I am the Bandit King of the East Sea.

The night was growing deeper.

However, the tavern was quite lively.

The tavern owner still stood behind the bar, as old as the tavern itself.

His hands and feet were a little clumsy; the veins on his thin palms were as prominent as tree branches, and his face was covered with age spots, but he still tremblingly served drinks to the customers waiting at the bar.

Two male customers, wearing sunglasses, floral shirts, and shorts, sat at the bar, chatting idly.

Outside the bar, there were several other tables of drunk patrons, their faces flushed, spitting as they boasted.

This is Loguetown, the place where things begin and end.

The topics of conversation among the drinkers mostly revolved around Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King who was born here, and Higuma, the Mountain Bandit King who had a connection with Loguetown.

Some people are discussing One Piece and its still elusive One Piece treasure.

Some people mentioned the bandit king who retired gracefully and disappeared from the world's sight.

This isn't the Grand Line, but Loguetown in the East Blue. Most of the drinkers chatting and laughing here have probably never been to the Grand Line.

But in their mouths, the popular legends of the Mountain Bandit King and the Pirate King were told in great detail, and the discussion was very heated.

"Boss, your skills aren't up to par. This wine just doesn't taste right."

A male customer wearing sunglasses suddenly spoke up and placed his half-finished drink on the bar.

The once noisy tavern became a little quieter.

Some of the drinkers glanced at them.

This sounds like someone is trying to cause trouble. But the tavern owner is old, and his bones can't withstand a few rounds of punches from a young man.

Some people silently grabbed bottles or stools, ready to intervene if things went wrong.

But no one noticed that when the old man behind the bar heard the male customer's voice, his fingers trembled slightly, and his cloudy old eyes stared blankly at the newcomer through his glasses.

"Your skills aren't up to par, so I'll have to do it." The male customer wearing sunglasses smiled slightly, stood up, and expertly walked around behind the bar, taking out a few bottles of wine from the wine cabinet with smooth and natural movements, as if he were the host rather than a customer.

"What would you like to drink this time?" he asked.

The old man paused for a moment, then blinked.

He took off his reading glasses from the bridge of his nose and quietly wiped the corner of his eye.

"Just like before, the kind you like." He spoke slowly.

"Let's have an angel's kiss."

By this point, how could the other drinkers around not realize that this was a joke between acquaintances?

The slightly tense atmosphere suddenly relaxed.

The noisy laughter and chatter resumed as they continued their conversation, rehashing the legends of the Mountain Bandit King or the Pirate King.

Little did they know that the very legend they were discussing was now sitting right beside them.

At this point, 57 years had passed since Sieg first stepped into this tavern.

"What are you kissing for? I made you an even better one."

"The name of this drink is... Time."

Sieg put down his glass and pushed it in front of the old man.

The old man looked closely through his reading glasses and saw that the glass contained not fine wine at all, but a small flame that was still burning and had a pale purplish-red color.

This is not wine, but a fire of regression.

Considering the world's perspective, the amount of this cup of reversing fire is enough to turn back the old man's age by 12 years.

Meanwhile, Sieg had already started drinking by himself and was gradually getting tipsy.

"Speaking of that bandit king, he's truly remarkable." He raised his wine glass and looked at the assembled drinkers.

"What you were bragging about just now was a bit far-fetched; it was all hearsay."

"I've been a fan of Mountain Bandit King for ten years, and no one understands it better than me..."

Sieg seamlessly joined the conversation among the drinkers, boasting about himself without any sense of incongruity.

...................

The night grew deeper.

The other patrons had already left, leaving only three people in the large bar.

The bar owner had drunk the Regression Flame Wine and had become much younger and stronger.

Roger sat at the bar, continuing to drink and reminisce about the past.

Decades have passed, and this is the little unspoken understanding between them.

Sieg leaned against the entrance, looking at the empty bar.

Sieg had a sudden thought.

A semi-transparent panel appeared before my eyes.

Several months have passed since the World Government's destruction and Im's death, and this is the first time he has opened the system panel in all that time.

The reason for keeping it closed for so long isn't to drive perfectionists crazy, but to be on guard against the system causing any more trouble. After all, Sieg wants to enjoy a few more peaceful days.

At this moment, several streams of text messages popped up like a waterfall.

"Main Quest: Mountain Bandit King, Completed."

"Quest Reward: The Miracle Fireworks of the Quack Doctor Hiruluk"

Sig paused for a moment, looked down at the extra firework tube in his hand, and suddenly smiled.

"Is it time to scatter the flowers?"

He lit the firework tube in his hand.

call out!

A meteor streaks across the night sky, bursting into brilliant pink fireworks that bloom amidst the dazzling night, a scene both dreamlike and enchanting.

Like cherry blossom petals fluttering in the wind, or like pale pink snowflakes.

Sieg raised his glass and looked up at the sky, his face illuminated by the fireworks, the glass in his hand reflecting a pink glow.

He suddenly remembered the quack doctor Hiluluk's line: "My life is just too good to be true," and then couldn't help but chuckle.

"My life isn't over yet; it's not time to summarize it," he murmured to himself.

His life now is like that summer after the college entrance exam. After a long and arduous journey, he has achieved what he wanted with his own hands.

however.

Stories have an end, and so does this leisurely summer vacation.

The Roger Pirates will travel to the stars and the sea, and perhaps when Higuma gets tired of summer vacation, he will also push open that door.

Life is not just the grand drama of the past, nor is it just the leisurely summer vacation we have now; there is a long way to go.

...........................

When the tavern owner woke up, the tavern was empty.

Before leaving, Sieg and Roger even helped clean up the mess left by the patrons of the previous night's bar.

Everything around was neat and tidy, except for three empty glasses on the bar.

This suddenly made him feel a little empty.

Is it over?

The tavern owner walked to the front door and pushed it open.

Sunlight streamed in through the door, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that seemed to fill his entire being.

The sun rose as usual.

It was already daylight.

"Boss, you're opening so early today?"

"Boss, you look great today! You look at least ten years younger..."

Before long, some regular customers came in chatting and laughing, and a new day began.

Besides these regular customers, there were even a few children who were only ten years old and still looked very young.

They sat at the bar and expertly ordered juice or milk.

"Boss, tell me the story of the Mountain Bandit King!"

This peculiar tavern not only serves alcoholic beverages but also a variety of non-alcoholic drinks, such as milk. The owner, occasionally drunk, also enjoys telling stories.

Therefore, it usually attracts some teenagers.

The boss walked to the bar and began his new day's work.

"Boss, what is a pirate? And what is a bandit?" a child asked.

There are always people asking all sorts of questions, and the old man is used to it. He reads aloud:

"Pirates are lawless outlaws who set sail with a skull and crossbones flag."

"And what about the bandits?" the child asked, tilting his head up.

"Must we distinguish between mountain bandits and sea pirates so clearly? Mountain bandits are mountain bandits, and sea pirates are sea pirates," the shopkeeper replied.

"So what are pirates? What are bandits?" the child continued to ask, as if repeating himself.

The boss was momentarily speechless. He pressed his chest, pondered for a moment, and then continued to explain:

"Some people think that piracy is about burning, killing, and looting; some think that piracy is about conquering the world; and some think that piracy is about freedom and adventure. Pirates are a huge group, and you can't generalize. In short, don't judge pirates by ordinary people's moral standards."

"So what exactly is a pirate? What is a bandit?" The child ignored him and continued repeating the question.

The boss covered his face with his hands; he was getting annoyed.

Kids at this age can be really annoying; they'll keep asking questions if they don't get the answers they want.

"Let me explain," a voice rang out from a corner of the bar.