Capítulo 15: Chapter 15
Chapter 15
A/N: Recently I've had some reviewers leave suggestions to try and 'break' the [Inventory]. Floating ideas such as storing away thousands of gallons of seawater, multi-ton boulders, or even the entire Sea King from Ch.10.
Soooo... clearly I need to take a quick moment to clarify how the [Inventory] works. Since I now realize I have failed to articulate this in the story.
From the beginning I've been imagining it as a sort of 'window' that's only accessible from the front. It appears for Jack when summoned and stretches roughly from his head down to his waist. Width-wise it's a bit more broad than his shoulders but not overly so. In order to put something inside (or extract something out of) the [Inventory], Jack still needs to physically lift said item and fit it through this 'window'.
I hope most of you understand that I need to have this kind of limitation in place or else things starts to get...out of hand.
South Blue, Over the Jagran Current
The twenty-third minute passes by and my impatience is growing. I peak through the spyglass attached to my rifle again and inspect the doors of the ship for what has got to be the tenth time. 'Still nothing. No one going in, no one coming out.'
I count nine men working or lounging about on the main deck. Three by the bow plus the helmsman and the guy he's chatting with gives me a total of 14. That's only the pirates I can see though. I have to assume there's just as many, if not more, hidden away inside.
Average levels for Kid's crew seem to be around the 14-17 range. While I'll readily admit that's a higher quality than the more typical 5-9 I've seen in the past, I'm not overly concerned. Those few extra levels won't be enough to help them withstand a bullet if it's in the right place. I was hoping I'd be able to spot some of Kid's officers but none of those visible really fit the bill. The closest would be the one manning the helm. He's tan-skinned with a cropped tuft of yellow hair on his head and wearing a blue jacket, orange shirt combo. I think I vaguely recognize him from the Sabaody arc but it might just be my mind playing tricks on me.
No matter. At Lv.23 he may be the strongest grunt I can see, but he's still a grunt all the same. In fact, none of these men are the reason I haven't attacked yet. The actual problem, the reason I've stayed my hand and have been hovering here on Kiwi's back for the past half hour is, quite surprisingly, the ship itself.
Victoria Punk
Made in part with the bones of a long dead reptile, the Victoria Punk is the iconic pirate vessel of the 'Kid Pirates', one of the most dreaded pirate gangs currently plaguing the South Blue. The massive set of jaws at its forefront are mechanically operated and have more than once been used to sink rival vessels by, quite literally, snapping them into pieces.
Note: As part of his personal training in controlling his Devil Fruit, Eustass Kid is currently sustaining a protective magnetic field around the Victoria Punk.
First of all, I would like to call bullshit on this whole situation. Kid putting a field around his ship? Yeah, sure, fine, whatever. He can do what he wants. What is complete crap though, is that field magically not affecting any of the ferrous metals clearly inside of it. I don't know if you paid attention in your science courses growing up but that shit is not how magnetic fields work.
Fuckin' Devil Fruits man. Just when you think you know the rules they pull something like this to remind you 'Nope, these things just straight up break reality'.
Second, this barrier raises a whole slew of unknowns. How strong is it? Can bullets pierce through it? Will Eustass be alerted the moment I try? Ideally I want to take out as many of the crew as I can before he storms outside to investigate. If he or Killer realize I'm here before I can eliminate at least some of the small fry then I'll be overwhelmed in less than a minute.
I stow my rifle away and scowl. "Enough waiting..."
Speculating any longer isn't going to do me any good. I can't risk probing the barrier first because It might tell Eustass I'm here. I can't wait for dark because I can already tell Kiwi's starting to run low on steam. Except for the small breather he got when we landed at Kivuruk, he's been flying non-stop the entire day. And while his species may be capable of that, they weren't intended to do it with an extra 200-ish pounds of man and equipment on their back.
I move into a crouching position and firmly grasp a pistol in each hand. The way I see it, there are two things I need in order to have any hope of winning this fight. One, the element of surprise. And two, to be absolutely lethal from the moment I land. Once Kid's magnetism Fruit comes out to play, guns and swords will be close to useless. I'm never landing another hit unless it's with my fists.
