"Is it... over?" the first mate asked cautiously, stepping forward.
The other pirates had already backed far away, fearful of being caught in the crossfire.
Captain Jerlsen remained silent. Still in his beastly form, he stared at the hole in the deck, tense and wary.
That kid's body… it hadn't felt normal at all. When his horn struck him earlier, it was like hitting solid steel.
A sudden whoosh broke the silence as a sound came from below deck.
Luffy slowly crawled out from the hole and stood face-to-face with Jerlsen. He brushed off the dust from his clothes and said with a smirk,
"The Marine's intel division is useless. There's no way someone like you is worth just 15 million berries."
Seeing Luffy completely unharmed, Jerlsen swallowed his anger.
He knew, facing an opponent of this level, losing his cool would only hasten defeat.
Jerlsen steadied his stance and locked eyes with Luffy. His expression was calm, though his brows were knit in tension.
Luffy's demeanor changed as well. His gaze sharpened like a blade as he measured up his opponent.
He's a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user. Big frame. Probably just as strong as I am physically.
He's not slow either, but his agility definitely lags behind mine. If I use that, I can win this.
Luffy ran the calculations quickly in his head.
Since his recent power-up, Luffy hadn't encountered anyone who could really challenge him. His fights had been one-sided beatdowns, his strength far outclassing any opponent.
But Jerlsen was clearly different from the usual rabble of the Four Seas. He had stayed under the radar, but he was no small fry.
Decision made, Luffy didn't hesitate.
He threw a straight punch aimed directly at Jerlsen's eyes.
True to his rhino nature, Jerlsen didn't flinch. He extended a beast-like hoof, ready to match strength with strength.
But Luffy's form shifted. His single fist became two hands as he grabbed Jerlsen's wrist, planted both feet against Jerlsen's stomach, and pushed off.
In midair, Luffy twisted his body to face away from Jerlsen, raising himself level with the man's head.
Using Jerlsen's arm as leverage, Luffy kicked off again and delivered a brutal double-footed blow directly to Jerlsen's skull.
WHAM!
Luffy landed smoothly and looked up at Jerlsen, now embedded into the wall.
"Payback delivered," he said with a smile.
"Captain!"
"Boss!"
Several pirates rushed over to check on Jerlsen.
The massive man groaned, slowly rising to his feet. Without a digitized body to absorb the damage, that blow had hurt.
Shaking his head, Jerlsen shoved the pirates aside, his face a thunderous gray.
Without a word, he charged Luffy again with his Rhino Horn Strike.
But Luffy had seen that one already, and he wasn't going to fall for it twice.
Predicting the move, he smoothly sidestepped the attack, dodging the deadly horn.
Jerlsen's speed worked against him. He couldn't slow down in time.
Luffy circled to his side and delivered a crushing punch to Jerlsen's waist.
A sickening crack rang out.
"I win," Luffy murmured.
Jerlsen flew back, blood spraying from his mouth as he crashed to the deck.
"Cough, cough…" Lying in a puddle of his own blood, Jerlsen choked on bile. His heart pounded in dread.
He had always hidden his strength, not out of fear, but to remain unnoticed. He believed himself to be one of the top contenders in the Four Seas.
His subordinates were weak, otherwise, he would have already set sail for the Grand Line.
After the village massacre, he knew the Marine had him on their radar. Maybe they weren't taking him seriously yet… but it was only a matter of time.
The World Government would never tolerate powerful forces rising in the Four Seas. They had to maintain control.
So, with the help of his first mate, he had planned to leave for the Grand Line before that day came.
But before he could even reach the entrance…
He'd been beaten within an inch of his life by this monstrous kid.
Gritting his teeth, gasping for air, Jerlsen stood again.
He couldn't fall, not here, not now.
He'd made a promise. They were going to carve their name into the Grand Line together.
How could he die here?
Waves roared in the background.
Dragging his battered body upright, Jerlsen lifted his massive fist and charged at Luffy once more.
This time, Luffy didn't move. He raised his own fist and met the blow head-on.
