The cold and freezing wind darted from the opened door into the dining room, making people inside cold. They were bounty hunters, one of them being Tim and others' friend, Natan.
Natan looked throughout the dining room. "All right, we've been hunting down pirates, so hurry up and tell us where they are!" Raoul called, keeping a very intimidating expression.
The people inside the palace complained. Most of them didn't understand for who the bounty hunters were searching. Raoul looked at Alina, who tried to pick up the broken plates. He stopped her, grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her up close. "You, tell me this instant. Have you seen a pirate named Tim?" He asked.
Tim happened to become astounded and spit out the water from his mouth. He instantly blinked in confusion, covering his face. "What the hell do they want with me?" he whispered.
Alina kept a solemn and unscared expression. "No, I haven't seen him around." She explained, and Raoul shouted in her face. "You're lying! We saw their ship at the docks!" exclaimed Raoul in anger. "That doesn't mean they came this way! Just leave at letting me do my job!" she shouted, pulling her arm away.
Natan looked at Raoul. "I don't care who you're trying to catch, but my target isn't the white-haired pirate Tim. I'm searching for a guy named Silvio Steyer. Have you seen him by chance?" Natan wondered, looking at Alina. She became worried and tried not to give them much information. "I don't know who you're talking about. I haven't heard of that name before." She lied, hiding it behind her solemn face.
"You're not trying to protect him, are you? Silvio Steyer is a dangerous name with a bounty of $400,000. If he doesn't get eliminated now, it will cause trouble for this entire island. I've asked around, and most people told me he's been working inside this palace as a chef. Either hurry up and tell me where he is, or I will have to scout this whole palace from one table to another." Natan threatened, being more intimidating than usual.
Alina clenched her teeth together, her mouth trembling. "I told you. I don't know where he is." Natan pointed his pistol into Alina's face, threatening to shoot if she didn't answer. "I want answers," he slightly moved the trigger, "and you'll provide."
Alina became serious, giving them a frightening stare. "Is that so?" Natan looked at her in confusion, and at that moment, Alina kicked upward, slamming her foot into Natan's hand. It forced him to lose the pistol's grip and hurled it in the air. She hurriedly backed away, kicking straightforward into Natan's stomach, adding enough pressure to push him back on the marbled floor.
"Grab her!" ordered Raoul, ordering the two other men to attack. They dashed for her, one holding a spear that he used in trying to cut her.
The red-haired man struck first, jabbing the spear forward, aiming it at her head. She ducked beneath the spear, watching the man slicing from left. She dodged to the right and then continued dodging his upcoming few attacks until she found an opening. She flicked her fist into his face, knocking him, putting the brown-haired man to attack next.
He tossed a punch toward her face, but she bent her torso slightly forward, moved in close, and delivered a fist in the bottom of the man's jaw. She followed up with a frontal kick into his chest, pushing him backward.
Both men sandwiched her so that she couldn't move back or forward. She looked at them, then waited for them to attack. The man with the spear slashed first. She squatted, dodging beneath it, noticing that the second man kicked toward her face. She hopped over it, extending her left leg toward his face and stead, and slammed her soles into it, pushing him back.
The man grabbed his face, letting Alina land on the ground. The spear jabbed toward her face multiple times, but she weaved her head between the stabs, finding the right opportunity to strike. She opened her palm and rammed it into his chest, which released an invisible pressure that provided enough force to prevent his lungs from breathing.
He was forced the drop the spear on the ground in front. The man behind her punched from around his shoulder, but she squatted, dodging, quickly stomping on the spear's grip. She bounced it in the air, catching it, and hurriedly delivered a sharp kick into the man's chest.
She used the spear's blunt part to strike the man on the corner of his head and then finished it by slamming it on top of his head.
The man who couldn't breathe early recovered and quickly rushed in to attack. Alina noticed him and speedily delivered multiple jabs with her fists into his chest, enough to immobile his muscles and render him helpless.
She was finished combating them, dropped the spear on the ground, and gazed at Natan and Raoul. Natan seemed displeased with getting kicked, noticing that his pistol was too far from him to grasp. "I don't want anyone running around the palace. You two being here will worsen Etuna's peace, and she'll cause trouble for this whole island and more than either of you ever could." She explained, keeping a high guard. "If you're hunting for those pirates, they aren't here, so leave before I change my mind." Raoul remained steady on his feet, gazing down at the two men that were defeated.