With that in mind I think it's obvious where the last 14 points I've been sitting on need to go. I need to know that when I knock someone down, they are staying down. That was really one of my main problems back in Baterilla. Whenever Killer got hit he just bounced right back and asked for more.
Points to spend (14) → (0)
STR (135) → (149)
An argument could be made for VIT instead I suppose. More health means more [HP Regen] and I'm going to need quite a bit of staying power if I'm going to come out on top today. Ultimately though, I just think STR is the better play. Especially now that [Adrenalin Rush] triggers on command.
"Stay up here Kiwi.." I murmur under my breath. "I'll be back soon."
"Kee-Wee!"
I double-check Kugizume is strapped tightly behind my back. Both revolvers are loaded and speedloaders are prepped ahead of time, clipped onto my belt. "Showtime."
I dive off the sparrows back and begin plummeting head first down through the sky. Circular rings of displaced air trail behind me as I use [Geppo] to accelerate my descent faster and faster. I pierce a low-hanging cloud and flip myself over to stick the landing. The invisible barrier tugs sharply at my weapons as I slip through it but it's not enough to matter. If anything, it just gave me a slightly softer touchdown.
My boots slam into the wooden deck, upending planks and shattering floorboards underneath my feet from the high-velocity landing. An inconsequential damage notification appears in the peripheral and I offer it the briefest glance before ignoring it. [HP Regen] will handle it. There are other things to focus on.
The mental countdown has begun.
'One second.'
The nearest Kid pirate stumbles from the tremor. "What in the hell w-" The Lv. 15 goes silent as my first bullet tears through his eye. I don't bother reading his name.
+365 Exp!
Bullet Time Skill Active!
-Time is being for you by 9%
'Two seconds'
Everyone's alert that something just happened but none have jumped into action. Their brains haven't caught up with the situation yet. I throw both arms wide and start spraying shots at every target I can see. Some of them miss. Most of them don't.
+325 Exp!
+390 Exp!
+270 Exp!
+315 Exp!
+420 Exp!
+295 Exp!
'Three seconds'
The recent boost to INT has increased my accuracy, though it still remains far from perfect. But do you know what that 'imperfection' means when at this close of a range? It means a bullet intended for the forehead is off by one inch to the left. A shot aimed at the center of the heart drifts two centimeters to the right. In other words, it literally doesn't fucking matter. Dead is dead.
'Four seconds'
The Lv.23 at the helm is quicker to react than his comrades. He's already abandoned his post, leapt off the balcony, and has crossed half the distance between us with his fist reared back. No doubt intending to smash me through the floor with a crushing blow. '[Soru]!'
I vanish from the spot he's aiming for and reload one of my .44's as I move. His head slowly swivels to track my movement and his eyes widen considerably in fear as I chamber six new rounds all at once.
'Five seconds'
His fist touches down in the area I used to be in the same moment that my finger glides over my weapons special feature. The rapid-fire trigger.
And thus was the end of Mr. 'Lv.23'.
+615 Exp!
Skill Lv. Up! Firearms Mastery Lv. (6/10) → (7/10)
- Your ability to accurately use pistols, rifles, and portable cannons. Current Accuracy: 60%. Accuracy % is equal to [Firearms Mastery Level x5 + ¼ INT].
'Six seconds'
A pirate with a swirling red tattoo on his arm thrusts a sword at my back and [Kami-e] easily bends me to safety. I pistol-whip the mans adam's apple, slam another speedloader into the cylinder, and brain him while he's too busy clutching his crushed windpipe.
+450 Exp!
'Seven seconds'
The door to one of the main cabins is violently kicked open, only instead of Eustass appearing, it's instead an unnaturally tall man with a brown headdress, fishnet stockings on his legs and chest, and a dark red trident in his grip.
Wire, Kid Pirates, Lv. 35
'Eight seconds'
Time is running short. Guns are going to be useless soon.'[Geppo]!' I bounce around the ship like an erratic pinball, trading an empty gun for Kugizume while I do so, until I land in the middle of the trio standing on the bow. Two nervously raise their weapons, panic evident on their face, but the last simply falls on his ass and begins crawling backwards.
