The wooden doors of the inn looked old and rotten.
Dim yellow light leaked through the cracks alongside rough laughter, drunken shouting, and the smell of cheap alcohol.
Inside, Higuma and his men continued drinking loudly.
Meanwhile— Outside the entrance— Monkey D.
Luffy puffed out his chest dramatically.
He inhaled deeply.
His tiny body swelled like a balloon.
Then— “HEY!!” “You ugly-faced bandit!!” “COME OUT AND FACE YOUR DEATH!!” Luffy screamed with every ounce of strength in his lungs.
His childish voice pierced through the inn instantly.
The drinking noises inside stopped abruptly.
Then— BOOM!!
Portgas D.
Ace didn’t waste time talking.
He swung the metal pipe in his hands directly into the door.
The already fragile wood exploded from the impact.
The entire doorway tore free from its hinges before crashing into the room with a loud bang.
Dust filled the air.
Inside the inn— Over a dozen bandits froze mid-drink.
Cups stopped halfway toward mouths.
Cigarettes dangled motionlessly between lips.
Everyone stared blankly toward the entrance.
At the far end of the room, Higuma slowly lowered his alcohol bowl.
His face twisted slightly.
Dust from the shattered door had landed inside his drink.
“…You brats again?” His narrowed eyes locked onto Luffy immediately.
He recognized the kid from Makino’s tavern.
The little brat defended by those “cowardly pirates.” “I didn’t come looking for you.” “And yet you idiots delivered yourselves straight to my door.” Higuma casually tossed the ruined drink aside before standing up slowly.
His massive body exceeded two meters in height.
Under the dim lantern light, he resembled a looming wall of muscle.
To five-year-old Luffy— The man looked enormous.
“APOLOGIZE!!” Luffy pointed directly at Higuma’s nose.
“Apologize to Shanks!” “You bullying bastard!” For a moment— The inn became silent.
Then the bandits exploded into hysterical laughter.
“Hahahaha!!” “Boss, is this brat serious?!” “Apologize to that red-haired coward?!” “This kid’s funnier than the circus!” Even Higuma laughed loudly.
Then he slowly drew his longsword.
The blade reflected cold light beneath the lantern flames.
“Kid.” “In this world…” “Only weaklings demand apologies.” His grin gradually became colder.
“And I’ve killed fifty-six people already.” “Among them…” “…quite a few arrogant little brats.” The killing intent radiating from Higuma changed the atmosphere instantly.
This wasn’t empty intimidation.
Unlike ordinary village thugs— This man genuinely killed people for a living.
Luffy instinctively stepped backward.
Cold sweat formed across his forehead.
But then— He clenched his fists tightly again.
“I-I’M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!” “I’m gonna become the Pirate King someday!” Then Luffy copied the move he constantly watched Kahn use.
“GUM-GUM PISTOL!!” His fist shot forward.
Or rather— It attempted to.
Stretch— Luffy’s arm elongated rapidly like rubber.
But because he possessed absolutely zero control, the stretched limb flopped wildly through the air like a loose rope.
It completely missed Higuma.
Instead— SMACK!!
The punch slammed directly into the back of Ace’s head.
Ace, who had just prepared to charge forward, nearly faceplanted instantly.
“DAMN IT, LUFFY!!” “WATCH WHERE YOU’RE AIMING!” Ace clutched the back of his skull furiously.
The bandits laughed even harder.
“What the hell is this?” “A comedy show?” “That kid’s arm stretches?!” “So he’s a Devil Fruit freak!” Higuma looked at Luffy’s limp rubber arm with growing disdain.
“So you ate a Devil Fruit…” “Too bad.” “You’re still trash.” He lazily waved one hand.
“Men.” “Play with these little bastards.” “Don’t kill them.” “Just break their legs.” “Teach them what the title of Mountain Bandit King means.” The surrounding bandits immediately grinned viciously.
Machetes.
Clubs.
Rusty swords.
They closed in from every direction.
In their eyes— These children were helpless prey.
“MOVE!!” Ace roared instantly.
Unlike Luffy, Ace actually understood combat.
He launched himself forward aggressively before the enemies fully surrounded them.
Bang!!
The steel pipe in his hand smashed directly into a bandit’s stomach.
The man folded instantly like a shrimp before vomiting saliva violently.
Although Ace was only eight— Years of brutal training beneath Monkey D.
Garp had already made his physical strength surpass ordinary adults easily.
Meanwhile, Sabo moved simultaneously.
Unlike Ace’s direct aggression, Sabo fought with mobility and precision.
He leaped onto the overturned doorway before springing upward again.
His metal pipe swung downward sharply.
Crack!!
A bandit’s forehead split open immediately.
The man collapsed unconscious before even screaming properly.
The battle erupted completely.
At first— Ace and Sabo actually dominated.
Years of surviving inside Gray Terminal alongside Kahn had forged terrifying reflexes into both boys.
Ace charged like a ferocious wolf.
Every attack targeted joints, ribs, throats, and weak points instinctively.
Sabo continuously supported him from blind spots.
Their teamwork looked incredibly smooth.
Bandits screamed one after another.
Tables shattered.
Liquor bottles exploded across the walls.
Several enemies collapsed within moments.
But— From above the ceiling beams— Kahn merely watched silently through cracks in the roof.
“Tch.” “No strategy.” “No stamina management.” “Pure brute force.” He shook his head slightly.
Ace and Sabo looked impressive compared to ordinary children.
But against experienced killers?
Their flaws became obvious immediately.
They consumed energy too aggressively.
They attacked without rhythm.
And most importantly— They made the stupidest mistake possible.
Protecting a burden in the middle of battle.
Below— Luffy continued struggling miserably with his new rubber body.
He tried kicking.
Stretch— His leg elongated too far before tangling around itself.
Thud!!
Luffy crashed flat onto the ground face-first.
He tried punching again.
This time his fist spiraled wildly sideways— CRASH!!
An entire liquor cabinet exploded apart instead.
Glass shards scattered everywhere.
Not a single enemy got hit.
Instead— Luffy became the battlefield’s greatest liability.
Then suddenly— A pockmarked bandit noticed him.
“Hey.” “The rubber monster brat over there!” The man grinned viciously before charging forward with a rusty machete raised overhead.
At that moment, Luffy still struggled untangling his stretched arm from around his own neck.
“Die, freak!!” The blade whistled downward violently.
Luffy panicked instantly.
He tried dodging— But his unfamiliar rubber body completely ruined his balance.
His foot slipped.
“WHOA—!!” Plop!!
Luffy fell backward directly onto the floor.
The machete narrowly missed his head by centimeters before slamming into the wooden planks instead.
Wood chips exploded everywhere.
Luffy froze completely.
Cold sweat covered his face instantly.
For the first time since eating the Gomu Gomu no Mi— Luffy truly understood something.
This wasn’t a game anymore.
People here could actually kill him.