Night had fallen, and the moonlight over the Grand Line was as cold and clear as water. Yet even that silver glow could not extinguish the blazing passion that burned on the deck of the Oro Jackson.
A bonfire crackled, its warm flames reflecting off every excited face. They had just come out of a fierce, perilous battle, but rather than being exhausted, the crew was more fired up than ever.
Miller Pine was clutching a barrel of rum, bellowing an off-key shanty loud enough to wake a Sea King miles away. Spencer, usually a stiff noble, had abandoned his airs and was locked in a heated argument with Brumarine over which cannon shot during the fight had traced the most "elegant" arc. Silvers Rayleigh leaned against the mast with a glass in hand, smiling faintly as he watched the energetic chaos.
"Kuahahaha! This is what it means to be pirates!" Gol D. Roger threw back a mouthful of liquor and roared with laughter. "Running with the Marines at our heels, then leaving them eating our wake now that's pure joy!"
The Oro Jackson had its own kind of magic. Her wide deck and sturdy frame gave everyone aboard a sense of safety and freedom, strong enough to carry their wildest dreams.
Kael Grylls sat quietly on a stack of crates, sipping orange juice as he took it all in.
That last move to break the encirclement had nearly drained him dry, but surrounded by such jubilant energy, the fatigue melted away.
"Hey, Kael!"
From the rowdy crowd emerged Scopper Gaban, bare-chested, bronze skin glistening in the firelight. With both massive axes slung across his shoulders, he strode forward step by step, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit. "What's the point of just drinking and singing? This deck's plenty wide. How about we loosen up these muscles?"
The moment Gaban's challenge rang out, the deck fell silent. Singing stopped, arguments died.
All eyes locked onto the two figures. Two veteran members of the Roger Pirates, about to clash? The excitement ignited like dry powder.
"Ohhh! Now this is gonna be good!" Nozdon was the first to leap up, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
"For real? Mr. Gaban's crazy strong!" Punklow gulped nervously.
Roger's interest was instantly piqued. He planted a boot on a barrel and shouted, "Perfect! Let's see how much you've grown since last time!"
Whoa, whoa, whoa it's too hot in here, Gaban-san!
Damn it, man, now you've got my full attention!
Kael set down his glass, rose to his feet, and unslung the long naginata strapped to his back. "Bastard Gaban! Come on then!"
The two took their places at the center of the deck. The rest of the crew formed a wide circle around them, the atmosphere reaching a fever pitch.
"Place your bets, place your bets!" Nozdon hollered. "I'm putting down a hundred Beli on Kael! His ability's just too busted!"
"I'm on Mr. Gaban!" Miller Pine slammed his barrel to the ground with a dull thud. "Three hundred Beli! Strength rules the seas!"
"I'm betting on a draw Captain Roger's bound to call it off." Spencer pushed up his glasses, trying to sound like the voice of reason.
Rayleigh smirked and murmured to Aizak beside him, "I'll wager on Gaban winning, but he's not coming out of it pretty."
Don, don, don san dokkashi!
Scopper Gaban crossed both axes before his chest, settling into a steady stance. He didn't rush in. Kael wasn't some ordinary brat. Underestimating him could be costly.
Kael stayed motionless too, only resting the butt of his naginata lightly against the deck.
An unseen wave pulsed outward from him, quietly mapping the air currents, the tension in Gaban's muscles, even the rhythm of his breaths.
Devil Fruit ability combined with Observation Haki everything is clear before my eyes. Who else can say that? (Cue Light Yagami inner monologue!)
"Coming at you, brat!" Gaban barked, legs coiling with sudden force.
Instead of a straight charge, he advanced in a jagged zigzag pattern, each footfall leaving shallow prints in the deck. It was a trick to throw off Kael's predictions.
"Shock Fist Sonic Burst!"
Kael thrust his fist forward, releasing a compressed shockwave wrapped in a halo of sound. It hurtled straight for Gaban's face.
Rather than dodging, Gaban swung one axe upward in a brutal arc, the blade sheathed in Armament Haki.
CLANG!
It rang like steel on steel. The shockwave split apart, breaking into two turbulent blasts that howled past his sides, splintering the railing behind him.
