Rubber Body, First Life Taken

[Fusion Warning: The World Government has detected that Nika has changed hands.]

"Red-Hair, until we meet again!"

Higuma shoved aside the bandits blocking his way and sprinted for the tavern entrance.

The remaining few tossed aside their barrels and shoved their way out in a panic.

Shanks kicked away a short blade.

The blade buried itself in the doorframe, sealing off half the exit.

"You trashed the tavern like this and think you can leave without paying?"

"I'll pay you with a blade!"

Just as Higuma turned around, a little girl's crying came from the street.

A child with short braids stood beside the muddy ditch, still holding the wooden bucket she had used to fetch water for Makino.

"Lia, run!"

Luffy rushed out through the broken door.

Higuma grabbed the girl's shoulder first and held his blade across her neck.

The bucket slipped from Lia's hands, spilling water over Higuma's trousers.

"Luffy..."

"Let her go!"

"Anyone takes another step, and I'll slit her throat first!"

Higuma bent down behind the girl, dragging her toward the tavern's side wall.

Shanks stopped.

"Using a child as a shield? Is that all an eight-million-berry bandit can do?"

"Quit talking nonsense and make your men back off!"

"You take the knife away first."

"Back off!"

Higuma pushed his wrist inward, and the blade sliced through several strands of Lia's hair.

Su Hang stared at the blade.

The moment he raised his right arm, his palm shot over Higuma's head and wrapped around the tavern's support post outside.

"Damn it."

His arm stretched seven or eight meters, and his five fingers tied two knots around the wooden post, tightening the more he struggled.

Higuma froze for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"So what if you ate a Devil Fruit? You can't even control your own hand!"

Su Hang tugged twice. The wooden post cracked, but his fist remained stuck on the far side.

Luffy shouted beside him.

"Your hand's twisted the wrong way! Turn left first!"

"I know."

"You're obviously still pulling to the right!"

"Shut up."

Higuma continued backing away with Lia, his heel striking the leather bag Benns had left behind.

The bag fell open, revealing packets of gunpowder and several fuses.

The uppermost fuse had already been lit by a spark from the tavern, red light crawling down the thin cord.

"Shanks, clear the back door!"

"There's gunpowder by your feet."

"You think you can trick me?"

"Look down."

Higuma glanced down, and the smile vanished from his face.

He grabbed Lia and shoved her toward the bag of gunpowder.

"Then you can all die together!"

The girl fell to the ground, her palm pressing against the fuse as it burned to its end.

Higuma turned and rushed toward the back door.

Lucky Roux raised his musket.

"Captain?"

"Don't shoot. The child is still there."

Su Hang arched his body and pulled his shoulders back, stretching the arm wrapped around the support post to its limit.

"Su Hang, you can't untangle your hand!"

Luffy charged toward Lia.

He had only taken two steps when burning gunpowder burst from the bag's opening in a spray of sparks.

"Too late!"

"Luffy, get down!"

Su Hang clenched his teeth and drove both feet through the floorboards, tearing down the entire support post along with the eaves.

The wooden beam tilted down, roof tiles crashing into the tavern, and at that instant, his stretched arm snapped back.

The recoil carried Su Hang over the doorway, his body flying sideways toward Lia.

"Hold onto her!"

Luffy threw himself beside the girl, grabbed her shoulders, and rolled with her into the muddy ditch.

With his back to the gunpowder bag, Su Hang spread his arms and shielded both children beneath him.

"What about you?"

"Don't look back!"

The gunpowder bag flashed white.

The explosion blew apart the doorframe, and fragments of iron and stone pierced through the clothes on Su Hang's back.

His rubber skin was forced inward against his chest by the blast, then tightened again around his flesh.

All three were flung away. Luffy and Lia landed in the muddy ditch.

Su Hang crashed through the tavern's side wall, half his body embedded in the wooden boards.

All he could hear was ringing.

Su Hang tried to raise his hand, but his right arm dangled from the other side of the hole in the wall. His shoulder had twisted halfway around, and his waist was wedged between broken planks.

