Chapter 12: Eastern Sea

"The most peaceful sea in the world?"

"This has gotta be it."

"Fwaaah... Yawn... So sleepy..."

The gentle, lazy climate practically begged me to nap.

But that wasn’t the only reason I felt sluggish.

This sea—the East Blue—was boring for one simple reason:

"WAAAAH—!! RUN!! THEY’LL KILL US—!!""W-What are those monsters!?""I... I don’t get it... S-Someone help...!""I surrender...!! J-Just spare me—gack!!"

—It was the weakest sea in the world.

"...Sigh. Easy’s nice and all, but this is just... underwhelming."

"W-WHOA!! A UFO!?""W-What the hell!? That girl’s flying—urk!?"

"...I mean, sure, I get the surprise, but still..."

I floated over the rooftops, sighing at the complete lack of challenge.

Our routine raid on a random East Blue town was going exactly as expected.

The locals were soft. Too used to peace. The moment we showed up, they panicked. Screamed. Begged.

Even the Marines stationed nearby were pathetic. Low morale. Surrendered before we even touched 'em.

I get being scared of the Captain or our top brass, but come on.

You’re Marines. You signed up for this.

Just seeing our flag made them freeze.

Compared to the ones at HQ—who’d fight no matter what—these guys were a joke.

And the pirates here?

Worse.

Wannabes with knives and cheap guns. Their “captains” were barely up to par with one of our regular crew.

The worst part?

They couldn’t even beat me.

And I’m just a rookie.

The average bounty here? Not even three million.

It wasn’t piracy—it was make-believe.

The civilians? Somehow, even more fragile.

Sure, our crew had Devil Fruit users, myself included—but people here freaked out if I so much as floated.

Just floating.

Regular humans can jump that high with enough training, but these people lost their minds over basic levitation.

Still, orders were orders.

Raid. Loot. Kill—just enough to make a statement.

But seriously. Where was the fun in that?

It was like—

"...Rawr! I’m gonna eat you~!"

"KYAAAAAH—!! ...Whimper..."

—See?

Wait, did she just faint?

Rude.

I was just saying hi.

Ugh. Whatever. I’ll leave her. We do need survivors to spread the fear.

Besides... I had a bigger problem.

"—WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THESE WEAKLINGS!?"

"! Whoa. Kaido."

He stormed out of a house, club in hand, eyes blazing.

He’d been in a mood all day, but this was next-level pissed.

His shout shook my eardrums.

I floated closer.

"What’s wrong? I get being mad, but this sea’s always been like this."

"SHUT IT!! LISTEN, NUE!! I was chasin’ this Marine upstairs, right? Was gonna crush 'im, but—"

"Oh, one survived? Probably ran off before—wait, did you kill him? If he was that weak—"

"NO!! I DIDN’T!! THE BASTARD—HE DIED ON HIS OWN!! TRIPPED DOWN THE STAIRS!!"

"Huh? No way, that’s—"

"IT’S TRUE!! BASHED HIS HEAD, DROPPED DEAD!! DAMN IT... HOW’S HE THAT FRAGILE!?"

"...Wow. That’s... something."

A Marine. Died from stairs.

I’d heard stories like this, but to see it firsthand...?

Humans were supposed to be tougher than this.

Stab wounds? Survivable.Slashes? Walk it off.Cannonballs? Most kids could tank one or two.Even bombs weren’t instant death.Falls from three, four stories? Probably fine.

This guy must’ve been made of paper.

"THIS IS BULLSHIT, NUE!! CRUSHING ANTS LIKE THIS WON’T MAKE US STRONGER!!"

"Don’t yell at me! You can’t expect more from this sea. Just treat it like a day off."

"DON’T JOKE!! I DIDN’T BECOME A PIRATE TO PLAY PRETEND!!"

Yeesh. He was really fired up.

Personally, I didn’t mind the break.

For the Captain’s plan, this sea was perfect—peaceful, easy to scare, great for building reputation.

Even I could terrify a town just by showing up.

It was kind of fun watching the chaos.

But Kaido?

Yeah, no. Not his idea of fun.

I sat on a crate, swinging my legs, wondering how to chill him out.

