On the contrary, as the bullet's momentum faded, Luffy's rubbery belly rebounded. Its powerful elasticity forced the bullet out and sent it flying back even faster than before.
"Shit!"
Borsalmi's eyes widened in shock. He barely managed to twist his body aside.
Even so, he couldn't fully evade it. The ricocheting bullet struck his thigh.
Fortunately, it wasn't a direct hit, so the impact was reduced. It didn't penetrate completely, but it still embedded itself deep into his muscle.
A sharp wave of pain surged through his leg. Borsalmi gasped, his expression twisting as he shouted at his companions:
"What are you standing around for?! Shoot!"
"The boss said—whether dead or alive, just bring them in!"
Snapping out of their daze, the two pirates quickly drew their pistols.
At that exact moment, while Luffy shielded Damon Varkos, Ace and Sabo moved.
With perfect coordination, they charged in from opposite directions.
Ordinary pirates had terrible aim. Against a stationary target, they might hit four out of ten shots—but against moving targets, their accuracy dropped drastically.
Ace and Sabo had been trained since childhood. They never ran in straight lines, instead weaving unpredictably in S-shaped patterns to avoid incoming fire.
On top of that, flintlock pistols were outdated. After each shot, there was a delay of several seconds before they could fire again, allowing the barrel to cool and preventing it from exploding.
Three seconds.
Not long—but enough.
Enough for Ace and Sabo to close the distance.
Ace, experienced in street fights, knew he was physically weaker than adult pirates. Instead of confronting them head-on, he suddenly dropped low and slid forward across the sand.
Using the soft ground to his advantage, he swept his leg hard into a pirate's shin.
The man lost his balance and fell sideways.
Before he could recover, a boy in a blue aristocratic suit rushed in from the flank.
Sabo pulled out two iron pipes, snapping them together into a long staff. Spinning it once, he leapt up and brought it crashing down on the back of the pirate's head.
A vulnerable spot.
The pirate's eyes rolled back instantly as he collapsed unconscious.
It was the body's natural defense—shutting down to protect the brain.
Still, Sabo's strength wasn't enough to keep him down for long.
"Hah… hah…"
Sabo steadied himself, breathing heavily.
What looked effortless was anything but. One mistake, and he would have been shot. The mental pressure alone was immense.
Then, placing one hand on his hip, Sabo grinned provocatively at Borsalmi and the remaining pirate.
"You guys are pathetic."
"If you've got guts… try shooting me."
He stuck out his tongue, openly mocking them.
Borsalmi's face darkened with rage.
Being humiliated by a child ignited their fury instantly.
Without thinking, they raised their guns and fired.
Bang! Bang!
But Sabo had already moved.
He rolled to the side just in time—
—and the bullets struck their own teammate behind him.
A disastrous case of friendly fire.
The unlucky pirate screamed like a slaughtered pig, jolting awake only to realize he had been shot twice in the back.
"Who shot me?!"
Borsalmi and his companion avoided his gaze, silent and guilty.
Whether it was due to outdated weapons or the toughness of people in this world, the man still managed to stagger back to his feet.
Watching all this, Damon Varkos was inwardly astonished.
Those destined for greatness truly showed it early.
Ace and Sabo were decisive, coordinated, and fluid—their teamwork clearly honed through repeated battles.
But children were still children.
Their strength had limits.
Had that blow come from an adult, the pirate would have stayed down much longer.
Learning from their mistake, Borsalmi and his group quickly tore strips of cloth from their clothes to bandage their wounds, then began tightening their formation, attempting to corner Ace and Sabo and limit their movement.
If successful, the situation would turn dangerous.
Seeing this, Damon Varkos quickly whispered something to Luffy.
The two grabbed handfuls of sand and rushed forward.
The difference in their physical abilities became immediately clear.
Luffy sprinted ahead effortlessly, leaving Damon Varkos far behind—and instantly drew the pirates' attention.
Damon Varkos, slower and appearing weaker, was largely ignored.
By the time he reached the battlefield, the fight had already intensified.
Ace, Sabo, and Luffy moved swiftly, using their smaller frames to circle the pirates.
Now fighting at close range—and wary of hitting each other again—the pirates stopped firing altogether.
Instead, they revealed their brutality, striking whenever they found an opening.
At one point, Ace was caught off guard.
Borsalmi grabbed him by the back of the neck and drove his knee repeatedly into Ace's stomach, nearly making him vomit everything he had eaten.
Just then—
Luffy arrived.
Following Damon Varkos's plan, he threw a handful of sand straight into Borsalmi's face.
"Argh!"
Blinded, Borsalmi staggered.
Luffy leapt forward and bit down hard on his wrist.
"AAARGH!"
The pain forced him to release Ace.
Moments later, just as Borsalmi managed to clear his eyes—
Damon Varkos arrived.
Another handful of sand.
Right into his face.
Blinded again.
In that brief moment of regained vision, Borsalmi caught sight of Damon Varkos's figure.
Rage exploded within him.
"If I can't deal with them… I'll deal with YOU!"
"You little brat—I'll tear you apart!"
Roaring, he lunged forward, attempting to crush Damon Varkos with his size and weight.
But Damon Varkos had learned.
The moment Borsalmi moved, he sensed the danger and clumsily rolled aside, narrowly avoiding the attack.
As he got back up, something caught his eye.
Borsalmi's flintlock pistol had fallen nearby.
A sharp glint flashed in Damon Varkos's eyes.
Without hesitation, he rushed forward and picked it up.
At the same time, Borsalmi regained his footing and cleared his vision.
He saw it—
The boy he had dismissed now standing before him… with a faint smile.
And aiming a gun.
At point-blank range.
Damon Varkos understood one thing clearly:
If he were captured, his fate would be worse than death.
So he didn't hesitate.
He pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Blood burst into the air.
A scream echoed across the shore.
Damon Varkos exhaled softly as smoke drifted from the barrel.
"Death moves like the wind… always at my side."
What is the greatest pain a woman can endure?
Childbirth.
What is the greatest pain a man can endure?
Castration.
Borsalmi experienced it firsthand.
His face twisted in agony as blood poured from the wound. He collapsed to his knees, trembling violently.
Cold sweat drenched his body. His vision blurred—
Until all he could see…
…was the dark barrel of a gun pointed at his forehead.
"N-no… please…"
His weak plea went unanswered.
Damon Varkos's eyes were cold.
Bang!
The bullet pierced straight through his skull.
His body collapsed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Damon Varkos's hands trembled as he held the gun—partly from the recoil, partly from the shock.
"I… killed someone."
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and fresh blood, making his stomach churn.
But he understood.
This world was cruel.
The weak had no control over their fate.
If he wanted to survive—to grow stronger—this path was inevitable.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to suppress the nausea.
Then, during a brief pause, he glanced sideways.
Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were still fighting in perfect coordination.
Victory was only a matter of time.
At that moment—
A notification echoed in his mind.
Ding!
"Congratulations, Host. You have recited a classic line from League of Legends."
"Reward: One lottery draw."
"Would you like to spin?"
Damon Varkos didn't hesitate.
"Yes."