Chapter 11: Should we name him?

Listening to the conversations in the shop, Alex couldn't help but become interested in Thor's origins.

If he was acquainted with big shots like Shanks and was respected by Jesus Burgess, he couldn't have been some insignificant nobody.

In just two days since arriving in this world, Alex had come to deeply understand one thing:

In this era of great sailing, with fierce competition and ruthless characters, there must be many more ruthless figures who haven't been mentioned in the original work.

To gain a foothold in such a world...

It's no easier than in the world of hunters.

Alex subconsciously clenched the smoothbore flintlock rifle he had begged from Jesus Burgess.

With a weapon, the next step was to find a second prey.

But the prerequisite for finding a second prey was having the capital to move freely outside.

The deterrent effect of a gun alone wasn't enough.

He knew that although he was a good shot, he didn't have the lightning-fast reloading speed of Jesus Burgess.

If he got into a fight, he reckoned that after firing one bullet, he'd have no follow-up.

"Huh?"

Alex's eyelids twitched as he suddenly thought of an even more pressing problem.

"There are no bullets..."

Earlier, he had been so focused on leaving the scene quickly that he hadn't had time to ask Jesus Burgess for gunpowder and lead bullets.

Alex sighed.

That Night

The restaurant was brightly lit, the tables laden with delicious food, and the wine in the glasses overflowed with fragrance.

Shanks looked at the wine in his wooden cup and sighed, "I've drunk countless fine wines, but only the wine from my hometown makes me feel this nostalgic."

"Why are you still here?"

Thor's eyelids drooped, his face full of disdain, as if he were about to sprinkle it into the dish as seasoning.

"Don't be so cold. We haven't seen each other in a while," Shanks said with a smile, as if the verbal sparring from earlier in the day had already faded into the past.

Sunny refilled Shanks' cup in good time, while Jesus Burgess ate and drank in silence.

As for Lucky Roux, he hadn't returned after carrying the wine back to the ship.

Alex sat in the seat by the wall, grateful that Jesus Burgess hadn't left yet, and pondered the right moment to ask him for gunpowder and lead bullets.

Of course, he couldn't ask for them at the table.

After thinking about it, the only opportunity was...

"Go to the toilet, go to the toilet, go to the toilet..."

Alex muttered to himself.

Jesus Burgess, who was drinking, felt a strange tingling sensation.

Hmm? Could it be the large temperature difference between day and night?

He shook his head and continued drinking.

Thor glanced at Shanks' empty left sleeve and said coldly, "I wasn't joking earlier. For a big shot like you to keep coming here just to buy alcohol will inevitably cause me some unavoidable trouble."

"You're right," Shanks said, looking at the liquid in his wooden cup.

"Have you ever thought about... coming to my ship?"

"Going to your ship?" Thor sneered. "I'm already an old man nearing the grave. Do you want me to spend my retirement on your ship? Besides, having a Jesus Burgess on your ship is enough."

"Uh, I'm going to the bathroom."

Jesus Burgess couldn't bear the weight of the big hat Thor had suddenly placed on him and got up to escape temporarily by going to the bathroom.

Alex saw this and thought it was a good opportunity. He silently followed.

The absence of two people at the table didn't affect Shanks and Thor's conversation.

"That's right..." Shanks smiled, unable to refute Thor's words.

Thor gulped down the wine in his glass and said calmly, "For decades, there have been countless pirates, but in the end, how many of them have a good ending? An old guy like me, who's been left behind by the times, is already content with being able to breathe a little longer every day."

"..." Shanks was silent.

Sunny muttered, "Old people can still go to Flower Street every day..."

Shanks suddenly smiled.

"Stop talking and eat more," Thor said, first glaring at Sunny, then glancing at Shanks askance. He snorted, "What are you laughing at? If you understand, don't come back again."

Shanks said seriously, "Then you can reveal the location of the island where you hide the wine."

"Get lost!"

Corridor

"Do you need something?"

Jesus Burgess stood in the doorway of the bathroom, tilting his head to look at Alex, who had followed him.

Alex nodded and spoke in a low voice to explain his reason: "I want to ask you for some lead bullets and gunpowder."

"Huh?" Jesus Burgess looked at Alex strangely. "This is a weapons store."

If you want a gun during the day, that's fine, but you're coming at night to ask for ammunition?

"That's right, but..."

Alex was at a loss for words for a moment, trying to think of a suitable excuse. He didn't have the same familiarity with Sunny as he did with Thor and couldn't shift the blame onto Thor with a laugh.

Seeing that Alex was about to speak, Jesus Burgess didn't press further. He took out a small portion of lead bullets and gunpowder from his ammunition bag.

"Is this enough?"

"Enough!"

Alex nodded vigorously, fearing that Jesus Burgess might change his mind, and quickly took the ammunition.

Jesus Burgess was a little speechless. It was only a few rounds of ammunition—was it really necessary?

He looked at the lights in the dining room and thought to himself that Boss and Mr. Thor would probably still be chatting for a while. He simply squatted down in front of the bathroom door and took out a cigarette to smoke.

After getting the ammunition, Alex didn't intend to linger. He was about to go to the room on the second floor to put the ammunition away first.

But before he could take a step, Jesus Burgess handed him a cigarette.

"Do you want to smoke?"

"Er..."

Alex didn't know how to refuse, so he first put the ammunition in his pocket before taking the cigarette.

Jesus Burgess exhaled a puff of smoke and, perhaps out of boredom, started a conversation.

"Have you ever considered giving your gun a name?"

Alex thought about it and was about to answer when Jesus Burgess cut him off:

"Well, I always called mine 'my old friend,' but I wasn't able to stay with it until the end. Guns aren't like swords—they're easily forgotten.

Even if you give a gun a loud name, people will remember the person using the gun, not the gun itself. But I hope you remember that a good gun makes a good sniper. By the way, what are you going to name your old friend?"

"I..."

Alex just wanted to speak but was interrupted again.

"Actually, I was a little reluctant to let my old friend go, but after I handed it over to you, for some reason, I felt an inexplicable sense of relief."

"I..."

"As a marksman, you also need to keep up your physical condition. You can't do it like this—you're too weak."

"I..."

"Eh, what am I doing? With Mr. Thor here, there's no way I'm giving you advice. Haha, by the way, I still don't know what you want to name the gun."

"I..."

"How about Usopp? What a cute name. Actually, that's my son's name. Now that I think about it, he should be about your age."

"..."

The bathroom doorway was filled with choking smoke.

Alex realized:

When dealing with a drunk talker, don't try to talk.

Just listen.