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[Somewhere In The North Blue]
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The sun hung high over the open sea, its harsh light reflecting off the endless expanse of blue water that stretched to the horizon in every direction. The gentle rocking of waves was the only sound for miles, until the sharp crack of cannon fire shattered the peaceful afternoon.
"FIRE AGAIN!" a commanding voice bellowed across the deck of the marine vessel.
Another thunderous boom echoed as cannonballs launched from the warship, streaking through the air before splashing into the water just beside a smaller pirate ship. The warning shot sent waves rippling outward, rocking the battered vessel that was desperately trying to flee.
Commodore Ryota stood at the bow of the marine warship, as he watched the pirate ship through his spyglass. His white coat of justice billowed behind him in the sea breeze, the word "JUSTICE" emblazoned across the back in bold letters.
He stood at six-foot-two with the kind of lean, muscular build that came from decades of training. His face was all hard angles with dark stubble beard growing in streaked with a bit gray hair, framed by long black hair that fell past his shoulders in unkempt waves, more salt-and-pepper than it should be for a man of forty-eight.
He had deep-set green eyes, darker than his sisters, that look like he barely got enough sleep, shadowed by heavy bags and crow's feet that made him look a decade older. Beneath his Marine coat, he had on a dark blue dress shirt that hung open at the collar, with its sleeves rolled to his forearms, revealing a fairly thick forearm and an old scar running across his knuckles. A katana hung at his hip, personal rather than regulation, and his entire bearing spoke of a man who'd long ago stopped caring about a perfect marine appearance in favor of simple effectiveness.
"They're not stopping, sir!" a younger marine called out from beside him, gripping the railing nervously.
"Then we'll make them stop," Ryota replied calmly, lowering his spyglass. He turned to face his crew, his voice carrying across the entire deck. "Prepare the boarding party! I want those pirates in chains before sunset!"
"YES, SIR!" the marines responded in unison, immediately scrambling into action.
The pirate ship ahead was already showing signs of damage from the earlier exchange, its mast was partially splintered, with its sails torn and smoking. They were running out of options, and everyone on both ships knew it.
Ryota groaned quietly, fidgeting with the handle of his katana as he watched the damaged pirate ship ahead. "Man, I could use a smoke..." he muttered under his breath, taking in a deep breath of the fresh salty air around him.
He was supposed to be at his nephew's ceremony right now, not out here chasing down some third-rate pirates. The problem was, they'd proved to be way more of a pain in the ass than he'd expected.
The pirates he was hunting had been operating in the North Blue for months, systematically targeting merchant routes between neighboring kingdoms and islands. They attacked trade vessels carrying goods between ports, timing their raids when ships were furthest from Marine patrol routes. The merchants weren't trained fighters, which made their raids even more efficient. The pirates would board, confiscate cargo, and beat or kill anyone who resisted. When merchant traffic was low, they also raided coastal villages.
However their most frequent targets were passenger vessels which were ships carrying families, workers, and travelers between islands. The crew would board these ships, rob every passenger, and ransom anyone who appeared wealthy. Those they couldn't ransom were either sold or left on the stripped vessel without supplies to drift at sea. Over the course of six months, this crew had attacked an estimated twenty-three vessels and seven coastal settlements.
Overtime their crew had accumulated a bounty of 30 million berries, which was an impressive amount for any third-rate crew that never left the Blues, though it was mainly because of their crimes rather than them being any particularly strong.
Their raid had caused enough problems that the local Marine bases repeatedly requested assistance, but what finally prompted action from headquarters was when the pirates raided a passenger ship carrying several noble families. The nobles survived, but they'd been robbed, humiliated, and threatened, and they had the money and connections to make their outrage heard.
They paid considerable sums and personally petitioned Marine headquarters to handle the matter. Under normal circumstances, a Commodore wouldn't be dispatched to deal with a third-rate crew operating in the Blues, but this case was different. The involvement of nobility made it a priority, and so Ryota received orders to personally hunt down and capture the crew, which is exactly what he'd spent the last three weeks doing.