'Nine seconds'
The first to charge is, astonishingly, the weakest among them. A Lv.11 named 'Dian' who I'd rank no more threatening than 'Reggie Poliver'. I raise my revolver to neutralize him when an invisible force rips the weapon from my grip. The one I'd sheathed in its holster goes flying after it and is quickly followed by the speedloaders clipped on my belt.
'Time's up.'
Kugizume tries to tear away as well, but thanks to a last moment tightening of my grip I keep hold of the Meito...at least for the moment. Dian goes for a telegraphed overhead swing but I sidestep it with ease. I latch onto his wrist, maneuver him in front of me as a meat shield and turn back towards the main deck where the hosts of today's wonderful little shindig have assembled.
Eustass 'Captain' Kid, Aspiring King, Lv.65
Heat, Kid Pirates, Lv.39
'Massacre Soldier' Killer, Kid Pirates, Lv.52
My eyes slowly comb over the trio, trying to focus on all of them while also keeping watch on Wire, who's checking for pulses in the background. Heat's face is blank. Not a speck of emotion on his scarred zombie-like visage. Lv.39 is a bit higher than I was expecting for him but...gonna have to just make do. The 'Massacre Soldier' is silent as expected...though he is standing unusually straight. 'And is that a small jitter I see in his frame? I think someone's excited for a rematch.' Eustass meanwhile is frothing. Bolts of violet energy are sparking across his palms, signaling the use of his powers and drawing hundreds of weapons and other scraps of metal to his side.
And I do mean hundreds.
Sealed crates that had been lining the side of the main deck have burst open and are expelling their armaments by the dozen. A hatch to the gun deck flips wide and even more munitions rise out to join the massive amalgam of metal. I lose sight of my .44's as they disappear somewhere in the center of the assemblage and a small irritated voice in my head complains about how every fight recently seems to end with me having to find out where my guns ended up.
"Who..." Eustass rasps with boiling orange eyes. "Who...?"
You know...it occurs to me…that if I wanted to... I could just leave at this point. I could toss this 'Dian' fellow aside, escape back to Kiwi with [Geppo], and there'd really be nothing they could do about it.
Such a shame that I really don't want to.
"I'm a guy with a grudge." I answer, then emphasize my point by ducking an attack from behind and running the pirate through with Kugizume.
+335 Exp!
Ding!
You have reached Lv. 44!
You have 20 points to spend.
"Now bring it."
Eustass howls and thrusts the train of amassed metal forward, clearly not caring In the slightest of the hostage in the way.
I shove my meat shield forward and [Geppo] into the air for safety. Dian screams as the tunnel of metal sweeps over him and he quickly disappears inside the wave of iron and steel.
+240 Exp!
Killer hops into action, racing across the top of the metal construct with both scythes spinning and eagerness in every step. '[Adrenalin Rush]'
[Adrenalin Rush] Activated!
STR (149 +70%) → (253.3)
Kugizume crashes into his weapon, batting his arm aside and throwing his whole torso backwards. Unfortunately, much to my chagrin, it seems almost as though he was counting on it. Killer uses the momentum of the spin I've forced him into to swing his leg into my side and connect right below the kidney.
Probably wouldn't be as much of an issue if there wasn't a small retractable knife sticking out of his shoe.
-58 HP!
I nearly bite my tongue in the pain. SON OF A-' My elbow slams down, sending the First Mate plummeting back to ground level and prompting a blue window telling me about the 100 or so points of damage I just got in. Meanwhile, the great serpent of metal rounds on me again and as I dodge it's metaphorical fangs I take a moment to focus in on the man controlling it. '[Observe]'
Eustass 'Captain' Kid, Aspiring King, Lv. 65
Even at a young age, Eustass Kid knew he was different from his peers. Gifted with a fierce ambition and a body that was naturally tougher than those around him, Eustass easily rose to notoriety as the leader of a criminal syndicate in his home Kingdom. As his power and infamy grew, rogues and malefactors naturally gravitated to his side until it was time for Kid to strike out and pursue the highest aspiration one can aim for in this world. To be King Of The Pirates. His callous lack of humanity and the bloodbaths left in his wake have earned him a staggering bounty of 59,000,000 Beri. One of the three highest currently sailing the South Blue.
