How could he not understand how things ended up like this!!!
Cut the grass and root out the weeds; eradicate evil without mercy!
Everything happened because he'd trusted those bandits too much and had Uncle Nao let them go!
Luffy's body trembled slightly. He fought back tears and tried desperately to nod, but Higuma slammed down with force and pinned him to the ground so he couldn't move an inch.
"Did I say you could move? Huh?"
Higuma roared.
When he first saw Nao he'd flinched and taken a step back, panic in his eyes, but then noticing Nao was now alone up front and separated from the Marines who had spread out, he quickly regained composure and narrowed his eyes.
"Enough! Don't go preaching at me with that look — I hate people like you who get a little power and then get arrogant!" Higuma sneered. "We were badly beaten up by you guys yesterday, but today is different. Do you know why, Marine?"
Click!
Dozens of revolvers were drawn at once. The bandits surrounded Nao, guns trained on his head.
"Because you all brought guns today?" Nao shrugged. "Oh my, so many guns from one little bandit gang — how terrifying…"
"Good that you understand! And you committed a grave mistake coming out here alone!" Higuma laughed loudly, then waved his hand and shouted:
"Kill him! Boys!"
"As long as we take out this arrogant bastard first, the remaining Marines will fall into chaos. It's time they knew the real strength of Higuma's bandits!!!"
"Yes, boss!"
As soon as the words fell, dozens of bandits fired decisively. The sound of gunshots erupted, but the next moment, they were stunned to see the bullets pass through Nao's body without any obstruction, and then…
Thud! Thud! Thud!
After a single volley, more than a dozen bandits were shot through the head and fell backward, stiff and dead.
They had all been killed by shots from their own side.
The remaining bandits were mostly wounded, wailing in agony as they clutched their wounds, their eyes filled with terror when they looked back at Nao.
What is going on?
We clearly aimed at this guy's head when we shot… What in the world happened?!
"You idiots!" Higuma shouted in a mix of fear and fury. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"It's not our fault, boss!" came back frantic cries. "You saw it too — the bullets don't hit him. That guy… he's a monster you can't shoot with a gun!!"
"Then use swords!" Higuma bellowed. "All of you, go in together! Don't give him another chance! Hack him to death and the fight is ours!"
The bandits looked at each other in dismay. Their comrades' deaths were still vivid in their minds, and Nao had remained standing still from start to finish. This eerie scene chilled them to the bone, and they had no desire to face such a monster again.
However, Higuma's usual authority weighed heavily on them, plus the bandits understood that if they couldn't win this time, the Marines would definitely not spare their lives again.
So, led by a few bandit officers, the remaining bandits exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, drew their blades, mustered their courage again, and charged forward with roars:
"Charge together!"
"Kill him!"
...
For a moment, the battlefield was filled with the deafening sounds of battle cries, descending into chaos.
Behind the crowd, Higuma was sweating coldly. He tried to sneak backward as quietly as possible, carrying Luffy, inching toward the wall. When they neared it, he suddenly smashed something hidden in his sleeve onto the ground, then grabbed Luffy and leapt up onto a rooftop. He put all his speed into it and ran without looking back, dashing desperately into the distance.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion rang out, and thick, choking white smoke instantly filled the entire plaza.
Both the Marines blocking the exits and the villagers who had just been helped to safety on either side began coughing violently, hurriedly covering their noses and mouths.
As for the bandits caught in the center of the blast, there was no need to ask — they couldn't see a thing. Eyes streaming with tears, they hacked and wheezed for a long time before they could even catch their breath.
"Cough! Cough… Wh–what's going on? That… that was the boss's smoke bomb?!" one of the officers suddenly realized, shouting in alarm.
"The boss ditched us and ran?! How could he do that?!"
"Boss! Chief! Are you still here?! Say something!"
…
Chaos erupted among the bandits. Panic and confusion spread like wildfire, and with their morale completely shattered, they stumbled blindly through the smoke like headless flies.
The Marines still held their positions, firmly blocking every exit. Smoker stood among them, a cigar clamped between his teeth, watching the farce with cold detachment.
It wasn't until the smoke was about to dissipate that he came over to Nao's side and asked in a deep voice:
"Sir, shall I chase him down?"
