Leaving his laughing crewmates behind, Kiri moved on.
He went out to the deck and headed up toward the Captain's quarters.
The door was shut tight, locked as always. It might be different during the day, but at night, it was always sealed. It was said to be due to the Captain's high level of paranoia.
Normally, a locked door meant no entry. But among this crew, only Kiri could enter without unlocking it.
He used the power of the Devil Fruit he had obtained shortly after joining the crew.
Using the Pera Pera no Mi (Paper-Paper Fruit), he transformed his body to be as thin as a sheet of paper.
Moving dexterously in this form, he slipped through the gap between the door and the frame. Being able to invade almost any narrow space was his specialty, a power recognized by his friends, and the reason he was so useful.
Once inside, his body returned to its normal thickness.
He looked back at the door and sighed. Piled up against it were treasure chests and heavy tables.
No other human could possibly get in this way.
Naturally, anyone trying to assassinate the Captain wouldn't be able to enter either.
Kiri, the only one allowed to intrude with impunity, approached the bed.
A single man was sleeping. He didn't snore; he lay quiet and still, as if dead.
Picking up the coat that had been thrown on the floor, Kiri walked toward the sleeping man.
In that instant, the man's body flipped, and an arm shot out.
Before Kiri realized it, a gun was pressed against his forehead, the muzzle touching the skin between his eyebrows. The finger was already on the trigger, ready to fire.
Eyes devoid of light fixed on Kiri.
But Kiri just looked exasperated, completely unfazed.
"It's morning, Velvet. Wake up."
Upon hearing the calm voice, the man slowly blinked a few times. Finally waking up, he lowered the gun without a word. He brought a hand to his head and scratched his messy hair roughly.
This reflex action happened every time. Kiri was completely used to it.
Kiri tossed the coat he had picked up onto the man's body.
"Ah... I see."
"Do something about this already. Wake up yourself, or leave the door unlocked. Why do I have to wake you up every time?"
"My head hurts... Drank too much."
"Listen to me!"
Sighing at Captain Velvet, who held his head and refused to move, Kiri began to take care of him with a look of annoyance. This was one of his jobs.
Chores on the ship. A child learning everything from scratch.
Though a child, he was a full-fledged pirate, and he had a role on this ship.
Being a sailor of this pirate crew was his pride, and his everything.
Teased by the others, yet standing cheekily shoulder-to-shoulder with them, sailing the vast seas together.
This daily life was his normal.
Several days had passed since they wandered into the Florian Triangle.
They had heard it wasn't an easy sea to navigate, but blocked by randomly changing waves and thick fog that hid the stars, escape was entirely up to luck. They had resigned themselves to a long voyage.
Food was an issue. If they didn't reach land soon, anxiety would only grow.
Under such conditions, the weather abruptly began to change.
The waves turned rough, the wind picked up, and rain began to fall.
A storm was coming.
"It's getting choppy."
"I thought the climate in the Florian Triangle was stable?"
"This is the Grand Line. Stuff like this happens all the time. Doesn't matter where you are. Hey Kiri, get inside. You'll go limp again."
Helping with the rigging on deck, Kiri turned at the crewmate's voice.
Having eaten the Paper-Paper Fruit, Kiri, now a paper-man, was weak against water. Rain was bad enough; he couldn't even take a bath alone. If his body got wet, he lost his strength and could easily drown.
The rain, starting as a drizzle, was gathering force in the wind.
Even though they were still wrapped in fog, checking the sky sent Kiri running in a panic.
"Ah, jeez, I hate rain! I'll be inside, good luck with the rest!"
"Yeah, go on. It's a relief not having you underfoot. Brook, go stay with him. If he's alone he'll just sulk and be noisy later."
"Understood. I suppose I shall rest a bit as well."
Brook, who had also been helping, followed Kiri inside.
Meanwhile, the rain intensified, and the waves raged.
The ship began to rock violently. Yet, the fog didn't clear at all; visibility only worsened. The pirates on deck grimaced.
They doubted they'd run into enemies in this sector, but it was still dangerous.
They furled the sails to ride out the rough waves, the deck becoming a flurry of activity.
It was some time after they had entered the storm.
Suddenly, Velvet emerged from the captain's quarters and stood on the deck.
Ignoring the driving wind and rain, he tilted his rum bottle and glared at the sea. The crew looked at him, puzzled.
"Velvet, what's wrong?"
"Sure, this fog is weird, but we've handled storms like this plenty of—"
"Don't you feel it?"
At his serious tone, the men nearby fell silent.
Velvet's eyes were fixed on something.
"I've had a strange feeling for a while. Since this storm started, it suddenly got stronger. They were waiting for this."
"What do you mean...?"
"Something is coming? An enemy attack—"
"I see a light! A ship!!"
At that moment, the lookout atop the main mast shouted.
A single ship was visible on the water.
Tension swept across the deck in an instant. The men's expressions hardened as they looked in that direction.
"Numbers? Check the flag!"
"Just one, but that's... a small boat? No, looks more like a raft."
"In this storm? What are they thinking..."
