Yedga Island, Black Bullet Tavern.
Looking up at this tavern he had visited before, Sifa found that it seemed to have just finished expanding. The ground floor was now twice as large, and there were far more streetwalkers outside.
Perhaps recalling his experience at the Red Theater, O'Neill's expression became slightly unnatural. Sifa glanced at him without giving it away, sincerely hoping this first mate would not be left with any psychological trauma.
Unlike last time, when they had needed the momentum of charging into battle to escape those girls' "clutches," Chik cleared the way ahead this time, allowing Sifa and O'Neill to calmly push open the doors and enter the dimly lit bar.
Boatswain Nelson had already taken men to replenish supplies. Sifa, Chik, and O'Neill had come to the bar partly to relax and partly to gather recent news from the sea.
As for Lin Rui, Sifa had left him in the captain's cabin and had Kardashian keep an eye on him in secret.
The moment he entered the bar, Sifa heard a series of loud shouts.
"Kill him!"
"Beat him!"
Following the voices, he discovered that a boxing ring had been added to the tavern. A match was underway atop it, with two fighters attacking each other fiercely. Clearly locals, their moves were not particularly entertaining, but they fought viciously, every punch landing solidly. Blood streamed from their faces, and their noses were bruised and swollen.
Yet it was precisely this desperation that made the surrounding drunks swarm around the ring like sharks smelling blood. They kept placing bets, making the whole tavern's atmosphere incredibly heated.
Sifa glanced at Chik. The gray-haired man nodded knowingly, ordered a beer from the bartender, and headed for a corner of the tavern, separating from Sifa so they could gather more