[Note:
" * " : Indicates abilities that can be upgraded with practice, experience, or unique opportunities.]
> System inner voice ["speaking"] <
> Ash inner speech "speaking" <
{}
Morning came gradually after an eventful day.
The deck was already alive by the time the sun climbed clear of the horizon. Bare feet thudded against the wood in steady rhythm. Rope creaked under tension, and the faint bite of salt clung to the air.
Anne's jaw was clenched as she held her stance, her knees bent in a sitting position with nothing beneath her for support. Her shoulders were squared straight, arms lifted in front of her. Sweat ran down her temple and dripped from her chin.
Selina made her hold the position to strengthen her lower body. Every muscle trembled. Every second felt like an hour. Still, Anne stayed in place.
Beside her, Shiruku trembled as well while holding the same position, though less than Anne and she had better control.
Selina began with regular workouts before moving them into hand-to-hand practice. She and Uta focused on the basics, teaching Anne and Shiruku how to throw a punch properly.
Anne lasted an hour before she dropped onto the deck in exhaustion. Shiruku continued for another twenty minutes before she finally sat down beside her, just as spent.
The funny part was Balloon's participation.
Its tiny wings flapped clumsily as it tried to mirror the movements. When Anne stepped forward, it drifted forward. When she braced, it tried to do the same, tilting sideways before correcting itself with an indignant squeak.
It was surprising that a bird could even try something like that. It was also cute — and funny.
Anne lay flat on the deck, breathing hard, still digesting that she had become a pirate. She had nowhere else to go. Spiel had destroyed her village. Lucy had invited her to join the crew, much to Ash's displeasure at losing the chance to be the one to invite her.
But they had saved her — and Balloon, who was her friend and family. Hearing Shiruku's story of how she had joined the crew only pushed Anne toward her decision.
In the end, she made her choice.
Anne joined the Straw Hat Pirates, along with Balloon.
She received the same tattoo as the others. Even Balloon got the mark on its wing.
Once she was filled in on everything — as much as Shiruku already knew — and after seeing VLI and hearing about it, Anne lay back and quietly wondered if she had made the right choice.
Then she turned her head.
Balloon was happily playing with Uta and Lucy on the deck. Watching them made her smile. Maybe being a pirate — especially a Straw Hat — wasn't so bad after all. Even though it hadn't been a full day, she felt more like family than simple camaraderie.
She promised herself that even if she was the weakest now, she would grow stronger and return the favor by protecting her crew — her new family — someday.
After some rest, Anne and Shiruku resumed training. Selina at the beginning gave them a training boost pill that would last only six hours and intended to make them full use of it. Until noon, Selina and Uta trained them hard.
Anne and Shiruku collapsed where they stood, completely spent.
By the time they made it inside the ship's kitchen, the smell of food had already settled into the air.
Lucy was already inside, gulping down her food with gusto beside Ace, who ate at her own pace. Anne and Shiruku dropped onto the benches, followed by Uta and Selina. Ash slid their food across the table in front of the four of them.
Anne and Shiruku looked up at him with thankful gazes before starting to eat. Ash turned back to the sink, washing dishes as he spoke.
"So," he asked Selina and Uta, "how'd they do?"
"They did good for the first day," Selina said. "I think you should wait until they get the basics down before giving them any elixir to improve them."
Ash nodded. "That's my plan too."
He turned toward Anne and Shiruku. "First day's always the worst. It was the same for us. We were weak once too." He paused. "Take me for example…..I trained hard after getting a second chance at life — after Uta's dad saved me. Once I got past my own mind and limit, it became easier."
He looked at them both. "So, hang in there, okay."
Anne and Shiruku nodded in understanding.
Ace leaned forward. "Anne, you should also think about what kind of weapon suits you," she said. "Shiruku already seems to prefer her saber." She smirked. "Don't worry — we might not know everything that you might choose, but we can train you."
Anne nodded, already thinking about what kind of weapon might suite her.
They kept talking as they ate, stories traded back and forth, even Anne and Shiruku found themselves trading their own.
The conversation came to a halt after some time had passed when the ship gave a brief, uneven pull as it cut through the water.
It wasn't strong enough to throw anyone off balance, but it was enough to make the floor tilt and the hanging lantern sway. Plates rattled softly in the kitchen. Shiruku steadied herself against the table, and Anne did the same beside her.
Anne frowned. "What's happening?"
Before anyone could answer, the ship tugged again—longer this time—dragging the hull slightly off its line. Shouts of panic echoed down from the deck, where the tied-up pirates struggled helplessly against their restraints.
Ash wiped his hands on a cloth and moved without urgency. "On deck. Everyone," he said, already heading for the stairs.
They followed him outside. The sky was clear and bright, the sea calm at first glance. It was only when they reached the rail that the problem became obvious.
The water beneath the ship wasn't flowing straight anymore. It curved, tracing a widening arc that nudged the hull into a turn.
"It's a whirlpool and it's big," Selina said after a moment, watching the water rather than the ship.
Ash stepped to the helm and took the wheel. The resistance came immediately—steady, but not violent. He tested it once, then adjusted the wheel slightly instead of forcing it.
"Sure," he said calmly. "But nothing I can't handle, we'll be fine."
He let the ship drift sideways, riding the outer edge instead of fighting the pull head-on. The hull creaked as the current tightened. Ash turned the wheel with the flow this time, timing the movement instead of resisting.
The ship shuddered, spun partway, then slid free as the pressure loosened. Water rushed past the side, the circular motion stretching thinner until it finally broke apart.
A moment later, the sea was normal again.
Ash eased the wheel back to center and let out a quiet breath. The ship straightened and continued on as if nothing had happened.
Anne glanced back at the water they'd escaped, her heart still beating faster than usual, but fear never quite settling in. Shiruku relaxed her shoulders.
Ash let out a short laugh. "Guess that's the way of sea telling us hello."
Ace snorted. Lucy laughed openly. Uta smiled, shaking her head slightly, while Selina returned her attention to the horizon with a smile. Anne and Shiruku exchanged a look before joining in, beginning to understand the kind of crew they had joined.
The ship moved on, steady and unbothered, leaving the whirlpool behind them.
A quiet stretch of time passed after escaping the whirlpool, the ship settling back into its steady rhythm.
Shiruku was the first to notice. She had been leaning near the rail, letting her breathing settle, when her eyes narrowed toward the distance. She straightened slightly and lifted a hand.
"Hey," she said. "I see two ships. Up ahead."
Ace climbed quickly for a better view and didn't need long. "One looks like a merchant ship," she said. "The other… pirate. They're already on them."
Lucy leaned forward, narrowing her eyes, "Ash."
"I see it," Ash replied, already at the wheel. He adjusted their heading without hesitation, turning the ship toward the pair. "Hang on."
Uta and Selina moved together. Lines were loosened, sails adjusted, catching the wind cleanly. The ship responded immediately, cutting faster through the water as the distance closed.
The sounds reached them before the details did.
Shouting. Panic. A harsh voice cutting through the rest.
"COBY!"
The word carried clearly across the water, sharp and furious.
As they drew closer, the scene came into focus. The merchant ship rode low, its deck crowded and chaotic. Crates lay broken open. Sailors huddled back, bruised and terrified. At the center of it stood a woman who didn't need introduction by reputation alone.
She was large, imposing, wielding an iron club like it weighed nothing at all. Her presence dominated the deck, every movement confident, cruel, unquestioned.
Her attention was fixed on a small boy near the mast.
He shook where he stood, pink hair plastered to his forehead, round glasses slightly crooked. His hands were raised halfway, unsure whether to shield himself or beg.
"I heard you were thinking of running," the woman said, voice thick with contempt. "Did I imagine that?"
"I—I'm sorry, Alvida-sama," Coby stammered, words tumbling over each other. "I won't— I swear—"
She kicked him down first, sending him sprawling across the deck. He cried out, curling in on himself as the iron head lifted again, shadow falling over him.
"Answer me," Alvida snapped. "Before you die. Who's the most beautiful pirate on the seas?"
The boy froze.
His mouth opened. No sound came out.
The club began to swing—
A sharp whistle cut the air.
Clang.
Metal rang across the deck. The iron club jolted sideways as something struck it hard. Alvida staggered a step, boots scraping against the planks as a small stone bounced and clattered to a stop between her and the boy.
For a heartbeat, everything went still.
Coby opened his eyes staring at it in disbelief.
Alvida's crew froze in shock as their captain's swing was stopped by a small pebble.
Alvida narrowed her eyes and looked around, until she noticed an unfamiliar ship now stopped alongside hers and the merchant vessel they stood on with no flag or any kind of markings.
At the rail of the newly arrived ship sat a girl in a straw hat, relaxed to the point of insult. She was perched low, knees folded comfortably beneath her, elbows resting loosely as if she were watching a street performance. A handful of small pebbles flicked up into the air and dropped neatly back into her palm.
Alvida followed the motion, her gaze sharpening.
"So," she said slowly, resting her iron club against her shoulder. "You're the one who stopped me. Do you know who you were interrupting, brat?"
Lucy glanced at her, unimpressed not talking, the brim of her straw hat casting half her face in shadow.
Alvida's eyes then flicked across the deck and widened slightly as she recognized Gyari, Spiel, and both their crews tied up and injured.
Before she could speak, movement hit the deck.
