Even after the Great Pirate Era began, my life remained largely unchanged.
The newspapers were full of reports of daily pirate incidents, confirming the rise in pirate activity. I'd think, "Ah, the pirates really are multiplying," but our town remained peaceful, so it all felt like someone else's problem.
Well, technically it was someone else's problem, but still... it was like watching a fire across the river—distant and lacking urgency. I didn't quite grasp the danger.
Just in case, I continued my training without fail, and the other members of the Self-Defense Corps kept honing their skills daily.
But the opportunity to use our strength never came.
Thanks to the Kuja Pirates' territory acting as a powerful shield, no pirates ever dared to attack our island.
After seven years of this peace... we grew complacent. We'd forgotten.
I should have known better. I did know better. Yet somehow, I'd completely forgotten...
...that peace can shatter in an instant.
***
[ Third-person perspective ]
"P-pirates! Pirates are coming!"
"What the hell?! Do they even know whose territory this is?! Can't they see the flag?!"
"They have to see it! But... they're heading straight for us anyway!"
"Damn it! Is this really happening?! Contact the Self-Defense Corps! If they're attacking, we have no choice but to fight back!"
This island, this town where Sue and the others lived, had never been raided by pirates before. The Kuja Pirate Flag, proudly displayed over the island, served as a powerful deterrent.
Attacking an island flying a pirate flag was tantamount to declaring war on the flag's owner—the pirate crew that claimed the island as their territory.
In the First Half of the Grand Line, few pirates dared to encroach on the territory of the dreaded Kuja Pirates. This fear had long ensured the town's peace.
But the pirates who attacked this time were different. Simply put, they weren't afraid of the Kuja Pirates. More accurately, they were reckless fools who couldn't grasp the gravity of the situation.
Even knowing this was Kuja territory, they brazenly decided to plunder the town anyway, scoffing, "So what? Let them come if they dare!"
"An all-female pirate crew? What's there to fear?" they thought, brimming with unfounded confidence. "We'll crush them, capture them all, and sell them into slavery!" Fueled by this baseless arrogance, they acted on their plan.
Yet such pirates had become increasingly common in recent years. Since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, pirate numbers had exploded across the Four Blue and the Grand Line.
In a word, the pirates were a mixed bag. Some were strong, others weak. Some were relatively honorable, while others reveled in depraved acts.
Then there were the cautious ones who knew their place, and the ignorant fools who underestimated the power of renowned pirate crews. These fools would brazenly attack marked territories, flag flying, a disturbingly common occurrence these days.
Of course, most met a grim end, purged later by the humiliated pirates seeking retribution.
Naturally, Sue and the Self-Defense Corps had anticipated this very situation and trained tirelessly for it.
So, though shaken, they grabbed their weapons and bravely faced the pirates to protect their town.
But it was an impossible fight. Civilians who only knew "battle" from training were no match for pirates whose entire profession revolved around combat—especially not a crew capable of holding its own in the Grand Line.
At first, the Self-Defense Corps tried to stop the pirates from landing. They fired at the approaching boats and charged with swords and spears as the pirates reached the shore. They fought with desperate courage, suppressing their fear and urging each other onward.
But a few cannonballs from the pirate ship were enough to throw the Self-Defense Corps into chaos, shattering their ranks completely.
Taking advantage of the disarray, the pirates swarmed ashore. Hand-to-hand combat erupted, and the Self-Defense Corps was swiftly overwhelmed, their defenses crumbling.
Reserves desperately tried to block the pirates' advance into the town, but they were no match for the invaders.
It was only a matter of time before the final defense line crumbled, and the pirates flooded into the streets.
By then, the officers in charge of the defense had realized the town was lost. They made the heart-wrenching decision to abandon it, focusing instead on protecting those who couldn't fight as they fled.
"This town is finished... everyone, evacuate!"
"Hurry! Everyone who can move, help the elderly and children!"
"We're out of time! Leave your belongings behind! As long as we survive, we can figure things out!"
"The pirates are coming! Self-Defense Corps, protect the women and children who can't fight!"
Clutching only essential belongings or running empty-handed, the townspeople fled in a desperate scramble, racing away from the port where the pirates were expected to arrive.
Among those who steeled their resolve and took up arms to defend the fleeing citizens was Sue.
"...Sue-chan, you should evacuate with everyone else."
"Yeah, that's right. You're only eleven years old. You shouldn't be here..."
To the men of the town, Sue was still just a young girl, someone who should be cherished and protected.
Even though she was a member of the Self-Defense Corps, many adults secretly wished she would prioritize her safety and flee. They couldn't bear the thought of her facing danger in this place.
But Sue shook her head firmly.
"I turned twelve the other day," Sue said. "I'm a member of the Self-Defense Corps too. I promised myself I'd fight to protect everyone if it came to that."
Sue's years of diligent training, combined with guidance from the Kuja Pirates, had made her one of the corps' most skilled fighters, even among the adults. Everyone expected her to be a valuable asset in battle.
Of course, they all hoped that day would never come.
