Chapter 5: Pirate Warfare

Pirate duels, battles, brawls, wars—they were always fights for survival.

Once swords were drawn and triggers pulled, there was no mercy—just a ruthless fight to the death.

Cannons roared, ships clashed, and steel met steel in close combat.

But when pirates fought pirates… the usual rules didn’t apply.

"GURARARARA…!"

"Wha—?! What the hell?! What’s he doing?!"

A giant with a white mustache, standing on our ship, suddenly punched the air in front of him.

To the untrained eye, it made no sense. A normal man’s punch wouldn’t do anything to empty air.

But this man was anything but normal.

"!!? The air—it’s cracking?!"

"Oi, you idiots!! MOVE!!"

"Huh—?!"

Before the enemy crew could react, the space in front of Whitebeard’s fist shattered.

Multiple men doubled over as if struck by an invisible force—armor splintered, weapons shattered, eyes rolling back as they were thrown into the air.

Those who knew Whitebeard—and even those who didn’t—understood instantly.

This was the power of a Devil Fruit.

"Tch… Close the distance! We’re sitting ducks out here!"

"Shit—here it comes again!! Dodge!!"

"Dodge what?! Where’s the attack even—?!"

Another punch. Another wave of force.

Screams erupted from the enemy ship as bodies were hurled like ragdolls.

"GURARARARA…! Watch yourselves, brats…!! I ain’t in a good mood today…!!"

Whitebeard grinned, swinging his fists and naginata, sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.

His expression twisted between amusement and irritation—clearly pissed at something his own crew had done.

Pitiful. He loved a good fight, but his own allies could still piss him off.

The secret behind his power?

The Gura Gura no Mi—the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

A Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allowed him to control vibrations, shaking the world itself.

A "Tremor Human."

With it, he could fracture the air, unleash devastating shockwaves, and send enemies flying—without even boarding their ship.

One enemy vessel was already in chaos, thanks to him.

But there were still more ships. More enemies.

And Whitebeard wasn’t the only monster on our side.

"HA~HAHAHA MAMAMAMA…!!"

"Wha—?! That woman—she’s coming across the water!"

"She’s riding… a cloud?!"

A beautiful woman raced toward an enemy ship, standing atop a sentient cloud.

Beside her floated a small, sun-like flame—also with a face.

"Hey, Mama! Where should we hit ’em? Where?!"

"Dumbass, Zeus! Obviously here!"

"MAMAMAMA… That’s right, Zeus. Your job is to carry me. Prometheus handles the attacks… HA~HAHAHA MAMAMAMA…!! Ready?!"

"“YES, MAMA!!”"

The cloud—Zeus. The flame—Prometheus.

Charlotte Linlin grabbed Prometheus with her right hand, her grin widening as she closed in.

"You bitch… Linlin! Coming at us alone?! Die!!"

"HAHAHA! Stupid! You’re the ones dying today…!!!"

With that, she swung Prometheus down onto the deck—

"—Heavenly Fire: Prometheus’ Wrath!!!"

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Flames engulfed the ship, turning sailors to ash.

Not a complete wipeout—but unless they put out the fire fast, they were done for.

And with Linlin now onboard… they wouldn’t get the chance.

"Guh… You damn—!! I’ll kill you!!"

"HA~HAHAHA MAMAMAMA!! Kill me? Don’t make me laugh!!!"

Sword in hand, flanked by Zeus and Prometheus, she dove into battle.

Her power? Another Devil Fruit—the Soru Soru no Mi.

The Soul-Soul Fruit.

She could steal lifespans, infuse souls into objects, and create sentient homies like Zeus and Prometheus.

A woman who controlled the weather itself—feared across the seas.

But the monsters didn’t stop there.

"WHAAAAAT?! What’s happening?!"

"The ship—it’s flying?!"

Another enemy vessel lurched upward, lifting clean out of the water.

"Tch… This ability—!! It’s Shiki!!"

