Wallace had already thought of this possibility, but reality was never as simple as it seemed. Pirates flooded the streets, blocking his every path.
"Haha! Wallace, hand over the Berries! Our captain's on his way, maybe he'll even let you live!"
The man leading the blockade sneered, a long saber gleaming in his hand. His chest was bare and his eyes burned with greed. Behind him, dozens of pirates stared hungrily at Wallace's back—specifically, at the bulging pack strapped there. Everyone knew what it held: three hundred million Berries.
Who among them could resist such temptation? Even the weaker pirates, who knew they had no chance alone, still joined in the hunt. No one could monopolize that kind of money without facing a mob. Maybe, if luck was on their side, they could steal a handful for themselves.
"Heh... so your captain's not even here yet?" A cold gleam flashed in Wallace's eyes. The only reason he dared sail alone on the Grand Line was because of his strength. "And you lot think you can stop me? Pathetic! Go to hell!"
In an instant, Wallace charged. His bounty might have been under thirty million, but that was from a year ago, he was far stronger now.
"What...?!" The pirate leader barely had time to react before Wallace was upon him.
"Go back where you came from."
Wallace's iron-hard fist drove straight into the man's gut.
Boom!
The pirate's body flew backward like a cannonball, crashing through three of his comrades before slamming into a tree. He slumped to the ground, unmoving. One punch. Dead.
The surrounding pirates froze, fear twisting their faces. Only now did they realize that the man before them was not some easy mark but a dangerous fighter with a bounty nearing thirty million.
Moments later, the street was silent, every pirate who had dared block his path lay sprawled on the ground.
"Tch... trash." Wallace spat out the leaf in his mouth and sprinted onward toward the tavern. He hadn't forgotten the danger still chasing him.
Not long after, another squad of pirates arrived, their captain scanning the scene. "Where is he? Where's Wallace?" He looked down at the fallen bodies and immediately understood.
"He... he went that way... toward the tavern," one wounded pirate croaked, pointing weakly.
"Good. After him! Leave a few to tend to the injured."
The captain took off running, his men following close behind.
By now, Wallace's movements had drawn the attention of nearly every pirate on Kakarra Island. The place hadn't been this chaotic since the last great celebration.
Sweat ran down Wallace's face as he caught his breath. He had fought off several groups already, taking new paths after each skirmish, but there were too many of them, dozens of pirate crews scouring every street. Every fight risked drawing more.
Still, he had no choice but to keep moving.
"Hahaha! Wallace, I didn't expect you to come here yourself. Seems my luck's finally turned!"
The mocking voice came from ahead. Wallace's eyes narrowed, he knew that voice.
"Tok... it's you."
Standing in the middle of the road was Tok, captain of the Tok Pirate Crew, bounty forty-three million. All around him, pirates appeared from alleys and rooftops, encircling Wallace completely.
Hundreds of them.
The tavern was only thirty meters behind Tok, but that short distance now felt impossibly far. Wallace clenched his fists. He might be able to beat Tok one-on-one, but against so many? It would be hell.
"Hand over the Berries, and you can live," Tok said, smiling slyly, as if he were doing Wallace a favor. His eyes, however, glimmered with greed.
"Hmph. Don't make me laugh." Wallace's tone was ice-cold. "You think I'll hand over three hundred million just because you ask? You're not even the strongest one after it."
Tok's smile vanished. "Then your life ends here. I gave you a chance. Men—kill him!"
"Die!"
Dozens of pirates charged. Wallace didn't flinch. The weight of the money bag on his back didn't slow him down. His whole body shimmered faintly—the metallic sheen of steel. Bullets bounced harmlessly off his chest. Cannon fire would have done no better.
Only Tok posed a real threat.
Wallace knew the others couldn't hold him for long, but if more pirate crews arrived, he'd be doomed. He had to crush Tok quickly.
"Die, Tok!"
Wallace's eyes blazed. His fists glowed red-hot—his "Molten Steel" form, a power that had greatly boosted his attack strength since mastering it.
Tok's expression hardened. He felt the killing intent behind that strike. Still, he grinned. "Kid, it's too early to think you can beat me with one punch!"
He raised his saber and met Wallace's blow head-on.
Clang! Sparks flew.
