Chapter 264: I'm Taking Something With Me!
"Outsiders!"
"You are not welcome here. Leave immediately!"
The one speaking had the head of a tiger, an enormous jaw the size of his face, and a wild, upward-swept hairstyle.
He first glanced at Luo Han, then his eyes widened when he spotted Cole .
Behind him stood a group of Mink warriors, weapons drawn, glaring menacingly at Luo Han's group aboard the Penguin.
Huff, huff!
The tense breathing made it clear—they were holding something back. Or awaiting an order!
"So full of hostility?"
Boom!
Luo Han chuckled as he leapt down from the ship. "I'm not here to fight. I'm only here to take something."
"And while we're at it, we plan to enjoy a vacation on this beautiful island. Just don't get in our way."
Boom, boom… thud!
The moment he finished speaking, Aishi and the others also jumped down behind him.
Facing the towering forms of Luo Han and Akatsuki , the tiger-headed Mink—Tiger Fang—frowned. "Giants don't usually come to our island. Why are you here?"
"This is our holy land. A sacred ground of the Mink Tribe. There's nothing here for you to take. And even if there were, it belongs to us—it can't be given away."
Tiger Fang added gravely, "You'd best leave immediately."
"Tiger Fang, just finish them off already!"
"Yeah! Why waste words?"
"Don't think you can throw your weight around on Zou just because you're big. We're the combat unit!"
"We'll flatten you in seconds!"
The Mink warriors behind Tiger Fang were clearly eager to fight. Their comments were more threats than warnings.
Those last taunts were aimed at Luo Han and Akatsuki .
"I make the decisions. You lot just listen," Tiger Fang snapped back.
He understood the strength of these people far better than the others. He had returned to Zou just ten years ago, around the time of the God Valley incident—the Rocks Pirates' last great era. He knew full well how terrifying Beastman Cole and the Blue Demon were.
He didn't recognize Luo Han and the others, but he did recognize Cole .
And if Cole was merely standing silently behind these two giants…
Then these two had to be monsters—especially the male one, who made Tiger Fang's instincts scream in fear.
This was the aura of an overwhelmingly powerful being.
Luo Han didn't mind being mistaken for a giant. He introduced himself casually, "I'm Luo Han—also known as the Blue Demon."
"Judging by how you reacted to Cole , I'd say you've been out to sea?"
Luo Han smiled. "Then you should know I'm not someone you can resist."
"So just let me take the Poneglyph peacefully, and no one gets hurt. Deal?"
As expected.
Tiger Fang's eyes twitched. So it was the Poneglyph they were after—just like the pirates that came before.
But only the Blue Demon could make Cole stand aside like that.
Even though Luo Han looked different now, once he identified himself, Tiger Fang believed him—especially since Cole didn't object.
This giant truly was the infamous Blue Demon.
Tiger Fang took a breath and replied seriously, "You may make a rubbing of the Poneglyph, but you cannot take it."
That was his bottom line. Only because Luo Han was powerful enough. Any other intruder would've been slaughtered on sight.
The Minks weren't known for being friendly. Many pirates who had stumbled upon Zou had been killed without hesitation.
Which was why so little information about Zou had ever spread through the New World.
The Poneglyph they protected wasn't just any stone—it was one of the four Road Poneglyphs that pointed to the final island.
It was a sacred artifact passed down through generations—and it would never be given away.
"Even if it means the destruction of your entire tribe, you would still protect this stone?" Luo Han asked coldly.
With a thought, he used telekinesis to pull the Poneglyph out from inside the Whale Tree.
BOOM!
With a heavy crash, the red stone landed between Luo Han's group and the Minks.
Luo Han and his crew floated above it, three meters in the air, looking down on the warriors.
Faced with Luo Han's declaration—and the sudden appearance of the Road Poneglyph—
Tiger Fang was frozen in place, but the Mink warriors behind him surged forward.
Only to be halted instantly—
A crushing force pressed down on them from all sides. They were frozen in place, unable to move even a finger. Only their eyes could dart around in panic.
"Blue Demon!!!"
Tiger Fang instantly sensed what had happened.
Despite his rising fury, he forced himself to remain calm. "You only want the information on the stone. A rubbing would be no different."
"But this Poneglyph has been guarded by our tribe for centuries. It's sacred. We cannot let you take it."
Sigh…
Luo Han exhaled deeply. So there really were still people in this world who would die for a promise.
"Then…"
Luo Han's voice turned icy. "You're saying I should wipe out your entire tribe?"
"I…"
Tiger Fang broke into a cold sweat, his body trembling.
He could feel it—if he said yes, his people would be exterminated.
And Luo Han could do it.
He wanted to resist. Desperately. But his Observation Haki sensed no opening—no chance of winning.
"I…"
He hesitated again. Then lowered his head and said, "You may take it. But allow us to make a copy and leave it here."
"Let us at least fulfill our duty."
"If not… then just kill us."
Luo Han heard the unwavering determination in his voice.
Such a pure, loyal people… willing to die to honor a promise. It was worthy of respect.
"Alright."
"You may make a rubbing. We'll take the stone once we're ready to leave."
Without another word, Luo Han floated back to the Penguin with Aishi and the others.
The ship rose into the air and flew toward the forest.
As he left, Luo Han released the telekinetic hold.
"Boss Tiger Fang!"
After what they had just experienced, the Minks were shaken to their core.
None of them could speak.
The shock and despair were still etched in their hearts.
It was a helpless kind of fear—the kind where you used all your strength, but couldn't even twitch.
And he had frozen all of them in one move.
They had never met a force like that before.
"Return to the city and bring back paper and ink for the rubbing," Tiger Fang said quietly.
He was upset too, but he had no choice.
They had to fulfill their promise—otherwise they would die, and their duty would die with them.
That was unacceptable.
"Yes… Boss Tiger Fang," the others replied weakly.
A dozen Mink warriors turned and sprinted toward the city.
(END CHAPTER)
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