"JIHAHAHAHA…!! Got it in one! Guess I’m too famous for my own good!"

Golden-haired, laughing madly—the "Golden Lion," Shiki.

A pirate who flew without wings.

"The Fuwa Fuwa no Mi—the Float-Float Fruit. JIHAHA… Consider it a free lesson before you drown."

"Damn you…!!"

The ship tilted sideways—then flipped upside down, plummeting into the sea.

Shiki’s power?

Gravity-defying control. He could float himself—or anything he touched.

In naval combat, few abilities were more terrifying.

His enemies couldn’t even fight back.

"Like hell I’m lettin’ them have all the fun!! I’m goin’ in too!!"

"Me too!! Heh heh heh… Time for a massacre!!"

"Damn it—! Incoming! Devil Fruit users boarding!!"

But these three weren’t the only monsters.

More fighters—some with powers, some without—leapt onto enemy ships, blades flashing.

Cannons roared, countering enemy fire.

And finally—the enemy managed to close the gap.

They’d boarded us.

…Though "success" might’ve been an overstatement.

"Alright! Now I can finally take down the enemy direct—GWAH!!?"

Before I could finish my declaration, an enemy crew member attempting to board our ship was sent flying.

The culprits? My own crewmates—the Rocks Pirates members who lacked ranged attacks and were itching for a fight.

"Heh heh heh…!! Finally, I can slice these bastards up myself!!"

"Oi oi! If you don’t wanna die, I’ll start with you!!"

"Worororo!! Let the best kind of war begin!!"

"Hyahaha! Let’s just kill ‘em all—enemy, ally, whatever!!"

…No, you shouldn’t be killing allies.

More concerning, though, was the fact that Kaido—who’s still just a trainee—fit in with these bloodthirsty maniacs without a second thought. He wasn’t the least bit out of place. Actually, he was blending in way too well.

And so, as an apprentice of the Rocks Pirates, I found myself thrown into yet another chaotic naval battle alongside my completely unhinged crewmates.

Honestly? I was just glad they were on my side. If I had to fight them, I’d be terrified.

And the real problem? Once close combat started, things spiraled out of control almost instantly. Like, for example:

"!? Oi, you bastard! Quit attacking while I’m in the way!!"

"Hah!? Not my problem! If you couldn’t dodge, that’s your fault! Hell, why don’t you just die too!?"

"DIE!!!"

"GUH!?"

…Yeah. As you can see, friendly fire is just another Tuesday for this crew. Sure, they’re taking out the enemy, but they’re also casually smacking each other around.

Kaido, in particular, was swinging his club like a madman. I’m pretty sure he just knocked out one of our own guys without even realizing it.

But despite the chaos, we still had the overwhelming advantage. Everyone was so insanely strong that fighting solo actually worked.

…Well, as long as we won, I guess that was fine. If this battle wrapped up quickly, I could just relax for a bit—

"Oi! We finally managed to board their ship! Now then… that brat over there! You’re first! DIE—!!"

"Wha—NOOOO!!!??"

At the rear of the ship, where I had been quietly spectating from the shadows of the sails, an enemy finally spotted me.

Oh, come on! I really don’t want to fight a real pirate yet!

"! ‘Dark Cloud’!!"

"Huh!? What the hell is this black mist!? Is this brat a Devil Fruit user!?"

"Not telling! Bye-bye!"

I activated my ability, shrouding the area in darkness to blind my opponent. That should keep me safe for now. Time to slip away while I had the chance—

"Worororo!! Nice one, Nue!! Now it’s even easier to kill ‘em!!"

"Hah!? The apprentice has a handy little ability, huh!? Heh, not bad!!"

"Alright, let’s slaughter ‘em all! MOVE OUT!!"

"W-Wait—!"

"OHHH!!!"

Before I could stop them, Kaido and the others charged straight into the black mist, swinging their weapons at anything that moved. A few seconds later, enemy bodies started flying out of the cloud.

