The massive pirate ship loomed beside Ross's tiny boat, casting a shadow that swallowed his vessel whole.
From the deck above, a burly man with a thick red beard and a giant cleaver resting on his shoulder looked down at him with smug superiority. "Kid," he growled, "do you know who I am?"
Ross shaded his eyes against the sun, pretending to squint in confusion. "I'm afraid not, sir. Who might you be?"
Truthfully, his heart was pounding. Compared to this behemoth of a ship, his little craft looked like a floating leaf. It wasn't much bigger than the small sailboat Luffy once used to leave Foosha Village. And this pirate crew? They were easily a hundred times his size.
If this captain's bounty was over ten million Berries, Ross knew he might be in real trouble.
"Hah! You really don't know?" a sharp-voiced pirate sneered, leaning over the railing. "This is our boss, Captain Dirk! He's got a bounty of eight million Berries, one of the fiercest pirates in all of East Blue! You'd better hand over your treasure before he decides to cut you in half. Maybe, if he's in a good mood, he'll let you live or even take you on as one of us!"
Captain Dirk threw his head back and laughed, clearly pleased by the flattery. He gave the loudmouthed crewman an approving nod. Ross could almost see the word "promotion" written in Dirk's grin.
"Eight million?" Ross repeated, hiding his relief behind a polite smile. In East Blue, that was impressive but nothing he couldn't handle.
"So it's Captain Dirk himself. What brings you to a humble little sailor like me?" Ross asked, keeping his tone respectful, even friendly.
"What do you think?" the same lackey barked, eager to please. "Our boss doesn't waste time with small talk. He wants your loot! Hand it over, and maybe you'll keep that pretty little head of yours!"
Dirk nodded in satisfaction, clearly proud of his subordinate's enthusiasm.
Ross put on his best look of panic. "Loot? Oh no, Captain, you've got the wrong man! I'm broke, I swear! If I had treasure, I'd have offered it up right away. You think I'd dare hide something from a great pirate like you?"
Inside, Ross was smirking. The act was working.
He didn't plan on giving these pirates a single coin in fact, he was going to rob them.
If he wanted to retire comfortably, he needed funds. And what better pension plan than looting idiots like these?
He took a breath, forcing himself into full performance mode. "Come on, Ross," he thought, "you've watched enough movies to pull this off. Just act like a terrified fool, and they'll drop their guard."
"Hey, boss!" the same talkative pirate suddenly shouted, pointing. "What's that behind him?"
Ross stiffened slightly. "Oh, this guy's good," he thought. That one was sharp too sharp.
Dirk followed his subordinate's gaze. "Yeah, kid," he said suspiciously, "what's that box you're hiding?"
Ross spread his hands. "Just junk! Old ropes, busted tools nothing valuable, I swear!"
Dirk's eyes narrowed. Without another word, he jumped from his deck to Ross's tiny boat, landing with a thud that made the whole craft shudder.
Ross flinched dramatically and stumbled backward, hands trembling. Of course, it was all an act.
Dirk's caution faded as he approached, his ego outweighing any sense of danger. "An eight-million-Berry pirate like me," he muttered under his breath, "shouldn't have to fear a nobody like this."
He knelt and threw open the small crate Ross had been "hiding."
Empty.
"What the—" Dirk began, turning to glare at him.
He didn't finish the sentence.
Ross's fist smashed straight into his face. The blow landed with a crunch, and Dirk toppled backward over the side of the boat, crashing into the sea below with a furious splash.
"Sorry, Captain," Ross muttered, shaking out his hand. "Early retirement for you."
Above him, chaos erupted. Pirates were halfway down the ropes, shouting in disbelief as their captain vanished into the waves.
Ross grabbed one of the ropes, swung it hard, and sent two of them tumbling into the ocean. In one smooth motion, he scaled the side of Dirk's ship, slipping onto the deck like a cat.
"Surprise," he said softly, then drew his cutlass.
The fight was over almost before it began. The pirates were sloppy, more bark than bite. Ross cut through them with clean, efficient strikes, sending most of them flailing into the water. Two raised pistols, but he was faster he slammed one man's gun hand into the railing, kicked the other into the sea, and exhaled.
Moments later, only one pirate remained.
The mouthy one.
The clever one.
He stood trembling near the stern, eyes darting between Ross and the water.
"W-what are you gonna do with me?" he stammered, edging backward until his boots hit the railing.
Ross studied him for a long moment. "You're pretty quick-witted," he said at last, almost admiringly.
The pirate blinked. "Huh?"
Ross nodded thoughtfully. "Most of your friends jumped straight into death without thinking. You? You were observant. That's rare."
The man swallowed hard, realizing flattery might be his only lifeline. "Boss sir I didn't want any of this! Dirk forced me into piracy! I swear it!"
Ross shrugged. "Maybe. I don't really care. But I do need a navigator. You any good?"
The man's eyes lit up instantly. "Yes! Absolutely, sir! Back in my village, I was the smartest kid around! I could draw sea charts before I could read! I might not be a professional, but in East Blue, there's no island I can't find!"
Ross raised a brow. That didn't sound like a lie.
He took a closer look at the young man. Grass-green, spiked hair almost like a rooster's comb. A silver ring in his nose. Two dark lines tattooed beneath his eyes.
Something about him tugged at Ross's memory.
"Wait a second…" Ross murmured, eyes narrowing. "You look… familiar."
The young pirate tilted his head nervously.
Then it hit Ross.
"Bartolomeo?" he blurted out, half in disbelief.
The pirate froze. Then, to Ross's utter confusion, his expression twisted in shock. "Y-you know my son?" he gasped.
"Your son?" Ross's mouth twitched.
Now that he looked closer, the resemblance was undeniable same punkish hairstyle, same face, only missing the tattoos and the chest emblem.
Ross sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Unbelievable. I hijack one random ship, and I meet Bartolomeo's father? What are the odds of that?"
But even as he thought it, something didn't quite add up.
This man was timid, sly, always scheming for survival. The Bartolomeo he knew from the future was the complete opposite loud, fearless, and fanatically loyal to Luffy.
Ross eyed the trembling man in front of him and sighed again.
"Yeah," he muttered, "if you're really his dad, the kid definitely didn't get your personality."