"Heh… collateral damage," Reid clicked his tongue as the blood mist around him began to stir.
"Wait!"
The man on the rubber ship had also noticed the "innocent" little boat nearby and shouted loudly.
Reid: I suggest you mind your own business.
In the next instant, a massive, highly elastic arm stretched across hundreds of meters, cutting through the air with a violent roar as it slammed toward the incoming cannonballs.
Bang! Bang bang bang!
The move was simple.
But incredibly effective.
The cannonballs were smashed midair by the giant rubber hand, bursting into dazzling fragments like fireworks.
Reid raised an eyebrow and withdrew his blood mist.
Well. That saved him some trouble.
Reid: Annoying do-gooder.
But he had clearly underestimated the side effects of that "boing-boing" move.
After swatting away the cannonballs, the massive rubber arm continued forward with its momentum and came crashing down toward Reid's small boat.
"Damn it!"
Before Reid could even finish cursing, he felt the ship suddenly sink under the impact.
The sturdy mast he had carefully maintained…
His blood mist instantly wrapped around it, trying to absorb the force.
But
The mast bent.
Tilted.
And then…
"Oh no… hold on!"
Mast: Reid!!!
Reid: Mast!!!
No saving it.
Reid pulled back his blood mist.
Crack!
It snapped clean in half.
The sail collapsed with a heavy flap.
Reid's first instinct was revenge.
Pure, immediate revenge.
His blood mist surged violently.
His crimson eyes locked onto the bouncing rubber ship in the distance.
Boing. Boing.
You want me to cover for you?
I've got plenty of ways to deal with you.
He considered snapping their mast.
Or punching a hole straight through their hull.
Today, you are sinking. Deep.
Very deep, you cheerful idiot.
Just then, the rubber ship seemed to realize it had caused trouble.
It twisted sharply, the hull bending like a wrung towel, and charged straight toward Reid.
Even the seawater beneath it seemed to gain elasticity.
That fruit…
The Nika Fruit.
Definitely something unusual.
Perhaps not even a Devil Fruit in the traditional sense.
Just like his own Mist Fruit, it didn't feel like it truly belonged to this world.
"I'm really, really, really sorry!!! I didn't mean it!!!"
The voice shouted in panic, almost on the verge of tears.
Another giant rubber arm stretched out.
This time, much gentler.
The enormous hand scooped up Reid's entire boat, yes, the whole thing, and carefully lifted it before placing it onto the wide, absurdly soft rubber deck.
Reid and Annie stood on their little broken ship, now relocated, staring at the tall man in front of them.
He scratched his head awkwardly, eyes watery, face full of guilt.
Reid narrowed his eyes.
You remind me of someone.
No… two people.
The man wore a straw hat.
His smile was bright, a little foolish, and completely unguarded.
His eyes were clear, almost childlike.
Like someone who had never truly seen the cruelty of the world.
Reid immediately understood.
A rookie.
But
The overwhelming vitality radiating from him, along with the faint but undeniable aura of power, made Reid's heart tighten slightly.
This guy…
This strong, right after setting sail?
What a monster.
"I'm really, really sorry!" Joy Boy bowed deeply, his voice booming. "I saw the cannonballs heading toward you and panicked! I'll pay for your mast! I promise!"
Before Reid could respond
Boom!
The royal warships behind them fired again.
Royal forces: Not giving me any face, huh? Interesting…
Royal forces: Fire! Fire harder!
Several cannonballs crashed into the sea around the rubber ship, sending towering sprays of water skyward.
"Damn it! Stop crying! Are you trying to drown us?" Reid snapped, raising a small blood-mist umbrella over himself and Annie. "They're catching up! Move!"
Joy Boy instantly wiped away his tears and snapped back to full energy.
"Oh! Right! Hang on tight! We're blasting off! Hahahahaha!"
The rubber ship warped violently.
Then
Whoosh!
It shot forward like a released slingshot.
The sudden acceleration nearly threw Reid off balance.
Instinctively, he pulled Annie into his arms.
She had already opened her arms, waiting.
At this point, it was clear.
She understood him better than he expected.
Nestled against Reid, Annie curiously observed the wildly bouncing ship, then glanced at the loud, laughing giant in the straw hat.
A flicker of confusion passed through her ice-blue eyes.
The rubber ship bounced across the sea at terrifying speed, quickly leaving the royal warships far behind.
It looked ridiculous.
But it was fast.
Very fast.
Reid stood steadily atop his broken little boat, now sitting like a miniature model in the center of the rubber deck.
His blood mist clung tightly to it, stabilizing everything.
His crimson eyes scanned the surroundings, alert.
He knew this type of person all too well.
If there was no danger
Then he himself would become the biggest danger.
Meanwhile, Joy Boy stood at the bow, gesturing wildly as he steered, laughing loudly while shouting commands.
"Left! Right! Jump! Hahaha! They can't catch us!"
Then
After one particularly violent bounce
Something changed.
Without warning
Joy Boy's massive, powerful body…
Deflated.
Yes.
Deflated.
His towering frame visibly shrank at an alarming rate.
His booming voice weakened instantly.
In the blink of an eye, the energetic giant who had just been swatting cannonballs like flies turned into
A frail, shriveled old man.
He collapsed onto the deck, face pale, completely drained.
The sudden transformation stunned everyone on board.
His crew gasped and rushed toward him.
"Captain!"
"Lord Joy Boy! What happened?!"
Reid's pupils shrank.
The blood mist around him thickened instantly, as if facing a powerful enemy.
Who
Was it?
-------------------------------------
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