Ronin woke slowly, blinking his eyes as he lay sprawled across the bed in his hotel room. The room was quiet, save for the soft creaking of the floorboards and the muffled sounds of the town outside. His body felt heavy, still recovering from the deep sleep he'd drifted into after his earlier encounter with the two unfortunate pirates. He stretched, yawning, and then sat up, glancing at the window.
The dark sky greeted him, the once golden sun now fully replaced by the cold, silver glow of the moon. Night had fallen.
"How long have I been out?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck as he stood up, his joints popping in protest from his extended nap. He walked over to the window, peering out. The streets were mostly empty, save for a few stragglers and the faint sound of laughter from nearby taverns.
Ronin grabbed his sword, fastening it to his waist before giving his room a quick glance. The bodies of the two pirates he had killed earlier had been unceremoniously tossed out the window into the alley below. He hadn't felt like dealing with the aftermath then, and, judging by the lack of screaming and panic outside, no one had found them yet.
"Guess I'll clean that up later... or not," he said, shrugging. After all, they'd attacked him first.
Feeling refreshed and still slightly groggy, Ronin slipped out of the hotel room and into the cool night air. He wandered the dimly lit streets, adjusting his scarf as he tried to remember the last time he'd seen the others. Lila, Koby, and Te were probably around somewhere, most likely causing trouble or, knowing them, getting into some mischief.
As he walked, his stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since before his nap. His eyes scanned the area, searching for a place that might still be open. The shops were mostly closed at this hour, but the bars were lively, their warm glow spilling out onto the streets. The tavern district was ahead, and he figured the others might have ended up there at some point.
Ronin wandered through the narrow streets, occasionally passing small groups of people, all of whom seemed to give him a wide berth. His reputation as a swordsman preceded him, and the sight of his katana was usually enough to deter any unwanted attention. The air was crisp and filled with the smell of salt from the nearby sea, mingling with the aroma of food being cooked in the taverns.
After a few minutes, he paused, glancing up at the night sky. Stars twinkled faintly above, barely visible through the haze of clouds. He sighed, feeling a slight unease at the quietness of the town. He couldn't help but feel like something was off, like the calm before a storm.
Just as he turned the corner, he spotted three familiar figures walking toward him: Lila, Te, and Koby. They looked just as he expected — Te was grinning like a man who had gotten away with something, Koby was his usual composed self, though there was a hint of amusement in his eyes, and Lila was the picture of exasperation, clearly tired of dealing with the brothers' antics.
"There you are!" Lila called out as she spotted him, picking up her pace to close the distance between them. "We've been looking for you."
"Sorry," Ronin said with a lazy smile, scratching his head. "I lost track of time. Had a bit of a nap."
"A nap?" Lila echoed, raising an eyebrow. "You've been sleeping this whole time?"
Ronin shrugged. "More or less."
"Well, while you were napping, these two idiots were getting into trouble as usual," she said, jerking her thumb at Te and Koby.
"Trouble? Us?" Te grinned, feigning innocence. "We were just minding our own business."
"Minding your own business by punching a pirate captain through a wall," Lila shot back, shaking her head. "And now half the town knows your names."
Ronin chuckled softly, his eyes flicking to Te and Koby. "Sounds about right. Guess I missed the action."
"Trust me, you didn't miss much," Koby said, rolling his shoulders. "Just a few nobodies trying to flex their power."
"Speaking of trouble, I had my own run-in earlier," Ronin said casually, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting someone to be following him.
Lila narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Ronin shrugged again, his expression unfazed. "Some pirates tried to take my sword while I was sleeping. Didn't go well for them."
"You killed them, didn't you?" Lila asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yeah, but I threw them out the window. I'll deal with the bodies later."
"Or we'll just pretend we didn't hear that," Koby muttered with a small grin.
"Anyway," Ronin continued, changing the subject, "what's the plan? It's getting late."
Lila crossed her arms, her gaze shifting between the brothers and Ronin. "We were hoping to regroup before we decide on our next move. This place is crawling with marines and other pirates, and something feels off about the whole situation."
"You're not wrong," Ronin said, his eyes narrowing. "I sensed a lot of strong presences when I was walking through the streets earlier. It's like there's something big happening, but no one's talking about it."
"We're laying low for now," Koby said, though the determined look on his face said otherwise. "But we're keeping an eye on everything. Especially the marines."
"Te and I are thinking of rescuing someone," Lila added, glancing at Te for confirmation.
"Yeah, there's a girl being held captive nearby. Bonney, the daughter of Bartholomew Kuma," Te explained, his voice low. "She's in the hands of a CP8 agent. Weak guy, but we'll still need to be careful. There are stronger people lurking around, and we don't know who they are."
Ronin's usual calm demeanor sharpened at the mention of CP agents and marines. His hand instinctively rested on the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing. "Sounds like we'll need to move carefully. Any idea where she's being held?"
"Somewhere near the church," Koby replied, his tone serious. "Te sensed it earlier. We're going to scout the area soon, but we'll wait for the right moment. The last thing we need is to trigger a full-scale fight with marines swarming in."
"Smart," Ronin said, nodding in agreement. "We've got the element of surprise for now. Let's keep it that way."
Lila adjusted the bags in her hands, looking impatient to get moving. "Alright, then. Let's stick together and figure this out. We don't have much time."
Te, Koby, and Ronin exchanged a glance, each of them knowing what lay ahead was bound to get dangerous. But that was nothing new for them. The night was still young, and they had work to do.
Without another word, the four of them headed into the darkened streets, the quiet tension building as they prepared for whatever came next.