Health: 5,080/5,080
STR: 269
VIT: 254
DEX: 141
INT: 95
WIS: 102
LUK: 87
Note: Like you, Eustass Kid possesses the [Resilience] [Perk]. His health is being increased.
'Oh.' My eyes ran over the block of text a second time. 'Well that's bad.'
I was prepared for him to be a tough. I was never in any doubt that he'd be one hard son of a bitch to put down. I predicted correctly that he'd be slower than Killer was, as it just wouldn't make sense otherwise. So at least I have that going for me.
However.
I was not quite ready to see a LUK stat twice of my own. Nor a STR that was above even my adrenalin boosted state. I read the final 'Note' again and suppressed a scowl. I guess I can't really call foul on him possessing [Resilience]. This guy's up there with the 'Monster Trio' on the amount of punishment he can-
[Kami-e] activates almost on pure instinct as the trident flies past me. Wire whips his wrist back and a razor thin filament pulls the projectile back to him. At his back, another dozen or so grunts are flooding out of the innards of the ship and are beginning to spread out. Each with rifles and cannons in their grips, ready to reinforce their leaders against the aggressor. Heat dashes froward and puffs his chest up. Orange light can be seen through the stitches of his mouth and not a half second later there's a concentrated stream of fire flying towards me.
Fire in the front. Metal construct at my rear. Far too many weapons locking in on my position. 'Maybe staying in the air isn't the best idea.'
A reverse [Geppo] throws me back to ground level and I immediately bring Kugizume up to block Wire's trident. The officer jabs the weapon forward in quick succession but each time I simply parry or dodge. Whatever his DEX is, it's not up to task for challenging mine.
On one particular thrust I slide left and let the weapon pass me by. I swing Kugizume up, intending to decapitate his weapon, when a power much more profound than its predecessor wrenches the Meito from my hands.
I offer the quickest glance back to Eustass and see he's abandoned the idea of using a giant steel snake to do me in and is instead opting for his more traditional twin metal arms.
Wire goes for another jab now that I'm unarmed but I simply seize the weapon by it's neck, tear it from his hands and send him sliding away with a kick to the chest.
131 Damage!
The officer crashes into a wall, splintering the wood and forcing a glob of spittle to fly from his mouth. I turn to the surrounding mooks to engage but I'm too late. The bullets are already flying.
-115 HP!
-116 HP!
-28 HP!
Two shots find home in my side while a third clips my arm. I launch the stolen trident at one of the idiots who's looking just a bit too smug from shooting me and am rewarded by watching him get lifted off his feet and impaled into the wall.
+350 Exp!
This minor victory is very short lived however as I feel a scythe rake across my back, stripping flesh from my spine. I swing a leg around but Killer is already back-flipping away.
-179 HP!
A shadow above me blocks out the sun and I kick my legs into a [Soru] to avoid getting pancaked by the giant metallic fist.
'Damnit! I can't just react all day! I need to get on the offensive!'
My [Soru] deposits me in front of one of the cannon-wielding mooks. A Lv. 17 named 'Kenrith'. To the mans credit he doesn't flinch in the slightest at my sudden appearance. He depresses the trigger in an attempt to take my head off but by that point I've already bashed his arm away and have delivered a bone-fracturing uppercut to his jaw. His weapon discharges a solid 90 degrees off of his intention and an unfortunate fellow on his right gets blasted overboard...while leaving a leg behind.
+405 Exp!
+260 Exp!
A battle-cry from my right alerts me to the saber coming my way. A simple hop up puts me above the strike and significantly less simple [Geppo] kick into the man's cheek twists his neck at a sickening angle and he collapses to the ground in a series of spastic twitches.
+275 Exp!
Alert! [Adrenalin Rush] has expired!
STR (253.3) → (149)
'No! I'm not done yet! Hit me again!'
[Adrenalin Rush] Activated!
STR (149 +70%) → (253.3)
[Kami-e] slides me beneath the axe of a massive bear of a man. A dirty shot to his groin hunches him over and then with a double-grip on his arm I flip him over and toss his hulking body at a trio of his comrades. The resulting impact doesn't come anywhere close to lethally injuring them but it does knock them straight through the Victoria Punk's railing, into the Blue, and out of the equation.
And apparently for the [Game] that was good enough.
+400 Exp!
