Hidden inside the cabin, Morley waited silently while Nelson, creeping down the narrow corridor, drew closer and closer.
Nelson's pace was slow, deliberate. Every few steps, he glanced into the rooms on either side, pretending to explore but in truth, he was stalling for time.
His heart hammered in his chest. He could feel the presence of the hidden threat waiting for him, and he was just as ready for it.
The distance between them narrowed.
Ten meters.
Eight.
Five.
Three.
Finally—Morley moved.
With an explosive roar, he burst straight through the wooden wall before him. His powerful arm shot out like lightning, aiming for Nelson's throat.
But at that instant, Nelson's figure vanished.
He reappeared several meters away, his pistol already drawn. Bang! The shot cracked through the narrow corridor, a bullet streaking straight for Morley.
Clang!
The sound was sharp and metallic. Nelson's pupils contracted in shock.
Morley's forearm was coated in a dark, glossy sheen—Armament Haki. He had raised it to block the bullet. His Observation Haki had sensed the attack, but at such close range, there had been no time to dodge.
The bullet struck and ricocheted off harmlessly.
Nelson's heart sank. Without hesitation, he vanished again.
Morley blinked in surprise. The kid's aura hadn't seemed particularly strong, yet he had just displayed a teleportation-type Devil Fruit ability.
His face darkened. That thief had fled into the very cabin where the Heavenly Gold was stored.
Nelson, on the other hand, was stunned.
"What was that? Some kind of ability?"
He hadn't expected a point-blank shot to be blocked barehanded. His understanding of the world hadn't yet reached the concept of Haki—a force common among the powerful of the later half of Grand Line.
Then, a golden light filled his vision.
He found himself surrounded by mountains of gold and silver, exquisite artifacts, and glittering gems that dazzled his eyes.
It was enough to make his breath hitch but he didn't have time to admire it.
The tiger was already on his heels.
Within his domain, Nelson sensed Morley charging toward him at incredible speed.
"How? How's he finding me so easily?"
At first, he'd assumed he had triggered some hidden alarm or trap. Now, he realized the truth, Morley could sense him directly. That realization sent a chill down his spine.
He'd thought he could finally relax after reaching the treasure, but no, he had to move. Fast.
His invisible domain spread outward. In the blink of an eye, half the treasure vanished.
Billions in gold and valuables disappeared into his spatial storage. The weight, however, pressed heavily upon his body. His face twisted from the strain.
The Heavenly Gold wasn't just coinage—it included raw Berries, precious materials, and treasures of immense worth.
He'd only taken a portion, but that alone was worth two to three billion Berries.
The total Heavenly Gold shipment exceeded ten billion.
As Nelson realized this, a new thought struck him, how terrifyingly vast the World Government's wealth truly was.
The next moment, he vanished again, reappearing outside the ship in the open air.
But this time, he didn't use his ability again. The exertion left his limbs trembling. His greed had cost him; the weight of his stolen treasure was dragging him down.
His stamina was burning out fast. If he pushed the fruit any further, he wouldn't escape at all.
With a pained grimace, Nelson released half the treasure from his spatial storage.
His heart bled at the loss but compared to his life, it was nothing.
And what remained was still enough to make him rich beyond imagination.
He sprinted toward the cave's exit, blending into the darkness.
Moments later, Morley stormed out of the ship and caught sight of Nelson's fading silhouette. His expression darkened when he noticed the pile of glittering treasure Nelson had abandoned.
A portion of the Heavenly Gold had been stolen right under his watch.
Though not much, it was enough to infuriate him.
The treasure could be replaced, but the information leak was disastrous. If the Heavenly Gold's location was exposed, countless pirates and thieves would come swarming.
That thief had to die.
Morley released his Observation Haki, stretching his senses outward. He had to locate Nelson before the boy left its range or he'd lose him completely.
Meanwhile, Nelson had already emerged above the cave, on the cliffside by the shore. He sprinted toward the dense jungle beyond.
Down below, the shipyard guards were already on alert.
"Strict alert—intruder confirmed! Do not move no matter what happens," Morley said coldly into a small communicator.
At the shipyard, the captain guarding the area stiffened as the Den Den Mushi crackled with the message.
"Strict alert—intruder confirmed! Do not leave your posts!" he barked.
"Captain, why can't we act if there's an intruder?" a subordinate asked, bewildered.
Shouldn't they be chasing the target?
"Because someone else is already handling it," the captain said flatly.
He knew of Morley, one of the kingdom's three guardian deities—a monster in human form. Few knew of his existence, but those who did never questioned his strength.
Even so, the situation was spiraling out of control.
To think they'd been played by a mere kid…
Morley's jaw clenched as his senses locked onto Nelson's position.
He let out a guttural roar that echoed through the cavern.
"ROAAAR!"
