“LUFFY!!” The moment Portgas D.
Ace heard Luffy’s terrified scream, his expression changed completely.
He turned instantly.
There— A pockmarked bandit had already raised his machete again, preparing to split Luffy’s skull open.
Ace’s eyes reddened violently.
Without hesitation— He ignored the attacks aimed at himself and forced his way forward.
Bang!!
A heavy club smashed directly across Ace’s back.
Burning pain exploded through his spine.
But Ace didn’t stop.
Using the momentum of the blow itself, he twisted his body violently before throwing the steel pipe in his hand like a spear.
“GET AWAY FROM HIM!!” Whoosh!!
The pipe tore through the air.
Crack!!
It slammed directly into the pockmarked bandit’s back.
The sound resembled breaking bones.
The man screamed before crashing face-first onto the floor.
Luffy was saved.
But Ace lost his weapon.
And worse— The opening in his defense appeared instantly.
“A good chance!” “This brat’s unarmed now!” A bald bandit lunged forward viciously.
He wrapped both arms around Ace’s waist tightly from behind.
At the same time— Another bandit swung a wooden bat downward.
Bang!!
The impact slammed directly into Ace’s shoulder.
A dull crack echoed through the room.
Ace groaned heavily.
Half his body went numb immediately.
But he still didn’t scream.
Instead— He opened his mouth and bit viciously into the bald bandit’s arm.
“AAAAHHHH!!” The man shrieked in agony.
Blood sprayed instantly.
Ace bit like a wild beast trying to tear flesh away completely.
“Ace!” Sabo tried rushing toward him immediately.
But before he could— Higuma finally moved personally.
The bandit leader had been casually observing the battle from the rear until now.
But the moment he stepped forward— The atmosphere changed instantly.
Fast.
Far faster than ordinary East Blue thugs should move.
In several strides, Higuma appeared directly before Sabo.
He didn’t even bother drawing his sword.
Instead— He slammed the hilt brutally into Sabo’s stomach.
BOOM!!
“…Too slow.” Higuma’s voice sounded cold and merciless.
Sabo’s eyes widened instantly.
The impact felt like his internal organs twisted together violently.
His strength vanished completely.
Clang.
The steel pipe fell from numb fingers.
Sabo collapsed onto both knees while vomiting bitter fluid onto the floor.
This— Was the difference between children and genuine killers.
An eight-million-Berry bounty in East Blue wasn’t a joke.
“You little brats…” Higuma sneered while kicking Sabo flat onto the ground.
“You learned a few tricks and started thinking you were heroes?” Then he turned calmly toward Ace.
Ace was already pinned beneath several bandits.
Yet even now— He still fought like a furious young lion.
Kicking.
Biting.
Headbutting.
Several grown men already bled because of him.
“…Enough.” Higuma’s patience finally disappeared.
He walked directly toward Luffy.
Meanwhile, Luffy still sat frozen on the floor.
Everything had happened too quickly.
The battle.
The injuries.
The overwhelming violence.
His brain couldn’t process it all properly.
Higuma crouched down.
Then grabbed Luffy by the collar casually before lifting him into the air like a chicken.
“LET ME GO!!” “You ugly bastard!!” Luffy flailed wildly.
His rubber arms slapped around uselessly.
Higuma sneered.
Then— He stomped directly onto Luffy’s face.
Bang!!
Luffy’s rubber cheeks distorted grotesquely beneath the pressure.
His scream compressed back into his throat.
“Listen carefully.” Higuma’s voice wasn’t loud.
Yet the killing intent behind it froze everyone instantly.
Shing.
He finally drew his sword completely.
The blade rested directly against Luffy’s throat.
“Move again…” “…and I’ll slit his neck open.” “Let’s see whether his blood spills faster…” “…or his rubber body stretches back first.” Silence.
The entire inn froze.
Even Ace stopped struggling.
Because this wasn’t a fist anymore.
It was a blade.
A real weapon capable of killing instantly.
Ace could gamble with his own life.
But not Luffy’s.
“…Let him go…” Ace’s voice cracked hoarsely.
The anger inside him mixed with something far worse.
Helplessness.
For the first time— Ace truly understood weakness.
No matter how fiercely he fought— Against overwhelming force and dirty tactics, his strength meant nothing.
The bandits restraining Ace immediately took advantage of his hesitation.
Bang!
Bang!
Several boots slammed into his ribs and back viciously.
“What happened?!” “Weren’t you acting tough earlier?!” “Why’d the little puppy stop biting?!” Ace’s face smashed into the filthy wooden floorboards.
Dust and spilled alcohol covered him completely.
Nearby, Sabo lay collapsed motionlessly.
His fingers dug deeply into the wooden cracks beneath him.
