The Grand Line, First Half. Somewhere in the middle of that stretch, in a particular sea region.
"What the hell are you doing?! She's just one person!"
"B-but Captain... that little girl is too damn strong! She's knocking everyone down with a single blow..."
"She's too fast, none of our shots are landing! Damn it, what the hell is she?!"
"And she's fighting us with that toy?! Shit! Is she mocking us?!"
A pirate ship bobbed on the ocean waves. On its deck, the crew fought desperately.
Their attacker had arrived moments earlier—a lone figure.
To all appearances, she was nothing more than a frail young girl, and the pirates had dismissed her as an easy mark who'd walked right into their trap.
They could sell her for profit, or keep her around to spice up their monotonous life at sea. The sailors' minds were already racing with plans for the unfortunate girl.
That's why they couldn't possibly imagine the nightmare that was about to unfold.
This single girl was on the verge of annihilating their entire pirate crew.
It started when one sailor rashly approached to grab her. The moment his hand reached out, she struck him down.
As the others stood stunned, she moved again. With speed that blurred their vision, she swept through the nearest sailors, sending them flying.
By then, the crew finally realized this wasn't the easy score they'd envisioned. But it was too late. Even if they'd understood sooner, it wouldn't have made a difference.
Truth be told, whether they were careless or not, they stood no chance against the girl who had stormed aboard—Sue.
The captain of this ship was the infamous pirate "Iron Arm Blame." Standing over three meters tall with a powerfully built physique, Blame was a brute force specialist. He wielded metal gauntlets on both arms, smashing enemies into submission with overwhelming strength. His moniker, "Iron Arm," stemmed from his signature equipment and fighting style.
His bounty had steadily climbed from his initial posting to its current 36 million Berries in short order. He never doubted it would continue to rise, propelling him to the pinnacle of pirate fame.
That's why Blame couldn't remain calm as he watched the pirate crew he had painstakingly assembled being utterly crushed by a girl who didn't even look old enough to be an adult.
"What the hell is with this brat? My men are falling like flies..."
Sabers slashed from all directions, and gunfire filled the air, but Sue effortlessly dodged or parried every attack with her "weapon." Seizing the slightest opening, she'd dart forward and incapacitate her opponents with a single blow.
"And what the hell is that toy anyway?! Using something like that as a weapon... is she mocking us?!"
"Nah, nothing like that. I just find it easy to use."
With that, she knocked another man unconscious and twirled her weapon in a flashy display, as if showing it off.
At first glance, it hardly looked like a weapon at all—just a single umbrella.
Not a modern cloth or vinyl umbrella, but a traditional Japanese umbrella, a ban-gasa, made of paper stretched over a wooden frame.
Logically, no one in their right mind would use something like that as a weapon in a real fight. Even if they did, it wouldn't be much of a battle. At best, it might work for kids playing pretend sword fights.
Yet here we were, dozens of grown men already felled by a single swing of this "toy"—delivered coolly by a girl with arms that looked impossibly thin.
If this wasn't a nightmare, what was?
"It's easier to hold back with this," she said casually. "Bounty targets are usually worth more alive, and if they're too roughed up, the payout gets cut."
"You're a bounty hunter... damn it! Don't underestimate me! This 'Iron Arm'... isn't weak enough to be taken down by some piss-ant brat like you!"
"Woooooaaahhh!!" Blame roared, charging forward like a bull and raising his trademark steel gauntlet high.
He threw his full weight into the punch, aiming straight for the girl's face. His fist, intended to crush her skull into splinters, was effortlessly intercepted by the Japanese umbrella that had suddenly appeared in its path.
A metallic *clank* rang out, sounding impossible for something made of wood and paper. The punch hadn't even left a dent.
Blame froze in shock. Before he could react, Sue redirected his momentum, dodging backward with a fluid motion. In the same breath, she swung the umbrella in a sweeping arc, slashing across Blame's torso with ferocious force.
The impact was brutal, sounding more like a steel blade than a mere umbrella. Blame gasped, the air knocked completely from his lungs.
Blame's body bent backward like a broken hinge as he was thrown onto the deck, collapsing in a heap. A metallic taste flooded his mouth—his internal organs must have been damaged.
"Oh, not bad for a 30 million berry bounty," Sue mused. "You're still conscious... I still have much to learn."
"Gah... You... monster!" Blame gasped, struggling to rise despite his grievous injuries.
Sue strode toward him with measured steps, intent on finishing him off.
The sailors charged, shouting, "Protect the Captain!" But their attacks were as futile as before—dodged, parried, and turned against them, sending them plummeting into the sea.
Even the snipers at a distance fared no better. At best, their bullets were casually dodged. More often, they splattered harmlessly against Sue's unfurled Japanese umbrella like raindrops, or she would casually twist aside, redirecting the bullets into their own allies.
Seeing my guard down as I ran out of ammo, Sue grabbed a nearby sailor and swung him like a golf club, sending him hurtling toward me.
The impact knocked me into the sea, my "human ball" crashing down with me.
The one-sided slaughter continued for several more minutes.
When I finally came to, the deck was empty except for Captain Blame and Sue.
"Damn it... talk about bad luck. What the hell is a monster like you doing here? Who the hell are you?"
"Who I am is none of your concern. Where I go is my business. Besides, you never know what you'll run into on the Grand Line."
"Yeah... you're right... damn it all."
