Alcohol and guns, what's better?

The captain, back on the deck of his ship that had just docked, gave the assault signal:

"It's go time, guys, ATTACK! EHEHEH!!!"

And so the pirates began their assault on the village of Syrup.

Lynx could hear from the depths of the hold the war cries of the crew members, all eager for plunder.

"Hahaha, real pirates, these scoundrels. After all, maybe I could benefit from this. Their loot would set me up nicely for the Grand Line," he thought, smiling slyly.

...

Despite Lynx's relaxed demeanor, outside on Gecko Island, things were far from pleasant. The pirate attack was progressing rapidly, and they were already at the village entrance.

Meanwhile, the villagers continued their peaceful lives. Some had heard screams from the sea and began to wonder, but others hadn't heard anything and remained completely unaware of what was about to happen.

This was especially the case for a group of people, casually sitting in a small bar in the village, drinking their beer in the utmost calm.

- Hey! You still haven't paid for the damages you caused yesterday. Said the bar owner, behind his counter, addressing a young lady.

- Yeah yeah, you're not seriously gonna hassle me for a few berries, Hic. She replied, reaching out to grab a bottle from the counter, bu the owner snatched it away in time. "Come on... I'm thirsty! I'm on the brink of dehydration."

The young lady, probably in her twenties, was completely drunk. She stood at 5 feet 6 inches tall, her blood-red hair perfectly matching her eyes of the same color. She wore a short black jacket, open to reveal her generous bosom, over a thin white top, paired with knee-length pants.

- Come on, boss, just a tiny, minuscule bottle, she continued, almost falling to the ground.

- No, pay for your bottles from last night. And how come you're still drunk? I haven't given you a drink since this morning.

- Haha, don't worry about that, Hic. I just stole a cargo that arrived by boat this morning, Hic. Good, ice-cold booze. If you'd seen their faces trying to escape. HAHAHAHAHA!!! They left everything on the beach for me. I drank it all there this morning before coming here for dessert.

- You need to see a doctor, seriously. Miss Kaya might be able to do something for you.

- Huh...

"PIRATES!!! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!!!" shouted a voice from outside, interrupting everyone in their activities.

The moment that voice rang out, a great commotion swept through the building and throughout the village. People rushed to close their doors, barricading them as much as possible. Of course, it meant nothing to the pirates, who easily smashed through each door with a few kicks.

With each door they opened, the pirates immediately killed anyone who tried to play the hero and resist, then took whatever seemed valuable.

One by one, they looted each building indiscriminately, until they finally reached the middle of the town, where the small village bar was located.

One of the crewmen approached the door to break it down, but before his foot could even touch it, the door had already landed squarely in his face.

Standing behind it was the drunk lady. She had finally managed to get her bottle. Too bad for the poor bar owner, who now had no teeth left in his mouth.

After taking a huge gulp, she looked at the guys in front of her with a haughty air. They, a bit bewildered, didn't know how to react, but they quickly made a decision, pointing their swords and shouting loudly. Then they all charged at her like idiots.

*POW*

They all stopped abruptly, watching the one who was the closest fall dead.

The girl held a gun in her hand, smoke wafting from it.

- You guys are annoying, I was just starting to enjoy the day. Hic... I'm gonna kill you all.

- She's crazy! She didn't hesitate for a second to shoot. They said, starting to back away in fear.

- Hesitate? Are you guys stupid or what? You're the ones looting the village, stop acting like victims.

*POW*

*POW*

*POW*

*POW*

*POW*

Five shots, five bullets to the head. She eliminated the remaining five guys as if it were nothing, as they tried to run away.

"Oh shit! I just realized, I really shouldn't have killed them. They were my ticket out of this island. Sure, I could've used the boat this morning, especially since there was good booze on it, but they were too annoying. These guys, though, they're pirates, they're cool. I hope I didn't kill the captain at least."

She was about to move, to go meet the rest of the crew and try to negotiate "her way" with them.

But unfortunately, or not, the captain arrived at the crime scene, seeing her standing amidst the corpses.

- I swear it ain't me! She said, raising both hands in the air. And since she seemed too suspicious, she took the opportunity to toss the alcohol bottle in her left hand.

- How do you mean it ain't you? You mean for this nice little show here? The captain asked, putting his hand on his weapon.

- Hmm... you must not be the sharpest tool on the ship.

- Huh! Exclaimed the exasperated captain, immediately pointing his gun at the lady.

- But where's your honor gone? You see a young damsel in distress, barely spared in a field of corpses, and that's how you react?

- Of course, we've got no honor, we're pirates, as long as glory and money come, we're satisfied.

"So that's what being pirates means to you?" she said, quietly enough so the pirates wouldn't hear.

- Anyway, let's imagine for a sec that you're not a lousy liar, and it really wasn't you who killed them. Why should I spare you?

"Ugh, stop being a pain, you're annoying me," she said again so the captain couldn't hear.

- What did you say?

- I said you're starting to piss me off, you dirtbag. I can't keep up the act for more than a minute, so hurry up and do what I say, or I'll blow you away.

- ...

- ...

Long seconds of silence followed, then their pirate instincts took over.

The captain hastily shot at the girl, perhaps also because a strange feeling was starting to creep in.

But with astonishing speed, she dodged the bullet, and quicker than her shadow, she took out two men, one on each side of the captain.

With her right hand, she had taken from the left side of her jacket the same gun she used to eliminate the first guys. This gun was adorned with silver ornaments.

While with her left hand, she took from the right side of her jacket another gun like the first one, but adorned with gold ornaments.

What many didn't know was that these two were just the first in the lady's arsenal. Those who had the honor of seeing these two guns drawn simultaneously from their sheaths never knew what came next, either because they were all dead, or because she had so little regard for them as opponents that she didn't even scratch them.

Seeing the two men next to him fall without even noticing the movements of his opponent, the captain realized what a huge mess he had gotten himself into.

- Uhhh... l-listen... listen to me for a sec, I beg you. We jumped to conclusions too quickly. We absolutely didn't mean to offend you, dear lady.

- Huh! You wouldn't be that cowardly, would you?

- Of course not, hehe! I do, however, pledge to fulfill your wishes to resolve this misunderstanding.

- Well then, I just wanna get outta here.

- Perfect, we didn't come here to linger either. By the way, would you be interested in joining my crew? We're the future masters of East Blue.

- Join your crew, seriously?

- Uh...

- You know what? I'll play along. I'll join your crew for an indefinite period.

- Ah! Wonderful! In that case, let's not delay, let's head to the ship.

They all returned to the ship, and a new member was welcomed into the group. A very different reception from Lynx's, who was currently hearing the others' joy while he was in the hold.

At least the positive point for him was that his plan was going smoothly.

***

Somewhere in the New World, in the main base of the Marines.

An admiral stood in front of a large window, gazing at the horizon. And behind him, a Marine soldier.

The magma man, Akainu, Fleet admiral of the Marines, awaited the soldier's report behind him.

- So, what's the news? Said the admiral, his cigar in his mouth.

- Everything is going as planned, admiral. Our intermediary has arrived in Loguetown and is waiting for the seller."

- Very well! And what about Kizaru?

- He is on his way and should arrive on time to ensure the security of the transaction.

- Excellent! Thank you for the report.

- Yes, admiral! Said the soldier, saluting, before leaving.

The Fleet admiral couldn't help but think about the events unfolding.

"Who would have thought, a devil fruit of such importance caught by mere insignificant pirates who couldn't even discern its true value. Luck is on our side this time, we missed the Human-Human Fruit: Model Nika, but now it'll be different. You'll come to us, cursed fruit."

****