-Short chapter
Inside the tavern, Killer sat down with a heavy sigh, his normally stoic demeanor replaced with something much more dejected. He ignored the rowdy laughter and chatter of his crewmates and slumped into a seat near Eustass Kidd, who immediately noticed the change in his long-time friend's energy.
Kidd, rarely one to show concern, raised an eyebrow at Killer's defeated posture. "Yo, man, what's with the long face?" he asked, trying to sound casual but unable to hide the underlying concern.
Killer looked up at Kidd, a strange, lovestruck gleam in his eyes, hidden behind his mask. "I met this woman… her name's Lila… and…"
'Oh no… I haven't seen him like this since we were kids,' Kidd thought to himself, trying to suppress a groan as Killer launched into a rambling monologue about Lila.
"She's… incredible. Stronger than anyone I've ever faced before. Her hair glistens in the sunlight, and she's a pirate too, like us—"
"Yeah, yeah, love at first sight. I got it," Kidd interrupted, already tired of hearing about it after just a few minutes.
But Killer wasn't done. "It's not just that, Kidd! She's… powerful! Stronger than me, even. And she's got this smile that—"
Kidd slammed his hand down on the table. "Fucking hell, Killer, enough already! I get it, you've got a crush or whatever." He paused, leaning back in his chair with an exasperated sigh. "You said she's a pirate? Maybe I'll just invite her to join our crew."
Killer stopped mid-sentence, eyes narrowing behind his mask. "No way. I don't think that's a good idea."
Kidd grinned, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Oh, come on. You don't think I'll hurt your precious Lila, do you? Besides, if she's that strong, maybe I should pay her captain a visit. I could use a little action."
"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Killer muttered. "If Lila's that strong, imagine how strong her captain must be."
Kidd waved him off, clearly not concerned. "You worry too much, Killer. I'll crush anyone who gets in my way. Pirate or not, if they stand between me and my goal of being the King of the Pirates, they're going down."
The tavern erupted in cheers from the Kidd Pirates, who were always quick to rally behind their captain's declarations of destruction and chaos.
Killer, however, was not as enthusiastic. 'This isn't going to end well,' he thought grimly, watching Kidd rise from his seat with a dangerous grin on his face. His captain wasn't one to back down from a challenge, especially when it came to asserting his dominance. And now, with Lila involved, Killer feared things could escalate far beyond a simple recruitment effort.
Without another word, Kidd and his crew left the tavern, marching out into the town with one clear goal in mind: to find Lila and crush her crew—starting with her captain.
Killer trailed behind, feeling a sense of impending doom as he thought about what lay ahead. 'Lila's strong, no doubt, but this isn't going to go the way Kidd thinks it will…'
As they ventured into the streets, the sounds of their boots stomping on the ground echoed like the calm before the storm. All Killer could hope was that his infatuation with Lila wouldn't lead to an all-out war between two pirate crews. But knowing Kidd, that hope was thin at best.