luffy took another sip of his drink and smirked. "You said he looks dead—but that doesn't mean he actually is. Why are you all acting like you've never seen weird things before? We're in the New World now. This kind of stuff shouldn't surprise you."
His tone was so relaxed that it made their panic feel ridiculous in comparison.
Then, without missing a beat, he casually gave out orders.
"Alpha, go order some more food. Make sure to get extra."
Alpha blinked at him in disbelief.
"This guy is totally unfazed…"
Before she could respond, Luffy turned to Kujaku.
"Kujaku, go downstairs. Those two Marines are my friends. Bring them up here."
His words caused the four women to exchange uncertain glances.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
In the end, Alpha was the first to break the silence.
"Fine, whatever. It's your Marine who 'died.' Nothing to do with my CP business."
She stretched lazily, looking completely uninterested in the situation now.
"I'll leave it to you guys. Oh, and I saw some fresh crabs downstairs—I'm gonna pick out two for myself."
Humming a little tune, she turned on her heel and strolled out of the room.
Violet and Gion hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, they relaxed.
"If Luffy says it's fine, then I guess there's nothing to worry about," Gion said, taking her seat again.
Violet followed suit, though she still kept an eye on the scene below, just in case.
That left Kujaku.
She sighed, feeling like she was the only one still taking things seriously.
"Fine. If Luffy's that confident, I'll check it out myself."
If the Marine truly was alive, she'd bring him up as requested.
If he was dead… then she'd take proper care of his body.
And while she was at it, she'd make sure the restaurant owner was held accountable for what happened.
With that decision made, she stormed off downstairs.
Meanwhile, Luffy, Gion, and Violet casually continued watching the events unfold using their respective abilities, treating it as nothing more than entertainment.
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