Inside the inn,
Tesoro was bored as he guided Savi through his basic exercises.
"Boss, how many more days are we going to stay here? My body's almost rusting."
Roy could only feel helpless at Tesoro's complaint. He had originally planned to make contact with Bullet in town, then find a way to lure him away.
Who would have thought Bullet wouldn't leave the military camp once in three days?
"We're done waiting. Let's pack up and leave."
Roy's decision perked Tesoro right up. He had long since grown tired of waiting around at the inn. He kicked Savi, who was doing push-ups, and quickly began packing their things.
On the street, Tesoro asked curiously, "Boss, are we going straight to the military camp to find Bullet?"
"No."
Roy shook his head.
"Barging straight into the military camp would make us too conspicuous and could easily cause unnecessary conflict and attention. We'll try another way."
Roy led the group out of town and took a long detour to the forest behind the military camp. Using his ability, he quickly cleared out a place for them to live.
After assigning the houses and telling Tesoro to continue training with Savi, Roy headed toward the rear of the military camp.
After a journey of more than ten minutes, Roy came to the edge of a towering cliff and surveyed the military camp below. He took a brief look at its layout, then turned and headed back to his own camp.
But behind him, he left a cleared path leading straight to the camp.
That evening, beside the campfire, Stella was preparing the wild boar Roy had brought back. Savi eagerly helped her, while Tesoro glared at him angrily, prompting Stella to roll her eyes at Tesoro several times.
Tesoro put the boar over the campfire and looked curiously at Roy, who was practicing swordsmanship nearby. "Boss, this morning you said we'd try another way. Did you mean sneaking into the military camp tonight?"
"No. If we sneaked in, a guy like him would definitely fight us."
"Then how are we going to get in touch with Bullet, boss?"
"Just wait! Maybe he'll come looking for us himself in a little while," Roy said mysteriously.
Meanwhile, at the military camp.
Bullet had just finished exercising and was about to head to the mess hall to replenish what he had burned through during his high-intensity training with a large amount of food.
Just as he stepped forward, a subtle wave directly invaded his mind.
There was no sound. The wave formed a clear message directly: On the cliff behind the military camp, an interesting opponent awaits your challenge.
The precise message flashed through his mind like a hallucination.
But Bullet stopped in his tracks. His beastlike eyes instantly sharpened, and a dangerous aura radiated from him. He looked around, but no one was near him, and there were no unusual sounds.
"A strange ability?" Bullet muttered to himself.
He had been through all kinds of battles and had a basic understanding of Observation Haki, but this method of planting thoughts directly in someone else's mind piqued his interest.
"The cliff behind the camp..." He looked at the towering cliff behind the military camp. It lay on the outskirts of his usual training area.
Who was using this method to send him a message?
"An interesting opponent?"
A battle-hungry grin spread across Bullet's face.
"Hmph, putting on a mysterious act. You'd better not disappoint me!"
The thought of going to the mess hall vanished from his mind.
For Bullet, an opponent who might let him go all out was far more appealing than filling his stomach.
Absolutely confident in his own strength, he didn't tell anyone.
After climbing the cliff, Bullet spotted a freshly cleared path. He looked into the depths of the forest. "So there is someone here!"
At the forest camp, the aroma of the wild boar roasting over the fire grew stronger.
Tesoro was still puzzling over Roy's words: "Wait for him to come looking for us himself."
He was just about to ask again when he saw Roy slowly put away his long blade and look into the dark depths of the forest, as if sensing something.
"Boss?" Tesoro asked, puzzled.
Roy looked away, the corners of his mouth rising. "The message was delivered, and he received it. And... he's on his way."
"Delivered? How did you deliver it?" Savi also came over, curious.
"A little trick combining Observation Haki and mental power."
Roy gave the two a brief explanation. His ability was complex in its makeup; it wasn't simply Haki or a Devil Fruit.
"All right, let's get ready to welcome our guest. Stella, prepare an extra portion of roast meat. I'm afraid this guest has quite an appetite."
Stella was a little nervous, but she nodded obediently and began cutting more pieces of meat.
Before long, an almost tangible, beastlike aura enveloped the entire camp.
Tesoro and Savi instantly tensed, bracing themselves for a formidable enemy.
Swish!
A figure parted the bushes and appeared at the edge of the camp.
He was in his teens, with short blond hair tied back, and wore a green military uniform with several medals of honor on his chest.
"Douglas Bullet."
He surveyed the camp, his sharp gaze instantly locking onto Roy beside the campfire.
"Just now... were you the one speaking in my head?"
Bullet's voice was deep as he scrutinized Roy. Was this man, who didn't look particularly burly, the one who had sent the message in that bizarre way?
"It was me." Roy admitted it readily and made an inviting gesture. "Would you like to sit down and talk, Douglas Bullet...?"
Bullet didn't move. His gaze swept over the tense Tesoro and Savi, then the somewhat uneasy Stella by the campfire, before returning to Roy.
"You lured me here like that just to offer me roast meat?" Bullet's tone was mocking. "Or did you think a little trick would make me see you in a different light?"
"A little trick?" Roy chuckled. "Perhaps. But at least it got you to come here alone instead of bringing an army. Doesn't that make it the most effective way to make contact?"
Damn it. You're the one who kept staying in the military camp and wouldn't come out, Roy grumbled inwardly.
Bullet narrowed his eyes. The other man was calm, and what he said made sense. He really didn't like tedious procedures or interference from irrelevant people. It seemed the man knew him well.
"You said 'an interesting opponent.' Let me see if you deserve those words."
Bullet took a step forward, making the stones on the ground tremble slightly as his fighting spirit began to rise. Clearly, to him, exchanging words was far less direct than exchanging blows.
"We can fight anytime, but before we start, don't you want to know why we came looking for you...?"
"Not interested. Once I've beaten you down, you'll tell me yourself!"
Before Roy could finish, Bullet interrupted him.
"Damn it!"
"I knew this would happen. Bullet's nothing but a brute!" Roy cursed under his breath.
Swish!
Bullet pushed off and lunged forward like a phantom, driving a punch straight at Roy's chest. The wind from his fist was fierce; he had no intention of holding back.
"Boss!" Tesoro cried, wanting to rush forward.