The pirates fought with everything they had, throwing every weapon and dirty trick into the fray. They fought to kill—swords, guns, traps, their abilities—nothing held back.
And the man's Black Arm crushed it all, shattering their resistance head-on.
"Damn it… why the hell is a monster like you here?"
"Where I go is my business. I'll go anywhere to crush scum like you."
Former Marine Admiral Black Arm Zephyr.
He claimed his strength had faded from its peak, yet what remained still put him among the world's top fighters—a living legend whose name carried weight in every Marine division.
With Zephyr at the front, ordinary pirates never stood a chance. Their ships were subdued in short order.
Zephyr grabbed the pirate captain sprawled at his feet by the neck and hauled him up.
Even without coating it black, Zephyr's raw strength was more than enough. The pirate gagged, face twisting as he wheezed out, "Guh…"
"Now then… before I throw you in the brig, let's have a little chat. What exactly are you idiots?" Zephyr's eyes narrowed. "You were sailing with another pirate crew, but if you call that an 'alliance,' your teamwork was a joke. And what's more…"
As he spoke, he swept his gaze across the deck.
The ship was wrecked—splintered boards, twisted rigging, blood and scorch marks everywhere, proof of a brutal fight.
But not all of it was Zephyr's doing.
When he'd boarded, the ship had already been half-destroyed.
"You'd already been hit hard before we got here," Zephyr said coolly. "You looked less like pirates and more like routed soldiers."
"Guh… you're right. Exactly. We… we lost a battle and ran."
"A skirmish with another pirate crew?"
"How would I know what ship it was?" the pirate snapped, bitterness curdling into panic. "I'd never seen one like it in these waters—ridiculously strong, completely out of place. Their flag had a mark I'd never seen, either."
"…"
"The wrecks floating around here?" The pirate's jaw clenched. "Those guys probably did that too. They attacked without warning. Barely said a word…"
Even dangling by the neck, his face contorted with rage, as if the memory itself was choking him.
"They said, 'What a disappointment!' And 'We have no use for weaklings—get lost!'" His teeth ground audibly. "Damn it… After jumping us out of nowhere, that's just too much, you bastards!"
"Tough luck," Zephyr said, unmoved. "Save your whining for prison."
His fingers tightened. The pirate's eyes rolled back, and his body went slack.
Leaving the cleanup to his men, Zephyr turned the pirate's words over in his mind.
They attacked out of nowhere… then left just as suddenly. Were they scouting for recruits? And that mark—one I've never seen around here. Strength that doesn't belong in these waters…
Even though this island was off the original training route, Zephyr had scouted the area with care beforehand.
Along the course he'd set for the recruits, there had been no confirmed reports of high-risk pirates—no territories, no notorious crews that should've been able to disrupt an exercise like this.
Of course, strong groups could appear suddenly. Or the Marines could simply have failed to detect them.
Just then, a shout tore through the deck.
"Zephyr-sensei! Emergency!"
"—What is it?"
"Another pirate ship is approaching the island from a different direction! They're about to make landfall… If they do, the town will be in danger!"
"Tch… so there were others after all." Zephyr's face hardened. "Turn back immediately! Change course!"
---
It seemed the Marines had dealt with the first group.
The sounds of battle out at sea had died down—mostly cannon fire, really—and I'd started to think we'd be safe for the moment…
Then it happened.
Another pirate ship appeared out of nowhere, cutting straight for the island.
Worse, it was coming from an entirely different direction than the Marine ship. There was no way they'd make it back in time. The pirates were going to land.
The town had only a thin defensive force left behind, but I had no idea if it was enough to protect the island.
So I decided to join the fight.
The Marines at the shoreline went pale at the thought of facing a full pirate crew.
I approached slowly so I wouldn't spook them and introduced myself. "I'm a bounty hunter passing through. Remember my name." Then I asked to fight alongside them.
They were wary, naturally. But desperate times are desperate times. After a stern warning to "stay out of trouble," they agreed.
And that brings us to now.
"How long are you gonna struggle with one little girl?!" the captain barked. "Kill her or kidnap her already!"
"B-but Captain, she's no ordinary girl!" a pirate shouted back. "She's fast and strong—way too strong! We don't know where she's getting that kind of power! She's already dropped dozens of our men!"
"She's tearing through the Marines faster than we are…"
As if one ship wasn't enough, a second pirate ship arrived late—and its crew poured onto the shore too. The remaining Marines were clearly outnumbered.
So, just like back at Elena and Fireworks, I took point—drawing the enemy's attention, tearing through their lines—while the Marines dealt with anyone trying to slip past and reach the town.
We hadn't planned it. It just happened naturally.
The Marines kept giving ground, retreating step by step. If anything, it tightened their formation into a more solid defensive line. Not worth dwelling on.
Even as I noted it, the pirates pressed harder, leaning on sheer numbers.
A pirate tried to ambush me from behind, sword flashing down—too late. I'd already picked him up with Observation Haki. I drove a back kick into him at the perfect moment and sent him flying.
Another came low from the side, trying to slip under my guard. Punching or kicking at that angle was awkward, so I snapped a Paper Razor into him and knocked him out of the air.
Hold on—another one behind me.
He must've thought I was open after throwing the razor, but—
Clang!
"What the—?!"
A second saber appeared in my left hand and caught his blade.
The pirate froze for a heartbeat.
And that was enough.
