Aozame heard Mufasa yell, "Sons, your father is here!"
His face turned pale.
Because the first target was Hoshigaki Jinbei, the head of his Hoshigaki Clan.
And now they were heading to Hoshigaki Island — the territory of the Hoshigaki Clan.
Ganji wasn't having it.
"Boss," he grumbled, "there are tons of families in the Land of Water. Why ours?"
Even if he wasn't the top-tier heir of the clan, Ganji still had pride.
But Mufasa glared at him. "If you want to rule the seas one day, you have to be my son."
"Tch," Mufasa snorted. "There are a lot of people out there who wish they could be my sons but aren't qualified."
Ganji was left speechless.
He'd never heard of anyone begging to adopt grown warriors as sons.
This guy was crazy.
"Boss," he tried again, "can't we talk about this? Maybe pick another way?"
"Nope," Mufasa said without flinching. "No changing it."
Ganji couldn't figure out what made his family so special.
"Why ours?"
Mufasa's face turned serious.
"No pirate crew is complete without a merman squad."
"Your clan may not be full-blooded merfolk, but you're close enough. It's good enough."
Ganji rolled his eyes. 'What the hell is he talking about?' he thought.
"You just want us on your team. Why not say that? 'Merman'? Your whole crew should be fish then. We're just... shark-ish."
Then a terrible thought struck him.
"Wait, Boss — if you take my uncle Jinbei as your son, he calls you 'Dad'... but I call you 'Boss'. What does that make our ranks?"
Jinbei, the patriarch of the Hoshigaki Clan, was now Mufasa's so-called 'son'.
Mufasa thought for two seconds.
"Then just... adjust. You call him Uncle. He calls you Big Brother."
Ganji almost fainted. 'What sort of family tree is that?!'
But in the end, he had no choice but to go with it.
He sighed. "Fine... as long as I don't have to draw it on paper."
Mufasa stood at the bow for a moment before hopping down to the front deck.
Most of the crew were lounging around — some played cards, others were drinking.
Totally unacceptable.
Mufasa raised his voice: "Everyone who's not busy, get over here!"
The idle crew scrambled to the deck and stood in line.
He started pacing in front of them.
"From now on, you're living the pirate's life — one that dances on the edge of death."
"This lazy vibe? It's not going to cut it."
"You sweat more now, and you'll bleed less later. Got it?"
"Got it!" they all shouted.
Mufasa nodded.
"Anyone who steps onto my ship, no matter how dumb they are, is my child."
"I take care of my own."
The crew felt a warmth in their chests.
Mufasa unsheathed his curved saber and struck a pose.
"Now pay attention. What I'm about to teach you is called Rokushiki — a fighting style that pushes your body beyond its limits. If you master it, you could fight a jounin head-on."
"The six forms are: Shave, Iron Body, Paper Art, Moon Step, Tempest Kick, and Finger Gun."
He planted his fists on his hips, spreading his feet apart and locking into a deep stance.
"We'll start with Iron Body. It's a defensive move that makes your body tough as steel. Follow me!"
Everyone imitated his stance — fists clenched, chests out, abs tight.
Mufasa explained.
"Iron Body hardens your muscles through intense training. Kunais? Swords? They'll bounce off."
The crew's eyes lit up.
"But there's a catch — you can't move while using it. Still, that's a small price to pay."
"The key? Speed up your blood flow. Amp up your emotions. The more hyped you get, the tougher your body becomes."
"Now, repeat after me!"
"IRON BODY IS INVINCIBLE!"
"LOUDER!"
"THE LOUDER YOU YELL, THE HARDER YOUR BODY GETS!"
The crew roared together.
"IRON BODY IS INVINCIBLE!"
"IRON BODY IS INVINCIBLE!"
Their shouts echoed across the sea, loud enough to scare birds from the sky.
Mufasa, ever the showman, summoned a glowing stick with his Star Ring.
Anyone who didn't shout loud enough got a tap from the "spirit booster stick."
Their three-masted galleon cut through the misty waters of the Land of Water.
Every fishing boat or merchant ship gave them a wide berth.
Partly because of the skull-and-crossed-swords pirate flag.
But mostly because of the thunderous yelling.
Rumors began to spread from island to island.
A haunted pirate ship.
The Flying Dutchman.
A few days later — morning.
The fog still clung to the waves.
From the crow's nest, Kou shouted down:
"Captain! We're in Hoshigaki Island's waters!"
Mufasa dropped the chunk of beef he'd been chewing.
The sea began to bubble.
Dozens of sharks burst from below, chomping madly at the floating meat.
Mufasa looked up through the haze.
And saw it.
A massive island looming ahead.
It dwarfed Arima Island.
There were no villages — only marketplaces.
A wide harbor filled with boats.
And at the peak of the island, a castle.
Mufasa grinned.
"Jinbei of the Hoshigaki Clan. One of the Seven Warlords of the Sea under me."
"Your father — Whitebeard — has arrived!"
...
The Flying Dutchman approached ten nautical miles off the coast of Hoshigaki Island.
