Today in Storm City, it's raining heavily.
Thunder mixed with wind and rain sweeps across O'hara's main island and Vice Island. The local residents are prepared, donning raincoats and opening umbrellas, or running back home or into shops to shelter from the rain.
Based on past experiences, O'hara's storms come in two forms: either it rains continuously for three or four days within the month, or it's segmental, averaging a total of about five or six days spread throughout the month.
Now, it's just past five days into the month, and it has already rained once at the beginning, which is the second segmental style of storm.
So many people didn't return home and instead appeared in taverns and restaurants, relaxing while watching the rain.
Even foreign merchants and pirates would find places to rest within the city.
The restaurants and inns near the harbor are mostly occupied by these people, with some places being quite quiet, while others are quite mixed.
For instance, there's a mixed restaurant located two streets away from the harbor, with a total of four floors. The first floor is a tavern; the second floor is a restaurant; the third and fourth floors are inns, frequented by pirates passing through.
Because the owner is a retired pirate who once had a bounty of tens of millions, but after breaking his leg, he settled down in O'hara with his savings and treasures.
For those pirates who retired bravely or retreated due to injuries, in their hearts, their holy land isn't Hive Island—it's O'hara.
This is the only place that accepts and doesn't discriminate against pirates. As long as they follow the rules, they can live like normal people without worrying about being hunted.
However, these special residents must report in advance for inspection to settle down.
Those with too notorious deeds are not allowed.
Regardless of strength, righteousness, or evil, it's simply because Sage doesn't like people who are too villainous.
Because he himself is villainous enough.
And on the sea, apart from those professional pillaging pirates, there is another kind of pirate: those who sail illegally, bestowed the name of pirate and have bounties, yet are essentially another profession.
Like the owner of this restaurant, his experience is similar to Zeff from the Baladi Restaurant. He is also a chef who sailed to find the 'Allblue'. After making a name for himself, he lost his leg, then brought his money here to retire.
Master Sage welcomes these types of people the most.
This isn't a pirate; it's an investor taking root and paying him taxes—a great person!
But since it's a pirate-owned restaurant, it has a rough style, attracting mostly stranger pirates, causing frequent chaos.
Locals don't come here, not out of fear, but because under Sage's rule, no one fears the pirates—they simply can't stand the noise and mess.
"Total is fourteen thousand Belly,"
At this moment, a pirate had just finished eating, and the waiter came over smiling to report the bill.
That pirate, burly and scarred, looked quite intimidating. He slapped the table boldly and shouted:
"I have no money!"
The waiter smiled still, then waved his hand, and several hulking men emerged from behind.
The pirate quickly stood up, glared fiercely at the waiter, and crouched on the ground, hands over his head, before the men could reach him.
"Hit him!"
Following the waiter's words, the hulking men surrounded the pirate, delivering punches and kicks.
The surrounding pirates eating seemed accustomed to this scene, acting as if they hadn't seen it, continuing their noisiness.
This is the rule of this comprehensive restaurant. Perhaps due to the chef, even the most downtrodden person here would be offered a meal, even if they obviously have no money.
People must eat till they're full.
As for whether or not they can afford to pay afterward...
If they really can't pay, then they just take a beating and get thrown out.
But since there are pirates everywhere, some even acquainted, no one wants to lose face over a meal bill.
Dine and dash? Riot? Murder?
Do they know where this place is?
Getting a thrashing and being thrown out is merely losing face and getting hurt. If one were to act improperly, it wouldn't be just a simple beating.
Over at the harbor, there are still many dried up corpses hanging, cut open from the back exposing ribs.
"Rotten outsider, coming to O'hara to beg, huh!"
Growled the waiter, "Dare to eat free food; beat him! Beat him hard! Throw him out once you're done!"
"Stop hitting him!"
Suddenly, another pirate slapped the table, standing up, shouting, "Isn't it just a meal's cost! I'll pay for him!"
The waiter waved his hand to stop the hulking men who were beating, and the freeloading pirate was thrown out.
When the pirate who promised to pay for the meal finished eating and wanted to settle the bill, the waiter smilingly said, "Guest, the total is thirty-five thousand Belly."
"I said, I'll pay for that pirate's bill, right?"
The well-fed pirate gracefully took a napkin to wipe his mouth.
"Yes, guest, it has been included, totaling thirty-five thousand."
"Alright."
The pirate put down the napkin, stood up silently, gave a disdainful glance at the waiter, then turned around...
