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When she heard Luffy's name, Makino froze for a second, then her face lit up in surprise."Really? You're one of Luffy's friends too?!"
The moment Luffy was mentioned, Dadan and her gang perked up as well, all of them staring expectantly at Logan.
As expected of that kid—he'd barely set sail and already made friends out there.
But Logan only gave a faint, crooked smile and shook his head."I know Luffy," he said casually, "but that doesn't mean we're friends."
Then, with the same calm tone, he added, "If we meet again, I might just kill him myself."
The whole bar fell silent.
Makino's smile froze, the color draining from her face.
Dadan shot to her feet, slamming her cup on the ground where it shattered."You little punk! Luffy grew up under my watch! You got a problem with him?!"Her glare could've cut through stone. "You're not leaving until you explain yourself!"
The rest of her men stood up instantly, ready to throw hands at the slightest move.
"Dadan, calm down!"
Makino hurried to grab her arm, trying to keep the situation from spiraling out of control. She then stepped in front of Logan, her voice soft but firm."Sir, Luffy does cause trouble sometimes, but he's not a bad kid. If he ever offended you, please let me apologize on his behalf. I hope you won't hold it against him."
Her voice was gentle, full of sincerity.
What a kind, warm-hearted woman.
Something flickered in Logan's eyes.
A completely different aura from Nami's.
Of course, that talk about killing Luffy was pure bluff.
But truth be told, Logan didn't have a great opinion of the guy.
Forget the Impel Down fiasco for a moment—there seemed to be a law in this world:Anyone connected to Luffy, no matter how evil they used to be, somehow got forgiven in the end.
Just look at Hatchan the fish-man.
He terrorized people for eight years under Arlong, doing countless horrible things—and yet Nami still forgave him and even made him a friend of the Straw Hats?!
Utterly ridiculous.
Still, Logan wasn't planning on making Luffy an enemy, as long as the rubber idiot didn't cross him.
If he did, though... Logan wouldn't mind sending the so-called Sun God to an early grave.
As for fear? Please.
Even if the Nika fruit was powerful, could it compare to his system?
Watching Makino plead for Luffy, Logan's lips curved into a sly smile."I came here for you," he said lightly. "If you join my crew, I'll leave Luffy alone."
Makino's expression wavered, torn between shock and hesitation.
If she said yes, she'd have to abandon the village she'd lived in for years—plus, she'd always been afraid of pirates deep down.
Shanks was an exception—she got to know his nature over time.
But this man? Logan? Who knew what kind of person he really was?
Yet if she refused, she was afraid he might really hurt Luffy.
Sabo was already dead. She couldn't bear to see Luffy gain another dangerous enemy.(They still didn't know the truth about Sabo.)
Before she could decide, Dadan—already furious—stepped in front of her."You've gone too far, brat!" she barked. "Do you even know who protects this place?!"
Her men surrounded Logan instantly, weapons drawn, eyes full of menace.
They might joke around in front of Makino and Dadan, but they were bandits—violent, dangerous people to the core.
"You think you can come here and throw your weight around, huh? I'll—"
"Shut up."
Logan's cold snort cut her off.
A terrifying pressure exploded from him, filling the room in an instant.
The air itself trembled. Tables and chairs splintered, cracks ran across the floor, and a high-pitched ringing filled the air.
Thud. Thud.
Dadan and her gang dropped one by one, eyes rolling back, hitting the ground in messy heaps.
"Dadan?! Everyone?!"
Makino clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide with shock.
What the hell just happened?!
"Wait—how come you're fine?" Nami blurted, blinking. "No—how come I'm fine too?!"
Naturally, that was because Logan had chosen to spare them both. If he hadn't held back, everyone in the bar would've been down for the count.
"Dadan!"
Makino rushed to check on her, panic in her movements.
"She's fine," Logan said calmly. "Just unconscious."
Makino let out a shaky breath of relief.
"Now," Logan said with an easy smile, "can you accept my offer?"
"If you refuse again, I can't promise what'll happen next. My patience has limits—and your friends have already tested it."
Threats.
Nami had been swayed with bribes; Makino, with intimidation.
At the end of the day, black cat or white cat—it didn't matter, as long as it caught the mouse.
Logan's soft-spoken words chilled Makino to the bone.
She couldn't just stand by and watch him hurt Dadan or the others.
After a long silence, she finally raised her head, her voice trembling slightly."As long as you promise not to harm them, I'll join your crew."
Clap, clap.
Logan applauded lightly."Smart choice," he said with that easy grin of his. "Let's go. Next stop."
Without hesitation, he slipped his arms around both Makino's and Nami's slender waists.
Nami only rolled her eyes—she was long used to his shamelessness.
Makino, on the other hand, stiffened at the sudden warmth on her waist. He's already touching me?!
A bad feeling crept up her spine.
If Nami could've heard her thoughts, she would've given Makino a big thumbs-up.
Bingo. You guessed right.
Welcome to Logan's grasp, my dear.
Still, Nami secretly felt a bit relieved. With Makino aboard, maybe she'd finally get a break from being Logan's constant target.
A few hours after Logan left the village—
Dadan and her gang slowly woke up one by one.
"Makino! Where's Makino?!" Dadan roared, glancing around the empty bar.
No sign of her.
Didn't take a genius to figure it out—Logan had taken her.
"That bastard!!"
"Boss, what do we do now?!" one of the underlings asked nervously.
Dadan's face twisted with rage as she stomped the ground."Contact Garp! Tell him to hunt that brat down!"
"....."