Ace, Selina, and Uta landed first. Lucy and Ash followed, touching down side by side in front of Alvida. Shiruku and Anne remained back on Gyari's ship, watching as Ash had ordered.
Alvida's men shifted, because this wasn't how things usually went and they feel uneasy seeing the arrival of unannounced party.
Ash scanned the scene—terrified civilians, injured merchants, pirates already tensed for a fight. Only then did he look at Alvida.
Her eyes lingered on him longer than necessary, roaming openly over his exposed chest. Ash noticed, but said nothing.
"So," he said calmly, "You're Iron-Mace Alvida. Five million bounty. Captain of the Alvida Pirates. Did I get that right?"
Alvida clicked her tongue, snapping out of her attention back to his face. "A pretty boy who knows his facts," she said, eyes still lingering. "Tell me—are you Marines? Bounty hunters?"
"Sorry, but we're neither," Ash replied.
She smiled slowly. "Well then, I'll forgive you for interrupting my fun and let you and our companions go, if you join my crew boy and I might even treat you personally."
Before he could respond, Lucy cut in flatly, "Hey. Ugly fat old lady. Ash isn't going anywhere with you."
Alvida's face twisted in rage. Her crew stared with their jaws dropped. Even Coby, crumpled on the deck, gaped in horror.
"H-hey you can't say that?!" Coby shouted frantically with tears. "Apologize right now! She'll kill you! Say you're sorry!"
Lucy burst out laughing, pointing at him. "Wow. You're a total wimp." She grinned. "You're stupid, useless, and you cry too much. I don't like you."
Coby's collapsed on deck. Tears streamed down as the strangers he just met also easily tell his character.
Ash stepped forward slightly and looked back at Alvida. "Sorry to disappoint you I'm not joining you." He tipped his hat. "Name's Rafael D. Ashen. One of the Captain of Straw Hat Pirates with my companion here." Ash points Lucy beside him.
Lucy added immediately, "I'm Monkey D. Lucy. I'm gonna be Queen of the Pirates." Lucy finished with full smile and peace sign.
Ash gestured casually toward Uta, Ace, and Selina. "That's my crew. And rest two are on the ship we came on." He paused.
Alvida sneered. "Pirates? Then why interfere with fellow pirates?" She smiled again, eyes sharp. "We could talk this out privately. I might even share my loot."
Uta stepped forward calmly, placing herself beside him. "We are not interested."
Alvida looks at Uta and gets jealous of her beauty with how she took Ash hand in her she couldn't accept this and the final straw came from Lucy.
Lucy crossed her arms. "Yeah, so stop trying to recruit Ash. He is with us fat lady. So... shoo."
Alvida's fury finally snapped. She raised her iron mace high.
"You brats!" she roared. "You think you stand in-front of me and talk down Iron-Mace Alvida! I'll crush every one of you and take that pretty boy with me!"
Alvida roared and brought her iron mace down in a brutal, sweeping arc. Ash and Lucy stepped aside together.
The mace crashed into the deck between them, splintering thick planks where they had stood a heartbeat earlier. Wood shards flew as the ship shuddered.
Lucy laughed. "You're slow."
"Stop egging her, Lucy." Ash ducked as Alvida ripped the mace free and swung again, wider this time, aiming to crush them both at once.
Lucy hopped back half a step, still grinning, eyes never leaving Alvida.
Behind them, chaos exploded across the deck.
Selina moved fast her fists snapping out with ruthless precision. Pirates dropped before they could even lift their weapons. Uta flowed beside her, movements smooth and effortless, striking and turning as if the fight were a dance.
Ace vaulted over a fallen crate, barking orders as she guided civilians and merchants toward safety, keeping them clear of the clash.
Alvida over-rotated from her swing and staggered, boots scraping against the deck. She spun around—
—and found Ash standing calmly a few steps away.
He straightened, brushing dust from his sleeve.
"Fight me!" Alvida snarled. "Stop dodging and face me like a man!"
Ash smiled.
"Sorry," he said lightly. "I don't usually raise my hand against a lady."
For a split second, her rage faltered.
Her grip loosened. Heat crept up her cheeks as her eyes lingered on his face, twisting the moment into something else entirely.
"…You," she hissed.
Ash stepped forward.
"But today you're unlucky," he said calmly. "We're behind schedule… and we're late."
He vanished.
Ash appeared directly in front of her.
His fist drove forward.
The punch landed squarely in Alvida's stomach.
The air blasted out of her lungs as her eyes went wide. Her body lifted clean off the deck, smashing through the railing and vanishing into the open sea, her iron mace slipping from her hand.
Lucy raised a hand to shade her eyes, peering toward the horizon where Alvida had vanished and let out a low whistle. "Wow," she said. "Ash… don't you think you punched her a little too hard?"
