Koko Island had fought off pirate raids before. It wasn't new to bloodshed. The islanders had trenches, defensive positions, and strategies drilled into them—preparations forged by Colt's guidance.
But each year, survival became harder. Trade had dried up, choked by distant wars. Prices soared, incomes plummeted. The seas had become lawless, infested with desperate men who killed for coin and pleasure.
And now, a true nightmare had come ashore.
This wasn't some ragtag band of amateurs. The crew that descended upon Koko Island was massive—a horde of seasoned killers, their captain's bounty a staggering 60 million beli.
Hardened by years of slaughter, they knew how to use the fog. They knew how to hunt in the dark. And unless something changed, it was only a matter of time before they burned Koko Island to the ground—leaving nothing behind but corpses and nightmares.
The defenders faltered.
Colt's group, stationed on the main road, began to retreat. The village was on high ground and the fog was not thick, but their place was difficult to defend. Controlling the main road in thick fog was not the best idea, because you also need to watch your flanks. So Colt decided to regroup in the village, where the houses, narrow alleys and hastily built barricades could give them an advantage.
Across the island, other defense squads made the same grim decision.
Hold the line? Impossible.
Protect the village? Their only hope.
But where was Allen?
Had he made his decision?
Yes.
He had.
And if there was any doubt, the gaping hole in the window—where wooden planks had once been hastily nailed shut—was answer enough.
[Allen POV]
I ran through the village. Every door was shut, every window dark—everyone hiding, waiting, praying.
But not me.
I was free.
No more locked rooms. No more waiting around like some helpless idiot. Dobby's free.
And while that little spark of freedom made my chest feel lighter, there was no time to enjoy it. I had work to do.
I sprinted down the road—away from the village, into the thickening fog. The deeper I went, the denser it became, but my vision cut through it effortlessly. Improved Satoru's eyes were pure cheat codes. No cursed energy, no strain—just clarity. If I could get my hands on advanced Observation Haki, I'd be unstoppable.
But before I could get lost in the possibilities, I saw them.
A group of people moving toward me.
Pirates?
No. Their clothes, their faces—familiar. It was the same old bastard who tried to shoot me when I couldn't walk normally. Colt. Behind him, there were some new faces and the fishermen from the boat. Villagers.
They were retreating.
If Joe or the village elder were here, they'd be yelling at me to run. Maybe they thought Colt would shoot me on sight. Which, yeah—fair guess.
But I didn't care. I didn't see a problem.
I kept running. Fast. Too fast. Not full speed, but fast enough to leave even the quickest cheetah in the dust. Hell, I could outrun a damn sports car.
Colt's group of eleven came to a dead stop.
Right. They can't see like I can. All they saw was a dark, sprinting figure cutting through the fog at impossible speed.
That thought, I don't know why. Made me smile.
"STOP!" Colt's voice cut through the mist.
I stopped. Hard.
No inertia, no sliding—just an unnatural, instant halt.
A hundred meters away from them.
I might as well have announced, Yeah, I'm not normal.
"Are there too many of them?" I asked.
"You!?" Colt's face twisted in shock, his grip tightening on his rifle. The fishermen beside him exchanged glances, some recognizing me.
"I knew it," Colt muttered, raising his gun.
Oh, come on.
"Nah, I ain't with—"
Bang.
The bullet hit me square between the eyes.
My head snapped back, and my body crumpled to the ground.
Silence.
"Who was that?" one of Colt's men asked.
"The scoundrel you fished out of the ocean."
"But why didn't you listen?" a younger voice questioned.
"He should have been handcuffed and supervised," Colt said flatly.
Wow. We really just skipped right over 'conversation' and straight into 'execution,' huh?
I sighed, pushing myself into a sitting position. My fingers brushed over my forehead, expecting—what? A dent? A wound?
Nothing.
No pain. No damage.
My past life's entire understanding of how being human worked? Yeah, that's in the trash now.
I looked up.
Their faces were frozen in horror.
Colt's jaw tightened. "Fucking brat… You're just like their captain."
Huh? What?
The captain?
"Wait," I asked, standing up. "What about him?"
Colt didn't answer, but his grip on the rifle twitched.
One of the younger villagers swallowed hard. "D-does he has a Devil's power too?"
Before I could answer, Bang.
Colt fired again.
Persistent old bastard.
I tilted my head just slightly—two centimeters. The bullet whizzed past my neck.
Holy shit.
A shiver ran down my spine. Dodging bullets? That felt insane. That rush—I needed more.
Yeah, I will ask Satoru to add that to the training.
But focus.
"Look," I said, waving a hand. "I'm not a pirate. Stop wasting bullets. They don't work on me anyway."
"Shut your mouth, you little freak," Colt spat.
That's it.
We weren't going to talk this out.
I moved to them. Fast, really fast.
One second, I was standing a hundred meters away. The next—I was right in front of them.
The young guy holding a saber recoiled, his hands shaking.
I held out my hand. "Give it to me."
He obeyed immediately, shoving the weapon into my palm, eyes wide with terror.
Smart choice.
"If I wanted to kill you," I said, gripping the hilt, "you'd already be dead."
Silence.
They knew I was right.
I exhaled, rolling my shoulders. "Now, where's the pirate captain and Hana?"
More silence. Then my gaze landed on one man—his terror spoke for him before he even opened his mouth.
"H-he's coming down the main road," the man stammered. "H-Hana—she's in the woods! To the right! Not far!"
"Thanks," I muttered.
Then I was gone.