Mufasa stood at the helm, his keen eyes locking onto the island's distant silhouette. He could make out the buildings, even a few people wandering near the pier.
"Hmm, strange. The defenses are too relaxed," Mufasa muttered, his voice low. "No patrol boats, no reaction from the islanders."
Ganji, the Hoshigaki with spiked blue hair and a shark-toothed grin, leaned against the railing.
"Boss, that's because this island belongs to the Hoshigaki clan. We're the apex predators of these waters."
Legend had it that the ancestors of the Hoshigaki family were born from a union between humans and sharks.
That lineage gave them the ability to commune with and command sea predators.
Sharks circled the waters around Mad Shark Island in tight, patrolling schools.
Ganji grinned. "Add to that our massive chakra reserves, and no one dares step foot here uninvited."
Mufasa chuckled, flexing his massive arms. "Then allow me—Whitebeard—to change that narrative."
He barked an order: "Gunner crew! Fire two warning shots! Let them know I'm here!"
The morning sun burned away the sea mist, revealing the full might of the Flying Dutchman—a towering three-mast warship flying the black-and-white crossbones of Mufasa's pirate crew.
People on Mad Shark Island squinted into the horizon. Someone pointed. "A ship! A massive one!"
"Whose flag is that?!"
Another gasped. "Pirates!"
The galleon turned. Its broadside cannons aimed squarely at the island.
Boom! Boom!
Fire burst from the cannons, and shells screamed through the sky, landing in the forested hills inland.
Panic swept the island.
Guards of the Hoshigaki household ran through the streets, urging people indoors.
In the castle atop the peak, Yagura-style in design but broader, Hoshigaki Jinbei snapped awake.
Despite his towering frame, the man moved fast.
A ninja master of shark-style jujutsu, Jinbei vaulted from his bed, still wearing his loose, wave-patterned robe and clogs.
He dashed to the window and saw the massive ship.
His jaw clenched, shark-like fangs bared.
"Who the hell is attacking the Hoshigaki Clan?!"
With a growl, he kicked the window open and launched himself outside, bouncing across treetops toward the shore.
His guards spotted him. "Jinbei-sama!"
"Stay calm! Get the civilians to safety and prepare defensive formations!"
The cannon blasts hadn't hit the town directly—clearly a warning. Still, Jinbei wasn't about to take chances.
Another shell passed overhead, this one headed straight for the pier.
Jinbei leapt up.
"Shark Karate—Tsunami Fist!"
He struck the air, his punch generating a massive shockwave that exploded the shell mid-air.
Mufasa watched from his ship, grinning.
"That must be Hoshigaki Jinbei."
Ganji confirmed, "Yep, that's him."
Mufasa nodded. "Cease fire."
The gunners stopped. The ship rotated slowly, its bow now aimed at the island.
Jinbei landed at the dock.
One guard approached. "Should we retaliate with shark formations?"
Jinbei hesitated. "They missed on purpose. They're not here for war—yet. What are they playing at?"
Just then, someone leapt from the Flying Dutchman.
A man with wild golden hair, muscles like stone, and a massive cloak fluttering behind him landed on the water's surface.
He didn't sink.
On his back was a massive Naginata. His voice boomed like thunder:
"Hoshigaki Jinbei of the Hoshigaki clan! Show yourself!"
Jinbei narrowed his eyes. His guards tensed.
"Careful, Jinbei-sama. This reeks of a trap."
Jinbei's shark-like grin widened, showing two razor-sharp lower fangs. "I don't fear anyone in these waters. You stay back. I'll deal with him."
He turned and sprinted to the pier, where a massive great white shark surfaced. With a practiced jump, Jinbei landed on its back.
Dozens of sharks followed, slicing through the waves like a living fleet.
When Jinbei reached shouting distance, Mufasa was waiting.
He could see Jinbei clearly now—his storm-gray hair slicked back, a lightning scar over one eye, and gill-like tattoos on his cheekbones.
The sharks circled Mufasa, but he stood unmoved.
"You're Hoshigaki Jinbei?"
"That's right. Who are you, and why are you attacking Hoshigaki Island?!"
"I am Whitebeard," Mufasa said calmly.
Jinbei blinked. White blonde hair, sure—but no beard.
Mufasa grinned wider. "From now on, this island belongs to me."
Jinbei's eyes flared. "You arrogant fool!"
He raised both hands.
"Water Release: Four Sharks Rain"
Four water-formed sharks launched from the sea, flying high into the air before crashing down toward Mufasa.
If struck, they'd burst into a thousand mini shark bombs like watery grenades.
Mufasa cracked his knuckles.
"Guess I'll keep hiding my real powers for now. Just a super-strong fighter today."
He threw punches in all directions.
"Shockwave Fist: Crushing Spiral!"
Each punch bent the air, sending visible shockwaves that shattered the incoming water sharks mid-air.
The blasts rippled outward, atomizing the jutsu.
Jinbei's eyes widened.
"He… shattered a high-level water style jutsu… with raw force?!"
Mufasa stood tall, arms crossed.
"Still want to test me? Or are you ready to join my crew?"
_______________________________
Word count: 1671
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