"Damn it!" Wallace cursed inwardly. Tok's combat experience was leagues above his own. Every time Wallace tried to disengage and sprint for the tavern, Tok countered viciously. Meanwhile, the pirates around them hacked at the bag on Wallace's back, trying to tear it open and spill the Berries everywhere.
He was forced to divide his focus between defending the prize and fending off Tok's relentless offense.
He was being overwhelmed.
Tok, too, was growing anxious. The longer this dragged on, the greater the chance other crews would arrive and steal his victory. He cursed his useless men silently, how hard could it be to cut open one damn bag?!
Then..
Boom!
A low vibration rippled through the air. Wallace's head buzzed, his vision flashing white. Then... silence.
All around him, pirates froze mid-motion—their eyes dulling, their bodies collapsing one by one. Swords clattered to the ground.
"What... what the hell?" Wallace's heart pounded. He looked around wildly. Everyone, Tok, his crew, the spectators...had all fallen unconscious.
And yet he was fine.
A shadow moved. Wallace's gaze snapped toward a tree at the edge of the street. A man stood there, arms crossed, draped in a black pirate coat and a wide-brimmed hat that hid most of his face. Only a faint grin was visible beneath it.
"Who are you? Did you do this?" Wallace demanded, muscles tensing.
"Zehahaha! Don't be so nervous. Shouldn't you be thanking me first?"
That laugh was deep, confident, and terrifying.
Wallace was speechless. The stranger had a point, but this eerie power unsettled him. Still, whoever he was, he'd just saved Wallace's life.
"Alright," Wallace said at last, sensing other pirates approaching from afar. "Thanks. If we ever meet again, I'll buy you a drink."
He turned and bolted toward the tavern.
From the shadows, Baccarat and the others emerged behind the man.
"Teach, aren't you going to recruit him now?" Baccarat asked, watching Wallace's retreating figure.
Teach chuckled. "Zehahaha... recruitment isn't about words. It's about recognition. This isn't over yet. Let's see how far the boy can go." His gaze drifted toward the tavern's dueling arena. "Besides, I want to test his potential."
—
Inside Hannabal, Wallace entered under a storm of hungry eyes. Every gaze locked onto the bag on his back, the three hundred million Berries.
He ignored them. Most were small fry anyway. The real threats were outside—the big-name captains who hadn't expected him to break through their blockade. He thought back to the mysterious man who had saved him.
That laugh still echoed in his mind.
Who was he?
Still, Wallace didn't have time to dwell on it. The pirates outside would soon learn he'd made it inside Hannabal.
He walked straight toward the dueling arena. Some pirates followed him openly, but Wallace paid them no mind. They wouldn't dare fight here—not in the no-fight zone. And if they tried... well, he'd make them regret it.
The arena occupied the entire lower level of Hannabal, a massive pit surrounded by spectator stands. From the middle levels above, one could still see the battles below.
A duel was already underway when Wallace arrived, but the crowd quickly turned their eyes toward him. News of Wallace had spread across the island like wildfire. Everyone knew he had humiliated the Simon Pirate Crew and claimed their rightful prize. And somehow, despite every blockade, he had still entered Hannabal.
No one knew how he'd managed it.
Even though Hannabal was a safe zone, pirates always found ways around the rules. They couldn't attack him here directly, but they could challenge him to a duel.
And Wallace was ready for that. If they wanted his prize, they'd have to fight for it—one by one.
Elsewhere on the island, rage boiled over.
"That bastard destroyed my ship and stole my championship! Which idiot let him into Hannabal?!"
Simon's roar shattered a wine bottle in his hand. His eyes blazed as he glared at the trembling pirate before him.
"C-Captain... it was the Tok Pirate Crew. They say all of them fainted. Wallace is at the dueling arena now."
"Hmm? The dueling arena, huh?" Simon's expression twisted into a cruel grin. "Then let's see what tricks that brat thinks he can pull."
Word spread fast. Every pirate captain on the island guessed Wallace's plan.
He would stake the Berries on formal duels. That meant the prize money was technically his wager, giving him control over the rules. And by pirate code, once a duel was agreed upon, no one could attack the opponent afterward. Breaking that code would ruin your name and get you banned from pirate havens like Kakarra Island.
Simon grinned wider, the bottle shards crunching in his hand. "Then I'll just kill him in the duel."