Actually, about that nickname, Weiss was originally against it.
After all, just hearing the name made it sound like he'd slaughtered countless people. But in truth, since the day he started cultivating until now, Weiss had killed fewer people than you'd find on ten small ships.
And those were all tiny pirate crews in the East Blue — plus, he had help. His companions were pretty good at disposing of bodies.
Compared to the legendary figures who could destroy entire islands with a wave of their hand, Weiss had killed very, very few people. In fact, ever since he first set sail, he'd probably killed fewer than ten people with his own hands… maybe?
"So why does Captain's killing intent feel so terrifying then?" Karina had witnessed Weiss release his killing aura before, though never at full strength.
She hadn't expected it to be so horrifying. Just seeing a photo of him exuding that intent had sent an icy chill straight through her spine.
"It's really not because I've killed a lot of people," Weiss explained. "That aura didn't come from killing humans. You know I practice the sword. And most of my training partners were beasts. One time, I wiped out all the beasts on our island, so my master tossed me into the sea to go kill sea kings instead."
"You all know Twin Swallow Island is close to the Calm Belt, so sea kings show up all the time. For a while, the people of the island ate so much sea king meat they couldn't stand the sight of it."
"As for that killing intent, it came from a single incident — a blood frenzy. I was ambushed by a swarm of small sea kings deep underwater. I guess I had already accumulated a lot of killing intent by then, and it just exploded all at once."
"So yeah, it's not what you think."
Weiss shrugged after explaining. If he didn't make things clear, people were going to start calling him a bloodthirsty maniac.
---
And that just wouldn't do.
Karina patted her chest in relief, leaving Kadun looking confused. She had honestly been afraid their captain might be some kind of homicidal madman — way too dangerous for a little thief like her.
After all, her only talent was wanting to sneak off with the ship at every opportunity.
Back on Canopy Island, she had considered sailing away in secret, but ended up hesitating. The reason? Canopy Island was just too dangerous.
Maybe next time she'd try again!
"Jack, how far are we from the next island?" Weiss asked, lounging back in his chair with one leg crossed over the other.
"Captain, honestly, I have no idea," Jack admitted. "We don't have a complete map of the Grand Line. All we can rely on is the Log Pose."
Kadun looked visibly frustrated. For a navigator to be clueless about their route — it felt like failure.
"Don't be too hard on yourself. Even the Marines don't have a full world map. At most, they've got routes for major regions of Paradise. We'll just grab one of those maps when we get the chance," Weiss said, hands behind his head as he tried to comfort him.
Kadun let out a breath of relief. Internally, he made a silent vow: from now on, every time they passed an island, he'd draw a map of it — and especially mark the distances between islands!
Weiss hadn't blamed him, but that didn't mean he wasn't feeling the pressure.
---
Meanwhile, just ahead of the Chris, disaster had struck a merchant ship.
A gang of pirates had boarded it. They hadn't even bothered taking the treasure the captain offered in surrender — they looted the entire ship and killed all the clients onboard.
Now the merchant ship's captain was kneeling on the deck, watching in anguish as the pirates slaughtered everyone. He knew it would be his turn next.
He had tried to resist, but he lacked strength. The pirate leading the assault had a bounty of 100 million Berries.
What puzzled him was: why was a man like that here? Shouldn't someone with that bounty be in the New World, not Paradise?
All he could hope for now was to somehow survive and report this to the Navy — to get this madman arrested.
But in this vast sea, merchant ships were robbed by pirates every day. Even with hired guards, it was often pointless.
The captain could only weep in despair. "When will this damned Great Pirate Era finally come to an end?!"
"Roger, I curse you!"
He blamed all of this on the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, believing it was his fault this era of chaos even existed.
"Hahaha, go ahead and hate. Soon enough, you'll be able to tell him in person. Let him know that I, Rocco, am very thankful," said the pirate.
Rocco — bounty: 100 million Berries. A failure of the New World. Driven back from Fishman Island, a nobody over there — but here in Paradise, he was a king.
He loved the sound of hopeless cries. At that moment, he ruled everything.
As the merchant captain screamed to the heavens, "Please, gods! Save me! I'll give you everything on this ship!"
Rocco spread his arms wide, eyes wild with bliss. This was the feeling. This was ecstasy.
"Hahahaha, cry all you want. Even if you scream yourself hoars—"
"Captain! A ship's approaching from behind. No markings. Doesn't look like a pirate vessel!"
Rocco, initially furious at being interrupted, brightened the moment he heard it wasn't a pirate ship. Double the loot!
"HAHAHA! Cut down the merchant ship's mast! We're heading straight for that newcomer! Keep the plundering going!"
"Aye, Captain!"
"Right away!"
---
Aboard the Chris
"Captain! Pirate ship ahead. They're raiding a merchant vessel — and now they've cut its mast and are heading toward us!" Jack shouted from the crow's nest.
"Sail toward them!"
"No problem!"
Moments later, the two ships passed close enough for boarding. Jack and Kadun leapt first onto the enemy vessel — upholding the proud tradition of never fighting on their own ship.
Rocco sneered at the two intruders. His yellow teeth gleamed as he snarled, "Kill them!"
No grand speeches, no drawn-out drama — just brute force to crush the weak. The screams of his victims were the most beautiful music to his ears.
"Ahhh!"
A scream rang out.
"So lovely," Rocco thought.
"Help me!"
Another cry. Delightful.
"I'm dying!"
…
"Wait, weren't there only two of them? Why is there a third scream?"
Rocco, eyes still closed in rapture, suddenly sensed something was wrong. He opened his eyes — and saw his crew being slaughtered.
Completely one-sided. His men didn't even get a chance to fight back.
Furious, Rocco roared and charged the two intruders.
These were his crewmates! Without them, who would fight his battles? Was he supposed to do it himself?!
BANG!
Jack, spotting Rocco's charge, quickly pulled back and fired a shot. But Rocco yanked one of his own men into the bullet's path.
As his crewmate collapsed, Rocco's eyes turned bloodshot. He screamed in a rage that took Jack by surprise:
"You killed my crewman!"
---
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