If he stayed this mad, he’d start smashing random stuff again.

Maybe I should just get him drunk...

"—GYAHAHAHA! Someone’s fired up, Kaido!"

"Ah, Captain."

"! Boss...!"

From the alley stepped the head of the Rocks Pirates—Captain Rocks himself.

Grinning like a man who found a good show.

"Hot-blooded as ever. Guess the East Blue ain’t doin’ it for ya, huh?"

"...I wanna crush strong enemies, Boss..."

"Oho, that’s the spirit! But hey, even you can take it easy sometimes, yeah? Right, Nue?"

"Huh? Oh... Yeah, I mean, raids here are simple, so—"

"THE HELL, NUE!? YOU WANNA FIGHT IN THE GRAND LINE TOO, DON’T YA!?"

"I mean, sure! But this is fine! We’re not staying here. Just deal with it!"

"DON’T JOKE!! WHAT KINDA PIRATE HOLDS BACK!?"

"I’m not saying forever! Strategy matters, too! We’re not kids!"

"WE ARE KIDS, DUMBASS!!"

"YOU HATE WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT!!"

Before I knew it, we were nose-to-nose, yelling like usual.

This idiot.

I don’t like holding back either, but you gotta enjoy what’s in front of you.

Messing with the weak is fun in its own way.

But Kaido? He only cared about strength.

"GYAHAHA... That’s enough, you two. Siblings shouldn’t fight. Not now—"

The Captain’s grin widened.

"—Things are 'bout to get interestin'."

"...What do you mean, Boss?"

"Oi, Kaido. Apologize for yellin’ in front of the Captain."

"...Tch. Fine. Sorry."

"Ahem. Yeah, sorry about that... So? Interesting how?"

Just as we were about to go another round, the Captain spoke.

Not loud. Not dramatic. Just enough to make our skin prickle.

Then he stepped past us, eyes fixed on the horizon—

No. Beyond it.

And with a glint in his eye, he said:

"Seems we got company."

"GYAHAHAHAHA...!! Just like you bastards hoped, looks like we're in for somethin' fun and far from boring!!"

"That means..."

"............"

Hearing Captain Rocks' words, our expressions turned serious. Whenever the captain looked off somewhere and said something like that, it always meant trouble was coming.

Which was why both Kaido and I thought—No way... And right after, as if to confirm it, a crewmate's voice rang out.

"Hah... Hah... C-Captain Rocks!!"

"!"

"GYAHAHA... So somethin' really did show up... What is it?! You're scramblin' like a damn rookie—did a giant Sea King pop up or somethin'?!"

The crewman was panting, his face slightly pale—uncharacteristic for a battle-hardened member of the Rocks Pirates. If he was this rattled, whatever was happening had to be bad.

Captain Rocks, on the other hand, just grinned like he'd been expecting this. That fearless smirk was proof he could handle anything. Maybe calmed by the captain's demeanor, the crewman steadied his breath and delivered the news.

"N-No, Captain... Our scout ship—the one we had on watch—it's been destroyed... By a Marine warship!!"

"Heh... Is that so? Then it's gotta be HQ Marines. How many?"

"Five ships...!"

"F-Five?!"

"! Well damn... That's a hell of a number. Did those bastards get tipped off or somethin'? No way HQ would send that many to this backwater otherwise... GYAHAHA, lucky sons of bitches...!!"

Five Marine battleships—from HQ, no less. The sheer absurdity of it made me blurt out in shock. Like the captain said, this wasn't normal. Even if they had tracked us, there was no way HQ Marines could mobilize this deep into the East Blue.

Marine HQ was in the Grand Line. To reach any of the four Blues, they'd have to cross the Red Line—and that took even longer than us sailing through the Calm Belt using Shiki's Float-Float Fruit powers. Unless they knew exactly where we were, catching the Rocks Pirates was impossible. The only times we fought HQ Marines were either by pure chance or when we raided them. Even then, running into more than three ships at sea was rare—and we'd sunk those without breaking a sweat.

But this time? They'd taken out one of our scouts. And don't underestimate our crew—even the weakest among us were worth at least 30 to 50 million berries. Probably more, honestly. Just being part of Rocks' crew bumped up your bounty by at least 50 million.

