I was sitting at the table, trying to enjoy the "pleasant" company of Elder Thomas, but to my right three very unpleasant men loomed over me, radiating hostility.
And, you know, I had a lot of questions. Like, why did Grandpa bring a rifle? And why was he holding it like he was waiting for an excuse to use it?
The look on the elder's face wasn't exactly comforting either - he looked like he was preparing for a storm.
I forced a smile. "Hey, good to see you."
The old man didn't blink. His gaze was cold, unflinching, the kind of look that made you feel like a bug pinned to a board.
One of the younger men—bald, wiry, with a face that seemed permanently twisted into a scowl—snorted. "So this is what you are," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. He looked at me like I was a poor orphan caught stealing
The taller one, his black hair a tangled mess, stepped forward. "Allen," he said, his tone sharp, "how were you planning on leaving the island?"
So they already knew my name. No wonder. Small village, quick gossip.
I shrugged, trying to keep my voice steady. "Haven't figured it out yet."
A pause. The three men exchanged glances.
Then Grandpa—the one with the rifle—finally spoke. His voice was rough and aged.
"So you plan to settle here?"
It wasn't a question. It was an accusation. I hesitated, my mind racing. Getting to the coast would be a victory in itself, but I had no way to prove that to them. "Well," I said carefully, "I didn't expect to visit this island. My route passed by."
The old man gripped his rifle tighter. "And where to?"
"The Grand Line."
"On what?"
"A ship."
"What kind?"
"A merchant ship."
"And which way did you plan to get to the Grand Line?"
"I don't know, I was promised a delivery, but I don't know exactly."
"Do I look like an idiot to you?"
"No," I said quickly, my voice cracking. "I'm telling it like it is."
"What island are you from?"
"from Mikuno."
"Mikuno?" Colt's voice was a low growl. "And what island is that?"
I swallowed. This was getting dangerous. "A quiet island in the north."
Now I'm only being questioned by grandfather, which means these snot-nosed kids are only here for company and are hardly good at geography. And the Elder doesn't seem to have any intention of tripping me up, but this old man. If I can make a deal with him, it'll be easy from here on out.
"Up north"? It's not like you went to the Grand Line." Said the old man in an extremely harsh tone.
So I was in West Blue or South Blue. Good to know, but not exactly helpful right now.
"Yeah, those guys said they had a long way to go, and they'd visit a couple islands first. And i'm not very good at geography."
"What the hell are you talking about, you little brat?" the old man said menacingly.
Before I could say anything, the barrel of the rifle was under my chin, tilting my head back. My pulse pounded in my ribs. The room shrank. My hands clenched into fists, but I didn't dare move.
"Calm down, Colt," Thomas said, his voice trembling as he rose from his chair. "Put the gun away."
"That brat sees me as a jerk. I've been a marine since I was 17. There's no Mikuno in South Blue."
"I-I'm not a pirate," I managed to say.
"Yeah? I've spent my whole life hunting down bastards like you and killing them."
Joe stood in the corner, his gaze averted, his jaw tight. Thomas sat back down, his hands shaking as he watched Colt with a mixture of fear and resignation.
"Tie him up," Colt barked at the two younger men.
"There's no need for that," Thomas said, his voice weak.
"Shut up," Colt snapped. "If it weren't for me, the pirates would've overrun this village long ago. They'd have raped the women, killed the men, and burned everything to the ground. Those bastards don't know the word 'humanity.'"
Fuck. My mind raced. With cursed energy, I could take them down. But it was a last resort. If I did, I'd have to flee the island, and I had no map, no knowledge of how to navigate a ship. I kinda was trapped.
The two boys took a rope from the warehouse-the room I was sleeping in-and coiled it around me, securing it to a chair.
"You're not going to torture him, are you?" appealed Thomas nervously.
"Do you feel sorry for the kid? Are you willing to put all the residents to death because of him?"
"N-no, that's, tha's not—"
"Calm down old man," the bald one said, "Whether he lives or dies, the village comes first."
Okay, this old man and these brats are probably in charge of the island's security. And since there's a war and a lot of pirates, they got a lot of privileges. And there's probably more than three in this group.
"I don't know what's in your head, but I promise I'm not here to loot this village or burn down your houses. I'm not sure I can make it to the shore, my condition doesn't exactly mix with your concerns," I said.
The old man was still staring at me. Then, in a slow, deliberate movement, he lowered the rifle a little—only to stick it in my ribs.
"Let me tell you something, brat," he said in a voice like crushed gravel. "I've spent decades hunting the likes of you. I've seen what pirates do to innocent villages. I've buried the people they left behind. And you?" His lips curled. "You reek of trouble."
I breathed diligently. "You don't even know me."
"I know enough. I've seen it before—some lost soul washes up on shore, swearing he's no threat. Next thing he's scouted the land, counted the fighters, mapped out the defenses, and when night falls, the ships come. The screaming starts. And by the time the sun rises, the bastards are gone, leaving nothing but ash and corpses."
"Yes, a very harsh story, and I'm sure you've seen a lot of it. But I can bet my life that these pirates weren't half dead," I pressed on, "And yes I'm from Mikuno Island, it's a small island that was liberated by the revolutionary army and got its former name."
I sounded confident. In this situation, I decided to go all in. Easy moves wouldn't have solved the situation.
It wasn't the most likely case, but I decided to play on the fact that he was old and retired.
Colt's expression didn't change, but something flashed in his eyes - doubt, anger, calculation. He didn't believe it, but he didn't reject it either.
The muzzle of his rifle pressed harder into my ribs. "A liberated island, huh? Then why the hell haven't I heard of it?"
"Maybe because you're retired?" I met his gaze, unflinching. "I doubt the World Government's eager to spread news about places they've lost."
Silence ensued.
Then, BAM.
Pain exploded in my gut. The butt of the rifle slammed into me like a hammer, knocking all the wind out of my lungs. I rolled over onto my back, gasping, but the ropes held me upright.
Colt muttered. "You think you're a smart one?"
I coughed, forcing air back into my lungs. "No, but if you keep beating me up, I'm going to start thinking you just like beating up half-dead boys for fun."
The bald one chuckled. The taller one shot him a warning look. Colt didn't flinch. He only looked angrier.
"You're lucky I don't put a bullet in your skull right now," he said, voice quiet. "Pulled from the ocean, no ship, no papers, an island that doesn't exist, and a story that's got more holes than a pirate's sails." He leaned in, breath heavy. "Give me one reason. Just one. Why I shouldn't end this right now."