Aboard the Fake Merry.
Seeing the pirates attempting to board, Kuina was the first to act.
There was no way she'd let these scum set foot on the Fake Merry. Fighting them on board would not only dirty the deck—it might damage the ship.
Kouta saw the side of the Fearless War Saber suddenly cleared of enemies and leapt over without hesitation.
Landing on the railing, he uncorked the gourd at his waist and took a long drink. Lowering his head, he looked across—locking eyes with Don Krieg.
Their gazes clashed. Kouta's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"Yo, pirate! Heard you're the so-called 'Warlord of the East Blue'? C'mon, dance for me."
"You bastard! Is that how you talk to Captain Krieg!?"
To Krieg's left, Gin, the Man-Demon, barked at him—entirely lacking tact or timing.
"Hm..."
"You wanna dance too?"
Kouta frowned slightly, eyes calmly shifting toward Gin.
He might've seemed like a decent guy in the anime, but in reality? Cold-blooded. Ruthless. A proper villain.
The moment Kouta's gaze landed on him, Gin felt an overwhelming pressure surge forth—so heavy he broke into a cold sweat and couldn't even open his mouth.
Krieg took a step forward, shattering the invisible weight bearing down on Gin.
The pressure lifted. Gin stumbled back behind Krieg, gasping for breath.
He looked up, staring at Kouta in shock, his face pale.
Just his aura alone had rendered him speechless. Too strong.
"You must be that swordsman I've heard about. Since when did the East Blue have someone like you without my knowing?"
"I'm no swordsman. The one who's going to play with you today... isn't me."
"Oh? There's someone else?"
Krieg's eyes shifted to Kuina, who had just landed on the deck. He ignored the three others climbing aboard behind her, sensing threat only from Kuina and Kouta.
Kuina raised her head and gave Krieg a cold, dismissive glance then looked away. He wasn't her target. Her target was the officers.
Her gaze locked onto Gin and Pearl, the Iron Wall.
Gin saw the blue-haired woman staring at him and immediately drew his tonfa, eyeing her warily.
No words were wasted.
In one fluid motion, Kuina unsheathed Wado Ichimonji, her feet slamming against the railing as she launched forward, Soru engaged.
Whoosh. In a flash, she was in front of Gin. Her blade slashed in a silver arc.
Clang!
Too fast.
Gin barely managed to raise his weapon in defense but his body was flung backward by the overwhelming force, feet lifting off the ground as he was hurled across the deck.
Boom!
He crashed straight into the cabin.
Amid the wreckage, Gin struggled to sit up, left hand bracing against the floor, right hand trembling against his chest.
"Cough, cough!!"
"Hrk… cough, cough!"
He spat out a mouthful of blood, lifted his head, and stared through the hole in the wall at Kuina.
Eyes wide in disbelief, he shouted, "Why are you so strong?!"
Yes. Incredibly strong. Just one strike had left him critically injured.
Kuina ignored him. Her expression icy, she turned to Pearl.
Only now did the surrounding pirates snap out of their daze, shouting in panic:
"No way… is this a dream?!"
"The commander was taken out with one hit!"
"That's Gin! The Man-Demon with a 12 million bounty!"
As Kuina's gaze swept across them, the pirates near Pearl instantly stepped back, clearing a wide area around him.
By now, A-Hua and the others had drawn their swords and were charging into the fray.
They couldn't handle the officers, but these grunts? Fair game.
Over a decade of training hadn't been for nothing—especially not under Koshiro's tutelage.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The clash of blades rang out across the deck, mixed with screams and curses.
"Bakayaro!"
"Get them!"
"Aaaagh!"
Hearing the chaos behind him, veins bulged on Krieg's forehead. But he didn't dare turn around.
The moment that woman had stepped onto the ship, the silver-haired boy across from him had locked onto him with an oppressive aura. Krieg knew—if he turned, he'd be torn apart like paper in a storm.
Kouta scanned the deck, confirming there were no serious threats to A-Hua's team. Then he looked back at Krieg with a grin.
"Yo, Krieg. Be good and stay right there, alright? Or if you're bored, feel free to dance."
He burst out laughing.
"Ahhh! Help!"
"Captain Krieg, do something!"
"You're the strongest in the East Blue!"
"Ahhh—!"
With screams rising all around, Krieg finally snapped.
He ripped off his cloak, snapped his shielded gauntlets together, and drew his long spear—its tip erupting into a massive spike.
"There it is! Captain Krieg's ultimate weapon
The Great Battle Spear!"
A cheer rose from the pirates behind him.
A-Hua, unimpressed, cast a side glance at Krieg.
"'Great Battle Spear'? I've seen kitchen knives scarier than that."
He turned his attention back to the enemy.
"Oi! You still have time to gawk at your captain? Better worry about yourselves, pirates!"
He roared and charged.
Kouta watched Krieg with interest.
This guy's armor was packed with explosives, bullets—and if he remembered right, gas bombs too.
"You little shit… You've looked down on me since you boarded."
Krieg's voice was low and full of venom, his glare like a knife.
"You think I became the most feared man in the East Blue just for show?!"
Kouta pursed his lips and shot back with a smirk:
"Of course. You're known far and wide for being ugly and cruel—certainly not for your strength."
Krieg raised the Great Battle Spear and rushed him, bellowing:
"You think I'm a joke?!"
"I'm Don Krieg, Admiral of the East Blue! The man with a 17 million bounty!"
He swung the massive weapon downward.
"Die!!"
BOOM!
An explosion rang out, smoke engulfing the deck in thick clouds.
"Nice one, Captain Krieg!"
"Kill them!"
The pirates cheered wildly, paying no mind to the flashes of steel around them.
But then…
It was as if a cold wind had swept through the ship, freezing them in place.
The smoke cleared with a gust of sea wind.
Kouta stood motionless.
He held the Great Battle Spear firmly in his right hand. Not a scratch on him.
"N-no way…"
"He caught it? Caught Krieg's strongest attack? Without a scratch?"
"Impossible! This can't be real! It has to be a dream!"
They shook their heads in disbelief.
Their feet moved on their own, retreating in terror.
Then they all shouted:
"Who the hell are you?!"
Kouta held the Great Battle Spear in his right hand, lifted the wine gourd in his left, and waved it lazily at them.
Taking a sip, he turned his eyes on them, his voice serious, yet flamboyant:
"Hmph…"
"If I must be given a title…"
"Then I suppose…"
"You could call me, an Ally of Justice."
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 100, 200, 300 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!