It wasn't entirely unwelcome though, since headquarters had promised him a few days of leave once the matter was resolved, time he intended to spend with his family. It had been four years since his last visit, and he was looking forward to it.
"I hope Haruka isn't going to be too mad at me for being late," he chuckled slightly, already knowing that definitely wouldn't be the case. His sister was absolutely going to nag his ear off when he finally showed up.
He shuffled through his pockets and pulled out a small bag of lollipops. Unwrapping one, he popped it into his mouth with a resigned sigh. 'A cigarette would've been better,' he thought grimly. He'd quit smoking four years ago because Haruka had kept nagging him about it, saying it would kill him or whatever. For the sake of family peace, he'd promised her he would stop, and he had. But it had been hell for those first couple years. Things were getting more bearable now, but moments like this made him miss it.
Ryota smiled around the lollipop stick. 'Man, I miss her... I can't wait to see everybody.' His grin widened as he stepped up onto the ship's railing. "Time to end this," he decided, before launching himself high into the air with a powerful leap, sailing over the gap between ships like it was nothing.
The pirate ship ahead was about to have a very bad day.
Ryota landed on the deck of the pirate ship with a heavy thunk that made the boards beneath him splinter and crack from the impact. Slowly, he straightened up to his feet and ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back casually.
"All of you are under arrest," he announced calmly, his voice carrying across the deck. "Whatever you say or do will be held against you in court... you guys get the idea." He looked around at the pirates who were stepping back nervously, their weapons trembling in their hands as they hesitated to attack. "If you resist, you will be killed. I don't have to take you in alive, you know."
His hand rested casually on the handle of his katana as he scanned the fearful faces of the pirates around him.
"So those who don't want to die...get on your knees now."
For a moment, there was tense silence. Then one pirate with more courage than sense screamed out, "Let's kill this bastard! FUCK THE MARINES!" He charged forward with a cutlass raised high, his face full of rage as spit flew out of his mouth.
"YEAH! FUCK THE MARINES!" another pirate yelled, and suddenly the entire crew charged forward in a chaotic war cry, with their weapons drawn and murderous intent in their eyes.
Ryota sighed heavily, disappointment clear on his face. "Well... I warned you guys."
He shifted his weight and let the cutlass pass through empty space where his head had been a moment before. His katana moved in a single fluid horizontal motion. And in an instant the pirate's torso separated from his legs mid-charge, the top half sliding forward across the deck while the bottom half dropped to the floor.
Three more pirates rushed him from different angles, with their weapons raised all while screaming at the top of their lungs. The lollipop shifted to the corner of Ryota's mouth as his blade became a silver blur. The first pirate's sword arm fell away before he realized he'd been cut. The second found his weapon split cleanly in half, followed immediately by his skull. The third managed one more step before his knees buckled, as a huge gash appeared across his stomach.
Ryota walked forward without breaking stride, with his katana held loosely at his side. As then a pirate with a spear thrust at his back. The blade reversed in Ryota's grip, deflecting the spear point past his shoulder before continuing in an arc that opened the man up from his hip to the opposite shoulder.
Then without even registering what happened the pirate fell in two distinct pieces.
"Kill this fucker!" someone screamed from the upper deck.
Seven pirates jump down at him all at once. But Ryota's footwork was effortless, his body flowing between their attacks like water through cracks. His katana traced invisible lines through the air, and each line became a red shower, as all of them were cut into pieces.
A pirate's head rolled across the deck, their expression still frozen in a scream. Another collapsed with his chest cavity exposed. A third dropped his weapon and tried to hold his intestines in, but gravity had other plans and it all spilled out to the floor. The remaining four hesitated for just a moment, long enough for Ryota to close the distance.
His blade entered under one pirate's jaw and exited through the crown of his skull. A horizontal slash bisected another at the waist. The katana's tip caught the third in the throat as Ryota spun past him. The fourth managed to raise his cutlass in a desperate block, but Ryota's blade sheared through the rusted steel and continued into flesh without losing momentum.
