Sorcerer

"Beat that stupid man, Yasu!"

A vein bulges out of Takeo's forehead hearing the kid insulting him, but still, he doesn't take his eyes off Yasu. With a smug grin, he mocks him.

"Just give up kid, you're nothing special compared to me, it's better if you stop here"

"Aghh" Against the effects of this strange phenomenon, Yasu still fights against the invisible force that keeps him down in place, frustration is slowly getting to him and anger is starting to show on his face.

But still nothing, he cannot move, prisoner of reality itself.

'Aghh! Come on!' His blood was almost boiling from anger at this point, he could feel heat enveloping his whole body.

Veins could be seen bulging on his face from exertion, suddenly, thin columns of white fume started raising from Yasu's body.

Looking at the kid before him, Takeo felt his heart beating faster with every second, he could feel the air around them getting constantly hotter to the point it was very uncomfortable, his only relief being the sweat starting to cover his entire body.

"W-What are you kid?" Takeo's hands were slightly shivering, he felt like an ant looking at the empty eyes of the kid, nothing more than an endless white sea inside those orbs.

"You got it Yasu! he's scared!"

Again, the same annoying kid screams from the crowd belittling him.

"SHUP UP KID! I'M NOT SCARED!" Unable to stand the kid longer, Takeo snaps, looking in the direction where the voice came and screaming at him.

'Wait!'

As if it had been just his imagination, the force bounding him disappeared instantly, driven by his anger, Yasu grabs the sheath of his sword with his left hand and the hilt with his right. Bending his knees, Yasu shoots himself toward him.

Panicking, Takeo quickly tries to turn his head again to look at Yasu.

Swish

The faint sound of the air parting reaches everyone's ears. Faster than anyone in the crow could see, Yasu closed the distance between him and Takeo and in a split second drew his sword.

Gulp

Cold steel was brushing against Takeo's throat. A drop of blood rans down the blade. Takeo was looking up at the sky visibly shivering under the presence of the monster he had right in front of him.

The kid that seemed harmless just some minutes ago was long gone, before him, was a monster, white fumes were coming out of his body, trickling out of the corners of his lips. With every breath more came out of his mouth, even the endless white space that was his eyes exuded vapor like a demonic entity.

Takeo could feel his legs shivering uncontrollably, begging to just give up, the only thing keeping him standing was fear, freezing him there with a sword on his throat.

This continued for a few seconds, no one moved or said a thing, the showman, loquacious minutes before was completely silent looking at the scene.

...

...Clap

Clap Clap

Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap Clap!!!!!

"Wooohoo! Yeah!"

"That's the way to go kid!"

A single clap broke the silence, and like an avalanche, more and more followed behind accompanied by the crow going crazy at what they just saw.

Snapped by the noise of the people, Yasu's body stopped exuding those strange fumes, and with calmness as if nothing had happened, he trailed the back of his sword by the sheath before putting it in.

As if someone had just cut his strings, Takeo fell on his butt while breathing heavily, unable to continue standing.

"You have a lot of explaining to do"

Yasu spoke in a completely serious tone, Takeo just raised his head seeing how Yasu looked down on him.

"Y-yes"

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By now the crow had already dispersed and everyone was gone, at the side of a building both the showman and Takeo were on their knees looking down at Yasu before them with his arms crossed.

"What did you do back there? Why was I unable to move?"

Both men stiffened instantly hearing Yasu's voice.

"I-I ate a strange fruit that I saw one day and it gave me the power to do sorcery, I can freeze in place whatever I'm looking at as long as I keep looking at it" Takeo answered Yasu's question still looking down to the ground.

"Sorcery?"

"Y-Yeah"

Yasu stayed quiet, still with both arms crossed.

'Didn't Oden say something about that? Devil Fruits were?'

The two were unnerved by Yasu's silence, wishing to have stayed at home instead of this.

"So..."

Yasu's tone suddenly became very dark scaring them and making them jump a little from their places.

"...you both were scamming people out of their money by lying to them and making them face an impossible challenge...am I right?"

No words came out of their mouths, being stuck on their throats.

"The price money, I want it"

With just one phrase the color of their faces instantly went away, especially for the showman

"B-But it's all the money we have couldn't you jus-"

"Does it look like I care? You scammed people, you had it coming"

"O-Ok" With his hand trembling, the showman reached behind him grabbing the pouch full of coins on his waist.

"H-Here"

Taking the pouch, Yasu shakes it feeling the coins inside, nodding, he puts it in his pocket and without saying a word walks away.

'At least I can buy some things for the kids now, maybe new clothes while we're at it' Pating his pocket, Yasu starts thinking what he could do with all the money.

"Stupid! That was all the money we had left! What are we going to do now!"

"Don't blame me! It's your fault, we had enough to live for a while but you wanted more!"

"Really!? I recall hearing you say th-"

All his thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the two in the background arguing between both.

'Their problem not mine' It was them that decided to scam people so they should be ready to face the consequences.

And still, Yasu stopped walking and took the pouch out of his pocket, looking at it.

'I'm not going to do it, we can use this to buy things for all at the castle'

...

...

'Haaaaa, what a drag' Letting out a long breath, Yasu opens the bag taking a handful of coins.

"Hey! You two!"

Takeo clumsily catches something being thrown at him.

"What?"

Opening his hands, Takeo sees the same pouch they just gave Yasu. Looking up, he sees Yasu walking up to them but now instead of fear there is confusion.

Both of them look confused at Yasu, why would he give them back the money?

"Let me be clear, I'm giving you the money back, but if by any chance I hear that you both are doing the same again..." Yasu places his left hand on his sword and with his thumb unsheaths it a little "...I won't make the same mistake again"

Some tears start running down the showman's face while Takeo just keeps looking at Yasu and totally coordinated, both bow down touching the floor with their foreheads.

""THANK YOU! WE WON'T DO IT AGAIN!!""

Yasu just looks at them bowing down "But still you both have to do one thing for me"

They both get straight and look at Yasu.

"We will do anything!"

Running his right hand through his hair, Yasu smiles gently at them, the same way he felt Toki had done multiple times with him.

"Help others with that money instead of robbing them now, Okay?"

Both look at Yasu astonished for a moment as if he was some kind of angel.

""WE WILL!""

With great conviction they both answer.

"Good, make sure to do your best" And with that, Yasu turns around again and starts walking away.

'So, this is how it feels? Giving your money away for the good of others. Hufff I'm spending too much time around Oden'

Throwing a few coins from the pouch in the air and grabbing them, Yasu starts making his way to where he left the kids.

'At least I can buy Momo the Takoyaki he wanted'

But he was greeted by no one

"Are you looking by any chance for two children"