"So… you can stretch like rubber now?" Lucas tilted his head and pressed on Luffy's wrist, twisting and turning it while watching his twin's expression, searching for any sign of pain—but finding none.
Luffy nodded and let his younger brother twist, pull, and bend his arm out of sheer curiosity. His face didn't change even when Lucas grew a bit rough, knowing that his brother would never hurt him.
"Truly unique…" Lucas murmured. Benn had already explained him in detail about Devil Fruits, especially now that Luffy had become one of their users—they needed to keep a closer eye on him so he wouldn't accidentally drown himself.
Could my power come from a Devil Fruit too?
Lucas pondered uncertainly, but he didn't recall ever eating any strange-looking fruit. From what Benn had described, Devil Fruits had unnatural swirling patterns covering their surface and it's impossible to miss.
Releasing Luffy's wrist, the ruby-eyed boy brought his fingers to his lips—a quiet habit whenever his thoughts has began spiral to deeply.
"Are you… done?" Luffy asked, his tone laced with dissatisfaction, clearly not wanting Lucas to stop. His eyes blinked innocently, almost pleading.
Lucas snapped out of his thoughts at Luffy's voice and looked at the self-proclaimed older twin with a flat expression. "Even if you use those puppy eyes, I still won't give in," he stated, turning his head aside to avoid his brother's gaze.
"Pleaaaaase???" Luffy persisted, immediately moving into Lucas' line of sight again.
Lucas turned away again—but Luffy stubbornly followed, repeatedly trying to soften him with that pleading look.
"Lucaaaaas…"
This time, Lucas raised both arms and covered his ears with his palms, jogging to the corner of the bar before crouching down, facing the wall with his ears shut tight. Luffy dashed after him and crouched behind Lucas, wrapping his arms around him from behind.
"Look at meee, don't ignore meee, Otouto…"
Hearing that nickname made Lucas' lips twitch in irritation. How annoying. Why wasn't he the one born first? Fate really had a cruel sense of humor.
Just as he about to give in and responded—
BANG—a loud crash from the bar's front door made them both lift their heads and turn. Lucas instantly close his mouth shut.
"Hah? Where did those lousy pirates go? Did they leave after we humiliated them? What cowards!"
Luffy's expression changed instantly upon hearing that familiar, hateful voice. The anger buried in his chest reignited as his mind replayed the memory of the one who had hurt his brother. Darkness stirred within him, restless, eager to tear apart its target.
Lucas had been quietly observing everything and clearly noticed something strange about Luffy. He wasn't sure what caused his twin to become so tense and restless. He assumed it might be because of the humiliation Shanks had suffered from the bandits—unaware that it was actually because of him.
The bandits carelessly took seats. Makino came out from the kitchen after hearing the commotion. Seeing her customers, she grew nervous but maintained her professionalism as she served them.
Their conversation continued, while the two boys in the corner listened in silence as the bandits insulted Shanks' crew. Even Lucas, who had far better composure than Luffy, nearly lost his patience when they began mocking Benn.
But the final spark that shattered the tense atmosphere came from Higuma's next words.
"And that kid? Those disgusting red eyes remind me of a demon! A complete monster—I'm lucky I didn't have to look at him for long!"
Lucas didn't have time to process what happened next. His eyes widened as a blur shot past him, followed by a loud crash.
BAM!
"Luffy!" Lucas snapped back to his senses and rushed forward to intervene—but it was useless. Luffy had already slammed his body into Higuma, knocking him to the floor.
"You bastard! You're the one who hurt my brother! How dare you call him disgusting—a monster?! Lucas has the most beautiful eyes in the world! Do you believe I'll beat you to a pulp?!" Luffy shouted furiously. Without realizing it, his fist enlarged as he punched Higuma, shattering the floor beneath them.
Lucas' mouth fell open in shock at his brother's ferocity. Luffy, seemingly unaware, was using his power fueled by anger to relentlessly pummel the bandit leader.
"Stop!"
"Agh—!" Pain shot through Lucas as his shoulder was yanked back roughly. A dagger was pressed against his neck.
Shells.… I let my guard down.
"Lucas!" Makino cried out in worry as the child she had raised was taken as a hostage to restrain his brother.
"Let go of our boss, or I'll kill your brother!" one of the bandits shouted.
Lucas tilted his head upward with difficulty to see who is it. He doesn't know whatever to laugh or cry when he saw a bandage wrapped over one of the man's eyes.
Because he immediately realized—it was the victim of the insect attack he had sent the day before. Oh the irony, karma really does come around huh? How annoying.
Lucas frowned as a large hand gripped the back of his neck, tightening their hold, choking him.
Across the room—Luffy stopped his punches.
Slowly he turned around.
Now everyone could clearly see his expression.
Something broke.
His face deepened, unreadable the moment his gaze landed on his brother's condition.
The air grew heavy. Suffocating. A darkness spread, thick and endless, as if the room itself would be dragged into an abyss.
No words exchanged.
Luffy stepped forward.
Once.
Twice.
Each step echoed like a death knell of a demon newly freed from hell.
The bandit trembled as the temperature drop into few degrees, his grip tightening as he stumbled backward, dragging Lucas along forcing a hiss of pain from the boy.
"D-don't come any closer! Demon! S-stop! Or I'll kill him!" he threatened, retreating out of the bar while dragging Lucas, who appeared resigned—though in truth, he was trying to control nearby insects to help him.
"Ugh…" Lucas groaned as the blade accidentally nicked his neck due to the bandit's clumsiness. His concentration shattered, and he lost control of his ability.
Blood bloomed,
"B–big brother…" Lucas reached out for help. A drop of blood stained the blade as he was dragged toward the harbor.
Red.
Blood.
Luffy's entire vision was drowned in red at the sight of the blade cutting into his brother's pale skin. Everything around him blurred into nothingness, devoured by single color that always remind him of his brother—everything except Lucas.
Lucas remained, groaning it in pain.
Hand reaching out, helpless, asking for him.
Shaking and weak, voice soft barely above whisper calling him; "Big Brother..."
Luffy didn't even have time to feel the euphoria, the exhilaration after hearing that call. Perhaps after he finished killing the ones who hurt his brother—after everything was over—then he would celebrate.
Huh…
Kill?
…
Oh.
So that's what this was.
Everything that followed happened too fast for him to realize. All his senses lost their purpose, focused only on the target before him.
Target.
"If I can't protect him from the dangers that come for him…"
The air seemed to hold it breath, crackling with the weight of the choice.
"Then I can erase them forever, right?"
After all—
The people of D. are insane.