At the port, the male members of the Self-Defense Corps were risking their lives to hold off the pirates. Meanwhile, Sue and the others had to evacuate as many non-combatant citizens as possible—their neighbors, their friends, their fellow townsfolk.
If the final defense line fell and the pirates stormed the town, they knew it would be their turn to stand firm, sacrificing themselves if necessary to buy time for everyone else to escape. Every one of them, including Sue, was trembling but determined.
The adults listened to Sue's resolute words, but they hesitated, muttering, "But..."
Their words were cut short by a deafening roar from the port, followed by the thunderous sound of countless footsteps. The air crackled with tension.
The defense line had finally been breached. The pirates were swarming ashore.
No one needed to point it out; everyone sensed it instinctively and braced themselves.
True to their fears, minutes later a massive wave of pirates surged into the area, and the battle erupted.
The Self-Defense Corps, who had hastily formed a defensive line, found themselves overwhelmed by the relentless pirate onslaught. Their formation crumbled as the attackers poured in, quickly descending into a chaotic melee of friend and foe.
Death could strike from any direction at any moment.
In this brutal arena, the disparity between the battle-hardened pirates and the trained but inexperienced Self-Defense Corps became starkly clear.
One by one, the defenders fell, collapsing onto the blood-soaked ground.
The defense line had already crumbled into nothingness. Now defenseless, the fleeing civilians were being overtaken by the pirates, who were tearing through the last of their protectors.
"Get out of our way, you weaklings!"
"The Self-Defense Corps is no match for us!"
"Grab everything of value! Slaughter anyone who resists!"
"Don't kill the young women! We can sell them for a fortune, and have some fun with them first!"
Screams pierced the air, mingling with the cries of children. Blood flowed freely as sobs echoed through the chaos.
People fell. Possessions were plundered. Lives were stolen.
Their peaceful daily lives were utterly destroyed, everything they held dear ripped away.
"Run! Run now, everyone! They'll kill you if you stay!"
"Damn it... Why? Why is this happening...!"
"Stop it... please, stop! Just spare my life..."
"Mom... Dad...! Waaaaah..."
"P-please, just let this child go..."
Even amidst the hellish chaos, Sue moved with unwavering determination.
Once the battle erupted, she realized that helping the civilians escape was more important than fighting the pirates. She slipped away from the fray, darting through the streets to find anyone left behind.
In such a chaotic situation, it was likely that some people had been caught by the pirates, while others were too terrified to move.
Sure enough, Sue spotted a woman desperately fleeing with a young child clutched in her arms.
A few meters behind, a pirate with a lewd grin plastered across his face was chasing after the woman.
The moment Sue grasped the situation, she dashed forward and threw herself between the woman and the pirate.
The pirate looked momentarily bewildered by the sudden appearance of the small girl.
"Huh? What the hell—"
He never finished his sentence.
Because Sue looked like a child, he didn't see her as a threat. He failed to anticipate the low, swift sword strike aimed at his throat.
"—!?!"
That moment of carelessness proved fatal. The blade sliced through his carotid artery and windpipe, and the pirate collapsed, blood gushing from his throat.
Sue stood over him, panting heavily.
"...h... hah, hah, hah..."
Watching the pirate collapse, his body twitching violently, Sue gasped for breath, sweat pouring down her face.
Like the other members of the Self-Defense Corps, she had only ever held a sword during training. This was her first real battle... unless you counted that one time aboard the Kuja Pirates' ship.
Even then, her sole combat experience had been limited to knocking an opponent unconscious with a wooden practice sword to the jaw. She had never cut anyone with a blade.
This was the first time she had ever felt steel slice through flesh, the first time she had ever killed a person.
The shock was overwhelming, but she couldn't afford to dwell on it.
Forcing down her inner turmoil with sheer willpower, she tightened her grip on the sword.
Noticing the blood on the blade, she flicked it off with a brisk *whoosh* and turned back to the woman and child who had been fleeing.
"S-Sue-chan...? Ah, thank you..."
"Don't mention it! The pirates are still coming—we need to run!"
The three of them—Sue, the woman, and the child—immediately took off running. But pirates were already blocking their path, so they veered into a narrow alleyway instead.
Their first priority was to avoid encountering any more pirates, to remain undetected. They carefully chose their routes with that in mind.
However, as they rounded yet another corner, they finally ran into two pirates at once. Unlike before, there were two of them this time. The pirates spotted them too, grinning as if they'd found a good catch.
Sue reacted swiftly. She told the woman and child to run the other way to safety, then drew her sword and stood defiantly between them and the pirates.
"Huh? What's this, kid? Waving that thing around... Hey, don't tell me you think you can fight us with that?"
"Whoa, whoa, hold on. You'll hurt yourself swinging something so dangerous."
"Yeah, yeah, you're kinda cute. Don't go getting hurt. ...A little young, but if you clean up nicely, we could probably sell you for a good price."
"Hmm, might as well take her too. Hey, Missy, I'm telling you for your own good, just be quiet and..."
"...No way!"
Sue spat out her refusal, tightening her grip on the sword and leveling the blade at the two pirates
To be continued...