"Boss Hu, there's a bunch of brats outside asking for you," a lookout suddenly called.
Boss Hu frowned. "Brats?"
He looked toward the gate and, sure enough, saw a group of kids crying and arguing with the guards.
"Let them in," Hu ordered coldly.
"Yes, sir."
The children were soon herded in, all talking over each other in high-pitched panic.
"Sir! Please help Godia!"
"Please, sir, you've got to save him!"
"Sir!"
The kids ran straight to Hu, dropped to their knees, and started kowtowing on the ground.
"Shut it!" the mafia boss snapped impatiently. "We're a gang, not the Marine. You want someone saved? Go beg someone else!"
"Now get out of here, unless you've got something useful to say!"
His long-standing authority made the kids fall silent instantly. They all exchanged helpless glances, knowing well the kind of man they were dealing with.
These orphans were infamous in the city, clever, resourceful survivors. Hu figured they had to be up to something, but he never expected them to come pleading for someone's life.
Save someone?
What a joke.
In a world like this, life was the cheapest thing there was. Hu had no habit of playing the hero.
Just as he was about to dismiss them completely, one of the older, sturdier kids stepped forward.
"Sir," the boy said cautiously, "we have information."
"The man who took Godia had gold on him, a lot of gold. We saw it with our own eyes!"
"Gold?" Hu raised an eyebrow. Now that was interesting.
During their recent escape, things had gotten too dangerous. He'd only managed to flee with weapons, no valuables. If there was a way to snag some wealth, maybe he could treat their patron to a proper meal and curry some favor.
Still...
Hu's eyes narrowed. Anyone bold enough to set foot on Apocide Island wasn't some helpless traveler. And these were delicate times.
Better not to act rashly.
He sank back into his couch, fingers tapping against the armrest in thought. After a long pause, he finally asked, "What did they look like?"
The boy quickly answered, "A man and a woman. Both young, early twenties, I'd guess. They looked worn from travel, but their clothes were high-quality. Definitely not poor."
Even a child surviving in this chaotic world developed sharp instincts.
"Hmm..." Hu fell silent again. The kids hadn't given him enough to go on. He didn't want to stir up unnecessary trouble.
"You lot head back. I'll think about it," he said, casually brushing them off.
The children, though clearly disappointed, knew exactly what his answer meant. They left the gang's turf quietly.
Outside, a blond-haired boy turned to the older kid. "What now, Garen?"
"Don't panic, Arthur. Maybe Big Brother Godia isn't in danger," Garen said, trying to sound reassuring.
"But, " Arthur was about to protest when a rough voice barked behind them.
"Hey! Brats!"
Garen and Arthur turned. It was the one-eyed man who'd been standing beside Boss Hu earlier.
"You said something about gold?" the man growled. His lone eye flared with an eerie intensity, his thick brow twitching.
"Y-y-yes, sir!" the kids stammered, visibly trembling under his gaze.
The one-eyed man's stare grew even darker, as if already scheming something nasty.
"Only two of them, right?" he asked.
Garen nodded quickly.
"Wait here. Don't move," the man ordered before striding back into the mansion.
When he re-entered, he put on a calm face.
"Boss, I'll take some of the boys into town, ask around, see if any street rats have heard anything. Always good to stay informed in times like these."
"Alright. Go," Hu nodded, waving over another subordinate. "Follow him. Report back if anything happens."
It wasn't that Hu didn't trust One-Eye, he'd been loyal for years. But he was rash and reckless. That missing eye? Lost to his own stupidity. Better safe than sorry.
With Hu's permission, One-Eye led two dozen gangsters out the front gate and circled back to the roadside where the kids were waiting.
"Do you know where they're staying?" he asked.
"Yes! Big Brother Godia took them to the Ophoga Inn. They should still be there!" Garen said quickly.
"Ophoga Inn? Fancy choice," One-Eye muttered.
That inn belonged to the Heikik Principality, the most powerful organization on Apocide Island. No one dared mess with their property, not even rival gangs. After all, Heikik had direct ties to the World Government.
Meanwhile, inside the inn…
Luffy had just finished eating and was listening to Godia explain the state of the island.
He hadn't expected things to be this complicated.
On the surface, it was a battle between the principality and the rebel army. But behind the scenes, two powerful mafia groups ran illegal operations, drugs, weapons, and even slaves.
Godia said the two major gangs had recently clashed in a bloody fight. One of them had been nearly wiped out, with only a few core members managing to escape.
Rumor had it… they were hiding in this very city.
Luffy and Robin exchanged a glance. Their mission was to make contact with the mafia. Whichever side ran this city would save them a lot of trouble.
Luffy gave Robin a subtle nod. She responded with a faint smile and reached for the Den Den Mushi tucked into her chest.
But before she could make the call,
A dozen men stormed into the inn and surrounded them completely.
"Godia!"
Outside the circle, Garen waved frantically. "Run! Get out of there!"
Godia looked from Garen to the gangsters and seemed to realize what was happening.
But how could he run? Luffy had treated him with nothing but kindness. Gritting his teeth, Godia mustered his courage.
"Sirs," he said to the gangsters, "there's no trouble here. This gentleman only asked me for directions, "
"Shut up!" One-Eye snarled, slapping Godia across the face and sending him flying.
"Godia!" the kids rushed in, helping their friend up.
One-Eye slammed a pistol down onto the table and sneered at Luffy. "I heard you've got some gold on you, kid."
"Oh?" Luffy raised the pouch and gave it a little shake. The rich clink of coins rang out like music. "You mean this?"
"Smart boy," One-Eye grinned and reached for it.
But before his fingers touched the bag, Luffy's hand snapped forward and caught his wrist.
"Huh?"
One-Eye tugged.
Nothing.
It was like his arm was caught in iron.
"You're pulling the wrong way," Luffy smirked. With a casual flick of his arm, he sent One-Eye flying into the air.
The gangster let out a silent, stunned scream, falling like a stone.
"Bam!"
Luffy kicked upward mid-spin, sending One-Eye crashing through the inn's front doors and into the dirt outside.
Crack!
From behind, a sword came slicing in. Luffy casually reached back with his left hand, catching the blade between two fingers, now clad in a jet-black armored glove.
He didn't turn around.
With his Observation Haki active, he sensed everything around him clearly.
Flames erupted around his hands. Forming his fingers like guns, he raised both arms and took aim at the thugs.
"Biu.
Biu.
Biu-biu-biu-biu!"
In under fifteen seconds, all twenty-some gangsters lay slumped on the floor, each sporting a small, smoking hole.
Luffy fired a few extra rounds at the ones still twitching, just to be sure.
Only then did One-Eye stumble back into the inn, clutching his side.
Robin, standing protectively over the children, watched them stare at Luffy in wide-eyed awe. A soft smile curled on her lips.
Strangely, she felt… satisfied.
"You, " One-Eye's voice broke as he saw his entire squad sprawled across the floor. Realizing he'd picked a fight with the wrong guy, he turned and bolted.
==========
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