"Gunners! SHOOT HIM!" The captain's voice cracked with panic.
Four pirates leveled flintlock pistols from the upper deck. Instantly Ryota's eyes flicked upward, calculating the distances and trajectories even as his blade continued its work on the lower deck level. A pirate tried to grab him from behind, but he reversed his katana's grip, and punched backward through the man's sternum and out his spine without Ryota even looking.
💥BANG!
💥BANG!
💥BANG!
💥BANG!
Shots fired...
Ryota was already moving. His body twisted between the pistol shots, the lead balls whipping past close enough to disturb his coat. His free hand snatched a fallen cutlass from the deck mid-dodge and hurled it upward in a single smooth motion. The blade buried itself in a gunner's chest, causing the pirate to topple backward over the railing with a croak.
Ryota's katana flashed three times in rapid succession, each strike precisely intercepting an incoming pirate who'd tried to capitalize on his 'opening'. Three bodies hit the deck before the echo of the gunshots had even faded.
He then sheathed his katana with a soft click, then drew it again in the same motion. The blade sang from its scabbard and a pirate ten feet away suddenly had a large gash across his torso. The man looked down in confusion for a moment before folding in half.
"Monster!" someone screamed. "He's a fucking monster!"
Ryota adjusted the lollipop in his mouth and walked toward the stairs leading to the upper deck. Pirates scrambled away from him, some dropping their weapons entirely. Those who didn't or those who found the courage to, died just as quickly as the others.
A massive pirate, easily seven feet tall and built like a bull, charged down the stairs with a battle-axe raised overhead. But Ryota just kept walking up the stairs. His blade moved once, and then twice, the first strike severed the axe handle, and the second opened the giant's throat. The body tumbled past him down the stairs as Ryota continued upward without even looking back.
A dozen pirates remained, including the captain, a scarred man with two swords and enough sense to look terrified. They'd formed a defensive semicircle, with their weapons raised, all of them breathing hard and staring at the Marine who'd just dismantled half their crew.
Ryota reached the top of the stairs and paused, rolling his shoulders to work out a slight kink. The lollipop stick shifted from one side of his mouth to the other.
"So," he said conversationally, "who wants to go first?"
But nobody said anything and just stared at the blood-soaked Marine who hadn't even broken a sweat yet.
Ryota shrugged. "Suit yourselves."
He moved.
The first pirate lost his head before his eyes could register motion. The second found Ryota's blade entering his chest and exiting his back in a single thrust. Ryota pulled the katana free and spun, the blood flying from his blade in a red arc that painted the deck. The third and fourth pirates fell in the same heartbeat, both bisected at angles that left them collapsing in opposite directions.
The captain finally found his courage, and swung both blades at Ryota in a wild manner. Ryota's katana met the first sword and deflected it high, then the second and pushed it low, then continued through the opening to remove three of the captain's fingers.
"FUUUUUCKKKK!" The captain screamed and staggered back, his left sword clattering to the deck. Ryota's blade found his heart before he'd finished his first step backward.
The remaining pirates instantly retreated and jumped overboard, choosing the sea over Ryota.
Ryota sighed and swung his blade through the air in a practiced motion, flicking off the blood that was on it. He then dragged it across a piece of torn cloth from one of the pirates' shirts, wiping it completely dry before smoothly sheathing it back at his side.
He brought up his left arm to his face, where a baby Den Den Mushi sat like a wristwatch, its tiny eyes blinking up at him.
"Round up the pirates that tried to escape into the water, and report the mission complete to base..And let's call it a day, boys." he said into the small transponder snail, his voice tired but professional.
("YES, SIR!") the Den Den Mushi responded enthusiastically, giving a little nod before making a loud "CACHA" sound and closing its eyes to end the transmission.
Ryota let his arm drop to his side, tilting his head back to look up at the sky. The sun was still high, which meant he had plenty of daylight left and plenty of time for the mountain of paperwork that was waiting for him.
