The submarine that had spent almost its entire existence moving quietly under the sea, serving as the home of John, Narberal, and now Bullet for the past year, finally began to rise toward the surface. It had been hidden for so long that even the sound of the engines adjusting felt unfamiliar.
John had already chosen an island as their next destination, one that he had detected earlier, which gave them a clear reason to resurface after such a long period of isolation.
Bullet stood beside them on the deck, still only two years old, yet already capable of forming simple and understandable words.
John had been slowly introducing basic education to him, teaching him how to identify letters and numbers, along with the habit of thinking before acting.
John even started teaching him how to play chess, not because he expected Bullet to master it immediately, but because he wanted to plant the idea of planning ahead and considering the consequences of every decision.
Both John and Narberal were raising Bullet with the intention of giving him values that would guide him toward protecting the people he found important.
John crouched slightly so he could look at Bullet directly, making sure the child understood even a little of what he was saying. He spoke calmly, hoping the meaning would be something Bullet remembered as he grew older.
"Remember this, Bullet. No matter how difficult something may look at the moment, always try to fight for the sake of the people you consider important. Keep moving forward with a smile even when things seem overwhelming, and do not let yourself waver when it comes to the things you believe in. This is the only way for someone to become truly strong."
Bullet looked up at him with an innocent and almost confused expression, the kind that reminded John that Bullet, despite his rapid growth and improved learning speed, was still just a child.
John did not expect full understanding yet, but he believed that repeating these ideas from an early age would eventually help shape Bullet into someone who could stand firm on his own.
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John allowed the submarine to rise toward the surface after spending an entire year hidden beneath the sea.
The vessel had practically lived its whole life underwater, serving as the home of John, Narberal, and now Bullet.
With his research stalled due to the complete lack of materials left to use, John had no choice but to bring the submarine up.
Fortunately, he had already locked the navigation system onto an island he scouted a long time ago, so the ship was already programmed to head there the moment it left the deep.
John let himself enjoy the rare break, since most of his time that year had been spent on nothing but research, calculations, and adjustments that drained both his mind and his patience. The sudden quiet felt almost strange.
Bullet sat at the side of the deck, watching Narberal, who had started another training session.
Narberal was punching an alloy metal block that John had forged from countless scrap pieces.
John used his abilities to purify the metal, making it stronger and sturdier than anything normally found in the region.
The alloy block looked almost indestructible, and the only reason it had survived Narberal's training for so long was because John repaired it whenever necessary.
The fire on Narberal's back remained disabled, which made his physical training easier to observe. His punches were so fast that Bullet could barely see the movement, only the faint ripples in the air that followed each strike.
Bullet eventually stood up and waddled toward Narberal, who stopped the routine immediately. Even though Bullet was only two years old, the enhancements and natural talent he carried made him far more aware and coordinated than a normal child.
"What is it, Bullet? Do you want juice again?" Narberal asked. He was already used to Bullet approaching him every day with tiny requests, most of them related to food or wanting to be carried.
"No. I want to try," Bullet said. He pointed at Narberal's fists and then at the metal block, attempting to copy the same punching motion. Narberal glanced at John, silently asking for permission.
John gave a small nod. He knew the world they lived in had no age restrictions when it came to training, and since Bullet possessed terrifying talent even before the enhancements, John did not see any harm in letting him learn as early as he possibly could.
Narberal knelt in front of Bullet and demonstrated a proper punch over and over again. He spent five straight minutes explaining everything in the simplest way possible.
Bullet first practiced in the air, swinging his small arms with full concentration.
Once Narberal noticed that Bullet was getting the basic form right, he stepped aside and let Bullet punch the alloy.
The moment Bullet's tiny fist hit the metal, he jerked back in pain. His eyes immediately filled with tears.
"It hurts!" Bullet cried out, stepping back as he clutched his hand. The volume of his voice made John stand up from where he had been sitting. He walked toward Bullet and gently took the small hand in his own before crouching to meet his eye level.
"Bullet, be brave. This kind of pain only happens at the beginning. If you keep going, the results will prove that this pain was worth it. It is the kind of sacrifice that lets people become stronger in the future," John said, wiping the tears on the corners of Bullet's eyes.
"But it hurts," Bullet repeated, his voice trembling.
"Would you give up just because something hurts? Do you not want to get strong enough to break the very thing that hurt you? If you want to overcome it, you continue until you win," John replied.
Bullet remained silent for a moment, staring at the metal block with a new look in his eyes. Then, without any more hesitation, Bullet raised his fist and punched the alloy again.
The pain was still there, but he did not stop. John and Narberal both smiled, proud of the determination that had appeared in Bullet so naturally.
Their peaceful environment did not last long. While Bullet continued punching in his slow but steadily improving rhythm, John felt something touch the edge of his Observation Haki.
His range had grown immensely over the year, reaching more than fifty kilometers in every direction. Within that massive circle, he sensed a ship entering the perimeter.
