Chapter 55: The Demon Man's Determination! A "Gentle" Farewell
As that coffin-like small boat disappeared at the end of the horizon, this sea area, which had just experienced a baptism of storm and rain, finally regained its calm.
However, within this calm, there was a suffocating dead silence.
On the sea, that San Juan Wolf that once symbolized hegemony over the East Sea was now nothing but bare wreckage floating in the water.
Hundreds of pirate lackeys sprawled across broken wooden planks or squeezed onto the stern which had not yet sunk.
Each of them was sallow and thin with sunken eyes, looking like hungry ghosts who had just crawled out of hell.
However, even though hunger made them want to gnaw on the wooden boards beneath their feet, not a single person dared to take a step toward the nearby Baratie restaurant.
Because that man was still there.
The headless corpse of Don Krieg brought by Gin, and Gin's idle chatter, all indicated...
That black-haired, red-eyed man was the "demon" who had cut off their admiral's head with a single sword strike.
That kind of fear from the depths of the soul even overwhelmed their desire for food.
"Tap, tap, tap."
The sound of footsteps rang out.
Gin, who had just crawled out of the sea, was soaking wet all over.
Dragging his scarred body, he walked step by step to the center of the restaurant's deck.
He didn't look at anyone, heading straight for Tatsuya and Zeff.
Thump!
This tough man known as the "Demon Man" did not hesitate at this moment, dropping heavily to his knees.
His forehead slammed hard against the solid wooden planks, letting out a dull thud. Blood flowed down from the corner of his forehead, dripping down mixed with seawater.
"I beg of you..."
Gin's voice was hoarse and trembling, carrying a final sense of desperation and pleading:
"I know... we are going to die. Captain Don Krieg is already dead, and we have lost the will to fight..."
"But... my brothers... they are still starving..."
He suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes full of tears:
"Just a little bit of food and water will do! In exchange... I swear! I will take everyone and leave immediately! I will never set foot in the East Sea again for the rest of my life! I will never do evil again!"
"Please!!"
Another heavy kowtow.
The restaurant was silent, save for the sound of waves lapping.
The chefs looked at each other; some showed pity, while others were filled with resentment.
"Heh."
A light chuckle broke the silence.
Tatsuya, with his hands in his pockets, slowly walked over from the railing.
As he approached, an invisible sense of pressure instantly enveloped Gin.
Hum—
Tatsuya's originally black eyes instantly transformed into the crimson Sharingan.
Two tomoe spun slowly in his pupils, emitting a strange and cold light.
He walked up to Gin, looking down from above at this humble man.
"Do you know what you are saying? Pirate Gin."
Tatsuya's voice was calm, yet it carried a bone-chilling coldness:
"These people are pirates, beasts that will show their fangs as soon as they are full. You saw Don Krieg's end just now."
Tatsuya leaned down slightly, his Sharingan staring straight into Gin's soul:
"Releasing a tiger back to the mountain only leads to endless trouble. What if one day they get full and come back to bite? This kind of boring compassion can kill people."
The surrounding air seemed to freeze.
Luffy leaned on the railing, quietly watching the scene without speaking.
Gin's body was trembling violently.
He felt the undisguised killing intent on Tatsuya, a terror that if he answered one word wrong, his head would immediately fall to the ground.
But he did not back down.
Gin gritted his teeth hard, raised his head, and facing those terrifying Sharingan, said word by word:
"If... that day ever comes..."
"Please take my life first!!"
There was no hesitation in his eyes; it was a determination that set aside life and death.
"All the sins, I will bear! All the punishments, I will take!"
The two stared at each other.
A few seconds later.
The red light in Tatsuya's eyes faded, and the suffocating pressure vanished into thin air.
He straightened up, returning to his smiling appearance, and waved his hand somewhat disinterestedly:
"Well, what a boring answer."
"But... since you've put it that way, then have it your way."
After speaking, he turned around and ignored Gin on the ground, as if the murderous person from just now wasn't him at all.
At the same time.
"Tap, tap, tap."
Another set of footsteps rang out.
Sanji, who had just been kicked into the sea by Tatsuya and was soaking wet, had entered the restaurant at some point.
He didn't give Gin a single glance, nor did he say a word, heading straight into the back kitchen.
