章 3: 3. Fight against Pirate
"How was the seasoning I gave you, Yamazaki-kun?" asked an old man who owned and maintained the library Noir often visited in the morning after breakfast.
"It was really delicious, thank you, old man. Thanks to that, I can enjoy properly seasoned meals," Noir replied as he read the newspaper that had just been delivered.
'Hmm, still no news about those two,' Noir thought as he flipped through the pages and continued reading. There were numerous reports of sabotage and several pirate attacks on villages.
Reading about the pirates, Noir couldn't wait to set sail and fight both pirates and the navy. Just yesterday morning, last night, and even earlier this morning, he'd been battling wild beasts in the forest, pushing his body beyond its limits. Noir could feel himself growing stronger than before, especially after his earlier battle against a wild boar that was the same size as the one he fought previously, except this one had scars on its body. He managed to defeat it faster than he had the day before.
<Status>
[Name: Yamazaki Noir]
[Age: 20]
[Title: -]
[Race: Human]
[Devil Fruit: -]
[Potential: SSS]
[Strength: A+]
[Endurance: A]
[Durability: A]
[Speed: A-]
[intelligent: S+]
[Luck: S+]
[Skills: 4]
[Trait: 1]
[Money: 0]
His stats had increased significantly since he started battling wild beasts, particularly his durability, which had skyrocketed because he kept taking and enduring hits, dodging only when necessary. Besides fighting wild animals, Noir had also intensified his physical training.
While he was busy looking at his stats, Noir suddenly heard a man running and shouting loudly.
"PIRATES!!!" the man shouted as he ran with his fishing gear in hand. The other villagers heard this and immediately looked toward the harbor, where they could see a pirate ship sailing toward the island.
"Hmm? Pirates?" Noir muttered, lowering his sunglasses as he glanced to the side. Sure enough, from a distance, he could see a pirate ship approaching the village. The old man nearby noticed the ship and then looked at Noir.
"Yamazaki-kun, we need to escape to the back of the island. Staying here will get us all killed," the old man said, hurriedly packing up a few of his belongings. But Noir wasn't listening at all. He was waiting for the moment when he could finally face other humans in battle, and that moment had now arrived.
"You go ahead. I've got some unfinished business here," Noir replied, folding his newspaper and placing it on the chair before walking behind a building to hide. If he didn't, the villagers or the old man would surely try to drag him along to escape.
Noir sat on a crate, closing his eyes, waiting until the entire village had fled. After a few minutes, the village grew silent, and Noir began walking toward the harbor.
As the pirate ship drew closer, Noir could make out the emblem and condition of the ship. Honestly, the ship was in pretty rough shape. 'It probably won't last a week before it sinks,' he thought as he removed his sunglasses. After all, this battle would likely be his toughest yet.
Once the ship docked, the entire crew and their captain disembarked. Noir raised an eyebrow when he saw their condition; they appeared to be in good health, though a few of them were wrapped in bandages.
"Hmm? Someone's still here?" said the large, muscular man, wearing spiked gloves on both hands. "Yeah, I'm not the type to run away from small fry," Noir replied, lighting his cigarette and exhaling a plume of smoke.
When the pirate captain saw that Noir wasn't the least bit intimidated but instead regarded them as mere insects, his fury erupted instantly. With a deep growl, he pointed at Noir with his spiked gloves.
"Kill him! Don't let him live!" he bellowed.
Without hesitation, his men rushed at Noir, confident that their numbers would be enough to crush the man standing alone. Noir, showing not a hint of fear, stamped out his cigarette on the ground and prepared to face them. This was the moment he had been waiting for—a real fight against other humans.
The first pirate to approach was a burly man wielding a long knife. Without thinking twice, he swung the blade down toward Noir's head, hoping to end the fight in one swift strike. But Noir, with a calm expression, raised his arm to block the attack. The knife slashed across his forearm, but he didn't flinch. Blood began to drip, but it only made his smile grow wider.
With lightning speed, Noir smashed his fist into the man's face, landing a solid punch to his jaw. Crack! The sound of bone breaking echoed clearly, and the man was sent crashing to the ground, unconscious.