+280 Exp!
+305 Exp!
+360 Exp!
The familiar whirring of scythes makes itself known as Killer drops in from above. I slide backwards just in time to watch his blades land and begin tearing into the wooden deck. A massive gray and brown thing appears on my left and I barely have time to bring my arm into a guard before the metal limb smacks me clean off the side of the ship.
- 231 HP!
A wooden railing snaps into pieces from my sudden ejection and stars momentarily take over my vision. 'Holy shit that fucking hurt. That alone did 10% of my health!'
'Well yeah' A separate sarcastic part of my mind spoke up. 'You just got bitch-slapped by a giant wall of weapons. Was it supposed to tickle?'
'Not now brain!' I regain my bearings and use [Geppo] to pull a midair recovery. I launch myself back at the Victoria Punk and begin weaving through the hailstorm of projectiles welcoming my return. Gunfire, cannon fire, actual fire, and lets not forget the giant hand trying to catch me like a child would a fly.
Wire's freshly bloodied trident reappears as one of the launched weapons and an idea gleams in the corner of my eye. When the pirate snaps the filament back to pull in his weapon I clamp down on it's neck and allow myself to be reeled in as well.
Killer, for reasons known only to him, severs the connection but this only works in my favor. Eustass's second limb reaches to clamp over me but with my new unattached weapon in hand I simply vault over the appendage. Kid's techniques may hit hard but they'll never land if I have time to see them coming.
My boot barely makes contact with the surface of the ship before Heat moves in and tries engaging me in close combat. 'Huh.' I think after dodging under what was almost a kick to the side of my head. 'Didn't take him for a hand-to-hand guy.' Using Wire's trident like a staff I pelt Heat under his chin and then use the opening to sweep his legs.
I twirl the trident around, intent on trying to incapacitate the officer with a downward stab but Eustass rushing me himself aborts that plan before it can even begin. The pirate captain, seeing the ineffectiveness of his previous strategy, has opted to change to the 'up close and personal' approach. Most of the mass he was using to make his previous constructs has been abandoned and all that remain is two deadly 'gloves' that he clearly wants to pulverize my face with.
I'm forced on the defensive, blocking his strikes with Wire's weapon and backpedaling all the while. A stray thought wonders why he doesn't just use his Fruit to try and take the trident away from me but I discard it as unimportant. I don't know what metal this thing's made of. Maybe the answer's as simple as it just isn't naturally magnetic.
Eustass throws one last wild punch forward and I smirk at the sloppiness of this one compared to the others. [Kami-e] slides me cleanly around it and I bring the tail end of the trident straight into Kid's nose.
175 Damage!
A satisfying crunch rings in my ears as his head snaps back and a few items fall loose from his 'gloves' due to the broken concentration. I try to move in for a followup but the rapid thumping of footsteps from behind sends me fleeing.
"Goddamnit!" I curse as I hop away from the whirling scythe. "Would you stop interrupti-"
That was the moment when things went bad.
Because it was in that moment, myself mid-dodge and mid-complaint, that the cannonball exploded across my back.
-443 HP!
I think I screamed. To be honest it's a bit hard to tell. From my perspective time seemed to have almost 'jumped'. Like a scratched record skipping a note or a movie a scene. I was in the air talking one moment... and the next I was trying to push myself off the ground as the obliterated remains of my jacket and shirt spilled over my shoulders. There's a new pop-up telling me my second [Adrenalin Rush] has expired but I barely register it through the white hot haze flaring in my skull.
-25 HP!
A sharp kick to my midsection -from whom exactly I'm not sure-, sends me rolling across the deck and into the legs of Wire. The tall man reaches down, extricates the trident I genuinely didn't know I was still holding from my grip, and then spits to the side in disgust.
The weapon comes plunging downward and the mental 'DANGER' alarms scream loud enough to instantly bring clarity rushing back. My hands catch two of the three spikes inches from my chest and the classic 'his strength vs. mine' struggle begins. He's got gravity on his side…as well as not being half-dead'. Though on my end I've got the numbers in STR, not to mention…"[Adrenalin Rush]!"
[Adrenalin Rush] Activated!
STR (149 +70%) → (253.3)
Alert! Daily Limit Reached!
