The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silver glow over the town square that had been transformed into a chaotic pirate party. Despite the earlier tension and fierce battle, the Hunter Pirates and Kidd Pirates now found themselves in a rowdy celebration, their laughter and shouts echoing through the otherwise empty town. Tables groaned under the weight of food, barrels of ale were tapped and flowing freely, and the sounds of clinking mugs and cheerful hollers filled the air. Even with no locals around to celebrate, the pirates were more than enough to create a raucous atmosphere.
Te held a mug high, a devilish grin plastered across his face. "To the good old-fashioned way of making friends—beating each other senseless first!"
Koby smirked, raising his mug in turn. "Honestly, I think it's the only way Te knows how."
Across the table, Ronin was nursing a drink and chuckling at his crewmates, but he also kept sneaking glances at Kidd, who seemed more focused on watching the Hunter Pirates than joining the festivities. Meanwhile, Killer had found a corner and was observing Lila with thinly veiled admiration as she effortlessly defeated Kidd's crew members in game after game.
"Alright, who's next?" Lila grinned, challenging the Kidd Pirates as she sat cross-legged at the table, clutching a handful of dice. She'd already taken down three of Kidd's men in a row, showing an uncanny knack for both strategy and sheer luck.
Heat stepped forward, cracking his knuckles and giving her a confident smirk. "Alright, little miss, I'm up for the challenge. Don't think I'll go easy on you."
Lila's eyes sparkled mischievously as she rolled the dice, and the entire table leaned in, watching as the dice came to a stop—another winning roll for her. Heat's smirk faltered, and he groaned, realizing he'd just been bested.
"Better luck next time, big guy," Lila teased, laughing at his expense.
Killer, still watching her from a distance, clenched his fists, clearly impressed by her skills. Gathering the courage, he took a step forward, cleared his throat, and finally spoke up. "You know… I've got a game in mind, Lila. Ever heard of arm wrestling?"
Lila arched an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Oh, you want to arm wrestle me, huh?" she replied, not missing a beat. "Fair warning—I don't lose."
Killer tried to keep his cool, though he couldn't completely mask his excitement. "We'll see about that," he replied, taking a seat across from her.
Their crewmates gathered around as Killer and Lila locked hands. Te and Koby watched with grins, Koby shaking his head in amusement.
"This should be good," Koby muttered.
Lila narrowed her eyes, flexing her arm and leaning in with a fierce look. "Ready to lose, helmet boy?" she taunted.
"Bring it on," Killer replied, his voice muffled by his mask.
With a sharp "Go!" from Ronin, they began, their arms straining as they pushed against each other's strength. For a moment, it looked evenly matched, but slowly—almost effortlessly—Lila began to push Killer's hand down. Killer struggled, but it was no use; within seconds, his hand hit the table with a resounding thud.
The Kidd Pirates burst into laughter, teasing Killer mercilessly. Lila leaned back with a smug grin, giving him a playful salute. "Thanks for the warm-up, Killer."
Killer, trying to recover from the embarrassing defeat, scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "You're… stronger than you look."
"Thanks for the compliment," Lila said, grinning even wider as she leaned in. "Maybe next time, though, try doing it without the mask?"
Killer let out a muffled laugh, and even Kidd couldn't resist a chuckle, despite the annoyance of seeing one of his best men so smitten with a rival pirate.
"Alright, enough games," Kidd grunted, stomping over to where Te and Koby were seated. He slammed a bottle of ale on the table and gestured at them to sit. "I gotta know—what brings you lot to the South Blue? You don't seem like the type to just… pass through."
Te, never one to turn down a challenge or a chance to talk about himself, leaned forward, his grin widening. "Honestly? We're just here to explore the Four Blues. See what's out there. Experience everything we can before we get dragged into the big leagues."
Kidd raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, you're not after the One Piece?"
"Oh, we'll get there eventually," Te replied with a shrug, taking a swig from his drink. "But we're in no hurry. Right now, we're just taking our time. Savoring the journey."
Kidd let out a snort of disbelief, though his eyes showed a glint of respect. "Taking your time, huh? Not many pirates think like that. You'd fit right in with my crew."
Te smirked, exchanging a quick glance with Koby. "Tempting offer, Kidd. But we like running things our way."
Kidd rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed with their response. "Your way, huh? Think you're tough enough to handle the New World by yourselves?"
Koby leaned back, crossing his arms, his calm demeanor unwavering. "Not today, maybe. But we'll be ready when the time comes."
Kidd laughed, a wild and challenging sound. "We'll see about that. Maybe when you're ready for a real fight, we'll meet again in the Grand Line."
Ronin, who had been quietly listening to the exchange, raised his mug in a toast. "To that day, then."
They all clinked their mugs together, an unspoken agreement hanging in the air.
As the night wore on, the alcohol loosened everyone up even more. Te was recounting the tale of his encounter with a Sea King, though he embellished it far beyond the truth.
"So there I was, face-to-face with this beast, its jaws big enough to swallow an entire ship," he said, gesturing with wide hands. "It lunged at me, and I… I threw a punch so strong, it sent it flying back into the ocean!"
Kidd's crew stared at him, mouths agape, until one of them snickered. "No way! You really expect us to believe that?"
Koby leaned in, grinning. "Oh, it happened. I was there."
Lila smirked, chiming in, "You guys should've seen the look on the Sea King's face. I think it swam off crying."
Even Kidd couldn't help but chuckle, though he tried to hide it. "You're all insane."
Ronin raised his mug again, this time sloshing some ale over the edge. "Insane is just another word for awesome."
Killer, who had mostly kept quiet since his defeat in arm wrestling, finally spoke up, looking directly at Lila. "So… about that date…"
Lila rolled her eyes, laughing. "You really don't give up, do you?"
Killer shrugged. "I believe in persistence."
She shook her head, smirking. "Tell you what, maybe I'll consider it after you beat me at something. But I don't date guys who wear masks."
The Kidd Pirates erupted in laughter, clapping Killer on the back and teasing him as he went quiet, visibly embarrassed. Kidd groaned, muttering, "I swear, Killer, you're hopeless."
Meanwhile, Ronin was eagerly challenging Kidd's crew to a drinking contest. Kidd, watching from the sidelines, smirked as Ronin downed mug after mug, keeping pace with Heat, who was barely holding on.
"Think you can beat us, huh?" Heat slurred, his cheeks flushed as he tried to steady himself.
Ronin grinned, wiping his mouth. "Already did. Come on, give me a real challenge!"
By the time the sun began to rise, the entire town square was littered with passed-out pirates, empty mugs, and scattered food remnants. Despite the rivalry, both crews had forged an unbreakable bond that would likely serve them well in the unpredictable seas ahead.