Nagels stared at the bodies scattered around him.
One moment they had been standing, laughing, ready to slaughter. The next, they were all collapsed on the ground like sacks of potatoes.
"…Oi," Nagels muttered, his disbelief obvious as he slowly turned in place. "You guys?"
He nudged one pirate with his foot.
"This is not the time to be sleeping. Get up."
No response.
His brow twitched.
"…Oi. You guys," he repeated louder. "Stop playing around. I'm being serious here."
Still nothing.
Makima, still on her knees, wasn't even listening to him anymore. Her eyes were locked on her son. Her thoughts spiraled wildly, fear and confusion tangling together.
Did Tenjin… do that?
No. That was impossible. He was only seven. A normal child. There was no way—
"I said," Tenjin shouted again, his voice shaking but loud, anger bleeding through his fear, "LET MY MOTHER GO!"
Nagels slowly turned his head and locked eyes with the boy.
For the first time since arriving in the South, something unfamiliar crept into his expression.
Unease.
"You brat," Nagels growled. "What did you do to my crewmembers?"
Makima snapped out of her trance.
"Tenjin!" she screamed. "Now's your chance, run!"
She tried to move—
But THUD!
Nagels kicked her hard in the stomach, sending her sprawling. Blood spilled from her mouth as she hit the ground.
"Shut up!," Nagels spat.
"Mom!" Tenjin screamed.
Nagels chuckled darkly as he straightened up.
"I don't know what you did, brat," he said. "But that wasn't normal. I hate weird things. You're a dangerous variable."
He turned his head sharply.
"Sticks!" Nagels barked. "What are you waiting for? Kill the brat."
One of the pirates who remained conscious. A lean man with sharp eyes froze.
"Captain…" Sticks said hesitantly. "Kill him? But he's just a child—"
Nagels' glare snapped to him instantly.
"Sticks!" he roared. "Are you refusing an order from me?!"
Fear flooded Sticks' face.
"N-No! Of course not, Captain Nagels!" he stammered. "I'll take care of him this instant!"
Sticks drew his sword and charged.
"Tenjin!" Makima screamed, forcing herself up and running toward him.
"Tenjin!" Homes shouted as well, trying to push forward but the two remaining pirates blocked his path. Steel clashed as Homes fought desperately to break through.
Tenjin stood frozen.
A man with a sword was running straight at him.
His legs refused to move.
His mind went blank.
Am I… going to die?
Sticks reached him.
The sword came down.
Makima's heart shattered.
'I'm not going to make it in time.'
"Tenjin NOOOO—!"
SLASH!
The blade cut cleanly from Tenjin's shoulder down to his hip.
"NOOOOO!" Makima screamed, tears bursting uncontrollably from her eyes.
"Aaah!" Tenjin screamed. "I'm going to die!"
But—
Sticks' eyes widened.
His sword had passed through Tenjin… yet it felt wrong.
It felt like cutting through leaves and not flesh. He staggered back and looked again.
There was no blood.
No wound.
Nothing.
Tenjin stared down at himself, eyes bulging.
"…What is going on here?"
It took a moment for the others to realize it too.
Makima's sobbing stopped abruptly as she looked at her son who by all logic should not even have an upper body left.
"…Tenjin?" she whispered.
Nagels was completely frozen.
He stared at Tenjin as if he were looking at a monster.
Tenjin, unaware of what everyone else was seeing, suddenly dropped to his knees and began overreacting dramatically.
"This can't be how I die!" he cried. "This is too early!"
He looked at Makima through his tears.
"Mom, please give my wooden toy to Nanagi! And give my wooden sword to Hakugan!"
He sniffed loudly.
"Oh, what a short life… I still wanted to see more of the world…"
He then paused.
"…Heh?"
Tenjin blinked.
"I'm not dead."
Makima.
Nagels.
Homes.
Sticks.
And the remaining pirates.
"EHHHHHH!?!?" they all screamed at once.
Sticks pointed at Tenjin with a shaking hand.
"What do you mean you're not dead?!" he yelled. "I cut you clean! You shouldn't even have an upper body!"
Tenjin ignored him entirely.
He stood up and began touching himself all over, patting his chest, arms, and sides.
"Wow!" he said in amazement. "I'm not even in pain!"
He grinned.
"This is amazing! I wonder how I survived getting cut in half!"
Makima rushed to him and grabbed his shoulders, then his arms, then his face, tears still clinging to her lashes.
"Tenjin! Are you okay?! Are you sick?! What's happening to you?!"
"Oh, don't worry, Mom," Tenjin said casually. "I'm all right."
Nagels snapped out of his shock.
"Sticks!" he shouted. "What the hell are you doing?! Kill the brat!"
"I—I did!" Sticks yelled back. "Or at least I should have!"
He screamed and swung again, then again, then again cutting wildly at Tenjin.
But nothing worked.
Every slash passed through him, his body separating and reattaching effortlessly.
Tenjin laughed.
"This is so cool!" he said. "Is this also because of that fruit?"
Nagels staggered backward, tripped over his own feet, and fell hard onto his backside.
"M-Monster…" he whispered. "This brat is a monster…"
Makima pulled Tenjin into her arms and fussed over him desperately, touching his head, shoulders, arms.
"Are you okay? Are you really okay? Are you dizzy? Does anything hurt?"
"Mom," Tenjin frowned. "Stop treating me like a baby. I'm fine. Really."
Makima grabbed his shoulders.
"Then what's happening to you?! It's only been a few minutes and I feel like I don't even know my own son anymore!"
Tenjin scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Well… you see, Mom, I ate this weird fruit I found by the coast. I'm guessing that's the reason I'm like this."
"…A fruit?" Makima repeated slowly.
"Yes."
"Tenjin," she said seriously. "I'm being serious here."
Tenjin puffed out his cheeks in mock anger.
"But I'm not lying!"
Makima stared blankly.
A fruit…?
"…Whatever," she said finally. "We need to see a doctor. There might be something wrong with you."
Tenjin pulled away from her.
"Even if there is something wrong with me, I don't want it fixed," he said firmly. "I can't even be hurt anymore because of that fruit. I'm not fixing it."
"What are you saying, Tenjin?!" Makima exclaimed. "You could have a serious illness!"
"No!" Tenjin shouted, turning away angrily.
Makima sighed deeply in exhaustion.
Nearby, the fighting had stopped.
Homes lowered his sword, staring at Tenjin in disbelief.
What the hell did I just witness…?
Just what the hell is Tenjin…?
Nagels suddenly began laughing.
At first, it was quiet.
Then louder.
Then unhinged.
"Hahaha… hahahahaHAHAHAHA!" he cackled. "First he knocks out my crewmembers without touching them… and now he can't be killed!"
His laughter cracked into panic.
"A monster! A monster lives on this island! I must leave or I'll die!"
Tenjin slowly turned toward him.
His eyes burned with anger.
"You," Tenjin said coldly. "You kicked my mother pretty badly."
He clenched his fists.
"I'll make sure you pay for that."
Inside, his thoughts churned.
Let me see… just what powers that fruit gave me.
Nagels locked eyes with him and screamed.
"No—! You monster! Don't look at me!"
Tenjin's lips slowly curled upward.
A sinister, devil-like smile spread across his face.
A smile that did not belong on a seven-year-old.