The villagers didn't leave. Instead, they all gathered behind Xia Yu, glaring angrily at Garp and the others.
Seeing this, Xia Yu didn't say much. Facing Garp, he smiled and said, "Old man Garp, that's quite the quick change in attitude. Back in Shells Town, when you wanted to buy my Devil Fruits, you kept calling me 'sir' so respectfully. Now that you've got them, it's 'Xia Yu brat'? Tsk… I'm suddenly starting to regret selling you that batch."
"I was just about to look for you!"
Garp strode forward in large steps and roared, "What kind of fruits did you sell me?! Ants, grasshoppers, dung beetles—what, are you trying to build me an insect army?!"
"Pfft!"
"Dung beetle?"
Xia Yu's eyes widened as he struggled to hold back laughter. "There's actually a fruit like that?"
"AAAAH! Vice Admiral Garp, it's not a dung beetle—it's a scarab beetle!"
The marine who had obtained the Zoan-type Bug-Bug Fruit, Model: Dung Beetle, rushed out in agitation, shouting, "It's a scarab, okay?!"
"…Isn't that basically a dung beetle?"
Xia Yu tilted his head, sizing him up from head to toe, barely suppressing his laughter. "Well… don't take it too hard. At least with this ability, you won't find the smell of… you know… unpleasant anymore!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Swick, Bot, and the others instantly developed black lines across their faces again.
Xia Yu's explanation was… remarkably straightforward.
Bot, in particular, had firsthand experience.
Earlier, when he and Mr. Dung Beetle were searching the village, the latter had suddenly stopped beside an outhouse, drooling as he sighed in bliss, "Wow… smells amazing…"
That expression, those eyes, that reaction—it was something Bot would never forget for the rest of his life.
"Now is NOT the time to talk about that!!!"
Mr. Dung Beetle was utterly devastated. If he had known it was a dung beetle-type Zoan fruit, he would rather have jumped off the warship, drowned in the sea, or been eaten by a Sea King than even touch it!
"Ahem."
At that moment, Garp coughed lightly, ending the absurd discussion about Devil Fruits. He looked seriously at Xia Yu. "Mr. Xia Yu… wait, I'm a man in my sixties or seventies—what's wrong with calling you 'Xia Yu brat'?"
"Huh?"
Xia Yu blinked, momentarily stunned by Garp's strange train of thought. "That's what you're hung up on? Fine. You call me 'Xia Yu brat,' I'll call you 'old man Garp.' Fair deal."
"Hahaha! That's more like it!"
Garp clearly enjoyed being called that. After laughing heartily, he cut straight to the point. "Xia Yu brat, why are you here? Weren't you in Shells Town?"
"And why are you here?"
Xia Yu narrowed his eyes slightly. "Let me guess—you received a report that pirates attacked marines here?"
"Yes."
A cold glint flashed in Garp's eyes. "My men have already found the bodies of marines killed outside the village."
"There are indeed marine corpses."
Xia Yu's smile faded as he stared directly at Garp. "But there are no pirates—because those marines were killed by me."
The moment those words fell—
Everyone, including Garp, raised their heads in shock, staring at Xia Yu.
In the next instant, Swick, Bot, and the other Devil Fruit users all stepped forward, fully alert, staring at Xia Yu like he was a great enemy—ready to act at Garp's command.
"You… killed them?"
Garp didn't act impulsively. He raised a hand to signal his men to stand down, then stepped closer to Xia Yu, speaking in a low voice. "Xia Yu brat, this isn't something to joke about. Killing marines is a serious crime."
"I'm not joking."
Even as Garp's imposing aura surged, Xia Yu remained calm, speaking as if discussing something trivial. "Whether it's a crime or not, I know very well. But if I hadn't killed them, the villagers of Syrup Village would never have peace. So, Vice Admiral Garp—do you want to fight first, or understand the situation first?"
"What do you mean?"
Garp stopped in front of Xia Yu. Though he hadn't made a move, his fighting spirit was already boiling.
Under Garp's overwhelming pressure, the villagers behind Xia Yu once again felt the suffocating fear of death—just like when those corrupt marines had first appeared.
But this time, they didn't retreat.
Because the young man standing before them was shielding them from the storm.
Even if they were afraid—they would stand with him.
That was Syrup Village's way: repay kindness, no matter the cost.
So when Garp asked "what do you mean," a middle-aged man standing to Xia Yu's left stepped forward. Suppressing his fear, he mustered unprecedented courage and shouted:
"Vice Admiral! Those marines were the ones looting our village! Mr. Xia Yu only acted to stop them!"
"Exactly! For years, they've been coming here, making excuses to extort our money and valuables! If we refused, they would—"
"My brother was beaten to death by them a year ago!"
"Mr. Xia Yu is a good person! Those marines deserved to die!"
"If you're like those marines… then even if we die, we won't let you take Mr. Xia Yu away!"
"Never!!"
The villagers grew more emotional with every word, their blood boiling.
As their voices echoed, figures began appearing from all around the village, rushing over from every direction.
Leading them—
Was none other than Kaya's father.
Under his lead, every single villager of Syrup Village—men, women, young, and old—gathered together and stood firmly behind Xia Yu!
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