The lieutenant, the leader among them, had gone to retrieve the money, leaving the poor soldiers with little to do. Stripped of their weapons, rifles, and any semblance of authority, they were instead forced to tidy up their appearance. Even with their injuries, they set about cleaning the tavern, much to their distress.
"Rika… um…" The young girl stood next to Ren, watching as the navy soldiers cleaned up, her expression caught between confusion and amazement.
Typically, these soldiers only came here to eat, drink, and occasionally cause trouble. When had they ever been this well-behaved, let alone helpful?
Ren chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Looks like we need to clean up the things they knocked over," he said with a wink, slipping a sweet treat into her mouth. "What do you think, Rika? Is your brother right?"
Rika's eyes sparkled, the traces of her earlier tears all but gone, replaced with a look of pure admiration. She beamed, the innocent smile of a child lighting up her face as she nibbled on the snack, her gaze fixed on Ren with admiration and happiness.
"Brother!" she called out sweetly. "How did you beat them all up?"
Ren smiled and gestured with his fist. "Just like this. Clench your fist, stretch it out, and bam! They fly."
"But there were so many of them! And they had guns, weren't you scared, brother?" she asked, her eyes wide with wonder.
Ren just chuckled. "Your brother's pretty strong. I can handle quite a few people by myself."
"Wow! Brother is amazing!" she cheered before leaning over and kissing him on the cheek.
---
In the livestream chat:
"Oh no, I thought Ren was flirting with the boss lady, but it turns out he's interested in the little girl! How old is she?"
"Forget the boss lady, he's way more focused on the little one! Did he really take a bath just so he could hold her? Finally seeing his true colors."
"Hello? Is this 911? I'd like to report a creepy guy live-streaming himself hanging around a minor. Yes, he even kissed her! Someone, shut down this stream!"
…
"Welcome!"
Ren looked up as three townspeople cautiously entered the tavern, their steps faltering as they caught sight of the line of soldiers standing guard at the entrance. The townsfolk seemed ready to bolt before they finally recognized Ririka, and one of them asked hesitantly, "Uh… Ririka, what's going on?"
Before she could respond, Ren jumped in. "Come in and make yourselves comfortable! These fine navy men are doing a little voluntary work today. Just let them know what you want to eat or drink," he said, flashing a friendly smile.
Ren had changed from his blood-stained navy uniform into simple, clean clothes borrowed from Ririka, and the townspeople stared, trying to guess his identity. In this town, the navy held the highest authority—yet here he was, ordering them around like staff. Who was he, exactly?
"Um… well, yes, please make yourselves at home. These soldiers… they're… really helping," Ririka mumbled, looking awkwardly at Ren but unable to refuse his kindness. She gestured around as if to say she herself couldn't believe what she was witnessing.
"Ririka, you're amazing!" One of the townsfolk gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
"Haha! Never thought I'd see the day I'd get served by the navy. Ririka, I owe you one for this!"
Finally at ease, the three townsfolk found seats, each settling in with grins of anticipation.
As soon as they were seated, one of the soldiers approached, smiling politely as he took their orders. Word spread quickly, and soon more people wandered into the tavern, curious to see if the rumors about navy service were true. By now, business was booming.
But Ren's smile faded slightly as he glanced at the time, muttering to the livestream audience, "It's been over two hours. Did that little rat of a lieutenant really run off?"
The chat exploded:
"Ren finally noticed! Took him long enough."
"Forget the lieutenant! You're holding a little girl! Who needs the lieutenant?"
"Let him run. Just recruit the navy guys and set sail to hunt down some pirates. You'll make millions in berries!"
"Hold onto the little girl, woo the boss lady, open a navy-themed hotel, and live the good life."
…
After another twenty minutes of humoring Ririka and chatting with the livestream, Ren started to feel the lieutenant might really have abandoned his post. But just as the thought crossed his mind, there was a loud bang—the tavern door shattered as two figures stormed inside.
Ren's eyes narrowed. "Fish-men?"
One of the intruders was the lieutenant, wearing an expression of bitter rage. Standing beside him, however, was a much larger figure: an octopus fish-man.
The fish-man was imposing, his head unnaturally round, mouth stretched wide in an unsettling grin, with six tentacles wrapped around his body. Despite his peculiar features, his sinister aura was unmistakable.
—
"666666, I'm officially convinced Ren's from another world. Apologies to everyone I doubted! Here's 50,000 Berries."
"Who's going to give him a 50,000 Berries tip?"
"Things just got serious—the fish-men are here. Could this guy be Hachi from the Arlong Pirates?"
"Ren, time to show off your strength. Add octopus to the menu!"
"Ren versus Squidward—who's taking bets?"
"This octopus has six knives on him. Looks like he's a master of six-sword style. Will Ren get sliced to bits?"
"Ren, whip out that strength of yours! It's now or never!"
…
The atmosphere in the tavern changed instantly. The navy soldiers, who had just been cleaning, were now dropping plates and tools, whooping in relief like freed slaves. Fueled by their excitement, some even resumed smashing furniture.
The townspeople, who moments ago were enjoying their meals, shrank back in terror, glancing at the fish-man like terrified mice confronted by a cat. Coupled with the chaos of the navy's revelry, the tavern was filled with shouts, laughter, and screams.
Unfazed, Ren placed a comforting hand on Rika's head. "Looks like there's a scary fish-man here to cause trouble. Are you scared?"
Though she trembled, Rika managed a shaky smile. "Not with you here, brother."
"Good girl. Let's go octopus-hunting!" he said with a calm grin, lifting her in his arms and striding toward the fish-man with a casual confidence.
The lieutenant's face twisted in fury. "You've got some nerve, boy!" he spat, his eyes glinting with pure hatred. He looked as if he'd gladly tear Ren apart on the spot.
But Ren ignored him entirely, focusing instead on Rika. "See those six swords on that guy's waist?" he asked, a hint of mischief in his tone.
She nodded, eyes wide.
"Close your eyes, then. I'll hold you tight while I handle this guy's 'Six Sword Style.'"
"Okay!"