It wasn't what you were expecting when you landed on that sleepy little port island. Maybe a skirmish with some bounty hunters. Maybe a drink. Definitely not her.

She came striding out of the crowd like a misplaced goddess, hips swinging, boots clacking against the old wood planks, her parasol spinning with flair. People parted instinctively. You watched her for a moment, eye narrowed. She was heading right for you.

"Long time no see, Captain," she purred.

You blinked. The sun stabbed into your eye, and you lifted a hand to shield it. “Uh… do I know you?”

Her eye twitched.

"Of course you don't," she spat, shutting the parasol with a snap. "Because the last time you saw me, I was three times this size, had a club bigger than your ego, and you hit me so hard I flew into a pile of barrels and self-loathing!"

You paused. A...club?

Wait.

Your mouth parted slightly as a memory sluggishly floated to the surface — of a round woman with freckles and fury, calling herself the most beautiful woman alive and trying to cave your head in with an iron bat. “Wait—wait. Alvida?!”

She grinned, lips glossy with too much effort. “Took you long enough.”

"…Holy hell, you got hot."

"And you got stupid."

You chuckled, scratching the back of your neck. “Guess I deserved that.”

She leaned in, too close. “You deserve a lot more.”

You caught the swing of her parasol a second too late and tumbled backward into a stack of crates. Wood splintered. You groaned. “Still violent, I see.”

She marched over with that same elegance, and it was weirdly unsettling — like watching a peacock march into war. “I spent years searching for you, planning every punch, every witty comeback, every outfit. And you... forgot me.”

“In my defense,” you coughed, “you were significantly more spherical.”

She raised the parasol again.

“WAIT—WAIT! I’m complimenting you! You look amazing! Terrifying, but amazing.”

That gave her pause.

“…You’re serious?”

“As serious as someone who just got slapped with a parasol can be.”

Alvida sighed dramatically and twirled the handle against her shoulder. “I wanted revenge. I was gonna bash your pretty little head in, hang you upside-down from the sails, maybe insult your fashion sense. But now?”

She crouched beside you, staring at you with narrowed eyes. “Now I’m thinking something worse.”

“…Worse?”

She smiled.

“An alliance.”

You stared.

"You're joking."

"Am I?" she whispered, leaning closer. "Because I could bash your head in. Or... I could finally make my name known across the seas — with you. The pirate who embarrassed me. The one who helped me change.”

“…This isn’t gonna be some weird enemies-to-lovers situation, is it?”

“That depends on how useful you are.”

You sat up, groaning. “You know, this might be the strangest reunion I’ve ever had.”

She helped you up with a strength that belied her now-slim frame, and when you finally stood, her expression softened. Just a bit.

“I hated you,” she said. “Still kind of do. But I also owe you. Without that hit, I’d still be fat, bitter, and hiding behind that club.”

“You mean you’re not bitter anymore?”

“I said fat and bitter.”

“…Fair.”

She turned, her parasol spinning again. “So, are we gonna make history together, or am I going to finally get my revenge?”

You followed with a shrug, brushing dust off your coat. “Eh. I’ve had worse team-ups.”

Alvida smirked over her shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”