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill Proficiency has increased by 3%]
Two more men, each armed with swords, tried to flank him from the sides. Noir quickly stepped back, allowing their swords to graze his shoulder. More blood spilled, but Noir didn't care. With a quick forward leap, he slammed his elbow into one man's chest, hitting his throat. The man staggered, choking from the blow, and fell to his knees, clutching his neck.
Meanwhile, the second swordsman swung again at Noir. Noir lunged forward, grabbing the man's arm mid-swing. In one brutal motion, he twisted the arm until an audible snap echoed through the air, then threw the man to the ground with force.
A larger pirate wielding a massive axe charged at Noir, swinging it wildly. Noir saw the opening and quickly sidestepped, delivering a hard kick to the man's knee. Crack! The pirate's knee bent the wrong way, and he collapsed in agony, screaming. Noir wasn't finished. He grabbed the man's head, yanked it down, and slammed it into the ground with all his might. The pirate fell unconscious immediately.
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill Proficiency has increased by 2%]
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill Proficiency has increased by 2%]
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill Proficiency has increased by 2%]
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill…]
[….]
Attack after attack came relentlessly, but Noir faced them without hesitation. With each punch and kick, his body grew tougher, and the system continued to notify him of his rising skill levels.
Several pirates attempted to overwhelm him all at once. One man lunged at Noir with his fist raised, aiming for a crushing blow from above. But Noir responded with lightning speed—in one fluid motion, he spun and drove his knee into the man's gut. The pirate staggered back, gasping for air, and Noir followed up with a lethal punch to the chin, sending him crashing to the ground with a loud thud.
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill Proficiency has increased by 2%]
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill Proficiency has increased by 2%]
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill Proficiency has increased by 2%]
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill Proficiency has increased by 2%]
['Kyokushin Karate' Skill…]
[….]
Unsatisfied with simply taking down weaker opponents, Noir took every opportunity to hone his abilities even further. When one of the pirates swung his sword, Noir intentionally blocked the strike with his arm, despite the blood that poured from the wound. He smiled maniacally. "Is this really all you've got?" He immediately retaliated with a hard punch to the pirate's gut, powerful enough to knock the wind from his lungs.
The clash continued, and with every brutal blow, Noir's superiority became more evident. It wasn't long before the bodies of his opponents littered the ground, some groaning in pain, others already unconscious.
The pirate captain stared at Noir with wide eyes, disbelief etched on his face as he saw his entire crew taken down by a single man. Noir's body was covered in blood, some of it his own, but much of it from the enemies who now lay defeated around him. His clothes were torn in several places, but Noir still stood tall, a crazed grin plastered across his face.
"Enough. You're better than I expected," the pirate captain rasped, struggling to suppress his rage. "How about you join me? Become my vice-captain. Together, we could rule the seas!"
Noir looked at him with sharp eyes, then smirked mockingly. "Become your vice-captain?" He clenched his bloodied fists, his fingers gripping the air tightly. "I'm not interested in playing second-in-command. There's only one thing I'm after…"
Noir took a step forward, his gaze turning cold and wild with excitement. "When do we start fighting?"
The offer was like a harsh slap to the captain's face. His face turned red, no longer able to contain his fury. "You arrogant brat!" he roared, charging toward Noir with his menacing spiked gloves.
This captain, Gary "Iron Fist," was a notorious pirate in the East Blue, famous for his incredible physical strength. With just one swing of his spiked gloves, he could shatter stone. Noir knew this wasn't just any ordinary opponent. But instead of fear, his smile only grew wider, resembling that of a bloodthirsty oni. As Gary attacked, Noir rushed to meet him at high speed, and the two collided with full force.
Their first clash made the air tremble. Gary struck Noir with a powerful blow from his spiked gloves, but Noir blocked it with his arm. Blood poured freely from the wound, yet Noir didn't retreat. He grimaced, but it was more out of pleasure than pain. "Heh, not bad…" Noir muttered.