It was heading straight toward them. John did not intend to change their course, so he only nudged Narberal to make sure he was aware. Narberal's Observation Haki was improving, but not nearly as expansive as John's.
Minutes later, the ships came into view of each other. The marines on the other vessel immediately noticed the strange futuristic appearance of John's submarine.
Even without any pirate flags or markings, their expressions shifted into something ugly.
John already knew what they were thinking because their surface memories were practically screaming with greed.
They were the type of marines who attacked merchant ships, sold civilians into slavery, and filled their own pockets with whatever gold they took.
Not a single member of that crew held even a spark of true justice in their hearts. Their only intention upon seeing John's submarine was to steal it, sell it, and use the profit for their own vices.
"This is Commodore Zeke. We are commandeering this vessel for marine purposes. Surrender it immediately, since we have reason to believe it is being used to transport illegal goods," the man at the front shouted.
The crew behind him grinned, already imagining the profits they would make. Bullet continued punching the metal, tears still lingering in his eyes but no longer falling, while Narberal and John remained silent.
"What if I say no? What exactly are you going to do about it?" John asked calmly.
The Marines instantly raised their weapons, aiming at all three of them.
"You die, of course. But if you surrender quietly, we will let you live and we will even let you drift away," Zeke said. John used his ability to read the true thoughts behind Zeke's confident expression.
The thoughts were dripping with arrogance and cruelty. In Zeke's mind, they were all already dead, no matter what they chose.
John's lips curved into a smile. He closed his eyes and began laughing. The laugh started quietly, but gradually grew louder and louder until even the marines across the water could hear it. The sound irritated Zeke, who gritted his teeth in anger.
"Fine. If you want it this way, then men, fire!" Zeke shouted. His crew obeyed immediately, pulling their triggers without hesitation. A hail of bullets shot toward John, Narberal, and Bullet.
However, the bullets suddenly stopped in midair, suspended before they could even reach the submarine's hull. Every marine froze in confusion. It was John's Devil Fruit that prevented the bullets from moving any further, leaving them hanging uselessly between the two ships.
"Narberal, kill every one of them except Zeke. I have something special planned for him," John said. Narberal obeyed instantly. His wings unfolded, and he shot across the gap between the two ships, landing on the marine vessel.
He began killing every marine in sight using the sword John forged from the purified alloy metal. Each swing took another life, and the deck quickly turned into a battlefield painted with blood.
Zeke panicked and tried contacting headquarters for backup, but John had already disabled every outgoing signal from the ship. The screaming continued for an hour until the entire marine crew, aside from Zeke, was dead.
Zeke had lost control of his own body, urinating and defecating on himself multiple times from fear and the sheer horror of watching his crew die. He had been reduced to a shaking mess.
"Please do not kill me. Take everything on this ship. I have money, and I have contacts in the underworld. I can give you anything you want. Please," Zeke begged again and again, but John no longer cared about any words that came out of the man's mouth.
John focused on disassembling the marine warship piece by piece with his Devil Fruit. He gathered every usable part, every tool, every piece of metal.
He even used the cameras he installed on the submarine to scan the ship, finding the hidden compartments where Zeke kept his personal treasures.
There was even a chest that held a Devil Fruit, something John had already suspected before opening it.
While John worked, Narberal stripped Zeke completely and tied him with rope. Zeke was shaking uncontrollably, but not a single part of the process mattered to John anymore.
Bullet continued punching the alloy block throughout the entire massacre. He heard the screams, but his focus remained on the metal. He already understood that John never showed mercy to enemies.
After another thirty minutes of collecting everything useful, John approached Zeke, who was still pleading. John smiled at him, a smile so innocent that it was even more unsettling than anger.
"Do not worry. It only hurts the first time," John said. He then dropped Zeke into the ocean. John had wanted to try keel hauling for a long time, and now he finally had an opportunity.
Zeke was dragged under the keel of the ship, scraping against the barnacles that covered the submarine's underside. His skin tore with every movement.
He could not scream because he was underwater. All he could do was drown slowly while being shredded at the same time. John believed that this punishment fit Zeke perfectly after everything he had seen in the man's memories.
"Remember, Bullet. If you have an enemy, do not show mercy," John said. Bullet did not respond. His attention remained locked onto the metal block as he continued punching it with a growing obsession.
Once Zeke's body was no longer recognizable, John turned to the treasure chest. Inside was the Devil Fruit he already expected, but the kind was not, the Gasha Gasha no Mi, the fruit that Bullet was supposed to have. The coincidence felt almost too perfect.
He placed the fruit back into the chest and locked it securely. Narberal then activated the suction system on the deck of the submarine.
John had designed it for situations where they gathered large amounts of treasure and wanted to transport everything directly into the vault below. The suction carried the treasure through the pipes, where a group of maintenance robots organized and recorded the contents.
With the marine ship completely stripped and the sea returned to silence, John finally exhaled and prepared the submarine for the journey ahead.