And yet, they'd wiped out our guys without breaking a sweat. That meant these Marines were tougher than the usual fodder.

"So, who the hell's leadin' 'em?! GYAHAHA, they got an Admiral or somethin'?!"

"N-No!! It's a Vice Admiral... And—it's GARP!!"

"GARP?! 'FIST' GARP?! GYAHAHAHAHAHA!! Now that's entertainin'! No wonder you scrubs got wrecked!!"

The moment the name left the captain's mouth, the crew's faces twisted.

"Garp?! That Garp's all the way out here?!"

"Garp, huh..."

"That bastard actually came...?! Tch, then today's the day I slaughter him! He and his goons damn near killed me last time!!"

Some paled in fear, others burned with rage. Even Whitebeard's expression darkened like he'd just heard the name of his least favorite pest.

That's how infamous Garp was among pirates. Of course, I knew him too—his reputation followed me even after I turned to piracy.

"Five battleships led by Garp, huh... GYAHAHA, guess we ain't gettin' outta this without a fight..."

"What's the plan, Captain?!"

"GYAHAHA, quit pissin' your pants, you morons. I'm here. Garp or some Admiral—we're plowin' through 'em!! The real problem's you lot!! They got five ships and roughly 4,000 HQ Marines!! I could handle it alone, but you better pull your damn weight!! Don't you dare slow me down!! Turn those HQ bastards into fish food in the East Blue!!!"

"O...OOHH!!!"

"GYAHAHAHAHA!! That's the spirit...!! We all knew this day'd come!! Let's have some fun with it...!!"

Captain Rocks' voice stoked the crew's bloodlust, his grin sharp enough to send chills down your spine.

With him leading, we'd be fine. That's what everyone—including me and Kaido—thought as we boarded the ship and set sail toward the Calm Belt.

Maybe the Marines predicted our move—their five warships adjusted course swiftly, closing the distance until they were within sight.

---

And so, the naval battle began—here, in the weakest and most peaceful sea—against five Marine battleships led by Vice Admiral "Fist" Garp... a man feared even by the pirates of the New World.

---

"Resistance is futile!! You're already surrounded!!"

"Hah! Thanks for the cliché line!! Every Marine who's said that to us ended up at the bottom of the sea!! Wanna join 'em, huh?! Hey, 'Fist' Garp?!"

"Tch! Just makin' small talk!! Guess the rumors were right—you do got a big mouth, Rocks!! Listen up—the only reason you've slipped through our fingers 'til now is 'cause you never met me!! Today, I'm sinkin' you and every last one of your lawless scum!! So brace yourself!!"

"That's my line, Garp!! You're lucky we never crossed paths before today!! Bet life was peaceful without me around, huh?! The seas must've felt like paradise with me gone!!!"

"Grrr... You talk too damn much!! MEN!! Battle stations!!"

"Yes, Vice Admiral Garp!!"

"GYAHAHA, here they come, boys!! Battle stations!!"

"LET'S GOOOO!!!"

On the East Blue's open waters, the Rocks Pirates and Garp's five warships locked eyes—and the battle began.

Both sides maneuvered for the wind advantage. The Marines tried encircling us, but we knew breaking free was impossible unless we sank a few ships first. Ideally, we'd wipe them all out, but Captain Rocks had already said there was no need to fight fair—taking out half and crushing Garp would be enough.

That said, no one in the crew planned to hold back. They'd fight like they meant to sink every last ship.

...Personally? This battlefield was way outta my league...

"! Hey, here comes another one!!"

"! Again...?!"

One of the crew shouted as a warship—Garp's flagship—came into view.

Garp stood at the bow, eyeing our ship like a predator sizing up prey. And in his hand—hard as it was to believe—was a cannonball.

"'Fist—"

"BRING IT ON!!"

"Idiot! Kaido!! Get out of the way!!"

Kaido looked ready to tank it, so I yanked him back. But the stubborn bastard wouldn't budge. Dammit—this is bad—

"—Meteor Strike!!!"

"!!? KYAAAAAA—?!"

