Mock Town, afternoon.
The sunlight hung heavy like grease, smearing across the oily wooden tables of the tavern.
The air reeked of cheap rum, flies buzzing lazily in the dim light.
Ronan and the others pushed the door open.
Bang.
Luffy's massive frame blocked out half the sunlight at the entrance, his indestructible body radiating a mountain-like pressure.
But the brief silence was quickly shattered—
"Ugh, this is unbearable! This place is filthy, it stinks, even the air reeks of poverty!"
A sharp, arrogant female voice cut through the room.
A man wearing sunglasses followed, fanning the air in disgust.
"And the rum here is garbage! It's an insult to my taste!"
The tavern instantly fell into a fearful silence.
Heads lowered.
Some patrons quietly slipped toward the back exit.
"It's… it's Sarquiss, vice-captain of the Hyena Pirates… bounty 38 million!"
Someone whispered in the shadows.
Sarquiss swept his gaze arrogantly across the room.
His eyes paused briefly on Ronan's Seastone spear—
A flicker of unease.
But his arrogance quickly took over.
"Hear me, trash! Get lost!"
"Our captain Bellamy is coming. This place is reserved."
The pirates scrambled out like they'd been pardoned.
Sarquiss smirked, looking at Luffy.
"So you're Straw Hat?"
"Bellamy's pretty curious about a guy whose price suddenly shot up."
Heavy footsteps echoed.
Then—
He arrived.
Bellamy.
The man known as "The Hyena."
Blonde hair.
A mocking grin.
Eyes filled with a twisted confidence that believed he had seen through the world.
He sat across from Luffy.
"Bring this '200 million' big shot your best drink."
"Put it on my tab."
He pushed the glass forward.
"Go on. Drink."
"Consider it your welcome gift to Mock Town."
Luffy blinked.
Then smiled.
"Huh… didn't expect you to be a good guy."
He lifted the drink—
And gulped it down.
In that instant—
As Luffy tilted his head back, exposing his throat—
Bellamy's face twisted viciously.
"Die!!!"
His right hand shot forward—
Muscles compressing like a spring—
Then exploding with crushing force toward Luffy's skull!
At the table—
Ronan, Zoro, and Sanji didn't even react.
Sanji casually trimmed his nails.
A faint, pitying smirk on his lips.
CLANG—!!!
A deafening metallic impact echoed.
Bellamy's palm slammed into Luffy's head—
Shockwaves blasted outward, shattering empty bottles.
But—
Luffy didn't move.
Not even a tremor.
Bellamy's eyes widened.
It felt like he had just struck a towering iron mountain.
The recoil surged up his arm—
His bones creaking under the strain.
Luffy calmly finished his drink.
Set the cup down.
The innocence in his eyes—
Vanished.
Replaced by something cold enough to freeze the air.
"…I take it back."
Luffy looked at Bellamy.
Voice flat.
"You're not a good guy."
"Y-Your head… is it made of diamond?!"
Bellamy panicked, trying to retreat—
Too late.
Luffy's fist—
Drove forward.
BOOM—!!
"GRAAAH—!!"
Blood, stomach acid, and half-digested food exploded from Bellamy's mouth.
His body folded into a grotesque U-shape—
His strength, his abilities—
Useless.
CRASH—!!!
Bellamy shot backward like a cannonball—
Smashing through the wooden counter—
Blasting through three stone walls—
Before embedding into the far ruins.
Dust filled the air.
Silence.
Outside—
The watching pirates froze.
"Bellamy… 55 million… one-shot?!"
"That was pure physical strength…"
"No wonder… 200 million…"
Sarquiss stood frozen.
His cigar dropped onto his foot—
But he didn't even dare scream.
That wasn't a man.
That was a monster wearing human skin.
"Zehahahahaha!! What a punch!!"
A deep, booming laugh echoed from the entrance.
The atmosphere—
Changed.
Heavier.
Darker.
Ronan's eyes sharpened instantly.
He stood up slowly—
Hand gripping his spear.
Sunlight stretched into the tavern—
Casting a massive, imposing shadow.
A man stepped in.
Bare chest.
Thick body hair.
Missing teeth revealed in a wide, savage grin.
Behind him—
A pale sniper.
A sickly horseman.
A massive brute.
Blackbeard.
Marshall D. Teach.
His greedy, shining eyes swept across the room—
Then locked onto—
Wapol.
Who was desperately trying to disappear into the corner.
"Well, well… fortune smiles upon me."
Blackbeard stroked his beard, grinning widely.
"I finally found Wapol…"
"And I run into Straw Hat Luffy too?"
"Seems today… fate has prepared quite the gift for me."
Luffy turned, frowning slightly.
"…Who are you?"
Blackbeard stepped forward.
Dark energy seemed to ripple faintly around him.
He pointed at Wapol.
"Straw Hat Luffy."
"Hand him over."
"I've been looking for him for a long time."
Then—
His fist clenched.
Bones cracking like firecrackers.
His gaze sharpened into something deadly.
"And if you refuse…"
A sinister grin spread across his face.
"Then I'll just take him by force."
"Not just him…"
"You'll be coming with me too."
"Zehahahaha…!"
"Today… my luck couldn't be better."
To Read60+ AHEAD advanced Chapters, head over to P@treon
patreon.com/DarkVerse146