Pirates!
The word struck Kyle like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, his blood seemed to ignite. All the boredom, annoyance, and restlessness that had plagued him for weeks vanished, replaced by a surging, overwhelming desire for battle. Kyle rushed to the ship's rail and squinted, looking in the direction Rayleigh had indicated.
Sure enough, a black dot was rapidly growing larger against the backdrop of the blue sea and sky. Soon, the ship's outline became clear. Its hull was several times larger than their own small, dilapidated boat. Emblazoned on its main sail was a grinning skull with two crossed battle-axes underneath it—a flag that was both flashy and menacing.
The other ship had clearly spotted them as well. Arrogant laughter drifted across the water as the pirates on board waved their weapons and made provocative gestures in their direction.
"Kuhahaha! Talk about perfect timing!" Roger grinned, flexing his wrists until they made a series of loud cracking sounds. "My hands have been itching for a fight."
"You damn Captain!"
A sharp voice cut through Roger's excitement. Both he and Rayleigh turned to look at Kyle in surprise. The young man stood firmly by the rail, the sea breeze ruffling his short black hair. His eyes burned with an intensity they had never seen before, like two flames just waiting to erupt.
"This ship… leave it to me!"
He spun around, his gaze locked on Roger, his right hand already gripping the naginata that was leaning against the ship's side.
Roger stared at Kyle's determined expression, momentarily startled. Then, he erupted into his signature, hearty laugh. "Kuhahahaha!" He walked over to Kyle and slapped his large, fan-like hand heavily on the boy's shoulder. "Good! I'll leave it to you, little Kyle!"
He pulled his hand back, placed both on his hips, and gave Kyle a smile filled with expectation and pride. "Let's see the results of your two months of training!"
"However…" Roger's tone shifted, his smile turning slightly malicious. "If you can't handle it, or if you accidentally get yourself beaten half to death, there'll be no dinner for you tonight!"
"My pleasure!" A confident smirk spread across Kyle's lips. He took a deep breath, said nothing more, and turned to face the rapidly approaching pirate ship.
On that vessel, a captain with a scarred face and a build as burly as a bear's was peering through a telescope. When he saw that there were only three people on the tiny ship—one of whom was just a half-grown kid—he couldn't help but let out a contemptuous roar of laughter.
"Lads! Look at that! A broken-down ship with two shabby-looking guys! And a little brat who still needs his mother's milk!" he roared to his subordinates after lowering the telescope. "Today's our lucky day! Kill them, and everything on their ship is ours!"
"Oh oh oh oh!" the pirates howled in excitement.
Kyle held his naginata in one hand and placed the other on the ship's rail, vaulting over it in a clean jump.
"Wave Walk!"
Just as his feet were about to touch the water, the sea surface beneath him suddenly rippled in visible circles. But the ripples didn't spread outward; instead, they strangely contracted and solidified, forming a transparent, water-like platform directly under his feet. Kyle took a step, landing steadily on the surface of the sea. Then he took another, and another. Under the astonished gazes of the pirates, whose jaws had practically dropped to their deck, Kyle walked leisurely across the turbulent ocean as if it were solid ground, his long blade resting on his shoulder as he headed straight for their ship.
On his own deck, Roger watched with delight, constantly exclaiming, "Awesome!"
Rayleigh, meanwhile, leaned against the mast and pushed up his glasses. A subtle, proud smile touched the corner of his lips as he murmured softly to himself, "And so, the curtain rises…"
The sea breeze rustled the young man's short black hair. He held his simple naginata and, step by step, calmly walked across the waves toward the three-masted ship. This impossible scene, which defied all logic, instantly threw the crew of the Giant Axe Pirate Group into chaos.
"Wh-what is that?!"
"He's walking on the sea!"
"He's a Devil Fruit user!"
The pirates on the deck were filled with a mixture of doubt and fear, backing away from the rail. The weapons in their hands suddenly felt useless, offering no sense of security. This bizarre entrance was far more intimidating than any snarling brute could ever be.
