As for that guy Enel, Ryuuzaki didn't have much confidence in recruiting him. Might as well just snatch the Rumble-Rumble Fruit before he does.
"Enel probably hasn't found the fruit yet," he thought to himself.
"Ryuuzaki! Ryuuzaki! Come help me carry this shipment!"
"Oh, coming!"
Planning a trip to Skypiea would take time. For now, he had to help Makino with deliveries.
Makino supported herself by transporting supplies to the village tavern. The people of Foosha Village were mostly kind and generous. They looked after Makino like she was family. The tavern's owner even gave her this job to help her get by.
"Makino-nee, I gotta say, you're kinda slow!"
"What? Did you just call me slow?!"
"My silly big sister, the barrel is round, you can roll it!"
"Oh, why didn't I think of that?!"
"Hehehe…"
Ryuuzaki helped load the barrels onto a cart, and the two of them pushed it to the village tavern.
Makino wasn't the owner yet, not at this point in time.
After unloading the goods through the back door into storage, the pair went to the front and sat down for a drink together.
But before they could even take a sip, trouble walked in.
A group of mountain bandits swaggered through the entrance.
"Hey, hey, clear out the seats! Our boss is a man with a 500,000 Beli bounty!"
One of the goons, dirty and obviously the stereotypical lackey, kicked over a table with a sneer.
"You punks have any idea who you're messing with?! I'm the great mountain bandit SIGG , wanted for 500,000 Beli!"
Ryuuzaki blinked, unimpressed.
Seriously? You're just a mountain bandit. Why do you have to act like some kind of final boss?
And the guy wasn't just talking big , he slapped a wanted poster down on the table with a loud "THWACK!"
Look at me, I've got proof. See? It's official!
Sure enough, the bounty poster listed all the usual details: name, photo, amount , clear and official.
The other patrons quickly backed away, not wanting any trouble.
Sigg, seeing this, only puffed up more, barking and boasting as his little crew followed suit.
"This guy… why does he seem familiar?"
Ryuuzaki thought for a moment.
"That's it! This guy , Sigg , he's the same idiot from the original story who tried to mess with Red-Haired Shanks!"
Yeah, that guy was bold.
Everyone else trembles in front of a Yonko.
But this fool? He actually punched one.
Ignorance truly is fearless.
And people who don't respect Shanks never end well.
Even a top-tier monster like Whitebeard died because he didn't give Shanks some respect. What chance did a little 500,000 Beli trash mob like Sigg have?
He was absolutely going to be fish food by the end of the day.
"You lot listen up! I've killed three men before!"
Blah blah blah. Keep bragging.
Ryuuzaki had no intention of getting involved, but trouble found him anyway.
"Well, well, this little lady's kinda cute, isn't she?"
One of Sigg's lackeys leered and walked over.
Ryuuzaki stood up immediately, placing himself between Makino and the thug.
"Huh? Outta the way, brat."
"Hehehe…"
Now what? Should he fight?
If he did, he risked exposing his identity.
"What are you laughing at, punk?"
'You tell me,' Ryuuzaki thought. 'I'll just keep smiling and freak you out.'
As he desperately tried to think of a way to defuse the situation without revealing himself, the thug made the first move.
That did it.
You arrogant little nobody, your boss is already nothing but a stepping stone in canon, and you don't even have a name. You wouldn't survive a flashback episode!
In that instant, Ryuuzaki pulled out two kitchen knives.
Where did he get them? Who knows. Let's just say: cool guys never explain their props.
He charged forward, and promptly tripped over a chair, landing face-first.
The knives? Perfectly fell onto Lackey A's feet , one on each.
Fair and balanced.
"AAAAAAARGHHH!"
Lackey A howled in agony.
Getting your toes chopped off by a falling kid with kitchen knives? Yeah, that's pain.
Everyone in the tavern stared in stunned silence.
Especially Sigg, who looked utterly dumbfounded.
What the hell kind of luck was this kid riding on?!
He just tripped and managed to slice a guy's feet open?!
Ryuuzaki got up, face bruised but furious.
"Nobody hurts my sister! I'll slice you all to pieces!"
And slice he did.
Wielding his twin kitchen knives, he carved his way from Lackey A to B, from C to D, sending them all fleeing and screaming in terror.
Now, yes, these mountain bandits were cowards , but the real reason they ran was because every time their weapons clashed with Ryuuzaki's knives… their swords broke.
Clean.
Like butter.
No one knew why the knives were that sharp , they just figured the kid must be scary strong.
Even Sigg took one look and ran out the door, not even bothering to pay his tab.
As for the rest of the tavern, everyone was stunned.
Wait… these were kitchen knives?
People who had once complained that Ryuuzaki's knives were too sharp , slicing through cutting boards, tables, and fingers , suddenly changed their tune.
A few local housewives started murmuring: "Maybe we should each buy one… for self-defense, of course."
After all, if even a child could chase off armed bandits with nothing but knives, then how scary could a grown-up be with one?
Swords? Please.
Ryuuzaki-brand kitchen knives cut swords like vegetables.
"Ryuuzaki, thank goodness you were here!"
"I won't let anyone hurt you, Makino-nee!"
Makino hugged him tightly, eyes brimming with tears.
Ryuuzaki returned the embrace, silently relieved.
He'd managed to resolve things naturally, without blowing his cover.
Thankfully, the knives were high enough quality to do the talking.
Suddenly-
Clack... clack... clack...
The slow, deliberate tapping of a cane echoed through the wooden floor.
A blind man stepped into the tavern.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter