March 15, 1520 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
East Blue.
A massive three-decked sailing ship, its prow carved in the shape of a black panther, sailed away from the rising sun.
Atop the mast fluttered a dark, wind-swollen flag, black, with a stark white skull flanked by two red hourglasses. One hourglass for prey already captured, the other marking the countdown to death. A declaration: You will surrender to me, it's only a matter of time.
In East Blue, few wouldn't recognize this ship or its flag.
After all, this was one of the most infamous pirate crews in the East Blue, boasting some of the highest bounties on record.
Aboard the Fake Merry, A Tao held up a stack of bounty posters, eyes fixed on the pirate ship in the distance as she explained.
"The Krieg Pirates claiming to have five thousand men under their banner, the largest pirate crew in all of East Blue."
"Captain: Admiral Don Krieg. Bounty: 17 million Berries. Known as the Tyrant of East Blue."
"Chief Commander: 'Demon Man' Gin. Bounty: 12 million Berries."
"But if they've got five thousand people, why's there only one ship?"
A Hua pushed up his glasses, frowning as he looked over the bounties in A Tao's hand.
"Probably making rounds through his territories. Krieg wouldn't keep all his men in one place—that'd make them an easy target for the Navy."
A Luo slid down the mast, landing with a quick step and responding smoothly.
He glanced up at the behemoth of a ship heading straight for them.
"That ship must be Krieg's flagship, the Invincible Battle Saber."
"Then Krieg himself must be on board."
All eyes turned to Kouta, who stood silently at the prow, waiting for his signal.
Not one of them was worried about this so-called "Tyrant of East Blue." To them, Krieg and his crew were nothing more than brittle paper tigers before Kouta.
After all, Kouta had gone toe-to-toe with the legendary Okama King five years ago and fought him to a draw.
The Okama King's bounty? Over 80 million.
As Kouta's crew spotted the Krieg Pirates, the enemy spotted them too.
Their course adjusted. They turned directly toward the Fake Merry, charging full speed.
What the pirates didn't know was that they were sailing straight toward a nightmare.
Blissful ignorance, perhaps a mercy. It let them do as they pleased, without hesitation or fear. Whether that ignorance was a blessing or a curse remained to be seen.
But for Kouta and his crew? It was a stroke of luck.
At last, something to break the monotony of this tiresome voyage.
A bit of fun, at last.
Watching the Invincible Battle Saber barrel toward them, Kouta turned to the three wide-eyed, excited teens behind him. His lips curled into a cold, feral grin.
"Krieg is mine. Kuina, take the officers. The rest are yours."
"Wooooah!"
The three erupted into cheers.
They had trained in the sword arts for over a decade. Without the heart of a warrior, without a drive to cut down evil, they would never have lasted this long.
Had it not been for the crushing hopelessness of recent years, they might never have left the dojo.
But now, faced with nothing but true scum, their blades could swing freely, without a shred of guilt.
Kouta didn't bother engaging with their excitement. His thoughts were elsewhere.
In this world of pirates, most people still held a sense of justice.
Not the "justice" of the World Government—real justice. The kind where you draw your sword when you see evil.
Even the Navy often mocked as the Government's lapdogs was composed, in truth, of 90% good men and women.
Kouta's ship was full of those kinds of people.
Pirates, on the other hand, were criminals hiding behind the banner of "dreams."
The sea brought unimaginable riches. Luck, daring, strategy, or raw power could lead to sudden fortune.
And most pirates? They stole that fortune from others.
Robbery was faster than trade. Easier than work.
With those ill-gotten gains, they lived lavishly.
Unfettered.
Lawless.
Free.
Pirates like Luffy, those who truly chased a dream were rare. One in a million.
But those with ambition and power soon longed to become such "free" criminals.
The rest? They were goaded or lured into piracy, surrendering their futures to a lawless life.
All thanks to one man: Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King.
That man's final words before death sent the masses into a frenzy—dreamers, drifters, even those with no ambition at all.
Yes, some truly sought the legendary treasure.
But most? They didn't care about any "One Piece."
They only believed in Berries and in living without rules.
They just went with the flow.
