Akira's small pirate ship drifted aimlessly across the vast sea, rocking gently with each passing wave. They had no clear destination, simply moving forward into the unknown.
Suddenly, the waters ahead rippled unnaturally. A large ship was passing through.
Using a telescope, Akira spotted a massive pirate ship looming in the distance. It was enormous, clearly carrying a sizable crew.
"Brother, should we approach?" Hancock asked while steering the rudder.
Akira didn't want to waste time. He nodded, signaling her to maintain their course.
Before long, their small vessel caught up. At first, it seemed like they would pass peacefully, but the larger ship abruptly blocked their path.
Compared to the massive pirate vessel, Akira's boat was insignificant. It was obvious that the opposing crew felt emboldened by this imbalance of power.
Akira considered retreating, but it was too late—their oars were suddenly snagged by hooks thrown from the larger ship, locking them in place.
"Damn it! Why are they doing this?" Ellie spat in frustration.
As a former Celestial Dragon, she refused to accept unfair treatment. She tried rocking the boat to break free, but the enemy ship suddenly swerved, nearly ramming into them.
"Ahaha! Where did this tiny boat come from, daring to block our way?" A burly, scarred man with a thick beard sneered from the deck above.
Akira didn't recognize him, but something about his smug presence made him sick.
"It's you fools blocking our way!" Ellie shot back, pointing accusingly at the bearded man.
The scarred man let out a deep laugh, and his crew of nearly a hundred pirates poured onto the deck, completely surrounding Akira's group.
"A foolish woman dares to speak to me that way? You'll regret it! I'll make you understand the terror of Captain Thad!"
With that, the pirate captain drew a pair of menacing machetes and leaped onto Akira's small ship.
"Haha! Captain Thad, the Ghost Blade, is undefeated in these waters!"
"You're dead, fools! Kneel and beg for mercy!"
His lackeys cheered, confident in their captain's strength.
Akira, however, was unfazed. If anything, he was more interested in the ship itself.
If they could take it, their travels would become much easier.
"I don't care who you are," Akira said calmly. "But your ship—I want it. Surrender now, and I'll let this slide."
Thad's face twisted in rage. "What?! Who do you think you're talking to, you arrogant brat?!"
Akira sighed, sizing up the so-called pirate captain. He wasn't even worth his effort.
"Isn't it obvious? There's nothing else here besides your ship. Hand it over."
Thad had never been so insulted. His fury exploded. "You bastard! Die!"
He lunged forward, twin machetes flashing in the sunlight. His crew roared in approval, already celebrating his imminent victory.
But the moment Thad neared Akira, the young warrior casually raised a hand—
Boom!
Thad was sent flying, his machetes clattering uselessly onto the deck as his body crumpled to the ground.
The once-boastful crew froze in stunned silence, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Their invincible captain had been defeated in a single move.
"The captain has been knocked down!"
"Captain Thad lost?! Impossible!"
A wave of panic spread through the crew, and soon they were scrambling in disarray, like headless chickens.
Thad groaned, forcing himself up, his body aching from the impact. "You fools—use your guns!"
At his command, the pirates snapped back to attention, hurriedly raising their pistols and pointing them at Akira's group.
"Don't move, or we'll shoot!"
Akira sighed, barely acknowledging them. Instead, he unleashed a wave of Conqueror's Haki.
The effect was instant. The armed pirates' eyes rolled back as they collapsed, one by one, their bodies slumping onto the deck.
Ellie stepped forward, grabbing Thad by the collar before slamming her foot onto his chest.
"Hah! A so-called captain like you isn't even fit to be my servant," she sneered.
Even though Ellie had abandoned her status as a Celestial Dragon, her attitude remained as commanding as ever.
Akira didn't interfere. He had more important matters to consider.
"It seems you're not as formidable as you claimed. If this is the extent of your power, you were only bluffing."
Thad trembled, struggling in vain to escape Ellie's grip. Then, his eyes widened in realization.
"Wait—you're…!"
Recognition dawned on him as he recalled the latest bounty posters.
"You're the pirate with a 100-million-beli bounty!"
Akira smirked. "So you finally figured it out. Now, if you don't want to be fish food, surrender the ship."
He crouched slightly, staring directly into Thad's panicked eyes. "Also, one more thing—where exactly does this route lead?"
Thad swallowed hard, nodding frantically. "Straight ahead… it leads to Alabasta, the Kingdom of Sand."
Akira raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected to end up there so soon.
"Interesting," he muttered. "Looks like fate is leading me somewhere after all."
With that, he grinned, turning his attention back to the grand pirate ship before him.
"Well then… we'll be taking this vessel."
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