Cursing under his breath, Iron Arm Blame collapsed onto his back with a heavy thud, completely exhausted.
Three brutal blows—one to his gut, the others to his arm and head—had completely drained his will to resist, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Having annihilated the entire Iron Arm Pirate Crew and effortlessly claimed Blame's 36 million berry bounty, Sue stowed her Japanese umbrella in the holder on her back. She then pulled a portable restraint device from her pouch and swiftly secured Blame with it.
Next, Sue reached for her arm, and suddenly a surprisingly large scroll materialized as if it had sprouted directly from her skin.
Unfurling it, the scroll expanded to roughly the size of a small magic carpet, hovering gently in the air, awaiting its purpose.
Sue carefully placed the unconscious Blame onto the scroll, followed by the various spoils she'd collected from the ship.
As Sue started walking, the paper floated in the air, following her like an obedient shadow. She boarded her ship, checked her course, and set sail.
***
"Hey everyone, Sue here, just turned fourteen—almost fifteen, actually! I just snagged a manageable bounty target and I'm heading to the nearest Marine Base to turn them in."
"I mostly focus on adventuring and writing, but I often take on bounty hunting to cover living expenses and stuff. I don't actively hunt down specific targets or cross the sea for them. It's more like, if a suitable bounty target happens to be nearby, I'll take the opportunity."
"I never skip my training, so I've gotten pretty strong. These days, I can easily handle bounty targets in the 30 to 40 million range."
Of course, I still keep up with my basic swordsmanship training and all that. But honestly, I think the biggest reason I've gotten this strong is because I learned to use Haki.
Actually, after that drifting life, I realized I could use it out of nowhere.
If I remember correctly, Haki is something you're supposed to gradually develop through years of rigorous training. But there's also a theory that near-death experiences or extreme situations can trigger a sudden awakening.
For me, that drifting life was definitely one of those "extreme situations." Being forced to fight for survival must have forcibly awakened my Haki.
Come to think of it, back then... even when the Pirate Ship was still too far away for me to see with the naked eye—especially since I was malnourished, my vision was blurred, and I could barely hear—I somehow sensed its approach.
I think my Observation Haki had already awakened back then.
Soon after, when I regained my strength and resumed training, I unlocked Armament Haki too.
I remember being so thrilled when the blade in my hand faintly turned black.
From that day on, I consciously focused on training my Haki during every session.
Thanks to that, my fundamental combat ability skyrocketed like this.
And speaking of my weapons, this Japanese umbrella, which proved so useful on that pirate ship earlier, has become my main one.
It's just an ordinary paper and wooden umbrella, but when coated in Haki, it gains strength and durability surpassing even metal. Knocking people unconscious with a single swing or deflecting bullets is child's play.
Oh, and this might seem trivial, but... Japanese umbrellas are made of paper, right?
And me, the Paper Human with the Paper-Paper Fruit, right?
Maybe it's just my imagination, but when I use paper-based weapons, I feel like I wield them with a subtle edge compared to ordinary ones.
Plus, their performance seems enhanced even after accounting for my Haki.
Whether I'm boosting their offensive power or precisely modulating my strikes to avoid killing, they just feel... easier to use. I can't quite explain it, but that's the only way to put it.
Oh, and this Japanese umbrella actually has a blade hidden inside the handle. You can pull it out and use it as a normal sword. It doesn't get much use, though.
After all, a metal blade, already tough and sturdy, coated in Armament Haki offers superior offensive and defensive capabilities. Plus, it can perform cutting attacks that an umbrella simply can't. I use it when necessary.
By the way, I glossed over it earlier, but I should mention another power I gained during my drifting life: the ability of the Paper-Paper Fruit.
I've been honing this ability for about a year now, and I've discovered a lot more ways to use it.
It didn't come into play during this battle, but if the enemies had been tougher, I definitely would have used it in combat.
For now, though, it's just a convenient mode of transportation.
Visually, it resembles a magic carpet, only it's made of paper.
I'll show you how I use it in combat when the opportunity arises.
Now that we're just waiting to reach our destination, periodically checking our course, I'll take this opportunity to examine our "spoils of war."
Aside from Iron Arm himself, we seized two major items from the pirate ship.
First, there was the treasure they'd plundered. I don't know if they hadn't gotten around to selling it yet or if they were saving it up, but I managed to snag quite a bit of it.
In this world, anything goes when it comes to pirates. You can attack them and take their loot without a second thought.
Between the treasure and the bounty money, it should add up to a tidy sum. Just another day in the life of a bounty hunter.
Of course, the risks are high. One slip-up and you're dead—or worse.
Especially for me, being a woman and, well, somewhat attractive.
But whatever, I'll deal with that later. I can always sell it when I get around to it.
The other prize, though—that's what really matters to me.
The logbook of the "Iron Arm Pirate Crew", found in the Captain's Quarters.
Iron Arm, surprisingly meticulous, had kept a daily log of the crew's adventures, allowing me to trace their journey to this point.
While it was a useful resource for information about the notoriously treacherous Grand Line, what truly captivated me was the chance to vicariously experience someone else's adventures through these pages.
Even though the knowledge I gained was purely from the text—the simple awareness that "this exists" or "such an island exists"—it was enough to make my heart race.
Time stretched before me like an endless sea. I resolved to devour every page, every word, letting it fuel my own journey.
Who knows? Perhaps the knowledge I gleaned here would one day surface in a book I might write as an author.
To be continued...