12

Mobilization

Raoh approached the group and asked Makino if all was well. The situation could have degenerated and luckily she was not alone. He really had the fear of his life ...

"Raoh, you still have not explained to me why you fought with these thieves," Shanks asked him.

The others also looked at him questioningly. Why was a child his age so bloody? He was completely covered with the red fluid, and judging by his response, he did not leave even one of these bandits alive.

The reason for this fight really had to be serious for him to act in such a cruel way.

"..."

Raoh took Shanks aside and whispered in his ear for a few seconds. When Shanks heard the contents of these words, his expression became green and he was furious.

"I see ..." He said no more and walked to the unconscious bandit. He unsheathed his sword and cut off his head to the surprise of those present.

"!!!"

They were all stupefied by the incongruous action of Shanks. Luffy closed his eyes, it was the first time he saw a live murder. He did not have a soft personality, but he was still a child.

"Captain ... why ..." The bald pirate was perplexed by Shanks' inappropriate reaction.

"... I will explain later." He said with a look that meant a lot. "For now, take it as it is, we're pirates after all. I can only tell you one thing... If Raoh had not decimated this group, I would have done it for him!" Another wave of energy rippled out with his last words, which made the pirates shake.

Makino was still in shock. Beckman, Lucky Roo, and Yasopp seemed to realize something …

The situation in the village returned to normal. Mayor Woop Slap spoke with Raoh in private quarters. After getting a summary of the situation he understood the ominous actions of the young boy. There was not really any other alternative. He could never have alerted the navy for a situation as particular as this one. In addition, they were mountain bandits. Who would cry for them? They totally deserved what had happened to them.

He directly instructed the villagers not to leave a word of what had happened in the village outside.

After seeing the damage the child had done on the scene, Shanks and his crew breathed sighs of horror. Was it really what a child his age was capable of?

There was blood and dislocated limbs, distorted bodies and for some, they could perceive a trace of despair remaining in their eyes. Raoh had not taken half measures and he went barbaric on these miscreants.

They were already too familiar with this kind of slaughter and the smell of putrid blood that hovered on the battlefield. They had killed a lot, but they all had a first time.

The first baptism of blood was the most difficult to overcome. It forced someone to vanquish the naturally soft and benevolent human nature, in order take someone's else life. It was no joke, and even the most hard-boiled people would buckle under this pressure if they lacked conviction. Not to mention a six-year-old boy.

However judging by the bodies present here, they indubitably saw that the child did not balk at the sight of blood. He killed without the slightest hint of hesitation ... How was that possible? Was he a murderer in the soul? Nobody could be born that way, it came with experience and maturity.

So unless Raoh started killing people from the cradle, which was impossible, there was no explanation for his expertise and his coolness.

Learning Haki at five was rare, but on the Grand Line, it was nothing out of the ordinary. On exotic islands, sometimes they came across genius children even more abnormal than Raoh.They were merely astonished because he was from East Blue. On the other hand, young children with such a taste for blood was something scary and strange, to say the least.

"... Wow, I'm blown away." Yasopp touched the still warm bodies. He looked at Lucky Roo and said. "Roo, it looks like the kid has more thirst for carnage than you do." After examining the corpses, he was sure the child loved blood, and it was not the first time he made it spill. Nobody could deceive him, and he had an unusual observation and deduction which never failed him. In the crew, no one doubted him on this.

"Oh! You mean he's more sadistic than Roo?" Beckman was shocked. "This child is really something then...Haha!"

Ben Beckman and the other pirates burst out laughing.

The villagers broke away from the group of pirates. These people were laughing at a scene so traumatic.

It was really a group of bloody mercenaries ...

"Pirates are pirates after all, whatever you say ..." Marty said to Makino.

"No, Marty-San it's not at all what you think, they protected me just now, it's just that ..."

"Hmph, Makino, you are really incorrigible, you and your kindness ... Ah ... Ai ... I get it, I will not say anything more." He smiled bitterly and did not give her time to finish the sentence.

The villagers began to disperse while some of the town hall workers cleaned and removed the dead bodies.

Raoh returned from the mayor's office after settling all the details with him.

He moved to Luffy and the two chatted a bit before finally deciding to return, after greeting the pirates.

Makino went to the town hall and Shanks returned to his inn with his comrades. That night everyone was dulled. Makino was a bit angered after understanding why the fight was triggered, and what those bandits had planned to do to her.

Luffy was totally mind blown, he asked me what was going on for me to go off on those crooks like that. I just answered very vaguely, not wanting for him to discover a side of the world he was still unaware of. I was not really comfortable narrating the events that took place either. I was not even sure that he could understand it if I confessed anyway…

****************************

We went to sleep after Luffy explained to Dadan how I obliterated and utterly fucked up the bandits.

The next day, we woke up early in the morning. Today we were going to "Gray Terminal" with Ace and Sabo, A.K.A the whole "Pirate Kid Alliance". Our plan was to take over the place to gain experience, and also to establish our own headquarters.

This was a good plan because pirates from all East Blue were passing through that area when coming here. This was a black market of some sort and a grey zone the Goa Kingdom was trying to keep under the radar. Once we took over we would become independent. Money was another important issue.

If we could confiscate ships and steal some money we would not have to leave the island on a small or shaky boat and we'd also be the baddest kids around here. How cool would that be? Such a dangerous place to be taken over by kids not even ten…

I figured it was fundamental to take dominion over such a small place; after all, if East blue was problematic for us, setting sail on the Grand Line later would be a harebrained dream. I still had not thought of a method to hide all of this from Grandfather yet...He was a marine official, so it was best this did not reach his ears. If he learned we were playing gangsters here…

Sabo and Ace would probably leave in a few months, so this was an excellent design before their departure. When they picked up on my project, they were overjoyed and got their bags and weapons ready for the pandemonium that we would bring to the garbage lot later...