"Heh, names are just for show. I'm Kaito Shirayama!"
Shirayama gestured for the girl to stay within his protective range, flashing a wide grin and showing off his white teeth.
"I'll say this, Fatty, how about we let this go for my sake? That way, no one gets hurt, and we all stay on good terms."
"Hmph, let it go? Who do you think you are?"
Yuri sneered, but then, his gaze landed on the stunning beauty of the girl behindShirayama, and his expression shifted to a lewd grin.
"Well... it's not impossible. If you let the woman behind you spend the night with us, we could consider it."
Shirayama was about to refuse outright, but when he saw the girl behind him, his smirk widened as he changed his tone.
"Kiyu, do you know him? Is he any good?"
As Shirayama and Yuri exchanged words, a middle-aged man suddenly stepped out from the crowd, addressing the girl.
"I don't know him, but I think he should be fine. He's the one who saved me earlier. That pirate chasing me didn't last even one move against him."
The girl, though unsure, chose to trust Shirayama, even as a sense of unease grew within her.
"But… do you know what this could cost us? If he wins, it's fine, but what if he loses?"
Her words struck a nerve in the middle-aged man, and his anger flared as he pointed at her.
It was as if he blamed the girl, Kiyu, entirely if Shirayama lost.
"Enough, Uncle. Don't worry, I'll win. Whether I win or lose has nothing to do with her!"
Shirayama suddenly turned around and smiled, his eyes squinting slightly. It seemed like an ordinary response, but the middle-aged man could see a cold, dangerous glint in Shirayama's eyes. He shuddered and instinctively took a step back.
"Die!"
"Watch out!"
At that moment, a voice behind Shirayama shouted in triumph, and the girl screamed in panic, her face turning pale.
A muscular man, standing to Yuri' right, swung a large, ghostly sword down upon Shirayama, the blade only a few inches from his head.
The muscular man's face was filled with excitement—he was certain this strike would land.
"Finished!"
Everyone felt a sense of dread, and just as hope had been lost, they thought it was over for Shirayama. But then, a sudden flash of white light shot through the air and pierced the muscular man's body, sending him flying.
"How is this possible!"
The muscular man's expression instantly turned from excitement to pain and fear as he stumbled backward, unable to believe what had just happened.
Thud!
He crashed to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.
"What!"
The heavy thud of his fall broke the stunned silence. When everyone opened their eyes, they saw Shirayama still standing unharmed, while the once mighty muscular man lay dead in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open in shock.
"Who the hell is this guy? Since when has there been such a strong person in the East Blue?"
Yuri' face darkened, and his suspicion of Shirayama grew. The muscular man, who had just been defeated, was a vicious pirate with a bounty of 8 million—his powerful right-hand man, known as the "Kama Norimasa." No pirate in the East Blue should be able to kill him so easily.
"Could it be… where is he from? How could someone from there be here?"
Yuri' thoughts raced, but he quickly dismissed the possibility. Pirates from that place wouldn't just casually show up here.