[The host has suffered explosive impact.]

[The Nika Core has begun adapting to the current body.]

[Muscle fiber resilience adjusted.]

[Joint extension range adjusted.]

[Warning: The adjustments only increase the body's ability to bear power and cannot generate combat experience.]

"So in the end, I still have to learn it myself."

Su Hang spat out the wood chips in his mouth and tried to retract his right arm.

His fist wound around a beam and became tangled in the window frame again.

"You still alive?"

Luffy climbed out of the muddy ditch, soot staining the tip of his nose.

"Not dead yet."

"Your waist is broken!"

"Rubber doesn't break. Lift that plank."

"You just told me to shut up."

"So you want to watch me hang here?"

Luffy ran to the wall and used his shoulder to lift the plank pinning Su Hang down.

Shanks grabbed the beam from the other side and raised it half a foot with one hand.

"Pull in your stomach. Don't stretch your arms around."

"I didn't ask you to teach me."

"Then keep hanging there."

"Fine. I'll count that as you sticking your nose in once."

Su Hang drew in his waist and abdomen, then slid out through the hole in the wall.

When his feet hit the ground, his legs softened into two bent ropes, and he dropped straight into the pile of splintered wood.

Luffy pointed at him and burst out laughing.

"Your legs turned into noodles!"

"Once I learn how to use this, you'll be the first one I test my fist on."

"Bring it on! I'm not scared!"

Crying came from the muddy ditch. Only then did Luffy turn back and pull Lia to her feet.

The girl's arm had been cut by flying stones. The wound was shallow, but her face was covered in tears.

"Lia, can you walk?"

"My legs are weak."

"I'll carry you."

"You're hurt too."

"A little injury like this is nothing. Su Hang took worse than I did."

Lia climbed onto Luffy's back and looked over his shoulder at Su Hang.

"Were you the one who blocked it just now?"

"Whoever was lying on top was the one who blocked it."

"Thank you."

"Go back and find Makino. Don't touch the iron pieces on the ground."

Higuma had already fled through the back door, his figure disappearing down the path north of the village.

Lucky Roux raised his gun.

"If we don't chase him now, he'll disappear."

Su Hang pushed himself upright against the wall, three pieces of iron embedded in his back.

Every movement pulled at his rubber skin.

"Let him run."

"He used a child to block a blade, then set off gunpowder."

"The gunpowder was brought by Benns. Higuma knows little. Chasing him will only make us miss the government pickup ship."

Shanks walked behind Su Hang and pinched one of the iron fragments.

"Bear with it."

"Pull."

The fragment left his flesh, bringing out several drops of blood. The wound immediately tightened shut.

The second piece was lodged deeper, and Shanks changed his angle.

"You had a chance to chase Higuma just now."

"I saw it."

"Why didn't you?"

"Lia was closer to the gunpowder."

"You went through all that trouble to steal the fruit, yet you were willing to use your new body to shield someone from explosives."

"The fruit can be stolen. Responsibility falling on me can't be avoided."

Shanks pulled out the last iron fragment and casually tossed it into the muddy water.

"I'll remember those words."

"Don't remember them too soon. Saving people doesn't mean I'll follow your orders."

"Do you talk like that to everyone who saves your life?"

"I was the one who blocked the gunpowder for the child. You only pulled out three pieces of iron."

"I also helped lift the wall off you."

"Then I owe you half a drink."

Luffy carried Lia several steps away, then stopped at the street corner.

"Su Hang!"

"What now?"

"That thing you did just now was really fast."

"I couldn't control it."

"What if you could?"

"Then it would be faster."

Luffy handed Lia over to the approaching Makino, then turned and ran back to the damaged tavern, pulling his straw hat snug again.

"You stole the fruit, but I'm still not convinced."

"You want to punch me again?"

"That punch just now didn't count. You don't even know how to use your power."

"Like you do?"

Luffy picked up a wooden stick from the ground, gripped it with both hands, and braced his toes against the mud.

"You stole the fruit, so let me see just how strong it really is!"