Chapter 8: First Real Combat
On the deck of the dog-headed warship, the salty sea wind whipped across their faces.
Roy stood at the bow, his fingers unconsciously gripping the railing so hard his knuckles were white. His gaze was like a blade, cutting through the churning horizon.
"Old Man Garp," he suddenly said, his voice sharp enough to cut through the roar of the waves, "Can this ship go any faster?"
Garp, who was stuffing rice crackers into his mouth, froze. Crumbs rained down onto his coat.
"Hm?" The old man turned, his cheeks puffed, his eyes full of confusion. "The ship's already at full speed. What's wrong?"
Roy stared at the horizon, where dark, ominous clouds were gathering.
"Every minute we're delayed," he said, his throat tight, "more civilians are being torn apart by cannon fire."
Garp's chewing slowed. He narrowed his eyes, studying the deadly serious expression on the face of the kid who was usually always grinning.
The cracker bag crumpled in his grip. Suddenly, Garp threw his head back and laughed, a sound so loud it sent the seagulls on the mast scattering in terror.
"Good kid!"
He ripped off his "Justice" coat, tossing it to his adjutant, the muscles on his arms bulging under his flowery shirt. "Then let me show you how I used to chase Roger all over the seas!"
Before he finished speaking, the deck planks groaned. He turned, bent his knees, and drew back his right fist, veins popping!
"Hold on, brats!"
"BOOM!!!"
Garp's fist smashed into the stern of the warship. The terrifying, concussive force launched the entire vessel forward like a cannonball, ripping a massive wake in the ocean. The wind shrieked past, nearly tearing the sailors' eardrums out!
"WAAAAAH! Vice Admiral! The ship's gonna break apart!!"
"Cover your ears!"
The Marines clung to the railings, their faces pale.
Garp just roared with laughter. "Relax! My ship is custom-built! She can take it!"
Roy stood at the bow, his black hair whipping in the gale, his Observation Haki already stretched to its absolute limit. Five kilometers away, in the Oykot Kingdom, he could hear it all: the screams, the crying, the crackle of flames.
These were the wails of despair. This was a scene of cold-blooded slaughter that no "mock pirate suppression" drill could ever prepare you for.
(So this is... what real pirates are like? The sanitized version in the manga was a joke...)
A cold fury rose from his heart. Roy's pupils constricted, and his fists slowly clenched.
Garp walked up beside him, raising his large hand to clap him on the shoulder. After all, it was a 12-year-old kid's first time facing a real, bloody battlefield. It was normal to be shaken.
But Roy's eyes were colder than the wind.
"Old Man Garp, I'm going ahead."
Before the words even faded—
FWOOSH!
His figure vanished from the deck.
Garp's hand froze in mid-air. He blinked, then a wide, proud grin spread across his face. "That brat... he's already a full-fledged warrior."
He turned, his eyes sharp. "Full speed ahead! Prepare to crush these pirates!"
Oykot Kingdom, the burning streets.
The houses on both sides of the road were engulfed in flames. Charred beams collapsed, sending up clouds of acrid smoke.
"Bwahahaha! Kill every last one of these weaklings!"
"Don't spare the women and children!"
Pirates swung their cutlasses, their faces twisted in bloodlust. The streets were littered with the bodies of civilians. The stench of iron and smoke stung Roy's nose.
FWOOSH!
A black shadow flashed. A pirate froze, a line of blood spraying from his throat as he collapsed.
"Enemy attack! Enemy—!"
"Where?! I can't see him—Agh!"
FWOOSH!
Roy was a phantom. Every time he appeared, he struck with precision. A Warp: Finger Pistol pierced a throat. A warp to their six, and a Haki-coated fist shattered the back of a skull.
Blood splattered onto his cold face, but Roy didn't even blink.
(This pirate scum... they don't even deserve to be called human!)
His eyes narrowed, and that cold fury hardened into Armament Haki. "Warp: Finger Pistol Combo!"
"BAM! BAM! BAM!"
It sounded like three thunderclaps. Three pirates dropped, not even having time to scream.
A pirate further down the street stared, his eyes wide with terror. "A... a monster..."
