The atmosphere in the 'Sweet Lemon' bar suddenly solidified, and even the boxers in the ring stopped fighting, staring blankly at the two figures at the door, along with the other patrons.
A moment later, two men who looked like Adventurers stood up, but more patrons shrank their bodies; if not for appearances, many of them would have even wanted to hide under the tables.
Because many people had already recognized one of the two. The purple-lipped, brown-eyed man was none other than The Slaughterer Kircheis, the Second Mate of the King of Immortality Agalito!
Kircheis didn't seem to find the person he was looking for. He said nothing, only giving the two standing Adventurers a deep look before turning and leaving with his companion.
It wasn't until the heavy door closed that the air in the bar seemed to flow again, and people cautiously whispered to each other.
'Why would Kircheis come here?'
'I heard he's been searching for someone recently. He's appeared on many Sea Islands. Not long ago, I ran into him on Skye Island.'
'Then I don't know if you're unlucky or lucky, you've met him twice and haven't died.'
Similar conversations were taking place in every corner of the bar. At this moment, a man with dark green eyes near the bar counter dropped his payment, pulled down his hat, and, wearing a worn dark brown leather jacket, quickly walked out of the bar.
In a corner of the bar, a man with a wine bottle next to him, slumped on a table, seemed to be asleep, but in reality, as he lay on the table, he spoke in a soft voice as if to someone: 'Tell the Captain that Kircheis has appeared. Just as the rumors say, the pirate Churchill is very likely on this island.'
The bar's atmosphere quickly returned to normal, and no patrons were in a hurry to leave. After all, The Slaughterer was lurking outside, and no one wanted to leave at this time unless necessary. Compared to the street, the 'Sweet Lemon' bar was safer now.
After leaving the bar, the dark-green-eyed man quickly moved through the streets, sometimes darting into alleys, sometimes walking along the main road. It was clear he was very familiar with this city.
While hurrying, he didn't forget to vigilantly look around, and along the way, he saw many passersby. There were mysterious fellows in classical robes with hoods lingering outside a shop selling ritual materials, and a tall woman in a cloak brushed past him. Near the St. Drago Church, whose clock tower boldly used red, blue, and yellow, a young gentleman in a semi-tall top hat and double-breasted long coat even asked him for directions.
He came to an alley near the church and knocked on the door of a house in the third-to-last row. After knocking on the door according to a certain pattern, a horizontal panel on the door soon slid open, and a pair of light blue eyes appeared behind it.
The door then opened, and the green-eyed man quickly slipped inside. The owner of the house walked into the dimly lit living room. Under the gas lamp, one could see that he was a medium-built male with naturally gray hair and a stubbled chin. The room was filled with the energy of cigarettes and alcohol, which made the man look somewhat haggard.
'Why are you here?' the gray-haired man asked casually.
'Just now at the Sweet Lemon bar, I saw Kircheis!'
The gray-haired man's body trembled at the words, and he spun around like a whirlwind: 'Kircheis came? How did he know I was hiding here?'
'There's a rumor that in Bayam, someone spread news of you being in Oravi, Churchill. What are your plans now?'
The gray-haired man, who was indeed the pirate Churchill, said in a deep voice: 'Although the Captain of the Future and I agreed to meet here, it's clear I can't stay now. I have to leave, immediately!'
He rushed into the bedroom and quickly returned, throwing a cloak to the green-eyed man: 'Quick, give me your hat and jacket.'
The green-eyed man hesitated, then took off his hat, removed his worn jacket, and put on the cloak Churchill had given him.
The gray-haired Churchill, in turn, put on his friend's clothes and then said: 'You go out the back door, now.'
The green-eyed man pulled down his hood, nodded, and left through the back of the house. Only after hearing the door close did Churchill pull down his hat and exit through the front door, walking towards the alley's mouth.
Just as he was about to reach the alley's mouth, a figure suddenly emerged there. It was a woman in a cloak. She looked very young, with a bright and elegant face, but her build was taller than that of an ordinary woman; even Churchill had to look up at her slightly.
The tall young woman spoke: 'Mr. Churchill, please wait a moment.'
Churchill immediately took off his hat and threw it to the young woman. The girl, bewildered, caught the hat, and a strong sense of goodwill suddenly surged within her, as if Churchill was a long-lost friend. So much so that when Churchill turned and ran back, she had no thought of stopping him.
'Nafi, what are you doing!' a voice rang out from the high wall on the left side of the alley.
Churchill turned to look, only to see a young man in a classical robe, as agile as a cat, running along the wall and flicking several spinning playing cards at him.
The cards in his hand made a sound like flying knives cutting through the air. Churchill dared not be careless, bending low, rolling, and leaping, easily avoiding the cards, letting them embed themselves in the ground and walls.
As soon as Churchill straightened up, he heard a convincing voice, as if possessing sufficient authority, ring out: 'Stop!'
Churchill subconsciously obeyed the voice, stopping his steps, and then saw that another young male, wearing a semi-tall top hat and a double-breasted long coat, had appeared at the other end of the alley at some unknown point.
The gray-haired pirate immediately realized that at least two of these three people were Beyonder.
Just then, a figure emerged from behind the young gentleman. That person was dressed as a pirate, with jet-black hair and a faint mark below his left eye. He said with a smiling face: 'Good evening, Mr. Churchill.'
The gray-haired pirate turned around and saw that beside the tall young woman, there was another man, even more burly like a giant, wearing an iron mask. Adding the person on the wall with a hand of playing cards, Churchill gave a bitter smile, knowing he couldn't escape.
He looked at the pirate leader, who seemed to be in charge, and said in a deep voice: 'Who are you?'
The man took off his boat-shaped hat, placed it on his chest, and smiled in greeting: 'I used to be a Hunter, but now, I am a Sea Adventurer with a group of companions. We pursue interesting legends.'
'Oh, you can call me Mr. Rayleigh.'
The gray-haired pirate was startled, then asked in return: 'Are you the Rayleigh who rescued those Adventurers on Yedgar Island?'
The young man, both Hunter and Adventurer, said with a hint of surprise: 'You also know what happened on Yedgar Island?'