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[20ps]
The sun was already high in the sky when their ship gently brushed against the wooden dock of a modest port. The island wasn't large—certainly not like Syrup Village—but it had a bustling market, fishing boats, and a few palm trees swaying in the salty wind. Birds squawked in the distance, and the scent of grilled fish and ocean brine filled the air.
Kaya stepped onto the dock first, her feet landing with a soft thud. She looked around with wide, curious eyes. "It feels… quieter than the last place."
Rael didn't reply immediately. He stepped off the ship behind her, his cloak fluttering slightly as the breeze caught it. His eyes scanned everything—buildings, alleyways, rooftops. Watching. Calculating.
He felt it.
Eyes.
People were already staring.
Some in confusion.
Some in fear.
Some in awe.
"…Something's off," he muttered.
As they walked deeper into the village, passing fruit stalls and vendors shouting prices, a group of children ran by with something flapping in their hands. A poster.
Rael's eyes narrowed.
Kaya looked too, curious. "A bounty flyer?"
One of the boys dropped it as he ran past. It fluttered to the ground and stopped at Rael's feet.
He picked it up.
The paper was slightly wrinkled, still warm from the printing press. In bold letters at the top, it read:
WANTED
RAEL THE WANDERING FIST
60,000,000 BERRIES
For assaulting multiple pirate crews, corrupt marines, and suspected destruction of a Class-C Sea King. Extremely dangerous. Do not engage without Admiral clearance.
Rael stared at it, his face unmoved.
Kaya leaned closer, her eyes wide. "Wait—sixty million? Already?"
He let out a breath. Not anger. Not amusement. Just... understanding.
"I was wondering when they'd react," he said. "I've been too noisy."
Kaya blinked. "You don't sound surprised."
"I'm not." He looked at her with a faint smirk. "But it's amusing. The World Government moves slower than I thought."
He folded the paper once and tucked it into his coat.
All around them, the whispers began to ripple.
"That's him…"
"He's the one on the flyer…"
"Sixty million… and he looks so young…"
"…Is the girl his hostage?"
Rael could hear every word.
But he didn't flinch. He just walked forward.
A few marines standing near a tavern door caught sight of him. One reached for a Den Den Mushi at his belt.
Rael's eyes flicked toward him.
The marine hesitated.
The air shifted.
Pressure radiated from Rael like a silent storm—nothing explosive, but the kind that gnawed at the nerves and made your instincts scream to run.
The marine slowly lowered his hand.
Rael turned his head and spoke to Kaya, ignoring the crowd. "We'll grab supplies and move out by nightfall. This place won't stay quiet for long."
Kaya nodded, still a little overwhelmed. "Right."
They walked through the market as if they didn't have the eyes of an entire town burning into their backs. Rael bought bread, dried meat, bandages, spare rope—all paid for with the loot from their last pirate encounter.
Still, the tension lingered.
And the whispers didn't stop.
Kaya tugged on his sleeve. "Won't the bounty attract bounty hunters?"
Rael gave her a sideways glance. "They'll come eventually. But most bounty hunters don't know how to fight without numbers or poison."
Kaya frowned. "That's... comforting."
He actually chuckled. "I'll keep you safe."
She didn't doubt him. Not anymore.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the two of them sat at a small outdoor table near the edge of the harbor. Kaya sipped warm tea while Rael studied the map one of the merchants had sold him.
"Next island's three days from here," he said. "No known marine base. Should be quieter."
Kaya nodded. "Good. I think people here are getting nervous just seeing you breathe."
Rael didn't argue.
Suddenly, a voice broke through the quiet.
"So you're the sixty-million-berry ghost the marines are whining about."
Rael didn't even look up. "And you are?"
A man stepped out from the shadows near the dock. Tall. Muscular. Cloaked in brown rags that barely hid the thick chains wrapped around his arms.
A bounty hunter. His bounty tags clinked together as he walked.
"I'm not one of those amateurs you flattened," the man said with a grin. "I take pride in bringing in dead or alive—especially the former."
Rael stood up slowly, still calm.
"Then try."
The hunter lunged.
But Rael had already moved.
A flicker.
A blur.
CRACK!
Rael's fist connected with the man's gut—fast and clean. The air exploded from the bounty hunter's lungs as his body folded, lifting off the ground before crashing into a pile of crates.
Silence.
People who had been watching scattered like birds.
Rael stood there, cloak flapping, his fist still raised.
He looked down at the unconscious man, then glanced at Kaya. "Let's go. I've made enough noise for today."
That night, as their ship pulled away under the moonlight, Kaya looked back at the small port.
"Even when you try to keep a low profile…" she said softly.
"I attract chaos," Rael finished. "Or maybe it finds me."
She nodded, folding her arms. "Well... guess I better get used to it."
He looked over at her, his expression unreadable. "You sure you still want to follow me?"
Kaya looked up at the stars.
Then at him.
"I've never been more sure."
Rael smiled—for real this time. Small, but genuine.
"Then let's find the next storm."
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