There was no way Higuma could escape — Smoker was absolutely certain of that.
A small fry like him didn't stand a chance; even if Nao stayed back, Smoker alone could easily capture the man in minutes.
"No need," Nao said calmly, eyes fixed on the distant horizon. "Let him run a little longer."
Under his powerful Observation Haki, Higuma's movements were as clear as if he were marked by a tracking beacon — every step fully under Nao's control.
Catching up to him? That was just a matter of taking a few casual steps — less effort than sipping a glass of water.
But still…
For someone like Higuma to be able to flee with Luffy all the way out to sea? That meant only one thing.
"Such terrible acting, Red-Haired…" Nao muttered with a click of his tongue.
But this time, you won't be getting that chance.
If Luffy was going to learn something from this, then perhaps it was time to borrow your script and let this little play unfold ahead of schedule.
"These bandits are yours and Hina's to handle," he said, glancing at the panicked bandits still blundering through the smoke with a faint smile. "As for Luffy — I'll deal with that myself."
"Yes, sir!" Smoker replied crisply.
…
At the harbor.
Several ships were moored there. Higuma, dragging Luffy with him, fled in desperation, grabbing the nearest small boat and speeding out toward the open sea.
Soon.
The coastline receded into the distance, and Windmill Village gradually turned into a small black dot in the far reaches of sight.
"Phew! Saved!"
Breathing in the salty ocean air, Higuma let out a long sigh of relief and laughed.
"Who would've thought — the great bandit king himself, reduced to drifting at sea just to stay alive…"
"Let me go! Let me go, you bastard!"
Luffy thrashed furiously under Higuma's arm, glaring up at him and shouting, "I really underestimated you, bastard! You're not only a liar who breaks his word — you're not even worthy of being called a man! You betrayed your own crew and brothers! You're scum! The lowest of the low!!!"
"So you really are an idiot, brat."
Higuma casually tossed him onto the deck and sneered. "If I hadn't run, I'd be dead back there. As for my crew? Hmph."
"They were just freeloaders who followed me for food and shelter — a bunch of fools who didn't even have the sense to know when to quit. They actually thought they could take on that monster to the end…"
He crouched down, grinning, and patted Luffy's cheek mockingly. "But it doesn't matter now. Once I sell you off to some noble, I'll have more than enough money to rebuild my crew from scratch."
"You… you…"
This guy is rotten to the core!
Rage exploded in Luffy's chest. Grinding his teeth so hard they clicked, he mustered every last ounce of strength left in his battered body and hurled his fist into Higuma's gut.
"Go to hell!!!"
Thud!
The punch landed solidly. Higuma hadn't expected the kid — after all that torture — to still have such power left in him. Caught off guard, he staggered back two steps and almost toppled into the sea.
A sharp, metallic taste filled his mouth. He wiped at the corner of his lips — and sure enough, there was blood.
"…"
He stood silent for a couple of seconds, then lowered his head to stare at the gasping boy. His eyes narrowed, cold light flickering within.
"I say, kid, you're really extremely annoying…" he hissed.
"I was going to sell you for a hefty price but now, I've changed my mind."
"I've already killed 56 guys who pissed me off!" Higuma's face twisted ferociously as he delivered a fierce kick, "Now, you can be the 57th!"
Luffy, already physically exhausted, had no means to resist. He was sent flying over ten meters high with the kick, screaming as he fell into the sea.
Splash!
A huge wave surged on the sea surface. Higuma pinched his chin, watching Luffy struggle fiercely in the water but still slowly sink, bubbles constantly gurgling from his mouth…
"Hahahahaha!"
Watching the pitiful sight made Higuma feel much better. He swung his arm and laughed out loud: "Goodbye, brat! There's nothing but endless ocean around you — no one's coming to save you!"
"But hey, if you're lucky, maybe those Marines will still find your corpse in a few days… Hmm?"
The laughter cut off abruptly. Higuma suddenly realized something was wrong.
He had only kicked a kid into the water, but these splashes… Were they a bit too big?
Right at that moment, the deck and seawater before him were engulfed by a massive shadow, instantly darkening.
