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It had been four months since Aero arrived in this world. There were still eight months left before the fateful day when Monkey D. Luffy would set sail in 1520.
In those four months, Aero had gone from a total nobody, even below the level of "background extra," to the highest-bounty pirate in the entire East Blue.
Thanks to a few well-placed rumors and calculated encounters, a saying had begun to circulate among East Blue's pirates: "If you see a ship with a pigeon figurehead and a wind-skull flag turn around. Immediately. That's the Hurricane Pirates."
Of course, not every pirate listened.
Some ambitious upstarts still thought they could challenge the supposed "rookies" of East Blue.
They were quickly and decisively crushed.
Their loot was stolen.
Their ships were smashed to pieces and sank.
Aero would leave them a rowboat if they were lucky, but few ever made it back to shore alive, thanks to the monstrous sea beasts roaming the waters.
If fellow pirates were gunning for him, bounty hunters were worse.
Just like now, Aero had docked at a small island to resupply when three men stepped out from the forest path toward the beach.
Aero recognized them instantly.
Leading the group was a green-haired swordsman with a bandana tied around his left arm, three gold earrings in one ear, and three swords sheathed at his waist.
Behind him were two others: one bald with a "Thief" tattoo on his cheek, wearing a green cloak and wielding a massive broadsword.
The other had short black hair, sunglasses, and a "Sea" tattoo on his face. He also carried a large blade.
There was no mistaking them.
Roronoa Zoro, a rising pirate hunter of East Blue, and his partners, Johnny and Yosaku.
"Oi! You're Aero, right?" Zoro called, standing at the edge of the dock, glaring up at the figure on the deck of the Pigeon.
Aero nodded. "What of it?"
He had a bad feeling. There was no way Zoro showing up could be anything good.
"Nothing personal," Zoro said, flashing a grin. "Just looking to trade your head in for some drinking money."
His hand pushed the white-sheathed katana at his side. With a single leap, he was airborne, blade drawn.
But before Aero could even react—
Dylan intercepted him, claws gleaming as his [Ten-Blade Cat Claw] caught Zoro's sword mid-swing.
Zoro blinked in surprise, then smirked. He launched a flurry of attacks, each parried cleanly by Dylan.
Retreating a few paces, Zoro grinned. "Interesting."
The battle junkie had found a new target.
With a slow motion, Zoro unsheathed the other two swords one gripped in each hand, and the third clenched between his teeth. His gaze locked on Dylan.
"Captain! These two were way too weak!" came a voice from below deck.
Zoro instinctively glanced over and his eyes went wide.
"Johnny?! Yosaku?! What the hell?!"
There they were, tied up and dropped onto the deck like luggage by none other than Eddie Cahill, Hurricane Pirates officer and 12-million berry man.
"Sorry, big bro!" Johnny cried. "We didn't stand a chance! That guy's got a 12-million bounty!"
Zoro sighed. "Tch... Whatever. I'll take them all down myself."
He untied the bandana from his arm and wrapped it around his head.
Time to get serious.
Zoro dashed at Dylan, swords flashing.
Dylan didn't wait he moved first.
"Soru."
He vanished.
Zoro's slashes cut through empty air.
"What?!"
"Behind you, bro!" shouted Johnny and Yosaku.
Zoro turned just in time to block Dylan's strike just barely.
"Paper Art." Dylan twisted midair, dodging Zoro's counterattack.
Zoro's eyes widened. "No way…"
He accelerated, unleashing a storm of three-sword slashes, but Dylan avoided them all. Effortlessly.
The exchange went on for several heartbeats.
Eventually, Zoro's tempo began to slow.
Dylan saw his chance.
He slipped past a guard and thrust his clawed hand toward Zoro's exposed abdomen.
"This ends now," Dylan thought.
But Zoro just smiled.
"Too easy."
Clang!
Zoro's two swords crossed to block the strike, while the third, clenched in his teeth, slashed toward Dylan's face.
Then—
SNAP.
Zoro's sword froze. Inches away from Dylan's face.
Because Aero was suddenly there.
Holding Zoro's blade between two fingers.
Zoro's mind raced. "When did he get here?! That speed—!"
In that pause, Dylan disengaged, backing away quickly.
Aero calmly pushed forward with his palm, and Zoro was sent sliding back dozens of feet across the deck.
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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