“That good-for-nothing son?”
Portgas D.
Ace’s pupils constricted.
The iron pipe in his hand creaked as he gripped it tightly.
“Shut up!”
The ground beneath Portgas D.
Ace’s feet sank, and he lunged forward.
The rusty iron pipe whistled through the air, smashing fiercely toward Ron’s face.
Children don’t know how to hold back.
If this strike connected, an ordinary person would at least suffer a concussion.
Ron tilted his head and raised his right hand.
He brought his index and middle fingers together, casually reaching forward.
Clang!
The iron pipe was caught between his two fingers, unable to advance even a fraction of an inch further.
The formidable force was completely neutralized.
Instead, Portgas D.
Ace’s hands went numb, nearly losing his grip on the pipe.
Portgas D.
Ace’s eyes widened.
He gritted his teeth, veins popping on his neck, and used all his might to pull it back.
It wouldn’t budge.
The iron pipe felt as if it were welded between those two fingers.
“Too weak.” Ron evaluated critically.
“With this little strength, how do you expect to be a pirate?
You aren’t even qualified to raise pigs back in the village.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Ron bent his thumb, pressing it under his index finger, aiming at Portgas D.
Ace’s stubborn forehead.
The sound of his fingernail flicking was crisp.
Snap.
“Waaaaah—”
A solid flick to the forehead landed squarely on Portgas D.
Ace.
He lost control of his body.
His feet lifted off the ground as he flew backward.
He traced a parabola in the air, smashing into the trunk of a thick camphor tree over ten meters away.
Crack.
The trunk snapped in half, and branches and leaves collapsed to the ground with a rustle.
Portgas D.
Ace tumbled into a pile of fallen leaves, unable to get up for a long time.
A bright red bump swelled on his forehead.
Tears welled up from the pain, but he bit his lip hard, refusing to make a sound.
A familiar, crisp electronic voice rang in Ron’s mind.
[Ding!
Engaged in deep combat interaction with plot character Portgas D.
Ace!
Dropped attribute reward: Fire Affinity Physique!]
A surge of heat rose from his lower abdomen, flowing through his limbs and bones.
A natural sense of control over high temperatures and flames emerged in his blood.
This kid is going to eat the Mera Mera no Mi later.
It makes sense for this physique to drop early.
Ron dusted off his sleeves and turned toward the large iron pot left behind by Dadan’s family.
The mountain bandits were still lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth.
Some were snoring, some twitching.
Monkey D.
Luffy, lying on a haystack, was also sprawled out asleep, snot bubbles expanding and contracting.
Ron couldn’t be bothered to deal with this bunch.
He casually picked up a two-hundred-pound wild boar that had been affected by his Conqueror’s Haki.
Drawing the short blade from his waist, he gutted the boar, removing its skin and bones.
Large chunks of leg meat were sliced into uniform strips.
No fire?
Ron snapped his fingers.
Having just acquired the Fire Affinity Physique, he rubbed his palms together, conjuring a faint flame to light the dry pile of firewood.
The flames flared up.
He found a few sharpened sticks, skewered the pork, and placed them over the fire to roast.
He pulled out his secret seasonings from his previous life from the system space: cumin, chili powder, sea salt, black pepper, and a small jar of honey.
These were daily life items he had accumulated from drops, but at this moment, they were a trump card.
The fat sizzled under the high heat.
Brushing with oil, sprinkling salt, coating with honey.
Finally, layering on a thick coating of cumin and chili powder.
A complex, incredibly penetrating aroma, one that had never appeared in this world before, drifted out with the mountain breeze.
The scent was too overpowering.
It was so overpowering that Monkey D.
Luffy, who had been passed out on the haystack, practically floated up following the scent, drooling with his eyes closed.
“Meat…
meat…”
In the pile of fallen leaves in the distance, Portgas D.
Ace clutched the bump on his forehead, staring fixedly at Ron by the fire.
He hadn’t eaten anything all day.
He had originally planned to snatch Dadan’s pot of stew to fill his stomach, but Ron had knocked everyone out the moment he appeared.
His stomach growled uncontrollably.
The fragrance drilled into his nostrils, making his stomach acid churn violently.
“I won’t eat it.
Even if I starve to death, or jump off this mountain, I will never eat a single bite of his food.” Portgas D.
Ace turned his head away, trying to resist the temptation.
Ron flipped the roasting meat, intentionally raising his volume.
“This honey-roasted pork chop is cooked perfectly.
Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside; every bite is full of juice.”
He tore off a golden, crispy piece of meat and handed it to Monkey D.
Luffy, who had woken up and was squatting nearby, drooling like crazy.
Monkey D.
Luffy took the meat, swallowing half of it in one bite.
“Delicious!!!” Monkey D.
Luffy’s eyes nearly popped out.
His hands clutched the meat as he devoured it from both sides.
“Big Brother Ron, this is the best meat I’ve ever eaten!”
Portgas D.
Ace’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed a huge gulp of saliva.
He turned his head, watching longingly as Monkey D.
Luffy ate, his face covered in grease.
Ron picked up a skewer of enticing roasted pork belly.
Oil dripped onto the fire, sparking a small flame and making the aroma even richer.
With a casual flick, the meat landed accurately at Portgas D.
Ace’s feet.
“Eat it or don’t.