Railings: "Feed me peanuts! Feed me peanuts!"
No wonder this man could win over a giantess. Such monstrous strength and skill! Kael's eyes narrowed as Gaban closed the distance.
"Too slow!"
The second axe came down like black lightning, shrieking through the air.
Kael's pupils shrank. He blasted shockwaves from under his feet, sliding backward just in time to avoid the killing stroke.
"Light Mirage!"
He flicked his hand, bending the light around him. Three identical Kaels appeared, each lunging with a blade from a different angle.
"Cheap trick!" Gaban snorted, unleashing his full Observation Haki.
Ignoring the fakes, he twisted violently and slammed both axes into the empty space behind him where the real Kael had slipped.
"Light Blade Rainbow Sever!"
Exposed, Kael stayed calm. His naginata flared with a prismatic glow as he unleashed a rainbow slash aimed at Gaban's waist.
Trade injury for injury?
Gaban's eyes widened, but his battle instincts were sharper than steel. He halted the twin strike mid-swing and spun, jamming one axe handle into the incoming rainbow blade.
ZZZZT!
Light and Haki clashed, sparks spraying, heat scorching the air.
Both broke away, retreating to reset.
"Woooaaaahhh!" The crew roared in unison.
Only a handful of exchanges, yet every move dripped with danger and finesse. Their blood boiled watching it.
"Your powers are a real pain, kid." Gaban shook his tingling arm and grinned. "But real battles don't give you time to set up tricks!"
He charged again, this time a raging storm of blows.
The twin axes spun into a whirling cyclone of death, each strike heavy enough to crush bones, each swing sealing Kael's paths of escape.
Kael darted and blocked with Shock Step: Instant, naginata ringing off axe blades in rapid clashes. Sparks flew like fireworks. The sheer force of Gaban's swings whipped the air into gales, disrupting Kael's control over surrounding waves.
Under that onslaught, Kael slipped into disadvantage.
I can't use wide-area attacks they'd wreck the whole ship. But small bursts won't cut it either…
His eyes flashed. In a sudden lull, he slammed his naginata into the deck.
"Reverse Echo!"
A strange vibration rippled outward.
Gaban froze mid-strike, ears suddenly filled with distorted echoes of his own shouts, axe swishes, even his ragged breaths, all tumbling together in chaotic dissonance. For a heartbeat, his mind stuttered.
Now!
Kael drew his weapon free, its tip crackling with electromagnetic energy. A spear of lightning lanced forward.
"Thunder Spear Aurora Strike!"
But Gaban bit down hard on his tongue, the sharp pain snapping him out of the trance. His eyes cleared as he roared, shouldering straight into the blow.
The lightning grazed his shoulder, scorching flesh and cloth, smoke rising. At the same time, his axe smashed into Kael's ribs with bone-crunching force.
BANG!
"Wha Iron Shoulder Bash?!"
Kael felt an unstoppable weight drive through him. He flew like a ragdoll, tumbling across the deck, his naginata slipping from his grasp.
Gaban staggered too, one shoulder charred and smoking, clothes in tatters.
The fight was decided.
For a moment, silence. Then the deck exploded in cheers.
"Mr. Gaban wins!" Miller Pine pumped his fist.
Even Nozdon, though poorer for the bet, shouted, "Kael was awesome too!"
"Alas, if that blade had been an inch deeper, I'd be barbecue!" Gaban chuckled, extending a hand.
"Lame joke, damn it. That really hurt!" Kael grimaced, gripping the offered hand as Gaban hauled him upright.
"Kuahahaha!" Roger strode over, throwing an arm around each of their shoulders. "Well fought, both of you! My crew's got two incredible monsters! Drink up, boys! Celebrate!"
The party flared hotter than ever. The losers sulked, the winners bragged, and laughter filled the night.
Rayleigh nudged Gaban, nodding at his scorched shoulder with a sly smile before handing him a drink.
Gaban downed it in one go, eyes drifting to Kael, who was now mobbed by Nozdon peppering him with questions. In those eyes gleamed fiery anticipation for the future.
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