"Really?" The little girl sat across from Lance and Alvida at a small cafe that she had guided them to.
"That's right. She ate all of it. And she thought it was great too!" Lance took a sip of the mocha he had ordered.
[You have finished a mocha latte. Stamina regeneration increased by 25% for 30 minutes.]
Alvida spoke up after she had finished a funnel cake she had been snacking on. "I'm surprised the demon of the east even cared enough to spare the feelings of a young girl."
"Kuina isn't a bad person! She got thrown in jail trying to save me from Captain Morgan's son." Crossing her legs, the girl looked down at the floor. She felt guilty for getting the kind lady in trouble.
"Hey. Don't worry, kid. I'm sure everything will turn out fine." Lance put down his cup so he could give her a pat on the head from across the table.
"Laaaance!" He turned his head to face the voice. Lance saw Mary walking down the street. No longer in her maid outfit, she was wearing a white t-shirt with a stitch line on one of the tips. She was wearing jeans that flared out at the bottom. She was carrying a ton of bags. Probably more than 20 between both hands.
Lance smiled seeing Mary. But a bit of him worried seeing how many bags she was holding. "Mary! I see you found something to wear. Could I ask for my change?"
"Sure!" Mary struggled to lift one of her hands. But she eventually opened her hand over Lance's. She then dropped three five-hundred-berri coins into Lance's hand. Lance blinked a few times, looking at the three coins left in his hand.
"A-are you sure this is all that's left?"
Mary looked a little shy as he asked that question. "I know how this looks. But! Before you judge." She maneuvered her hand to pull out a tiny bag with a fancy perfume bottle on it. "This is what I plan on wearing tonight~" Peaking Lance's curiosity. He took the small bag and opened it to see what was inside.
To his surprise, it was just a lipstick tube. "There's nothing in here except lipstick." There was a brief moment of silence as the two looked at each other. Lance with a confused expression. Mary looked back up at him with a smug smile.
After a few seconds of deep thought, Two neurons collided in his head. And his eyes turned to hearts as he finally understood. His head shooting back. His mind was completely focused on thoughts of Mary, specifically imagining her without any of her brand-new clothes on.
"Ha ha ha! Make sure to bow your heads low, or my daddy will kill you all!" A familiar condescending tone came from down the street. Snapping Lance out of his daydream. "Surely none of you want to end up like that Kuina~" Helmeppo made his way down the town's main street. On either side of the street, the townsfolk were bowing before him as he walked down. As he walked down the street, Helmeppo was about to pass the group's cafe table.
Lance stepped forward to put himself directly in Helmeppo's path. "Just as long as you know. As soon as you let her out of this prison, she'll be running right into my arms."
The two well-dressed men stood across from each other. Each of them insulting the dress of the other in their minds. Though Lance certainly commanded a more domineering presence. Helmeppo didn't falter to the chest-puffing bravado, however.
"Well, aren't you cute? You still think she's going to make it to the end of the month." Helmeppo rubbed two of his fingers on the popped-out collar on his suit. "Unfortunately. I'm going to have her executed in three days if she doesn't agree to be my bride."
That made Lance take pause. This little snot had just admitted that he was going to go back on his word. Not only that, but he was actively trying to recruit someone whom he had already chosen to be on his crew.
"Oooh~" Helmeppo broke his gaze with Lance and looked back at Mary. "Tell you what. I'll happily give you Kuina. If you let that lovely redhead marry me.
Lance heard a snap in his mind. Hearing that pushed him to a choice he had only been considering up until that point. "Y'know. If you aren't going to do everything you can to hold a woman close in your arms…" Lance's arm moved like a whip with a ball at the end of it. Lance punched Helmeppo in the face, sending him crashing into the brick wall of the cafe.
"Ggck-" Lance walked over to Helmeppo, who was lying in the broken brick. Lance knelt down and picked Helmeppo up by the collar.
"Alvida. Take Mary back to the ship to drop off her clothes. Then the two of you need to head to the marine base. I have a feeling there's going to be trouble." Lance threw the bratty kid over his shoulder and began to run towards the marine base.