Mad Bull Pirates.
At this moment, the deck of their ship was littered with slumbering pirates.
These so-called crewmates of Coolby Rudd were, in truth, just thugs he had picked up from the towns he had pillaged over the past few months.
Having partied too hard the previous night, they were still dead asleep.
Only a few pirates in the crow's nest and the helm were dutifully sticking to their assigned tasks.
They would have preferred to lie around like the others on deck, but today, it was their turn on duty.
There were no official posts on this ship, everything ran on rotation.
It was then that a lookout pirate in the crow's nest spotted the Freedom.
"Pirate ship dead ahead!"
He lazily shouted down, peering through his telescope and spotting a pirate flag he didn't recognize flying on the approaching vessel. He didn't think much of it at first.
But the moment he remembered their captain's bloodthirsty nature toward any ship or person, his expression stiffened. Even being on the same crew didn't make him feel safe.
He turned toward the fast-approaching Freedom, a chill running down his spine.
"Poor bastards. Of all the seas to run into our crew."
As the thought crossed his mind, a glint of bloodlust appeared in his eyes too.
After all, anyone recognized by Coolby Rudd and allowed on board couldn't possibly be anything less than a monster.
Every one of them was lawless, vicious, and depraved.
…
Captain's Quarters.
A chorus of snores echoed within the room, like thunder rumbling ahead of a storm.
Sprawled across a weathered couch lay a middle-aged man, deep asleep.
He looked to be about thirty-five. Nothing about his features stood out.
Except, perhaps, for his explosively muscular physique, and the countless scars, large and small that crisscrossed his bare torso.
This man could only be the captain of the Mad Bull Pirates, Coolby Rudd.
Even in sleep, a savage aura clung to him like a predator's scent. He radiated danger.
Outside the captain's quarters, a nervous pirate hesitated in front of the door.
No one in the Mad Bull Pirates was unafraid of Coolby Rudd.
Creaaak…
After a brief moment of doubt, the pirate made up his mind and slowly pushed open the warped wooden door.
Compared to the consequences of failing to report the sighting of another pirate ship, waking the captain was the lesser evil.
Coolby Rudd craved notoriety. He wanted to surpass Arlong and Don Krieg and become the most feared pirate in the East Blue.
To achieve that, he attacked every town, every rival crew, and even merchant ships.
As a member of the Mad Bull Pirates, this man knew all too well how obsessed his captain was.
He cautiously stepped inside, walked up to the couch, and started calling out softly.
"Captain… Captain…"
But there was no response.
Left with no choice, he raised his voice.
"Captain! Captain!"
"Hmph."
The snoring stopped abruptly.
Coolby Rudd's bloodshot eyes snapped open and locked onto the trembling pirate before him, exuding killing intent.
He said nothing. Just stared.
If this man couldn't offer something interesting, there'd be no reason to let him live.
The pirate broke into a cold sweat under that gaze.
Looking down, not daring to meet the captain's eyes, he blurted out quickly.
"Captain, a pirate ship has been spotted dead ahead!"
"A pirate ship?"
The hostility on Coolby Rudd's face faded slightly. He slowly sat up, reached for a cigar, lit it, and took a long drag.
Then he stood, grabbed a brown coat from nearby, and threw it over his shoulders.
"Let's go see who they are."
With a look of anticipation, he stepped outside.
"Hopefully, they'll be entertaining."
…
As the two ships met, both crews pulled in their sails, letting the ships float side by side on the open sea.
Ahua, Aro, and Ato stared at the towering man on the other ship's deck with wide eyes full of curiosity.
"So this is a Devil Fruit user? Doesn't look that special."
Meanwhile, Kouta jumped onto the enemy vessel and stood confidently atop the railing.
This wasn't a battle for him. He was simply giving Ahua and the others a firsthand look at what a Devil Fruit ability looked like.
It would be useful experience, in case they ever became Devil Fruit users themselves.
It had nothing to do with fighting this pathetic pirate crew, not in his eyes.
With a grin, Kouta called out mockingly to the man before him.
"Well, well, if it isn't the 15-million bounty man, Mad Bull Coolby Rudd."
"So scary!"
"You brat, do you even know who you're dealing with?!"
A pirate stepped out from the enemy crew, shouting furiously at Kouta.
It was obvious to anyone with a brain that Kouta was mocking their captain.
"Hm?"
Kouta turned and locked eyes with the goon.
"Get lost."
He had no patience for small fry.
That one glare, laced with Conqueror's Haki, sent the pirate crashing unconscious to the deck with a loud thud.
The other pirates gasped in unison.
"What was that?!"
"He just knocked him out with a stare!"
"That's terrifying!"
All eyes turned to Kouta, now filled with fear and awe.
Coolby Rudd glanced at the fallen pirate, then snorted in disgust.
"Useless."
He had sensed a momentary pressure just now. But he didn't think much of it. After all, the guy was only knocked out—not killed.
He looked up at Kouta and barked.
"Name yourself, brat. The great Mad Bull doesn't kill the nameless."
Not that he meant it. This lunatic had murdered his own crewmates before.
"Oh, me?"
"You can call me… the Ally of Justice."
Kouta said it with a straight face.
"Don't joke with me! A pirate, talking about justice? That's a damn joke!"
Coolby Rudd roared.
"If you want to do something 'just,' then join the Marines! Don't give me that crap here!"
He despised justice. Hated the people who spoke of it.
Because he had never known justice in his life.
As a child, he had been captured by human traffickers and sold to nobles.
For decades, he was a slave.
He had never once experienced kindness from the world.
From the moment he could remember, he had known nothing but abuse. And when he wasn't being abused, he was waiting for it to happen.
His master—and everyone in that town—never treated him like a human being.
So he hated this world with every fiber of his being.
He believed everything should burn.
Then one day, he accidentally ate the Yak-Yak Fruit.
That was when everything changed.
The first thing he did with his newfound power was slaughter his master's entire family.
Then he razed his hometown.
The image of those who once forced him to bow, now groveling at his feet begging for mercy, it drove him completely insane.
He became addicted to that feeling of dominance.
And with that power, he would conquer the East Blue.
He would make the world suffer the same way he had.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 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!