Quietly crouched, holding his head.
Waiter: "..."
Bang!
Not long after, on the rain-beaten street, there lay another figure, bruised and battered, eliciting uproarious laughter from many inside the restaurant.
Such individuals appear often, but they also illustrate the inclusivity of Storm City.
It's no ferocious beast, nor does it have strict rules; as long as one abides by its regulations, everyone can live freely and comfortably here.
...
Unlike the bustling Storm City amid the tempest, there is a cliff visible from the northwest wilderness, washed by torrential rain; the stones are polished slick by the downpour, posing a risk of slipping into the sea for ordinary folk traversing it.
At the very tip of this cliff, in front of a rock protruding like a sword, a slender and graceful figure stands under the rain curtain, viewed from behind.
The woman is clad in a battle armor skirt, with the skirt's hem and shoulders' metal soaked by rain, shimmering with a luster akin to her golden wavy long hair.
She adopts an Iaido stance, eyes slightly closed, motionless under the rain like a sculpture.
Crash!
The seawater beneath the cliff rises with the intensity of the storm, transforming into waves that crash against the cliff, causing tremors that dislodge bits of rock from the suspended stone.
Yet, at the very instant the seawater strikes the cliff barrier, it seems to pause, resembling a movie screen momentarily freezing.
Crash!
A second wave surges forth, and at this moment, the person who appears like a sculpture seems to slightly shift her hand gripping the sword hilt, either preparing to unsheathe...
Or perhaps the sword has already swung, and returned to its sheath.
The mighty wave nears the cliff barrier, seemingly losing its momentum, transforming into splattering droplets that merge with the rain to fall back into the sea.
"Lady Lily!"
Rumble!
A few pirates ride their motorcycles to the cliff amidst the storm, catching sight of Lily standing like a sculpture just as they utter this name. Suddenly, muffled thunder rolls across the sky, sending down several purple bolts of lightning, emitting such intense flashes that eyes instinctively shield themselves.
And in the moment arms are raised, purple lightning, serpentine like, has already reached Lily at the cliff's edge.
Clang!
A piercing sound of swords unsheathing echoes, simultaneously, an inexplicable horizontal light appears ahead, like white lightning exploding, suddenly manifesting at the tips of the striking bolts, seemingly freezing them.
Frozen?
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
Light continually pulses, slicing through the air to reveal white rifts, carving again and again into the striking lightning.
A rapier just two fingers wide, coiling with white lightning, unbeknownst when unsheathed from the woman's waist, hanging in the air as if static, changing from vertical to horizontal in the blink of an eye.
Like a film skipping frames.
Mostly wrapped in white lightning, the rapier sometimes flickers with green lightning...
Yet it seems like an illusion amidst the storm, fleeting and unnoticed by any.
With the rapier 'skipping frames', white light bursts within the lightning, permeating through the descending bolts.
Lightning... has completely frozen!
Crack.
The once-visible sword, with a gentle sound, inexplicably returns to its sheath.
Crackling!
The next moment, shattering like glass, the descending lightning disintegrates, twisting in the air into 'glass shards', vanishing into nothingness.
The golden-haired woman's body straightens as she silently turns, finally looking at the pirates on their motorcycles.
It all happens within a flash, even as the pirates remain stunned by the striking lightning, their expressions of horror barely formed, witnessing the dissolution of the lightning, their faces twisted into '囧' shapes.
"What's your business with me?"
Only when Lily speaks coolly do they react, instinctively lowering their heads under her gaze, respectfully saying:
"Master Lily, Master Sage seeks you.
Lily gives them a glance, nodding without words, passing the pirates and proceeding forward. Before the pirates can breathe a sigh of relief, her voice rings out again.
"By the way..."
"Yes!!"
The pirates stand straighter than pencils.
"Don't come here during a rainy day, you might get struck by lightning; hurry back."
Lily turns her head back with a remark, her figure becomes a blur, quickly vanishing from the cliff.
The pirates' bodies relax, some unable to stand, leaning against their motorcycles.
"Lady Lily, her presence is truly terrifying."
"Indeed..."
Another swallows nervously, "Sometimes it feels more daunting than Master Sage, is this the Supreme King's influence?"
"Forget about Supreme King or not, it's beyond our reach, but just now..."
With eyes flashing astonishment, the pirate gazes at the cliff's edge, "Did Lady Lily just slice the lightning apart?"