Days passed, and the frequency of Garp's visits to the village became rarer. The time he spent at home grew shorter as well, with more and more pirates setting sail recently. Even if Garp wanted to take a break, the higher-ups wouldn't allow it. A combat force like him couldn't afford to be idle.
One day, as Satoru sat by the shore, gazing absently at the sea, a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Hey, Satoru! I'm going to challenge you now. My fists are as powerful as bullets!"
Without turning around, Satoru immediately recognized the voice. It was Luffy, his ever-determined friend.
"You? Defeat me? That's 20,000 years too early." Satoru didn't even glance back, casually raising one finger to indicate the difference in strength.
"Hmph! I don't believe it!" Luffy retorted, his voice filled with determination. "Take this! Satoru, here comes my punch!"
Luffy dashed forward, throwing a punch with all his might. But Satoru simply stood up, turned around, and grabbed Luffy's fist the moment it landed.
"Damn it! Why do you have so much strength? You're only two years older than me!" Luffy gritted his teeth, the strain showing on his face as he put all his effort into the punch. But Satoru's grip was like iron, and the fist didn't budge.
"The gap between us will take you 20,000 years to surpass." Satoru smirked before effortlessly tossing Luffy to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw.
Luffy lay there, stunned but defiant. "Damn, I'll definitely beat you next time!"
"I've heard that more than a hundred times," Satoru chuckled, shaking his head. His eyes then caught sight of something unusual—a small black dot on the horizon of the sea. It hadn't been there before.
"What's that?" Satoru frowned, using his Six Eyes ability to scan the ship. It was a pirate ship, unmistakable with its skull flag—two crossed swords stabbed into it and three scars over one eye. The ship seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it.
On the pirate ship, a man lying at the bow suddenly stiffened, his eyes narrowing as he muttered.
"Something's off... I feel like we're being watched."
"Captain, what's wrong?" a large, rotund man asked with concern, holding a chicken leg in his hand.
"I'm not sure, but I feel like someone's watching us. Could be a delusion, but it feels real," the captain said, his voice tense.
The rest of the crew fell silent, their expressions serious. Despite the captain not being one of the most notorious pirates, his intuition was usually spot on.
"It seems there's someone powerful on that island," the captain added, his gaze fixed on the approaching shore. "We'll have to be cautious."
As the pirate ship drew closer, Satoru realized who it was. A red-haired man standing at the bow, wearing a straw hat. The name came to his mind immediately: *Red-Haired Shanks.*
Shanks wasn't as famous as he would be in the future, but he was already a well-known pirate with a bounty over 100 million. Among the pirates of the Four Seas, he was a formidable force. Satoru felt relieved; if it was Shanks' crew, the village was likely safe. If they intended harm, Satoru wasn't confident he could stop them, but it was clear Shanks' presence wasn't a threat to Windmill Village.
Luffy, noticing the pirate ship as it approached, was visibly panicked. He wasn't dreaming of becoming a pirate yet, and his only understanding of pirates came from his grandfather, Vice Admiral Garp, who painted them as ruthless criminals.
"No! I have to warn the village!" Luffy shouted, turning to run. "Satoru, you should hide! Pirates won't spare you!"
Satoru didn't move, his gaze fixed on the approaching ship. He wasn't worried. He'd face whatever came his way.
As the ship docked, the crew's tension grew. They could sense the presence of someone powerful on the island, though they couldn't pinpoint who it was.
"Captain, there's a kid standing on the island, waiting for us," one of the crew members, a man with a thick lip and curly hair, said, his voice laced with unease.
Shanks, noticing the boy, felt a strange sense of familiarity. He'd had the same feeling before, like someone was watching them closely.
"Could this kid be the one I felt earlier? Is he some kind of Devil Fruit user?" Shanks wondered aloud.
"Hey, kid!" Shanks called out, grinning mischievously. "Aren't you scared of pirates? You should run away, or we might just eat you for dinner!"
Satoru stood his ground, unphased. "You don't dare."
Shanks let out a laugh. "We don't dare? We're pirates! Is there anything we wouldn't do?"
Satoru's gaze was unwavering. "There's someone behind me. If you harm me, no matter where you run, he will catch you."
Shanks raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A backer, huh? Tell me, who is it?"
Satoru's eyes gleamed with a subtle challenge. "A naval hero. Vice Admiral Garp. Do you still want to try something?"