In Damon's line of sight, a lottery wheel invisible to others gradually appeared. It was divided into four sections: normal skills, hero skills, equipment and items, and hero skins.
Common Skills: Barrier, Cleanse, Insight, Ignite, Weakness, Blink, Ghost Step, Heal, Clarity, Guardian, Crossbow, Retribution, Mark, Teleport.
Hero Abilities: Shattering Flame, Lava Shield, Alpha Strike, Meditation, Wuju Style, Void Blade, Energy Pulse, Void Sphere…
Equipment and Items: Hextech Belt, Righteous Glory, Twin Shadows, Trinity Force, Boots of Speed…
Hero Skins: Future Warrior, Steel Wings, Lu Bu (Fengxian), Champion's Blade…
The prizes on the wheel were dazzling—almost overwhelming.
There were even so-called hero skins.
Damon wasn't sure whether obtaining one would turn him into a League of Legends hero.
Of course, it was too early to think about that. For now, he focused on the draw itself.
When the pointer stopped on the Common Skills section, Damon's eyes lit up.
[Flash]: Instantly teleport a short distance to a designated location, up to 100 meters. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Flash was a highly tactical skill, useful for escaping, dodging, and chasing. In the right hands, it could be incredibly powerful.
After a brief rest, Damon checked his flintlock pistol—only one bullet remained.
He raised his head and looked at the two remaining pirates. His gaze settled on the one who had been badly beaten by his companion.
Flash!
In the next instant, Damon vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already behind the pirate, like a ghost. Gripping the pistol with both hands, he aimed at the back of the man's head and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang!
The pirate had been focused on fighting Ace. By the time he heard the gunshot and tried to react, it was too late.
He fell dead instantly.
Ace stared at Damon, who calmly blew smoke from the barrel of his gun, his expression filled with surprise.
With his sharp instincts, Ace had seen everything clearly—Damon had appeared behind the enemy in an instant. It was unbelievable.
Could Damon be a Devil Fruit user?
Ace didn't ask. It wasn't the right time, and more importantly, it was Damon's secret.
The last pirate stood no chance against the four of them.
With a final scream, his life ended.
"Good job!"
Ace gave them a thumbs-up, then frowned slightly.
"These three were members of the Bursam Pirates. If they don't return soon, it'll attract attention. We need to leave immediately. If we're ambushed, we won't stand a chance."
No one disagreed.
With nowhere else to go, Damon naturally stayed close to the stronger group.
Before leaving, he searched the bodies, taking two flintlock pistols and 20,000 Berries. Then he followed Ace and the others back to Dadan's house.
⸻
The island where the Goa Kingdom was located was surrounded by mountains on three sides—Mount Colubo—shielding it from harsh northern winds and creating a mild, livable climate.
Dadan's house lay deep within the forest on the southeastern side of the kingdom, near the Gray Terminal—less than five kilometers away.
The terrain was steep, overgrown with dense shrubs and tall grass.
As the sun set, golden light filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the ground.
Insects chirped, birds sang, and cicadas buzzed endlessly.
Following a narrow trail, Damon pushed aside thick bushes and finally saw a wooden house, with courtyards in both the front and back.
In the front yard, a fierce-looking woman was chopping firewood.
Hearing the noise, she turned sharply.
She looked older than her age—though only around thirty, her face resembled that of someone much older. Her orange curly hair was tied back loosely, giving her a rough appearance.
Even her white shirt couldn't hide her muscular, bear-like build. She wore dark green plaid trousers, brown boots, gold earrings, and a red beaded necklace.
There was nothing feminine about her—if anything, she looked intimidating.
The moment she saw Ace and the others, she threw down her axe. Though clearly relieved, she put on a stern face, hands on her hips.
"Ace, Sabo, Luffy! Why are you so late?! Don't you know how dangerous it is at night?!"
Used to her "loving discipline," the three boys immediately panicked and bowed repeatedly.
"Sorry! We were wrong!" ×3
Seeing their sincerity, Dadan's expression softened. Crossing her arms, she said:
"Get inside. We've got guests tonight—I've prepared a big meal!"
She paused, only then noticing Damon.
"Who's this kid?"
Ace stepped forward and explained Damon's background, including how he had fought alongside them.
When Dadan heard that Damon was an orphan who had survived by scavenging for years, her expression changed instantly.
She pulled him into a tight embrace.
"From now on, you can stay here at Dadan's house without worry!"
Damon could barely breathe.
Worse still, her chest was like solid steel—years of hard training had made it as firm as iron. It felt like being crushed against a metal plate.
Fortunately, she let go quickly.
Damon gasped for air.
Being alive had never felt so wonderful.
Women are terrifying…
⸻
Inside, the wooden house was simple but cozy. Warm yellow light from kerosene lamps filled the room.
Bandits moved about, carrying barrels of rum and placing roasted meat on the table.
At the head of the table sat a burly man wearing a dog-head hat, a naval uniform, and a white cloak with the word "Justice" on it.
The moment Damon saw him, his pupils shrank.
In the next instant, the man disappeared—and reappeared in front of them at incredible speed.
Without a word, he threw punches.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each punch landed squarely on Ace, Sabo, and Luffy's heads.
Even Luffy, despite his Devil Fruit powers, ended up with a huge bump.
Garp grinned, clearly enjoying himself. Then his eyes shifted to Damon.
He raised his fist.
Damon had no intention of experiencing Garp's "love."
Flash!
In an instant, he disappeared—and reappeared seated at the dining table.
"Hm?"
Garp blinked in surprise.
Turning around, he saw Damon sitting calmly, offering a polite smile.
"This kid… is interesting."
⸻
One month later.
A rooster's crow broke the silence of dawn.
Dew clung to the leaves as the forest slowly awakened.
Footsteps thundered through the trees—four boys running for their lives.
Behind them, a lone wolf with glowing green eyes chased relentlessly.
Damon was drenched in sweat, utterly speechless.
Ever since Garp had returned to the East Blue a month ago, his idea of "hospitality" had been… intense.
This training—called the Death Run—was meant for Ace, Sabo, and Luffy.
But Damon had been included as well.
Partly because Garp had taken interest in him.
Partly because Damon agreed to it himself.
He knew this world required strength—and Garp's training was invaluable.
Still…
Wasn't this a bit extreme?!
Garp had forbidden them from fighting back. They could only run.
If they stopped, they would die.
Damon could feel the wolf's breath behind him.
His adrenaline surged. His blood boiled.
Over the past month, thanks to Dadan's nutritious meals—and the strange effects of the Six Treasures technique—his body had improved significantly.
Otherwise, he would have collapsed long ago.
Inside his body, energy circulated continuously, restoring his stamina and pushing him forward.
Hidden in the forest, Garp watched while casually eating donuts.
Seeing Damon struggling yet still keeping up despite having no prior training, Garp smiled.
"This kid… he's got what it takes to be a Marine."