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White Phosphorus—this was something Shuma had hidden inside one of his origami beasts, the Paper Ant. When the paper ant leapt into the fire pit, the white phosphorus inside ignited instantly, causing the flames to surge violently and producing thick smoke. That was precisely why Douglas and the others in Room 203 had no choice but to flee.
Lami and the other courtesans had no idea what exactly was happening, but they knew one thing for sure—this could only mean a fire. If they didn't call someone to deal with it immediately, the responsibility would fall squarely on them.
Most of these women came from poor families. Much of their meager income was taken away by the Frosthorn Gang, so how could they possibly afford to pay for damages from a fire? The only ones who could shoulder that responsibility were pirates like Douglas and his crew.
So, the moment they rushed out of the private room, they cried out loudly:
"Fire! Someone help! Put out the fire!"
In an instant, word of the blaze spread through the luxurious building. Countless guests bolted for the exits without a second thought, throwing the place into complete chaos.
Hearing the cries, members of the Frosthorn Gang outside rushed in to extinguish the flames and maintain order.
But once order collapses, rebuilding it in a short time is almost impossible. Outnumbered, the Frosthorn Gang couldn't hold back the frantic crowd. After all, most of the "guests" inside were ruthless pirates—trying to stop them would only invite disaster.
The Frosthorn Gang wasn't stupid. Realizing it was futile, they quickly gave up trying to stop anyone.
With no one standing in their way, a flood of people poured out of the burning building. Some trapped on higher floors, unable to reach the escape routes in time, even chose to leap from the windows.
Seeing the chaos, Douglas and his men didn't dare remain any longer. Since the smoke had originated from their room, if the Frosthorn Gang later decided to investigate, they would surely become the scapegoats. So, they blended into the panicked crowd and fled the building.
"There they are."
Outside the building, Aaron—who had been using his Observation Haki to monitor the situation inside—immediately sensed the state of things. He quickly pinpointed the positions of Douglas and Shuma as they slipped out.
Aaron slapped the table, stood up, tossed down a large stack of Berries, and strode outside.
The others followed right after.
With his Observation Haki, Aaron could clearly track Douglas's movements and pursued him closely from behind.
Before long, they entered the slums beside the red-light district.
Yes—the slums of Vilia Port sprawled just outside the city walls, covering an enormous area. They were home to countless people at the bottom of society, along with every kind of shady character imaginable. Lawless and chaotic, filled with illegal buildings, the slums were the perfect hiding place for any pirate who came to Vilia Port.
"They've stopped moving, Aaron. Should we strike now?"
Shuma, who had rejoined the group, turned to Aaron.
Since arriving at Vilia Port, Shuma had never slacked in his training. Though he lacked Aaron's monstrous regenerative abilities, he had been pushing himself relentlessly, desperate not to fall behind. His strength had improved considerably—most notably his Paper-Paper Fruit abilities, which had grown far stronger.
Back in the luxury building, he had secretly sent a paper ant crawling into Douglas's pant leg. With that, he could now track Douglas's location so long as he remained within a hundred meters.
"No rush. We're not the only ones after Douglas tonight. And he's got more people with him now. Let others make the first move—he's not escaping. In the meantime… let's invite out the 'guest' hiding over there."
Aaron, with his Observation Haki, could sense that Douglas's group had stopped about fifteen meters ahead. He nodded slightly to Shuma, then turned his gaze toward the shadows on the right.
To the naked eye, that spot was empty. But to Aaron's Haki, the hidden figure was exposed.
Shuma and the others followed Aaron's gaze, but none of them could see anything—without Haki, they were blind to the presence of the hidden enemy.
After all, Haki was a power usually only encountered in the New World, the second half of the Grand Line.
Naturally, Victor and Dorak had no knowledge of it and stood there confused. But Shuma and Williams were well aware of Haki's existence, and they knew Aaron could wield Observation Haki. The moment they realized what Aaron meant, their expressions grew grim.
An unseen enemy lurking in the shadows—if he struck them from behind mid-battle, the consequences could be fatal.
At that very moment, Absalom was stunned. Ever since he had stumbled upon the Clear-Clear Fruit in the West Blue and gained the power of invisibility, no one had ever detected him. Not even during his time in the so-called Devil's Sea of the Grand Line had anyone been able to perceive him while he was invisible.
But now, this young man named Aaron was staring directly at him—eyes locked onto his position, gun aimed squarely at his head. For the first time in a long while, Absalom felt a genuine sense of danger.
Tonight really is the worst…
Truth be told, his appearance here was pure accident.
Earlier, he had been thoroughly enjoying himself in the luxury building, basking in the overwhelming "attentions" of the women there. But when the fire broke out, he had no choice but to flee—and in the process, he had stumbled across Douglas.
To fund his indulgences, Absalom didn't just steal; he occasionally worked as a bounty hunter as well.
Thanks to the Clear-Clear Fruit, ambushing or poisoning high-bounty pirates was child's play. Not only was it easy money, but it also gave him bragging rights in front of women.
Once, he had taken down a pirate captain in the West Blue worth 80 million Berries. That payout had kept him living carefree for quite some time.
Douglas, though only worth 20 million Berries, was still a decent catch in Absalom's eyes—too good to pass up. Using his invisibility, he had quietly tailed Douglas, waiting for the perfect chance to strike.
But then he realized Aaron and his masked companions were after Douglas as well.
That didn't bother Absalom in the slightest—if anything, it delighted him. He figured he could let them do the work, then swoop in to steal Douglas's head—or even steal the bounty they collected.
One way or another, he couldn't lose.
Or so he thought.
All those plans went up in smoke the moment Aaron spotted him. In an instant, his scheme had flipped from heaven to hell.
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