He immediately retaliated with a spinning kick aimed at Gary's ribs. Gary managed to block the kick, but his body staggered slightly, revealing the sheer power behind Noir's attack. "Stubborn, aren't you? But your body's nothing compared to mine!" Gary growled, launching a series of rapid punches that overwhelmed Noir.
Noir's body was pushed back several meters, crashing into a building that cracked under the force of Gary's blows. But instead of yielding, Noir laughed. "More!" he shouted, ignoring the wounds on his body.
[Name: Gary]
[Age: 31]
[Title: Iron Fist]
[Race: Human]
[Devil Fruit: -]
[Potential: C+]
[Strength: SS]
[Endurance: SS+]
[Durability: SS-]
[Speed: S+]
[Intelligence: C+]
[Luck: D-]
[Bounty: 2,216,000 Belly]
Noir knew that Gary was stronger in terms of raw power, but that only fueled his excitement even more.
As Gary swung his next punch, Noir instinctively caught his wrist. In a swift motion, Noir twisted it in a circular movement, and in the blink of an eye, Gary's body was lifted and flipped into the air. With all his strength, Noir slammed Gary's head into the ground, sending dust and small stones flying. Gary was momentarily stunned—he hadn't expected Noir to use his strength and momentum against him so effectively.
[A new skill is created due to a particular action.]
[Through continuous practice and mastery of defensive techniques, the skill Aikido has been created.]
[Aikido]
[Rank: D]
[Description: A martial art focused on using an opponent's force and momentum against them. The skill emphasizes non-aggressive defense, redirecting attacks, and neutralizing opponents without causing unnecessary harm. The higher the proficiency, the smoother and more effortless the redirection of an opponent's force.]
[Skill Proficiency: 0.00%]
Noir smirked at the system notification that appeared, but there was no time to celebrate. The fight was far from over. Gary stood up again, though a bit unsteady, his eyes blazing with fury. He lunged at Noir with his spiked fists raised high. Noir, without a second thought, used Aikido again, grabbing Gary's arm and twisting it even faster and more efficiently this time. Gary's body was once again thrown to the side with a heavy thud.
However, despite Noir's evolving technique, Gary's raw power still dominated. Noir took many hits, some of them almost knocking him down. But the more he was wounded, the wider his smile grew, his face resembling a demon relishing in the brutality of the fight.
Gary, with his immense strength, unleashed a barrage of punches at Noir. Although Noir managed to dodge many of them, a few of Gary's powerful strikes landed on his body. Still, Noir never truly fell. Every time Gary attacked him with brute force, Noir would rise again, his fighting spirit burning even hotter.
"You're insane!" Gary yelled in frustration, "You should be dead by now!"
Noir laughed wildly. "Dead? I haven't felt enough pain for that yet!"
With the energy he had left, Noir began to counterattack. Using his instincts, he combined Aikido techniques with his Kyokushin Karate. As Gary launched another punch with his spiked gloves, Noir grabbed his arm and used the force of the attack to slam Gary into the ground. He didn't stop there. With a swift movement, Noir grabbed Gary's throat with his left hand and, with his right, began pounding Gary's face with brutal punches. Gary, who initially struggled with all his might, began to weaken under Noir's relentless assault.
The sounds of punches and cracking bones echoed loudly. With each hit Noir delivered to Gary's face, the cracking grew louder, and blood sprayed from Gary's nose and mouth. Noir didn't stop until Gary stopped moving, lying limp on the ground, lifeless.
The system continued to display notifications, but Noir merely sat atop Gary's lifeless body, his breathing heavy, though his face showed nothing but satisfaction.
"Yamazaki-kun?" After sitting on Gary's body for several minutes, Noir suddenly heard the old man's voice calling out to him. Noir turned around and saw the old man standing with the other villagers behind him, their expressions filled with disbelief.
"Yo, old man, still alive?" Noir asked with a small laugh, trying to ignore the pain all over his body. The old man, hearing this, could only break into a cold sweat as he walked toward Noir, glancing at the pirates lying unconscious and battered on the ground. The villagers, too, looked at the defeated pirates.