If you don’t, I’ll feed it to the wild dogs.”
Ron leaned against a tree trunk and opened a bottle of cola.
Portgas D.
Ace stared at the roasted meat on the ground.
Half a minute later, a small hand quickly grabbed the wooden stick, taking a bite of the glistening pork belly.
His teeth tore through the crispy skin.
The spicy seasoning exploded in his mouth, and the meat juices overflowed.
“Damn, so good!”
It was too delicious.
This was a delicacy that no human could resist.
Portgas D.
Ace wolfed it down, shedding tears of humiliation and drool at the same time.
With his cheeks stuffed, he glared fiercely at Ron, acting as if he were chewing on Ron instead of the meat.
“Eat slowly.
If you choke to death, I’m not burying you.” Ron drank his cola, enjoying the show.
In the afternoon, the sun was scorching.
The sound of chaotic footsteps and heavy breathing came from the mountain path.
Makino carried a huge rattan basket on her back, leaning on a wooden stick with one hand, walking with difficulty along the steep mountain path.
The basket was filled with blankets, water cups, a change of clothes, and even a full tea set.
By the time Makino appeared outside the yard of the dilapidated wooden shack, she was completely exhausted.
She put down the basket and braced her hands on her knees, panting heavily.
Her black and white fitted uniform was completely soaked through with sweat.
The thin fabric clung obscenely to her voluptuous curves, becoming almost sheer and revealing the smooth, glistening sheen of her skin beneath.
The material stretched tightly over her full, heavy breasts, outlining the soft shape of her nipples as they pressed against the damp cloth.
The buttons at her neckline had popped open from her labored breathing, exposing a generous amount of pale, sweat-slicked cleavage that rose and fell with every deep gasp.
“Ron…” Makino’s voice was hoarse and breathy.
“I’ve brought up everything you asked for.”
Ron had been cooling off in the shade.
Seeing her like this — flushed, sweaty, and deliciously disheveled — he slowly stood up and walked over.
His gaze openly devoured her heaving chest, lingering shamelessly on the deep valley between her breasts and the way her wet uniform hugged every curve.
Makino’s ears burned crimson under his hungry stare.
She wanted to cover herself, but her tired body could only weakly shrink back, which only made her breasts push together more invitingly.
“Look how hot you are,” Ron murmured, his voice low and rough.
He pulled out a clean white handkerchief but didn’t hand it to her.
Instead, he stepped so close their bodies nearly touched.
He gently pressed the cloth to her forehead, then slowly wiped down her flushed cheeks and delicate neck.
His fingertips, through the thin fabric, deliberately traced along her collarbone and the upper swell of her breasts, brushing the sensitive skin at the edge of her open neckline.
Makino shivered hard.
A soft, muffled whimper escaped her lips — “Mmm…” — as her legs trembled.
The light touch sent sparks straight through her body, making her nipples tighten visibly against the soaked fabric.
“It was really hard work for you, Makino,” Ron whispered hotly against her ear, his breath caressing her reddened earlobe.
His large, rough hand continued its slow path, the handkerchief now sliding teasingly along the soft, sweaty skin of her neck and the top of her cleavage.
“Carrying all that… getting so hot and wet for me.”
Makino closed her eyes, biting her lower lip as another quiet, needy sound slipped out.
“Haa… Ron…” Her breathing was ragged, her body swaying slightly toward him.
Through half-lidded eyes, she gave him a coquettish, watery glare filled with shy indulgence and unmistakable desire, her full breasts still rising and falling inches from his chest.
The air between them thickened with tension, her subtle feminine scent mixed with fresh sweat wrapping around Ron like an invitation.
The system notification sound in his mind was pleasant.
[Ding!
Detected extremely intimate physical interaction with plot character Makino!
Triggered Beauty Critical Hit!
Dropped top-tier reward: Universal Antidote x 10 bottles!]
Ron calmly withdrew the handkerchief and tucked it into his pocket.
This confidante of his was truly understanding.
This scene was seen perfectly by Portgas D.
Ace and Monkey D.
Luffy, who were sitting by the fire.
The roasted meat in their hands was no longer fragrant.
Monkey D.
Luffy swallowed a large piece of meat, turned to look at Portgas D.
Ace, and asked foolishly.
“What is Big Brother doing?”
Portgas D.
Ace used his grease-covered hand to touch the bump on his forehead, looking thoughtful.
“You don’t understand.” Portgas D.
Ace wiped his mouth, pretending to be profound.
“This is what a strong man is.”
Portgas D.
Ace looked at Ron’s tall, straight back, then at the beautiful, gentle Makino, who was completely bewitched.
His young heart received an unprecedented, massive shock.
Dadan and that group of foul-mouthed mountain bandit oafs were nothing.
The pirates in the village who only knew how to brag were also nothing.
Beating people only required two fingers and a flick to the forehead.
The meat he roasted casually could make one’s tongue fall off from craving.
The coolest part was that Makino, the most beautiful and gentle sister in the village, was actually willing to climb such a high mountain to deliver daily supplies to him and even let him touch her.
Big Brother.
This is a real man.
This is the true style of a Big Brother!
Portgas D.
Ace dropped the bone in his hand.
His eyes changed.
There was less of his usual unruly hostility, and more of a complex, inexplicable admiration.
Even looking at Ron’s back, he felt that figure was insurmountable.