Straw Hat spun lazily around Xia Nuo's fingertip. He suddenly grunted as if sensing something, sat up straight, and turned to look southwest.
At the tips of the trees over there, some birds had been startled and were fluttering away into the distance.
Someone's coming?
Or a large beast?
He frowned, spread his legs, and slid down the tree trunk more than ten meters, his crotch catching on the trunk as he went.
Then he stopped steadily on a branch halfway up the tree. This gave him a wide-open view while also allowing him to see every movement on the ground below.
"Boss, how old was that kid? Was he really that strong, to beat all three of you flat?"
A somewhat simple-minded voice suddenly rang out. Following the sound, Xia Nuo saw a fat man over two meters tall with a spiked club resting on his shoulder.
"Why would I lie to you? Is this something worth bragging about?"
The person following behind him, Skinny Monkey, shouted angrily. "Look, look! I've still got bumps all over my head—they haven't even gone down yet. That stinking brat did all of it. Don't underestimate him. He has power gained from a demon!"
The fat man looked bewildered. "Power gained from a demon?"
"I don't understand it either. Anyway, that's what everyone says! His arms and legs can stretch several meters in one moment, then shrink back again in the next. You know those jack-in-the-boxes that spring open? It's exactly like that. It's terrifying!"
"That sounds horrifying, Boss! Luckily, Boss Scarred Mountain has captured him now. Otherwise, we'd have to patrol the mountains every day while constantly worrying about him!"
"Yeah, but we still can't let our guard down. The boss said the kid has a companion who might come to rescue him. That's why he called everyone back to camp and ordered us to defend it with everything we've got..."
"Someone's there!"
The fat man suddenly pointed his spiked club upward. "In the tree!"
"Huh?"
Skinny Monkey was startled and immediately looked up.
Sure enough, he saw a black-haired man in the tree, studying the two of them with great interest.
"He's that brat's companion! Be careful. He might also be a monster with demonic powers!"
Skinny Monkey immediately shouted a warning. He grabbed the flintlock rifle slung across his back, aimed it at Xia Nuo, and roared through clenched teeth, "Get down here! Raise your hands obediently, or I'll shoot!"
"Why does everyone point a gun at people so readily? How terrifying..."
Under their wary gazes, Xia Nuo really did slowly raise both hands. With a beaming smile, he said:
"I mean, this is our first time meeting, isn't it? How did I suddenly become the companion of some demonic brat?"
"Not his companion?"
The fat man was taken aback. He simply rested his spiked club on his shoulder again and turned to Skinny Monkey. "Boss, we got it wrong, right? He says he's not his companion."
"Why do you believe everything people tell you!"
Skinny Monkey was furious. He glared viciously at Xia Nuo again. "You still dare say you're not his companion? Then... then I'll ask you! I'll ask you!"
He pointed behind Xia Nuo's neck. "If you're really not his companion, then why are you wearing exactly the same hat as that little devil?"
"You mean this?"
Xia Nuo paused and glanced at the Straw Hat behind him before shrugging.
"Just a coincidence. But I am looking for the same person as you. I've been searching these lousy mountains for several days and am exhausted. I have to thank you for capturing him, since that saves me the trouble of doing it myself."
"No need to thank me. It's what we should do."
The fat man scratched his head and chuckled foolishly.
"That brat was inexplicable too. Lately, while our Scarred Mountain Bandit Group's people were spread out, he kept stealing our roasted meat everywhere. Boss Scarred Mountain was furious, so he personally went out and tied him up beside the cliff. That finally taught him a lesson. Let's see how he robs us now!"
"Exactly. A naturally evil brat like that deserves a fate like this!"
Xia Nuo nodded emphatically. "That kid also owes me something, which is why I've been searching everywhere for him. Since we're all after the same person, could you take me to the cliff you mentioned?"
"No problem, brother!"
The fat man threw his head back and laughed heartily. "But the place is rather remote. How about this? Just follow me, and I'll take you—"
"Take you, my foot!"
Skinny Monkey leaped up and slapped him across the face. He had been staring in stunned disbelief as he listened from the side, but he could finally stand it no longer. He shouted:
"Idiot! Moron! It's obvious this kid has ulterior motives. Can't you tell he's fishing for information?"
"Huh?"
The fat man froze. Skinny Monkey, meanwhile, snorted coldly, raised his rifle, aimed the muzzle at Xia Nuo's forehead, and pulled the trigger without hesitation!
Bang!
At the sound of the gunshot, Xia Nuo turned his head and watched the yellow bullet fly past the tip of his nose.
Then he turned back, glanced at the bullet mark on the tree trunk, and frowned.
"People who suddenly open fire without saying a word are pretty rare."
He narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at the bandit Skinny Monkey, whose face was filled with disbelief. "I don't have the confidence to dodge every bullet, so sorry, but I can only fight back."
Thud!
The instant he finished speaking, he kicked off the tree trunk, using the force to launch himself into the air and twist around. His body crashed downward like a cannonball.
All Skinny Monkey could see was a rapidly expanding black shadow. Before he could react in his panic, his throat was already clamped by five fingers as hard as cast steel. In the next instant, his entire body was hoisted into the air.
"Cough... cough... let go, let go of me..."
He struggled desperately and smashed the rifle's stock against Xia Nuo's forehead, but Xia Nuo snatched it away in the blink of an eye without changing expression.
With a light bend, the flintlock rifle snapped in two like a toy and was tossed aside.
"Don't bully the boss!"
The fat man shouted and raised his spiked club with both hands, bringing it crashing down.
Xia Nuo easily dodged to the side, then suddenly seized the Fat Mountain Bandit's arm with one hand, yanked his entire body over his shoulder, and hurled him viciously into the distance!
Boom!
The giant tree was smashed into a human-shaped depression, pinning the Fat Mountain Bandit firmly inside. No matter how furiously he shouted, he could not move.
Only then did Xia Nuo seize Skinny Monkey by the forehead with all five fingers and hoist him up again. Under the other's terrified gaze, he gave him a polite smile.
"May I ask if you can take me there now?"
"Hey! Wake up! Wake up!"
In a daze, Luffy felt someone patting his cheek lightly with a rough, large hand.
Smack!
Suddenly, that large hand slapped him hard across the face, making his vision swim. Immediately afterward, a large basin of cold water cascaded over his head like a waterfall.
So cold!
With a shuddering jolt, Luffy finally woke up completely.
"Huh? Wh-what's going on!"
Luffy looked around and discovered that he was tightly bound to a stone pillar, with a cliff directly behind him. Terrified, his nose running freely, he screamed, "Waaah—!!!!"
"You're so damn noisy! Shut up, brat!"
The scar-faced, dark-skinned strongman in front of him planted one foot heavily on a chair and looked utterly ferocious.
"Getting you to speak properly is a real pain. Now can you tell me what grudges we have between us? Why have you been targeting my men these past few days?"
"Targeting them? Your men?"
Luffy's head filled with question marks like strings of tiny bells. He looked from the fierce scar-faced man in front of him to the group of bandits surrounding them.
Every one of those bandits was baring his teeth, eyes wide as bronze bells, glaring viciously at him as though he had committed some unforgivable crime.
Luffy became even more confused. Tilting his head, he asked with bewilderment written all over his face:
"Uncle, who are you guys?"