Wire seems confused at my sudden outburst and silently mouths the words back to me. Confusion turns to surprise as I throw his weapon aside and hop back to my feet. Surprise becomes pained bewilderment as my fist sinks into his stomach. And finally pained bewilderment shifts into utter disbelief as my other arm vanishes into the [Inventory], returns with a common sword you can buy at any market, and then runs him through with it.
Skill Lv. Up! Bladed Weapon Mastery Lv. (13/150) → (14/150)
-Your ability to expertly wield swords, knives, spears, or any other sharpened tools.
+1,525 Exp!
Ding!
You have reached Lv. 45!
You have 40 points to spend.
"WIRE!" Killer screams with the first emotion I've ever heard from behind the mask. He blitzes forward like a man possessed and I wisely choose to retreat to the sky. I push off with [Geppo] and one of my legs screams at the effort. An imbalanced version of the [Skill] fires off that sends me careening to the right- and off the boat- rather than straight up.
I whip my eyes down to determine what went wrong and see that the back of my left leg is basically trashed. 'From the cannonball... I'm so hopped up on adrenalin I didn't even notice.' [HP Regen] will fix the problem given time but it's safe to say that -for the next couple minutes at least- I'm down to one leg for anything more than just walking.
Which is a problem. My [Skill] Lv. in [Geppo] isn't high enough to really do anything on one leg. I'm limited to tiny puffs that aren't good for much more than hovering in place.
My right leg shoots off several small wisps to keep me aloft as I try to come up with a plan. 'Can't go back down. I'll get slaughtered on one leg. Can't stay up here. I'm too easy a targe-'
Heat puffs his chest even larger than before and unleashes a literal inferno off the Victoria Punk's starboard side at me. I ignore how excruciating a max powered [Geppo] will no doubt feel and try to move to safety. Only this time the ability doesn't come out imbalanced, it straight up fails and my mind is flooded by the feelings of leg muscles shrieking at me for trying to push them.
As it turns out though. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Had the jump even succeeded, all it would have accomplished is send me crashing straight into the metal anchor I had failed to notice Eustass raising from the sea behind me.
An anchor that immediately flew forward at the behest of its summoner.
-368 HP!
My mouth wrenches open as the multi-ton object slams into my back, re-tearing what little [HP Regen] had managed to stitch together in the past half-minute. I manage the briefest look to identify what just hit me and try not to scream at the bill hook in my leg. 'When the fuck did that get there!' The weaponized grapple continues to propel forward, aiming for a direct collision with the fireball and I squirm in vain to peel myself away.
'No no no no no no.'
Skill Lv. Up! Bullet Time Lv. (3/30) → (4/30)
-Your ability to perceive time at a slower rate while in combat. Slowed perception increased from (9%) → (12%)
'Oh fuck me.'
For the briefest moment I wonder if 'Resistance to Hot and Cold' will help shield me from this. I originally interpreted the ability to just mean my body was exceptionally good at maintaining homeostasis. A little biological quirk to help out when in desert or tundra-like environments. I doubt it was meant to help me against actually getting set on fire.
And as the flames wash over me and my flesh begins to sear, I realize I was absolutely right.
-15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP!
-15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP!
-15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP!
A gut-wrenching scream rips from my throat as my skin begins to cook. The hairs on my body ignite. The proteins in my flesh begin to denature. Exposed blood boils away.
And the blue notifications just won't stop.
-15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP!
-15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP!
-15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP! -15 HP!
I'm not sure when Eustass released the device from his powers and the plummet downward began. Somehow the directional change was lost on me while I was too preoccupied screeching in agony. But one second I was airborne and the next I saw the surface of the ocean right before slamming into it.
The sensation of my roasting flesh is extinguished but is immediately replaced by the oh so delightful feeling of having saltwater seep into every wound.
A small tiny speck of luck has my leg free itself from the anchors hook but all that does is slow my descent. My health is dangerously close to zero. There's no air in my lungs. Every drop of energy in my body has been burned away.
And I am sinking deeper with every passing moment.
Already the sunlight is starting to dimmer. The light blue of the water around me is transitioning to twilight and my eyelids are impossibly heavy.
The last little scrap of oxygen I have left is spent uttering a single word.
