The first day at sea was filled with energy and excitement. Eli Winters and his companion, the giant panda Big Pan, were practically glowing with enthusiasm. The horizon stretched endlessly before them, full of promises of adventure.
The second day, they encountered their first Sea King. A monstrous creature with scales like armor and jaws wide enough to swallow their small boat whole. Eli leapt into action, his blade flashing once, and the beast collapsed into the waves. It was almost disappointing how quickly the battle ended. If only they could start a fire on the boat, the meat would have been a feast. Instead, Eli tucked the massive carcass away into his storage space. A future banquet, waiting to happen.
On the third day, the sea was calm. Too calm. The glassy waves reflected the sky like a mirror, and the silence pressed down on them. The endless monotony drained their spirits, turning excitement into boredom.
The fourth day… calm again.
By the fifth, a small storm rolled in. The waves tossed the boat and Big Pan promptly turned green, leaning over the side and vomiting until he could barely stand. Eli, ever merciless, laughed at him the entire time, mocking the "mighty panda warrior" brought low by a little seasickness.
And so the days blurred together.
By the sixteenth day, Eli was draped across the prow of the boat, staring blankly at the endless blue, his expression hollow.
"How is this supposed to be an adventure?" he groaned. "This is torture. Too boring to live."
At the back of the boat, Big Pan was fiddling with the crude propeller device they used for propulsion. His voice was weak when he replied, "Brother… we're almost out of food."
Eli sat up sharply. "Wait, what? Didn't I ration everything? Don't tell me you've been sneaking extra meals!"
Three days earlier, Eli had pulled out all their remaining food to take inventory. It hadn't been much, but by cutting their portions, they should have had at least four or five days left.
Big Pan looked utterly wronged. "Me? You eat twice as much as I do!"
Eli's ears went red at that. It was true his appetite was always bigger. He scratched his head sheepishly, then forced a laugh. "Heh… well, we've still got Sea King meat. Raw isn't ideal, but it won't kill us. We'll be fine."
Big Pan rolled his eyes at the sky. "Sure, raw monster meat. Fantastic."
Before either of them could complain further, Big Pan's sharp gaze caught something. A black sphere was hurtling toward them across the waves.
"Brother! Look something's flying straight at us!"
But Eli had already sensed it with his Observation Haki. He snapped upright, focused his will, and with a flick of thought invoked his ability.
"Spatial Slash!"
The air shimmered. The black cannonball split neatly in two and splashed harmlessly into the sea.
Instead of anger, Eli burst into laughter. "Big Pan, our luck's changed! That was a cannonball proof that there's a ship nearby."
And sure enough, as they looked ahead, the looming silhouette of a massive vessel emerged. Its black sails bore the grinning skull of a pirate flag.
Eli's grin widened. "Perfect. Big Pan, steer us closer. I'll go on ahead to check things out."
His body twisted, then blurred and vanished. Kamui had taken him.
"W-wait, Brother! Don't leave me behind!" Big Pan scrambled to crank the propeller to full power, racing after the pirate ship.
On board the pirate vessel, the crew were still laughing about their "fun" little target practice.
"Hah! Wonder how long that dinghy lasts once our cannons punch holes in it," one jeered.
"Captain, something's odd," muttered a sharp-eyed pirate. "That little boat someone's missing from it."
"Bah, don't overthink it, Robso," growled their captain, a burly man named Ors Kumli. "Probably jumped overboard when he saw our cannons."
Robso frowned. Something felt wrong, but he couldn't put it into words.
They fired a few more shots, forcing Big Pan to swerve wildly to dodge, but their laughter froze at the sudden sound of a voice behind them.
"Hey, fellas. What's got you so cheerful? Care to share the joke?"
The crew whipped around. A young man stood casually at the center of the deck, arms crossed, dark eyes gleaming with mischief. His build was lean but strong, his boyish face irritatingly handsome.
"Wha who the hell are you, brat?!"
"You've got guts, showing up uninvited on Black Bear Pirates' turf!"
"Pretty boy like you'll fetch a good price on the market!"
Their shouts grew rowdy, but Eli only sighed in exaggerated disappointment. "So noisy. Ever heard of manners?"
With a flicker, his Spatial Slash swept out. One by one, heads rolled from bodies, hitting the planks with sickening thuds. The survivors stumbled back, pale with terror.
"Y-you monster…"
Eli's voice was light, almost teasing. "Come now. Pirates like you butcher civilians without a second thought. Don't look at me like I'm the bad guy."
Their captain, Ors Kumli, bared his teeth. "Damn kid… who the hell are you?"
Eli cocked his head. "So you're the boss, huh?"
"That's right. I'm Ors Kumli, captain of the Black Bear Pirates! You killed my men don't think you're walking away alive. Kill him!"
Guns roared, bullets tearing across the deck only to pass straight through Eli's ghostly form. The crew gasped.
"He's… a ghost?"
"Ghost or not, I'll rip him apart!" Kumli bellowed. His body warped and swelled, muscles bulging until fur sprouted across his massive frame. In moments he had transformed into a towering black bear, fangs gleaming.
"Ohh, a Zoan-type Devil Fruit," Eli mused, eyes glittering. "The Black Bear Fruit, right? Impressive bulk. Terrifying, really."
"Die!" Kumli thundered, slamming a paw the size of a cartwheel at him. The blow shattered the planks, but Eli had already vanished.
"Fast… too fast!"
"Not fast enough," Eli murmured, reappearing at his side. His fist gleamed black with Armament Haki as it drove into Kumli's chest. The massive pirate flew backward, spitting blood before crashing into the ship's cabin.
Eli didn't hesitate. He warped forward again, shattering Kumli's limbs to leave him writhing helplessly on the floor.
The once-mighty captain reverted to human form, gasping, eyes burning with hatred.
"You… you'll regret this," he hissed. "Kill me, and Lady Sherry will never forgive you."
Eli's gaze hardened. "Save your threats. Slavers like you seal your own fate the moment you prey on the helpless. I'm just the executioner fate sent your way."
His blade shimmered. One clean Spatial Slash ended the pirate's life.
Behind him, Big Pan finally crashed down onto the deck with all the grace of a falling boulder. "Boss! Don't ditch me next time!"
Eli chuckled. "Relax. There's bound to be food on this ship. Tonight, we feast."
Big Pan's eyes lit up instantly. "Food? Then I forgive you!"
Eli smirked, jerking his chin toward the trembling pirates who remained. "They're all yours. Consider it practice."
Big Pan hefted his heavy staff eagerly. "Alive or dead?"
"Do as you like."
Moments later, the deck was filled with the sound of pirates screaming and Big Pan laughing as he swung his weapon.
Eli ignored them, stepping over bloodstained planks until he reached the shattered cabin where Kumli had fallen. He gazed down at the corpse, voice low.
"You were just the beginning. This sea… this world… is far darker than I imagined."
With that, he turned and descended into the depths of the ship, his hand tightening around the hilt of his black blade as he prepared to see what horrors lay hidden below.
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