For that alone, Gol D. Roger deserved death. Not just in the eyes of the Government or the Navy, but in the eyes of the countless innocent civilians who lived on vulnerable islands.
Pirates weren't graded by strength alone. Many were vile, cowardly bullies who preyed on the weak.
And the weaker they were, the crueler they became.
Unable to take on armed merchant ships, they turned their sights on remote villages, places far from the protection of the Navy.
What began as robbery quickly became arson. Then murder.
Then massacre.
Kouta had seen countless headlines just like that over the years.
"Aaahhhh!!"
A sudden shout tore through his thoughts.
"I call dibs on ten of 'em!"
A Hua sprinted toward the armory.
"You? Hah!" A Luo scoffed, running after him. "I'm taking fifteen!"
"Then I'll take twenty."
Bringing up the rear, A Tao rubbed her temple, sighing at the boys' antics.
"Fine. Let's just see who gets the most."
"It's on!"
"Hmph!"
Kouta shook his head and turned away, leaving the clowns to arm themselves.
His gaze fell on Kuina, who remained still, eyes locked on the approaching ship.
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Nervous?"
"I'm going to be the world's greatest swordswoman. How could I be nervous?"
She turned toward him, the calm on her face lit by a subtle spark of excitement.
"I left nerves behind the moment I set out from the dojo."
"Good." Kouta nodded.
"Enjoy the fight. Every one of them deserves to die."
Even if they didn't come to him, he wouldn't let them go.
He'd seen too many reports of their raids, their plundering of innocent towns.
He wasn't a saint.
But when evil walked up to your door?
You send it to hell.
Even if that ship had a few new recruits. Even if some of them hadn't yet committed crimes.
So what?
He wasn't Luffy. He wouldn't waste his time sorting out the guilty from the innocent.
He wasn't a cop.
He wasn't a judge.
He wasn't Enma.
He was just an ordinary man, raised under the red flag of justice in his previous life.
If any of them had a shred of justice, they'd have left the crew long ago.
If they stayed, it meant they chose this life.
And for that?
He would treat them all the same.
At last, the two ships met, one massive, one modest.
The Invincible Battle Saber aggressively cut across their path, like an adult stepping in front of a child.
"Tch! Not a merchant ship after all!"
Pirates leaned over the rails, disappointed scowls crossing their faces.
They'd seen a flagless vessel and assumed it was ripe for the taking.
Now that they were closer, they saw only five young swordsmen on deck—calm, composed, all armed.
They hated that kind of ship.
Obvious rookies. No loot. No fun.
Even the ridiculously handsome boy and girl at the front didn't tempt them.
They weren't slavers. They wanted plunder.
"Ugh…"
The pirates sighed and dropped a rope ladder, preparing to board anyway.
Even a mosquito's meat is still meat, after all.
Then a sharp screech.
Zzzzing!
A silver-white arc flew from below, fast, horizontal, precise.
"Look out!"
"Guh!"
Too slow.
A pirate barely had time to shout before the blade slit his throat.
A thin red line bloomed, then widened...
Schlick!
A head launched skyward, then crashed back down.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud!
The others, just retreating to the deck, froze at the sound.
They looked down.
A head rolled to their feet, its lifeless eyes still wide with disbelief.
Cold terror shot from their soles to their skulls.
None dared turn around.
They knew what that was.
A flying slash from a true swordsman.
Not something they could face.
Only the captain or the commanders could handle that.
They ran toward the center of the deck, shouting in terror.
"What's all the noise?"
A calm yet commanding voice echoed through the crowd.
The pirates parted, forming a path.
From the corridor stepped a towering man clad in golden armor and black boots, a billowing cape trailing behind him. Purple hair tied back in a headwrap, his glare alone sent a clear message:
This was not a man to cross.
On his left, a thin man in a green T-shirt and striped headscarf.
On his right, a broad-shouldered brute covered head to toe in circular shields.
The terrified pirates stammered out what had happened.
"A swordsman?"
Krieg's eyes locked on the headless corpse at the rail—and the bloody skull beside it.
His expression darkened. His killing intent surged.
"You dared kill my men... in my sea..."
"You must be tired of living."
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Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 100, 200, 300 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!