Bonnie only let go of the short-haired boy in her arms once Kidd's pirate crew had walked away. With a weak wave of her hand, the boy's body began to grow, returning to his original muscular form as he slipped back into his loose coat.
He looked at the injured Bonnie, worry written all over his face, momentarily forgetting the soft sensation of being pressed to her chest just moments earlier. He grasped her arms and asked angrily, "Bonnie, why did you interfere? I told you not to get involved in my problems! Whether I live or die is my business. Why didn't you let me fight Kidd?"
"Kuroda Hayate!"
Bonnie pushed him away, and in her sudden movement, pain flared in her wounded shoulder, making her wince. She shouted angrily, "What could you possibly do against Kidd? Your only weapon is a pistol, and the moment you pull the trigger, his power will just repel the bullet. You won't even scratch him!"
Kuroda scoffed and replied, "Tch. I'll find a way. There's always a way to beat him."
Bonnie stared at him seriously. "There is. Unless you learn to use Armament Haki, you won't even be able to lay a finger on him. But never mind—you probably don't even know what Haki is, and I'm not in the mood to explain it to you."
She looked away, disappointment clouding her face. "Get out of my sight. You're just some stubborn, arrogant guy who doesn't trust anyone."
She glanced at her bleeding shoulder and muttered bitterly, "You're right. I didn't have to risk my life to save you. I don't even know where you come from. You don't see me as a friend. Maybe you should just treat me like an enemy. Get out of my territory… or I swear, I'll kill you myself."
Without saying a word, Kuroda stepped forward and pulled Bonnie into his arms. Her eyes widened in shock. Before she could react, his lips pressed against hers, silencing her rage.
Stunned at first—and admittedly a little excited—Bonnie froze. It took her a few seconds to snap out of it, and when she did, she shoved Kuroda away with a furious scream.
"You jerk! You stole my first kiss! I can't believe I trusted you! You shameless pervert! I ought to kill you right now!"
Kuroda stood up smoothly, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and opened his hand. A bullet casing clinked to the floor, drawing Bonnie's stunned gaze.
She looked down at her wounded shoulder in disbelief. When he kissed her, he had extracted the bullet—without her even noticing the pain. How had he done that?
She had been just about to try and remove the bullet herself. But in the brief moment they'd been close, Kuroda had already taken care of it. Now, Bonnie was even more intrigued by this mysterious man.
He stepped up calmly, tore off a sleeve, and began dressing her wound with practiced ease. Gunshot wounds were nothing new to a professional killer, and he clearly knew what he was doing.
As he worked, he spoke in a steady voice: "My name is Kuroda Hayate. I'm 23. I come from 21st-century Earth—Celestial Empire, to be exact. I was a professional assassin. But I died during my last mission and somehow ended up in this world. Then I saw you… and well, I instantly liked you."
Bonnie's shocked expression froze. Her mind went blank. She didn't process anything after that last sentence.
She stared at the man gently tending to her wound, and her heart skipped a beat. She could hear her own pulse pounding in her ears.
"You…"
Kuroda tied a neat knot on her bandage and looked up at her, a sincere smile playing on his lips.
"Miss Bonnie, thank you. This is the first time I've ever said that—either in my past or current life. I don't know how you turned me into a child to help me avoid Kidd, but I'm grateful. Now I have time to regroup and plan my next move to take him down."
Bonnie was speechless. "I… it's nothing."
Kuroda nodded with a soft smile. "Alright, your injury should heal in a few days. I need to start planning how I'm going to kill Kidd. Don't forget you issued a bounty for 300 million Berries. I'm going to fulfill it—so don't think about backing out. Not for the money, though. For you."
Bonnie stared at him, completely floored. That confident smile. That playful tone. She couldn't look away.
Kuroda gently patted her head. "Relax. I was just joking. I'm heading back now. Take care of yourself. I'll see you again soon."
But as he turned to leave, Bonnie suddenly reached out and grabbed his hand. Her cheeks flushed red, and she looked down to hide her face.
"You… you can stay. I'm hurt and need some rest."
Kuroda raised an eyebrow in surprise. He already had a sense of her feelings, but hearing it out loud still caught him off guard. Without hesitation, he scooped her into his arms.
Bonnie pointed weakly to a back room in the restaurant. Kuroda walked forward in long strides, using his shoulder to push open the creaky wooden door. They entered the dimly lit room, and he gently shut the door behind them with his foot.