"Hey, hey, hey!"
Kuroda Hayate felt someone tugging forcefully at his face, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Bonnie, the same maddening girl, tugging at his cheeks again. He snapped impatiently, "I need this face to eat, you know! If you mess it up, are you going to take responsibility?"
Just as Hayate reached out with an exaggeratedly lecherous hand toward Bonnie's ample chest, she jumped back, covering herself and shouting, "You perv! With your face? Even the wrinkled old lady next door wouldn't want you. Stop flattering yourself! Ugh, why did I even bother saving a narcissist like you?!"
Hayate let out a long sigh, brushing the dirt from his clothes as he stood. His chest still ached from earlier, and he muttered sarcastically, "Who saved who, exactly?"
"You did, you bastard!" Bonnie shouted. "Quit twisting things around!"
Despite her frustration, Bonnie was still curious about him. Who was this mysterious guy who had appeared out of nowhere in the forest, completely ignorant of Devil Fruits and the world's basic rules?
"You still don't trust me, huh?" she asked, pressing him. "You won't even tell me where you're from. The New World? No way. That's the most dangerous sea out there. There's no way someone as weak as you came from there. Ugh, I must be losing brain cells even talking to you!"
"You're the one with a low IQ, not me," Hayate replied coolly, refusing to answer her questions.
Even if he explained everything—his past, how he ended up in this world—she'd never believe it. Heck, he still didn't believe it. It was all too ridiculous. So what was the point in trying?
Seeing she wasn't going to let it go, Hayate cut her off. "Why are you like some overexcited kid? I'm just an ordinary villager, alright? I came to ask you about Kidd. But instead, you're throwing a thousand random questions at me. You're giving me a headache."
With a frown, he added, "Anyway, I don't have anything else to ask. I need to go find work."
Just as he turned to leave the restaurant, he paused and looked back at her.
"Oh, by the way… got any enemies you want dead? I do assassinations—if the price is right."
Bonnie blinked at him in surprise. His face was completely serious. He wasn't joking. She burst out laughing.
"Haha! You? Kill someone for me? Look at you! Fine, I'll give you a job. Kill Eustass Kidd, and I'll pay you 300 million Berries!"
Bang!
The restaurant door suddenly burst open. Several rough-looking pirates stood in the doorway, with a massive, menacing figure at the center. He grinned menacingly.
"Did someone say they were going to kill me? Ha! The guy who can take me down hasn't been born yet!"
Bonnie's amused expression vanished. Her face darkened as she locked eyes with the man in the red coat.
"Kidd," she growled. "This is Bonnie Pirate territory. You want to die?"
"Heh," Kidd sneered. "Getting all worked up, glutton girl? Don't flatter yourself."
He strutted further into the restaurant. "Forget this restaurant. The entire South Blue belongs to me now. All the pirate crews are gone—except yours. I was being nice, giving you a chance to keep floating. But keep acting tough, and I'll wipe your crew off the map."
Bonnie clenched her fists, barely holding back her fury. Now wasn't the time to fight. She was outnumbered, and her crew wasn't nearby.
In a colder voice, she said, "Why are you here, Kidd? You're ruining my lunch."
Kidd shrugged. "I go where I want. I kill who I want. I don't need your permission."
Next to him, Kira let out a small cough, silently reminding Kidd not to fly off the handle so easily. Just earlier, Kidd had wiped out an entire bar and everyone in it over a bad mood. Kira was tired of cleaning up his messes.
Looking to Bonnie, Kira asked calmly, "Have you seen a short-haired guy around here? Think his name's Kuroda Hayate."
Bonnie's heart skipped a beat.
So Kidd really was looking for Hayate. He hadn't lied—he'd actually picked a fight with Kidd. And judging by the look on Kidd's face, it was a big one.
Bonnie feigned confusion and gave a dismissive shrug. "My territory, huh? Who's this Kuroda Hayate guy? Some rookie? What, Kidd, a nobody like that got you all worked up?"
Her words clearly got under Kidd's skin. His eyes narrowed, but then caught sight of a young boy near Bonnie, glaring at him with fierce eyes.
Kidd scowled.
Without hesitation, he yanked the pistol from his belt and aimed it at the boy.
"HEY!" Bonnie leapt in front of the child, wrapping him tightly in her arms.
The gunshot rang out. The bullet pierced her shoulder.
She gasped but stood firm, eyes blazing with pain and anger. "Even my little brother, Kidd? You'd shoot a child?"
Kidd scoffed, glaring at the boy. "That kid's your brother? Then tell him to stop giving me that look before I put him six feet under too."
The boy struggled, furious, but Bonnie held him tightly—so tightly that his head was pressed into her chest, barely able to breathe. It was obvious she wasn't going to let him get himself killed in a fit of rage.
Just then, some of Kidd's men returned from searching the restaurant. One of them, a skinny guy with a twitchy face, reported back.
"Boss, we didn't find anyone else. That bastard must've slipped out. Should we keep searching?"
Kidd snorted and glared once more at Bonnie, then turned his back on them and stomped out of the restaurant, laughing loudly.
"Heh… Kuroda Hayate! You wanna play hide-and-seek with me? Fine! I'll play! But hear this—until I find you, I ain't setting foot back on my ship!"