"..."
Adrian's mouth twitched. He wasn't sure why Ace had suddenly taken a fighting stance against him. The little guy knew who he was, and he should know his track record too.
Was this what they meant by youth knowing no fear?
Then again... it might have been a stress response to utter humiliation.
Adrian raised his left hand and rubbed his chin.
In the blink of an eye, the distance between them closed.
The Pirate King's Son charged forward and stamped his right foot hard against the ground, ready to spring into the air.
But a clean, fair-skinned hand suddenly appeared, filling Ace's vision as though it could blot out the sky.
Ace had no time to react. The hand landed on his forehead and stopped his leap before it began.
Like a Buddha pinning a monkey beneath his palm, Adrian held Ace firmly in place.
Ace gritted his teeth, refusing to give in, and tried to wrench himself free.
With a deft application of force, Adrian cut his resistance short. He gripped Ace's head with one hand and lifted the little guy off the ground.
It was a brutal sight.
Completely at his mercy, Ace could only flail his skinny arms and kick his skinny legs, apparently hoping to hurt his enemy by punching the air.
That made the scene even more ridiculous.
Sabo watched White Ghost scoop Ace up like a chick the moment he rushed in.
Unwilling to abandon his friend, Sabo gritted his teeth and charged too.
A moment later, Adrian had Sabo in his left hand, dangling beside Ace.
"Run, Luffy! Get Grandpa/Vice Admiral Garp!"
The muffled cries came from Adrian's hands. Ace and Sabo had shouted at the same time.
Clearly, the two sharp-tongued, softhearted boys didn't want Luffy mixed up in this.