"...[Status]..."
The blue screen is the sole light in my rapidly darkening world and a sluggish finger slowly extends to hold down the one button that might save me.
Points to spend (40) → (0)
VIT (115) → (155)
Max Health (2,300) → (3,100)
A single great spasm rocked my body as the extra 800 health hit me like a revitalizing burst. Several of my more serious wounds healed instantly. The cells of my body began working harder to heal the one's that didn't as [HP Regen]'s effectiveness rose. The weights that were seconds away from closing my eyes forever evaporated and clear rational thought returned to me. And that rational thought had one very important thing to say.
'You're still drowning Jack.'
Both of my legs started kicking wildly. My arms shot upwards in broad paddling strokes. My descent to the 'Locker' instantly reversed course but it became immediately apparent that the surface was too far away. Already the lack of air was making the sandbags on my eyelids return.
'I'm not gonna make it. I'm not gonna make it! Go faster! Go faster! [Geppo]![Geppo]![Geppo]!'
[Skill] Failed! You can not use this underwater.
[Skill] Failed! You can not use this underwater.
[Skill] Failed! You can not use this underwater.
'Bull-shit! Fuck you! If Sanji can do it, so can I!"
I push my legs harder. Trying to thrust them at the right speed despite the waters thicker medium.'[Gepp- wait NO! It's called... [Blue Walk]!'
The underwater version of CP9's technique activates and my body rockets through the ocean like a fired torpedo. A light blue window appears before me to tell me 'New [Skill] Acquired!' but I swipe it away like the annoyance it is.
A geyser of water explodes next to the Victoria Punk as I breach through the sea and into the air. The crew all whip around to stare in shock and I take full advantage of their stupor. I pull my legs in and throw myself into a wild charge at the nearest target I can see.
Heat.
The scarred man takes an involuntary step back in surprise and quickly puffs his chest up to protect himself. The frantic fireball he throws out is weak. Unprepared.
And I certainly wasn't going to feel threatened by it.
'Get lost!' My body worked itself into a spin as I prepared something else. It had failed before in testing. I had no logical reason to believe it wouldn't fail this time as well. Except..I could feel it.
This time it would succeed.
"[Rankyaku]!"
Ding!
New Skill Acquired!
Rokushiki Technique #4 of 6. (Rankyaku). Lv. (1/50)
-One of the vaunted 'Six Powers'. By swinging their leg out in a high velocity arc, users of this technique are able to generate a compressed sickle of air that can rend through objects and cut enemies down from afar. Masters of this [Skill] are able to fire it with any limb, create gusts sharp enough to slice stone, or even invent their own variations of the technique.
Note: Due to your low level with this [Skill] there is an 80% chance the [Skill] will fail on use.
The blue sickle of energy ripped through the air and easily split the weak conflagration in twain. Heat barked a scream as the crescent sliced open his chest and then was silenced when I crashed into him a half-second later.
The two of us tumbled over the deck like a pair of entwined ragdolls before rolling to a stop. The second-mate tries to throw me off but he's too slow.
I've already picked up the discarded sword next to where we landed and raised it high. The steel sinks into his heart and a strange gasping noise comes from his throat.
"That's for burning my village." I spat with a sort of wild-eyed glee. "You glasgow-looking motherfucker."
+2,060 Exp!
I stand up, still riding the high from both the kill and the VIT infusion. "Who's Nex-" I'm silenced as the metal boxing glove crashes into my face.
Alert! Eustass Kid's status has changed to [APOPLECTIC!] He is receiving +40% to STR, VIT, DEX, and LUK.
What follows is the most brutal and one-sided beatdown I've ever witnessed let alone been the one to experience. I try to raise my arms to defend but it serves no purpose. Even if I weren't a stones throw away from death, he's just too far above my weight class now. My vision is replaced entirely by metal fists, health notifications and the color red. Whether it's Kid's hair or my own blood I can't be sure.
My health ticks below 600. 450. 300. 150. And then finally culminates with,
"REPEL!"
One of Kid's 'gloves' flies off his hand like a rocket and carries me limply past the bodies of his crew before hammering me into the center mast and breaking a pair of already fractured ribs.
