章 35: Chapter 35: Death and Fury!
The jungle had grown eerily quiet, save for the occasional shuffle of Grint's remaining men as they scoured the island, desperate for any sign of the Devil Fruit. Vulcan watched them from the shadows, perched high in the branches of a thick tree, hidden from view. His lips curved into a smirk as his eyes locked onto one of the pirates—clearly a low-ranking lackey, someone with no clue about the danger he was walking into.
Vulcan had made sure of that.
Earlier, he had created a trail—a deliberate, yet subtle path of broken branches and disturbed undergrowth, leading directly to the one place he knew Grint and his men would want to find: the beast and the Devil Fruit.
The pirate, who was already jittery from days of wandering the hostile island, stumbled along the trail. His movements were erratic, and his breathing uneven, the fear clear on his face. When he caught sight of something glinting faintly in the distance, he froze. His eyes widened as he slowly approached the clearing at the center of the island.
There it was. The Devil Fruit, resting in the open near the feet of the massive beast that guarded it. The creature lay still, its massive, hulking form sprawled across the ground, breathing heavily as it slept. The pirate's jaw dropped as he realized what he had found. The fruit—what Grint had been desperately seeking—was right in front of him. But so was the beast.
Without hesitation, the pirate turned and ran back toward the camp, his lungs burning as he pushed himself faster. He had to tell the captain. He had to let him know. This was their ticket to power, to revenge, to everything they had lost.
Minutes later, the pirate burst into Grint's camp, panting heavily as he clutched at his knees. Grint turned toward him, his eyes narrowing.
"What is it?" Grint barked, his impatience clear.
"C-Captain," the pirate stammered, trying to catch his breath. "I-I found it. The Devil Fruit... It's near the center of the island. But... there's a beast... a huge one, guarding it."
Grint's face twisted into a grin, his eyes gleaming with raw greed and hunger. "Where?" he demanded, stepping forward. "Show me. Now."
The pirate, trembling, nodded quickly and led Grint toward the location. As they moved through the jungle, the rest of the crew quickly caught wind of what was happening and followed, weapons in hand, excitement building.
Vulcan trailed them from the shadows, his eyes gleaming with interest. He could see it now—the desperation in Grint's movements, the way his eyes flickered with wild determination. The captain had been pushed to his breaking point, and now, blinded by the promise of the Devil Fruit, he was rushing headlong into a battle he couldn't win.
When they reached the clearing, Grint froze. There it was—the Devil Fruit, nestled near the massive, slumbering beast. The creature's fur rippled as it exhaled, each breath heavy with power.
Grint grinned, his eyes locking onto the fruit. This was it.
Without a second thought, Grint drew his sword and charged. His eyes were set on the fruit, but the beast's sudden roar brought him to an abrupt halt. The massive creature's eyes snapped open, filled with primal fury. It rose to its feet, towering over the pirate captain, its muscles rippling with strength. The ground seemed to tremble beneath it as it let out a low, rumbling growl.
Grint hesitated for only a moment before he let out a battle cry and rushed forward, swinging his sword with all his might. The blade cut through the air, aimed at the beast's side. But the creature was faster than expected. With a roar, it swatted Grint aside with a massive paw, sending the pirate captain crashing into a tree with a sickening thud.
Vulcan, watching from the shadows, couldn't help but chuckle. "Too eager, Grint," he muttered to himself. "Always too eager."
Grint staggered to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth as he snarled. "You think that's enough to stop me, you ugly beast?!"
The beast, seemingly unimpressed by Grint's bravado, roared again and charged. Its massive form barreled toward the captain with terrifying speed, and Grint barely had time to react. He dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's crushing blow. His sword flashed out again, this time slicing across the beast's thick hide. Blood spattered onto the ground, but the wound did little more than anger the creature further.
Vulcan's eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched the battle unfold. Grint was strong, there was no doubt about that. But the captain was reckless, blinded by his need to win, to claim the Devil Fruit for himself.
Grint let out a furious yell as he lunged at the beast again, swinging his sword with renewed force. The beast roared in response, its massive claws slicing through the air as it swatted at Grint. The pirate captain dodged, weaving between its attacks, but the sheer size and strength of the beast made it clear that this was no easy battle.
As the clash continued, Grint's crew arrived, drawn by the sounds of the fight. They gathered at the edge of the clearing, their eyes wide with shock as they watched their captain battle the massive beast. Rhys stepped forward, his expression grim.
"Captain!" Rhys called out, but Grint didn't respond. His focus was entirely on the battle, on the Devil Fruit that lay just out of reach.
Grint swung his sword again, cutting deep into the beast's side. But the creature retaliated with a devastating blow, its massive paw smashing into Grint's chest and sending him flying across the clearing. He crashed into the ground, blood spilling from his mouth as he struggled to breathe.
"C-Captain!" one of the pirates shouted, but Grint didn't rise.
The beast loomed over the fallen pirate, its eyes burning with fury. Grint tried to lift his sword, but his strength was failing him. The beast let out a final roar and lunged forward, its massive jaws closing around Grint's arm.
The pirate captain screamed in agony as the beast tossed him aside like a ragdoll. His body hit the ground with a sickening crack, his sword falling from his limp hand.
Rhys's eyes widened in shock as he watched his captain fall. Without hesitation, the vice-captain stepped forward, his voice cutting through the chaos.
"Retreat!" Rhys ordered, his voice steady and commanding. "Fall back to the beach! Now!"
The pirates hesitated for only a moment before scrambling to obey, their weapons forgotten as they turned and ran. Rhys moved quickly, rallying the men and leading them away from the clearing as the beast roared once more, its bloodied body towering over them.
But the beast wasn't finished. Its eyes flicked toward the fleeing pirates, and with a growl, it charged, its massive form crashing through the jungle as it pursued them.
Vulcan watched with amusement as the beast tore through Grint's crew. The pirates were no match for the creature's speed and strength, and one by one, they fell. Vulcan used the chaos to his advantage, slipping through the trees and picking off the remaining crew members with swift, calculated strikes.
As the pirates screamed and fled, Vulcan moved like a shadow, his naginata flashing out as he took down those who tried to escape the beast's rampage. Blood splattered the ground as Vulcan's strikes found their marks, and slowly but surely, the pirates' numbers dwindled.
Soon, the jungle fell silent.
Only one man remained.
Rhys, battered and bleeding, collapsed onto the sand near the beach, gasping for air. His chest heaved with exhaustion as he struggled to his feet, his eyes darting around for any sign of his men.
"C-Crew…" he croaked, his voice weak. "Is anyone... anyone still alive?"
There was no answer. The silence was deafening.
And then, from the shadows, a voice.
"I'm here, Vice-Captain," Vulcan said, stepping forward, a coil of rope slung over his shoulder. His grin was wide, his eyes gleaming with cruel amusement. "Or should I say... Captain?"
Rhys's eyes widened as Vulcan approached, his body trembling with exhaustion and fear. Vulcan knelt down beside him, his grin widening.
"Well, that's a bit of a problem, isn't it?" Vulcan continued, his tone light. "Hard to be a captain... when you've got no crew."
Rhys's breath hitched, his body sagging with despair.
Vulcan's grin didn't falter as he leaned closer. "Oh well. Sucks to be you."
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