A young man strolled lazily into the hall, chewing on a pork hock that had originally been prepared for Blackbeard, enjoying it as if this place were his own.
The man was none other than Thorne Ashveil, the Zero Division Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.
The blonde beauty in the villa froze the moment she saw him. Her eyes widened, her lips parted, and her whole body trembled in disbelief. Did this young man have a death wish?
Did he not know that these pirates were devils in human skin, killers who slaughtered without hesitation?
That very morning, Blackbeard's crew had massacred every last guard on the island—over a hundred men gone in a single day. Now, they ruled here as kings, holding the power of life and death over the terrified townsfolk. To displease them was to invite execution.
And yet, this stranger—calm and indifferent—was eating food meant for Blackbeard and his men.
Her thoughts raced: Is he insane? Does he want to die right here?
"Hm?" Blackbeard, who had been laughing boisterously, abruptly stopped. His cruel smile faded as he noticed Ashveil standing before him.
One by one, the Blackbeard Pirates followed their captain's gaze. The room grew tense, filled with frowns and sharp eyes.
Blackbeard didn't move. He didn't need to. Instead, his sickly ship doctor, the infamous Doc Q, shuffled forward with his ever-present horse.
"Don't rush, young man," Doc Q said with a thin smile, his voice faint but laced with malice. "There's plenty of food to go around. Here, take this apple. Eat it."
A flash of cold cruelty flickered in his sunken eyes before he slowly stepped back to his seat, snickering.
The other pirates chuckled quietly, tearing into their meals while sneaking mocking glances at the newcomer.
The blonde beauty clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles pale against her trembling hands. Her breath caught in her throat. That apple… she had seen those very apples explode, killing dozens. Doc Q used them to slaughter townsfolk for sport.
If this young man ate it… he would die.
Her heart hammered violently. Should she intervene? Could she?
Summoning every ounce of courage, she whispered hoarsely, barely louder than the buzz of a mosquito.
"Don't… don't eat it. It… it will explode."
She immediately prayed that none of the pirates had heard her.
But she underestimated them.
The sharp ears of the Blackbeard Pirates missed nothing.
In an instant, Van Auger, the sniper, leveled his long rifle at her. His cold eyes fixed on her forehead without hesitation.
These men had no concept of mercy for women.
The blonde beauty froze in terror. Her lips trembled, her knees weakened, and she nearly collapsed to the floor. From that distance? From such a tiny voice? They still heard me?
"Bang!!!"
The gunshot thundered like a crack of doom.
The bullet tore through the air faster than sound itself, sparking as it split the atmosphere. A deadly straight line of death streaked toward her forehead.
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for death.
But the killing strike never came.
The bullet halted midair—stopped cold by an invisible force. After a single moment of resistance, it slid down and clattered harmlessly to the ground.
The blonde gasped, her chest heaving wildly as she sat frozen on the floor. Tears welled in her eyes as the reality sank in—she was still alive.
A lazy, almost playful voice echoed in the hall.
"Beautiful lady, thank you for the warning. Do me a favor later and have someone clean up the corpses of these scoundrels."
It was Ashveil.
The blonde beauty blinked at him in awe. Despite his languid posture and his air of disinterest, he stood tall in that moment—towering like a giant in her eyes.
"You should go now," Ashveil continued casually. "Things are about to get bloody, and it's better that women don't see scenes like this."
She stumbled to her feet and fled toward the exit, her thoughts spinning wildly. Did he just… stop a bullet? With nothing? Who is this man? Could he… could he actually defeat them?
She sprinted toward the village chief's house, desperate to relay what she had seen.
Meanwhile, inside the villa, Blackbeard and his crew rose to their feet. Their expressions darkened, their eyes gleaming with surprise.
"Was that… Conqueror's Haki?" Blackbeard muttered, narrowing his eyes. The aura had been faint, but it was unmistakable.
Then his lips curled into a cold grin. "Are you a member of Whitebeard's crew?"
Ashveil met his gaze with disdain, unbothered by the tension.
"Don't you bow when you see the Zero Division Captain?" His words dripped with contempt.
For the briefest moment, Blackbeard stiffened. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the shock faded and was replaced by a mask of calm arrogance.
"Zehahahahaha! So the rumors were true. The Zero Division Captain Whitebeard mentioned… what an honor, what an honor indeed!"
But while Blackbeard laughed, his crew didn't share the sentiment.
Van Auger kept his rifle trained firmly on Ashveil's forehead. Doc Q's hands were hidden behind his back, ready to unleash poison. Burgess flexed his massive arms, eager for combat. Every one of them was prepared to kill at a moment's notice.
Ashveil only smiled faintly, recognizing Blackbeard for what he was—a cunning predator, a smiling tiger who concealed his fangs until the perfect strike.
"Tell me then," Blackbeard said, grinning through his gap-toothed smile. "What brings the Zero Division Captain here? Speak, and maybe I'll even help you. After all, I was once one of Whitebeard's men too."
Ashveil waved away the pretense.
"Blackbeard, I didn't come here to chat. I came for your head. Hand it over quietly, and you'll die painlessly. I'll complete my mission, and everyone wins. Simple, isn't it?"
The mocking smirk on his lips twisted the knife deeper.
Blackbeard's grin vanished, replaced by a venomous glare. His body trembled with fury, his voice breaking into a roar.
"You want my head? You? Don't make me laugh! You're not qualified to even dream of it!"
His crew erupted in cruel laughter, their voices dripping with disdain.
"Zero Division Captain? Zehahahaha! What a joke!"
"He's an even bigger fool than Fire Fist Ace!"
"I hold the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. With this, I am invincible!" Blackbeard bellowed, his laughter splitting the room as shadows began to writhe at his feet.
But Ashveil stood there calmly, his pork hock still in hand, his eyes sharp and unwavering.
The clash was inevitable.
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Milestones
100 Power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
200 Power stones = 3 Bonus Chapters
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