At Makino's bar in Foosha Village, the atmosphere was lively and warm.
Villagers raised their mugs and cheered loudly in celebration.
"Thank you so much, Makino-san!"
Luffy beamed, his eyes sparkling like shooting stars as he held a glass of fresh milk. He looked at Makino with heartfelt gratitude.
This welcome party for Luffy's return had been organized entirely by Makino herself.
By the next morning, the entire village had heard that Luffy was back, taller, stronger, and he'd even brought a man back with him.
Makino smiled sweetly, but after a moment, concern crept into her expression.
"Luffy… that boy you brought back, he's been asleep for three days now. Are you sure he's okay?"
Luffy winced at the thought of Zoro. His tone carried a mix of resignation and helplessness.
"Don't worry, Makino-san. His body's just… a bit different. He might be out cold for another ten years or so."
"W-What?" Makino gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Her cheeks were flushed from all the activity, making her look even more adorably flustered.
"It's fine, really," Luffy waved her off with a smile. "No need to worry."
He changed the subject. "Oh right, has my grandpa been back lately?"
"Nope, haven't seen him," Makino replied with a chuckle. "What's the matter? Are you missing him already?"
"As if!" Luffy immediately denied.
"I just—"
BANG!
The bar door slammed open with a thunderous crash.
The once joyful bar fell into sudden silence.
"Sorry to interrupt!"
A gang of men stood in the doorway, completely blocking the entrance.
Leading them was a towering figure, over two meters tall. His grayish-yellow face was wrinkled like bark, rough and cracked all over. He wore a filthy brown coat that hung loosely over his frame, and a curved blade, still stained with blood, hung at his waist.
He strutted toward Luffy and Makino with heavy steps, planting one hand on the bar counter. His voice was hoarse and grating.
"We're mountain bandits. But we're not here to rob today. Give us ten barrels of booze."
"I-I'm so sorry!" Makino stammered in panic. "We're all out of alcohol… everything's been drunk already…"
Despite running the bar, Makino was still just a young woman. And the sudden arrival of the bandits terrified her.
"All gone? Then what are they drinking?!" the bandit leader barked, glaring at the mugs on the villagers' tables.
Makino trembled, unable to respond.
"Hey! I'm in a really good mood today! Don't push your luck!"
The sudden outburst disrupted Luffy's calm, and he snapped impatiently.
It had been so long, he'd almost forgotten these bandits even existed near Foosha Village.
The bandit chief turned toward Luffy, his face contorting in fury.
"What did you just say, you little!"
But the moment his eyes met Luffy's…
It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head.
A cold sweat broke out on his face. His rage dissolved into unease as a sliver of killing intent radiated from Luffy's eyes.
The pressure alone was enough to freeze him in place.
"D-Dammit! Let's get out of here. Maybe another town will have what we want!"
Without another glance at Luffy, the bandit leader turned tail and fled, dragging his men with him. They had arrived with bravado, and left utterly humiliated.
But the villagers weren't bothered in the slightest. Already drunk, they quickly returned to their carefree celebration.
Laughter once again filled the bar.
Only Makino remained worried.
She leaned over and whispered to Luffy, "Luffy! You shouldn't speak to people like that! They're dangerous!
Next time, please don't provoke them. It could end badly!"
But Luffy simply waved her off with a grin. "Relax, Makino-san. I've lost count of how many guys like that I've killed."
He downed the last of his milk in one gulp.
"Killing is wrong!"
Makino's tone suddenly turned stern.
She didn't doubt Luffy's words, she knew he had the strength, and he never lied to her.
But this was the first time Luffy had seen such a serious look on her face.
"Luffy!" she reached out, cupping his cheeks in her hands and locking eyes with him. "Promise me! No more killing, okay?"
With his cheeks squished between her palms and lips pouting, Luffy couldn't fight back. Defeated, he muttered, "Fine, fine! I promise, now please let go, Makino-san!"
"I knew it. Luffy's always such a good boy!"
Satisfied with his answer, she playfully rubbed his cheeks one more time before reluctantly letting go.
As she looked at the now-grown Luffy, a touch of sadness flickered in her eyes.
Soon… I might not be able to pinch his cheeks like this anymore.
─────────🏴☠️─────────
The next morning.
Luffy was still sound asleep.
Outside, a commotion was stirring.
"Luffy! Luffy!!"
A villager burst into the bar, shouting frantically.
The urgency in his voice jolted Luffy awake. He quickly got dressed and rushed out.
The moment the villager saw him, he grabbed Luffy's arm without a word and dragged him through the streets.
"It's bad! Something terrible's happened!"
He didn't explain anything else.
They arrived at one of the village's main roads.
Luffy stopped in his tracks, and his expression changed instantly.
His face darkened with fury. Rage burst from his eyes like a volcano erupting.
A wagon loaded with barrels of wine had overturned on the road. Several barrels had burst open, spilling liquor across the ground.
The area was surrounded by over twenty mountain bandits.
The village chief was on his knees, bowing repeatedly, begging.
Nearby, a few villagers lay unconscious, one man had been shot in the stomach, blood pooling around him.
Makino was being held captive. Her face was swollen, bruised, and bleeding from both her mouth and nose. Her eyes were dazed and unfocused.
The bandit leader from yesterday stood behind her, gripping her neck with one hand and raising the other to strike her again.
"STOP. RIGHT. NOW!"
A roar ripped from Luffy's throat as Conqueror's Haki exploded from his body, his full killing intent aimed directly at the bandit leader.
The man's eyes rolled back as dizziness overtook him. Staggering, he released Makino's neck.
Luffy dashed forward and caught her just before she hit the ground.
Her bloodied face, limp body… she'd already passed out.
Luffy's eyes turned blood-red. His pupils shrank into murderous slits.
All he wanted now…
Was to kill.
He gently laid Makino down on the ground.
Then, with one hand, he grabbed a barrel of wine and smashed it against the bandit leader's skull.
The impact sent the man crashing to the ground.
Wine soaked the dirt, and the cold splash jolted the bandit back to consciousness.
But when he looked up,
All he saw were Luffy's eyes, burning with a beast-like rage, like lightning ready to tear the heavens apart.
Before he could speak, Luffy drew the man's own curved blade from his waist.
In a single motion, he plunged it straight into the bandit's heart.
Then he turned toward the rest of them.
A blur.
And suddenly,
A severed head hit the ground.
Moments later, Luffy stood amidst a field of corpses, twenty-something lifeless bodies.
Blood trickled down his face, dripped off his chin, and splashed silently onto the ground.
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