Abel wasn't willing to accept it. He had a nagging feeling that his new skill shouldn't be this limited.
But now wasn't the time to experiment.
Meanwhile, the chaos at the port was finally approaching its end.
Bang!
Miles the Black Bear was slammed into the ground again. This time, he couldn't get up. His vision darkened, and he fainted, his massive form shrinking back into a human body—no longer able to fight.
Lawrence, the Silver Swordsman, looked even worse.
Moments earlier, Señor Pink's cat-ear punch had sent him crashing to the ground, coughing blood, one half of his face swollen and disfigured.
Before the battle, neither of them imagined things would end like this.
They had been defeated in a two-on-one fight with no excuses, no tricks, no flukes.
Because that man named Señor Pink beat them fair and square. Neither of them could deny it.
With both captains down, the remaining pirates scattered in panic.
At that point, the soldiers who had been watching from the sidelines finally made their move and began cleaning up the mess.
The invading pirates were either arrested or killed—none were spared.
If they could have, the soldiers would have captured the Donquixote Family members too.
But knowing the retaliation that would follow, they simply couldn't afford that risk. They could only swallow their frustration.
Pfft—
Amid cheers and flattery from the surviving crew, Señor Pink lit another cigarette and stared up at the sky, looking distant, almost melancholic.
It should have been a cool and stylish series of actions…
Unfortunately, he didn't look handsome at all right now.
The left side of his face was swollen like someone had stuffed a steamed bun in his cheek.
His sunglasses were shattered, only the frame remaining.
Worst of all, his suit hung off him in strips like a beggar's rags, serious wardrobe malfunctions everywhere.
But that was just who he was.
He could have easily won using sneak attacks and his Devil Fruit ability, but he preferred to stand in front of his enemy and fight openly.
This guy clearly ate the wrong fruit.
"Hey, are you the agent sent by the Donquixote Family this time?"
A government official, protected by soldiers, stood before Señor Pink, chin raised high.
"Señor Pink."
"Huh? What?"
"You can call me Señor Pink, or you can call me Mr. Pink. A man without manners is really unromantic."
Is this guy an idiot?
The official's face twisted with disgust. If these pirates hadn't caused such trouble, he wouldn't be standing here talking to someone like this.
"Then… Señor Pink, my king demands an explanation and compensation for what happened today."
"Don't forget, we already purchased a large number of 'goods' from your Donquixote Family as agreed. Regardless of the reason, today's incident should never have happened. Wouldn't you agree?"
Señor Pink smoked silently, face dark.
A few minutes later, the official left, holding his nose in disgust.
Before departing, he ordered Lawrence the Silver Sword — still unconscious — to be tied up and hauled away.
That would be Señor's "compensation."
A bounty of thirty-five million berries was more than enough to cover port reconstruction costs. No further discussion was needed.
As for Black Bear Miles and the two pirate ships, Señor planned to take them back to his young master as his explanation.
It was only because Señor Pink was the one handling matters that things ended relatively peacefully. If it had been another Donquixote Family officer? Forget explanations — they would have slaughtered everyone on the spot. Not a single soldier, official, or witness would have survived.
And what "explanation" would anyone dare to demand?
I'll wipe out your entire country — believe it or not.
A crew member cautiously approached Señor.
"Mr. Pink, during the battle, we used some of the goods meant for trading without authorization…"
"I already know. Don't worry, this isn't your fault. When we return, put all the blame on me."
"Mr. Pink…"
The moment he spoke, the crew members exchanged looks of guilt and gratitude.
No matter what happened, Señor Pink was always the person they trusted most.
People under other cadres could never understand what that felt like.
…
Night, in the countryside.
Abel—who had "purchased" food for free—was sharing a meal with Law, casually recounting the battle from earlier at the port.
Law listened intently, even forgetting to eat.
"Is the Donquixote Family really that strong? One officer defeated two pirate crews combined!"
"Haven't you heard of the Donquixote Family before?"
Abel was genuinely surprised.
Law shook his head. "No one in my family cared about that sort of thing. But I know about Germa 66."
"Huh?"
"I read it in a comic once. The hero 'Sky' led a dreamlike combined robot to defeat the evil army Germa 66!"
"…"
Abel was speechless.
That was obviously another propaganda tool created by the World Government and Navy—brainwashing children with a heroic image of justice.
Even Law instinctively frowned when he mentioned "Germa 66," showing how deeply that propaganda had sunk in.
"Abel…"
"Yeah?"
"I want to join the Donquixote Family you just mentioned."
Abel froze, then asked, "Are you serious?"
"I've thought about it. We can't even feed ourselves every day on our own. We can't do anything."
"You and I only have a few years left to live, and I don't want to waste what time I have."
"If we can't survive on our own, then let's embrace depravity. Let's join the villains, use their power, and do whatever we want — kill, destroy, take revenge!"
"..."
The madness in Law's eyes at that moment even shocked Abel.
After calming down, he understood.
If he didn't have a cheat that could extend his life, he might be thinking just as recklessly.
But Abel was fundamentally different from Law.
So he gently began weighing Law's proposal — joining the Donquixote Family.
What benefits would it bring him?
If there were none, then perhaps this was where their paths would separate.