Higuma's face instantly turned pale and bloodless. He turned his head in terror, and the next moment, he saw a ferocious-looking giant sea beast leap out of the sea, swallowing both him and the boat whole in one bite.
CRUNCH!
From afar, Luffy heard a sound like a peanut shell cracking. Dazed, he looked up — just in time to see the enormous sea beast chewing contentedly a few times before lowering its head. Its blood-red eyes locked right onto him.
"UWAAAHHH!!!"
Luffy was so terrified that tears and snot flew everywhere. He turned and swam desperately in a frantic dog paddle. "A hippo!! A huge hippo!! Somebody, help!! HELP MEEE!!!"
A Hippo, my ass!
The Lord of the Coast was furious. It instantly increased its speed, its massive body displaying surprising agility. With a few twists of its tail, it easily caught up to Luffy, opening its enormous, bloody maw—
It's over!
I'm going to die here!
Luffy turned his head, saw the scene, and closed his eyes in despair. But just then, a sudden sense of weightlessness came over him. He felt as if someone had embraced him, passing inches above the foul stench emanating from that enormous maw…
Uncle Nao!
Luffy, rescued from certain death, found himself cradled in Nao's arms — warm, safe, alive. Overwhelmed by shock and joy, he had just begun to open his eyes when—
CRUNCH!
The sound froze the smile on his face. His expression went pale, his body stiffened. He had a bad feeling about what had just happened — so bad that he couldn't even bring himself to look.
Meanwhile…
Nao, who had just barely aimed and shoved his arm into that bloody maw, was looking at the Lord of the Coast with a speechless expression.
"…"
The Lord of the Coast also stared down at him blankly.
The bitten arm was completely unharmed; not even a scratch was left on it.
And the reason for that loud snapping sound…
Was that the two sharpest fangs of the Lord of the Coast were spreading with huge cracks. Blood spurted violently from the base of the gums. In just two seconds, both fangs completely shattered.
What the hell?
The Lord of the Coast blinked in disbelief, glaring suspiciously at Nao.
Unwilling to accept this humiliation, it adjusted its angle and bit down again — hard.
A few seconds later…
The once fearsome, fang-filled Lord of the Coast now looked more like an ancient zoo hippo with all its teeth knocked out.
"…"
Man and beast stared at each other in awkward silence.
Nao wiped his face — half of it smeared with the creature's gum blood — and sighed internally.
Good grief. I didn't even use Armament Haki.
You're a 'Lord,' for heaven's sake. Are you seriously that weak?
Then, with a resigned sigh, he raised his sword and — to Luffy's horror — chopped off his own right arm.
Splat.
The severed arm dropped into the Sea King's mouth. Instinctively, the creature started to chew — but when it looked down and met Nao's calm, unblinking eyes, realization struck.
Its entire body trembled violently. Eyes wide with primal terror, it spun around and dove headfirst into the ocean, thrashing desperately as it fled with every ounce of strength it had.
Within moments, it vanished beneath the waves — gone without a trace.
It ran faster than Kizaru himself.
Nao still had the word "Scram!" stuck in his throat, but he didn't even get the chance to say it. He just stared at the now-calm sea, speechless.
I didn't even use Conqueror's Haki… how does this fish know when to quit so fast?
Forget it.
The outcome was close enough to the "original script," even if the method was a little different.
Nao looked down at Luffy, ruffled his wet hair with a gentle smile, and said softly:
"Hey, Luffy, why are you still lying there? Relax — that big guy's already gone."
"G… gone?"
Luffy finally dared to open his eyes. He peeked upward — and his face immediately went white. Tears burst out uncontrollably.
"What's wrong, Luffy?"
Nao chuckled, patting the boy's head. "Didn't you say you weren't a kid anymore? A real man shouldn't cry so much — it's embarrassing, isn't it?"
"But… but…"
That only made Luffy tremble harder. He wailed, sobbing hysterically,
"Uncle… Uncle Nao! Your arm! Your arm!!!"
His shaking finger pointed to Nao's right side —
Where beneath his torn white suit sleeve was nothing but empty fabric, the entire side of his body soaked in blood.
From the shadow of the severed sleeve…
Muscles and veins churned and writhed; new flesh sprouted like budding vines. In a grotesque yet miraculous sight, his arm began regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye…