Chapter 9: You’ve Got the Wrong Person
In an unexpected twist, Kaito Sakamoto had turned the tables on Sig, who was now red with anger, drawing his knife and charging at Kaito."You little brat! Looking to die?"
As Sig unsheathed his blade, his gang members pulled out their guns.Kaito didn't flinch; Sig's knife wouldn't reach him, and Beckman stepped in, using the barrel of his gun to block the incoming strike."Hey, you're really going to attack a kid in a wheelchair?""Especially one who's my apprentice!" Beckman added, biting down on his cigarette, glaring at Sig.
Luffy instantly jumped out of his chair, ready to "save" Kaito.Shanks grabbed his arm, but to everyone's surprise, Luffy's arm stretched out."Eh!!!!!""My arm got longer!!!""Could it be you!!!"Luffy panicked, mouth agape."What's going on here?!!"
Calm amidst the chaos, Kaito observed, while Sig and his crew looked utterly bewildered."It's gone!""The Rubber Fruit we stole from the enemy ship is missing!""What?!"
Laki quickly realized what it meant, grabbing the empty box that should have contained the fruit.He pulled out a sketchbook, pointing at an illustration of the Rubber Fruit and asking Luffy if he had eaten it."Ah, I thought it was dessert…""Yeah, it was really bad." Luffy replied, dazed.
Shanks cupped Luffy's face, excitement in his eyes. "The Rubber Fruit is a treasure known as a Devil Fruit. Whoever eats it becomes a Rubber Man and can never learn to swim for the rest of their life!""What! No way!!" Luffy exclaimed, jaw dropping, unable to believe it. How could he be a pirate if he couldn't swim?!
"Enough already!!""Bang!!"
Amidst the commotion, Sig felt completely ignored, his frustration mounting. If things didn't hurry up, his lunch would go cold.In a fit of rage, he drew his gun and fired at Shanks.But just as he pulled the trigger, Beckman swiftly knocked Sig's arm aside, the bullet lodging itself in the ceiling instead.
Shanks tightened his grip on his straw hat and stood up, exuding a sense of authority that befitted a Yonko."Since you've pulled your gun, it seems you're gambling with your life.""Wha—"
Before Sig could finish his sentence, his gang members were taken down in an instant by the Red-Haired Pirates.Sig's expression shifted, eyes wide, cold sweat trickling down his face; the confidence he had moments ago was gone."Bastard!"
Holding his breath, Sig threw down a smoke bomb, and the tavern was immediately engulfed in smoke."Crap! It's a smoke bomb!!" everyone exclaimed in panic."Damn it, you've got the wrong person!""Enough talk, you brat!""Kaito!""Ah! That damned kid!"
The voices of Kaito, Sig, and Luffy echoed through the haze.As the smoke cleared, Luffy, Kaito, and Sig had vanished."We're in trouble! What if Luffy and Kaito got captured?!" Shanks panicked, grabbing his head, only to suddenly spot Kaito lying outside the tavern."Kaito!"
Moments earlier, amidst the smoke, Sig had grabbed Kaito by the collar, leading him to protest that he had the wrong person.But fate doesn't make mistakes.Luffy, worried for Kaito, tapped into his potential and, having just eaten the fruit, launched his arm out to grab Sig, pulling it back to reel himself in quickly.But in the end, they both got captured.
Sig held one of them under his arm and dashed out of the tavern. Kaito wasn't about to sit back; he transformed his bracelet into a dagger and lunged at Sig, who recoiled in pain and dropped Kaito, taking Luffy instead.
"Kaito, are you okay?!"Shanks and the others rushed out of the tavern, while Beckman, still holding his cigarette, pushed Kaito into his wheelchair."I'm fine! Sig took Luffy to the dock!" Kaito quickly replied, pointing in the direction of the docks.
Shanks nodded and sprinted toward the docks, while Beckman discarded his cigarette and followed closely behind.To Kaito's surprise, this was the first time in eighteen years that he felt the thrill of "speeding" in a wheelchair.
"Not good!!"Upon reaching the docks, Kaito saw the Sea King engulfing Sig and his small boat in its massive jaws from afar.Luffy was thrashing about in the water, and the Sea King had already taken notice."Whoa…Hippo…""Help! Somebody save me!!" Luffy yelled.
Shanks surged forward, moving so fast he seemed to walk on air, leaving only a blur in his wake.Remembering that Luffy had gotten close to Sig to save Kaito, Kaito couldn't just stand by.He transformed his bracelet into a short gun, raised it, and fired without aiming."Bang!"
The gun erupted with sparks, and the bullet flew, hitting the Sea King squarely in the eye."Roar!!!" The Sea King bellowed in pain, plunging back into the ocean.
Shanks reached Luffy in the water, cradling him protectively.But as fate would have it, Kaito's bullet had arrived a moment too late; Shanks' left arm was bitten off."Luffy, it's okay, don't cry; be a man!""But… but, Shanks… your hand!!!""It's nothing serious, just a hand… I'm glad you're alright."
"Waaah… waaaahhhh!!!"Leaning against Shanks, Luffy's wails echoed across the docks, and Kaito, touched yet confused, couldn't understand why Shanks had lost his arm.