Liang Bing felt instant regret.
Why…
why had she already accepted one pervert as her subordinate—
and then gone ahead and accepted a second one?
And the worst part was…
this one seemed even more deranged.
But suddenly—
A faint yet unmistakable killing intent spread from beside her.
Liang Bing tilted her head and glanced sideways. Her heart sank.
Fuck.
She'd forgotten—
she'd just sprayed this bitch full in the face.
At that moment, Kaisha wiped the alcohol from her face, her brows shooting upward.
"As expected. A bitch is still a bitch—spraying filth from her mouth everywhere."
"I should've strangled you when we were kids."
Liang Bing decided to completely give up and simply stretched her neck forward.
"Come on, come on. I'll give you a chance."
"Do you believe—"
"—that if you dare make a move here, Ron will hang you up and beat you half to death?"
Hearing that, the killing intent on Kaisha's face intensified even further.
The two locked eyes.
Then, without bothering to argue with the Underworld Lord anymore, they directly linked into a dark communication channel and began hurling curses at each other.
The filth.
The venom.
It was utterly unbearable to listen to.
Watching this, the Underworld Lord could only smile bitterly.
Good thing he hadn't tried to reason with Liang Bing at the start.
Because this woman…
does not reason.
...
On the other side—
After The Deep introduced the brand-new term "animal protection enthusiast"—
he proceeded to rattle off a whole series of rare and highly niche "preferences," along with some equally questionable ideologies.
Homelander instantly broke into a cold sweat.
Good lord.
If any of this ever went public…
Forget killing you—
even touching a single finger of yours would tank my approval ratings.
This is terrifying.
Ron raised an eyebrow.
Good grief.
Absolute good grief.
Is this guy stacking buffs on himself?!
Looking at the chaotic, noisy scene in the tavern, Escanor smiled.
"The atmosphere here is wonderful."
"I like this place."
Ron replied calmly,
"If you like it, you're always welcome."
"As long as no one fights inside."
Escanor nodded. After finishing the last sip of his drink, he slowly stood up.
"Speaking of fighting…"
"I should return now. If Galand notices I'm gone, my companions may be in danger."
As he spoke, he walked toward the exit.
Everyone watched his departing figure.
Perhaps it was just an illusion—
but as noon approached, with the blazing sunlight shining down on Escanor, his physique appeared even more towering and robust.
More than that—
the aura leaking from his body gave rise to a strange sensation.
As if—
he himself were a sun.
Where he passed,
flowers and grass seemed to scorch into ash.
The black cat curled in Ron's arms spoke in surprise,
"That's strange."
"This man feels… similar to old man Yamamoto."
"I wonder which of them is stronger."
Ron laughed.
"If there's a chance,"
"why not let them fight and find out?"
Hearing this, the black cat's heart skipped a beat.
If even that bastard Aizen had shown up…
then old man Yamamoto probably wasn't far behind.
If that stubborn old fossil saw her, he'd definitely drag her back to Soul Society.
Resist?
No, no, no—
that was impossible.
Ron gently rubbed the black cat's soft belly and teased,
"Scared?"
"That's not like you."
"Aren't black cats supposed to be very fierce?"
"I remember one black cat—
black baton at her waist, handgun in her right hand—
bang bang bang, shot a bunch of mice dead."
"One of the mice even lost an ear. Brutal stuff."
"..."
The black cat's face instantly darkened.
Are you talking about a normal black cat?!
Even though Yoruichi wanted to curse him out, the tension in her heart finally eased—
and was even replaced by a faint sense of anticipation.
So you're strong, old man Yamamoto?
Try sparring with Ron—
you'll see whether he cuts you down or not.
As for the Gotei 13's fodder—
one comes, Ron kills one.
That's all.
Riding on someone else's power?
Yeah.
That's me—
Shihōin Yoruichi!
Just then—
A mechanical system notification suddenly rang out in Ron's mind.
[Ding. Customer Shanks has completed his confession.]
[Customer Shanks: Observation Haki, Conqueror's Haki, Armament Haki — host may choose one.]
[Ding. The subject of Customer Shanks' confession: Uta — will visit the tavern in the near future.]
[Ding. Customer Escanor has completed his confession.]
[Customer Escanor: Grace of the Sun, Heaven Above and Below, I Alone Am Supreme — host may choose one.]
Ron spoke softly,
"Choose Shanks' Conqueror's Haki.
And Escanor's Grace of the Sun."
[Ding. Conqueror's Haki stacking initiated.]
[Ding. Grace of the Sun fusion in progress. Ability flaws compensated — completed.]
Perhaps because he was already too strong—
from start to finish, Ron felt no discomfort at all.
Only a warm current flowed through his body.
Bathed in sunlight, his strength surged even further.
Wait a second—
Ron suddenly remembered something and asked the system,
"After fusing the Grace of the Sun, I won't go limp at night like Escanor… right?"
If that were the case—
this ability would have to be removed at any cost.
No matter the price.
[Ding. No. This flaw has already been compensated.]
Hearing that, Ron finally relaxed.
...…
Time passed quietly.
Before long, night fell.
During this period, no new customers arrived.
The Holy Lord and his son, Liang Bing, Rayleigh, and the others gradually left one by one.
Just as Ron stood up to close the tavern—
Ding-ling…
The doorbell rang.
As the door slowly opened—
a woman with a cold, noble aura stepped inside.
She was breathtakingly beautiful—
delicate features, smooth black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall.
Her skin was fair as snow.
A crimson cheongsam traced her curves perfectly.
Any man who laid eyes on her would be driven mad.
She sat at the bar, leaned back in her chair, crossed her long legs, and bit her finger with a troubled expression.
Ron smiled and greeted her,
"Welcome."
"Miss Boa Hancock."
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