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Everyone turned their heads in confusion, following Logan's gaze.
Two men were walking toward them.
One wore a short red vest and a plain-looking straw hat. He was grinning wide, flashing two rows of big white teeth, radiating pure idiot energy from head to toe.
The other had a distinctive crop of green hair—and the three swords hanging from his waist instantly drew attention.
Three Sword Style. That was rare.
The two were, of course, none other than the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, Monkey D. Luffy, and his swordsman, Roronoa Zoro.
Logan narrowed his eyes slightly.
He'd thought he'd miss running into Luffy, but fate clearly had other plans.
At the sight of the boy in the straw hat, Makino's pupils shrank a little, tension instantly creeping into her posture.
She still remembered what Logan had said back at the bar.
Her hands clenched unconsciously. Please, she prayed silently, please let nothing happen here.
Luffy and Zoro, meanwhile, were laughing and chatting as they walked along.
When they were only a few meters away, Luffy finally spotted Makino among the group.
His eyes lit up with surprise. "Makino?! What are you doing here?!"
Makino glanced briefly at Logan before smiling softly. "Luffy, it's been a while. I'm out at sea too, just like you."
"Nani?!"
Luffy tilted his head, confusion written all over his face.
"Makino… you became a pirate too?!"
Even for someone as carefree as Luffy, that news came as a shock.
What the hell was going on?!
He could still vaguely remember her telling him that the world outside the village was dangerous—that he shouldn't become a pirate. So what changed?
Makino didn't answer. She simply nodded in silence.
"Makino, let's go."
Logan's tone was flat, emotionless, as he turned toward the village gates.
Nami and Kaya, who weren't particularly interested in Luffy or Zoro, followed right behind him.
Makino shot Luffy one last look, then hurried after them.
She was just glad he was safe. She didn't want to linger.
Luffy scratched his head, frowning. Since when was Makino so weird?
Unable to resist his curiosity, he darted forward, cutting her off. "Makino, what's going on with you?!"
"Get lost."
The voice was cold and sharp.
Logan's eyes hardened as he looked straight at Luffy.
"Hey!" Luffy frowned. "What's your problem, huh? I was just—"
He didn't get to finish.
An overwhelming pressure erupted from Logan's body, slamming into Luffy like a tidal wave.
It was like a mountain had suddenly dropped onto his shoulders. Luffy's body buckled, his face twisting in pain.
"Luffy!!" Zoro's expression darkened, his hand instantly going to his swords—
But before he could even draw, an invisible force crashed into him too. His body froze, muscles straining as he tried to resist.
The air itself seemed to tremble.
Usopp, watching nearby, went pale and dropped to the ground, trembling.
Wait, what the hell just happened?! Did he skip a scene somewhere?!
Both Luffy and Zoro's minds went blank. Their heads were ringing.
Logan watched them with cold detachment. He hadn't intended to bother with Luffy, but the guy just had to stick his nose where it didn't belong.
Fine. You want trouble? You got it.
Then Logan's gaze shifted—to the swords at Zoro's waist.
More specifically, to the elegant white-handled blade: Wado Ichimonji.
He just happened to need a decent weapon.
Maybe the sword wasn't a perfect fit for him, but it was a hell of a lot better than the piece of junk he'd scavenged off a pirate ship.
He raised his eyes again—just in time to see Luffy and Zoro's fighting spirit flare.
Especially Luffy's. Something deep within him seemed ready to awaken.
"Oh?" Logan raised an eyebrow. About to power up already, huh?
Yeah, no chance.
With a flash of his eyes, Logan drew his blade and slashed.
Swish!Swish!
Multiple sword waves tore through the air, slicing toward the two.
The strikes landed with devastating precision, carving deep, bloody X-shaped wounds across both their chests.
The impact sent them flying back, blood splattering the ground.
Before they could even hit the dirt, Logan vanished from sight and appeared between them, his palm striking down hard.
Both Luffy and Zoro's eyes rolled back as they crumpled into unconsciousness.
Logan didn't even blink. He gave them a brief glance, then casually stored Wado Ichimonji into his system's storage.
He hadn't meant to kill Zoro. As for Luffy—he held back only for Makino's sake.
Sure, maybe he meant more to her than Luffy did now, but she'd watched that boy grow up.
Hurting him was one thing. Killing him in front of her? That would've broken her completely.
And Logan didn't want that.
Besides, he never considered Luffy a real threat.
These wounds would keep them down for a while. He doubted they'd cross paths again anytime soon.
Makino sighed softly, then turned to the still-shaken Usopp. "I'll leave them in your care for a while, okay?"
"Uh—yeah," Usopp answered instinctively.
Makino linked her arm around Logan's and said gently, "Let's go."
Logan smiled and nodded.
Nami and Kaya clasped hands and hurried after them.
Only after they disappeared did Usopp finally snap out of his daze.
He slapped his forehead hard. "Wait—why the hell did I agree to that?! What's it got to do with me?!"
Damn it!
Kaya was gone, his ship request had been rejected, and now he was stuck with two unconscious idiots.
He grumbled under his breath but, in the end, he couldn't bring himself to just leave them there.
So he dragged both Luffy and Zoro back home and started tending to their wounds.
"....."