The moment Garp hurled the cannonball—it fired like it'd been shot from an actual cannon.

A cannonball, moving faster than artillery. That's right—he'd just thrown it like a damn projectile.

And oh crap—if that thing hit us directly, our ship would—

"Hmph!"

"! Whitebeard!!"

Just as I braced for impact, Whitebeard's vibrations detonated the cannonball mid-air. Relief washed over me.

"That's Whitebeard for ya!! Man, I adore him!!"

"Shut up and stay back!! Garp's no joke!!"

"Aye-aye! C'mon, Kaido, let's move!"

"Goddamn it!! I was gonna take that hit!!"

"There's plenty of Marines to kill on the other ships! That one's too much for—EEK?!"

Another explosion—this time from a cannonball Whitebeard had swatted away at the last second.

Then, Garp's voice boomed across the water.

"Whitebeard!! Long time no see!! Today's the day I send you to the depths!!"

"GURARARARA...!! Give it your best shot!!"

"Tch! A single ship against me—let's see how long you can keep it afloat!! Eat this—'Fist Meteor Shower'!!!"

"!! Hey!! Back him up, damn it!! The ship's in danger!!"

"Damn it...! That bastard Garp's still a damn monster!!"

"Those things are moving way faster than normal cannon fire!! Is he even human?!"

"And there's dozens of 'em...!!"

Whitebeard and the crew scrambled to defend the ship. Yeah, no helping it—under the cloudy sky, an absurd barrage of cannonballs, faster than artillery, came raining down—

Eek?! Too close! Gotta move! Standing around here's suicide—who knows where the next one's gonna land!

"──Alright!! We’ve secured the ship!! Get on board!!"

"OOHHH!!"

"Whoa—they’re coming from this side too!!"

I glanced to the opposite side—Marines were boarding us, swarming over from their warship. And every last one of them looked way stronger than the usual Navy grunts we’d been fighting. This might be bad…!

But our crew? Even more terrifying—and reliable. Not a single one flinched at the Marines charging in.

"HA~HAHAHAHAHA!! Look at these suicidal Marines, waltzin’ right onto our ship!!"

"Tch…! Charlotte Linlin!!"

"Navy scum~~~!! Sorry, but you’re all gonna die today!! Captain’s orders, y’know~?!"

The giantess, Charlotte Linlin, raised her sword. Her Soru Soru no Mi powers were deadly, but her close-quarters skills with that blade were just as monstrous.

" "Ikkoku Sovereignty" !!!!"

"!!!?"

"WHOA—?! T-The hull’s got a hole in it?!"

Linlin’s slash sent Marines flying like ragdolls and punched a hole straight through their warship. Damn, her power’s as insane as ever… Haven’t seen her go this hard since the New World pirates.

But hey, that thinned their numbers. Made things easier.

"Hey, Kaido!! Your favorite kinda fight’s right here!!"

"RROOOAAARR…!! Let’s kill ‘em all, Marines!!"

"I mean, we’re already killing them, but—whoa?!"

I couldn’t help but smirk as Kaido sent Marines flying with his club—until an attack came my way. Seriously, watch it!

"Huh? Why’s there a kid here…?"

Oh, lucky me. He’s letting his guard down. Time to strike—

" "Red UFO" !!"

"!!? W-Wha—a UFO?!"

"While you’re distracted… Take this!!"

"Eh—GAAAAHHH?!"

Nice, one down! But that’s just one. No time to relax. Everyone else might be fine, but I can’t afford to slack.

"Zehahahaha!! You really thought challenging me at sea was a good idea?! You wanna get sunk, don’tcha?!"

"S-Shiki?! Whoa—?!"

"Damn it, the Float-Float Fruit…! That’s annoying…!!"

Oh hey, weird-eyebrows guy’s fighting in mid-air. No surprise—he’s a monster in naval battles. Just touch an enemy ship, float it, and bam—instant win. He can even lift seawater, so Devil Fruit users aren’t safe. Not that these Marines have any, but—

" "Geppo (Moon Step)!" "

"! "Zanpa (Slash Wave)!!" "

"Tch— "Rankyaku (Storm Leg)!!" "

A Marine launched himself into the air toward Shiki—only for Shiki to draw his blade and slash mid-air. The Marine countered with a razor-sharp kick. Whoa. First time seeing that.

