The damp deck reeked of the sea.
Chaos reigned across the ship, stained a deep, sickly red.
Blood dripped steadily from Merry's tiny, delicate hands, plinking softly as it fell.
The captain of the Firearms Pirates, Anrique, jumped back in shock at Merry's sudden actions. His pupils widened in terror.
His body betrayed him, stepping instinctively backward.
What… what is this…?
His eyes filled with sheer horror as he stared at the still-innocent, still-cute Merry.
But to him, she was no longer a little girl.
She was a demon emanating the aura of an abyss.
A demon!
…
Merry, naive and ignorant, had no concept of morality. Killing was not wrong to her, and the value of life was incomprehensible.
In the ship sprite's memory, no one had ever taught such concepts.
Having just arrived in this world, no one had instructed her on virtues, ethics, or what it meant to be "noble."
Though, given the personalities of the Starry Sky Pirates, perhaps no one could teach her those values anyway.
Deep within Merry's soul, memories emphasized only one thing:
Survival.
Use any means necessary to eliminate threats and protect oneself.
These instincts shaped her every action.
Even the rising spurt of blood fascinated her, something beautiful she had never seen before.
Like a small child playing with insects, she treated the weak as mere objects of curiosity.
To Merry, a feeble human was no more valuable than a small bug.
Pfft…
A bloody silhouette flashed across the deck.
Before anyone could react, another pirate lay in pieces, forming a crimson puddle.
With no warning, a pirate's head exploded under her tiny fists, blood spattering the planks behind him.
"Die, you monster!!!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!!
Shots rang out.
Anrique reacted instantly, pulling the triggers.
Modified firearms erupted in fire, bullets streaking like blazing comets, aimed straight at Merry's head.
But it was all in vain.
…
Metallic rounds clanged off the wooden deck, bouncing and colliding with crisp, hollow sounds.
Deformed bullets struck like soft iron, flattened and lifeless.
"Ouch! That hurts! (｀Δ´)"
Merry spun around, seeing Anrique's smoking gun. Her big, innocent eyes glared at the captain, voice ringing with complaint.
It really hurts!
She set down the body of the pirate whose neck she had just broken and stepped closer.
Anrique, utterly terrified, realized: they were doomed.
Fear clouded his mind, sapping all courage to resist. His head shook, refusing to acknowledge what was happening.
Step by step, he whispered to himself:
"No… no… don't come closer! Please… don't come closer!!!"
…
The Firearms Pirates, cherished by their captain like family, fell to the deck.
In front of them, the little girl's fists rose steadily, her approach relentless.
Anrique's mind went blank; his strength was too weak to stop her.
This… this is it…
Merry's small, deadly fists loomed in his vision.
Just as he accepted his fate, a voice rang out, clear, powerful, like a melody breaking through the chaos:
"Stop, Merry!"
A loud, youthful voice cut through the air, halting Merry's massacre.
Earlier, in the training room of the Going Merry, Luffy had been sparring with Zoro when he heard a faint experience chime.
Only a few points, but it sparked an idea.
Normally, experience came from Lab hunting Sea Kings in the deep ocean.
Lab never killed smaller creatures; he relocated them to the small-world ocean, letting them grow before selectively consuming stronger ones.
This tiny spike of experience told Luffy exactly what had happened:
Under his command, Merry had encountered a weak pirate crew and was killing them.
Fearing the effect of her first kill, Luffy asked Zoro to rest while he left the training room alone.
On the deck, using his advanced Observation Haki, Luffy saw clearly:
On Lab's back, a pirate ship three times the size of the Going Merry floated, where a bloodstained little girl smiled like sunshine, approaching a large, unarmed man.
Seeing Merry about to strike, Luffy shouted.
His voice rang loud and far, successfully stopping her.
Flames ignited in his hand as he leapt into the air, moving faster than sight to the pirate ship's deck.
Luffy's gaze softened, tinged with helplessness, as he looked at the bloodied little girl.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Luffy?"
Merry tilted her head in confusion, her big eyes wide.
"No… nothing," Luffy said, shaking his head gently, offering no blame.
This was his fault, he had failed to teach her the proper values, letting her face weak pirates alone.
If only he had warned her sooner, today's mess wouldn't have happened.
Corpses lay scattered, pirates trembling in fear, blood pooling across the deck.
Luffy shook his head silently.
Sigh…
Really… she's just killed a few people, yet her body is all dirty…
And covered in blood!
How would he even clean this mess?
Her cloak seemed magically fused to her body, impossible to remove, just like her clothes, part of her very being.
He could only hope that pirate-world soap was strong.
The dried blood looked impossible to scrub away.
Sighing, Luffy scooped Merry into his arms, holding her like a small child:
"Alright, let's go back first.
It's time I teach you some practical knowledge and skills."
"Mm…"
Merry still looked confused, wondering if she had done something wrong, upset Luffy.
But she had followed his orders, she had killed the pirates as instructed.
Where had she gone wrong…?
Lost in thought, Merry didn't notice Luffy taking off.
He soared into the sky, speaking down to Lab, who remained partly submerged:
"Lab, I'll take Merry back to teach her a few things.
After lunch, I'll let her come back and play with you…"
"Woah~"
Lab trumpeted happily and sank slowly into the deep sea.
The deck was left only with the stunned Firearms Pirates.
Luffy glanced at them briefly, pondering, then thought: Well… a mosquito is still meat.
Energy gathered in his palm.
"Inferno X!"
BOOM!!!
Blazing red flames erupted, covering the sea surface in an immense wave of heat.
Vast quantities of water steamed into the sky.
The fiery light painted the ocean like a crimson sunset.
Steam hissed sharply in the air.
Moments later, the fire dissipated.
The sea returned to calm, and the Firearms Pirates had vanished as if they had never existed.
"Let's go. Lunch is almost ready!
Sanji made a lot, remember? The food you liked last time!"
"Yay (oo)!!!"
At the thought of Sanji's cooking, Merry's face lit up with pure excitement, forgetting everything that had just happened.
Even her blood-stained face beamed as she laughed happily once more.