บท 44: Dreams Never End
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Bellamy sneered, "So many fools waste their lives chasing after dreams, blinded by fantasies and too blind to see what's right in front of them!"
He laughed, gesturing wildly, "With strength enough to rule the seas, they throw it away for empty illusions! And those idiots who died chasing 'dreams'? People say, 'They died happy, living in their dreams to the end!' Ha! What a joke!" He spat, looking disgusted. "Just the thought of it makes me sick."
Without warning, Bellamy shattered a bottle over Luffy's head.
"Luffy!"
Bellamy sneered, "Weaklings like you hold back real pirates! Get out of here and stop polluting our world!"
Soon, the crowd joined in, hurling bottles and scraps of food. "Yeah, get lost, dreamer!" one shouted, while another laughed, "Bellamy's right! Trash like you shouldn't even be in this town!"
As the mocking voices grew louder, Nami clenched her fists, whispering to Luffy and Zoro, "Now, come on! go beat them!"
But Luffy shook his head. "Zoro, we're not fighting."
Bellamy's crew took advantage of this, beating Luffy and Zoro, who stood there taking the hits without resistance. Watching this unfold, Akira sighed in disappointment, muttering to himself, "What a crowd of idiots."
He observed the different types of pirates: ruthless marauders with no scruples, those who only attacked other pirates and government forces, and finally, dreamers like Luffy and his crew, who chased adventure and the world's greatest secrets.
Bellamy swaggered over to Luffy and Zoro, flicking his drink at their faces. "Tch, no more fun to be had here. The famous 30-million-Berry Straw Hat is just a fool clinging to fairy tales. Pathetic." With a mocking grin, he sneered, "Now get out of my sight!"
Luffy and Zoro were knocked to the ground. Nami rushed to their side, seething as Bellamy's crewmate, Sarquiss, sneered, "Girl, you're wasting your time with them. Name your price, and come with us instead."
Without hesitation, Nami spat, "I'd rather die!"
Bellamy's crew erupted in laughter, filling the tavern with cruel jeers. Finally, Nami pulled Luffy and Zoro out of the bar, confused and frustrated as to why they hadn't fought back.
Suddenly, a calm voice cut through the noise, "Sky Island does exist."
Nami turned, spotting Blackbeard sitting on the ground, savoring a slice of a cherry pie.
"You're that guy from before…" she muttered.
"Haha! cherry pie here's incredible!" Blackbeard chuckled, his eyes shining. "Girl, didn't you see? Those two already won their fight just now!"
Nami frowned, but Blackbeard went on, "Those loudmouths have no idea. They may mock and scorn, but People's dreams…" His voice grew quieter, almost reverent. "have no end!"
Luffy and Zoro were on their feet again, dusting themselves off. Bellamy's crew had been boasting that the era of Dreamers was over, but Blackbeard's voice carried through the crowd like thunder.
"They can go ahead and laugh at us," Blackbeard chuckled darkly. "But when you aim high, you sometimes come across fights not worth fighting. Isn't that right?!"
The people in the bar whispered amongst themselves, some casting wary glances at Blackbeard as if he'd gone mad. But he ignored them, locking eyes with Luffy and Zoro. "You don't need fists to stand up for your beliefs," he said firmly, taking another bite of his pie.
Just then, another voice rang out, "Sky Island is real. Some people, blinded by their own arrogance, will never understand it."
All eyes turned to the young man who had spoken—Akira.
Nami's eyes widened in recognition. "You… Do you know where Sky Island is?"
Akira smiled slightly, "I can only confirm it exists. As for finding it, that's part of the adventure, isn't it?"
Bellamy's crew, overhearing him, sneered. "What did you just say, brat?"
Two of Bellamy's men leapt forward to confront Akira, but as he glanced at them, his eyes flashed ominously, and both collapsed to the floor.
Turning his gaze to Bellamy and his group, Akira's Sharingan glowed with a chilling intensity, forcing them to hold their breath.
