Bah… that didn't come out right…
The moment the words left my mouth—"I'm your sister!"—I felt a wave of regret crash over me. Why did I say sister of all things?! What if he actually likes that sort of thing? Ugh—there are people with special hobbies out there. And let's be real—some men get more excited at the word sister than girlfriend…
…note to self: stop talking before thinking.
Far in the distance, Mihawk briefly glanced back at the commotion—but quickly lost interest. Too far to see clearly, and he'd already had his fun. Whatever happened here wasn't worth his time.
"…"
Sanji stood frozen on the deck, stunned by what he'd just witnessed. I had moved too fast—even he couldn't react before I kicked Crick into the air.
Thankfully, I'd already checked the mini-map. Within a three-kilometer radius, only a few red dots were even worth noticing—Mihawk and Crick. Every other enemy didn't even register as a threat. Of course, Mihawk was off-limits… so that left only Crick.
Only one viable target for EXP in a whole radius.
Seriously? What a joke.
I still needed a ton of EXP to level up before unlocking new quests… and I only get one guy to farm from? Talk about disappointing.
Luffy extended his arm and slingshot himself over, landing right beside me. He clearly remembered getting stuck just moments ago, because this time he was much more careful with his strength.
"Let me take this one, Kiana," Luffy said with clenched fists. "I want to beat this guy personally. Crick made me mad from the start. Sanji even fed him—and saved his life at Bharati. If anyone should put him down… it's me."
I raised an eyebrow."…Trying to snatch my kill?"
"Huh? What was that, Kiana?"
So naïve. I finally get a decent enemy and now even the captain is trying to steal my EXP? That hurts, Captain. That really hurts.
But Luffy just blinked, not understanding a word of my internal grinding-system suffering.
BOOM!
Inside the ruined cabin, Crick smashed apart all the broken boards on top of him and stood up, nose bleeding and face twisted with rage.
That kick… didn't just hurt. It offended his pride. And for a guy like Crick? That was worse than death.
"That damn brat… I'll catch her today—and teach her a lesson."
He wiped the blood from his face and slowly stood—pretending to be calm, but clearly furious.
"Leader Crick—you're okay!"
"We thought you were done for!"
The nearby pirates were half relieved, half conflicted. On one hand—their captain surviving meant they still had a shot at pirate glory. On the other hand…
…if Crick lived, they'd be forced back onto the Grand Line again.
And honestly? Some of them wanted him to die here today. They'd been terrified ever since they retreated from the Grand Line. They'd seen true horror—and it wasn't something they wanted to experience again. Ruling the East Blue sounded a lot better.
They weren't ungrateful. They were scared. Especially of that sea.
Before they went there, the Crick Pirates were unstoppable—the East Blue's dominant fleet of five thousand men. Even small Navy forts wouldn't stand a chance if they attacked with full numbers.
But the Grand Line broke them. In every way.
Pirate life is addictive, and some were too used to following Crick. But if he ever gave up the Grand Line? They'd gladly follow.
He never would, though. And they all knew it.
Hope he wins. But also… hope he loses.That was the twisted truth of their feelings.
"Hey, Paddy—raise the fins!" Sanji shouted.
"That'll give the pirates space to land!"
"That's still better than turning the restaurant into a battlefield. I don't want to hear the old man lecture me for weeks."
"…Got it."
Bharati meant everything to them. If they were going to fight—it couldn't be on the restaurant itself.
Moments later, two giant semi-circular platforms rose from beneath Bharati's hull—the fin boards that could serve as temporary battlefields.
Even I blinked."Oh right… that was a thing. Totally forgot."
I remembered the early arcs of One Piece pretty well—but not all the small details.
Crick looked at the fins and burst out laughing."Heh… idiots. This just makes it easier for me to attack!"
"Is that so?"
My voice drifted next to his ear.
Crick froze—his eyes widening.
She was far away a second ago… how—!?
He immediately activated every hidden gun on his armor—aiming them all at me.
But I moved first.
BAM!My heel struck his face again—sending him flying into his own men.
"Damn you… brat…!! You've really pissed me off!!"
"Annoying? Good. Now stand still—I need to kill you for the bounty."
The pirates around us actually laughed.
"Hah! Big talk! Do you even know who we are?! We're the Crick Pirates—the strongest in the East Blue! You think you can kill our leader for a bounty!?"
Crick staggered up again, bleeding but still defiant.
"I let you kick me twice before… but don't get cocky just because you're a woman."
"The strongest?" I scoffed. "All I see is a guy hiding behind numbers."
That one landed. The pirates grimaced—because Luffy had said something similar earlier.
And they all knew—it was true.
The strongest pirate crew in the East Blue wasn't them.
It was the Arlong Pirates—true monsters from the Grand Line who controlled nearly twenty villages. They had far fewer men—but were far stronger. Murloc physiology alone made them terrifying.
Crick's crew? Just humans relying on headcount.
"You brat—you don't know a thing!"
"Kill them! Kill both of them!!"
A wave of pirates charged toward Luffy.
"Gomu Gomu no… Whip!"
Luffy spun—his leg extending like a steel cable—sweeping every pirate clean off the fins and into the sea.
"Huh. That was easier than expected," Paddy muttered.
Luffy just grinned.
Crick snarled, opening his cloak wide as I approached. It was covered in blades—like a wall of daggers ready to shred anyone who touched it.
"It's Jianshan! Boss's invincible Jianshan! No one has ever broken through it!"
"If you've got guts—try kicking me again, woman!"
I stared at him for a moment.
"…With that on?"
Do I look stupid? I have a sword.
But then again… I am stubborn.
Fine. Kick it is.
CRACK!My leg spun like a drill—and my high heel slammed into Crick's face for the third time.
He crashed straight through the deck—wood splintering as his ship sank further into the sea.
I flipped gracefully through the air and landed perfectly on Bharati's fin board.
"Kiana-chan—your foot! Did it get hurt!?"
Sanji sprinted over in a panic. The spikes on Crick's cloak were real weapons—if I got cut, it could be bad.
"I'm fine," I said casually, lifting my foot. "See?"
No wounds. Not a scratch.
Sure—it hurt a bit. But as long as my HP stays above 50%, my body won't actually receive visible damage. Perks of being a Valkyrie.
Sanji exhaled deeply in relief.He held my ankle reverently—hands trembling slightly.
That bastard… If Crick hurt Kiana-chan… I'd—
His thoughts darkened. His eyes grew hazy. He stroked my ankle gently.
Way too gently.
His eyes gleamed.The touch was too soft. Too perfect. He could feel the warmth, the smoothness, the—
He could get addicted to it.
He could spend a year playing with this foot.
"…Sanji…"
I stared at him, deadpan."You want me to kick you too… don't you?"