"Zehahaha…! So you’ve got a Rokushiki user, huh?! Keeps things interesting!!"

"Damn it…! We’re at a disadvantage in the air…?!"

Right—Rokushiki, the six superhuman techniques used by Marines and government agents. That jump was "Geppo", and the kick that launched a blade of wind was "Rankyaku". There’s four more where that came from. Like—

" "Tekkai (Iron Body)!" "

"!! Worororo…! The hell’s with this guy?! Hard as steel…!!"

"Tch… Never seen this pirate before, but he’s strong… "Shigan (Finger Gun)!" "

"OOF!!? The hell…? That hurt…!!"

"! "Kami-e (Paper Art)!" "

Yep—"Tekkai" hardens the body like iron, "Shigan" pierces like bullets, and "Kami-e" dodges attacks like flowing paper. That’s five—wait,

"Kaido, stop being their test dummy!! Leave the strong ones to someone else!!"

"──These weaklings ain’t worth the backup!! I’ll crush ‘em myself!! RRAAGGHH!!!"

"Tch… "Tekkai" …! Guh…!?"

"Wait… He’s actually pushing him back…?"

I figured Rokushiki users would be too much for Kaido right now, but… his club just shook that Marine’s iron body. Guess his freakish durability’s paying off. He’s tanking hits just to land his own. Not ideal, but serves ‘em right. Heh, see that, Marines?! My little brother’s got infinite lives—keep wasting your energy!!

"Go get ‘em, Kaido!!"

"You too, Nue!! They’re comin’ for you!!"

" "Soru (Shave)!" "

"Eh… HYAAH?!"

I barely dodged as a Marine vanished and reappeared behind me. Right—the sixth technique, "Soru", high-speed movement. Not the time for trivia though!!

"A child in the Rocks Pirates…? And a Devil Fruit user, no less… Pity, but evil sprouts must be plucked…!"

"Ugh… Can’t dodge…!!"

The Rokushiki user’s kick sent me rolling across the deck. Ow… No mercy just ‘cause I’m a kid, huh?!

"! "Red UFO" ! And… "Snake" !"

"! A UFO and a snake…?! Those wings too… What is this girl’s power…?!"

"Not telling!! Mystery’s my brand!!"

I recalled the UFO to fire shots while sending the snake at him, then took to the skies. Few Marines can fly, so staying airborne’s safer.

But he’s dodging everything. Not great odds. Maybe "Dark Cloud" to blind him? Nah, might mess with the crew—

"──GYAHAHA… The hell gives you the right to step onto my ship?"

"!!? You—Rocks—… GUH!!!"

Just as I started worrying, the Captain appeared, grabbed the Marine’s head, and slammed him into the deck. That’s my Captain! Reliable as hell!

"GYAHAHAHA!! You’re bringin’ this level of Rokushiki trash to fight me?! If you wanna scrap, bring a CP-0 agent or a damn Admiral!! Or better yet—dig up some dusty old weapon from wherever you’re hidin’ it!!!"

"!! You bastard…! How much do you know…?! Rocks!!"

The Captain hurled the Marine (now unconscious—or dead) into the sea, then roared at Garp, who’d closed in on his warship. Garp’s eyes widened—before he leapt toward our ship.

Of course, the Captain wasn’t just gonna watch.

"I know exactly how rotten the World Government is…! Same goes for you Marines… Right, Garp?!!"

"!!!?"

──What happened next defied human strength—and common sense.

Mid-air, between the ships, Garp’s fist collided with Captain Rocks’ sword.

But this wasn’t just steel meeting flesh.

This was… a clash of Conquerors.

"The sky… it’s splitting!!?"

"A collision of Haoshoku…!!"

Lightning tore through the clouds, cleaving the heavens in two.

The cataclysmic shockwave came from their Haki—rippling across the sea, the ships, the sky, the world.

But this level of devastation doesn’t happen with just any Conqueror’s clash.

Only the strongest can trigger such a phenomenon.

