The straw hat spun leisurely on his fingertip when Xiano suddenly let out a soft "Hmm," as if sensing something. He straightened up and turned his head to look in the southwest direction.
Over there, the birds perched on the treetops were startled, fluttering away into the distance.
Someone's coming?
Or perhaps a large beast?
He frowned, spread his legs, and slid down the tree trunk with a whoosh, dropping more than ten meters in an instant.
Then he came to a steady stop on a branch in the middle of the tree, maintaining a clear and open view while also keeping an eye on the ground below.
...
"Boss, that kid's only a few years old. Is he really that strong? He took down all three of you?"
A somewhat naive voice suddenly rang out. Xiano followed the sound and saw a burly man over two meters tall, carrying a Spiked Club on his shoulder.
"Why would I lie? Is this something to be proud of?"
The man following behind, skinny as a monkey, shouted angrily, "Look, look at these bumps on my head! They haven't even gone down yet. All thanks to that damn brat! Don't underestimate him. He's got Power from a demon!"
The burly man looked confused. "Power from a demon?"
"I don't get it either, but that's what everyone says! His arms and legs can stretch several meters long, then shrink back. You know those surprise boxes with springs that pop out? It's exactly like that. It's terrifying!"
"That sounds scary, boss! Good thing Scarface Boss caught him. Otherwise, we'd be scared out of our wits every day patrolling these mountains!"
"Yeah, but we can't let our guard down. The boss said the kid has a partner who might try to rescue him. That's why he called us all back to the camp to stay on high alert..."
"Someone's there!"
The burly man suddenly pointed his Spiked Club upward. "Up in the tree!"
"Huh?"
The skinny man was startled and immediately looked up.
Sure enough, there was a black-haired guy in the tree, watching the two of them with great interest.
"It's the kid's partner! Be careful, he might be a monster with demonic powers too!"
The skinny man immediately shouted a warning, grabbing the Flintlock from his back and aiming it at the figure. He gritted his teeth and roared, "Get down here! Raise your hands, or I'll shoot!"
"Why do you always point guns at people? That's really scary..."
Under their wary gazes, Xiano slowly raised his hands, smiling as he said, "I mean, this is our first meeting, right? How come you've already labeled me as some demon brat's partner?"
"Not his partner?"
The burly man was stunned and lowered his Spiked Club back onto his shoulder, turning to the skinny man. "Boss, maybe we got it wrong. He says he's not the partner."
"Why do you believe everything he says!"
The skinny man was furious and glared at Xiano again. "You dare say you're not his partner? Then... then I'll ask you this!"
He pointed to the back of Xiano's neck. "If you're really not, why do you have the exact same hat as that little demon!"
"You mean this?"
Xiano was slightly taken aback and glanced at the straw hat on his back, shrugging.
"Just a coincidence. But, well, I am actually looking for the same person as you. I've been searching this damn mountain for days, and I'm exhausted. Thanks for catching him, though. Saves me the trouble."
"No need to thank us, it's what we should do."
Fatty scratched his head and chuckled foolishly:
"That little brat has been acting strange lately. Taking advantage of our Scar Bandit Gang being scattered, he's been stealing our roasted meat everywhere. Scarface Boss was so furious that he personally tied him up at the edge of a cliff. That should keep him in line, let's see him try to rob us now!"
"Indeed, such a naturally evil brat deserves this kind of fate!"
Xiano wholeheartedly agreed, "That kid owes me something too, which is why I've been looking for him everywhere. Since we're on the same side, could you take me to that cliff you mentioned?"
"No problem, brother!"
Fatty laughed heartily, "But that place is a bit remote. How about this, just follow me, and I'll take you..."
"Take you where?!"
Skinny Monkey jumped up and slapped him on the head. He had been listening in stunned silence and finally couldn't hold back, shouting:
"Idiot! Moron! Can't you see this guy is up to no good? He's clearly trying to trick you!"
"Huh?"
Fatty was dumbfounded, while Skinny Monkey snorted coldly, raising his flintlock to aim directly at Xiano's forehead, and pulled the trigger without hesitation!
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. Xiano tilted his head, watching the golden bullet whiz past the tip of his nose.
Then he turned around, glanced at the bullet mark on the tree trunk, and frowned.
"It's rare to see someone who shoots without warning like you."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the incredulous face of Skinny Monkey, "I'm not confident enough to dodge every bullet, so sorry, I'll have to take action too."
Thud!
The moment his words fell, he suddenly kicked off the tree trunk, using the force to flip mid-air, his body hurtling down like a cannonball.
In Skinny Monkey's eyes, the black shadow rapidly enlarged. Before he could react in his panic, his Adam's apple was gripped by five steel-like fingers, and he was hoisted into the air.
"Cough... cough... let go, let me go..."
He struggled fiercely, smashing the gun butt against Xiano's forehead, but in an instant, it was snatched away with an expressionless face.
With a slight twist, the flintlock snapped in half like a toy and was tossed aside.
"Don't bully the boss!"
Fatty shouted, raising his spiked club high and swinging it down.
Xiano easily dodged, grabbing the fat bandit's arm with one hand, flipping him over his shoulder, and hurling him away with force!
Crash!
The giant tree was smashed into a human-shaped dent, trapping the fat bandit inside. No matter how much he roared in fury, he couldn't move.
Xiano then lifted Skinny Monkey by the head with his five fingers, and in the face of the terrified gaze, he smiled politely:
"May I ask, can you take me there now?"
...
"Hey! Wake up? Wake up!"
In a daze, Luffy felt someone patting his cheek with a rough hand.
Slap!
Suddenly, the hand slapped him hard, making his vision blur, followed by a large basin of cold water pouring over his head like a waterfall.
So cold!
Shivering from the shock, Luffy finally woke up completely.
"Huh? What, what's going on!"
Luffy looked around and realized he was tightly bound to a stone pillar, with a cliff right behind him. Terrified, he screamed, "Waaaah—!!!!"
"You're so noisy! Shut up, kid!"
In front of him stood a burly man with a scarred face and dark skin, who fiercely stomped his foot on a chair, looking menacing.
"It's been a real pain trying to get you to talk properly. Now, can you tell me what grudge you have against me and why you've been targeting my men lately?"
"Targeting? Your men?"
Luffy's head was filled with question marks, like a string of little bells. He glanced at the fierce-looking scarred man in front of him, then at the group of bandits surrounding him.
The bandits were all gritting their teeth, their eyes wide like copper bells, glaring at him as if he had committed some heinous crime.
Luffy became even more confused. He tilted his head, his face full of bewilderment, and asked:
"Mister, who are you guys?"
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