Elbak Island, Central Street, Flame Tank Bar.
Scantily clad dancers writhed to the music, while servers weaved through the crowd with trays of drinks. Pirates, bounty hunters, and mafia members mingled freely, slapping each other on the back and calling each other "brother," occasionally whistling at women passing by.
In a private booth overlooking the entire bar, Yasa gripped a rum bottle, taking two long swigs. His cold, sharp eyes scanned the debauchery below.
These people might once have shared his dreams, but the harsh realities of life had worn away their edges. Or perhaps they had lofty ambitions but lacked the strength to realize them, leaving them to drown in wine, women, and wealth.
"If I hadn't risked my life in the Upward Current to prove my resolve, would I have ended up like them years later—drifting aimlessly, never knowing the true wonders of the world?"
Yasa sighed softly, the high-proof rum flowing down his throat like water. Some spilled from the corner of his mouth, tracing a path down his bare, muscular chest.
"We're already here. Why haven't you killed Gotti yet?" Aurora glared at Yasa, her eyes burning with hatred, her gaze her only weapon.
Before reaching Elbak Island, they encountered a Sea King at sea. Unexpectedly, before the creature even surfaced, a bolt of thunder materialized out of thin air and charred it to a crisp.
When Aurora learned that Yasa possessed the rare Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit ability, she was deeply shocked. As the daughter of a former Mafia boss, she had seen more than most and understood the implications of a Logia ability.
It meant invulnerability to ordinary weapons like guns and blades—true invincibility.
Yasa, upon learning of her belief, inwardly scoffed. In the Four Seas, those who understood Armament Haki were as rare as phoenix feathers; it was no wonder ordinary people remained ignorant.
"Getting you to the Flame Tank Bar was an immense risk, potentially exposing my undercover agent within the Bandit Gang. Do you even comprehend the danger?" Aurora hissed coldly.
Her father's lingering influence still ran deep within the former Mafia. Even after his death, some remained fiercely loyal.
"I understand," Yasa said calmly, taking another few sips of his drink. "You think all the key members left in your father's faction are loyal to you? Don't fool yourself. If they were, they'd all be dead by now! We landed on this island openly, without hiding anything. The information has already fallen into the wrong hands. Someone will be here soon."
"Impossible!" Aurora exclaimed, her voice tinged with irritation. Yet his words had planted a seed of doubt in her mind.
As if on cue...
The bar door burst open with a crash, and a swarm of Mafia members flooded inside, instantly filling the remaining space.
The Mafia lackeys quickly parted to form a path, as if awaiting someone important.
"Bandit Gang business! All civilians clear out! Sorry to interrupt your drinks, but today's tab is on us!"
A gruff voice boomed from the doorway. A figure gradually emerged, blocking the light from outside as he squeezed through the threshold.
The newcomer had a menacing face, balding despite his relatively young age. Most notably, he wielded a massive heavy machine gun in his right hand—a weapon of immense caliber and devastating power. It was Killer Gotti, Capone Bege's most trusted enforcer!
"Vallon! Are you certain the Aurora Young Boss and the guy who killed my men are here?" Gotti demanded fiercely.
"They're right here, Boss! My scouts saw them enter the Flame Tank Bar and haven't seen them leave since!" The man named Vallon was the Petty Boss who had escaped from the God-given Island of Hope.
The bar suddenly fell silent, leaving only the sound of their conversation.
"He's here... Killer Gotti's here!" Aurora's eyes were wide with fear, her body trembling slightly. Despite knowing Yasa's extraordinary strength, she couldn't shake her apprehension about the infamously ruthless Gotti.
Gotti led the way, followed by Vallon and a group of his subordinates, as they ascended to the VIP booths above.
Sensing Aurora's gaze, Gotti abruptly looked up, his menacing eyes locking onto her beautiful ones.
"He's here!" Aurora instinctively leaned closer to Yasa for reassurance. "Gotti's nickname is 'Killer.' He handles all the dirty work Capone Bege can't do himself. They say he's killed so many people to earn that title."
"It doesn't mean he's a killer who hides in the shadows. It means... he's a hand that only knows how to kill!"
She muttered to herself, seemingly more terrified of this man than Capone Bege. Or perhaps she simply hated Capone Bege.
"Aurora Young Boss! I thought you'd escaped! But you came back on your own? Hahaha!" Petty Boss Vallon roared with laughter, then turned to Yasa.
"Lord Gotti, this is the guy who killed over a dozen of our brothers! You must avenge them!" Vallon pointed at Yasa with venom.
"Oh? I spared your life, and now you're offering your head again? You really don't know when to quit!" Yasa sat comfortably on the sofa, shaking his wine flask with a shrug.
Gotti shoved Vallon and his men aside with his machine gun-wielding right hand, his face contorted with fury. "You killed my men? You've got guts, killing in Bandit Gang territory? State your name!"
"I don't change my name or my ways! Kai D. Yasa!"
"Remember that name—it'll be your bragging rights in hell!" Yasa said calmly, as if stating an obvious truth.
"The Kai Family? Hmph! Whoever you are, hand over Aurora now, and you can leave unharmed. Otherwise..."
Though Gotti looked rough, he wasn't stupid. Seeing Yasa's fearless demeanor, he immediately realized the man must have something to rely on.
While furious that Yasa had killed his men, Gotti knew the Bandit Gang was still consolidating its power and couldn't afford to provoke a skilled fighter.
"No!!" Aurora cried out, completely losing her composure and collapsing in terror.
"Leave?" Yasa finally looked up at Gotti and scoffed. "She used the Fortress Fruit to buy your lives—or is your life worth more than a Devil Fruit?"
"The Fortress Fruit Boss Bege was after?" Gotti knew there was no turning back. "In that case, I'll have to send you to your death!"
Before he finished speaking, Gotti's right-hand minigun swung toward Yasa, spitting out streams of fire that formed a metallic storm.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!! Bullets flew in a frenzy.
The minigun's powerful recoil didn't shake Gotti's stance; he remained as steady as a rock, the metallic storm enveloping Yasa and sealing off every escape route.