Ratatatatatatata—!!!
A storm of bullets, wrapped in violent streaks of fire, rained down upon Koby and Sanji.
Seeing the countless rounds rushing toward them, Sanji hastily hoisted Zeff onto his back, ready to dodge, only to realize that Koby still stood there, motionless.
Facing mortal danger, Sanji's heart burned with urgency as he shouted,
"Get out of the way!!"
But the deafening roar of machine guns drowned out his voice completely.
Not a single sound reached Koby's ears.
Realizing his words were useless, Sanji gritted his teeth, hurled Zeff out of harm's way, and turned back, just in time to witness something he would never forget for the rest of his life.
The frail, mild-mannered boy before him suddenly pressed his hands together, then slowly drew them apart.
From his palms… appeared a mop.
Yes,
A mop!
The very same kind of mop is still stored in Baratie's utility closet, three of them identical!
In Sanji's stunned eyes, Koby gripped the mop's wooden shaft with one hand. His fingers moved swiftly, deftly,
The plain, ordinary mop began to spin, forming a shimmering circular barrier before him.
Koby stepped aside slightly, then gave the mop a gentle forward push.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Every bullet that struck the spinning mop rebounded like it had slammed into steel plating, falling harmlessly to the ground in a shower of sparks.
The bullets' tips were crushed inward as they scattered across the floor.
As the pile of spent rounds grew, a bead of cold sweat rolled down Don Krieg's forehead.
His gaze locked on the boy and the mop spinning effortlessly in his hand, his body instinctively stepped back.
But Koby advanced.
Step by step.
With every step, another hundred bullets deflected away, each impact carving small craters into the deck.
The bizarre sight made Krieg recall another terrifying man from the Grand Line.
The one who had also blocked his attacks with actions beyond reason.
Soon, Krieg's armored cannons clicked empty. Not a single shot had touched Koby.
And Koby… was now standing right before him.
Krieg gritted his teeth hard enough to bulge the veins on his temple, his arms jerking up violently.
Blades unfolded from his armguards, gleaming coldly in the dim light. With a roar, he slashed at Koby's pink-haired head,
Clang!
Koby merely lifted one hand, blocking the blades effortlessly with the mop's wooden handle.
"You… what are you?!"
Krieg's voice cracked with disbelief. His full-strength strike, stopped by a mop.
Unable to contain the panic twisting inside him, he struck again and again,
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Countless arcs of steel flashed through the air, all parried by Koby's calm, flowing movements.
And as mop met blade again and again… those watching could almost see the shadow of a true swordsman in Koby's stance.
The mop in his hand no longer looked like a cleaning tool, it was a sword.
"I'm not a monster," Koby said evenly amid the chaos of flashing steel. "I'm Koby, deckhand of the Starry Sky Pirates!"
The moment he finished speaking, Koby twisted his wrist, disarming Krieg's bladed arms with a sharp flick.
His movements, fluid and confident, carried the air of a warrior.
Koby raised the mop, then swung it like a blade straight for Krieg's head.
The mop traced a crescent through the air, not sharp like a sword slash, but carrying the force of one.
Whoooosh!!!
Wind roared violently around them. The air itself seemed to bend to Koby's command, whirling into pressure and slicing gusts.
Krieg's jaw was forced open by the sheer wind force, his tears blown sideways across his face.
The mop's soft cotton strands whipped across his skin like blades, carving thin, stinging scars into his face.
Moments later,
Krieg stood frozen, eyes glazed, as though his mind had been wiped blank.
He had been utterly crushed, mentally, physically, spiritually.
Even Sanji, Zeff, and every conscious soul on deck stood dumbstruck.
The boy, so small, so frail, had wielded the simplest of tools to unleash such overwhelming power.
It shattered everything they thought they knew about strength.
Then, a heavy, invisible pressure emanated from Koby.
The "Hero's Mop" exuded a spiritual force that pressed down on all who bore darkness in their hearts.
The weaker their resolve, the deeper their fear.
Because this was the embodiment of Koby's conviction, his faith in the word "Hero."
Darkness can never defeat the light of a hero.
A hero will always rise above the dark.
Facing the defeated Krieg, "Hero Koby" thrust the mop forward, knocking him flat onto the deck in a sprawling shape.
Then, dropping his stern expression, Koby smiled brightly and said,
"You lost!"
"I… I…"
Krieg trembled, mumbling incoherently.
No words followed, only silence and the emptiness of a man broken.
Sanji looked down at the once-terrifying warlord, now felled by a boy wielding a mop.