"I'm not here for you idiots," he said calmly, then turned his attention to Blackbeard. "I'm here for you, Blackbeard."
---
Blackbeard froze, staring at Akira. This boy had come looking for him—yet he wasn't even famous yet. Only the Whitebeard Pirates really knew of him, and even there, Akira was no one Blackbeard recognized.
"Who are you?" Blackbeard asked warily, noticing something unnervingly intense in Akira's eyes.
"Uchiha Akira. Let's find somewhere quieter to talk."
Bellamy, standing nearby and hearing this, scoffed. "Hey, brat! Do you think you can just walk out of here? You dared to mock me—Bellamy! Go to hell!"
Bellamy, a pirate of 55 million bounty, sprang forward. With his legs coiled like springs, he launched himself at Akira with an attack.
"Spring Snipe!!" he yelled, fist outstretched.
Akira raised a single finger, effortlessly intercepting Bellamy's punch.
"What?!"
Before Bellamy could process it, Akira flicked him on the forehead with a quick motion.
Wham—
Bellamy flew backward in a crashing arc, plowing through several rows of buildings before coming to a halt, unconscious, eyes rolled back. He hadn't even managed a scream.
"He took him down with just one finger…"
"Bellamy, defeated so easily!" murmured the onlookers, while Luffy, Zoro, and the other pirates stared in shock. Luffy and Zoro exchanged glances, each admiring Akira's raw strength.
"So strong," Zoro muttered, eyeing Akira's sword. He had sensed it before—a power reminiscent of Mihawk. Luffy clenched his fists in excitement, eager to test his strength against this mysterious swordsman who didn't even take out his sword.
Blackbeard, observing this, felt a shift from wariness to intrigue. Seeing Bellamy defeated in a single move left little doubt: Akira was no ordinary opponent.
"Let's go, then," Blackbeard said with a grin. "My ship's nearby."
As they approached the Blackbeard Pirates' ramshackle boat, made of rough-hewn logs, Van Augur, the sniper, looked down at Akira with some surprise.
"Captain, who's this? A new recruit? He seems young."
"Cough... captain, you're back…" the sickly Doc Q managed, wheezing.
Blackbeard chuckled, motioning toward Akira. "Don't underestimate him—he's strong, alright. Uchiha Akira, I don't know how you know me, but why don't you join us? Conquer the world together?"
"Not interested," Akira replied coolly.
"Hahaha! Captain, he actually turned you down!" laughed Burgess, one of Blackbeard's crew.
Blackbeard, undeterred, asked, "Then why are you here?"
Akira revealed a cloth bundle and unwrapped it, revealing the body of Enel.
Enel hadn't completely died; a faint breath still lingered within him. However, Aisa believed he was dead, as her mantra struggled to distinguish between death and unconsciousness—a limitation that proved to be a significant drawback.
The Blackbeard Pirates stared, dumbfounded.
"I need this guy's Devil Fruit," Akira explained.
Blackbeard's smile stiffened. How does he know I can extract Devil Fruits?
Feigning indifference, Blackbeard asked, "And which fruit does he have?"
"The Logia Thunder Fruit," Akira replied, tone even.
"What?!" Blackbeard's crew looked at Enel, eyes wide with greed and shock. A Logia Devil Fruit—the kind the Navy Admirals wielded—one of the strongest fruits, and the Thunder Fruit was among the most coveted of all.
"Tsk, hahaha!" Blackbeard laughed, overcome with excitement. "The Thunder Fruit! My luck is unbelievable!"
Akira interrupted his fantasy. "Hey, I never said you could keep it. I asked you to take it out for me."
Blackbeard's smile turned sly. "Who's to say it belongs to you? He's mine now."
Akira's lips curled in amusement. "Greed is in your nature, but it's pointless without knowing your enemy. Do you think I came here alone without a plan?"
The night grew tense, Blackbeard and his crew feeling the weight of Akira's gaze—a gaze that promised power beyond measure.
...
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