Meanwhile.
Outside the dense jungle of Mt. Colubo, on an official road of the Goa Kingdom.
Outlook III and his routed soldiers were scrambling and fleeing for their lives.
This noble, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, no longer had a shred of elegance. His opulent robes were torn to shreds by branches, his face was caked in mud and cold sweat, and his hair was in disarray. He looked just like a beggar who had escaped from the trash heap.
"Trash!"
He roared at the equally wretched guards behind him as he ran.
"All of you are trash!"
"Does the kingdom's treasury feed you morons just so you can't even beat a single peasant?!"
The guards were all pale, staring at the ground, not daring to talk back. The shadow of death brought by those eight ferocious tentacles still hung over their hearts.
That white-haired young man... he wasn't human! He was a demon!
As Outlook III cursed, he also realized this.
He stopped, leaning against a tree to pant, his chest heaving from anger and fear.
He knew. With his own power, with these useless guards, he could forget about getting revenge in this lifetime. That man's power was beyond his comprehension!
But, just let it go?
When he thought of his own pathetic display in front of his son, in front of those two little bastards, terrified and begging for mercy...
An uncontrollable humiliation and venomous resentment surged from the bottom of his heart.
No!
He absolutely could not let this go!
When had he, Outlook III, the most esteemed noble of the Goa Kingdom, ever suffered such a disgrace!
"The Marines..."
A crazed thought flashed in his bloodshot eyes.
"Yes! The Marines!"
He straightened up abruptly, a ferocious smile appearing on his twisted face.
"No matter how strong you are, can you be stronger than the Marines' warships and cannons?!"
"I'm going to report it! I will use all my connections to report to the Marines!"
"I'll say that a highly dangerous ruffian with a Devil Fruit ability is hiding on Mt. Colubo!"
"I'll have Marine Headquarters send warships! I'll have you, and those three little rats, all arrested! All sent to the gallows!"
He grew more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see Blake and the three brothers being captured by the Marines, kneeling and begging him for mercy.
"Quick!" he roared at a trembling guard captain. "Go to the nearest Marine base immediately! Use my name! Say that the Goa Kingdom has discovered a major threat to the peace of the East Blue!"
"I will make it so there is no place left for them on this sea!"
The three small figures held each other tightly.
Cries, shouts, and the joy of being reunited echoed in the small forest.
Blake leaned against the tree, expressionlessly finishing the last chip.
He accurately tossed the empty bag into a nearby tree hollow and then brushed the crumbs from his hands.
"Hey."
He spoke lazily, interrupting the touching scene of brotherly reunion.
"Are you done hugging?"
"If you keep at it, it'll be dark."
Ace abruptly lifted his head from his brothers' shoulders. He wiped his face messily with his sleeve, his red eyes burning with an unprecedented fire.
"Boss!"
He yelled at Blake, his voice surprisingly loud.
"Our tuition fee!"
"We'll take you to get it right now!"
Luffy also let go of Sabo, tilting up his snotty, tear-streaked silly face and nodding hard.
"Yeah! Get the money! We're gonna get strong!"
Sabo also stood up straight. He looked at Blake, and while his clear blue eyes still held a trace of fear, they were mostly filled with the determination of someone who had been broken and reforged.
He had to get strong, too!
He never wanted to be that version of himself again: the one who could only watch, powerless to do anything!
Blake pouted.
"You finally remembered the important part."
A few moments later.
Deep in the Gray Terminal, inside that giant, hollowed-out tree trunk.
Ace and Sabo worked together, grunting as they dragged out a heavy treasure chest.
Thud. It was placed in front of Blake.
"Boss Blake! Look!"
Ace opened the box as if presenting a treasure, his little face full of pride.
Inside, the box was filled with Beri the three brothers had scraped together over the years, "scavenged" from all over. There were loose coins and stacks of bills. It was messy, but it was a hefty amount.
This was the starting point of their dream.
It was their entire fortune, saved to buy a ship and set out to sea in pursuit of freedom.
"It's all here!"
Sabo pointed at the box, his tone extremely solemn.
"One million Beri! Not a single one missing!"
Luffy hung over the edge of the box, drool nearly spilling, his eyes replaced with little money signs.
"So much money!"
Blake just glanced at it lazily.
He reached out, casually rustled his hand through the pile of money, making a clatter-clatter sound.
"Tsk."
"You little brats actually managed to scrape it together."
He didn't even bother to count. With a casual wave of his hand, the entire box of Beri vanished into thin air, right before the three brothers' shocked eyes.
"Money received."
Blake stretched, his bones letting out a series of pop-pop sounds.
"In that case, we have a deal."
Ace, Luffy, and Sabo all held their breath at the same time, their eyes wide, staring at Blake without blinking.
Excitement! Nervousness! And an extreme anticipation for the unknown!
Blake looked amusedly at their expressions, which were just like little puppies waiting to be fed.
He slowly swiped open a semi-transparent system panel in the void that only he could see.
[Beginner Dungeon Library]
Rows of various dungeon options were listed, just like a menu.
Blake's gaze swept over them.
[Dungeon Name: Zombie Siege]
[Difficulty: Beginner]
[Introduction: Survive in a city full of the walking dead.]
"No, no. Too bloody. It'll give the kids trauma. And if they get bitten, I'll have to waste my own energy to purify them. A bad deal."
He looked further down.
[Dungeon Name: Academy City Disciplinary Committee Trial Card]
[Difficulty: Beginner]
[Introduction: Assist the Disciplinary Committee in maintaining the peace and justice of Academy City.]
"This one's even more ridiculous." Blake's mouth twitched. "Sending these three brats to be on the Disciplinary Committee? I'll lose if they don't turn Academy City upside down."
His finger continued to scroll down.
One by one, the dungeons were mercilessly passed over.
Too easy, no training effect. Too complex, these three don't have the brains for it. Too dangerous, it'd be easy to get the clients killed.
Choosing things for kids is such a hassle.
Suddenly, his finger stopped.
His gaze landed on a dungeon that had just refreshed, marked with a "NEW" tag.