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small flask of alcohol, bringing it halfway to his lips before stopping himself. With a frustrated sigh, he shoved it back into his pocket and instead grabbed another lollipop from his other pocket, unwrapping it and popping it into his mouth.
"Man, it's going to be a long day of paperwork..." he muttered around the candy.
At least he might still make it to his nephew's ceremony.
Maybe.
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Ryota sat in his small cabin aboard the marine warship, hunched over a desk covered in paperwork that needed his signature and reports he needed to fill in.
His mind was elsewhere though, specifically, on what presents he should get for the children on the island. He always brought gifts when he visited, and the kids looked forward to it every time. Maybe some candy this time? Or maybe those little wooden toys he'd seen at the last port? The kids would love those.
They were closing in on Island now and It would only be a couple more minutes before they'd arrive, and he could finally see his family. Despite all the delays, he'd actually made decent time, but sadly he missed his nephew's ceremony.
🚪WHAM!
The door to his cabin suddenly burst open with a loud bang.
A marine stood in the doorway, his face pale and his lip trembling. "Sir!" he gasped out, clearly out of breath from running.
Ryota looked up from his paperwork, his expression shifting from distracted to alert. "What?" he asked, immediately sensing something was wrong from the marine's panicked demeanor.
"SIR! SCOUTS SAID THEY SEE A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE AND FIRE COMING FROM A DISTANCE!" the marine reported, his voice cracking slightly.
Ryota's eyebrow raised, confusion mixing with growing dread. "But shouldn't we be at Heiwa Island soon? Are you saying—"
"YES, SIR! THE ISLAND IS BEING RAIDED BY A GROUP OF PIRATES!" the marine cut him off, the words tumbling out in a rush.
Instantly, Ryota's face went completely pale. His heart stopped beating for a moment, the blood draining from his face as the weight of those words crashed into him like a physical blow.
The pen fell from his fingers and clattered onto the desk.
"What..." he said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper, before he suddenly snapped back into attention. "TELL EVERYBODY TO GET CHANGED INTO THEIR BATTLE GEAR NOW! GET TO YOUR BATTLE STATIONS AND PREPARE FOR COMBAT!" Ryota screamed at the top of his lungs, the shock instantly transforming into raw urgency.
He shot up from his chair so fast it toppled backward, crashing to the floor. He sprinted across his cabin to where his katana rested on a weapon rack mounted to the wall, snatching it up along with his white Marine coat and draped it over his shoulders.
The marine in the doorway snapped to attention. "YES, SIR!" he shouted before turning and sprinting out the door, his boots thundering against the deck as he ran to alert the entire crew.
Ryota's hands were shaking as he secured his katana to his side. His mind was racing with horrifying possibilities as images of his sister, the villagers, and the village children he'd known since they were babies.
'Please let them be okay. Please let me get there in time.'
He burst out of his cabin and onto the main deck, where marines were already scrambling into action, grabbing weapons and rushing to their positions.
The cold night air hit him immediately, but what made his blood run cold wasn't the temperature...it was what he saw in the distance.
Against the black canvas of the night sky, bright orange and red flames lit up the entire horizon like a beacon of flames. The fire was so massive, so intense, that it illuminated everything for miles around, casting an eerie, hellish glow across the dark ocean waters. Thick black smoke billowed upward, visible even in the darkness as it blotted out the stars above.
"My god..." a marine beside him gasped, his voice barely audible over the sound of boots pounding across the deck. He stared at the distant inferno with wide, horrified eyes, unable to look away from the sheer scale of destruction.
Ryota's trembling hand gripped the ship's railing so hard that he snapped the railing. He could feel his legs threatening to buckle beneath him, his body wanting to collapse under the weight of terror and helplessness. But he couldn't show any weakness, not now, not in front of his crew.
He gritted his teeth and forced the words out through sheer willpower.
