It was exactly the time of day when Goa Kingdom dumped its waste — the gates facing the kingdom were tightly shut.
But Mannolos's sheer size, towering far above the walls, had already drawn the attention of everyone inside.
The gate only reached his waist.
"What is that monster? Where did it come from?"
"If it steps down, we're all done for!"
Mannolos paid no mind to the cries of alarm he had long grown used to. "Master — the gates are closed."
"Then what are you waiting for?" Grimm said plainly.
At the command, Mannolos clenched his massive right fist and smashed it straight into the wall before the stunned onlookers.
BOOM!!!
The earth‑shaking crash echoed across the entire southern region of Goa Kingdom.
Thousands paused what they were doing and turned toward the south.
What was that?
Where the wall had stood, there was now a gaping hole — the gate itself had been blasted away to who knew where.
Many who saw it collapsed to the ground in terror.
No human could do that… but then again, he isn't human, is he?
Grimm walked through the breach into Border Town.
Mannolos shifted his weight to follow, but Grimm called over his shoulder: "You stay here — go find the boys."
Mannolos turned and lumbered back toward Trash Mountain.
When the guards finally snapped out of their shock, the giant skeleton was already gone from sight.
Through the gap, they could see the scavengers, bandits, and pirates in Trash Mountain being cut down in droves — the newcomers were clearly searching for someone.
"Send word to the King at once!" the soldiers agreed, then hurried toward the palace in High Town, leaving everything else behind.
For Grimm, it was a rare feeling. Whether in the Grand Line or the New World, he was recognized instantly wherever he went.
Walking through a busy street without drawing stares was something he had not experienced in a very long time.
He sat at an outdoor café, waiting calmly — while far away, Shanks had done the unthinkable: even after fighting Kaido, he was daring to raid Grimm's own home in his absence.
The older members of the Red‑Hair Pirates had met Luffy and liked him, so they were willing to take the risk.
But the newer recruits who had joined in the last two years barely knew him — they had only heard Shanks speak of him in passing.
To throw themselves into the heart of another Emperor's territory for someone they had never met was hard to accept.
Yet Shanks's resolve and charisma had won them over, and they told themselves: At least the Emperor himself isn't there.
They had forgotten how thoroughly Grimm had crushed them the last time they visited Artemis — without even lifting a finger.
It almost seemed as if fate itself was looking out for Luffy, stacking every advantage in his favor.
For three straight days, the Holy Light Pirates combed every inch of Trash Mountain, but found no sign of the three boys.
On the third day, Mattheus brought Brujam of the Sapphire Pirates before them.
Under questioning, Brujam admitted he had once captured one of the three — Sabo, the secret son of Goa's King — and said he might know more.
Brujam was killed afterward.
They learned what they could, but still no trace of the boys remained — giving Shanks exactly the opening he needed.
Meanwhile, after learning Sabo's true identity and being cast out of the palace, Luffy returned to Mount Corvo — only to find every member of the Dadan family wrapped in bandages, some missing arms or legs.
Ten‑year‑old Ace rushed to Dadan, who sat by the fire with her head and leg bound.
"What happened?! While we were gone — what did they do?!"
He looked around, but everyone avoided his gaze.
"Hey — someone tell us!" Luffy pleaded.
No one would meet their eyes; it felt as if someone here had betrayed them.
"Quiet!" Dadan snapped, still recovering from her wounds.
She lashed out and struck Ace hard enough to send him tumbling several meters.
"We fell. That's all you need to know!"
Ace scrambled back to his feet, furious.
"Fine, keep your secrets! Luffy — we're going back. We're saving Sabo."
"Right!"
As they turned to leave, Dadan suddenly lunged and pinned both boys to the ground, her face dark with worry.
"Neither of you is going anywhere! I've already sent word to Garp. We're getting you out of here to Windmill Village first — then on to Shells Town."
Shells Town was the nearest military base with a Marine garrison.
There, invoking Garp's name would guarantee them the strongest possible protection available.
Dadan's jaw tightened as she remembered the mark on Grimm's crew — she had seen it in the papers.
Everyone knew what the Four Emperors were capable of.
"Let go — I have to save Sabo!" Luffy struggled under her hand.
"Save Sabo later — save yourselves first!"
She did not know what had happened while they were gone, or why Sabo had vanished — but an Emperor's crew was hunting Luffy.
Nothing else mattered until he was safely in Marine hands.
SNAP!
Ace bit down hard on Dadan's arm.
She cried out and loosened her grip, and the two boys bolted free.
"Run, Luffy!"
"Okay!"
They fled as fast as they could, while Dadan shouted after them in frustration: "Idiots — both of you are complete idiots!"
Once they were clear of the Dadan house, Luffy panted: "But how are we going to rescue Sabo?"
Ace picked a new path through the trees.
"He's tough — stronger than anyone gives him credit for. If he doesn't want to stay there, he'll find a way out on his own. We head back to our hideout first, wait a while, and see how things go."
"Okay!"
---
Back in the New World, after three days at sea, the Red‑Hair Pirates reached the eastern shores of Artemis, Grimm's kingdom.
As soon as they entered the waters, they saw countless ships — each flying both a small personal pirate flag and the great emblem of the Holy Light Pirates.
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