"Finger Gun!"
A sharp burst of compressed air shot forward, piercing through three thick trees in a row. Each trunk fell with a resounding crash.
On the fourth tree, a crater the size of a palm was blasted into the bark, thin wisps of smoke curling into the air.
"Finally! I hit the fourth one."
A satisfied smile spread across Iggy's face. The stronger he became, the closer he got to exacting his revenge.
"Iggy! Bad news!"
Sabo came running over, breathless and anxious, skidding to a stop in front of him.
"What's wrong, Sabo?"
Iggy knew Sabo as the most level-headed and composed of them all. If he was panicked, something serious had happened.
"Ace and Luffy... they've been ambushed by Bluejam on the Gray Terminal! We need to help them—now!"
Sabo's words hit Iggy like a bolt of lightning.
Bluejam—Captain of the Bluejam Pirates—was notorious for his brutality. And if he was working with the nobles to burn down the Gray Terminal, then Ace and Luffy were in grave danger.
No matter how tough they were, they were still kids—cornered, surrounded by flames and pirates.
Without a second thought, Iggy bolted toward the direction of the Gray Terminal.
"Sabo! Go back and tell Dadan what's happening!"
Noticing Sabo struggling to keep up, Iggy slowed his pace and glanced back.
"Iggy, you can't go in there alone—!"
"Trust me. I will bring them back!"
Iggy cut him off, his tone sharp and commanding.
He knew the truth—Sabo's biggest danger wasn't just Bluejam. The nobles of the Goa Kingdom had orchestrated the fire to impress the Celestial Dragons. And the day the Dragons arrived... that was when Sabo originally died at sea.
There was no way he could let Sabo be caught up in that again.
Seeing the resolve in Iggy's eyes, Sabo understood. This wasn't the time to argue.
Without another word, Sabo turned and sprinted toward the bandits' hideout to alert Dadan.
By the time Iggy reached the dump, night had fallen. Flames lit up the sky, casting long shadows and turning the area into a hellscape.
He ran along the perimeter of the fire, trying to find an opening. Heat burned against his skin, sweat pouring down his face—but no sign of his brothers.
"Damn it... I'm too late!"
Deep within the five-kilometer blaze, Ace and Luffy were surrounded by more than a dozen pirates. Every escape route was cut off.
"Brats, that treasure you've hidden is my last shot at survival!"
Bluejam stood in front of them, his face twisted with desperation and rage. The nobles had betrayed him, and now he was lashing out.
"We're in this mess, and all you care about is treasure?!"
Ace stood in front of Luffy, bloodied and bruised, shielding his unconscious brother with his own body.
"If that's how it is—then you die!"
Bluejam raised his pistol and aimed it straight at Ace's head.
"Finger Gun!"
A sharp crack rang out, followed by a streak of air pressure that slammed into Bluejam's arm. The bullet veered off course, and Bluejam screamed as the gun was knocked from his hand.
He turned in disbelief—his hand had been shot through.
Iggy landed from above, having leapt across the blaze using Moonwalk, the sky-step technique of the Marines.
"Porchemy! Kill that brat!" he bellowed, holding his bleeding hand.
Porchemy, the towering brute of the crew, cracked his knuckles and rushed toward Iggy. He was at least five times Iggy's size, his fists covered in spiked brass knuckles.
Wind roared as Porchemy threw his first punch. Iggy ducked just in time—but the second blow came immediately.
Despite his size, Porchemy was fast. His fists swung with wild speed, long arms creating a web of attacks from every angle.
One punch scraped across Iggy's left arm, tearing a deep gash to the bone.
Porchemy smirked and charged in again.
But Iggy didn't flinch.
Instead, he felt a strange thrill—his strength could finally protect those he cared about.
"Paper Art!"
Iggy's body shrank and flexed, his muscles thinning as he executed one of the Navy's Six Styles. His figure moved like a leaf in the wind, weaving through the storm of punches.
"What the hell!?"
Porchemy's attacks grew more frenzied, but Iggy danced between them effortlessly.
With a sudden spring, Iggy landed lightly on Porchemy's thick forearm, his body returning to normal size. He grinned.
"Finger Gun!"
Boom!
Porchemy froze mid-punch.
From the back of his skull, a bullet of compressed air burst out, spraying blood and brain matter. His body crumpled like a collapsing wall.
Silence fell.
Everyone stared at Iggy standing tall on the corpse, the fire crackling around him.
But Iggy wasn't paying attention to them.
He looked down at his wounded arm—and froze.
The deep gash was healing.
Muscles, nerves, even skin were regenerating rapidly, right before his eyes. Within seconds, the injury had become nothing more than a shallow cut.
At the same time, Porchemy's body shriveled beneath him, as if something was being drained away.
"...This isn't normal."
He remembered something from the One Piece world—an ability known as "Life Return," where users could control their own bodily functions to a high degree.
But this—this was different.
It wasn't him controlling his body. It was like... his body was feeding off the energy of the dead.
Healing his wounds.
Recharging his strength.
"Guess I'll call it... Life Absorption."
Another step toward true power. Another tool for revenge.
And Iggy couldn't help but smile.
---
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