Coming to play tricks on Kaito Sakamoto, Sig ended up getting played himself. His face turned beet red with anger as he drew his knife and slashed at Kaito.
"Little brat! Looking for death!"
As he unsheathed his knife, his underlings behind him pulled out their guns as well. Kaito didn't dodge; Sig's knife couldn't reach him, and Beckman quickly blocked the blade with the barrel of his gun.
"Hey, hey, are you really drawing a knife on a kid in a wheelchair?"
"Especially when he's my disciple!" Beckman snapped, glaring at Sig with a cigarette clenched between his teeth.
Luffy immediately jumped down from his chair, eager to "save" Kaito. Shanks held him back, but unexpectedly, Luffy's arm stretched out.
"Eh!!!!!"
"My arm got longer!!!"
"Could it be you!!!" Luffy panicked, mouth agape.
"What's going on!!"
The calmest among them was Kaito, while Sig and his crew looked utterly confused.
"It's gone!"
"The 'Gomu Gomu no Mi' we took from the enemy ship is gone!"
"What!!"
Laki instantly thought of the rubber fruit, grabbing the container, but it was completely empty. He then pulled out an illustrated book, pointing at the picture of the rubber fruit and asking Luffy if he had eaten it.
"Ah, I thought it was dessert…"
"It was really disgusting." Luffy replied, dazed.
Shanks cupped Luffy's face, excitedly saying, "The Gomu Gomu no Mi is a treasure known as a Devil Fruit! Whoever eats it will become a rubber person and can never learn to swim!"
"What! No way!!" Luffy's jaw dropped in disbelief; if he couldn't learn to swim, how could he become a pirate!!
"Enough!!"
"Bang!!"
Amid the commotion, Sig felt ignored and was infuriated; if it dragged on, his lunch would get cold. He pulled out his gun and aimed it directly at Shanks. In that instant, as Sig fired, Beckman swiftly deflected Sig's arm with his gun, causing the bullet to hit the ceiling.
Shanks tightened his straw hat, standing up with a newfound aura that somewhat resembled the pressure of an Emperor of the Sea.
"Since you've shot, that means it's a life-or-death gamble."
"What…"
Before Sig could finish his sentence, his underlings were taken down in an instant by members of the Red-Haired Pirates. Sig's expression changed drastically, going pale as cold sweat streamed down his face; he had lost all his confidence.
"Bastard!"
Holding his breath, Sig tossed a smoke bomb, filling the tavern with thick smoke.
"Oh no! It's a smoke bomb!!" Everyone panicked.
"Damn it, you've got the wrong person!"
"Quit talking nonsense, you little brat!"
"Kaito!"
"Ah! Damn little brat!"
The voices of Kaito, Sig, and Luffy echoed from within the smoke. When the smoke finally cleared, Luffy, Kaito, and Sig had vanished.
"It's bad! What if Luffy and Kaito get captured!" Shanks frantically held his head, but then he suddenly spotted Kaito's figure lying outside the tavern.
"Kaito!"
....
Earlier, in the smoke, Sig had grabbed Kaito by the collar, prompting Kaito to exclaim that he had the wrong person. But fate doesn't make mistakes. Luffy, worried about Kaito, had just activated his powers and eaten the fruit, stretching out his arm to grab Sig, quickly pulling himself closer. But then, they both ended up getting caught...
Sig ran out of the tavern with Kaito tucked under his arm. Kaito wouldn't sit idly by; he transformed his bracelet into a dagger and stabbed Sig. Sig yelped in pain and dropped Kaito, taking Luffy away instead.
....
"Kaito, are you alright!" Shanks and the others rushed out of the tavern. Beckman, still smoking, pushed Kaito's wheelchair and helped him into it.
"I'm fine! Sig took Luffy to the docks!" Kaito quickly assured them, pointing toward the docks.
Shanks nodded and immediately dashed toward the docks. Beckman flicked his cigarette butt and followed suit, pushing Kaito's wheelchair at an astonishing speed. Kaito never expected that his first "race" in 18 years would be in a wheelchair.
....
"Oh no!!"
When they reached the docks, Kaito saw from a distance the Sea King bite down on Sig along with his small boat. Luffy was floundering in the water, and the Sea King had already noticed him.
"Whoa... Hippo!"
"Guh... Someone! Help me!!"
Shanks accelerated again, leaping forward, and Kaito could only catch a glimpse of his afterimage. Remembering that Luffy had gotten close to Sig to save him, Kaito couldn't just stand by. Transforming his bracelet into a short gun, he fired without aiming.
"Bang!"
The gunshot erupted in sparks as the bullet flew out with a rush of air, hitting the Sea King right in the eye.
"Roar!!!"
The Sea King cried out in pain and immediately dove back into the water. Shanks reached Luffy and shielded him in his arms. But as fate would have it, Kaito's bullet was a moment too late; Shanks's left arm was bitten off.
"Luffy, it's okay; a man shouldn't cry."
"But... but, Shanks... your arm!!!"
"It's nothing, just an arm... as long as you're okay."
"Wah... wahhhh... waaaaaahhhhh!!!"
Leaning against Shanks, Luffy's cries echoed throughout the docks. Kaito was moved but still couldn't understand why Shanks had lost his arm.