The next second, Roy's afterimages filled the battlefield, a reaper claiming his due.
He exhaled slowly, his eyes chillingly cold.
Suddenly, his Observation Haki caught the faint sound of a baby crying.
Roy's head snapped in that direction.
(That sound...?!)
Around the corner, beneath a pile of rubble, a blood-soaked Belle-mère was leaning against the stones. She was desperately shielding two small girls—the short-haired Nojiko and the infant Nami.
Her Marine uniform was stained dark red, her left arm twisted at an unnatural angle, but her eyes were still defiant. "It's... okay..."
Three pirates sneered as they closed in. "What a touching scene. Too bad... you all have to die!"
Belle-mère gritted her teeth, using her last bit of strength to raise her pistol—
BANG!
One pirate fell, but the other two were already charging, their blades raised!
"Die!"
The cold steel flashed.
Belle-mère closed her eyes, pulling the two children into her embrace.
"CLANG—!!"
A violent, metallic explosion rang out, sending sparks flying.
Belle-mère's eyes snapped open. A tall, black-haired boy was standing over her, catching the descending blades in his bare hand, which was coated in black Armament Haki.
"You're done," the boy said, his voice flat, but carrying an undeniable weight.
FWOOSH! FWOOSH!
Two afterimages flashed. With two sharp cracks, the two pirates' necks were snapped, their bodies dropping to the pavement.
Roy turned, his expression softening as he looked at the barely conscious Belle-mère and the two tear-streaked children. "It's okay now."
Belle-mère managed a weak smile. "Thank... you..."
Her consciousness faded, and she collapsed.
Roy immediately dropped to his knees, his hands expertly checking her injuries.
(Massive blood loss, broken ribs, fractured arm... but she'll live!)
He ripped off his own shirt, quickly applying pressure and makeshift bandages to stop the bleeding, and spoke softly to Nojiko. "Don't be afraid. I'm a Marine. You're all safe."
Nojiko was clutching Belle-mère, tears streaming down her face.
Roy patted her head. "I promise."
He looked up, his gaze turning to ice as he scanned the rest of the burning street.
(I have to find the medical team!)
Garp's warship finally arrived. The pirates at the port were already being cut down by the Marines.
Garp found Roy kneeling beside Belle-mère and the two small children.
He strode over, frowning. "Situation?"
Roy didn't look up. "She's lost a lot of blood. Needs a transfusion, now."
Garp saw the Marine insignia on Belle-mère's tattered uniform, and his eyes hardened. "Medics! NOW!"
The corpsmen rushed over, carefully moving Belle-mère onto a stretcher. Nojiko, still clutching Nami, followed right behind them.
Roy started to stand, but Garp's hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"You did good, brat."
His voice was uncharacteristically serious. "Your first real battle, and you saved a fellow Marine and civilians... That's my student, all right."
Roy shook his head, his eyes full of self-criticism. "I wasn't fast enough... If I had just been a little faster..."
Garp burst out laughing, messing up Roy's hair. "Don't be greedy! For a 12-year-old, what you did was more than I could've done at your age!"
Roy sighed, but he couldn't help but follow the stretcher with his eyes.
(Nami and Nojiko... Has the path of fate... really been changed?)
Night fell, and the fires were finally extinguished.
In the temporary medical tent, Belle-mère was stable and out of danger. Nojiko and Nami were asleep at her bedside.
Roy stood at the tent's entrance, watching them.
Garp walked over, munching on a cracker. "What's wrong? Can't bear to leave?"
Roy spoke quietly. "What... what happens to them now?"
Garp shrugged. "That Marine, Belle-mère, she's a tough one. Once she heals, she'll probably re-enlist. As for the kids..."
He glanced at Nojiko, then grinned. "Bwahahaha, maybe you should adopt 'em?"
Roy deadpanned. "I'm twelve."
Garp laughed. "Just kidding! Don't worry, I've already made arrangements. When she's recovered, they can move into the Marine family housing on the local base."
Roy nodded, letting out a long breath of relief. He turned to leave. "I'm going to sweep the area for any stragglers."
Garp watched him go. "That kid..."