Chapter 8: Dread
The sudden turn of events froze the villagers—every last one of them halted mid-struggle.
"Della! Della's been grabbed!"
"Those damned pirates—they're cunning!"
"What do we do now?"
"Della!"
Village Chief Marin staggered; seeing his granddaughter in the pirate's grip, he dropped the pitchfork he'd been holding. Panic and helplessness showed in his face. He stared at the little girl and then at Eiger, lips trembling. "Eiger…" he whispered, but the single name choked off. As village chief he knew that one wrong word could doom them all.
Eiger didn't answer. He stood motionless, brow furrowed, staring at the Giant Bear captain. He felt the familiar, bitter truth settle in—his strength still fell short. If not for the hostage, he would have cut these men down already. Now every option narrowed to the limitations of his own power.
For a second he considered laying down his weapon. The pirates weren't particularly skilled—bare hands would have been enough to beat them—but with a child held to a throat, nothing could be left to chance. So the two sides simply faced off, waiting.
Nico, who had rushed down to the dock, saw the scene and flinched when she recognized the captive—Della, the same red-braided girl who had challenged her that morning. Her hands went to her chest, fingers crossed over her heart, but in the next instant she paused, startled at her own reflex. What was she doing? A strange voice in her head urged her to strike, promised a move that would solve everything—if only she could remember it. What was that move? She clenched her teeth, ready to try whatever flashed through her mind.
Before she could act, Eiger spoke with a flat, controlled tone: "I'll drop my weapon."
The Giant Bear captain's eyes glittered. "Good. Put it down, and we'll let her go." He spat on the ground, disdainful. "The Giant Bear crew never lies."
Eiger didn't hesitate—he tossed his massive axe into the dust.
"Eiger—" the villagers cried out in alarm. Marin's face was white. "Don't listen to them! Pick up your axe!"
Their warnings were right on cue. The pirate captain howled with laughter. "Ha! A Marine who listens to pirates—what a fool!" His smile turned ugly. "All right! Kill him!"
At his command, the pirates surged forward, teeth bared and weapons raised.
But before the mob could reach him, Eiger's eyes sharpened. He moved like a single, lethal mechanism: reaching out with one hand, he snatched the lead pirate who'd barreled straight ahead.
His right hand tightened—veins bulging, fingers like iron—grasping the man's skull as casually as if he were squeezing an orange. The pirates froze, horror-stricken, watching their comrade held aloft.
Then, with a crisp, terrible snap, Eiger flung the man aside. The pirate collapsed to the ground—blood pooling from his face, eyes glassy; he lay still.
Everyone stared in stunned silence. The man had been crushed—by a single bare hand.
The dread that followed was immediate. Whispers rose among the villagers: Is a West Blue lieutenant really this strong?
Eiger's voice was low, steady, and cold as he addressed the captain and his crew: "Let the girl go. Leave now."
His expression showed no mercy. "Or you all die here."
As Eiger's words fell, the Giant Bear captain felt his throat tighten.
He swallowed hard, staring into that calm, expressionless face.
Those eyes—steady, emotionless, unwavering—held more weight than any threat he'd ever heard.
For the first time in years, he was afraid.
Finally, grinding his teeth, he growled through clenched jaws,
"...We're leaving."
"Captain?!" one of his crew blurted out.
"Shut it!" Giant Bear bellowed, rounding on them with fury barely hiding his panic. "All of you—back on the damn ship!"
He turned his glare back toward Eiger, spitting into the dirt.
"Didn't expect to find a monster like you in a backwater like this… guess today just isn't my lucky day."
Before Eiger could reply, the pirate captain dragged the trembling Della toward the ship. His men scrambled after him, tripping over one another in their haste. When they reached the gangplank, Giant Bear shoved the girl aside, shouting over his shoulder,
"I keep my word, Marine!"
He kicked a nearby sailor hard enough to send him sprawling. "Move it! Get us out of here!"
The ship lurched as the sails unfurled. Slowly, the vessel began to drift away from the pier.
Watching from the shore, Giant Bear exhaled shakily, relief flooding through him. He spat into the sea, muttering, "Damn rotten luck…"
He had no idea what was coming.
---
"Eiger, I'm sorry…" Della whimpered, rushing into his arms, face pale and tear-streaked.
Eiger ruffled her hair gently. "It's fine. Go to your grandfather, okay?"
He let her go, his gaze turning toward the retreating ship.
He picked up the axe he'd dropped earlier, brushed the dirt from the handle, and began walking toward the edge of the dock, silent and composed.
"Darling."
Nico had hurried up beside him. Her eyes flicked between his face and the ship, sensing the shift in the air. "What are you—"
"Give me a moment," Eiger interrupted with a small smile. "And don't let that merchant ship leave. Our supplies are still on board."
With that, he stepped up to the water's edge.
The villagers could only watch, uncertain. Eiger planted his feet apart, shoulders squared. The veins across his forearms bulged as his muscles tensed, straining against his shirt until the fabric stretched taut.
"What's he doing…?" someone whispered.
"The pirates are already gone…"
Their confusion lasted only a moment.
Eiger's upper body twisted slightly to the right, his right arm pulling the axe behind him. For the briefest instant, time itself seemed to still. His expression hardened, eyes narrowing to slits.
Then his voice came—low, cold, and cutting through the sea breeze like steel:
"Dust Splitter."
A faint smirk ghosted across his lips.
Think you can attack my home and just sail away?
Sixty million Beli? That's pocket change.
My old comrades would laugh themselves sick if they saw me letting trash like you escape.
His body snapped forward.
The axe swung.
"Whsssh!"
A shockwave of compressed force tore across the sea—a brilliant crescent of white energy flying faster than the eye could follow.
Every villager froze, their mouths falling open.
Far ahead, Giant Bear turned, eyes wide in disbelief as the air split apart before him.
"T-That's… sword aura—?! A great swordsman?!"
His scream was lost in the roar that followed.
The blade of wind slammed into the pirate ship with impossible force.
BOOM!
The sea erupted.
The center of the ship exploded in a geyser of splinters and seawater, a massive hole cleaving straight through the hull. Waves surged inward like claws, dragging the vessel down into the depths.
In seconds, the Giant Bear Pirates were swallowed by the sea.
Silence fell over the dock—save for the hiss of waves against the shore.
The villagers, Marin, even Nico—all stared in stunned disbelief at the man standing quietly by the water, his axe resting against his shoulder as if nothing had happened.
The sea bubbled in the distance, then stilled.
And in the minds of everyone watching, a single thought echoed:
Which idiot Marine division ever let this monster retire?