On the Dreadnaught Sabre.
Ahua, Alo, and Ata ignored the pirates' shock, slashing through their ranks relentlessly.
Krieg, sweating, stared at the silver-haired youth. His Great Battle Spear weighed over 2,000 pounds, yet Sora had blocked it effortlessly, almost casually. A surge of unmatched force rippled through the spear. Krieg released it, staggering back.
Sora yanked the spear, hefting it like trash before tossing it aside.
Boom! It smashed a hole through the deck, vanishing below.
Ignoring Krieg, Sora glanced at Kuina.
Kuina was locked in combat with Ajin and Pearl—or rather, dominating them. Without Pearl's defense, they'd have fallen in moments. Ajin lay motionless behind Pearl, his chest heaving faintly, a deep slash across his torso gushing blood. The deck was stained red. Without treatment, he'd soon be a corpse.
Kuina eyed Pearl, impressed by his shields' resilience against her casual slashes. Scanning the deck, she saw pirates pouring from the cabins, overwhelming Ahua's trio, who stood back-to-back, their stamina waning. Unlike swordsmen, they couldn't unleash wide-ranging attacks, forced to cut down foes one by one.
Her calm face hardened. Facing Pearl, she knew piercing his shields was key.
Kuina sheathed Wado Ichimonji, leaning forward, right foot back, left knee bent, hand gripping the hilt tightly. A faint black aura—Armament Haki—coiled from her hand onto the blade.
Her eyes locked onto Pearl, cold as death.
Whoosh!
A blade's glint flashed. Kuina vanished, reappearing behind Pearl, stance unchanged.
Clink! Her sword slid into its sheath.
"One-Sword Style: All-Cleaving Slash."
Kuina stood, walking toward Sora, sparing Pearl no glance.
Pearl stood frozen until a breeze from Kuina's passing stirred him. "Argh!" He collapsed backward.
His chest shields split, revealing a deep gash nearly bisecting him. Blood sprayed like a waterfall.
Thud! Pearl hit the deck, unconscious, likely dead.
"Lord Pearl!" pirates cried in horror.
Krieg, hearing the commotion, knew he couldn't wait. Escape was his only option—this silver-haired kid was terrifying. As Kuina passed, he transformed his arm's armor into a cannon, donned a gas mask, and fired at her back.
"Poison Gas Shell: M.H.5!"
Bang! A massive red shell rocketed toward Kuina.
Time seemed to freeze. A crushing mental pressure swept the Dreadnaught Sabre. Krieg's eyes widened—the shell hovered behind Kuina, unblasting. He was pinned by an infinite force, unable to move or speak, struggling futilely.
Ahua's trio, mid-fight, froze. Pirates around them collapsed, eyes rolling back. The pressure vanished quickly, leaving them gasping, slumped on the deck. A few seconds more, and they'd have fainted too.
They didn't know what it was, but it was Sora's doing—another unreal ability. Glancing over, they saw Sora staring at Krieg, expressionless, the red shell suspended behind Kuina.
Krieg attacked Kuina. Big mistake, they thought, silently pitying him. Kuina was Sora's untouchable line.
Sora hung his gourd on his belt, hopping off the railing. Beside Kuina, he flicked the shell with a thumb-and-middle-finger snap.
Whoosh! It shot far over the sea.
Boom! It exploded, releasing pink toxic smoke.
"Can't let that detonate here," Sora said. Pirates could die, but not Kuina or his crew.
Kuina smiled. With Sora, she feared no sneak attacks. She could've dodged the shell, but near him, she'd let her guard down.
"I'm fine, Sora," she said, taking his hand, facing Krieg.
Sora scraped her nose playfully. "You didn't even dodge. That much faith in me?"
"Of course," Kuina grinned, eyes crescent moons. "I know you'll never let me get hurt."
"What about this guy?" Sora asked, nodding at Krieg.
"Whatever," Kuina shrugged.
"Fine. Wasn't planning to spare him anyway."
Sora's gaze hardened, intensifying his spatial domain's pressure. "Die."
Krieg, immobilized, writhed. A crushing force squeezed him. Blood poured from his mouth, eyes, and ears. His bones creaked under the strain.
He stilled. A metallic sphere—his armor—encased a massive blood orb.
"Love your armor? Let it be your coffin."
Bang! Sora willed the orb through the deck, cabin, and hull, sinking it into the sea. He wouldn't touch the gruesome thing.
Sora's eyes flashed red, Observation Haki sweeping the Dreadnaught Sabre. No pirates stood except his crew.
Conqueror's Haki—perfect for showboating and clearing grunts, he mused. Awakened two years ago during a mental breakthrough, likely tied to his unique spirit or unshakable confidence. In this world, only unknown miracles could kill him.
"Hey, you three still moving?" Sora called to Ahua's trio, sprawled among pirate bodies.
"Bet I could take ten more!" Ahua leaped up, roaring.
"You? Nearly got slashed earlier," Alo scoffed, brushing off dust.
"You—!" Ahua fumed. Alo had saved him from a sneak attack.
Ata, lighting a cigarette, sighed. Fighting side-by-side one second, bickering the next.
"Enough," Sora said. "Let's check the loot."
He headed for the captain's cabin on the second deck.
Creak! The old wooden door opened, revealing scattered treasures and piles of beri, some stained with fresh blood—Krieg's recent haul, unprocessed.
Sora scanned the room, finding nothing special, and lost interest. "Sort and move this to our ship."
Pulling Kuina, he returned to the Pseudo-Merry.
(End of Chapter)