Chapter Twenty-Six: Such Is Fate (Bonus Chapter)

“How lively it is.”

The blond youth who pushed open the tavern door was the same steel-pipe fellow who had arrived at Mad Hatter Town earlier that day.

He lifted his hand to press down the brim of his hat, a faint smile playing at the corner of his lips.

The tavern was nearly full, yet the table where Maud sat had two conspicuously empty seats.

Without the slightest hesitation, Steel-Pipe made his way straight to Maud’s table. Unfamiliar with the undertaker profession, he harbored no superstitions or aversion about sharing a table.

Arriving at one of the empty seats, Steel-Pipe glanced at Maud—who sat silent behind his mask—and, saying nothing, took the seat.

This was a tavern of freedom and spontaneity: if there was a seat, you sat; if not, you stood. No matter where you chose, no one’s permission was needed.

After sitting down, Steel-Pipe kept an eye on Maud’s reaction from the corner of his eye, while simultaneously signaling to the harried waitresses that he wished to order.

Maud observed the newcomer. The youth’s dark sunglasses looked entirely out of place in this setting. To disguise his own gaze, Maud—for the first time—began to eat the side dishes he had ordered long ago.

After several dozen seconds, a waitress carrying a tray hurried over and softly inquired about Steel-Pipe’s order.

Steel-Pipe smiled and ordered a draft beer and a plate of bar snacks.

“Please wait a moment.”

With the order taken, the waitress rushed away.

As time passed, the establishments near the Mad Hatter Auction House—inns, restaurants, casinos—were all packed to the brim, because most potential auction buyers had brought a large retinue. Since the auction house allowed each guest only two attendants, the rest had to wait outside, and taverns like this were their natural refuge.

Had Steel-Pipe not sat down, someone else would have claimed the seat soon enough. If it were a brash pirate, Maud likely would have been threatened and forced to yield the table. In a way, having a seemingly congenial youth take a seat actually spared Maud a measure of trouble.

After ordering, Steel-Pipe leaned back, only to be jabbed by the pipe strapped behind him. He casually unfastened it and laid it on the table.

Maud glanced at the unremarkable-looking steel pipe, a glimmer of intrigue flashing in his eyes.

Using a water pipe as a weapon… certainly unconventional.

“Hope you don’t mind?” Steel-Pipe noticed Maud looking at the pipe and offered a slight smile.

Maud remained silent.

Do first, ask consent later. Clearly, this fellow was used to having his own way.

Seeing Maud’s silence, Steel-Pipe took the opportunity to continue the conversation: “I saw several people today on the street wearing masks like yours. I heard it’s a profession called ‘Undertaker.’ So, you’re an undertaker too?”

As he spoke, Steel-Pipe kept an ear out for the nearby pirates’ conversations, hoping to catch some useful tidbits.

Before the auction officially began, he and Clara had split up to gather as much information as possible by whatever means they could.

Maud didn’t answer verbally, only nodded in acknowledgment. His attention, too, was focused on eavesdropping.

In this way, Steel-Pipe spoke intermittently, while Maud sometimes nodded, sometimes shook his head, but never uttered a word. Outwardly, that was all there was, but in secret, they both pursued the same goal.

One could only marvel at fate’s oddities, leading them to share a table. After a few exchanges, both Maud and Steel-Pipe sensed something amiss.

Perhaps by coincidence, their eyes met in tacit understanding, then quickly looked away.

This guy… both thought.

Maud narrowed his eyes.

Steel-Pipe raised his brow.

Who is he? The question echoed in both minds.

The air at the table instantly dropped to freezing.

Creak—

The tavern door swung open.

A man entered, skin so pale it was almost unnatural, leaning on a cane. He was none other than Lafayette, known in the West Sea as the Devil Sheriff.

Once a sheriff in the West Sea, Lafayette’s notoriety stemmed from his excessive use of force, earning him infamy and eventual exile. Naturally, he had fallen in with pirates, yet his moniker remained, a testament to the depths of his former infamy.

Lafayette glanced about and immediately spotted the only vacant seat in the tavern—at Maud and Steel-Pipe’s table.

He strode toward it at once.

Many pirates in the tavern, drinking and chatting, turned to watch him, their guard raised by his reputation for wanton slaughter. Lafayette’s mere presence, with its aura of violence and evil, dampened the lively atmosphere.

Maud, too, recognized him at a glance. That intensely distinctive attire and look made his identity unmistakable.

Isn’t this one of Blackbeard’s men?
What’s he doing here?

Maud’s eyes flickered with alarm.

Though Blackbeard’s crew had little page-time in the original story, each member had a striking, memorable style. Maud, though not deeply familiar with Lafayette, could still recall him and recognize him at once by his appearance.

Huh?

Seeing Lafayette approaching, Maud instinctively glanced at the empty seat beside him and felt a pang of annoyance.

Should I slip out now?

He shifted his gaze subtly to a table five or six meters away—a group he’d been watching for some time. They had been boasting about their bounty posters, using them as currency for bragging rights.

Such ready-made prey, ripe for the taking, would be a shame to let slip.

His original plan had been to wait here until they left, then follow and ambush them.

But Lafayette’s arrival made Maud reconsider.

Stakeouts didn’t have to be on-site—he could just as well wait outside.

While these thoughts raced through his mind, Lafayette had already settled himself at the table.

Maud prepared to make his exit.

Steel-Pipe, by contrast, showed no reaction, a marked difference from the wary pirates around them.

Ignoring the many eyes upon him, Lafayette prepared to call for the waitress. But just then, the tavern door—which had barely been closed—was violently kicked open.

The resounding crash caught everyone’s attention; all eyes turned to the entrance.

Two pirates, faces twisted with malice, burst in shoulder to shoulder.

They uttered no threats, no opening lines. Under the growing stares of those present, they simply raised their pistols.

Their aim was clear—directly at Lafayette.

Bang! Bang!

In a flash, two shots rang out in the tavern.

As the echoes faded, silence fell.

The two pirates who had burst in for vengeance stood frozen, their expressions locked in place, bodies stiff.

A fresh, smoking bullet hole had appeared in each of their brows.

The sudden turn left all present staring toward the source.

They saw only a masked undertaker holstering two pistols.

“What speed…!”

Someone exclaimed in astonishment.

Steel-Pipe, right hand resting on his pipe, looked at Maud in mild surprise.

Beside him, Lafayette—already gripping his cane—wore a look of utter shock.