A week later, a bounty hunter found Ryu before the Marines did.
That alone made him dangerous.
Ryu felt him first — a pressure at the edge of awareness, not sharp enough to be threat, not dull enough to ignore. Like eyes on his back that hadn't yet decided whether to blink.
"Don't turn around," Kenji muttered beside him. "He's smiling."
They were in a market town that smelled of citrus and fish oil, the kind of place that survived by pretending trouble passed it by. Stalls lined the street. Civilians moved lazily through the heat, unaware of how close violence stood.
Ryu slowed his steps.
The man followed.
Boots steady.
Unhurried.
"Grey Knife and Red Blade," the man called pleasantly. "That's you, right?"
Kenji's hand twitched near his sword. "We're not interested."
"Oh, I am," the man replied.
Ryu turned.
The bounty hunter was tall and broad-shouldered, marked by scars that didn't beg for attention. Old work. Clean work. A rifle rested across his back. A saber hung comfortably at his hip.
His eyes were calm.
Too calm.
"My name's Corven Hale," he said. "Fifteen million bounty hunter license. Marine-recognized."
Kenji stiffened. "Licensed?"
Hale nodded. "Means if I bring you in alive, I get paid. If I don't…"
He shrugged lightly. "Paperwork."
Ryu felt it then.
Not killing intent.
Confidence.
"You interfered with Marine operations," Hale continued. "More than once, from what I hear. You disrupt Marine order."
"We stopped people from dying," Ryu said.
Hale smiled. "That's not your decision to make."
The crowd shifted.
Someone sensed it. A ripple of unease passed through the street.
Kenji leaned closer. "We shouldn't fight here."
"I agree," Hale said easily. "Which is why I followed you instead of shooting."
Ryu scanned the area. Exits. Civilians. Too many variables.
"Walk," Hale said calmly. "Dockside warehouse. Quiet. We'll finish this clean."
Kenji looked at Ryu.
Ryu nodded.
They walked.
---
The warehouse smelled of rust and old nets. Sunlight cut through broken planks. Waves slapped lazily against the dock outside.
Hale stepped inside and unshouldered his rifle, resting it against a crate.
"Good," he said. "I prefer blades."
Kenji swallowed. "I don't like him."
Ryu didn't answer.
His Observation strained — not screaming, not flaring — just thin. Like trying to read a storm through fog.
Hale drew his saber.
Slow.
Deliberate.
"Show me," he said.
Ryu moved first.
Fast. Clean. Precise.
Hale parried without stepping back.
Metal rang.
Ryu struck again.
Blocked.
Again.
Blocked.
Hale's movements were efficient. No wasted effort. No aggression.
"You're reading me," Hale observed. "But you're late."
Ryu felt it.
His predictions came a heartbeat too slow.
Kenji lunged from the side.
Hale pivoted and drove an elbow into him.
Kenji hit the ground hard, air ripped from his lungs.
"Kenji!" Ryu shouted.
Hale stepped in.
The saber struck Ryu's forearm.
Pain exploded.
Ryu barely raised his guard in time. The impact rattled his bones.
Hale frowned. "You've got something," he said. "Untrained."
Ryu pushed forward anyway.
That was the mistake.
The rifle butt slammed into his ribs.
The floor rushed up.
Air fled his lungs.
Hale's boot pressed against his chest.
"Observation without foundation," Hale said calmly. "Instinct without discipline."
Kenji struggled to rise. "Get off him."
Hale turned and kicked him into a crate. Wood splintered.
Silence fell.
Hale crouched beside Ryu.
"You stand between systems," he said quietly. "That makes you a problem."
Ryu tried to move.
His body refused.
"Stay down," Hale said, standing. "Next time, I won't ask."
He retrieved his rifle and walked away.
---
Ryu stared at the rafters, chest burning.
He had seen it coming.
He had reacted.
And it still hadn't been enough.
Waves struck the dock outside.
Indifferent.
Then —
Tap.
A familiar staff against wood.
"You see it now," Jiro said.
Ryu didn't look up.
"…I wasn't ready," he whispered.
Jiro's voice was calm. Unforgiving.
"No," he said. "You were stagnant."
---
Ryu woke to pain.
Dull. Heavy. Everywhere.
He opened his eyes to dim light and wooden beams.
The warehouse.
Kenji sat nearby, arm bound tightly, jaw clenched.
"Don't move," Kenji said. "Seriously."
Ryu swallowed. "How long?"
"Long enough for me to think you were dead," Kenji replied, then forced a laugh. "You cracked at least two ribs."
Jiro stood nearby, staff resting against his shoulder.
"He hit you clean," Jiro said. "You were lucky."
"Lucky?" Ryu muttered.
"Yes," Jiro replied. "He wanted a warning. Not a body."
Footsteps passed outside.
Voices.
Marines.
Ryu stiffened. "They're here."
Kenji nodded. "Too many to fight."
"And Hale?" Ryu asked.
"Already reported," Jiro said.
Ryu exhaled slowly. "As what?"
Jiro's gaze sharpened.
"An unlicensed combatant who resisted a Marine-recognized bounty hunter and escaped custody."
Kenji grimaced. "So… officially inconvenient."
Boots stopped outside.
A Marine voice called out, "By order of local command, this area is under investigation."
Jiro stepped forward.
"You won't find what you're looking for here," he said calmly.
A pause.
"…Who are you?"
"Someone old enough to know when the wrong questions are being asked."
Silence.
Then the footsteps moved away.
Kenji exhaled. "I hate when you do that."
Jiro ignored him.
He crouched beside Ryu, pressing two fingers lightly against his arm.
Ryu hissed.
"Hairline fracture," Jiro said. "It'll heal."
"How long?"
"Weeks. Longer if you're careless."
Ryu stared at the ceiling.
Kenji hesitated, then handed him a folded paper.
"They put this up an hour ago."
Ryu unfolded it.
---
**RYU — alias "Grey Knife"
Bounty: 11,000,000 Berries
Alive or Dead
Reason: Interference with Marine operations. High-risk combatant.**
**KENJI — alias "Red Blade"
Bounty: 7,000,000 Berries
Alive or Dead
Reason: Interference with Marine operations. High-risk combatant.**
---
Ryu didn't react.
Kenji watched him carefully. "That's higher than most pirates around here."
"It's not about money," Ryu said quietly.
Jiro nodded. "No. It's about control."
Ryu clenched his jaw.
"You felt it," Jiro continued. "Your Observation warned you — but your body couldn't answer."
Ryu said nothing.
"Next time," Jiro said, "you won't get a warning."
Silence pressed in.
Kenji finally asked, "So what now?"
Ryu tried to sit up.
Pain exploded.
He froze.
Jiro didn't help him.
"Now," Jiro said, "you stop pretending experience alone will carry you."
Ryu looked at him.
"…You're saying we need to train."
Jiro met his gaze evenly. "I'm saying you're already behind."
That landed harder than Hale's boot.
Outside, the sea rolled on.
Ryu folded the bounty notice and slipped it into his coat.
For the first time, the number felt real.
Not because of the price.
Because of what it invited.
Ryu closed his eyes.
"Alright," he said hoarsely. "Then teach me."
Kenji blinked. "Oi, why not 'us'?"
Jiro's grip tightened on his staff.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Good," he said. "Because if you walk back into the world like this—"
He glanced at Ryu's injuries.
"—it will kill you."
And for the first time, Ryu didn't argue.
---