"…Well, whatever. Some of them probably have Haki and can see anyway. As long as they take care of the enemies, that’s fine. Alright, I’ll just sit back and cheer them on—"

"Oi! Who the hell just attacked me!? You must be an enemy! DIE!!"

"Shut up! Who the hell are you!? Can’t see shit in this mist, but I’ll kill you anyway! DIE!!"

"Wait, YOU CAN’T EVEN SEE!? THEN WHY DID YOU JUMP IN!?"

I instinctively yelled at them. If you can’t see, don’t enter the fog!!

"—Honestly… watching the way you, our little trainee, cheer on your crewmates as they kill each other… You’ve got a wicked personality, don’t you?"

"Wha—?! No, that’s not—!"

"No need to deny it. Compared to the rest of us, that’s pretty tame. Well then, I’ll be off! Wait for me, Rocks!"

Before I could argue, Gloriosa—one of my crewmates—winked at me, then jumped straight into the mist, cutting down enemies as she disappeared.

…Wait. I was trying to help, but now she thinks I was encouraging friendly fire?

And she ran off before I could clear up the misunderstanding.

Actually, now that I think about it… doesn’t that mean I’m technically contributing to both enemy kills and team kills? And I was just standing here, smiling and cheering while doing it…

Yeah, I really need to explain myself later. If I don’t, I’ll end up getting labeled as some demonic little gremlin who enjoys watching people kill each other from the sidelines.

But… looking at the battle now… my ability’s side effect seems to be working surprisingly well. Since our own crewmates rushed in blindly, the enemies got confused and started attacking each other too.

…Huh. This might actually be useful. Maybe I should keep this in mind for later.

"And since I can see through my own mist, maybe I could use it for stealth kills, too—"

Oh, no. That’s a bad idea. A really bad idea.

Why am I even thinking like this!? I never used to have thoughts like this before!

I mean, sure, I am a pirate now, so technically it’s not wrong… well, okay, it is wrong, but not for me.

Ugh. It’s only been a week, and I’m already getting corrupted by the Rocks Pirates’ way of thinking…

"—‘Transformation Fairendel’…………‘Gourmet Feast’!!!"

"GUAH!? What the hell!? The ship just turned into CREAM!?"

"SHIT!! We’re sinking!!!"

And while I was lost in thought, yet another enemy ship was going down.

Wow. That’s brutal.

That must’ve been the work of Streusen, our ship’s cook—also known as the “Gourmet Knight.” His Kuku Kuku no Mi lets him transform anything into food. A Paramecia-type ability.

Streusen used to be part of a pirate crew with Charlotte Linlin. He’s a small, elderly man, but an incredible chef. Seriously, he’s almost as short as me. I’ll probably outgrow him soon.

Despite his size, he’s just as terrifying as the rest of the crew. With his saber, he slices through enemies while transforming entire ships into ingredients—completely dooming anyone on board.

…Not gonna lie, though. Food made from his ability doesn’t actually taste that great. His cooking, though? Absolutely amazing.

Still, his power is insanely useful for the Rocks Pirates, considering how huge this crew is. No matter what happens, we’ll never run out of food.

Not that we ever seem to run low on regular supplies anyway…

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!!!"

"Wha—!? The dragon just—!?"

Ah. Kaido’s transformed and going all out. I should probably cheer him on. Go for it! The enemy’s not that strong… probably.

Sigh. Alright then.

"Hmm… Looks like it’s almost over—"

"—DON’T GET COCKY, YOU SHIT!!!"

"—GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!?"

"!!?"

A sudden roar, followed by a deafening impact, sent a violent tremor through the deck. My body jerked in surprise.

What the hell was that?

I hopped over to get a better look—only to find, unexpectedly, a good number of our crew already down.

"—Rocks!! If I kill you, the rest won’t even matter!!!"

