One Piece: It All Started When I Found Shanks' Arm

Chapter 17: The Terrifying Devil Fruit Power

"Is he coming...?"

White Fox suddenly seemed to sense something and muttered in a voice only the two of them could hear.

Who's coming?

Shane was getting more and more impatient. This guy was being so cryptic. Was he going to fight or not? He'd start talking but wouldn't make anything clear, just standing there like a wooden pole, leaving people guessing.

If there was one thing he hated in this life, it was riddle-makers.

Fine.

Actions speak louder than words. If you won't give me an answer, I'll take it myself! With that thought, he made his decision. With a flick of his wrist, his bamboo sword shot out.

By the time the dazed White Fox noticed and turned his head, the bamboo sword had already precisely flicked his mask off.

Clatter—

The white fox mask fell to the floor. A gaunt face, belonging to a man in his early fifties and filled with exhaustion and the沧桑 (cāngsāng - vicissitudes of life), was displayed before everyone on the large screen hanging above.

For a moment, the entire venue fell silent, so quiet that even the sound of the mask rolling on the ground was clearly audible.

Shane sensed the strange atmosphere in the arena. He frowned at the face. Is this person famous?

The next instant, as if a giant boulder had been thrown into a calm lake, the entire venue erupted in an uproar! Nearly every spectator couldn't help but stand up.

"Hey! No way! If I'm not mistaken, that... that face is..."

"Master Sakuraba Itsuki!"

"He's still alive?!"

What in the world was going on?!

Wasn't the famous Mr. Sakuraba Itsuki supposed to have died in a shipwreck during a storm five years ago?!

"FATHER!!!"

The dressing room curtain was violently thrown open, and Junichi rushed out like a madman.

When he reached the stage, his entire body was trembling. He stared with wide eyes at the gaunt man, terrified that everything before him was just a dream. "Is it really you? Is it really you..."

"It's me, Junichi."

The gaunt man's slightly trembling hand reached out and stroked Junichi's head, as if he had a thousand words to say.

But in the end, his eyes just reddened, and two streams of tears flowed down his cheeks as he murmured to himself, "Junichi, my Junichi..."

"FATHER!!!" Junichi could no longer hold back. He dove into his father's embrace, clinging tightly to that somewhat bony, withered chest, and began to sob uncontrollably.

"Wuwu, what's happening, I'm going to cry too..." The announcer standing at the edge of the stage also started to sniffle, taking off his glasses to wipe his eyes, which made Shane, standing to the side, look over at him.

He silently took a few steps back, leaving the center of the stage to the father and son.

"...Junichi, step aside for a moment. Be good. The time I can break free from the control and stay lucid is short. Let me say what's important first."

The gaunt man patted his son's head. Junichi wiped his tears, nodded vigorously, and let go of his arms. As reluctant as he was, he knew there were priorities.

The gaunt man turned around to face the audience.

"Everyone, it's been a long time. Or rather, it's been a long time since I've met you all as Sakuraba Itsuki."

His voice was hoarse and low. "I suppose the thing you all want to know most is what really happened in that shipwreck five years ago, and why am I still alive?"

In the audience, the vast majority of people subconsciously nodded.

"It wasn't a shipwreck. It was a carefully planned trap."

Recalling that nightmare, a look of pain crossed Sakuraba Itsuki's face. "A demon named 'The Carpenter,' or rather, a person who gained the power of a demon, had his eyes on my body, which still possessed some strength. So he devised a scheme to lure me off the island, knocked me out, and then, while I was unconscious, used his ability to control me."

The Carpenter?

Most of the outsiders in the audience looked bewildered, but many of the local residents were shocked. They were all too familiar with that name.

This "Carpenter" was an underground boss who had risen to power about five years ago. He dabbled in all sorts of shady businesses like professional begging, casino enforcement, loan sharking, and a few brothels on the island. His reputation was infamous.

Most ordinary citizens would avoid him if they saw him. But on the surface, his status was far from that of the truly powerful figures on the island. And Sakuraba Itsuki was undoubtedly one of those powerful figures.

A rat from the gutters of the underworld actually dared to make a move on someone like him?

Where did he get the guts and the ability?!

Could it be... because of that demon power Mr. Sakuraba mentioned?

"President Sakuraba! Are you saying that The Carpenter is a Devil Fruit user?!"

There were, after all, some knowledgeable people in the audience who immediately understood the meaning and couldn't help but ask loudly.

"That's right!" Sakuraba Itsuki nodded bitterly. "To be precise, he is a user of the Paramecia-type Puppet-Puppet Fruit, able to..."

"—Able to turn humans into puppets under my complete control!"

BAM! The dojo's main gate was suddenly kicked open with great force from the outside. Accompanied by a wild, arrogant voice, a middle-aged man in a luxurious trench coat appeared at the entrance, a cigar in his mouth and a dark expression on his face.

It was the infamous "Carpenter" in the eyes of the local residents.

And behind him followed two other figures.

The audience looked closely and were shocked to find that the two people who looked like his followers were none other than the town's sheriff and the commanding officer of the 129th Marine Branch Base on the north side of the island, Major Tomte!

"Tsk tsk tsk, what a surprise, Sakuraba Itsuki. It seems I underestimated your willpower and resistance."

"The Carpenter's" cold gaze fixed on the gaunt man on the stage as he said icily, "Other puppets only need to be brainwashed once, and I can leave them be. But you're a special case. Every so often, you show signs of struggling and losing control. I just re-brainwashed you last month. What stimulated you this time? Let me guess... could it be this little brat?"

His gaze shifted to Junichi. Standing to his right rear, the Marine Major, Tomte, emotionlessly raised his flintlock pistol and aimed it at Junichi.

"Major Tomte, what are you doing?! Why are you listening to the orders of a gang leader and pointing your gun at a child?!" a roar of disbelief came from the audience.

—It just so happened that some Marines from the 129th Branch were in the city on their day off to watch the tournament. Seeing this, they couldn't believe their eyes.

Was this still the kind and upright Major they knew?

"Didn't I already say it? It's the power of the Paramecia-type Puppet-Puppet Fruit," Sakuraba Itsuki said with a bitter laugh. "Your Major, and that sheriff, they are just like me, secretly controlled by him long ago. Normally, they appear no different from ordinary people, but the moment The Carpenter wills it, they immediately become puppets who obey his every command."

"Also, controlling each puppet requires one finger. The Carpenter has ten fingers, and of course, he wouldn't waste a single one."

He then looked at the seven dojo masters on the south side, his voice growing even hoarser. "So, all of my old friends here, without exception, have also fallen victim to him one after another."

Another uproar swept through the audience.

The seven dojo masters remained seated, their faces cold and indifferent, with no intention of refuting him. This, in itself, confirmed Sakuraba Itsuki's words.

The circle of spectators around them, as if seeing a plague, scrambled to their feet in panic, pushing and shoving each other as they retreated.

Among them were some family members and close subordinates of these dojo masters. They suddenly recalled the strange behaviors their masters had exhibited over the past five years. Only now did they finally understand the reason. Looking at the row of familiar yet strange backs, a chill ran down their spines.