Stealing was exhilarating.
For Kyle, who had lived a relatively law-abiding life in his past existence, the thrill of high-seas larceny was a new, intoxicating drug. For Killua, it was just another Tuesday. For Gon, it was an adventure.
The trio shadowed the pirates through the dense foliage, their Zetsu masking their presence perfectly. The pirates, completely oblivious, chatted loudly as they hauled their crates.
"Why doesn't the Captain just raid the town?" a weaselly-looking man complained, spitting on the ground. "I saw some real beauties near the market!"
"Are you an idiot?" a burly pirate scoffed. "This is Shells Town. It has a Marine base. If we attack, we'd lose half the crew. The Captain is smart—raid the defenseless villages. Low risk, easy pickings."
"Villages only have ugly farm girls," the Weasel whined. "We're pirates! We should take what we want!"
"Shut up, both of you," a third pirate hissed. "If Captain Gray hears you questioning him, he'll rip your tongues out."
The mention of the Captain silenced them.
"Iron Anchor" Gray. A bounty of 5,000,000 Berries. Rumor had it he could bend an iron bar with his bare hands. To these thugs, he was a monster.
The group cleared the forest and arrived at a secluded cove, kilometers away from the main harbor. Tucked behind a rocky overhang sat a ship.
It was a small caravel, sturdy and compact, capable of holding perhaps twenty men.
Kyle signaled the others. That's the target.
Gon and Killua nodded. In a blur of motion, they vanished, reappearing on the ridge directly above the pirates.
"If my guess is right," Kyle whispered, joining them, "the Captain is on board. A man who terrifies his own crew usually stays close to the treasure."
"Terrifying, huh?" Killua cracked his knuckles, a predatory grin spreading across his face. He rolled up his right sleeve. "I'll handle him."
"No fair!" Gon blocked him. "You got the last group! I want the boss!"
"Stop fighting over scraps," Kyle sighed, rubbing his temples. "Captain Gray is a 5 Million Berry pirate. In the grand scheme of things, he's basically a plankton."
"Wait," Killua paused. "Is there a ranking system for bounties? Like, levels?"
"Yes," Kyle nodded, deciding to give them a crash course in One Piece economics.
"Under 10 Million: Small fry. Local thugs. People who robbed a store or killed a civilian."
"10 Million to 100 Million: Dangerous. These are usually leaders of large crews or users of strange abilities. They dominate small seas like the East Blue."
"100 Million to 1 Billion: The true threats. Supernovas. Veterans of the Grand Line. They have mastered Haki or possess powerful Devil Fruits."
"1 Billion to 3 Billion: Top Executives. Yonko Commanders. Monsters who can destroy islands."
"Over 3 Billion: The Emperors. The Yonko. Living natural disasters."
Killua looked back at the ship, his excitement deflating like a punctured balloon. "So... this guy is in the 'small fry' category?"
"This is the East Blue," Kyle reminded him. "It's the weakest of the four seas. Finding a 10 Million bounty here is rare."
"Boring," Killua scoffed. "What level are we at?"
Kyle looked at them—two prodigies who had mastered Nen basics, developed Hatsu, and awakened Haki.
"Conservatively? Tier Three," Kyle estimated. "We're hovering around the 100 Million Berry mark in terms of combat ability."
"100 Million?" Killua's eyes lit up. "Not bad."
Down below, the pirates finally noticed the three figures standing on the ridge.
"Hey! Look!" The Weasel pointed up, a nasty grin forming. "Fresh meat! Three kids. They look soft. Bet we could sell them to a noble for a good price."
The other pirates laughed, drawing their cutlasses. "Good eye! Grab 'em!"
Killua looked down at them with a look of utter pity.
"I'll take the trash," Killua said lazily. "Gon, go get the Captain."
"Okay!"
Gon didn't hesitate. He leaped off the cliff.
"He jumped?!" The Weasel screamed, rushing to the edge. "Is he trying to kill himself?!"
He watched in shock as Gon landed perfectly on the deck of the ship with a heavy thud.
The Weasel turned back to mock the remaining two kids—and froze.
His crew was gone.
All ten of his companions were lying on the ground, unconscious. Killua stood in the middle of the pile, dusting off his hands, looking bored.
The Weasel rubbed his eyes. He looked at the bodies. He looked at Killua.
Impossible.
"Monster..." he squeaked, his legs giving out. He fell onto his butt, scrambling backward. "Captain! Captain Gray! Help!"
He turned toward the ship, screaming for his savior.
Instead of a rescue, he saw a body fly out of the ship's cabin.
CRASH.
A massive man—Captain Gray—landed face-first in the sand at the Weasel's feet. He was unconscious, foaming at the mouth, with a fist-sized dent in his iron chest plate.
Gon walked out of the cabin, dragging a heavy sack of gold.
"Is that everyone?" Gon asked cheerfully.
The Weasel stared at his defeated captain, then at the smiling boy, then at the white-haired demon.
"Eep."
His eyes rolled back in his head, and he fainted from sheer terror.
"Well," Kyle said, jumping down to the sand. "We have a ship."