"—GEHAHAHAHA… So your crew’s gettin’ disrespected too, huh? My guys have already wrecked most of yours… You really think you can turn this around now!?"

Whoa… wait, that’s the enemy captain…?

There, standing face-to-face with Captain Rocks, was a massive man wearing a pirate hat marked with the enemy’s insignia.

Around them, our fallen crewmates groaned in pain, clearly taken out by this guy alone.

His face twisted in rage, while Rocks stood there grinning, his presence dominating the scene.

Wait… this guy’s actually strong? We already crushed two other pirate crews before this, and both fights ended in seconds.

For a battle to last this long—and even reach a captain vs. captain showdown—was insane. Rocks didn’t even bother fighting those last two times.

"SHUT UP!!! You stole everything from me—my crew, my ship… all of it! You think I’ll let this injustice stand!?"

"GEHAHAHA! The hell you yappin’ about!? Don’t throw around childish words like ‘injustice’ out here on the sea!! Injustice! The unexpected!! Absurdity!! That’s all just part of the deal! If you can’t handle bad luck, you shouldn’t have set sail in the first place!! This is the sea for pirates who enjoy that kinda chaos!"

"Guh…!! ROCKS…!!"

Damn… Rocks is brutal. Is he just too good at trash talk? Or is this guy weak? Either way, the sheer pressure was on a whole different level.

But the enemy captain wasn’t backing down—

"…No matter what you say, I’m taking you down with me…!!"

"Ohhh…? Eatin’ somethin’ fun, are ya… A Natural Logia, huh?"

Rocks smirked as the enemy’s body started to shift. A chill ran down my spine.

That’s a Logia…

"—That’s right. I ate the Meta-Meta Fruit. I’m a liquid metal man. Rocks… You think you can beat me!?"

"GEHAHAHA… You really think Logia users are invincible?"

"Even with Haki, I still have the advantage… I can use Haki too!!"

"That so…? Then—give it your best shot!!!"

The enemy, now molten mercury, surged forward. Rocks drew his sword and charged to meet him.

And just like that—the real fight began.

I stood frozen, eyes locked on the insane battle before me. That power… I recognized it.

Logia users become their elements. Sand turns to sand. Fire turns to fire. Lightning turns to lightning.

That’s what makes them so hard to hit. Physical attacks just phase through.

The only way to hurt a Logia user? Exploit their elemental weakness… or use Haki.

And Haki—it’s more than just a counter to Devil Fruits. It’s the fighting style of the monsters who rule these seas.

"!!!"

"Gh…!!?"

"Eeek!?"

A sound like dozens of cannon blasts shook the air.

I yelped and stumbled back—alongside every other weak-willed idiot on deck.

That pressure. That weight.

Rocks’ monstrous Haki was suffocating.

And in that instant, I saw it.

The enemy captain hardened his liquid metal body, layering it with pitch-black Haki.

But it didn’t matter.

Rocks’ Haki-coated cutlass cut straight through that armored Logia form—like slicing through butter.

"GEHAHAHA… Close one… A little more force and I might’ve accidentally killed ya…!! Hurts like hell, but you can take it, right? Weak as you are, you’re still a captain…! GEHAHAHAHA!!!"

"Damn… you…! Hah… Hah…!!"

And he wasn’t even serious…?

That’s… terrifying. Our captain, I mean.

It’s reassuring as an ally. And since we’re winning, it’s kinda fun to watch. But even so—this sent chills down my spine. Two kinds of chills. A mix of awe and fear.

And he still didn’t kill him… Which means… he’s gonna do that again, isn’t he?

"—The hell’re you doin’, Nue."

"GYAH!? Wha—Kaido!? Ugh, don’t scare me like that!!"

"You’re just jumpy. I just talked to you from behind."

"That’s exactly what scaring someone mea—wait, more importantly… Look, the captain’s at it again…"

I didn’t even turn—just flicked my eyes toward Rocks. Kaido followed my gaze and grinned.