Silver-gray fur erupted across his skin as his body expanded and shifted. In moments, the man had transformed into a five-meter-tall honey badger, muscles bulging beneath thick fur, eyes blazing crimson.
The cavern trembled as he crouched, then leapt.
He landed on the treasure ship with a thunderous crash that made the vessel quake—then used it as a springboard to propel himself upward, bursting out of the cave and into the night.
Nelson, meanwhile, darted through the forest, twisting and turning through the dense undergrowth. His goal was clear: escape to the shore.
A deafening explosion erupted behind him. He risked a glance over his shoulder and his blood ran cold.
A massive figure was bounding after him, tearing through stone and trees like they were paper.
Panic surged through Nelson. He poured everything into his legs, his body screaming in protest.
Morley landed with a snarl, sniffing the air. His keen sense of smell, heightened by his Zoan fruit, and locked instantly onto Nelson's trail.
Then, shifting into his hybrid form, he became even faster.
Behind the shipyard, the noise shook the ground. The guards gripped their weapons, ready to rush in, but the captain raised a hand.
"No one moves," he ordered coldly.
Nelson's breath came in ragged bursts. The aura chasing him grew closer with every second. His entire body tingled with danger.
He had underestimated this man.
A Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, that explained the sheer strength and stamina. There was no way Nelson could outrun him for long.
At this rate, he'd die here, buried in some nameless forest, never to be found.
His heart pounded faster. He'd already discarded every nonessential item and useless trinket from his spatial storage. The sudden lightness made his body feel unbound, his speed increasing dramatically.
For a brief moment, he managed to widen the gap.
But it didn't last. His stamina waned, and soon Morley was gaining again.
"Die, brat!" Morley roared, his massive claws gleaming under the moonlight. Even in his hybrid form, he stood over three meters tall—fur bristling, fangs bared, eyes burning with killing intent.
He lunged.
The next instant, his claws slashed through the air—but Nelson vanished once again.
In his place appeared a giant boulder.
Morley's claws smashed into it, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the stone, but the boulder held. The honey badger's massive body slammed into it headfirst.
Boom!
The impact echoed through the forest. Nelson didn't look back—he was already sprinting ahead.
Enraged, Morley roared again and gave chase. Nelson's ability flickered once more, swapping his position with another boulder at the very edge of his range.
The strain hit him like a hammer—his body trembled, his pace faltering for an instant.
His displacement wasn't a simple teleportation. It required passing through his personal space, his pocket dimension. Living beings couldn't enter it but in that split second between absorption and reappearance, he could shift positions using objects as anchors.
It was effective but brutally taxing.
Still, he forced himself onward. His destination: the island's shore.
If he reached the boat he'd hidden there earlier, he had a chance.
If not, he'd die here.
But Morley's killing intent burned behind him like wildfire.
Nelson knew the crime he'd committed—stealing Heavenly Gold—was enough to doom him a hundred times over. If he were caught, there would be no mercy.
He clenched his jaw, pushing his exhausted body harder.
He'd prepared for this. He always prepared.
Ahead, the faint glimmer of moonlight on the sea gave him hope.
Behind, Morley growled, his claws glowing faintly with Armament Haki.
"Take this, and die!"
He lunged again, the ground shattering under his weight. His arm expanded, claws slicing downward like blades.
BOOM!
The impact carved a crater into the forest floor, dirt and leaves flying everywhere.
"Cough! Cough! Damn brat!" Morley growled, his voice muffled. He clawed at his face, eyes burning.
He'd been hit—with chili powder.
Nelson smirked faintly, panting hard. He'd swapped twice in an instant; first, with a bag of chili powder from his spatial storage; second, with a distant rock.
The moment Morley's claws tore open the bag, the fiery dust exploded in his face. Even a monster like him couldn't withstand that. His eyes streamed with tears, nose burning, lungs searing.
"You filthy little—!" Morley snarled, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the sting.
Nelson didn't waste the chance. He was already running again, sweat pouring down his face. His chest burned, his breath ragged.
This trick had saved his life more than once but it had also cost him dearly in stamina.
Morley's Observation Haki flickered as his rage and pain broke his focus. He could still sense Nelson's direction, but less precisely now. His movements slowed, though his durability kept him in the chase.
Even so, Nelson knew he couldn't relax. Not yet.
"How much farther… to the shore?" he muttered through clenched teeth.
Would Morley give him that time? Could he even make it?
He wasn't sure but if he didn't try, he'd die for certain.
So he kept running, swapping again and again, sometimes replacing himself with sulfuric acid, sometimes poison gas, even filth, anything he could use to slow his pursuer.
Each time, Morley cursed and roared in fury. His fur was corroded in patches; his body stung and smoked from the acid.
Yet even as pain wracked him, he refused to stop.