Seeing that the captain was about to demonstrate his power, the crew cleared an open space near the deck where the wooden cross stood.
Bucky grinned, holding eight sharp throwing knives between his fingers."Split — Clown Throwing Knives!"
The moment he finished shouting, Bucky's two hands detached from his arms and shot forward, spinning through the air with a sharp whistling sound.
Tomoji Ren, who was firmly tied to the cross, struggled desperately to break free from the ropes, but it was useless. In his horrified eyes, the high-speed knives pierced his body again and again, creating dozens of bloody holes.
His screams echoed across the deck.
Bucky's detached hands, still gripping the knives, flew back to him and reattached seamlessly to his arms. Watching Tomoji writhing in agony, Bucky smirked in satisfaction.
"Tear Apart — Clown Knives!"
Just as everyone thought Bucky had finished, the knives spun and flew at Tomoji again, slashing his body once more.
"W-Wait… Captain, please stop! It hurts! It really hurts!" Tomoji, usually so arrogant and crude, wailed like a frightened child.
But Bucky didn't stop. He sent the knives spinning into Tomoji's body again and again. By the time half an hour had passed, there was barely an uncut patch of flesh left on Tomoji's body. He was dying, his blood soaking the deck.
The crew of the Bucky Pirates, who had at first looked on in shock, slowly began to cheer and roar with excitement. By the time Tomoji Ren had bled out and taken his last breath, the pirates were applauding their captain's "magnificent" display of cruelty.
Among them, no one seemed more thrilled than Kabaji, the Chief of Staff. His usually cold, sinister face was alight with a bloodthirsty grin.
On a pirate ship, the captain is both god and master. His will becomes law, and his cruelty is mirrored in the crew.
Bucky the Clown ruled with violence and mockery, encouraging his subordinates to abuse the weak. In a way, it was Bucky's own behavior that had created men like Tomoji Ren — bullies who thought tormenting the powerless was a show of strength.
But Raion was different.
From the moment he was dragged aboard this ship, he despised such behavior. He had never once considered himself part of the Bucky Pirates. Even if he were to gain great power someday, Raion knew he would never bully the innocent and weak.
So when Tomoji Ren died, Raion felt… nothing. No pity, no grief. Just a strange, hollow emptiness.
At first, he thought Tomoji's death might improve his life — that maybe he'd suffer less bullying now. But nothing changed. He was still the lowest of the low, the weak deckhand everyone ordered around.
Two days later, the ship drew closer to its destination — Orange Town.
On this day, Raion was ordered to paint the ship's railings. While he was working, the lion Richie suddenly charged at him from nowhere, knocking both Raion and his paint bucket to the floor. Red paint splattered across his clothes and all over the deck.
When Raion stood up, red paint dripping from his shirt, he saw Mochi, the deputy captain, laughing behind his hand. Richie, the lion, stared at Raion with a mischievous glint in its eyes.
There was no question about it — Mochi had sent the lion to mess with him.
The moment Mochi noticed Raion glaring at him, his mocking smile turned into a cold scowl.
Paint still dripping, Raion kept his gaze fixed on him.
Mochi's voice hardened, his arrogance clear: "What's with that look, boy? Are you… dissatisfied?"
At his master's command, Richie let out a deep, threatening roar, flashing its razor-sharp claws at Raion.
But Raion didn't flinch. He glared back, fists clenched. "What do you think you're doing?"
Mochi was the deputy captain. Aside from Bucky himself, Mochi was the highest-ranking man on the ship.
A lowly deckhand like Raion daring to talk back was unthinkable.
Mochi's eyes narrowed. "Watch your tone. Do you even know who you're talking to?"
Richie roared again, its teeth bared.
Raion's anger boiled over. "I don't care who you are. I asked — what do you mean by this?"
Mochi froze for a moment, stunned by Raion's defiance.
This kid… is he crazy?
The truth was, Raion had already thrown his fear aside. From the moment he decided to kill Tomoji Ren, he had stopped caring about life or death. Living as a powerless slave was worse than dying.
And when a man no longer fears death — he fears nothing.
But the weak man's defiance still wasn't enough to inspire fear.
Mochi smirked darkly. "Fine then. I'll let Richie tear you apart."
Richie growled and leapt forward.
Before Raion could react, a fist struck him hard in the face. He flew across the deck, rolling nearly ten meters before slamming into the cabin wall.
Looking up, he saw who it was — Bucky the Clown.
Bucky had been passing by and had seen the confrontation.
He crossed his arms and stared down at Raion with disdain."Little brat, didn't anyone teach you about respecting your superiors? Mochi is my deputy. How dare you talk back to him?"
In Bucky's world, there was no such thing as right or wrong — only strength and weakness. Even if Mochi and Richie had killed Raion on the spot, Bucky wouldn't have cared.
"Take him to the bottom cabin," Bucky ordered coldly. "Lock him up for two days. No food, no water. Let him think about his place."
"Understood." Two pirates grabbed Raion and dragged him away.
After Raion was gone, Mochi muttered to Bucky, "Captain, that boy dared to defy me. We should execute him right now."
But Bucky waved the suggestion off with a laugh."Orange Town is almost ours. I'm in a good mood these days. Let the brat live — for now. I'm generous like that."
Hearing this, Mochi said nothing more.
That night, in the dark lower cabin…
Raion sat alone on the cold floor, surrounded by silence. Loneliness pressed down on him like a heavy blanket. He hugged his knees, his mind spiraling into despair.
Was this his fate? To be bullied, humiliated, and then die in misery?
Why did he have to endure this cruel, pointless existence?
Just as he sank into hopelessness, something extraordinary happened.
"Attention, host. The Naruto System is initializing. Loading Naruto Shop. Scanning personal data… please wait…"
Raion froze.
Huh? What… what was that?
The voice wasn't coming from outside. It was inside his head.
His despair evaporated, replaced by shock and curiosity.