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When the pirate ship turned back toward the Navy warship, Aero already had a bad feeling.
And sure enough, his instincts were right.
The ship was circling back for a fight.
Scar, the pirate captain with the 3 million Berry bounty, wanted more. He wasn't just fleeing anymore he was chasing glory. He wanted his bounty to rise again.
That, more than anything, told Aero two things: the world's power structures were flawed, and the value system here was... broken.
In this world, bounties weren't just warnings they were badges of honor. Pirates used them to measure strength. Navy-issued posters had become a point of pride for the criminals they were meant to deter.
As the warship grew closer, Scar's damaged right eye throbbed with pain. He clenched his fist. He wanted revenge.
This particular Navy vessel looked vulnerable, and Scar wanted to make a name for himself across the East Blue.
Aero stared in disbelief.
Is he really doing this? Attacking a Navy warship? With this crew?!
That was suicide.
He almost tried to talk Scar out of it until he saw the captain slice a would-be deserter clean in half without hesitation.
Aero said nothing. Just turned away.
"Get the cannons to the bow!" he barked to a few nearby pirates.
If Scar wanted chaos, Aero would give it to him and then find a way to escape during the commotion.
The pirate ship closed in.
Aero ceased firing and readied himself. Dozens of pirates gathered at the bow, brandishing weapons, fear mixing with adrenaline. But Scar stood tall among them, radiating unshakeable confidence.
So they followed.
Aero sheathed the short blade Scar had given him and borrowed a long saber from another pirate.
Scar shot him a quick glance but said nothing.
That long blade gave Aero a strange sense of stability. Memories of sword training flickered to the surface. This body knew how to fight, at least on some basic level.
The pirate ship smashed into the damaged Navy vessel.
Gunfire erupted immediately. Some marines fired muskets. Others rushed in with swords. The decks became a battleground.
By now, Aero had spent almost half a day in this world. He knew this body well enough. He sidestepped an incoming strike, parried with the back of his blade, then knocked his attacker out cold.
Another marine lunged. Aero blocked and disengaged, but the strength gap was obvious. The marine was stronger.
Aero baited a swing, spun behind the attacker, and slammed the hilt into his temple.
The marine crumpled.
Aero's body screamed with fatigue. He could feel it he didn't have much left in the tank.
He needed to escape. Or at least hide and recover.
As he clashed with another opponent, he spotted Scar dueling a Navy officer, likely a lieutenant commander, on the upper deck. Unlike the pirate crew, the Navy still had the numbers. Over a hundred marines remained. The pirates? Thirty, maybe fewer.
If Scar didn't win soon, they were all dead men.
Aero knocked out another marine. Blood stained the deck, and corpses piled. He didn't hesitate anymore. He just wanted to get out of this situation.
Meanwhile, on the far side of the Navy ship, a different kind of fight unfolded one no one dared interfere with.
Scar vs the lieutenant commander.
Scar stood with a katana in hand. The short blade he used earlier had been gifted to Aero. Now, he faced a taller, leaner Navy officer wielding a long saber.
Clang! Clang!
They clashed.
Sparks flew.
Scar's attacks were relentless but he couldn't overpower the officer. Not yet.
Worse, he was beginning to regret the decision to attack. He'd thought the ship was leaderless its disorganized response to the cannon fire gave that impression.
He'd been baited.
This officer had let him take the bait exploiting a pirate's natural greed.
Now the deck was a graveyard. The crew was nearly gone, Scar's rage peaked.
With a roar, he vaulted high ten, maybe fifteen meters in the air, and brought his blade down like a guillotine.
The lieutenant didn't flinch.
He raised his sword, ready to meet the strike head-on.
Steel met steel.
The shockwave rang out.
Scar's blade was stopped cold. He was thrown back, skidding across the blood-slick deck. A long gash split his torso. Blood poured from his mouth.
The lieutenant didn't gloat. Instead, he muttered:
"You're not my first. You won't be my last."
Scar tried to rise.
He looked around. His crew, what was left of them, was either dead or dying.
The Marines closed in. Dozens, rifles aimed, ready to finish the job.
This was checkmate.
One by one, they raised their guns.
No pirate, no matter how strong, could survive this many shots.
Scar gritted his teeth, blood bubbling at his lips.
The lieutenant adjusted his grip.
"Time to end this"
He was done playing around.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
~Thank you for reading!