Invitation

"Silk! What are you doing? It's dangerous!" said Boodle also coming out of hiding as he grabbed Silk's arm. He had noticed that Shun was getting closer and closer to his position.

Boodle watched from start to finish as Shun easily slaughtered all of Gally's pirates, although inwardly he was grateful, he was still wary of this young man who didn't know where he had come from.

Who knows, maybe he was just as wild as these pirates and they would be in the same danger as before no, even greater as this boy is much more powerful.

"It's okay mayor" said Silk getting out of Boodle's grip and trying to calm him down.

Shun stopped looking at Silk and bent down and grabbed Gally's split body to take it away and then collect the bounty.

Silk being ignored felt relieved as it seemed this boy meant them no harm, though for some reason she felt a little annoyed at being completely ignored.

"Who are you? What are you doing in our village?" asked Silk steeling herself.

'This impulsive girl!' thought Boodle surprised by Silk's question. Seeing that Shun had ignored them he had sighed in relief, but now Silk had started a conversation with this boy.

As he grabbed Gally's head. Shun replied, "I come on behalf of Toma, I guess you know him" Shun said in his monotone.

On the trip, Toma had told him about a girl named Silk who had blonde hair, and the girl in front of him fit all the characteristics.

"What? Little Toma?" asked Silk pleasantly surprised.

"Toma was taken on Gally's vice-captain's boat, how come he's here?" asked Boodle.

"Isn't it obvious? I saved him and brought him here" replied Shun looking strangely at Boodle, 'For an old man he's not very wise' thought Shun.

"That's good!" exclaimed Boodle with a big smile not caring about the look Shun was giving him.

'Good thing little Toma and the others are safe...' thought a relieved Silk with a hand on her chest. Ever since Oyag took them away her mind could never stop thinking about them and the fate that awaited them.

This time Silk looked at Shun with a different look, "T-thank you-"

Before she could finish thanking him she felt someone grab her neck coming from behind her back.

"Hold still if you don't want a cut in your throat!" exclaimed a bearded man as he put a knife to Silk's neck.

'There's the missing pirate...' thought Shun with a frown.

"What?!" shouted Boodle in surprise, when he saw that the pirate had Silk was about to dive in to save her.

"Stand still you old geezer, if you don't want the girl to die" said the pirate with a malevolent grin.

Boodle frowned but stayed still in place. Silk was breathing hard, as the pirate was squeezing her neck very tightly.

'I was gone for a while and someone dared to attack our base. By getting a hostage Captain Gally will thank me' thought the bearded pirate with a triumphant smile.

He had heard all the gunshots and came running as fast as he could when he arrived he noticed Boodle and Silk, and knew instantly that they didn't belong to his gang, so he decided to take the blonde girl hostage.

"Hey, you brat ¿Where's my captain Gally?" asked the pirate looking at Shun.

Boodle looked nervously at Shun, in his eyes he was screaming for him to save Silk.

After a few seconds, Shun replied with a smile more malevolent than the pirate's, "Take a good look. Here's your great captain Gally." He lifted Gally's head so the pirate could observe it in detail.

"What the hell!" exclaimed the pirate in shock. What shocked him the most was seeing his captain split in half and how his body was still dripping blood.

He then began to take a good look at the scene and began to notice all his shipmates lying dead. He had not noticed any of this, as he was somewhat drunk and did not expect that someone could kill Gally in such a short time.

The bearded pirate started sweating heavily and looked at Shun with fear, 'Q-quiet I still have a hostage' he thought.

"I-if you don't want this girl to die you better let me go!" shouted the pirate as he stuttered.

'Do I save her...?' thought Shun with a frown as he analyzed ways to save Silk.

First of all, he had one hand incapacitated because he was holding Gally's corpse. If he let go of the corpse and lunged towards the pirate, it would give him enough time to kill Silk.

On the other hand, he could use his other hand to fire a compressed air bullet, but he had to be fast enough so the pirate couldn't give Silk a cut.

While Shun was analyzing what decision to make, the pirate heard behind him some quick footsteps, but before he could turn around he was hit in the head hard.

¡PUM!

The blow made him release Silk and drop the knife, "Damn it hurts! Who dares!?" said the pirate in an angry tone while touching his head.

When he saw his attacker he got angrier as it was a short brat with an idiot face. It was Toma who carried a wooden sword which he used to hit the pirate.

"Damn brat! Die!" shouted the pirate angrily as he grabbed the knife from the ground and lunged towards Toma.

Toma was startled by the pirate's sudden fury and took a step backward.

"Toma watch out!" exclaimed Silk who was kneeling on the ground trying to catch her breath.

Before the knife reached Toma's throat, the pirate felt a blow to his ribs. Shun had reached his side in a few seconds and hit him with all his might.

Shun's kick broke the bearded pirate's ribs and sent him flying many meters until he crashed into a wall.

"Cof... cof..." coughed blood the pirate feeling all his ribs broken, before he could get up, Shun compressed air in his index finger and shot it straight into the pirate's forehead killing him.

He hadn't shot compressed air bullets at him before, as he wanted to make sure Toma wouldn't get hurt. Toma was the person he had gotten along with the most since leaving the island, and he reminded him of his little brother.

"Are you okay?" asked Shun looking at Toma who was still standing with a frightened expression.

"Y-yes thank you" said Toma gratefully.

Toma couldn't stay calm at Isao's house, so he decided to come to the mansion to help with something. On the way, he met the maid who told him what was going on and hurried. When he arrived he saw how the pirate was holding Silk hostage so he decided to act.

Silk jumped in and hugged Toma worriedly, "Are you crazy? You could have gotten hurt" Silk said as she hugged Toma tightly.

"I-I can't breathe Silk-nee-san" said Toma as he got out of Silk's embrace.

"Well done Toma, you didn't neglect the dojo training" said Boodle in a proud tone as he walked over.

"Yes... but at the last second I froze, if it wasn't for Shun-san..." said Toma in a dejected tone.

Silk looked worriedly at Toma and as she was about to speak, Shun spoke first to her, "Don't get depressed and train harder."

"Yes!" said Toma enthusiastically and with more motivation than before.

After that, he grabbed Gally's corpse again and started walking in the direction of the ship. Noticing Shun leaving Toma quickly followed him, "Where will you go now?" asked Toma. Boodle and Silk followed him and listened intently to the conversation.

"I will go to a marine base to claim the bounties from Gally and Oyag" replied Shun.

"It's getting dark ¿Won't it be more dangerous to sail?" asked Toma.

Shun looked at the sky and indeed it was already getting dark, "I guess so..." said Shun.

"Why don't you stay in town? And set sail tomorrow" suggested Boodle.

"Oh, that's right! The villagers will be happy to welcome you" added Toma with a smile.

"That's a good idea..." said Shun. First, he had to buy some supplies for his trip, but most of all he needed a map, as he had no idea where the base was.

"But I don't have a house" said Shun. He had noticed that in this village, there were no hotels or anything similar to be able to afford and stay for a night.

Before Toma could tell him to stay at his house, Silk spoke up, "If you want you can stay at my house, it's pretty big."

Silk's house was her business and she had more rooms than she needed since she lived alone, so she didn't see it as a bother to have Shun stay.

Toma frowned slightly as he wanted Shun to stay at his house so he could keep telling him about her epic adventures and he was planning to ask him how to get stronger.

"Okay, thanks" Shun replied without a second thought.

At Shun's affirmation, Silk smiled slightly and took the lead, "I'll go tidy up a bit, I'll let you know when I'm ready" Silk said.

Shun nodded without understanding much.

'Young people these days' thought Boodle with a strange smile"