Darkness hung low over the ruin district, thick with smoke, piss, and secrets.
Crack!
A sharp slap echoed through the alley as Jin pulled his boot back from the third and final skull. All three thugs—filthy, hunched, and breathing ragged—were on their knees now, heads swollen like overripe fruit.
"Now you look like proper gourd-heads," Jin muttered with a crooked grin, brushing blood off his glove with the precision of a surgeon.
"We—we were wrong, boss! Please, just let us go!" the largest of the trio sobbed, nursing a fresh welt that throbbed like a heartbeat.
"Yeah! Yeah, we didn't mean anything by it! We're just desperate, that's all!" the other two chimed in, voices cracked and uneven, snot and tears running freely.
Jin crouched, his gaze sharpening like a blade as he stared into their fear-glazed eyes.
"This ruin you're squatting in—don't pretend you don't know the rules. Scum like you thrive here because even bigger scum allow it." He jerked his chin. "So tell me—who's pulling the strings in this dump's trade network?"
They looked at each other, panicked and unsure.
The big one cracked first. "It's Karika! That bastard controls all the black market stuff!"
"Karika," Jin repeated softly, like tasting a wine he didn't like.
"He's the top dog here," another added quickly. "Deals with mountain bandits, pirates, smugglers. All the stolen goods go through him. Gold, gems, weapons... hell, even slaves sometimes."
"And where?" Jin asked, already guessing the answer.
"High bluff near the shoreline—eastern edge of the ruins," said the smallest. "He's got a building there, two floors, flag with an octopus symbol. Can't miss it."
Jin stood, exhaling slowly. "Alright. You're free to go."
They blinked. "Wait… r-really?"
He was already walking out of the alley, shadow stretching behind him.
As he turned the corner, he heard them celebrate.
"See?! I told you he was a good guy!" the smallest shouted, practically skipping in place.
Smack! Smack!
Two simultaneous slaps shut him up. Jin didn't look back. He smiled instead.
The bluff rose like a crooked tooth at the edge of the ruins. A squat, ugly building with rusted walls and a grim flag fluttered in the salt air.
Jin stood before it, arms crossed.
"Two floors. Twelve people. One fat bastard upstairs. No heavy hitters."
Kenbunshoku Haki whispered every detail into his mind. The scent of fear, the shift in weight, the hunger for blood. None of them would challenge him.
"East Blue really is the softest sea," he muttered. Then, without waiting, he kicked open the door.
The ground floor erupted into taunts.
"Yo! Fresh meat! Came from the sea, huh?"
"Where's your cargo, pretty boy?"
"Bet he thinks he's tough. Bet he'll be crying in an hour."
"Another sheep for the slaughterhouse," someone chuckled.
Jin didn't answer. He just walked in, quiet and fluid.
Inside his head, Kikoru whispered nothing. She didn't need to. His instinct had already taken over.
"Eleven."
His eyes flicked left to right—then his left leg blurred.
Whump! Whump! Whump!
Eleven precise kicks struck like thunder. Not a second wasted. Not a breath spared.
By the time his foot returned to the ground, bodies were collapsing like dominoes behind him.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Jin stretched his leg, flexing the tension. "Still too much weight training. Even Rankyaku feels sluggish." He cracked his neck and headed upstairs.
The corridor stank of cheap tobacco and sour meat. Two guards turned at the sound of his footsteps.
Jin didn't slow down.
Shhhhkt.
Two clean lines of crimson traced the air as Rankyaku scythed through both guards' throats—perfectly aimed, not a drop wasted.
Click.
He opened the office door.
Behind the desk sat a bloated man in a tall hat, gold rings clinking against a ledger. His eyes narrowed.
"Who the hell are you? How'd you get—"
"I'm the one sending you to hell."
Jin's Rankyaku flashed again.
Crack.
The fat man didn't even scream. His body slammed against the wall, slid down like melted lard.
Jin stepped over the corpse, glancing around the room. "Another one down. Shit, I'm getting used to this."
He nudged the body with his boot, flipping it aside like a sack of fish.
Behind the desk was a black safe, thick and locked. Jin smiled.
"Let's see what the big man was hiding."
Crack.
The safe didn't stand a chance. Within seconds, it popped open—inside: stacks of beli notes, bricks of gold, a black velvet pouch, and a ledger thick with names.
Jin picked up the pouch, untied the string, and peeked inside.
A grin split his face. "Oh damn. Ask and ye shall receive."
Dozens of gems sparkled under the moonlight—red, blue, violet—each cut so fine they looked alive.
"Perfect," he murmured, tying the pouch to his belt.
He glanced at the rest of the cash and loot.
"Stained with blood… but I'm such a kind soul, I'll just purify it for you." He grabbed a suitcase from the corner and stuffed it full with methodical precision.
Once finished, he gave the dead Karika one last look. For a moment, his brow furrowed.
"Shouldn't have gone so hard on him. A little too fast, too clean. No style. Gotta work on my restraint."
He sighed, stepped back, then vaulted through the window.
The night wind caught him mid-air.
Jin twisted once, landed silently on the thick limb of an old tree. The ruins below looked smaller now. Almost peaceful.
"Not a bad haul. Might need to get out more often."
He smirked, turned away from the moonlight, and vanished into the canopy.
This story is inspired from various fanfics i have read from around the world so if you find any similarities please dont mind . Thank you
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T/N :
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