Hijacked?

After leaving the tavern.

Swain acted casually, wandering around aimlessly before entering an empty alley.

Sure enough! Someone followed him from behind. The person wore a gray coat and had a layer of white gauze wrapped around their head, looking like clothing from a desert kingdom.

Swain stopped in the middle of the alley.

Turning his back to the person behind him, he said, "You seem to really like targeting outsiders!"

Through Observation Haki, he saw that the person behind him looked somewhat flustered.

"Take... take some of your money!"

The speaker stammered, and he was holding a long dagger.

Judging from the voice, he also sounded very young.

Swain took a small piece of gold from his pocket.

He threw it at his feet and said, "Then let's see if you have the guts to come and take it!"

He spoke mockingly.

Through Observation Haki, he had sensed that the person was actually two ordinary people!

Why two? Because two children were standing together, pretending to be adults and trying to rob him.

Besides, the little brat had said he only wanted some of Swain's money, even leaving him enough "fare to get home."

That left him torn between laughter and tears. Did he really look that easy to bully? Even a child dared to rob him.

"Here you go!" Swain kicked it over with his foot.

The person behind him seemed not to have reacted yet. Swain then added, "Don't want it anymore?"

That "person" immediately split into two.

"Brother! We have money!" one of them exclaimed happily.

They were clearly brothers, and both of them looked very cute.

The older brother held his younger brother's hand. He looked at the gold, then gratefully glanced at Swain.

The two bowed together, then left with the money.

Seeing the two children imitate adults was enough to make Swain burst out laughing!

"Does this count as doing one good deed a day?" He then returned to the tavern.

Elsewhere.

The two brothers who had received Swain's charity hurried home. "Modi, hurry up."

"We have to go back and save our sister!"

"Brother, wait for me!"

Just as they stepped inside their home, they saw several burly men surrounding the entrance.

The leader wore a suit and had slick, shiny-black hair combed back. His name was Hanson, and he was a notorious loan shark in the area.

"Do you have the money to pay off your debt or not?" Hanson's voice was shrill and harsh.

It was impossible to tell from his voice that he was a man.

He was berating a woman in front of him who had a plump figure, attractive features, and some beauty.

"Please give me a few more days!" she pleaded in a soft, sweet voice.

"Give you more time? How many times has it been already?" Hanson said, extremely impatient.

"There's only one way left for you to repay the debt! I'll sell you to an auction house."

She was just about to explain when Hanson said, "That way, your two useless brothers can stay alive."

He burst into loud laughter, his shrill voice almost piercing their eardrums.

"We have money!!" Modi was hot-tempered. He rushed out and held up the money bag.

They had already exchanged Swain's piece of gold for Beli.

There were two whole bags of it!

Everyone turned to look at them.

"Mokai, Modi! Go play somewhere else, all right?" their sister shouted.

Her voice was already choked with tears.

"No! Sister, I'm already a man!" the older brother, Mokai, declared.

He walked up to Hanson and held out the money bag.

Like a victor, he said, "Take this money and leave!"

"We don't welcome you!"

His younger brother Modi shouted as well.

Hanson signaled one of his men to check whether the money in the bag was enough. When the man nodded, an ugly smile appeared on Hanson's face.

His sister immediately sensed that something was wrong and hurriedly shouted, "Run!"

But it was already too late.

"Arrest these two little thieves who stole the money!"

The brothers did not even understand what was happening before two burly men lifted them up like chicks.

Modi's little face went deathly pale. He hurriedly explained, "We didn't steal it! A big brother gave it to us!"

"If I say you stole it, then you stole it! Say another word, and I'll sell you too!"

The younger brother was so frightened that he could not speak.

"You bastard!" Their sister punched Hanson in the face.

But how could a frail woman compare with a burly man? Hanson felt as if she were merely scratching an itch!

"Hmph! You ungrateful bitch!"

Hanson slapped Modi's sister across the face, and blood immediately trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"Sister!" the two brothers shouted together.

They glared angrily at Hanson's every move. If looks could kill, he would probably have died hundreds or thousands of times already.

Fortunately, Mokai caught the man holding his younger brother off guard and bit down on his arm.

"Go find that big brother from earlier!"

After breaking free, Modi hurriedly ran away.

"You idiot! Go after him!" Hanson kicked the henchman who was still standing there in a daze.

Fortunately, Modi had been familiar with the area since he was little and managed to escape their pursuit by the skin of his teeth.

"We'll sell all of you at the auction the day after tomorrow!" Hanson said viciously.

He locked the siblings in a cage and left the area.

Meanwhile, as Modi ran, his face became covered in snot and tears.

"Waaaaah! Why does everyone bully us?"

"We didn't do anything bad! They're all bad people!"

He ran until he tripped and fell onto the road.

This drew the attention of everyone nearby. Some people came over to ask what had happened, but after hearing Hanson's name, they all stopped asking questions.

Hanson was truly infamous, having committed every imaginable crime!

Seeing how everyone around him reacted, little Modi realized that the only person who could save them was that kind big brother!

After returning to the tavern, Swain remembered that he had wanted to visit Cardiff.

He hurriedly asked around for Cardiff's residence and knocked on the door, but no one answered. Only after asking the neighbors did he learn that Cardiff had already gone to sea a week ago.

By the time he returned to the tavern, it was already dusk. When a server told him someone was looking for him, he assumed it was the captain he had met when he was lost. But when he reached the hall, he discovered that it was the child who had "robbed" him that afternoon.

"You were looking for me?" Swain asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Mm!" Modi managed to answer with one word before bursting into tears.

"Big brother! Please save my brother and sister!"

His little hands clung tightly to Swain's trouser leg, and he even wiped his snot on Swain's pants.

Swain made Modi stand up and explain everything slowly.

After spending ten minutes explaining the whole story, Modi finally stopped sobbing.

"Damn it!" Swain punched the wall in anger.

"That Hanson is a beast!"

He also bore some responsibility. After all, giving the brothers such a huge sum of money could have put them in danger. He had failed to consider that possessing such wealth could itself invite disaster.

With a hint of guilt, he said, "Big brother will definitely save them!"

After hearing that, Modi burst into tears again. After all, he was still only a child.

"Do you know where Hanson lives?" Swain asked.

Modi shook his head.

Swain asked him several more questions, but Modi shook his head every time.

This left Swain feeling somewhat troubled.

"Judging from what you've said, it seems the others probably won't tell me anything either."

"Then the only option is to find out about the auction!"