For a moment, the legion pirate didn't have any idea what was going on.  The girl was doing something.  Then the cook was doing something else.  Before he knew it, he was being volunteered to be used as a human shield.  "No!" Dying was one thing, every legion pirate knew that, but dying for an enemy was the greatest insult.  He tried to pull himself away, at least enough to allow the force of the explosion to hit his captor but he didn't manage it in time.  A surging wall of ungodly heat smashed into him.  The one up side was he was killed before his brain could even register the pain, much less damage he was enduring. 

The tavern exploded, or at least a large part of it.  That was fine.  Everyone was expecting that.  Burning air forced a few of the weaker combatants to grit their teeth and lean against the burning pressure but the stronger opponents were able to fight on.  What came as a shock was the second, much stronger detonation.  Not only was it bigger than an explosion caused by cheap booze had any right to be, but also by the fact that everyone's guard was done so even Abbygail, thanks to her closeness was thrown off her feet.  Several of the masks men were killed instantly, but that didn't have any effect on the fighting force.  Their spirits couldn't be hampered by things like death of alleys.  They were the ants of the pirating world, only seeing the enemy, and only understanding that to swarm was to win, and to win was to live another day, or not.

"Hey!"  The masked man with the number 8 said.  He raised a hand and pointed at the stranger with the sheathed sword.  "Someone take care of that guy.  He's causing a lot more problems than any villager should."  There was a shift in the chaos as several figures rushing towards the burning tavern turned their attention to the swordsman.  "No problem."  A man with a mask with the number 73 said.  "We'll be done with him in a Jiffy."  He hefted a wooden stick, thicker than a bat and rushed towards his target.  "Come here boy.  Let me should you the price of butting in."  AS he yelled two other men in metal mask starting hurrying behind the man with the sword.  Each held a knife their hand, and were going to lunge forwards once their target deflected #73's blow.

"Damn it!"  Abbygail snapped, pulling herself to her feet, and dusting off the dirt.  "What the hell was that?"  If anyone replied, it didn't do her any good as the ringing in her ears rendered all other sounds irrelevant.  "You!"  She snarled, eyes narrowing on the man with the number eight.  "I'm going to slice you from crotch to chin!"  WEapons in hand she started towards the apparent leader of the group.