The atmosphere inside the bar remained tense.
Scrapper reached into his coat.
"I'm actually here..."
"...to warn you."
Saito frowned.
"Me?"
Scrapper shook his head.
"Not you."
He slowly turned his gaze toward the counter.
"...Him."
Everyone looked at Malfoy.
Malfoy blinked.
"...Me?"
Scrapper nodded.
He pulled out a folded document and placed it on the table.
"Take a look."
Malfoy unfolded the paper.
As his eyes moved across the page—
his face turned pale.
"...Crap."
"I forgot about them."
Fanny hurried over.
"What do you mean, Dad?"
Malfoy rubbed his forehead.
"...I..."
"I borrowed money from a company."
"To pay Matthew's taxes."
Fanny's eyes widened.
"...You what?"
Silence filled the room.
Saito stepped beside Malfoy and looked at the document.
He whistled softly.
"...Wow."
"That's a lot of money, Sir Malfoy."
Malfoy lowered his head.
"...I know."
He turned toward Fanny.
His voice was full of regret.
"...I'm sorry, dear."
Fanny looked at the document.
Then at her father.
She didn't speak.
She simply held the paper tightly, trying to understand how serious the situation really was.
Bomb scratched his head.
"So..."
"...who exactly are 'they'?"
Scrapper rested both arms on the table.
"The people who loaned him that money."
"They don't usually wait forever."
"And if someone can't pay..."
He paused.
"They come to collect it themselves."
The room fell silent again as everyone realized that Matthew's downfall hadn't ended Malfoy's troubles—it had only uncovered another problem waiting in the shadows.
The room stayed quiet.
Saito looked from the document to Scrapper.
"So..."
"Loan sharks."
Scrapper nodded.
"Exactly."
He folded his arms.
"And I can help you deal with them."
Saito smiled confidently.
"Oh, please."
"I can handle it."
He tapped the table with one finger.
"This is my territory now."
Scrapper chuckled.
"Okay."
"If you say so."
He stood up from his chair.
"But let me warn you."
His expression became more serious.
"One of the people coming..."
"...is a bounty hunter."
Kaito narrowed his eyes.
"Who?"
A faint smile appeared on Scrapper's face.
"You'll see."
He looked around at the Blue Scarf crew.
"You have no idea what kind of world you've stepped into."
"You've learned a little about the Calamity Table..."
He tapped the side of his mechanical arm.
"But there are far more syndicates out there."
"Organizations."
"Hunters."
"Mercenaries."
"People who don't care whether you're a gangster or a police officer."
"They only care about getting paid."
The room fell silent.
Saito leaned back in his chair.
"...Fine."
He looked at Scrapper.
"You can help."
Scrapper grinned.
"Good."
"You should be grateful..."
"...that a member of the Calamity Table is willing to help you."
Saito rolled his eyes.
"Yeah..."
"Yeah..."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"I get it."
Scrapper laughed.
"You've still got that attitude."
Saito smirked.
"And you've still got those ugly tentacles."
The two men stared at each other for a moment.
Then both burst into laughter.
Around them, the Blue Scarf crew relaxed slightly, but the mention of a bounty hunter lingered in everyone's mind.
Whatever was coming next...
it sounded very different from the enemies they had faced before.
Kaito leaned back in his chair.
"Anyway..."
"Who is this guy?"
Scrapper's smile faded.
"Warren."
The name alone made the room grow quiet.
Scrapper rested both arms on the table.
"We hired him once."
"To eliminate one of our nemeses."
Bomb raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
Scrapper looked at him.
"The job was finished."
"Without leaving a single trace."
No one spoke for a moment.
Saito let out a low whistle.
"...Wow."
Kaito folded his arms.
"I always thought bounty hunters only worked for the police."
Scrapper shook his head.
"Some do."
"But the real professionals..."
"They work for whoever pays."
He tapped the table with one finger.
"They don't care if you're a police officer."
"They don't care if you're a gangster."
"They don't care who's right or wrong."
"The only thing they care about..."
"...is money."
Rin frowned.
"So they're mercenaries."
Scrapper nodded.
"Pretty much."
"If the payment is high enough..."
"They'll hunt anyone."
Fanny looked worried.
"So if Malfoy's debt reaches them..."
Scrapper glanced at her.
"They won't ask why he borrowed the money."
"They'll only ask one question."
"'Can he pay?'"
The room fell silent again.
Saito slowly crossed his arms.
"Then we'll settle the debt..."
"...before Warren decides to collect it himself."
Scrapper looked at Saito for a long moment.
Then smiled faintly.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
Outside, the Blue Scarf flag fluttered in the morning breeze, while somewhere beyond Jaha Town, a bounty hunter named Warren was unknowingly becoming the Blue Scarf Gang's next obstacle.
Fanny looked around the table.
"So..."
"What should we do, Captain?"
Saito rested his elbows on the table.
"We wait."
Fanny blinked.
"...That's all?"
Saito nodded.
"And try to settle this..."
"...without a fight."
Scrapper raised an eyebrow.
"No fight?"
Saito looked at him.
"If you want one..."
"...be my guest."
A faint smile crossed his face.
"But I don't want to drag my crew into something that's just a waste of time."
He turned toward Malfoy.
"Do you have the money?"
Malfoy's expression darkened.
He slowly shook his head.
"...No."
Saito tapped the table, thinking.
"Hmm..."
"How much do you need?"
Malfoy hesitated before answering.
"...About a hundred coins."
Bomb let out a low whistle.
"That's not a small amount."
Saito nodded.
Then looked at Bomb.
"Bomb."
Bomb straightened in his seat.
"Yeah, Captain?"
"Send a letter to Takashi."
"Tell him to withdraw some money."
"It's for Sir Malfoy."
Bomb nodded immediately.
"Got it."
He stood up and headed toward the counter to gather paper and ink.
Malfoy looked at Saito in surprise.
"Sir Saito..."
"I can't ask you to do that."
Saito smiled.
"You didn't ask."
"I'm offering."
He glanced toward the Blue Scarf flag hanging outside the window.
"You accepted our protection."
"That means your problems..."
"...are our problems too."
Malfoy lowered his head.
"...Thank you."
Fanny smiled quietly at her father before looking back at Saito.
Across the table, Scrapper watched the exchange with interest.
"Heh..."
"So this is how the Blue Scarf Gang runs its territory."
Saito shrugged.
"We protect what's under our flag."
Scrapper smiled faintly.
"No wonder people are starting to talk about you."
Meanwhile...
Lorum Village.
Inside the Blue Scarf headquarters—
Takeru walked into the office holding a folded letter.
"Takashi."
Takashi looked up from a stack of account books.
"What is it?"
Takeru handed him the letter.
"A message from Captain Saito."
Takashi opened it.
His eyes scanned the page.
"...Five hundred coins?"
His eyebrow twitched.
He slowly folded the letter.
"If he spent this playing cards..."
"...I'm going to kill him."
Takeru laughed.
"I don't think that's the case."
Takashi sighed as he stood up from his chair.
"I hope not."
He tucked the letter into his pocket.
"Give me a minute."
He walked toward the finance room at the back of the headquarters.
Several gang members were already counting coins and recording expenses.
Takashi entered.
"I need five hundred coins."
"Captain's order."
One of the members looked up.
"For another territory?"
Takashi nodded.
"Looks like it."
The member immediately walked toward a large iron safe while Takashi quietly watched, still wondering what kind of trouble Saito had gotten himself into this time.