"And in the Florian Triangle. That is clearly not normal."
The vigilance grew with every passing second, and eyes naturally turned to Velvet.
"Captain!"
"Velvet, what do we do?"
"Prepare for battle. Hurry."
"Battle? We're attacking?"
"Don't be stupid. We are the ones being attacked."
Velvet's words were puzzling, but the order had been given.
The men sprang into action, shouting orders, making the deck even more chaotic.
"Battle stations! Bring every weapon we have!"
"Captain, cannons?"
"Wait on those. Let's hear them out first."
"Just ready the cannons! Move it, you bastards!"
Their brave voices carried through the heavy rain. They reached inside the ship as well.
Noticing the change in atmosphere, Kiri and Brook looked toward the deck. However, stuck in the kitchen, they couldn't see what was happening and could only tilt their heads in confusion.
"What is it?"
"Did something happen?"
Unbeknownst to the two, the small vessel had arrived.
A single man boarded the Velvet Pirates' ship.
He was a giant, over four meters tall, with a powerfully built body of bulging muscles. Though unarmed, his aura was clearly dangerous. He could only have boarded for combat.
This man wore an iron mask hiding his face, and his jacket was open to reveal his massive physique.
As the wary crew leveled their weapons, Velvet stepped to the front.
Tilting his bottle, he showed cold eyes. Contrary to his relaxed stance, he emitted a strange pressure that the opponent surely felt. Yet, the Iron Mask showed no fear.
"I'll ask the rude guest who boarded without a greeting: What is your business?"
Velvet spoke calmly, but the Iron Mask did not react.
"If you need help, we can consider it. But if you are thinking of attacking us, don't expect to leave here free—"
Before he could finish, the Iron Mask moved.
Without a word, he punched Velvet. The bottle shattered, and Velvet's body was sent flying. He smashed into the ship's superstructure with tremendous force, shattering part of the wall. Tension snapped on the deck.
It was too fast. And completely sudden.
On instinct, everyone braced themselves and aimed their weapons at the enemy.
Velvet's voice stopped them.
"Wait."
A voice too calm for someone who had just been hit.
Kicking aside debris, Velvet emerged.
He looked the same as always. Calm, cold, looking at the Iron Mask with a bored expression.
"Hmm... I see. So that is why you came."
At his words, the crew's faces changed.
Their fighting spirit surged.
"Well then, men. Kill him."
As if they had been waiting for the word, the men moved in unison.
Weapons raised, they swarmed the Iron Mask, attacking all at once.
The Iron Mask did not move from his spot.
Hearing the roar and the loud crash, Kiri and Brook in the kitchen looked puzzled. In the back, the cook, Flannel, wore a grim expression.
Something was definitely happening outside.
Curiosity got the better of the two.
"It really is noisy..."
"They wouldn't be playing games in this weather."
"Right. I'm going to look."
"Hey, wait, Kiri!"
Flannel called out as Kiri tried to leave the room. He stopped and turned around reluctantly.
"It's raining outside. Whatever's happening, it's not something you can handle."
"What's that supposed to mean? There are things I can do too."
"Just stay here."
"No. I'm a pirate. I decide what I do."
Perhaps spurred on by the cook's words, Kiri dashed out of the room.
Brook hurriedly chased after him, and Flannel, unable to let it go, panicked.
"Ah, wait a moment, Kiri-san!"
"Get back here, Kiri! Don't go outside!"
He ran toward the deck.
Though the cook shouted from behind, Kiri wasn't afraid. With a rebellious attitude, he refused to stop, aiming single-mindedly for the outside.
He threw the door open roughly and arrived on deck.
The first thing he saw was his comrade flying through the air.
Punched by the abnormally large Iron Mask, the man's body, twisted at an unnatural angle, landed right near Kiri.
Kiri's mind froze. He stared at the body, uncomprehending.
The man didn't twitch. Eyes wide open, not even blinking. He said nothing; the man who had been chatting normally just a while ago was now strangely solidified.
Before he could think It can't be, another man rolled across the deck.
He slammed into the floor with a loud noise and stopped moving immediately.
The trauma was likely from a punch. But the human body was crushed in a way that didn't seem possible from a bare fist.
The Iron Mask was swinging his massive frame, rampaging.
For some reason, only parts of his body turned pitch black, catching sword blades and smashing men away.
People danced in the air like leaves, falling back down with horrifying limpness. Some had their skin pierced or skulls crushed by punch force that was simply too high.
One by one, they stopped moving.
Bodies destroyed, leaving this world without even a moment for medical aid.
Kiri couldn't understand it. His thoughts stalled as he watched.
He stood frozen until Brook and Flannel caught up. Finally, he realized. An enemy killing his friends was on their ship. He judged that that thing had to be killed.
"You... What are you doiiiing!!"
"Wait! Stop, Kiri!"
Flannel frantically grabbed him. Brook, too, was shaken by the sight before him and stood rooted to the spot.
The Velvet Pirates, known for causing extreme incidents and skilled in combat, were being one-sidedly slaughtered.
Realizing instantly this was an abnormal situation, Flannel's face went pale.
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