Pirates!
Those two words struck Kyle like lightning.
The blood in his veins seemed to ignite in that instant. All his boredom, frustration, and restlessness turned into a burning fighting spirit.
Kyle dashed to the ship's side and squinted in the direction Rayleigh pointed.
Sure enough, a black dot on the horizon quickly expanded against the backdrop of blue sea and sky. Soon, the outline of a massive ship came into view. Its hull was several times larger than their broken little boat. On its sail, a grinning skull loomed large, two crossed battle axes beneath it, radiating ferocity and menace.
The other side had clearly spotted them too. The pirates on board erupted in arrogant laughter, some even waving weapons provocatively.
"Hahaha! Someone sends me a pillow right when I'm sleepy!" Roger grinned as he flexed his wrists, bones cracking with a crisp click, click. "My hands are itching."
"Captain of the damn world!" A voice suddenly interrupted him.
Roger and Rayleigh turned in surprise.
Kyle was standing at the boat's edge, sea breeze tossing his short black hair, his eyes burning with an unprecedented brilliance—like twin flames ready to erupt.
"Leave them to me!"
He turned toward Roger, gripping the naginata that had been resting against the railing with his right hand, his gaze blazing.
Roger was stunned for a moment at Kyle's fierce expression, then broke into his signature booming laugh.
"Kuhahahaha!" He strode over and smacked Kyle's shoulder with a massive, palm-leaf-like hand. "Alright then! I'll give it to you, little Kyle!"
He withdrew his hand, placed both fists on his hips, and his smile overflowed with anticipation and indulgent pride.
"Let's see the results of your two months of training!"
"But…" Roger's tone suddenly shifted, a mischievous grin curling his lips, "If you can't handle it, or get beaten half to death, no dinner for you!"
"I'll earn it!" Kyle grinned confidently.
Taking a deep breath, he said no more and turned to face the pirate ship, drawing closer and closer.
On that ship, a bear-sized pirate captain with a face full of fat and a telescope in hand let out a mocking snort when he saw only three people aboard Roger's vessel—one of whom looked like a kid.
"Oi, lads! Look there!" he laughed, lowering the telescope. "A busted-up boat, two shabby old-timers, and a brat still suckin' milk!"
He turned to his crew and roared, "We're lucky today! Kill 'em all, and everything on that boat is ours!"
"OOOHHHHH!!" The pirates howled with bloodthirsty excitement.
Kyle grasped his naginata in one hand and placed the other on the railing—then leapt off the boat.
"Walking on the Waves!" Just before plunging into the sea, ripples shimmered visibly beneath his feet.
But instead of spreading outward, the ripples condensed inward, shrinking and forming a transparent step of water beneath his foot, like solidified sea.
Kyle stepped forward and stood firmly on it.
Then came a second step. A third...
What? Why not just use recoil to fly across?
Of course, it's because he's trying to show off.
Under the stunned gazes of the opposing pirates—whose jaws nearly hit the floor—Kyle walked leisurely across the choppy sea, naginata in hand, as if walking on solid ground.
Back on deck, Roger's eyes were shining with excitement, shouting "Nice!" again and again in admiration.
Rayleigh leaned against the mast, pushed up his glasses, and revealed a faint, barely noticeable smile.
"It's begun…" he murmured to himself.
The sea breeze tousled the boy's short black hair. He held his plain naginata tightly as he strode, calm and confident, across the surface of the sea toward the enemy ship.
This scene defied all common sense—and completely unhinged the underlings of the Great Axe Pirates.
"W-What the hell is that?!"
"He's walking… on water!"
"He's a Devil Fruit user!!"
The pirates on deck began to panic, retreating step by step. The weapons in their hands suddenly felt meaningless—useless against this surreal sight.
This bizarre entrance was far more terrifying than any roaring tough guy.
"What are you cowards yapping about?! Shut up!" roared a gruff voice, silencing the crew.
The captain with the meaty face stomped toward the bow, kicking aside the pirates in his path. He planted himself at the front and bellowed, spit flying everywhere:
"So what if he's got some fancy ability?! He's just a snot-nosed brat who hasn't even outgrown his milk teeth!"
He stared at Kyle, who was slowly walking toward him, an extremely contemptuous smile tugging at his lips. In a hoarse voice, he mocked, "Hey! Little brat! This isn't the swimming pool in your backyard! What, didn't your mommy tell you to come home for milk?!"
