"Huh? Who threw the banana?"
Just as the vagrants were daydreaming about their bright future, a banana suddenly appeared out of nowhere, landing right in front of them.
One of the hungrier vagrants immediately squatted down with lightning reflexes to snatch it up, grinning foolishly.
But the moment he began peeling it, a sudden burst of flames instantly engulfed his vision.
*BOOM!*
The seemingly ordinary banana had exploded!
The violent explosion and rising smoke terrified nearby people, who fled in panic. But one figure moved in the opposite direction.
"Why did you force me to do this?"
"If you'd simply wanted revenge, so many wouldn't have died. Why did you have to notice what you shouldn't have seen? Why did you insist on wiping out every last one of them?"
Abel stood at the alley entrance, his expression unchanging as he surveyed the horrific aftermath of the explosion.
No one could have predicted he would launch such a counterattack.
Originally, Abel had only intended to follow these men to their hideout, then silently eliminate the Long-Haired Wanderer who refused to let things go.
But unexpectedly, he overheard the bastards' conversation while hiding at the alley entrance, and his murderous intent surged.
If he had let them succeed, he and Law would likely never have escaped this country alive.
So, to protect himself and avenge Law, he had no choice.
Eight wanderers were caught in the explosion, but only the Long-Haired Wanderer survived. He had been lucky enough to stand slightly to the side, with two "meat shields" in front of him, which saved his life.
But when he saw the face of the attacker, his eyes widened in terror.
"No... please don't kill me! I beg you!"
"I promise, I won't say a word... Waaah..."
A grown man was crying for his life.
Abel paused, then turned to leave, as if he really intended to spare him.
But the moment the Long-Haired Wanderer's face lit up with relief, a banana fell from the sky and landed squarely in his arms.
"No..."
Boom!!!
Since things had already escalated, what difference did one more explosion make?
Abel's cold figure quickly vanished into the distance.
By the time the security forces arrived, the scene was a complete disaster.
Limbs and rubble were mixed together, making it impossible to piece together a single intact corpse.
The stench of charred corpses was particularly nauseating, causing many to gag and turn pale as they approached the scene.
Although an investigation revealed that the victims were all homeless men whom no one cared about, the sheer brutality of the crime—the use of explosives—prompted a direct order from higher-ups: the perpetrator must be found.
Otherwise, what if the killer, in a fit of pique, tossed a bomb into a crowded area? It would be utter chaos.
Captain Jess, upon receiving these orders, wore a grim expression.
While the dead homeless men might seem insignificant, they had been paying him monthly tributes and serving as his informants, occasionally carrying out his dirty work.
Now that over half of them were dead, how could he not be furious?
"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly!"
"Bring in everyone who might have witnessed the crime scene!"
"And send someone to the Black Market. Ask Old Jack who he's been selling bombs to lately. Does he have a death wish?"
Amidst the ensuing chaos, Abel and Law found themselves in an even more perilous situation.
Late at night, Abel sneaked into the hospital, stole some medicine and bandages, and narrowly avoided being discovered. Fortunately, he escaped unscathed.
By the time he returned to their hideout in the woods, dawn was already breaking.
"I don't know which of these medicines will work, so I grabbed a little of everything. Can you tell which ones are which?"
Law was awake now. Though his injuries looked gruesome, most were superficial. He had narrowly avoided fatal blows by protecting his vital organs with all his might. Without that, he might have been beaten to death before Abel could find him.
"These two are for topical application, this one is for internal use... and this one is anti-inflammatory..."
"Good enough. As long as they work, the trip wasn't a waste."
Since Law was unable to move easily, Abel had to apply the medicine himself.
With the situation so dire, there was no room for formalities. Abel simply wrapped Law up like a mummy, using every last bandage he'd stolen, without considering how they would change the dressings later.
After all, he had already done more than enough. If Law couldn't pull through even with this, then he'd just have to admit he'd been blind and invested in the wrong target.
"Thank you," Law said earnestly, despite Abel's rough bandaging that had left him wrapped like a mummy. This was the second time Abel had saved his life.
Abel lay sprawled on the grass, gazing at the stars. "Spare the thanks," he said casually. "Just remember you owe me two lives now."
"Take them whenever you want," Law replied. "My life isn't worth much anyway. Aren't your family merchants? Why do you always make such unprofitable deals?"
"It might be a loss now, but not in the long run. This is called a long-term investment. What would a doctor's son like you know about that?" Abel scoffed, then pulled out an apple and took a savage bite.
Mmm, damn, this is sweet!
Grumble... grumble...
Law's stomach immediately growled, clearly tormented by hunger. Yet he stubbornly refused to speak up, not out of embarrassment, but because he didn't want to put Abel in a difficult position.
After all, Law's mobility was severely limited, rendering him unable to help with anything. Sharing their limited food with the only one capable of moving freely was the logical choice.
Simply put, feeding Law would be a waste.
Law remained silent, and Abel seemed to pretend he hadn't heard the earlier commotion. He devoured the large apple in a few bites, leaving not a scrap behind.
Then... he pulled out another apple.
Law swallowed hard, his mouth watering.
Abel, seemingly oblivious, continued to eat alone.
Soon, the second apple was gone too.
Then...
As if by magic, he produced a third apple.
At this point, Law could no longer restrain himself.
"Is that apple... sweet?"
"Of course it's sweet!"
As if fearing Law wouldn't believe him, Abel immediately took a large, juicy bite right in front of him, juice splattering everywhere—it looked incredibly fresh!
"..."
Lying on the ground, Law, dressed as a mummy, was feeling utterly dejected.
'When I asked if it were sweet, was I really asking if it were sweet?!'
'How could you miss the subtext?!'
Seeing Law's crestfallen expression, Abel finally burst out laughing.
Hearing Abel's laughter, Law finally realized this guy had been deliberately teasing him!
"Damn you... sniff..."
A large, round apple was shoved into Law's mouth, silencing his protests.
"Eat your apple. Next time, remember not to act tough when you're not."
No one seemed to be eating the apples that had been gifted to the doctor. Abel had spotted them while passing by and casually swiped some.