Several fingernails had already torn open and bled.
Yet he lacked even the strength to stand again.
Utter defeat.
Absolute annihilation.
Higuma slowly surveyed the ruined inn proudly.
The defeated children.
The unconscious bandits.
The wreckage.
A twisted sense of pleasure filled his face.
For scum like him— Destroying people with spirit felt intoxicating.
“Looks like the hero game’s over.” The sword lightly tapped against Luffy’s cheek mockingly.
“You little pests ruined my evening.” “And hurt several of my men.” His eyes gradually became colder.
“…So naturally, you’ll repay it with your lives.” The surrounding bandits grinned viciously.
After all— Dead children couldn’t testify later.
Even if Monkey D.
Garp eventually returned to Foosha Village— No evidence would remain.
Higuma slowly pressed the sword closer toward Luffy’s throat.
“So…” “Who should die first?” Fear finally appeared within Luffy’s eyes.
Real fear.
The instinctive terror humans felt when facing death directly.
Yet despite trembling— Luffy still refused to beg.
Tears gathered silently near the corners of his eyes.
Above them— On the roof beams— Kahn quietly sighed.
The show had ended.
Exactly as expected.
In fact— Even worse than expected.
Ace and Sabo had grown much stronger than their original timeline counterparts because of Kahn’s influence.
But ironically— That strength made them overconfident.
They challenged enemies far beyond their level directly.
This was the price of rapid growth.
Kahn slowly stood up atop the rafters.
Then dusted off his pants calmly.
Time to clean up.
After all— If Luffy actually died here, the future Pirate King would disappear.
And that would make the future unbearably boring.
More importantly— Kahn noticed something strange.
Shanks still hadn’t arrived.
Perhaps the butterfly effect had already altered events.
Perhaps destiny itself had begun changing.
Outside the inn— No footsteps approached.
No red-haired pirate charged heroically toward the rescue.
Kahn looked downward calmly.
“…Looks like I’ll handle this one personally.” He didn’t enter through the front door.
Too ordinary.
Too lacking in impact.
Instead— He raised one hand casually toward the roof support beam beneath him.
No physical force.
Only a slight release of his biofield.
Crack.
The thick wooden support suddenly splintered apart like decayed timber.
Instantly— The roof collapsed.
Inside the inn, Higuma’s instincts screamed violently.
A pressure unlike anything he had ever experienced descended from above.
Like some prehistoric predator staring directly at him.
He instinctively looked upward.
And froze.
The ceiling no longer existed.
Moonlight poured through the opening.
And within that moonlight— A figure descended slowly.
His body remained hidden in shadow.
Only two crimson lights burned within the darkness.
Eyes.
Glowing red eyes.
Like flames from hell itself.
No flashy movement.
No dramatic pose.
Kahn simply fell downward naturally.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The floor exploded apart instantly.
A terrifying shockwave erupted throughout the inn.
The bandits pinning Ace down didn’t even understand what happened before being blasted backward violently.
Several crashed directly into the walls hard enough to crack wood.
Dust spread everywhere.
Then silence returned.
At the center of the shattered floor— Kahn stood calmly inside a crater.
Hands inside pockets.
The red glow within his eyes faded gradually back to black.
Completely emotionless.
Completely still.
Higuma’s hand trembled around his sword.
The impact from Kahn’s landing alone nearly shifted his internal organs.
But more terrifying than that— Was the aura.
This child… No.
This thing standing before him… Didn’t feel human.
“Good evening.” Kahn’s voice sounded soft.
Yet inside the deathly silent inn, every word landed like thunder.
Ace slowly lifted his head.
The moment he saw Kahn’s back— Something inside his chest relaxed instantly.
Safety.
Security.
“…Kahn…” Ace’s voice trembled slightly.
Kahn never turned around.
“Shut up.” “We’ll settle your stupidity after we get home.” Yet strangely— That cold scolding sounded incredibly reassuring.
Even Sabo almost laughed weakly from relief.
Meanwhile, Higuma swallowed hard.
He recognized this child.
The monster from Makino’s tavern earlier.
The brat who casually devoured twenty plates of meat.
“What… what do you want?” For the first time— Fear entered Higuma’s voice clearly.
His sword remained pressed against Luffy’s throat.
Yet he didn’t dare move further.
Instinct warned him.
The moment he twitched— He would die.
Kahn tilted his head slightly.
Then looked calmly toward the blade resting against Luffy’s neck.
“Let go of that idiot.” His eyes narrowed faintly.
“I won’t repeat myself.” Higuma’s face twitched violently.
Pride.
Fear.
Survival instinct.
All collided inside him simultaneously.
But ultimately— He still possessed a hostage.