He felt… an unexplainable sadness.
He lifted his gaze toward Luffy and the others.
But before Koby could relax, a cold voice cut through the air.
"Kill him, Koby."
The world fell silent.
Cold sweat rolled down Koby's temples.
The joy of victory faded instantly. His body went rigid.
After a long pause, he turned toward his teacher, Zoro, voice trembling.
"Z… Zoro-sensei… what… what did you just say?"
Confusion and fear filled his eyes fear of killing.
Zoro's gaze softened for a moment, but his voice stayed cold.
"Kill him."
"W-why…?"
For the first time ever, Koby questioned his sensei.
The kind-hearted boy who always believed life was precious could not fathom taking one.
"Because–" Zoro said evenly, "–there's no reason not to."
Koby blinked in confusion, about to speak again,
Zoro interrupted sharply.
"If you want a reason… how about the countless civilians he's murdered?"
"The marines he's slaughtered?"
"The endless crimes of the Krieg Pirates, do those count?"
"Koby! Don't think your power can wash away evil!"
"The sins a man commits, can never be erased!"
Each word struck deep into Koby's heart.
His head bowed, teeth clenched.
His hands trembled as he gripped the mop.
The bright, gentle boy's face was now shadowed by darkness.
Step by step, he approached Krieg again.
Gin tried to move, to stop him, but an unseen force slammed him and the others to the ground, paralyzed by sheer spiritual pressure.
Mihawk glanced at Luffy, curious.
But Luffy only smiled faintly, saying nothing.
He knew this was Koby's moment of change.
Standing before Krieg, Koby slowly raised the mop, the symbol of his "heroism."
The mop's head pointed toward Krieg's skull, his face twisting with conflict.
Zoro's words echoed in his mind,
He's guilty… he deserves to die…
He's guilty… he deserves to die!
He's guilty!! He deserves to die!!!
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
White light burst from the mop's head, casting Koby's face into shadow.
He roared, swinging down with all his might,
BOOM!!!
The sound was deep, final.
When the light faded, Koby's eyes widened in shock.
His strike had been stopped.
A familiar armored hand gripped the mop's shaft.
It was… his.
"L-Luffy… sama…?"
Koby stared at him in confusion. "Why… why did you stop me?"
Luffy smiled softly, the kind of smile that washed away darkness.
"Koby," he said, "you don't have to kill him."
"R-really, Luffy-sama…?"
His voice trembled, filled with disbelief, but also hope.
Because in all his time with the Starry Sky Pirates, Luffy and Zoro had never disagreed before.
This was the first time.
Luffy knelt, gently ruffling Koby's pink hair.
"Of course," he said warmly. "You have a choice, Koby. Always."
"What you do, what you become, that's your path.
Not mine, not Zoro's, not anyone else's.
We may guide you, correct you, but your decisions are your own."
He straightened, his tone soft but resolute.
"Remember this: You don't kill him because you don't want to.
Having power means having the freedom to choose, good or evil.
But never confuse mercy with kindness.
When you show mercy to evil, you harm the innocent."
Then Luffy released the mop handle and stepped back, smoothing his collar with his usual carefree air.
He caught Zoro's exasperated glare and grinned.
"Why do I always have to play the villain?" those eyes seemed to say.
Luffy chuckled inwardly, sticking his tongue out playfully.
"Because you're my first mate."
========
Koby turned again toward the still-unconscious Krieg.
He knew someone had helped suppress Krieg's mind, giving him this moment.
Zoro. Or maybe Luffy.
They were giving him the chance… to change.
From that first meeting with Luffy…
To joining the Starry Sky Pirates…
From a lost, timid boy…
To a proud member of the crew…
They had given him everything.
He couldn't stay weak forever.
He would become a hero who could stand alone one who could make the name Starry Sky shine even brighter.
I am "Hero" Koby… and "Deckhand" Koby!
He raised the mop high.
"Light that follows me, shine with radiant glory before me!"
"Above, life. Below, death."
"The sins of the world, I shall bear alone."
"In the name of the Hero, I command thee, Contract of Salvation!"
SPLASH!!!
A burst of crimson light shot into the sky.
Koby drove the mop's handle straight into Krieg's heart.
His face showed no doubt, only resolve.
Dark energy flowed up the mop, transforming into light as it entered his body.
When he withdrew the mop, it was spotless, unstained by blood.
"…So that's your true power," Koby whispered.
The mop shimmered, and vanished.
And Koby…
had grown.
=============
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