"Looks like you're not just a waitress, but a fighter too. I'll admit, I didn't expect that, but that doesn't mean I'll walk away without getting my answer. Tell me where the white-haired pirate Tim is, or there will be consequences." Alina was bothered by how relaxed he was, and it started to disturb her. "I won't say again. There are *no* pirates inside the palace, now hurry up and get out."
Raoul tried to act, but Natan stopped in front of him, moving his left arm to Raoul's chest, hinting at him to stay back. "You don't understand. I'll tell you one last time, and only one time. Silvio is a pirate with a $400,000 bounty. He's the pirate who worked for the world government in slaughtering the Yasuda family. We finally found him, and it's time that he pays for what he's done. So, either you hurry up or-" He couldn't finish his sentence when a sudden noise of glass shattering rang around.
Everyone turned at the furthest table, noticing Ayuka and others astonished, looking at Tim, who stood up from his chair, destroying the glass.
No one said a single word and could solely see blue flames flaring from his hands, stretching up to his shoulders. His eyes were wide open, appearing as though they were lifeless. His face was shadowed. His hair was waving around because of the invisible pressure moving around his body. "He... did... what?" Tim's voice deepened, sounding more mature and aggressive.
Ayuka quickly stood up. "Hey, stop!" she called, but he didn't budge, and all he did was speak to the bounty hunters. "You're telling me... that he killed Chiaki's family... an innocent girl like her? You're telling me... he was in on it?" he asked. Natan ignored Tim but was amazed to see him in a place like that. "Natan... If you're lying to me... I'm going to do something that you and your new friend won't like." Natan understood him, but even if he trusted Tim, he picked up his pistol that he let go prematurely. "Sorry, Tim. But I'm afraid I can't tell you that." Natan said.
Raoul grinned, finding Tim in the desired location. "So, I guess that waitress lied about my bounty not being here. So, since it waited here so patiently, I might as well hurry up." He grabbed his sword, but before moving it forward, he noticed a pistol leaning on his chin. "You're going to keep your hands off him. If you think I will let you kill him. If you want to kill him... you'll need to go through me. We hurry up and find Silvio, leaving the white-haired pirate out of this, understand?" Natan explained, turning to the opposite side of Raoul.
"You've got a bit riled up. What's wrong, Shadow Rider?" Natan remained serious and moved his eyes, looking at Raoul. "He may be your priority, but he isn't mine. You better keep your word that I'm the commander here on what to do. I'll need to ask you nicely to leave him be, and if that won't work, well, then I'm done working with you. Don't forget. I still prefer going about things solo." Natan's threat was enough to prevent Raoul from continuing, and he smiled. "Fine then... I'm a man of my word. But do know this. Once we're done hunting down Silvio, I'm going after the white-haired pirate, and that's where our companionship will end, and we'll be on our separate roads."
Natan agreed to Raoul's request. "Fine by me. I don't like working with you anyway." Natan dropped the pistol and attached it to his belt. They left the two defeated men on the ground. "Hey. What about your friends? I don't want them lying around the palace." Questioned Alina, folding her arms.
Raoul raised his hand, not looking at her. "Do with them what you want. They are hopeless anyway." They left the palace, infuriating Alina.
Tim seemed furious, and his flames continued burning. If somebody touched them, then it would resolve in their arms getting burned to a crisp. "Tim... calm down." Ayuka reached forward with her arm, and others became horrified. "Wait! Ayuka, don't touch his-" but it was too late. Ayuka's arm reached and grasped Tim's wrist. They looked around, preparing to hear Ayuka scream, but in the end, it appeared that the flames didn't harm her.
Tim instantaneously snapped out of his fury and became relaxed. He seemed confused and noticed that Ayuka was holding his arm. "Just calm down. All right?" she claimed, and Tim smiled. "Yeah, sorry about that. I might have overreacted." He scratched the back of his head, embarrassed.
He waved toward Alina. "Hey! Could you please tell me how much longer? When will the food be ready?" he questioned remaining calm.
Kou seemed bewildered, looking at Ayuka, who sat down and drank from the glass, calm. "What was that? She didn't get burned, and she prevented him from going berserk. When Bow and Peter tried calming him down last time, it didn't work. But she did it without sweating or getting burned. I don't know..." Kou finished.
Alina smiled and waved. "Of course. The food should be ready in no time!" she ran toward the counter, but at that moment, she noticed that the kitchen was empty and that the other chefs continued cooking, other than one.
She blinked in confusion. "Silvio?" he was missing.
To be continued...