BOOOOM!
With a thunderous crash, flowers, grass, and trees were blasted skyward, a massive cloud of dust rolling across the ground.
"Cough… cough…"
"Abunai!"
From the dust burst a figure shrouded in mist. Landing on the ground, he hacked twice, then looked back at the impact site with lingering fear.
At the very last second, Luffy had remembered his Devil Fruit's "gears." By raising his body's heat in any Gear, he could generate steam—and force out the liquor fumes he'd inhaled.
Maybe this blockhead was only smart when he was fighting.
Activating Gear Second, Luffy expelled the drunken haze from his body, sobering up just in time to dodge that crushing hip strike.
Now that he thought about it, cold sweat ran down his spine.
"Damn brat… you actually broke through my Fermentation Fog!"
From the haze, Luchiru's furious roar rang out. His massive body surged forth with a crash, barreling straight at Luffy.
"You'll learn the price of crossing me, kid!"
His face flushed red, Luchiru blasted compressed air from under his feet, launching himself like a cannonball toward Luffy again.
But in his Gear Second state, Luffy's strength had soared. Seeing Luchiru dive at him, he didn't retreat. Instead, his arms stretched back instantly.
"Gomu Gomu no… Eagle Bazooka!!"
With his nonsensical shout, Luffy's rubber arms snapped forward. His fists, swollen to enormous size, hardened in black Armament Haki, and slammed toward Luchiru's incoming bulk.
BOOM! CRASH!
The fists and fat frame collided, the air shaking with the heavy impact.
"Impossible!"
Midair, Luchiru's eyes bulged in disbelief. The sheer force of Luffy's strike sent his whole blubbery frame quivering uncontrollably before blasting him backward, crashing through a swath of trees.
Thick trunks snapped like twigs, the ground torn open in a long, deep furrow.
"Damn it… he's just a brat! How could he have such strength?!"
Struggling to his feet, Luchiru glared at Luffy striding steadily toward him. His foot slid back in instinctive retreat—then his expression twisted with rage.
"You've done it now, kid! You've made me angry!!"
With a deafening WHOOSH, he expelled even more gas. His massive frame shrank a full size smaller as the pressure left him.
Luffy's eyes widened. Just as he prepared to counterattack, the newly "slimmed" Luchiru suddenly shot upward.
That's right—he went flying. His body rocketed into the sky, streaking away into the distance.
"No way I'm letting you get away!"
Without hesitation, Luffy pumped his legs, sprinting after him.
The chase carried them to the encampment. There, Luchiru abruptly descended, bellowing at the pirates below:
"Whoever kills this brat gets a free barrel of recovery potion—and a year's worth of booze!"
Booze was tempting enough. But the recovery potion? That was irresistible.
At once, a thunderous cheer erupted from the thirty-plus pirate crews below. Raising their weapons, they charged toward the oncoming Luffy.
Yet among them were some with sharper eyes.
The moment they recognized him—Straw Hat Luffy—they froze. Pulling their comrades back, they whispered warnings.
The name "Straw Hat Luffy" might not yet resound across the seas as it would in the original tale, but even now many pirate crews knew it.
And those who knew also understood, at least vaguely, the power behind him.
They might not know the full truth—but that single "D" in his name was enough to make them hesitate.
The more cautious pirates began retreating quietly, slipping away behind the reckless ones.
But their hesitation did not escape Luchiru's eyes from above.
As ranks of pirates began to falter, Luchiru's face grew darker. Enraged, he drew a small golden box from his chest, snapping it open to reveal a whistle.
Tiny as a toothpick in his hand, the whistle gleamed ominously. Raising it to his lips, he blew softly.
"Ahh! My body—!"
"W-what the hell is this?!"
"Ahhh! My body won't move!"
At the sound of the whistle, chaos erupted. Shocked cries filled the air as pirates stared at their own limbs, horrified to find they no longer had control.
"My… my hands! They're moving on their own!"
Even Luffy, confused by their strange behavior, suddenly felt it himself. His arms and legs… he couldn't feel them.
Only his head was still his own—the rest of his body was gone from his control.
Panic surged through him.
"Gyahahaha…"
"What a surprise! I never expected you'd drunk the 'Obedience Water' too."
Landing with a grin, Luchiru burst into triumphant laughter. "Brat, looks like you've fallen right into my hands after all!"
Overjoyed at the unexpected turn, he strode up to Luffy, grabbed his head, and instinctively tried to twist it off.
But after one hard wrench, something bizarre happened—Luffy's head didn't give way.
"Oi—oi! Don't do that, I can't breathe like this!" Luffy stuck out his tongue, unable to move his limbs but still speaking normally.
"What?! A Devil Fruit ability?!"
Scowling, Luchiru yanked a dagger from his belt.
"Boss! Bad news—the brat's crew is too strong! Our men are getting slaughtered!"
"Useless! A bunch of trash!!"
Snapping in fury, Luchiru spun back toward Luffy. But then an idea crossed his mind. His lips curled into a wicked grin.
"If they're your comrades… then you'll deal with them yourself."
He lifted the golden whistle again. Blowing, he emitted a strange, inaudible frequency.
Instantly, Luffy—along with most of the pirates who had drunk the golden liquid—lurched forward, their bodies running uncontrollably toward the dense forest.
"Wha—?! My body! It's running on its own!!"
Luffy's panic only deepened as his legs carried him away against his will.
Meanwhile, those pirates who had not drunk the golden liquid remained behind. Realizing the truth at last, they shouted in outrage:
"Luchiru! You dare use such tricks?! Aren't you afraid we'll all band together to bring you down?!"
"Bring me down?" Luchiru sneered. "If you think you've got the guts—be my guest."
"But let me remind you—I am the Science Division Captain of the Blood Pirates."
Confidence radiated from his voice. By his estimation, their leader should already be on the island by now. And once that man arrived, these lesser pirates would be nothing to fear.
The name Blood Pirates sent shock through the crowd. None had seen the crew firsthand, but all had heard the terrifying legends whispered across the seas.
"Ha! Luchiru, believe what you want—but you've made a mistake. You shouldn't have tried to control that boy."
One pirate sneered openly. "I may not be able to stand against the Blood Pirates… but I'll gladly sit back and watch what happens to you."
"Even if you are part of Blood—so what? Compared to that man, the Blood Pirates are nothing!"
Though most still trembled at the Blood name, some knew the truth about Luffy's identity—and dared to speak out.
But no sooner had the words left his mouth than a cold, chilling voice cut through the air.
"Oh? Is that so? Then I'd like to know who it is… who dares to look down on my Blood Pirates."
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