"Dammit! You're all useless! You can't even deal with two brats? I've wasted my resources raising you for nothing!"
"You useless gluttons! Kill those two right now!"
"You're a disgrace to my name!"
On the deck of the pirate ship, the captain of the Blazing Blade Pirates roared in fury. His voice was so loud that Rowan, floating dozens of meters away, could hear every word clearly. Looking at his frantic state, there wasn't a trace left of the high-spirited ambition he had shown before entering the Grand Line.
"Gum-Gum...!"
Suddenly, amidst the chaos on the deck, a thin figure wearing a red vest leaped into the air. Then, that familiar, high-pitched voice rang out.
"...Battle Axe!"
The figure was, of course, Luffy, who had accompanied Rowan to the Grand Line. With a loud shout, Luffy's raised right leg slammed down with violent force.
BOOM!
A massive explosion followed. The terrifying destructive power smashed right through the deck of the pirate ship, kicking several unlucky pirates into the sea along with the debris. Seawater immediately began gushing through the hole. The hull started to tilt and sink; if they didn't act fast, the ship would be at the bottom of the ocean in no time.
However, aside from a few pirates, the crew couldn't care less about the leak. Everyone was too busy swarming the two uninvited guests. They couldn't understand why these two seemingly scrawny kids were so impossibly strong.
"Go! Get in there, dammit!" The captain, "Blazing Blade" Cheek, had completely lost his cool, screaming at the top of his lungs. Back in the North Blue, they had never encountered kids this powerful. Was the Grand Line really this terrifying?!
"Three-Sword Style: Leopard Orb Harp!"
Accompanied by a low shout, the swordsman's figure became a blur. Dozens of sword-streaks lit up the deck. As the light faded, a dozen more of the remaining pirates were sent flying, blood spraying into the air.
"The Pirate Hunter, Roronoa Zoro! And you—who the hell are you?!"
Captain Cheek stared at the two demonic figures in the center of the deck, his eyes nearly popping out of his head, his body trembling with rage and fear.
"Heehee! My name is Monkey D. Luffy! Soon, I'll be out on the sea as a pirate just like you. My goal is to become the freest man on the ocean—the Pirate King! But for now, I'm not old enough to set sail properly, so I'm not a pirate yet."
Luffy landed next to Zoro and gave Cheek a wide-grinned introduction. He then pointed to Zoro. "Zoro's gonna be my partner. He's going to be the World's Greatest Swordsman."
"Pirate King?! World's Greatest Swordsman?!"
Cheek's mouth twitched. He wanted to scream at the brat to stop talking nonsense, but neither of these two were opponents his crew could afford to provoke. For a moment, he found himself unable to retort.
"Who said I was going to be your partner?" Zoro glanced at Luffy and said coldly, "Stop wasting words with this guy. Let's finish this quickly. I need to get back to my training."
Before the words had even fully landed, the pirate captain brandished his red longsword and charged. Zoro immediately dropped into a stance, and Luffy, not to be outdone, stretched his arms far back.
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!" "Gum-Gum... Bazooka!"
Before long, Rowan heard the sky-shattering scream of the 14-million-Berri bounty "Blazing Swordsman" Cheek.
"It seems bringing the little guy Zoro along was a wise decision. At least the cleanup of these pests is much faster," Rowan noted.
Lying at the stern of his boat, he watched the sinking pirate ship and nodded with satisfaction. A bounty of over ten million was enough to keep the three of them—old and young—fed for quite a while.
Even though Rowan's current strength placed him at the pinnacle of the world, he couldn't be bothered to lift a finger against small fry like these. Letting Zoro and Luffy handle it not only saved him effort but also served as excellent combat practice for the two of them. It was a win-win.
Rowan stood up and pulled the oars, maneuvering the small boat alongside the half-submerged pirate ship. Zoro and Luffy leaped back onto the boat, each carrying a sack containing the heads of the captain and vice-captain. Together, their bounties exceeded twenty million Berries.
"Heehee! Great-Grandpa, I think I've gotten stronger again! Guys at this level aren't even enough for me and Zoro to warm up with!"
"Hmph. A mere 14-million-Berri bounty... I could have handled all of them alone," Zoro said pridefully, unfastening his three swords and setting them aside. He looked thirstily at the wine gourd in Rowan's hand. After every fight, he always wanted a drink to relax. He didn't have the habit of carrying his own, usually just downing whatever he bought at a tavern.
Rowan, seeing right through him, pulled out a small, pre-prepared gourd from under his seat and tossed it to Zoro. He exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Zoro-boy did well this time. It's clear you took the techniques I mentioned last night to heart."
Then, Rowan's gaze turned toward the expectant Luffy, his voice filled with slight annoyance. "As for you, brat, can't you be a little more careful? You kicked a hole straight through the whole ship. Now it's sinking to the bottom. What about the loot? Are we just leaving it?"
"When we run out of food, are you going to pay for it?"
"Did you forget your Great-Grandpa didn't bring his wallet this time?"
Luffy's grin froze. He rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry, Great-Grandpa. The fight felt so good I completely forgot about that part."
"Fine. Just pay attention next time," Rowan said, waving his pipe dismissively.
As they talked, the massive pirate ship finally vanished beneath the waves. The entire Blazing Blade crew of over five hundred men had been wiped out; not a single soul survived the encounter with the two youngsters. Rowan felt no sympathy. Most who wore the title of pirate were irredeemable criminals. If you choose the life of a pirate, you must be prepared to die at sea.
Soon, a light breeze picked up. Rowan directed the two boys to raise the sail, and the small boat began its slow trek across the ocean.
As time passed and Rowan began to doze off, he was jolted awake by Luffy's shout.
"Great-Grandpa! Look! Look! There's a huge warship ahead of us!"
"Wow! It's massive! Much bigger than the one we took in the East Blue!"
"A warship?"
Rowan pulled the leaf off his eyes and sat up. Following Luffy's gaze, he saw a Marine warship cutting through the waves directly ahead of them.
"I didn't expect to run into this kid here..." Rowan murmured, a look of surprise on his face.
On that warship, he recognized a very, very familiar face. At the very front of the deck stood a robust old man, standing firm against the wind. The man had striking short purple hair and wore a pair of stylish black sunglasses. Over his lavender suit was draped the Justice mantle of a Marine Admiral. The cloak billowed fiercely in the sea breeze, exuding a powerful authority.
But the most eye-catching feature was the massive mechanical "Smasher" arm attached to his right side.
"Zephyr-boy... it's been a long time," Rowan whispered, a faint smile playing on his lips as he exhaled a puff of smoke.
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