Galzburg Kingdom, New Town of Kripa.
Dressed in casual black clothes, Douglas Bullet walked down the street.
It was a rare day off, and he was heading to his favorite dessert shop.
Ever since the betrayal by his comrades at age eight, when he barely escaped death and returned...
Bullet had shut off his heart and stopped trusting anyone.
He believed only in his own strength, living solely in pursuit of power.
Only in the process of growing stronger could he find the slightest psychological comfort.
After years of brutal battles on the battlefield, the loneliness and faint longing within tormented this twelve-year-old boy.
Making the already taciturn Bullet even more cold and withdrawn, with no outlet for his inner torment...
Only sweets could bring him a bit of relief.
Inside the dessert shop, after ordering, Bullet chose a seat by the window.
Sitting down, he gazed outside. When the dessert arrived, he gave a polite nod to the waiter.
Expressionless, he picked up the spoon.
Taking small bites, slowly savoring the dessert—the silky chocolate and sweet cream filled his mouth, stimulating his taste buds.
That closed-off heart and suppressed nerves seemed to be breached by the sweet taste.
A hint of joy sparked in his brain.
The quiet dessert shop was filled with the gentle hum of a slowly spinning fan.
The sweetness lingering in his mouth brought a slight feeling of pleasure.
Bullet, sitting there, visibly relaxed a little. Even his cold face softened.
Until some time later, the cries and shouts outside shattered the peace.
Bullet's expression returned to that distant, unapproachable coldness.
Calmly finishing the last bite of cake, he walked out of the shop.
Heading toward the noisy tavern not far ahead. He had overheard the word "pirates" from the waitstaff...
...
At the entrance of the distant tavern, a few figures lay on the ground groaning.
They were the tavern owner and employees.
Inside the tavern, the Wheel Pirates were in disarray.
They were madly rummaging through everything edible, completely disregarding their appearance.
Stuffing food into their mouths left and right.
Apparently choking, the captain of the Wheel Pirates, Skry, grabbed a barrel of wine and gulped it down.
After finishing, he let out a breath and shouted to his crew:
"Quick! Finish eating and find something valuable to grab!"
"Otherwise, those mad dogs will catch up again!"
One of the underlings, mouth full of food, mumbled:
"They won't catch up that fast, boss."
"Maybe those Marines died in yesterday's storm."
Skry's face contorted in rage at the idiot subordinate. He grabbed the empty barrel and smashed it at him.
The loudmouthed underling was struck, head bleeding, as Skry roared:
"Are you the captain or am I the captain?!"
"Shut the hell up!"
The rest of the crew shuddered at the sight of their unlucky comrade:
"Y-Yes!!!"
A few sharp-eyed subordinates dropped their wine and meat, rushing to the counter to loot.
Skry nodded in satisfaction.
If all his men were this efficient, he wouldn't have to worry so much.
Just then, the door was pushed open by Bullet in his black outfit.
He coldly looked at the group and said:
"Who gave you permission to cause trouble in this country?"
A bunch of unruly pirates were about to attack:
"Where'd this brat come from?"
"Looking to die?"
"Who cares?"
"Cut him down!"
But Skry raised a hand to stop them:
"Hold it."
Skry could feel the unusual aura coming from Bullet—military-like...
Uncertain of Bullet's strength, the cautious Skry thought for a moment.
He ordered his men to drop the loot and stared at Bullet.
But Bullet just stood there, expressionless, eyes on all of them.
Skry's face darkened:
"Attack!"
Without hesitation, his underlings brandished their blades and charged at Bullet.
Bullet remained stoic, sidestepping the first attacker's blade.
As the pirate's sword struck the floor uncontrollably—
Bullet grabbed his wrist and crushed it with his left hand.
Crack! The bone shattered.
The pirate dropped his sword, and Bullet caught it with his right hand.
Then he kicked the man hard into the group rushing from the left.
Turning, he dashed to the right.
Clang!
The sound of blades clashing rang out. The pirate opposing Bullet's blade—
Felt an overwhelming, uncontrollable force bearing down.