My knees fail me as my health falls below 50. I willingly let myself slump to the floor and allow my head to hang loosely to the side. There's no plans of fighting back or buying for time. I'm not even in any pain. The only thing left in my body is the single realization that I am tired...
"Kid..." Killer speaks up. His voice laced with unusual concern. "This is a major setback." His gaze sweeps over the bodies of the crew..lingering on Heat and Wire for just a little longer than the others.
Eustass spits at the ground in dismissal. "If they died to some random nobody then that just means they were trash. Trash like that would only have gotten in our way given time. This won't stop me! Nothing's stopping me!" Eustass's head tilts up, daring the heavens to challenge his proclamation. "I will be!" He inhales a breath to roar his next words. "KING OF THE PIRATES!"
A wave of silence follows his decree but it is ultimately interrupted when a tiny chuckle bubbles in my throat. A weak raspy gurgle that I just can't stop. Even as my shattered ribs tear my insides further from the movement, it's just too good not to laugh.
The captain of the Kid Pirates saunters towards me with a lip-curdled sneer and gathers one final metal fist over his right arm. "What's so funny dead man?"
"Sorry...it'd… it'd take too long to explain.." I paused to cough, letting a fresh rivulet of dark blood flow down my chin. "I want you to know Eustass... That you will never be King. And that someday...someday I'm going to be the man who kills you. Even though you won't remember this...I want you to know that I swear it on my soul."
Eustass scoffs at the delirious ramblings and pulls his arm back. The swords making up his remaining gauntlet shift to the front and his hand comes down like the executioners blade.
"I'll be seeing you Eustass..."
You have died.
Remaining lives (4/5) → (3/5)
Loading most recent Auto-Save…
The first thing I felt on my return to consciousness...was the wind.
Then came the weight of the rifle in my hands and the feeling of Kiwi's feathers brushing against my legs.
My eyes opened slowly… and a long weary breath followed shortly after. I lazily glanced over my sparrow's side and gazed down on the Victoria Punk sailing across the waves, its inhabitants blissfully unaware of the...event...they were all just a part of.
Just like when I had died against Blackjack, everything had been reset to before the fight began. My levels. My [Skills]. Their lives.
Everything except for my own mental exhaustion.
I could try again I suppose. Go for the ol' 'Round Two' as it were. Using what I'd learned from the first battle I'd probably do better. Way better.
But I'd still lose.
I may have devastated the numbers on his crew but I barely got any damage in on the man himself. And despite my higher stats I did even less to Killer than I did in Baterilla.
It hurts to admit it. It's a truth I didn't want to face when I set off to chase these men down. 'I'm not ready.'
"Come on Kiwi." I whisper, grabbing the straps of his bridle. "We're turning around."
I'm going to go back to Kivuruk to help them rebuild. I can't replace the lives lost or the people scarred. But I can rebuild houses. I can restore homes and boats and supplies and anything else they need. I don't care if it costs me every cent of the millions I've collected so far.
And once that's done...I'm going to get stronger.
I'm going to grind my rokushiki until they're maxed out. I'm going to unlock [Rankyaku] again and then max THAT out as well. I don't need to be at a level where I can beat them. I need to be at a level where I can crush them.
Korka was right. Someone needs to clean up this fucking ocean. The Marines aren't up to it. Their power is too focused on the Grand Line. The Revolutionaries aren't up to it. They're spread too far and too thin fighting other battles already. The common people can't do it. Not by themselves.
So it's gonna have to be me.
Ding!
New Quest Alert!
Quest: Pirates. Criminals. Rapers, plunderers, and scum of every kind. No more. It's time to sanitize the South Blue. Capture or kill wanted men in South Blue who's bounties total at least One Billion Beri. Progress: (10,402,500/1,000,000,000)
Reward: 99,000 Exp, +25 LUK, and ?
[ACCEPT/DECLINE]
As far as South Blue is concerned...I'm calling an end to this 'Great Age of Piracy'.
A/N 2: Sometimes when I edit an old chapter to fix a typo, such as changing a 'then' into a 'than', the website sends an alert to a small fraction of my Followers telling them that the story has been updated. Not sure why does this. If this has happened to you at some point this past month, all I can say is...ehhh sorry for the false alarm I guess?
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