For a while after the fight ended, no one spoke.
Not out of tension.
Not out of hostility.
Just the quiet adjustment that follows sudden violence.
The tavern slowly returned to life around them. Chairs were set upright again. A few workers repaired splintered wood with practiced indifference. Conversations resumed in low murmurs as if nothing unusual had happened. In Brassfall, fights were just another kind of weather.
Aira finally sat back down properly and pulled her plate toward her again.
"…I'm still eating," she declared.
Kenji nodded approvingly. "Priorities."
Ryu allowed himself a small smile and returned to his seat as well, posture relaxed but aware. Across from them, the man who had introduced himselfhims Soren Vale sat with quiet composure, one hand resting loosely near his rifle.
Up close, the details were clearer.
He looked young — not much older than them — but his eyes carried the stillness of someone used to watching from far away. His clothing was practical: dark coat, reinforced boots, minimal decoration. Everything about him suggested efficiency.
Aira noticed the condition of his rifle first.
Clean.
Perfectly maintained.
Not a scratch on the sight.
"You take care of your weapon," she said without thinking.
Soren glanced at the rifle briefly, then back at her. "It keeps me alive. I return the favor."
Kenji leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs as he studied Soren openly. "So… bounty hunter?"
"Sometimes," Soren replied.
"That's still vague," Kenji said.
"It's accurate," Soren answered.
Ryu watched him quietly.
There was no arrogance in his tone. No attempt to impress. Just simple statements. It matched the way he fought — direct, efficient, without wasted motion.
"You hunt pirates," Ryu said.
It wasn't a question.
Soren nodded once. "Mostly."
Kenji's grin returned. "See? I knew I liked him."
Aira gave Kenji a look. "You like anyone who kills pirates."
"Correct," Kenji said.
The tavern owner approached cautiously, glancing between the four of them and the damaged interior. "You paying for that wall?"
Ryu reached into his pouch and placed a few extra coins on the table without argument. "Yes."
The man relaxed immediately and took them with visible relief. "Good. Eat in peace."
He retreated quickly.
Kenji watched him go. "Efficient. I respect that."
For a few minutes, the only sound at the table was the quiet clink of utensils and the low murmur of the tavern around them. Outside, distant hammering from the island's forges echoed through the air like a steady rhythm.
Eventually, Soren spoke again.
"You're not from North Blue."
Kenji swallowed a bite of food. "We've heard."
Soren's gaze shifted between them calmly. "You move like experienced fighters. But not like locals."
Ryu wiped his hands and leaned back slightly. "We came through Reverse Mountain."
A faint pause.
Then, unexpectedly—
Soren nodded. "Accident?"
Kenji pointed at Aira immediately. "Her fault."
Aira slammed her hand on the table. "It was the current!"
Soren watched the exchange with quiet interest.
"…You entered the wrong exit," he said.
Aira sighed. "Yes."
Kenji grinned. "Grand Line was that way. We went this way."
He gestured vaguely in the wrong direction.
Soren considered this information without visible judgment. "Unusual route."
"Tell me about it," Aira muttered.
Ryu rested his arms lightly on the table. "What about you?"
Soren's gaze met his.
"You operate here alone?"
"Yes."
"By choice?"
"Yes."
Kenji tilted his head. "That sounds lonely."
Soren shrugged faintly. "It's efficient."
The answer lingered.
Aira watched him for a moment longer, then asked quietly, "Those men earlier… they've been chasing you a while?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Soren's expression didn't change. "I hunt pirates. Some pirates hire hunters. Eventually paths cross."
Kenji laughed softly. "Simple."
Ryu studied him more closely.
There was more to it than that. Not deception — just omission. Soren spoke like someone used to giving only necessary information.
Fair enough.
Outside, the wind shifted slightly, carrying a cooler current through the open tavern doorway. The scent of metal and smoke drifted in from the nearby forges, mixing with the smell of cooked food and gunpowder residue.
Brassfall was alive.
Dangerous.
Busy.
And watching.
Aira finished eating and leaned back, stretching slightly. "We need supplies before we leave port."
Kenji nodded. "And information."
Soren glanced between them. "Information about?"
"Pirates," Kenji said immediately.
"Strong ones," Ryu added calmly.
Soren's gaze sharpened slightly at that.
"…You're hunting actively."
"Yes," Ryu replied.
A faint silence settled again.
Soren leaned back slightly in his chair, studying them now not as strangers in a tavern but as something more deliberate.
"You fought Captain Morrow," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Kenji blinked. "Word travels fast."
"It always does," Soren replied.
Aira leaned forward. "You know him?"
"I know of him," Soren said. "Most in this sea do."
He rested one arm casually on the table. "If you crossed him and lived, your names will spread quickly."
Kenji grinned. "Good."
Ryu remained thoughtful. "We didn't defeat him."
"That doesn't matter," Soren replied. "You stood."
That was enough in North Blue.
A quiet understanding settled over the table.
Outside, a group of armed men walked past the tavern slowly, glancing inside with casual interest before continuing on. News was already spreading.
Kenji noticed.
"…We should probably move soon," he said.
Aira nodded. "Before the whole island wants a look."
Ryu stood first, calm as always. "Supplies. Then we leave."
Soren remained seated.
For a moment, it looked like their conversation would end there — a brief crossing of paths in a dangerous port.
Then Soren spoke.
"There's a weapons convoy leaving this island at dusk," he said calmly. "Pirate-funded. Heavy escort. Large bounty."
Kenji stopped mid-step.
Aira turned slowly.
Ryu looked back at him.
Soren met their gazes evenly.
"If you're hunting strong targets," he said, "that would be one."
Silence stretched between them.
Outside, Brassfall's smokestacks continued to pour dark trails into the sky.
___