"By the way, you should probably get some ropes to tie them up, except for this big guy here… he's dead," Noir added, slowly rising to his feet with great effort.
"Yamazaki-kun, were you once a Marine?" the old man asked Noir. He couldn't think of any other explanation for how Noir had managed to defeat the entire pirate crew and still be standing. At first, he thought Noir was a bounty hunter, but Noir didn't seem interested when he saw the wanted posters scattered around the trees in the village.
"No, I'm just someone who will eventually become a pirate," Noir replied, leaving the old man momentarily speechless before shaking his head. The villagers overheard and seemed nostalgic.
"So, there are still pirates like him out there," an elderly villager remarked.
"Not all pirates are scum," said the old librarian to the other elder behind him. Noir remained silent as he lit a cigarette, exhaling smoke slowly. Just as he was about to ask the old man about food, Noir heard something fall from the pirate ship nearby.
"What's the matter, boy?" asked the old woman, the librarian's wife.
"Nothing. It's just… when they came off that ruined ship, their faces looked like they'd just found treasure. I'll check it out before the ship sinks," Noir said, walking toward the ship as the elderly couple watched him from behind.
"Darling, do you still remember the old man who loved to tell stories when we were young?" the old woman asked her husband.
"Hmm? You mean the old man who was over a hundred years old? Just thinking about him gives me the chills," her husband replied, recalling the elderly man who used to tell them stories when he was still a child. Back when he was just five years old, he and his childhood friend, now his wife, would often visit the hill to listen to the old man's tales. Strangely enough, their parents had also encountered the old man when they were children themselves.
"It's rare for someone to live past 200 years," his wife added, still bewildered at how the man had remained so healthy and lively as he neared 200 years old. Unfortunately, not long after they got married, the old man passed away, just before the Navy arrived on the island.
They both vividly remembered burying the old man at the very spot where he used to tell stories while drinking a bottle of sake. Although they never knew why the Navy had come to the island and started searching every corner before filing their report and leaving, they, along with a few others, suspected that the Navy might have been after the old man. However, they had arrived too late, as he had already passed away.
"But, the stories he used to tell... didn't he often mention someone named Yamazaki?" his wife said, causing her husband to pause for a moment.
"The name of that man is also Yamazaki," her husband replied, gazing at Noir's back in the distance.
"I wonder if that legend was real or just a made-up tale," his wife mused, her eyes still fixed on Noir's distant figure, Her husband keeps watching Noir's back before joining the villagers to help tie up the unconscious pirates.
Meanwhile, Noir boarded the pirate ship and began exploring. The ship had taken significant damage, possibly from battles at sea or even a storm. 'I hope there's money and sake in here,' he thought, feeling the pangs of hunger and his longing for a good drink.
As he scoured the ship, Noir managed to find a decent amount of money and gold, along with several bottles of unopened sake, and two wooden barrels—one filled with fruit, the other with fresh drinking water. He brought everything onto the deck before continuing his exploration.
'Treasure, food, there's not much. But what made them look like they'd won, even with their ship in ruins?' Noir pondered as he wandered through the ship, eventually standing before a door at the far end. It was the only room he hadn't yet searched, and Noir had a gut feeling that whatever he was looking for was in there.
Before opening the door, Noir imagined it might hold treasure chests or perhaps a Devil Fruit, which would explain the pirates' elation despite their damaged ship. He exhaled a cloud of smoke before pushing the door open. Immediately, a stench of sweat and something foul assaulted him. If it weren't for the smoke masking it, Noir might have reflexively backed away and slammed the door shut.
"What the hell is this smell?" he muttered as he stepped inside, the revolting odor hitting him hard. He noticed a candle holder hanging nearby. Noir took out a lighter from his pocket and lit the candle, which cast a dim but sufficient light. He then pocketed the lighter and picked up the candle holder, moving it toward the source of the nauseating stench.
"Those bastards have really lost their minds," Noir growled in frustration as he saw the scene before him. Now he understood why the pirates had looked so victorious. Lying on the floor in front of him were four women, collapsed and motionless.
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