"Ahhhhhhh!!!!"
Hiding in the grass, young Ace's face was as red as a monkey's butt. Using a leaf to cover his lower body, he looked both furious and embarrassed.
"I'm going to kill you!!!"
"Hahahahahahaha!!!"
Orin spun Ace's shorts on one finger, laughing loudly. To think such a little brat already knew how to be embarrassed.
Sabo, though he'd never seen Ace make that kind of face before—and would usually be laughing by now—didn't dare this time.
After all, they were facing an enemy. Spinning the small iron pipe in his hand, Sabo circled around Orin, trying to snatch Ace's shorts back.
With a sudden, decisive leap, he lunged toward Orin—but the result was obvious...
"Hey!!! Sabo, why did you—"
"I didn't mean to!!!"
And so, both little brats ended up completely subdued by Orin, crouching in the grass, too afraid to show their faces.
Just then—
Because Ace hadn't returned home for dinner in a long while, Rouge, who was now around thirty, came into the woods. Though time had passed, she still retained her graceful beauty.
"Ace!!! Ace???"
Her voice called out again and again, growing closer each time.
"Oh no!!!"
Hearing his mother's voice approaching, Ace broke out in a cold sweat. He looked at Orin, the guy they couldn't even touch—possibly an enemy—and panic filled his face.
Forgetting that he was stark naked, Ace charged forward shouting,
"Don't you dare touch my mom!!!"
Orin: "(＾ｖ＾)ノ"
Rouge: "???"
...
"Don't treat Orin like that!!!"
"I've always taught you better than this, haven't I, Ace?!!"
If there was anyone the fearless little demon Ace truly feared in this world, it was only his mother.
Faced with Rouge's sharp-tongued scolding, hands on hips, Ace swallowed hard and quickly quieted down.
Seeing Rouge disciplining Ace, even the visiting Sabo didn't dare lift his head. He sat properly at the dinner table, silently counting the grains of rice in his bowl.
Ace's mom...
She's terrifying!!!
Meanwhile, Orin was cheerfully savoring Rouge-san's cooking, smiling as he glanced at Ace, which only made Ace even angrier.
Ace's furious eyes glared straight at Orin.
Seeing her son's attitude, Rouge's brows furrowed. She raised her hand high—it looked like she was about to slap him.
But just before her hand could strike—
"There's no need for that, Rouge-san. Ace and I were only joking."
Ace froze.
A hand had appeared beside his face, stopping Rouge's slap.
He just stood there, stunned.
The reason he didn't dodge or block it... was because he'd never been hit before.
Since childhood, Rouge had certainly scolded him for his mischief and troublemaking, but she had never once struck him. Yet today—she almost did, and for a stranger...
Clatter—
Shoving away the hand that shielded him, Ace bit his lip and sprinted out of the house. No matter how Sabo called after him, he didn't stop.
Sabo's eyes widened. He looked between Orin and Rouge, hesitated for a moment, then chased after Ace.
"Ace!! Wait for me!!!"
In an instant, the two boys vanished from sight.
Orin opened his mouth, not expecting things to escalate like this.
As for Rouge—she regretted it the moment she'd raised her hand. Watching Ace's figure disappear into the distance, she walked to the doorway, tears welling in her eyes.
"Ace..."
How could she ever bring herself to hit Ace? But this time was different.
Orin was their savior—the man who had rescued both her and Ace. No matter how she looked at it, that was a debt she could never repay.
And for years, the only reason she and Ace had lived peacefully in Windmill Village was because of Orin's support—his money, his protection, and the guards he sent.
When it came to caring for Ace, Orin had been almost like a father—certainly better than Roger ever was.
She couldn't allow Ace to treat him so rudely.
"Rouge-san..."
Orin smiled gently and handed her a tissue.
"It's just a small misunderstanding. I'll go bring him back."
Hearing that, Rouge took the tissue, wiped her tears, and nodded gratefully.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Orin-san."
...
Plunk—
Ace hurled a pebble into the river, sitting sullenly on the bank. Sabo stood beside him.
"Don't be mad, Ace!"
Sabo tried to comfort him, but Ace didn't listen. He just kept throwing stones into the water, one after another, sending ripples across the surface.
Just then—
A rustling sound came from the grass nearby.
"Who's there?!"
The two boys instantly went on alert.
Thanks to their natural talent and years of training in the woods, both had become formidable fighters. They weren't monsters yet, but taking down an average adult was no problem.
They stared toward the sound—several silhouettes emerged from the brush.
"Well, well, if it isn't Ace and Sabo."
Broad-shouldered men with blades slung over them stepped into view, glaring at the boys.
"So it was you brats who stole our treasure a few days ago, huh?!"
Seeing them, Ace and Sabo instantly realized they were in trouble.
Over the years, they'd swindled, tricked, and even robbed plenty of people to gather treasure for their dream of going to sea. Naturally, not every victim took it lying down.
What was strange, though, was that whenever they got beaten and blacked out, the pirates who attacked them would mysteriously vanish afterward.
They thought about running—but quickly noticed that every escape route had already been blocked off by the pirates.
"Damn it!!!"
Back to back, standing near the river, the two boys watched the ring of pirates closing in with wary eyes.
The pirates, clearly not taking the kids seriously, sneered.
"Hey!!! Where'd you hide our treasure?!"
Against one or two, Ace and Sabo might've had a chance—but surrounded by a group of armed, musclebound pirates, things looked grim.
"Give up, brats! Tell us where the treasure is!!!"
Just as they exchanged glances, ready to dive into the river to escape—
A voice echoed out of nowhere.
"Looking for my treasure, are you?"
A tall figure appeared in the forest, footsteps echoing as he slowly approached.
Step—
Splash—
Splash—
Walking calmly as if on a stroll, he came to stand before the pirate leader.
Orin looked down at him with an easy smile, his presence radiating pure dominance.
"Take my head, and you'll gain limitless wealth. Come and claim it—if you can!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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