"IS THERE ANY WAY FOR THIS SHIP TO GO ANY FASTER!?" he roared, his voice cracking slightly despite his best efforts to sound commanding.
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When they finally reached the island and the ship lurched as it pulled into the harbor, Ryota didn't even wait for them to board properly. Before he vaulted over the railing and dropped onto the dock, hitting the ground at a run.
He expected some pirate resistance waiting to ambush them, but there was not a single pirate in sight. The pirates had probably already raided the village and left.
But what remained was worse than what he expected.
The island was littered with bodies. Dozens of them. Everywhere Ryota looked, there were more children, women, elders, men. All of them cut down brutally, their blood pooling on the ground and mixing with the ash that fell like snow from the burning buildings.
It was so bad that even some of his newer marine recruits were bent over at the edge of the dock, vomiting from the sheer horror of what they were seeing. Others just stood frozen, their faces pale and their eyes wide with shock.
"GET THOSE FIRES OUT NOW!..MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!" one of the officers shouted, trying to organize the chaos. Immediately the marines scrambled to grab buckets, forming lines to pass water from the ocean to the fires that were burning down what was left of the village.
But Ryota didn't stop to help. He couldn't. His legs carried him forward on pure instinct, running through the burning village as smoke stung his eyes and the heat from the flames pressed against his skin.
He had to find them.
He had to know.
'Please. Please, no.'
"Haruka!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "HARUKA!" he stumbled through the smoke and debris, calling out their names, his voice hoarse and desperate. The streets he'd walked a hundred times before were unrecognizable now as they were destroyed and burning down, the streets were covered in bodies he refused to look at too closely because he was terrified of who he might see.
Then he saw her.
A small figure lying motionless near the smoldering remains of what used to be someone's home. Her clothes were stained with dirt and blood as he skin had turned completely pale.
Little Yuki.
Ryota's legs gave out completely. He dropped to his knees beside her small body, and the tears that he'd been holding back came flooding out like a dam had broken. His hands shook as he reached for her, carefully pulling her into his arms.
"No... No! NO!" he screamed, his voice raw and broken as tears streamed down his face like waterfalls. He hugged her tiny body against his chest, rocking back and forth as sobs tore through him.
She was so light.
So small.
She didn't deserve this..
"BLEUGHH!"
The sound of coughing came from just ahead.
Ryota's head snapped up. Gently, carefully, he laid Yuki back down on the ground, his hands lingering for just a moment before he forced himself to stand. He stumbled forward through the smoke toward the sound.
There lying against the wall of a collapsed building, covered in blood and barely conscious was Benimaru. The boy was coughing violently, blood sputtering from his lips with each ragged breath. A massive pool of blood was spreading beneath him, soaking into the dirt.
"No, no, no—" Ryota dropped down beside him, his hands hovering over the boy's body, afraid to touch him and cause more damage. He pressed his ear against his Benimaru's chest, desperately listening for any sign of life.
🫀Thump...🫀 thump...🫀 thump...
There was a Faint, stuttering, heartbeat but it was barely holding on, but his heart was still beating.
Through the tears still streaming down his face, a weak, trembling smile broke across Ryota's lips. "You're alive," he choked out, his voice cracking. "You're still alive."
"MEDIC!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, turning back toward where the marines were working. "MEDIC! GET OVER HERE NOW!"
Within seconds, footsteps pounded across the ground as medical personnel came running, their bags already open and ready. They dropped down beside the boy immediately, hands moving quickly to assess the damage and stop the bleeding.
"He's lost a lot of blood," one of them said urgently. "We need to get him to the ship now if he's going to make it."
"Then do it!" Ryota barked, stepping back to give them room to work, his fists clenched so tight his nails were drawing blood from his palms. "Save him. Whatever it takes."
As they carefully lifted his nephew onto a stretcher and rushed him back toward the ship, Ryota stood there in the burning ruins of the village, covered in ash and blood, surrounded by death.
And right then and there he made a promise to himself.
Whoever did this would pay...
He would hunt them to the ends of the earth if he had to...
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