If he'd looked closer, he would've realized the sword I was holding was made of paper.
A weapon I'd improvised with my ability. Even paper could hit like steel when I poured Haki into it.
Might as well make full use of it. I gripped my Japanese umbrella in my right hand, the paper sword in my left, and went in hard with both.
…Surprisingly effective. More attacks meant more pressure, a faster tempo.
My movements were rough compared to a proper single-sword style—I didn't have the finesse—but these guys were so unskilled it barely mattered. I was overwhelming them.
If I truly wanted to crush them, I could've unleashed my ability and blanketed the area in a Paper Razor blizzard or something. But I try not to lean too heavily on my powers in a fight.
Still, I do like using them creatively—like this paper sword—whenever something comes to mind.
Take the real Paper Art I used during the Elena incident.
I don't know exactly how the Marines' or Cipher Pol's Paper Art works, but mine is simple: my body actually becomes paper. If I focus, I can flutter and slip away from attacks.
I can lighten myself until I'm like a sheet of paper, letting the wind from an opponent's swings buffet me aside—something like that.
Of course, it doesn't help against strikes that are too fast, or blades so sharp they don't kick up air.
And if I relax completely, I can drift upward like paper caught in a breeze. Does my weight change when I do that? Or is it just a property of the Devil Fruit?
In the original story, Crocodile, Ace—especially Logia users—moved through the air as if it were nothing. Maybe users whose bodies don't stay strictly human can do it, too.
Honestly… I can.
When I get into it, I start weaving through the air, dodging from every angle, hovering more than flying, taunting them as they swing and miss.
I can't exactly rocket around at top speed, though.
W-what is this sudden chill?
My Observation Haki caught something enormous rushing toward me at terrifying speed. I turned on instinct.
A towering Marine was tearing through the air with violent momentum—wait, wait, wait… that's Zephyr-san. The former Admiral. His arm—black with Armament Haki.
He must've used Moonwalk to reach the shore before the ship even docked.
What a reinforcement. I could practically hear the Marines behind me cheering.
But… if I wasn't imagining it, the hostility aimed our way was vicious—murderous. Wait! I'm on your side! I'm not a Marine, but I'm fighting the pirates!
There was no time to explain. The pressure rolling off him alone was enough to make my blood run cold. Without thinking, I dropped my Japanese umbrella, dismissed the paper sword, and threw both hands up like, Don't shoot!
The pirates took it as an opening and slashed down.
But my body scattered into paper fragments, and their blades cut through nothing.
Hey, you idiots—can't you see what's coming? Not that I care about you, but wouldn't running be smarter than attacking me right now…?
Zephyr-san saw my surrender pose and actually looked confused, his momentum checking hard as he slammed to a stop.
Even as he braked, he swept his blackened arm once—and the pirates around him went flying in ridiculous parabolic arcs, like something out of a gag manga.
He studied me closely, then dipped his head.
"I'm sorry," he said. "It seems I made a terrible mistake. I nearly attacked you along with the pirates."
I couldn't exactly wave it off.
I wasn't angry—I just… couldn't speak. Even retired, the pressure from a former Marine Admiral was terrifying. He wasn't even using Conqueror's Haki, and I still felt like I might faint. I almost… yeah.
But why? How could he have mistaken me for an enemy from that far away, with that much killing intent? Was it because I was using Haki?
My legs wobbled. I forced myself to stand and retrieve my umbrella. By the time I did, Zephyr-san had already demolished the pirates around us. Lightning-fast, as expected.
When I straightened, my eyes met his. He gave me a small nod.
"We'll take it from here," he said, moving off to finish the rest.
Then, almost as an afterthought, "Thanks for your help."
A moment later, Marine warships arrived and the fight at the port swelled, the enemy ship swallowed by cannon fire and shouting.
Zephyr-san and his men fought like lions, as if making up for lost time. True to his epithet, he kept his arm coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, dropping pirates left and right.
Looks like my part's done, I thought, and decided to withdraw.
…If only it had ended there.
The pirates were finished, sure—but a far worse kind of trouble was waiting just around the corner.
Leaving the port to the Marines, I headed back toward town, just in case.
I didn't think it was likely, but the thought had come anyway: what if someone slipped past the line?
I swept the main streets and the alleys. Nothing. No suspicious movement. No signs of pirates.
Guess I was worrying over nothing, I thought… and then—
"…Hm?"
My Observation Haki caught something faint. A disturbance.
Curious, I followed it—
And it led straight back to the inn where I was staying.
Unease crawled up my spine as I reached for the door.
Locked.
Well, of course it is. I'd even told the innkeeper to lock up tight before I left.
…So why?
Why is there something so vicious leaking out from inside?
The air around the building felt too still, too quiet. A silence that didn't belong.
My stomach dropped.
I thought about calling out for someone to open up—but something in me screamed to stay quiet.
So I turned my body to paper, scattered into thin sheets, and slipped through the crack in the door. Flat as paper, I could slide through even the narrowest gap.
Inside, I glided forward—
"…Gah—?! What is this…?"
Carnage filled the inn.
There had been other guests besides me—ordinary travelers. I didn't know their names, but I'd seen their faces at breakfast. Nothing remarkable about them at all.
And of course, the innkeeper, his wife, and the little girl who'd knocked on my door that morning.
Every single one of them… lay collapsed, drowned in a sea of blood.
To be continued...