Raion had made a simple yet deadly plan.
Tonight, he would sneak into Tomoji Ren's cabin and stab him to death.
There were plenty of ordinary crew members like Tomoji on Bucky's ship, and no one really cared about them. Raion was certain that a brute like Tomoji wouldn't have any protection while he slept.
But even so, Raion was preparing to kill a living, breathing man—not some helpless animal. And if Tomoji died, Bucky would definitely step in. Everyone on the ship knew about the bad blood between Raion and Tomoji. The moment Tomoji turned up dead, all suspicion would fall on Raion. At that point, he wouldn't stand a chance of escaping and would almost certainly be executed on the spot.
After all, in the eyes of these pirates, someone like Raion was worth less than an insect. His life or death would mean nothing to them.
So Raion's plan was clear: kill Tomoji… and then kill himself.
If life had to continue like this—drenched in humiliation and suffering—then there was no hope in living at all.
With this in mind, Raion began preparing for the night. Since he was just a lowly deckhand, no one had ever given him proper weapons like a katana or a western blade. All he could find, deep in the dark lower deck where no one cared to look, was a rusty boning knife and an old whetstone with one corner broken off.
This so-called boning knife hadn't been used in years. It lay abandoned in the corner, eaten away by rust.
Raion fetched a basin of seawater and began sharpening it against the stone.
As he worked, the dull blade slowly transformed. The rusted surface peeled away to reveal a faint metallic gleam, a glimmer of sharpness waiting to emerge. To Raion, that forgotten piece of iron was no longer a useless relic.
In his eyes, it had become the blade of vengeance.
Indeed, once he finished polishing it, the knife was once again sharp enough to cut.
Raion had no superhuman abilities, no devil fruit powers—this was the only path available to him.
He wasn't going to sit there, swallowing every insult and beating, like some spineless coward. "If I keep enduring like this, I won't even respect myself," he thought bitterly.
Staring at the freshly sharpened knife, he whispered to himself:"The humiliation I've suffered… I'll repay it with your blood, Tomoji Ren."
But when night finally came, something unexpected happened at noon that changed everything.
To be exact, Raion no longer needed to take revenge himself.
Bucky's ship was sailing toward Orange Town in the East Blue. Bucky had managed to acquire a detailed chart of both the East Blue and the Grand Line. He had also received word that Orange Town was a wealthy settlement with little naval presence. The local branch of the Navy rarely patrolled the area. Seeing it as the perfect opportunity, Bucky decided to raid Orange Town and establish it as his personal base.
For the defenseless civilians, this would mean nothing short of a massacre.
Earlier that noon, Bucky celebrated his upcoming conquest with a grand banquet on the ship.
Pirates loved their banquets. For all their cruelty and violence, they craved the free-spirited joy of feasting and drinking. A banquet was their ultimate escape from the harshness of life at sea.
The feast began with the cooks preparing meat from various sea beasts, filling the air with the savory aroma of roasting flesh. Unnamed vegetables and exotic fruits were thrown onto the tables in a careless but hearty display. Yet the highlight of any pirate banquet was always the wine.
It was this wine that would lead to Tomoji Ren's downfall.
Tomoji Ren's habits were well-known. Not only did he love bullying the weak, but he was also an incorrigible drunk. He often carried a bottle with him, and once he drank too much, he became aggressive, erratic, and cruel.
Tonight, both of his vices combined—and Raion's tormentor was about to dig his own grave.
Captain Bucky raised his glass high and toasted his crew, his painted face grinning from ear to ear.
Kabaji, the Chief of Staff, rode a unicycle while performing juggling tricks to entertain everyone. The funniest sight of all was Mohji and his lion Richie—the lion devoured plates of meat faster than the crew could refill them.
The pirates roared with excitement, drinking heavily as they cheered for their captain's grand plan to seize Orange Town. The ship's musicians played violins, adding a rowdy rhythm to the celebrations.
Meanwhile, Raion and other lowly deckhands scurried around, carrying trays of wine, meat, and fruit to the tables.
The lively, chaotic atmosphere was suddenly shattered by a single voice—Tomoji Ren's voice.
"Our Captain Red Nose is finally going to lead us to take a base of our own!"
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire deck fell into dead silence.
Every pirate slowly put their glass down.
Tomoji had drunk almost two catties of brandy—enough to drown his common sense. As the saying goes, "drunken courage breeds stupidity." Even words he'd never dare say sober were now spilling out of his mouth.
Everyone on the ship, even Raion, froze in disbelief. They all knew Tomoji had just signed his own death sentence.
The pirates' eyes turned toward Bucky.
The clown captain's painted face, once gleeful and ridiculous, began to darken—his expression twisting with rage.
"Tomoji… what did you just call me?"
Bucky's voice was cold, his lips twitching as though he were barely restraining his fury.
Tomoji instantly sobered up halfway when he saw the captain's face. He had made a fatal mistake.
Bucky's glare could have frozen fire. His tone was as sharp as a blade."Tie him to the cross."
The order was given, and Bucky's men obeyed without hesitation. In seconds, the bewildered Tomoji Ren was bound tightly to a wooden cross.
Kabaji watched with a twisted grin, idly spinning the wheel of his unicycle. He knew exactly what was coming, and he relished every moment.
As Tomoji was dragged to the bow of the ship, he began to panic."Captain Bucky, please! I was wrong! Forgive me! Please let me go!"
But Bucky was not a man who forgave insults.
Anyone who dared mock his "red nose" would suffer his wrath—and Tomoji had committed the ultimate taboo.
Everyone on the ship knew it.
Tomoji Ren was about to face a cruel, unforgettable punishment.
And Kabaji, who enjoyed witnessing torture, watched with hungry anticipation for the "spectacle" that was about to unfold.