"UORORORO… ‘Recruitment,’ huh?"

Yeah… Recruitment.

Rocks loomed over the enemy pirate—bleeding, barely breathing—and smirked down at him.

"…Alright then, I’ll ask ya straight… You wanna join my crew?"

"…! Like hell… Hah… I’d ever… Hah… follow you…!"

"…………GEHAHA… I see… Well, can’t be helped… A pirate’s pride… I’ll respect your choice…"

"…?"

Ah… He refused.

That’s it, then. It’s over.

This happened before. In one of the last two battles.

When Rocks makes this offer and gets rejected, he always pauses. Laughs a little. Acts like he’s letting it go.

The crew knows better than to fall for it.

Because everyone here knows—

"—!!?"

—Rocks never lets it slide.

Gunshots rang out.

Rocks was the one firing. His target was exactly who we all expected.

"GEHAHA… You refused…!? MY… DOMINATION!!!"

"Guh… Ah… Rocks… you bas—AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!?"

"Tch…!"

His expression twisted into something vicious. The sheer force of his presence—his Haki—shook the ship.

Pure rage.

But also… excitement.

He drove his cutlass into the pirate’s gut, leaning in with a growl—

"I hate shitheads who won’t live under my rule!!! —You get that!?"

"G-Gah…! S-Stop…!!"

Finally, the enemy pirate begged for mercy.

But Rocks wouldn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.

For those who reject his rule—there’s only one end.

Slaughter.

"If you’d just bowed your head and accepted my rule, I’d have given you freedom… Been generous even…! But if you won’t submit—THEN IT’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY!!! —HEY, YOU BASTARDS!!"

“!”

At the sound of Rocks’ voice, every single person on the ship turned to listen. No one could ignore it. And so, every last member of the Rocks Pirates—upon hearing their captain’s words—moved without hesitation.

“Kill every last one of the remaining enemies!!! Make them regret not accepting my rule!!!”

“OOOOOOHH!! This time, it’s a total massacre!!”

“Well then, let’s get to killing already!!”

A thunderous roar of excitement erupted from the crew.

The enemies who survived their battle were supposed to be spared. That is… if they had accepted the captain’s invitation.

But now that Rocks had rejected them, their fates were sealed—along with those of their subordinates.

“Waaaah!! I get it! I’ll join you! Just stop—Gyaaahhh!!”

“P-please, spare me… I won’t fight anymore—Guaaahhh!!!”

“S-stop… the crew… they have nothing to do with this…!!”

Desperate screams and dying cries rang out from every direction.

The enemy captain, battered and broken, watched in horror as his crew was slaughtered before his eyes. His body trembled. His breath came in ragged gasps. And then—his knees buckled.

Tears streaked down his bloodied face.

“Please… no more…!!”

But Rocks just smirked.

His voice, cold and mocking, cut through the chaos.

“Gihahahaha!! That’s not how this works!! If the captain refuses, the crew follows him straight to hell…!! Can’t have survivors coming back for revenge, now, can I? And besides—”

“…!?”

Rocks paused.

The carnage continued around him, but for a moment, he stood still—watching the trembling man in front of him.

Then, with slow, deliberate steps, he closed the distance between them.

And in one breath, he whispered:

“I hate those who reject my rule… but that’s exactly why—killing them is my favorite thing in the world.”

“!!? Gah—”

A sickening crunch.

Rocks’ left hand plunged into the enemy captain’s chest.

Whether it was infused with Haki, or whether the man had simply run out of strength to resist—it didn’t matter.

Rocks’ fingers closed around something vital. And then—he crushed it.

The man’s lifeless body crumpled to the floor.

Rocks withdrew his arm, shaking off the blood that coated his hand. Then, gripping his cutlass—its blade slick with red—he stood tall.

And with the widest grin he’d worn all day, he let out his loudest, most triumphant laugh.

“GIHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Now, let’s begin the fun part—DOMINATION!!! Those who won’t submit will get the gift of ‘death’—a rule they’ll follow in hell!!! GIHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!”

“…………”

I stood there, frozen. Unable to look away.

Rocks.

A force of cruelty. Of malice. Of absolute, unchecked arrogance.

A man who sought to rule all—and eradicated those who refused to be ruled.

This… was the true nature of Rocks D. Xebec.

The most dangerous pirate on the seas.

Out of the two battles we’d fought since setting sail, one had ended exactly like this. The other… well, the enemy had accepted his offer. They were aboard our ship now, watching this unfold—faces drained of color, hands trembling at their sides.

And anyone who had ever seen Rocks in action—pirate or not—would say the same thing.

They would call him a devil.

The same name etched onto his bounty poster.

“Demon of the Sea”—Rocks D. Xebec.Bounty… 1,969,000,000 Berries.

That was before he even formed this crew—back when he was a pirate alone.

A number that reflected the sheer threat he posed all on his own.

And now that he had an entire crew behind him… there was no telling how much it would rise.

At this moment in history, no pirate had a bounty higher than his.

Even among pirates—he was a terror beyond reckoning.

And yet…

Even as cold sweat rolled down my back—

—even as I watched this monster before me—

—I felt something at the corners of my mouth.

A twitch.

A slow, involuntary pull.

A smile.

Was it admiration? Was it fear twisting itself into something else?

I didn’t know.

All I knew was—

“…He’s as insane as ever…”

“He really is… That’s our captain, alright.”

Standing beside me, Kaido muttered as we both watched the carnage unfold.

And just like me, even as sweat dripped down his face—

—Kaido wore a grin.

"That weird power… what the hell is it?"

"Ah… you mean Haki?"

I answered Kaido’s question absentmindedly—then immediately regretted it.

Crap.

I knew exactly what was coming next.

Sure enough, Kaido turned to look at me, eyes sharp with interest.

"You know about it, Nue?"

"Ah… well, yeah. I’ve heard about it before."

It was the kind of answer that sounded like a lie, but was technically true.

I had heard about it.

That wasn’t the problem.

The real problem was Kaido’s next response.

"—Then teach me."

Knew you’d say that…

I let out a sigh. No point dodging it now.

"Alright, I’ll explain properly later, but for now… hmm, how do I put this? It’s kind of like the power of a person’s ‘will’? Or maybe their life energy? Something like that—it’s a technique that makes you way stronger."

Kaido furrowed his brows.

"…I don’t really get it, but whatever. Can I use it?"

"Well… apparently, everyone has it, so probably. I couldn’t, though."

"…? That makes no sense. Why not?"

Right. That’s exactly where this conversation was bound to go…

I sighed again, then shrugged.

"…Haki is something everyone has, but actually using it takes training. Not just anyone can pull it off. As for me… ahaha, I tried training, but I never managed to get it down, so I gave up~."

"…………"

Kaido stayed silent, just staring at me.

I had no idea what he was thinking.

But yeah… Back when I was younger, I’d experimented with all kinds of things, trying to strengthen myself. Haki was one of them.

I got nowhere.

I did manage to improve my Devil Fruit ability—just a little. But when it came to Haki? Not even a flicker.

I told myself it was because I was just a kid, that it couldn’t be helped…

But deep down, I wondered if I just had no talent for it.

"Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out, Kaido. Some people just awaken it in the middle of battle—"

"—Then let’s train."

"Yeah, sounds good. …Wait, huh?"

Something felt… off.

I wasn’t even using my abilities right now, so why did I get this weird sense of unease?

I tilted my head, pressing a finger to my cheek in thought.

And then—Kaido’s next words turned my suspicions into certainty.

"Let’s train together. Later."

"………………Excuse me?"

Kaido flashed a wicked grin.

I stayed frozen, my smile stiffening, my head tilting even further.

A very bad feeling crept up my spine.