After drinking the oath of brotherhood, the bonds between Ace, Sabo, Kaito Sakamoto, and Luffy grew even stronger.
Time continued its relentless march, indifferent and unyielding. Day by day, the four of them shared countless moments together, building a small wooden house high up in the trees, engaging in water fights in the bathhouse, and even competing with Dadan for food. They celebrated at Makino's tavern, where she had prepared new clothes for them, and braved the challenges of survival in the forest, facing wild beasts along the way. The largest beast of all was none other than Garp, who visited them occasionally. On one such day, the four returned to Dadan's home, each nursing a lump on their heads, looking as if they had just stepped out of a cosplay convention.
As days melted into weeks, Kaito experienced a happiness he had never known before. But this happiness came with a looming shadow: the day the Celestial Dragons would arrive drew nearer with each passing moment.
Finally, one day, fate, tired of their joyful existence, intervened to shatter their peace. On Kaito's advice, Sabo, Ace, and Luffy had refrained from going into town to save money during this time. However, Colbo Mountain still lay within the territory of King Goa, and there was no escaping that fact. If they didn't go out, others would come looking for them.
Sabo's noble father, accompanied by members of the Blue Jam Pirate Crew, intercepted Ace, Luffy, and Sabo while they were out gathering herbs for Kaito. Ironically, Kaito had developed a fever that very day. The reason Sabo and the others had been caught was precisely because they were collecting herbs for Kaito.
"Why did you suddenly come down with a fever? Kids can be such a hassle," Dadan grumbled, though she softened her tone as she helped Kaito swap out the wet towel on his forehead.
"I'm sorry, Dadan…" Kaito managed, his lips pale, feeling as if his head were weighed down by a thousand pounds.
"Quit talking, kid. Just get some rest. I don't want you dying on my watch."
"Ace and the others have gone to gather herbs for you. If they can't find enough, they'll head to town to snag some."
"Just sleep for now; they'll probably be back when you wake up."
Dadan spoke with a mouthful of smoke, her concern hidden beneath her tough exterior. Kaito glanced at the clock on the wall—6:10 PM. Nodding slightly, he closed his eyes, knowing he needed to recover before the Celestial Dragons arrived in three days.
A close-up shot showed time transforming into a sprite, spinning the clock's hands rapidly. Kaito slowly opened his eyes, feeling as if a century had passed. Looking at the clock again, it was now 6:05 PM.
"What? Did time rewind?"
That was clearly impossible; he had been asleep for an entire day. Despite Dadan's harsh words, she genuinely cared for Kaito and sat next to him, dozing off. Kaito looked around; the other mountain bandits were present, but Luffy and the others were nowhere to be seen. Something felt off.
"No way could this be a coincidence!"
In a panic, Kaito reached out to replicate Dadan's robust physique. As a mountain bandit, Dadan was indeed resilient. However, replicating someone else's physique didn't mean injuries or illness would vanish instantly. Instead, Kaito would now endure the fever using 60% of Dadan's resilience. While he still felt his head was heavy, it was an improvement over his own weakened state.
"Kid! What are you doing?!"
Dadan was jolted awake by Kaito's sudden movement. He hastily threw on a coat and ran outside, realizing he had panicked unnecessarily; evening still had some time left.
"Dadan! Quickly rally everyone! We need to rescue Ace and Luffy! They've been captured by pirates at that port near Garbage Mountain!"
Without waiting for Dadan to respond, Kaito dashed away, leaving her stunned. The cigarette fell from her mouth to the ground, and as she snapped back to reality, she yelled, "Hurry! Follow Kaito!"
...
Just as Kaito suspected, Blue Jam, having used Luffy and Ace to transport the oil and explosives from Burning Garbage Mountain, was now ready to dispose of them.
"What!"
"We're going to burn down Garbage Mountain!"
"Then we need to warn those guys down by the mountain!"
Ace and Luffy were taken aback by Blue Jam's declaration.
"Don't shout so loud; you'll alert the people at Garbage Mountain!"
"King Goa has promised me that if Garbage Mountain is successfully burned, I'll be granted noble status."
"To think I've gone through all this trouble just for a title, while your so-called brother, Sabo, gave up his noble identity to come here—it's utterly foolish!"
Sabo and Blue Jam were prime examples of city folk wanting to escape to the wilderness while those in the wild desired entry to the city.
"Since you know the plan, I can't let you leave."
"Let me ask you one last thing: where did you hide the treasure?"
Blue Jam squatted down, his face dark with suspicion as he interrogated Ace and Luffy. He not only sought noble status but also their treasure. But he feared he might end up with nothing at all.
...
Meanwhile, Kaito, dragging his ailing body, arrived at Garbage Mountain as the sun dipped below the horizon, nightfall enveloping the land. He looked at the homeless people lying on the ground, their interest in life extinguished, and couldn't help but feel sorrow.
"Tonight, those nobles from the town plan to set Garbage Mountain ablaze!"
"Now's your chance—run!"
Kaito shouted, but no one seemed to care. Where could they go if they left Garbage Mountain? It was useless to try to convince the damned souls.
Yet Kaito had no time to plead further. From the town wall, a cannonball was launched, landing at the edge of Garbage Mountain with a deafening explosion. The oil and explosives buried beneath the trash ignited, setting off a chain reaction.
Flames erupted at the edge of Garbage Mountain, creating a fiery wall that spread inward. The darkness of night was instantly illuminated, turning it to daylight as the night sky turned crimson. King Goa aimed to incinerate more than just Garbage Mountain; in his eyes, the people living there were just as much a blemish on the kingdom as the garbage itself.
People often realized the truth only at the last moment; the residents of Garbage Mountain, having been disturbed, sprang into action, scrambling to escape for their lives!