A bullet tore through the air, silent amidst the chaos of the casino, moving unstoppably toward its target. Neither Ace nor Dilo noticed it they were lost in their conversation, drowned out by the flashing lights and the hypnotic sound of the roulette wheel. But fate had other plans.
At the very moment before the bullet was about to pierce Dilo's body, the dealer shifted absentmindedly, stepping just slightly to the right unknowingly placing himself directly in its path.
It happened in an instant.
A breath.
An explosion of blood.
The bullet tore through his skull without resistance. His body jerked backward, striking the table before collapsing limply to the floor. Lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling as dark red blood slowly spread from his head, pooling like ink spilled on paper.
For a moment, the entire casino was frozen in stunned silence. The only sound that remained was the clicking of the roulette ball, spinning in its wheel, oblivious to the horror that had just unfolded.
And then chaos.
Realization hit.
The fragile peace of the casino shattered like glass, giving way to screams, panic, and blind desperation. Chairs overturned, chips scattered across the floor as guests scrambled for the exits, crashing into one another in their frantic attempt to escape.
Ace and Dilo remained seated, their bodies locked in place by shock, while the storm of panicked people rushed past them.
Dilo felt a cold sweat drip down his back.
That bullet… it was meant for him.
And someone had just died in his place.
He couldn't move. Couldn't think. His mind refused to process what had just happened the bloodied corpse on the floor, the lingering scent of gunpowder in the air, the panic spreading through the casino like wildfire.
Ace, on the other hand, showed no such shock.
He looked as if he had expected this as if chaos was something he knew well. Without wasting a second, he grabbed Dilo's wrist and pulled him behind the roulette table, shielding them from any potential follow-up attack.
Dilo was still lost in his own mind, his breathing uneven, body frozen. Ace had seen this look before the face of someone unprepared for brutal reality.
Placing his hands firmly on Dilo's shoulders, he gave him a few sharp shakes, his voice cutting through the noise with cold precision.
"Hey. Hey! Snap out of it! The shooter could still be here. Hello? Can you hear me?"
Dilo blinked a few times, finally focusing on Ace. His heart was pounding so violently he thought his ribs might crack under the pressure.
The screams. The chaos. The stampede of people.
It all pressed down on him.
"We… We have to call a doctor! What do we do?! Someone just got killed right in front of us!"
His voice was shaky, his words barely coming together into a sentence.
Ace stared at him for a few seconds. Then, with an exasperated sigh, he spoke his tone cold, almost scornful, but laced with brutal honesty.
"…Are you fucking stupid?"
His words hit like a slap.
"A bullet just went through his goddamn skull, and you think we should call a doctor? Hate to break it to you, but he's dead. His body's colder than the Antarctic, and nothing you do is gonna change that."
Ace stepped closer, his gaze sharp and unrelenting, cutting through Dilo like a blade.
"Tell me… what did you think was going to happen when you started poking around things no one talks about? That this would be some fun adventure, without real consequences? If you weren't prepared to see something even worse than this, you should've never started this shit in the first place."
He leaned in, voice lowering but every word carried weight, pressing down like a stone.
"And besides… you don't even know this guy. The sea isn't deep enough for you to drown in panic over a stranger. Keep your fucking head on straight, Dilo. People die. That's reality. Adapt or you'll be next."
In that moment, the chaos around them continued, but Dilo couldn't hear anything except Ace's words.
His hands trembled. His heart still pounded erratically. But deep down, he knew this wasn't the time for weakness.
Ace, on the other hand, wasted no time. His expression remained cold and analytical as he leaned closer, speaking seriously.
"Do you think someone's targeting you? Have you met anyone suspicious or pissed someone off recently?"
His voice was direct. No room for hesitation.
"I have a suspect in mind. On my way here, some middle-aged guy bumped into me. He was trying to act like a big-shot mafioso in front of his prostitute, but I… may have corroded his arm with sand. So maybe he came to get revenge. Then again… considering he no longer has an arm, I doubt he could aim a gun properly."
A few minutes earlier…
Ace walked through the narrow hallway leading to the casino. The air was thick with perfume and cigar smoke, the distant sounds of slot machines and gamblers chatter filling the space.
As he moved through the crowd, his shoulder brushed against a broad-shouldered man perhaps in his early thirties who looked like a cheap knockoff of an Italian mobster.
Round as a balloon. His garishly bright suit was more comical than intimidating.
Beside him walked a woman whom Ace immediately labeled as someone of… questionable morals.
The man turned sharply, raising a brow as he sneered.
"Watch where you're going, kid. I hope you're truly sorry, or I might have to call a few friends to teach you some manners."
Ace felt irritation boil up inside him. He wasn't in the mood for this shit.
Without a word, he reached into his pocket, fingers closing around a small capsule the size of a pill filled with sand.
Stepping closer, he placed a hand on the man's forearm, flashing a fake smile.
"My apologies, sir. Won't happen again."
The capsule broke in his grip.
Invisible grains of sand scattered onto the man's skin.
Then, Ace activated his power manipulating the particles as they entered his bloodstream, slowly beginning their work. Corrosion from the inside out.
It would take about five minutes for the effects to fully manifest, but the man would feel it much sooner.
Ace simply walked away, as if nothing had happened.
Back to the present…
Ace still had his eyes locked on Dilo, waiting for an answer.
"Dilo. Are you listening? Did you piss off anyone recently?"
Dilo finally blinked, took a deep breath, and forced himself to push past the panic. If he wanted to survive, he had to work with Ace.
"…Not that I can remember. But I did meet someone suspicious. His name was Adam. Everything about him felt… sadistic. The way he spoke, the way he carried himself. Like he enjoyed manipulating people."
Ace smirked, but there was nothing friendly about it.
"Good. You're finally cooperating."
Leaning against the table, he fell into thought.
"In that case, we have three possibilities. One this Adam guy decided to get rid of you. Two that mobster I messed with came for revenge. Three there's someone else on this ship with powers."
His gaze locked onto Dilo's, his voice leaving no room for uncertainty.
"Which means… we need a plan. And we need it now."