Terror flashed in his eyes. The merciless blade, powered by Bullet's immense strength—
Came down diagonally, cleaving him in two.
The sudden brutality shocked the pirates behind. Before they could react—
Bullet's sword came down on them like a storm.
In an instant—
Their bodies erupted in fountains of blood.
Splat!
The sound of blades piercing flesh rang out. Several heads flew into the air.
The entire tavern fell deathly silent.
The few pirates who had been flung away earlier looked on in shock and relief.
At the bar, Skry wasted no time.
He transformed into a massive wheel and charged toward Bullet.
Seeing the rapidly approaching wheel, Bullet frowned and dodged.
Just as he did, Skry reverted to human form—
Grabbing Bullet's shoulder with his left hand, and forming a circular saw-like wheel with his right.
Zzzzz!
The screech of the spinning blade filled the air as he drove it toward Bullet's neck.
Bullet ducked and thrust his head upward, slamming into Skry's stomach.
The two of them smashed through the wall behind them and crashed into the street.
Skry's saw failed to hit Bullet's neck—
But as they tumbled, it struck Bullet's back hard.
As they hit the pavement, Bullet seized the moment to break free from Skry's left hand.
His back was now a bloody mess.
Still, he glared coldly at Skry across from him.
Skry grinned cruelly. Soldiers... sometimes they were the easiest to deal with...
He transformed into a massive wheel again and charged toward Bullet—and the crowd behind him.
...
Bullet's brow furrowed. He was about to dodge, but then stopped.
He suddenly realized what the pirate was aiming for.
A vicious glint flashed in Bullet's eyes. As the wheel closed in, he swung his right fist sharply to the left.
Boom!
The wheel was knocked slightly off course, but most of it still slammed into Bullet—
Driving him into a building behind him.
Crash!
With a loud boom, Bullet was carried through the structure, which collapsed.
Lying in the rubble, Bullet coughed lightly, blood at the corner of his mouth. He rolled aside—
Dodging Skry's follow-up attack.
Seeing the wheel-form pirate charging again, Bullet raised his sword.
Blade facing upward, unmoving, eyes filled with a fierce glare.
He stabbed straight at the rolling wheel—he was betting everything.
Just before impact, the massive wheel swerved.
It veered to the side and reverted to human form.
Skry's face twisted in frustration. Damn it... how did this brat know?
Since it was his own body turned into a wheel, if the blade pierced through—
The spinning motion would skin him alive, if not kill him.
Skry, face darkened, glared hard at Bullet.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a sound tore through the air. Skry's expression changed dramatically.
Without thinking, he transformed into a wheel and tried to flee.
The moment he left—
A tiny crater, the size of a fingertip, appeared where he had stood.
Boom!
A thunderous crash—Skry's wheel-form was sent flying back.
It landed not far from Bullet.
Bullet's pupils shrank. That power...
Then, three figures in Marine uniforms appeared and approached Skry.
Skry, terrified, transformed into a wheel and tried to attack Bullet from behind.
Suddenly—smash!—a bottle shattered behind Bullet.
He turned and saw a small girl.
Wine and broken glass littered the ground.
She stood frozen, staring at the oncoming wheel.
Without hesitation, Bullet, bloodied and battered, burst forward with shocking speed—
Even faster than the wheel.
He crouched in front of the girl to shield her.
Boom!
The explosion shook the street.
As the air cleared, Bullet looked up and saw a Marine officer standing in front of him.
On the ground lay Skry's corpse, still warm.
The Marine officer turned his head toward Bullet:
"Not bad, kid."
Bullet looked up at the tall figure, puzzled.
Murmuring as if talking to himself:
"Why?"
Karol looked confused:
"Huh?"
Bullet's gaze grew firm as he stared at the officer:
"Why did you save me?"
Karol smiled:
"Because protecting the seas and its people... is the duty we Marines carry."
Bullet stood still, stunned, unable to react for a long time.
The heart that had been frozen for so long...
Began to thaw.
And the longing deep inside could no longer be suppressed.
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