BOOM!
A massive crash echoed as fist met fist, splintering the deck beneath their feet.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
They exchanged blow after blow. Jerlsen's stamina waned. But Luffy? Still going strong. Each punch came with full force, unrelenting.
The first mate's eyes widened in horror. He could tell, Jerlsen was almost done for.
If this continued, their captain would be dead.
"Jerlsen! Stop! Please!" he shouted. "We surrender! We'll give him all our treasure, just stop fighting!"
But Jerlsen didn't stop.
He couldn't stop.
The first mate and the other pirates couldn't sense it, but Jerlsen could.
Behind that harmless smile, Luffy was a devil, oozing bloodlust.
BOOM!
After what must have been hundreds of exchanged punches, Jerlsen's strength finally gave out.
His movements slowed to a crawl, only his instincts and sheer will kept him standing.
Luffy saw the moment.
He stepped back.
Jerlsen swung into empty air, lost his balance, and collapsed.
Luffy moved in.
He gathered all his power into one final punch and aimed straight at Jerlsen's temple.
"NO!" the first mate screamed, voice filled with anguish.
Luffy didn't stop.
CRACK!
The punch landed square on Jerlsen's head.
"Such a shame," Luffy muttered softly. "If you'd made it to the Grand Line… who knows what kind of future you might've had."
Of course, he had no way of knowing, had Jerlsen lived, he would've become a powerful commander under one of the Four Emperors… Kaido.
[DING! Congratulations! You have defeated a Devil Fruit user.]
[EXP gained: 3000]
[Gold earned: 5000]
[DING! Level up complete. You are now Level 19.]
[DING! You've unlocked a new skill: Conqueror's Haki.]
[Conqueror's Haki:
Allows the user to unleash a mental shockwave against any number of targets within range.
Targets suffer mental damage equal to user's [Mental Power ÷ 5] and minor physical damage equal to [Mental Power ÷ 10].
Range is determined by Mental Power stat.
Targets with insufficient Mental Power may fall unconscious and suffer lasting psychological trauma.]
A flurry of system notifications flooded Luffy's mind.
And with them… an overwhelming new sensation.
It was as if he had always known how to use Haki, his control over it felt completely natural.
Thanks to Zoro's Mental Power recovery and his own level-up stats, Luffy had finally unlocked Conqueror's Haki.
As he stood silently with eyes closed, adjusting to his new power, the first mate collapsed to his knees beside him.
Tears spilled from between his fingers as he covered his face.
He and Jerlsen had grown up in the same town, childhood friends.
While he had risen to become the town's peacekeeper, Jerlsen had been just a lowly thug.
But that had never hurt their friendship.
Then came the day Gol D. Roger was executed, and the Great Pirate Era began.
Jerlsen came to him, brimming with excitement, asking him to form a crew and chase the Pirate King's treasure together.
He'd refused.
A few days later, Jerlsen knocked him out cold and dragged him to sea.
From outrage… to resignation… to camaraderie.
They had thrived together on the waves.
And now, that same Jerlsen, who had always shielded him in battle, was gone.
The first mate sobbed until he couldn't cry anymore.
Then, slowly, he rose.
From his belt, he drew a pistol and aimed it at Luffy, eyes burning with fury.
"I'll avenge Jerlsen!
Any man with a spine, follow me!
Let's kill this bastard and bury him at sea!"
BANG!
The gun fired.
But Luffy caught the bullet in his palm.
He frowned.
This fight had already drained him mentally. He'd planned to spare these pirates, they weren't worth the effort.
But then something flickered in his mind.
His expression shifted.
Without a word, an oppressive, regal aura burst forth from Luffy's body.
Awe-inspiring. Overwhelming. Unshakable.
Pirates who just moments ago were bracing to charge collapsed one after another under the crushing pressure.
The first mate staggered, his vision swimming. He lifted the gun again, desperate to shoot.
But his body was too weak.
He stumbled, then with a dull thud, collapsed like the others.
==========
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