A moment later.
Clang!
The kitchen door was roughly kicked open.
Sanji came out carrying a huge wooden bucket with one hand.
Behind him, Patty, Carne, and several other chefs also followed out, pushing carts full of food with reluctant faces.
"Hey! Sanji! These are ingredients prepared for tonight's guests!" Patty complained loudly, but the movements of his hands didn't stop.
"Shut up, you damn cook."
Sanji placed the huge wooden bucket full of seafood fried rice in front of Gin with a thud.
He pulled a cigarette out of his soaked pocket; although it was too wet to light, he still habitually held it in his mouth.
"There's only leftovers here."
Sanji turned his back to Gin, his tone indifferent:
"If you're going to eat, eat quickly, and get lost once you're done. Don't dirty the entrance of this shop."
Gin looked at the steaming fried rice piled up like a small mountain in front of him, and his tears could no longer be stopped, bursting forth.
"Thank... thank you... ugh... thank you!!"
By the railing on the second floor.
Zeff watched this scene and did not stop it.
He just stroked his golden mustache and gave a cold snort:
"Since it's been made, don't waste food. This is the rule of the Baratie."
...
Half an hour later.
Beside the wreckage on the sea.
Gin distributed buckets of fried rice to those dying pirates. In this desperate moment, Gin was undisputed as the new Captain.
"Waaa! There's food!!"
"It's rice! It's hot rice!!"
The pirates frantically stuffed rice into their mouths, the sound of crying and chewing blending together.
In this banquet after surviving a disaster, Gin stood at the bow, looking at these companions who were once fierce and were now crying like children.
His gaze gradually became firm.
Don Krieg was dead, but he was still here.
"Listen up!!"
Gin roared, his voice reaching every corner:
"After finishing this meal, we leave this place! Leave the East Sea!!"
"We must never forget this kindness! We... will start over!!"
"Yes!! Captain Gin!!" the pirates responded through their rice and tears.
The broken pirate ship used its remaining sails and began to slowly turn.
Before departing.
Gin stood at the stern, facing the direction of the Baratie restaurant.
He bowed deeply toward the blonde cook with the cigarette in his mouth, not straightening up for a long time.
Then, he straightened up, his gaze passing through the crowd and landing on Luffy and Tatsuya.
His gaze was complex, containing awe, gratitude, and a trace of indiscernible fighting intent.
"Straw Hat Luffy... and, Tatsuya."
Gin clenched his fists and shouted loudly:
"Though our positions differ... this kindness, I, Gin, will never forget as long as I live!!"
"Let's... meet in the Grand Line!!"
The sea breeze blew.
That broken ship, loaded with scars and new life, sailed further away in the afterglow of the setting sun, finally disappearing at the end of the vast sea.
On the deck of the Baratie.
Tatsuya leaned against the railing, watching the direction the pirate ship had left, and the familiar system notification sounded in his mind once again.
[Ding! Detected that the host has significantly changed the fate trajectory of the supporting character 'Gin' and the 'Krieg Pirates'.]
[They, who were originally destined to be wiped out shortly, have now gained new life.]
[Plot deviation increased.]
[Reward obtained: 1000 Ninja Points.]
Listening to the pleasant notification, the corners of Tatsuya's mouth curled up slightly, his mood joyful.
"1000 points, huh... though it's not much, it's better than nothing."
He now had a full 3000 Ninja Points and could go on another spending spree.
He pulled a Kunai from his pocket, spinning it casually on his fingertip, those black eyes flashing with meaningful light.
"Being a good person once in a while doesn't seem too bad."
"After all..."
The sea breeze blew his black hair, and that smile appeared exceptionally bright in the sunlight, yet it made one feel a trace of inexplicable chill.
Tatsuya narrowed his eyes, looking at the empty sea in the distance, and whispered softly:
"If they dare to turn back, at worst, I'll just kill them again."
"As long as my sword is still here, there is nothing in this world I cannot cut through."
"Right? Luffy."
Beside him, Luffy was leaning on the railing, looking into the distance, when he suddenly turned his head and revealed a big smile:
"Hee hee hee! I'm hungry! Tatsuya!"
"..."
The smile on Tatsuya's face instantly stiffened.
"You guy... you completely ruined the atmosphere just now!!"
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