Mt. Colubo, in the forest.
Captain Rat, full of vigor, led his equally hyped-up Marines, striding quickly into the mountains.
"Snap to it, all of you!"
"Vice Admiral Garp is watching us from behind! This is our chance to make a name for ourselves in front of a legend!"
Rat lowered his voice, but the excitement and greed in his tone were impossible to hide.
He seemed to already envision himself capturing the "ruffians," receiving credit in front of Garp, and then returning with five million berries for a life of debauchery.
The Marines, too, puffed out their chests and held their heads high, looking fierce.
In their eyes, this mission had transformed from clearing out ruffians into an armed parade.
However.
When they rounded a mountain pass and arrived at a familiar clearing.
The entire squad's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
"..."
"..."
Everyone looked as if they had been choked, their wild joy frozen and replaced by stupefaction.
The sight before them caused the brains of these Marines, who prided themselves on having seen much, to collectively crash.
This was no longer a forest clearing!
This was a giant crater that had just been hit by a meteor!
A massive scorched pit, over thirty meters in diameter, appeared before everyone.
The edges of the crater were charred black, still emitting wisps of smoke.
The air was filled with a pungent burnt smell, mixed with a strange "fragrance" of burnt vegetation.
The surrounding trees were toppled, and the broken trunks still bore traces of burning.
The ground looked as if it had been thoroughly plowed by some terrifying force, with overturned hot soil and broken stones.
"Cap... Captain..."
A Marine's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"What... what happened here just now?"
Rat's mouth hung wide open, his two wretched mustaches comically upturned due to the stiffness of his facial muscles.
The five million berries and the immense credit in his eyes were instantly shattered by the hellish scene before him.
Are... are you kidding me!
He was just here to catch a few kids!
This level of destructive power, and you're telling me a few kids caused it?!
This is a Buster Call-level bombardment, isn't it?!
"Is... is this what those ruffians did?"
"This... is this a Devil Fruit user? And one with extremely destructive power?"
"No wonder the House of Otriluk was willing to pay five million berries! These aren't kids, they're monsters!"
The Marines erupted, their high morale instantly zeroed out, replaced by uncontrollable fear.
"Shut up!"
Rat suddenly snapped back to his senses, roaring with a fierce but inwardly weak voice.
"What are you panicking about! We have Vice Admiral Garp as our backing! What's there to be afraid of!"
He shouted this, but his legs had already begun to tremble involuntarily.
Just then.
A lazy voice came from not far away.
"Hey, what are you guys in uniforms doing sneaking around on our turf?"
Rat and all the Marines suddenly flinched, turning their heads in unison!
They saw three kids walking out from behind a scorched tree.
Leading them was a black-haired boy with freckles on his face, his hands in his pockets, staring at them with an unfriendly gaze.
Next to him, a blond boy wearing a worn top hat held a half-human-sized pipe, looking wary.
Finally... there was a silly boy in a straw hat, struggling to stuff the last bite of a huge meat leg into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out like a hamster.
It was Ace, Sabo, and Luffy.
They had just recovered a bit of their strength when they heard the commotion here.
Seeing these three dirty, exhausted kids, and then looking at the giant crater behind them, like a natural disaster had passed through.
Rat's mind was having trouble processing it.
He pointed at the terrifying crater, then at the three kids, stammering.
"That... that... was that your doing?"
Ace glanced at his "masterpiece" behind him, then frowned impatiently.
"None of your business? Who are you? What are you doing here?"
This arrogant attitude instantly ignited Rat's heart, which was already a mess of fear and greed.
He remembered the five million berries in his pocket!
He remembered having Vice Admiral Garp backing him up!
Just three kids, even if they were Devil Fruit users, in their current half-dead state, could they really turn the tables?!
"Impudent!"
Rat's confidence instantly returned, he straightened his back, resuming the dignified posture of a Marine Captain.
"We are from Marine Branch 16! Entrusted by the Goa Kingdom, we are here to apprehend the ruffians entrenched on Mt. Colubo!"
He surveyed the three of them up and down with his greedy eyes, a sinister smile spreading across his lips.
"It seems it's you three little bastards!"
"Goa Kingdom entrusted..."
These five words, like a rusty, blunt knife, stabbed fiercely into Sabo's heart.
The wariness and exhaustion on his face instantly faded, replaced by a pallor mixed with anger and despair.
"Is... is it my father who sent you?"
His voice carried an uncontrollable tremor, full of resentment and questioning.
"We are not ruffians!"
"Huh?"
Captain Rat picked his ear, looking at Sabo with a look of idiocy, his two mustaches comically twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"I don't care who your father is."
He sneered, pointing a finger at the Marine insignia on his chest.
"Here, if I say you're a ruffian, you're a ruffian!"
"Don't try any tricks on me! Come with us now, and you'll suffer less!"
"If you dare to resist..."
Rat's gaze turned sinister, "Your good days are over!"
"You're dreaming!"
Ace exploded first!
He stepped forward, shielding Sabo and Luffy behind him, and his right fist "whooshed" into a blazing inferno!
"Want to catch us? Then trade your lives for it!"
The hot air blast hit them, causing the Marines in the front row to instinctively take half a step back.
Sabo also gritted his teeth, transforming his inner pain and despair into cold fighting intent.
He raised his pipe, and a emerald green breeze began to swirl around him, emitting a faint whistle.
"Oh? Still dare to fight?"
Rat looked at the flames and whirlwind erupting from the two, a flicker of fear in his eyes, but it was immediately replaced by deeper greed.
Devil Fruit users!
They were indeed monsters!
Capturing them would bring even greater credit!
Vice Admiral Garp behind him was his greatest source of confidence!
"Charge!"
Rat commanded.
"Capture them all! Resisters will be killed without mercy!"
"Yes!"
The Marines roared in unison, bolstering their courage, gripping their swords, and charged fiercely at the three kids!
The battle was about to begin!
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