"Hahahaha!" The captain's arrogant laughter ignited the crew's spirits, and they eagerly followed suit. The fear they had just felt seemed to melt away under the wave of ridicule.
"Shift the cannon ten centimeters to the left and fire!" the captain ordered with a grim smile. "Blow him to pieces!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Thick smoke erupted from the three cannons. With shrill whistling, several pitch-black shells shot toward Kyle, standing alone on the sea!
Yet aboard Roger's ship, both he and Rayleigh remained composed. Roger even crossed his arms and grinned, looking every bit the man settling in for a good show.
As the shells screamed through the air, Kyle didn't dodge. He simply bent his knees slightly.
"Shock Step. Instant!" The water beneath his feet suddenly dipped, and an invisible shockwave exploded outward from under him.
Bang! The massive rebound force launched Kyle straight into the air, propelling him more than ten meters high in an instant.
"What?!" The smug smile on the Giant Axe Captain's face froze.
Up in the air, Kyle stretched his body. The simple naginata in his hand caught the sunlight and drew a cold arc as it swung.
He didn't rely on any flashy technique—just pure strength built up from two months of intense training, poured entirely into this one swing, aimed at the flying shells.
A burst of concentrated, brilliant energy split off from the blade and struck the lead shell head-on!
Bang—!
The struck shell shattered like it had been crushed by an invisible giant hand. The others near it collapsed as well, pulverized by the chain reaction of violent vibrations.
The blast sent smoke and mist billowing across the sea, instantly clouding the battlefield.
"H-How... how is this possible?!" A pirate's voice trembled with disbelief.
The next moment, Kyle's figure re-emerged from the mist. Suspended in mid-air, he slowly raised his head. His golden eyes burned with a fierce, untamed spirit.
"The game's over." Holding his naginata horizontally in front of him, the blade began to emit a sharp hum.
Without hesitation, he channeled his control over "waves" into it—completely, unreservedly. The air around the blade twisted violently, howling with unbearable pressure.
"Listen well. This... is your funeral hymn!" Gripping the hilt with both hands, Kyle leaned back and concentrated every ounce of power into a single, overwhelming strike!
"Sound Slash: Explosive Phoenix Roar!!"
He swung the blade!
Time seemed to freeze at that instant. A gigantic, visible shockwave erupted from the naginata's edge, shaped like a roaring phoenix, and launched forward with unstoppable force.
Wherever the shockwave passed, the air itself wailed in protest, cracking like shattered glass, spiderweb fractures blooming in the atmosphere.
The phoenix, composed entirely of compressed sound waves, screeched as it burst forth—its wings spreading wide as it blasted across the ocean surface and slammed into the core of the Giant Axe Pirates' three-masted ship!
BOOM—!!!!! A thunderous roar erupted, as if the heavens themselves had been torn apart.
The once-proud ship of the Great Axe Pirates was struck as if by a titan's fist. A massive dent caved into the center of its hull, and countless cracks spread in every direction like wildfire. In the blink of an eye, the entire vessel began to collapse.
Planks splintered. Sails tore like paper. The mast snapped with a sharp crack! Pirates screamed as they were hurled into the air by the force of the explosion, then plunged into the sea like flailing ragdolls.
The captain—who had been laughing moments earlier—now stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief and terror.
His mouth opened, but no sound came out. He could only watch helplessly as his ship crumbled before him. A chunk of broken wood smashed into him, dragging him into the depths along with the wreckage.
In just a few minutes, a fully armed pirate vessel—along with the dozens of pirates aboard—had been obliterated by Kyle's devastating strike.
All that remained on the sea were drifting fragments of the shattered ship and the cries of pirates floundering in the waves.
Kyle stood atop the water, naginata in hand, chest heaving with breath. A wave of unmatched exhilaration surged through him.
"Ku...Kuhahahaha!" For a brief moment, silence ruled Roger's ship. Then Roger burst out laughing, his signature, earth-shaking laugh echoing across the waves.
He laughed so hard he nearly cried, slapping Rayleigh on the back mid-howl. "Did you see that, Rayleigh?! Did you see that?! Kuhahaha! That was amazing! Well done, Kyle!"
Rayleigh sighed and nudged Roger off him, pushing up his glasses with a helpless smile.
But behind the lenses, his eyes were full of approval... and pride.