As soon as our ship pushed away from the pier, an explosion roared behind us. Water shot up in a fountain, the deck was drenched with salty rain.
— We're under attack! — Karina shouted, running onto the deck.
I raised my head: above us, right in the fog, circled a giant vulture, and on its back sat an otter in some ridiculous hat. Most importantly — in its paws was a bomb.
— What kind of circus is it this time? — Sabo cursed, raising his pipe.
— Is that a bird? No… that's a vulture! — Karina covered her head with her hands.
— Yeah, and it's got a rider, — I said through clenched teeth.
And how inconvenient that they appeared just as soon as we reached the sea… this complicates things…
At that moment a second charge plummeted from the sky. The ship cracked, the side jolted, and we were all thrown onto the deck.
— …mother of… — a voice came from the side.
I turned. Gin was sitting, hugging a barrel, eyes glassy, trying to stand. A tonfa trembled in his hands.
— Captain… — he muttered. — I'm ready… I'll get them all… ugh… — he swayed and collapsed onto the deck with a crash.
— Great fighter! — I growled.
Meanwhile, Auger could barely hold his rifle. He swayed as if he'd fall off it himself any second.
— I see the target… — he muttered, squinting into nowhere. The trigger clicked, the bullet flew off toward a place where not even seagulls flew.
— You're drunk! — I was already yelling so loud my throat burned. — If you don't shoot down this zoo right now, we're all going to be blown to pieces!
From above the otter dropped another charge. Sabo managed to knock it away with his pipe, but the blast nearly capsized the ship. Karina almost fell, screaming, while I clung to the mast.
— They're just mocking us! — Karina cried. — Who even fights with an otter on a vulture?!
— Those who've had enough of living! — I snapped, turning to my crew. — One sniper's drunk, another drunkard's lying there hugging a barrel, and only Sabo is alive!
Sabo nodded, gripped his pipe tighter, and rushed to the side:— Fine, while you're all drinking, I'll at least try smashing their heads in!
Meanwhile the vulture circled and dived again. A shadow fell across the deck.
I clenched my fists and hissed:— Fine then… if you two are useless, I'll have to fight myself.
The vulture dove at us again, the otter already swinging another bomb.
— Get ready! — I shouted, gripping the rail.
And right then — a dull BAM! Something heavy crashed nearby. Turning, I saw Auger, who, trying to get up, tripped over his own barrel and fell straight onto the cannon by the side.
— Aaaah, am I alive?! — he mumbled.
BOOM!The cannon, of course, fired. The shot flew into the sky as if the god of rum himself had guided it… and hit the vulture right in the tail.
— Ooooh! — I let out, not believing my eyes.
The vulture screeched, flapped its wings, went into a spin, while the otter, screaming something unintelligible, tried to hold on. The bomb slipped from its paws and exploded in the air. The flash lit up the entire sky.
— …captain… you see that? — Auger rasped, raising his head. — I… I'm a good shot… — and immediately passed out, collapsing beside the cannon.
— Damn drunkard… — I muttered, but couldn't help smirking.
After that incident, Bellamy made a firm decision for himself: never go to sea with a drunken crew.
But somewhere far across the ocean, in the calm waters of East Blue, a small boat was slowly rocking on the waves.
— Hey, captain, are you sure it's worth sailing to the Grand Line? — asked a boy with short blue hair and a strange mask on his face, frowning. His name was Deuce, and his voice carried a mix of worry and exhaustion.
— Of course! — answered a young man with messy black hair, a wide-brimmed hat on his head. — It's the only way I can become king of the pirates!
It was none other than Portgas D. Ace. Still without his big crew, still without his own ship, but already with burning eyes and ambitions bright enough to light up the ocean.
— Hm. I hope you'll help me get my revenge, captain, — came a low voice from the end of the boat. There sat a skinny guy with a grim face, clutching small knives tightly. His eyes burned strangely.
— No problem at all, — Ace smirked, squaring his shoulders. — With the power my fruit gave me, no pirate can stand against me!
Deuce rolled his eyes, but before he could say anything, another voice cut in, sharpening a blade on stone:— He's got a bounty of thirty-two million, captain. Don't be so cocky.
— And by the way, wouldn't hurt to have a bigger boat… with gold! — came another remark. This time from a big guy sitting right at the bow.
Ace looked at the trio in confusion.
— How did you even take them into the crew? — Deuce groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. — These three argue every five minutes, and each has their own quirk.
Ace only laughed:— That's what a crew should look like! Different dreams, different personalities — and one goal. We'll make it to the very end, I'm sure of it.
The wind caught the sail, the boat swayed, and at that moment the sun rose over the sea. Gentle light played on the water, as if heralding the start of a new story.
— Remember this, guys, — Ace added, looking into the distance. — The Grand Line is the place where legends are born. And I'm going to become one of them.
— …and die along the way, — Deuce muttered, but a smile flickered at the corners of his eyes.
The boat slowly drifted away, leaving behind a thin foamy trail, and ahead of them awaited storms, islands, and the first true test.