The morning mist clung to Lale's skin like a second layer as she stood at the water's edge, her three-tomoe Sharingan dissecting the approaching Marine vessel with clinical precision. Every detail came into sharp relief — the rust patterns on the anchor chain, the nervous twitch of the young lookout's eye, the way the captain's boots were improperly laced. Her fingers flexed unconsciously. This would be too easy.
"Oi, Lale!" Ace's voice shattered her focus as he came barreling down the beach, a half-eaten mango in one hand and a struggling crab clamped onto his other sleeve. "Look what I found! It thinks I'm food!"
Lale's left eye twitched. "We're about to hijack a warship and you're playing with crustaceans."
Ace grinned, shaking his arm until the crab went flying. "Gotta keep things fun! So what's the plan, oh mighty strategist?"
The Sharingan's crimson glow intensified as Lale's mind worked. "Standard Marine patrol vessel. Crew complement of twenty-four, but only six visible on deck. They're either understaffed or—"
"Or most of them are still drunk from last night!" Ace finished, already rolling up his sleeves. "I'll take the left side, you take the right, we meet at the rum stash?"
Lale opened her mouth to object, but Ace was already moving, his careless laughter trailing behind him like a challenge. She exhaled sharply through her nose. This was why she preferred working alone.
The water barely rippled as she stepped onto the first mooring line, her bare feet finding perfect balance on the rain-slick rope. Below her, the ocean churned with unnatural violet currents — remnants of the island's strange energy. Her Sharingan tracked every shift in the waves, every creak of the ship's hull.
She landed on deck with the silence of a shadow. The first Marine didn't even have time to turn before her fingers found the pressure point behind his ear. He crumpled like a puppet with cut strings.
"Hey! Who—"
The second guard's shout died in his throat as Lale's eyes locked onto his. The three tomoe spun hypnotically. "You will return to your quarters," she murmured, layering chakra into her words. "And take a very long nap."
The man blinked slowly. "A... nap..."
By the time she reached the quarterdeck, six more Marines lay sleeping or neatly tied up. She could hear Ace's distinctive brand of chaos from the opposite side of the ship — the whoosh of flames, startled shouts, and what sounded suspiciously like someone falling into a barrel of pickles.
The captain — a heavyset man with impressive muttonchops — was fumbling with a transponder snail when Lale cleared her throat.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said mildly.
The man yelped, dropping the snail. It retracted into its shell with an offended grumble.
"Y-you're that fire Bitch! The one they warned us about!"
Lale's lips thinned. "Witch is reductive. I prefer 'tactical specialist.'"
A tremendous crash echoed from belowdecks, followed by Ace's cheerful "Whoops!" The entire ship shuddered.
The captain paled. "Is that—"
"Fire Fist Ace? Yes." Lale tilted her head, listening to the sounds of her partner's continued rampage. "He's... enthusiastic."
As if on cue, Ace burst through a cabin door, his arms laden with stolen food. "Lale! You gotta try these sea crackers! They're like normal crackers but... saltier!"
The captain made a strangled noise. "You're stealing my ship for snacks?!"
"Among other reasons," Lale said, smoothly stepping between them. Her Sharingan caught the minute tensing of the captain's muscles before he lunged for his sidearm. With a sigh, she pivoted, her sandal connecting with his wrist in a precise kick. The pistol went skittering across the deck.
Ace whistled. "Nice one! Think you can teach me that move?"
"Maybe when you learn what 'subtlety' means." Lale turned back to the captain, now cradling his injured hand. "We'll be taking this vessel. You and your crew can either take the lifeboats now, or swim later. Your choice."
The man's mustache quivered with indignation. "Admiral Akainu will hear about this!"
Ace's grin turned sharp. "Tell him I said hi."
As the last of the Marines rowed away, Lale finally allowed herself to relax — slightly. She leaned against the railing, watching the strange island shrink on the horizon. The violet hue in the water faded the further they sailed, until the ocean returned to its normal, brilliant blue.
Ace plopped down beside her, offering a stolen orange. "So. Where to next, partner?"
Lale accepted the fruit, her fingers brushing his briefly. The contact sent an unexpected warmth through her — one that had nothing to do with his Devil Fruit powers. "Somewhere with actual supplies. And fewer cursed islands."
Ace laughed, the sound bright against the endless sea. "No promises!"
As the sun climbed higher, Lale's Sharingan caught something strange in the water below — a brief, dark shape moving against the current. Larger than any fish. More deliberate than any sea creature should be.
But when she looked again, there was nothing. Just waves and sunlight.
TO BE CONTINUED...