A sharp blade descended from above, its glint flashing through the tavern. Shendu and Drago, father and son, found themselves utterly perplexed by the sudden turn of events.
Unbeknownst to them, they had merely come to enjoy a drink and perhaps forge new connections. Little did they anticipate encountering a seemingly deranged woman brandishing a sword, intent on cutting them down.
Meanwhile, Ron remained unfazed, continuing to cook as if such occurrences were routine.
As the longsword approached Shendu's head, a phantom image enveloped the bodies of Drago and Shendu. In an instant, as if they had never been there, they vanished from Esdeath' sight.
The next moment, a crisp "bang" echoed through the tavern. The longsword snapped cleanly in two, its breakage remarkably neat.
"No sword allowed in the tavern, little girl," Shendu's voice resonated from the bar.
Drago sneered, "If it weren't for this tavern, you'd be a corpse by now."
Esdeath, having discarded her longsword, turned slowly, causing bursts of cold air to materialize out of thin air. The temperature within the tavern plummeted, leaving frost covering the floor.
Rayleigh, wide-eyed, wondered if this was Aokiji's Frozen Fruit ability.
"No..." he hesitated, realizing this was different. Esdeath had unleashed a chilling power, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of Aokiji's abilities.
"It's best to stop; this is a guest in the tavern," Ron declared, setting down his bowl and chopsticks, accompanied by a helpless sigh. "If you wish to continue, I'll have to ask you to leave."
Upon hearing this, Esdeath promptly restrained her abilities, a hint of sadness flickering in her blue eyes. She approached Ron slowly, lightly shaking his arm, and expressed, "Don't be so stern next time. I'll be more careful in the future."
Ron could only nod with a wry smile. After all, who could resist the plea of a speaking sister?
Observing this, Rem eyed Esdeath with vigilance, suspecting that his master might be contemplating a departure with other companions. Lucoa, on the other hand, found the situation amusing and commented, "Aren't you two a handful?"
Ram, considering the situation, displayed a trace of fear in his eyes, hesitated briefly, and then decided, "Well, as long as we have the gun in our hands, wasting a few bullets isn't a big deal." The sigh in Ram's voice indicated a certain reluctance.
Rem, seated nearby, nodded silently, seemingly in agreement.
Lucoa, momentarily frozen, suddenly widened his eyes, gazing at the pair of sisters in disbelief. The revelation left him pondering where they had acquired such language. Even Lucoa, a deity of cultural knowledge, found himself momentarily ashamed.
After lunch, a satisfied Rayleigh patted Shendu on the shoulder with a smile while sipping his drink. "Believe it or not, if you had picked a fight just now, it wouldn't have been as simple as being charming."
Behave in a spoiled manner? The idea filled the demon with intense horror, leading to a violent shudder.
"No, that's not even a possibility!" vehemently denied Shendu, shaking his head vigorously to dispel any notion of such behavior.
Rayleigh, with a contemptuous expression, merely curled his lips, unimpressed with Shendu's response.
Amidst the peculiar sight of a fierce-looking demon, Ron, known for his meek demeanor, Rayleigh remarked on the inconsistency. With time running out, Rayleigh paid for the drinks and rose from his seat, declaring, "Let's go; it's time to check on my eldest nephew. The Devil Fruit will be delivered tomorrow."
Ron handed Rayleigh a bottle of wolfberry wine with a smile, insisting it was for his health. In jest, he added, "I don't want you to kick the bucket before I finish emptying your coffin."
Amused, Rayleigh accepted the drink and left the tavern. Ron's gesture of sending wine was actually an invitation for Rayleigh to introduce his former subordinates to the tavern business—an introduction Ron valued as much as a dozen bottles of wine or more.
Since Rayleigh's departure, the tavern had seen no new customers. Rem and Ram were busy with Tohru, getting him acquainted with the work. Shendu and Drago, while arguing on the platform, maintained hushed voices, wary of disturbing the napping Lucoa. Drago cleverly utilized Demon Xiaofeng's power to transmit sound outside.
Meanwhile, Ron engaged in conversation with Esdeath, learning about her tribe's birth, daily hunting, and the tragic wipeout of her people. Ron discovered that despite Esdeath' merciless demeanor towards enemies, she was remarkably generous with her subordinates. Always sharing the empire's bounty, she often dined with ordinary soldiers, resulting in exceptionally high morale within the army she led.
As the sun set, Esdeath, having downed the third bottle of Du Kang wine, stood up and announced her departure. Before leaving, she placed a few captured gems as payment and expressed her desire to return, hoping to learn from the strong individuals in the tavern. With a tender gaze, she added, "I also hope you can come with me next time," and exited the tavern against the backdrop of the setting sun.
Esdeath' figure appeared particularly slender, and her long blue hair fluttered in the wind. It seemed as if freezing the world would create a beautiful picture, and her back slowly disappeared into the surroundings.
"You look disappointed. How about catching up with her now?" Lucoa suddenly appeared in front of Ron. Perhaps due to just waking up, there was a hint of hoarseness in her lazy voice.
"I'm not, I didn't, don't talk nonsense," Ron quickly denied, sensing several angry gazes upon him.
"I think she has a good figure and looks, but it's a pity. Not as good as yours," Ron remarked, looking at the "Tiger Tank" in front of him, patting his chest.
Lucoa's chest trembled with laughter upon hearing this, and she left the bar to assist Tohru and others in preparing dinner.
Suddenly, the system's mechanical beep sounded in Ron's mind:
[Ding, customer: Esdeath has finished confiding.]
[Customer Esdeath: Swordsmanship, physical skills, and the Ice Emperor's "Devil's Appearance·Devil's Essence" can choose one of the abilities.]
Ron didn't hesitate and said, "Select the Ice Teigu and put it into the system warehouse." In his memory, the Ice Teigu was the blood of a dangerous species stored in a pot.
As for the abilities of Shendu and Drago, Ron chose the moon demon's magical energy that can manipulate gravity and the dog Talisman that can make him immortal.
After dinner, Drago and Shendu also left the tavern. Around eight o'clock, with no customers in sight, Ron concluded the day's business, locked the door, and prepared for bed.
Just as he was settling down, the window next to the bed opened. In the faint moonlight, Ron recognized a familiar, plump figure rushing towards him.