Monkey D. Garp—the only Marine strong enough to make Captain Rocks unleash this much power.

And yet—

"──GYAHA… You’re weak."

"Tch!! GRAAHHH!!"

Garp felt it first. He roared, pouring more Haki into his fist.

But Captain Rocks… never dropped that vicious grin.

He stared at Garp.

And laughed.

"Weak… Pathetically weak…!! A nobody like you doesn’t have what it takes to face ME…!! Monkey D. Garp!!!"

"GUH──!!?"

The moment Captain Rocks roared, pouring his strength and Haki into his blade—Garp was sent flying at an invisible speed.

Not just to the nearest warship—but through it, crashing into the next one with enough force to leave a trail of destruction.

"You think you can beat me…? Garp…! GYAHHAHA… Don’t waste my time with delusions!! I’ll be the King of this world!! You really think a King would lose to some lowly Marine?! GYAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

"G-Garp, sir!!?"

"No way… Vice Admiral Garp, taken down in one hit…?"

The enemy Marines paled, their hands trembling. Not that I could blame them.

Even we—his own crew—were speechless before that overwhelming power. Whitebeard, Linlin, Shiki, every infamous pirate on this ship… all silenced. These were men who’d never bow to anyone, yet they followed him without question. The reason was simple:

No one could defy strength like this.

Put plainly… we were all captivated by it. This was why pirates flocked to his ship.

The fact Garp had momentarily matched him was a miracle—and even then, this "demon" hadn’t truly gotten serious. No one could defeat him. This "demon" would become the King of the Seas. Death awaited anyone who resisted.

So why not become his vassals from the start?

Not everyone thought that way. Those with the qualities of a King weren’t so simple.

But even they… couldn’t bring themselves to defy him.

"──Hey, you bastards… Why the hell are you just standing there?"

"!!"

The words of a man with the strongest Conqueror’s spirit carried a strange magic.

Just hearing them sent shivers of terror down your spine. Not a Devil Fruit’s power—wish it were that simple.

"Quit slacking and fight…! There’s still plenty of enemies left…! Fools who dare interfere with my rule…!! And idiots who’d cut into your profits… GYAHHAHAHA…! You get it, don’t you…?!"

"! Yes!! Captain Rocks!!!"

"Same as always!! Terrorize those who don’t know me!!! Make the dumbasses who refuse to obey choke on their loyalty!! And for those who still resist………… erase their right to live!!! Toss ‘em into hell!!!"

"Understood!! Captain Rocks!!!"

"Then get to work like my orders depend on it!! Do that, and every last one of you can chase your greed and dreams under my rule!!"

The crew rallied at their King’s words. No—they had no choice.

They obeyed their Captain to the letter. Even if it meant turning fangs against the World Government itself.

The Rocks Pirates were an unshakable force—so long as he led them.

A crew of unrivaled individuals, bound together solely by the absolute presence of their Captain.

──Which is why… I had no choice but to fight. And maybe… just maybe… some part of me, drunk on the moment, actually felt motivated by his words.

"WORORORO…!! I’ll do it…!! I’ll get… even stronger…!!!"

"! Kaido!!"

Kaido shifted from human form to his beastly draconic state—then charged headfirst toward the enemy fleet, aiming for the farthest warship.

"…!! You can’t go alone!! Kaido!!"

"RRRAAAAHHH!!! I’LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF ‘EM!!! THIS IS WAR!!!"

"Tch… Damn it… Guess I’ve got no choice…"

With no allies nearby and Kaido already storming the ship, I had no choice but to follow. Roughly 800 Marines per vessel—and just the two of us against them all.

I thought about dragging Kaido back or hoping for backup… but Captain Rocks’ usual strategy wasn’t to sink every ship. He’d leave survivors—to spread fear. So reinforcements were unlikely.

…Fine. Guess we’re doing this.

" "Dark Cloud" !!"

"!! A fog…!?"

"The dragon and that mysterious girl are boarding!! Intercept them!!"

"OOH!!"

"Ugh… Don’t underestimate me…!!"

"RRRAGGGHHHH!!! DIE, YOU BASTARDS!!!"

──After fighting alone like that for a while… my consciousness… finally… gave out…