Yasopp stood with his hands on his hips, looking troubled as he stared at Sabo and Ace, who were tied up and sitting on the ground in an open area.
If Harden had been leading the group, Sabo and Ace—despite being just children—would have paid dearly for daring to attack him, perhaps not with their lives but certainly with severe injuries. However, Yasopp was clearly not as ruthless as Harden, though Ace was still glaring at him defiantly.
One of the Four Seas Trading Company's employees glanced at Sabo and Ace, his brows furrowing slightly. He suddenly squatted down beside Sabo, startling the boy.
The employee paid no attention to Sabo's reaction. Instead, he examined Sabo's clothing. Though living in the Gray Terminal had left Sabo filthy and his clothes torn from years of rough living, the style of his outfit and the distinctive top hat—a common symbol of Goa Kingdom's nobility—seemed oddly out of place on a child from the garbage heaps.
The employee reached out and touched the fabric of Sabo's clothes, his frown deepening. He turned to his companions and said, "Judging by the material and style, these clothes must be quite expensive."
He then turned back to Sabo and deliberately provoked him, "Hey, little thief, where did you steal these clothes from?"
Sabo, visibly upset, wanted to retort but quickly composed himself and said, "I didn't steal these clothes! I found them!"
Though Sabo was precocious, his limited experience made his attempts at deception transparent to Yasopp and the others, who easily caught the changes in his expression.
"What a clever kid, already knows how to lie," the employee said with a faint smile.
Yasopp exchanged a glance with his companions, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Could he be one of the children kidnapped from High Town?"
"Or maybe he stole or robbed someone for them," suggested a young man from the youth military.
"Let's take him back to the city and hand him over to the city sheriff for investigation," the Four Seas Trading Company employee squatting beside Sabo proposed.
Hearing this, Sabo's expression changed dramatically.
The adults ignored the struggles and curses of Sabo and Ace. Yasopp hoisted Ace onto his shoulder, while Sabo was carried by one of the young men from the youth military. The group then began heading toward the city gates.
Not far away, atop a small mountain of garbage, a short figure peeked out, holding onto the brim of his straw hat.
It was none other than Luffy.
William's presence, like a butterfly flapping its wings, had altered many events. The annihilation of the Blue Sapphire Pirates and the deaths of Blujam and his crew were among these changes. As a result, Ace had not yet bonded with Luffy through shared life-and-death experiences, as he had in the original story.
However, William's influence could not change Luffy's personality. Despite the absence of the Blue Sapphire Pirates, Luffy's stubborn and tenacious nature remained unchanged. Just as in the original story, he persistently followed Ace every day, hoping to become his friend. It was during one of these pursuits that Luffy stumbled upon the current scene.
In that brief moment, Luffy's young mind conjured up a series of fantastical scenarios: saving Ace, earning his gratitude, becoming his partner, playing together, and even imagining Ace joining his crew when he set out to sea in the future.
Determined not to remain lonely in the days ahead, Luffy pinched his nose as he devised what he believed to be a perfect plan. His idea was to use garbage to distract Yasopp and the others, then rely on his Gum-Gum Fruit powers to extend his arm, grab Ace, and escape.
As Yasopp and his group approached the city gates, a mountain of garbage suddenly collapsed beside them.
Yasopp, quick on his feet, pulled a few less agile Four Seas Trading Company employees out of harm's way. The youth military members, trained for such situations, reacted swiftly as well. Though surprised, the group managed to avoid being buried under the garbage.
At that moment, Luffy saw his chance. Hiding behind another pile of garbage, he swung his right arm in circles before launching it forward. His arm stretched like rubber, shooting out like a long rope toward the bound Ace.
With a "snap," Luffy's small hand grabbed onto... Yasopp's belt.
Luffy froze, his plan momentarily derailed. Yasopp, however, reacted instantly, grabbing Luffy's wrist. He looked down in surprise at the small hand suddenly attached to his waist. Following the long arm back to its source, he spotted Luffy's shocked face peeking out from behind the garbage heap.
For a moment, the two stared at each other, wide-eyed.
Then Yasopp's expression darkened, and he shouted, "Catch him!"
Startled, Luffy turned to run, forgetting that his right hand was still firmly in Yasopp's grasp. Unsurprisingly, he was quickly captured.
From the inception of Luffy's plan to its execution and ultimate failure, less than half an hour had passed.
...
Yasopp still stood with his hands on his hips, but now three young boys sat on the ground before him.
One of the Four Seas Trading Company employees grumbled, "Is there some kind of school around here that teaches kids how to rob people? Why do they keep popping up one after another?"
"This one's a Devil Fruit user?" Yasopp crouched beside Luffy, poking and prodding him with his large hands. Combined with his lazy demeanor, he looked every bit like a creepy old man.
Terrified, Luffy burst into tears, wailing loudly. Yasopp quickly lost interest and walked away.
The adults weren't particularly bothered by Luffy's crying, but Ace had had enough. He angrily shouted at Luffy, "Shut up already! You're so annoying, you coward!"
Luffy immediately fell silent, sniffling pitifully as he muttered, "I-I only got caught because I was trying to save you."
Hearing that Luffy had been captured while trying to rescue him, Ace's expression softened briefly before he erupted in anger again. "Save me? You idiot! You ended up getting yourself caught too!"
"Enough, Ace," Sabo, who had been unusually quiet since hearing they would be handed over to the sheriff, interrupted. He turned to Luffy and asked, "You're Luffy, the one Ace mentioned, right?"
Luffy nodded, and Sabo sighed. Then, with a mischievous grin, he turned to Yasopp, who had been listening to their conversation. "Sir, you heard him. I don't know this kid with the straw hat, and I'm not close to that hot-headed guy either. Look at them—they're both dressed in rags."
Luffy and Ace instinctively glanced down at their tattered vests as Sabo continued, "They live on the other side of the mountain, while I live here. We're not the same. I stole these clothes, so just hand me over to the sheriff and let them go."
"Sabo, you..." Ace glared at him, clearly upset.
Before Ace could say more, Yasopp interrupted with a chuckle. "You're quite something, kid. Don't worry, we won't hold your attack against you. But since there are reports of missing children from High Town, we'll need to hand you over to the sheriff to confirm your identities."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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