C20 Baratie Restaurant Vicious Marquis

In the world of pirates, ten thousand Berries was a fortune for the average family.

Clearly, the cost to repair the wall Zeff had shattered wouldn't come close to that amount.

Lin Mo used to hunt in the valleys around Windmill Village and Frost Moon Village, trading his game for money to spend on wine. He never exchanged more than he needed for a short period.

As a result, he currently had less than a thousand Berries on him.

Nowhere near enough to cover Zeff's exorbitant demand for ten thousand Berries.

At that moment, from the adjacent kitchen, several chefs overheard the disturbance in the hallway.

They quickly emerged from the kitchen.

Upon seeing Zeff, covered in sawdust and sporting a scratch on his face, looking somewhat disheveled, they grew incensed.

"Boss, are you okay?"

"Hey? What happened here? What just went down? Boss, who's responsible for this?"

"Damn! Who would dare harm our boss? Unforgivable! Who is it? I'm going to settle the score!"

"Enough!" Zeff bellowed at the chefs, "I'm fine. Get back to the kitchen and keep cooking for the customers!"

"But boss, you've been hurt. Should I fetch the first aid kit?"

"Boss, who's behind this? Tell us, we won't let them off easy!"

The chefs were reluctant to leave.

"It was him," Sanji pointed at Lin Mo, who looked utterly uninvolved in the affair, "He's the one. I witnessed it myself!"

The chefs turned their gaze to Lin Mo.

A brief silence fell.

Then they erupted into laughter.

"Hahaha, Sanji, are you kidding us? That kid's about your age, isn't he? He's barely sprouted whiskers, how could he possibly injure the boss?"

"Exactly, exactly. That kid, I could flick him away with just one finger. Sanji, if you're going to bluff, at least prepare your story better. Ahahahaha."

"Hey, hey, I'm serious!" Sanji retorted, visibly upset. "Old man, speak up. He's the one who knocked you over!"

With a stern expression, Zeff snapped back, "Idiots, if you don't get back to work, you can all get out of Barati!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than the chefs grew uneasy. One by one, they hurried back to the kitchen to get to work.

"And you!" Zeff fixed Sanji with a stern look and barked, "If you don't want to hit the road, get to scrubbing those plates!"

"Eh?" Sanji, taken aback, swallowed any complaints he had and resigned himself to follow orders.

He couldn't leave Barati, nor could he leave Zeff. With a tight grip on his resolve, Sanji headed back to the kitchen and, as commanded by Zeff, started washing dishes.

Suddenly, the corridor was left with just Zeff and Lin Mo.

"Hey, kid." Zeff dusted himself off and said with a stoic face, "If you can't cough up ten thousand Berries for damages, then you're staying to work it off."

"No." Lin Mo's refusal was immediate.

He wasn't about to work for someone else.

Zeff's brow creased slightly. "If you don't want to stay, then pay up the full compensation!"

Lin Mo produced two pouches, each containing three hundred Berries, and tossed them to Zeff. "This should cover the repairs."

Zeff eyed the pouches in his hand with a grim look and narrowed his eyes. "You're the one who damaged my boat. I decide the compensation. If I say it's not enough, it's not enough. But since you're just a kid, I'll cut you some slack. Work here for two months, and then you're free to go."

Barati was an unusual place; its chefs were all fighters at heart.

Pirates often came to dine and stir up trouble, leading to frequent brawls with the chefs. This had scared off many who came to work there.

With a daily influx of patrons and a shortage of staff, everyone was swamped with work.

Zeff's initial intent wasn't really to demand a hefty sum but to have Lin Mo stay and lend a hand.

Lin Mo had already figured as much.

And he had no intention of bending to Zeff's will.

"No."

He stood firm in his refusal.

Just then, the system notification chimed in his mind.

[Beep! By refusing Zeff's work offer, sign-in progress increased by 10%. Current total progress: 20%. Reward: New skill Night Market Level 1.]

Night Gate!

Lin Mo's eyes sparkled with excitement. He knew interacting with Zeff would help him progress in his sign-in task, but he hadn't anticipated the system rewarding him with a new skill—a skill so potent in the world of Fire Shadow that it nearly brought the saga to a climactic end!

The Night Gate is the ultimate technique of the Eighth Gate in the Eight Gates, beginning with a runner's stance, channeling Chakra, and delivering a kick with such force it defies the norms of physical prowess, capable of warping space itself. It was undeniably a formidable skill.

Yet, the use of Night Gate came with a significant risk: it required the burning of one's life force, which concerned Lin Mo.

Inwardly, he queried, "System, will using Night Gate burn my life away?"

[Beep! There will be no life burning. At early stages, below Level 6, there will be no impact on the host. Beyond Level 6, each use of Night Gate will deplete a substantial amount of Chakra and stamina.]

With this knowledge, Lin Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

Zeff, noticing Lin Mo's prolonged silence and his odd expression—as if he'd just received some thrilling news—couldn't help but express his frustration. "Hey, kid!" Zeff exclaimed, exasperated, "What's with you? Are you even listening? Do you really think you're in a position to negotiate with me?"

Snapping out of his reverie, Lin Mo steadied his emotions and met Zeff's gaze with a cool detachment. A slight smirk played at his lips. "I stand by my words. I refuse."

Zeff inhaled deeply, launching another attack. "Stubborn brat, a real man owns up to his mistakes and pays for them. I'm only asking for two months of labor!"

"I refuse!"

This time, Lin Mo didn't evade. Uncharacteristically, he took the offensive, rushing towards Zeff as wisps of faint red steam began to emanate from his body.

As they closed in on each other, Lin Mo unleashed his kick, landing a fierce blow on Zeff's prosthetic limb. Despite being artificial, the leg's Leg Technique could still inflict considerable damage.

In fact, Zeff had sensed trouble the moment Lin Mo's body began to emit steam.

Back on the Grand Line, he'd encountered individuals whose formidable strength posed a real threat to him.

Yet, those powerful figures were generally over twenty years old.

This time, however, he was taken aback to feel a similar sense of danger emanating from a mere child.

By the time he thought to withdraw his leg, it was too late.

Their legs collided, locked together for a tense three seconds.

Then, they both sprang apart, retreating several steps.

Zeff had only exerted 30% of his power.

But for the average person, that was more than enough to send them flying.

"Kid, just who are you?" Zeff asked with a furrowed brow, "And what do you call that move you just used?"

Lin Mo flexed his right leg nonchalantly and replied, "Night Market."

"Huh?" Zeff was taken aback. "Is that what you named your technique?"

Lin Mo gave a slight nod, "Yep."

Zeff paused, puzzled. "What an odd name for a move..."

But odd or not, he couldn't help but see the young boy before him in a new light.