The sun was setting.
After several hours of drinking in the tavern, everyone wore relaxed expressions and the faint flush of pleasant intoxication.
Seeing that the group had already drunk enough, Sami signaled that it was time to leave.
"Alright, that's enough. Getting drunk won't do us any favors."
"Yeah, let's head back!"
"Okay okay! You guys go ahead—I'll catch up!"
Aldo shouted as he suddenly turned and rushed toward the counter.
"Boss! That Zabad-whatever white rum—give me two more barrels! I'm taking them with me!"
Under everyone's helpless stares, Aldo hoisted a sealed mini barrel onto each shoulder and happily squeezed out the tavern door.
"Hehehe… this should last me a while!"
The group walked through the lively evening streets.
The light buzz from the alcohol made their steps feel lighter, and the rare moment of leisure put everyone in a good mood.
"This place is great—good food, good alcohol. If we pass through again someday…"
Aldo was still talking when he was suddenly interrupted by hurried footsteps and shouts coming from the intersection ahead.
"Move aside! Make way!"
A man wearing a brown leather vest sprinted through the crowd at astonishing speed.
Behind him chased seven or eight guards wearing the uniforms of the Astria Kingdom.
Despite their efforts, they were slowly falling behind.
"Stop! Ryan! You can't escape!"
The man called Ryan even had the leisure to turn around and grin at the guards.
The smile was filled with unmistakable mockery.
His movements were nimble.
With a sideways slip, he slid through the narrow gap between two fruit stalls and casually grabbed an apple, taking a bite.
"Hey, thanks!"
He waved the apple toward the furious stall owner.
Then he ducked beneath a guard's attempted tackle, rolled forward, and sprang back to his feet—leaving the guard behind as if the move had been rehearsed.
"Cut him off! Flank him from that side!"
"Surrender! You can't run forever!"
Ryan darted left and right through the busy street.
Time and again it looked as if he would be caught—yet he always slipped out of the encirclement at the last moment, drawing gasps from the bystanders.
Sami and his crew stepped aside to avoid trouble, letting the main road clear.
"Whoa, that guy's really fast."
Aldo watched with wide eyes as Ryan slipped past another pair of guards.
"Yeah," Feiqi said with folded arms. "Three different teams trying to surround him and they still can't catch him."
"But… he looks a little familiar. I feel like I've seen him somewhere."
Caheiro frowned thoughtfully and pulled out the stack of bounty posters from earlier.
"Ah, found it."
He held one up.
"Gale Ryan. Bounty: 34 million Berries."
"Crime: attacking royal caravans and stealing weapons shipments. A lone bandit active in nearby seas. Famous for his speed and agility. Has escaped multiple capture attempts."
"So his nickname is Gale? No wonder he runs like the wind," Aldo laughed.
Just then, another group of guards appeared ahead, blocking Ryan's path.
But he showed no sign of panic.
After glancing around, he locked onto a tavern awning extending from a nearby building.
He sprinted forward, kicked off the wall, grabbed the edge of the canopy with one hand, and flipped neatly onto the roof.
Standing on the roof ridge, he brushed dust from his hands and looked down at the panting guards.
Instead of fleeing immediately, he calmly took another bite of his apple.
Then he flashed them a mocking thumbs-down gesture before disappearing over the rooftops.
The guards below shouted angrily in frustration.
"That guy's pretty cocky," Feiqi said, rubbing his chin.
Sami had watched everything.
"34 million… no wonder he can escape like that."
He shrugged.
"Interesting. Wish him luck."
Then he waved his hand.
"Let's go."
To Sami, the man was simply a skilled thief—nothing more.
A bounty at that level wasn't worth his personal attention.
The crew quickly forgot about the incident and continued toward the harbor where the Swordfish was docked.
By the time they reached the harbor, the sunset had painted the sea in brilliant shades of gold and crimson.
But the sight on deck instantly sobered everyone.
The relaxed smiles vanished.
The sailors who had stayed behind to guard the ship were sprawled across the deck.
Weapons lay scattered everywhere.
And in the middle of the chaos…
One man sat cross-legged with his back to the blazing sunset.
Hearing their footsteps, he slowly opened his eyes and stood up.
"So you're the captain of this ship?"
His voice was calm, and a rebellious grin rested on his face.
Yet the aura surrounding him was unmistakably powerful.
Sami's expression remained calm.
But his eyes had already turned frighteningly cold.
"Yes. That's me."
He glanced at the fallen crew members.
"Looks like you've been taking care of my men."
"Your men?"
The stranger shrugged casually.
"I asked them where you were. They refused to answer and tried to fight me."
"So I merely acted in self-defense."
"You… were looking for me?"
The man nodded.
"My name's Barnes. I came from the neighboring island."
"Since I first set sail, I haven't met anyone who could defeat me."
He cracked his knuckles.
"I heard some of your crew bragging in a casino earlier. They said their captain was a pirate worth 150 million Berries."
"So I thought I'd see for myself."
He grinned.
"I want to find out how strong a so-called great pirate really is."
"And while I'm at it… I'd like to measure my own strength."
"Damn it! Which idiot ran his mouth like that?!"
Aldo slammed his rum barrel onto the deck angrily.
But Sami laughed.
"I see."
His smile carried no warmth.
"But you barged onto my ship and injured my crew…"
He slowly removed his coat and tossed it to Feiqi.
Rolling his neck, he cracked it slightly.
"I assume you're prepared for the consequences."
At that moment, Hans, with a huge bump on his head, struggled to sit up.
"B-boss… be careful. This guy's ridiculously strong… even Marcus…"
"Marcus?"
Sami's eyes sharpened.
"Where is Marcus?"
"Oh, you mean the guy with the sword?"
Barnes casually pointed toward the cabin.
The wooden door there was shattered and hanging crookedly.
"That guy's not bad."
"But compared to me… he's still lacking."
"I knocked him straight into the cabin."
"Probably won't be getting up anytime soon."
The temperature in Sami's gaze dropped instantly.
"I was actually in a pretty good mood today."
He stared directly at Barnes as the sea wind lifted the strands of hair from his forehead, revealing his sharp eyes.
"But you…"
"…have made me very angry."
Barnes grinned wider.
"Then let's find a place and have a proper fight."
"Predator Riberra Sami."
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