Ash brushed his hands together lightly, dusting them off. "I didn't even use that much of my strength."
When they turned back toward the deck, the rest of the scene had already changed.
Alvida's crew lay bound and groaning, weapons scattered by Selina and Uta. The merchants and civilians were gathered together, shaken but alive.
Ace knelt among them, moving quickly, wrapping bandages, and discreetly use her healing power when no one was looking, just enough to ease pain and stop bleeding.
Ash exhaled once, satisfied.
Then he frowned.
"We have company," he said.
Lucy followed his gaze—and froze. A Marine ship was cutting through the water toward them, sails full, moving fast.
"Oh good," Lucy said. Then, brightening, "We can just hand these guys over to the Marines go our mary way."
Ace reached out and bonked her on the head. "Idiot. We too are pirates. Marines arrest pirates."
Lucy blinked. "…Oh. Right." She laughed. "Shishishi. My bad."
Selina stepped forward. "I've already spoken with the captain of this ship," she said evenly. "and requested discretion about us. They agreed." She glanced toward the approaching ship. "We better leave now."
Ash nodded. "Good work. Let's move."
They turned—
"W-wait!"
A small figure scrambled forward and dropped to his knees with a loud thump.
"Please!" Coby bowed so hard with his forehead hitting the deck. "Please take me with you!"
Lucy tilted her head. "Oh. You're that wimp."
Coby's face crumpled instantly as if arrow struck his heart, tears springing to his eyes. "I—I don't want to stay with the Alvida Pirates! I was trying to escape from them and got caught! Please, I'll do anything! I won't be a burden, I swear! I know navigation, I can cook, I can clean, I—"
Bonk.
Lucy bonked him on the head.
Coby clutching his head asking, "why did you hit me?"
Lucy simply says, "Just felt like it."
"Stop blabbering," he said smirked at lucy's response. "Get up."
Coby froze. "E-eh?"
Ash grabbed him by the collar. "You're coming with us anyways. Now—."
Before Coby could even scream, Ash jumped.
The world flipped.
Coby let out a strangled shriek as they sailed through the air—and landed hard on Gyari's ship. Ash released him without care. Coby hit the deck on his butt with a yelp.
Ash didn't even look back. He was already at the wheel, turning the ship away as the Marine vessel closed in on the merchant ship behind them.
And just like that, they were gone.
{}
Name: 'Iron - Mace' Alvida
Title: Captain of the Alvida Pirates
Age: 25
Bounty: 5,000,000 Berries
Level: 33
Status Effect: Injured ; Unconscious
Stats:
Strength: 335
Agility: 145
Endurance: 260
Intelligence: 179
Charisma: 111
Luck: 119
Skills:
- Iron Mace Mastery(Uncommon; Advanced) *
Heavy weapon proficiency focused on wide, crushing swings. Extremely destructive on impact but lacks precision and adaptability.
- Tyrant's Command(Uncommon; Advanced) *
Can issue sharp, fear-driven commands during combat, forcing weaker subordinates to act despite panic or injury.
- Survivor's Cunning (Uncommon; Beginner)
Has a knack for staying alive in losing situations. She instinctively avoids fatal positioning, abandons unwinnable fights early, and clings to stronger factions when necessary.
Special Traits:
- Brute Queen: Against physically weaker opponents, gains momentum quickly and suppresses resistance through sheer power, intimidation.
- Pain Tolerance: Reduced reaction to injury and fatigue; continues fighting even after sustaining significant damage.
Emotional State:
Rage; Humiliated; Shock
Current Thoughts:
"How dare he ignore me..."
Weaknesses:
- Low Combat Adaptability
Struggles to adjust once her initial dominance fails.
- Emotionally Reactive
Mockery of her or her appearance, rejection, or indifference provoke reckless decisions.
- Poor Matchup vs Speed Fighters
Suffers heavily against agile or technique-based opponents.
- Ego-Driven Combat: Becomes reckless when challenged or mocked. Tunnel-visions on perceived threats and ignores battlefield positioning.
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To be continued...
Thanks for reading this chapter!
I'd love to hear your thoughts — not just on the plot, but the journey itself. Is the pacing feeling right to you so far? Too fast, too slow, or just, right? Are there any moments, themes, or dynamics you feel are missing or could be explored more — like deeper character bonds, world-building, emotional scenes, or even new twists? Anything.
Also, is there anything you'd love to see added that could make the story even more exciting or satisfying? Whether it's a kind of power, a dramatic reveal, or just a character moment — your feedback really helps shape this story into something better.
Let me know in the comments! I read every one. 💬
And as always, if you're enjoying the ride, feel free to drop a Power Stone — it means a lot. 😊