"What's all the noise about?! Shut up, all of you!" a crude roar drowned out the panicked whispers.
The scarred-faced captain kicked aside a subordinate who was blocking his path and stormed to the bow of the ship. "It's just some Devil Fruit user!" he spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "What's there to be afraid of? He's just a little brat!"
He stared down at Kyle, who continued his unhurried approach, and yelled mockingly, "Hey, kid! This isn't your backyard swimming pool! Didn't your mama tell you to go home for dinner?!"
"Hahahaha!" The captain's arrogant laughter was infectious, and his crew, feeling emboldened, joined in the jeering. Their earlier fear seemed to melt away in the face of their captain's confidence.
"Cannons, shift five millimeters to the left and fire!" the captain ordered with a sinister grin. "Blast him to pieces for me!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three cannons spewed thick smoke, and with a sharp whistle, several dark cannonballs shot towards Kyle.
Back on the small ship, Roger and Rayleigh remained perfectly calm. Roger even crossed his arms, a wide grin on his face, looking as if he were about to watch a good show.
Facing the whistling cannonballs, Kyle didn't flinch. He simply bent his knees slightly.
"Sonic Step—Instant!"
The water platform beneath his feet suddenly sank as an invisible shockwave exploded from the soles of his feet.
Bang!
The enormous recoil launched Kyle's body straight into the air, sending him soaring more than ten meters high in an instant.
"What?!" The Giant Axe Captain's sinister grin froze on his face.
In mid-air, Kyle stretched his body out, the simple naginata in his hand tracing a cold arc in the sunlight. He didn't use any flashy techniques. He simply channeled all the power he had accumulated over the past two months into his blade and swung it at the incoming cannonballs from afar.
A visible blade of compressed air detached from the weapon, slicing through the air. It was fired after the cannonballs but struck first, hitting the one in the middle with perfect precision.
Boom—!
The cannonball seemed to be crushed by an invisible hand. A chain reaction of vibrations spread through the air, and it, along with the other two cannonballs, disintegrated into a cloud of shattered iron. The smoke and mist from the explosion momentarily enveloped that section of the sea.
"H-how is that possible?!" a pirate's voice trembled.
The next second, Kyle's figure emerged from the swirling smoke. He slowly raised his head, his golden eyes burning with a boiling battle intent. "Game over."
Kyle held the naginata horizontally in front of him, and the blade began to hum ominously. He poured his ability to control waves into the weapon without reservation. The very air around the blade began to distort violently, emitting a shrill scream.
"Listen closely," he said, his voice carrying over the unnatural sound. "This is a requiem… for you!"
He gripped the hilt tightly with both hands, leaning back and concentrating all of his strength into this one final strike.
"Sound Slash: Exploding Phoenix Cry!"
He swung the blade with all his might. Time itself seemed to freeze. A massive, visible shockwave in the shape of a phoenix erupted from the naginata's blade. Wherever it passed, the air let out a pained wail, unable to withstand the pressure. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared in space itself, as if glass were being shattered.
The "phoenix," made of high-pressure sound waves, let out a piercing shriek that could split the clouds. With a single spread of its wings, it crossed the hundred meters of open sea in an instant and struck the center of the Giant Axe Pirates' three-masted ship.
BOOM—!!!!!
The deafening roar finally exploded, a sound so loud it felt as if the sky itself had been torn apart. The pirates' proud ship was hit head-on, as if by a giant's fist. A massive dent appeared in the thick hull, and then countless cracks spread wildly from the point of impact. In the next second, the entire ship… disintegrated.
Wood splinters and torn sails flew in every direction. Masts snapped like twigs. Amidst terrified screams, countless pirates were flung high into the air by the violent shockwave, only to fall back into the churning sea.
The captain, who had been laughing arrogantly just a moment ago, now had wide, terrified eyes filled with utter disbelief. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He could only watch helplessly as his ship fell apart around him before a broken plank struck him, sending him sinking into the deep along with the wreckage.
In just a few short minutes, a fully armed pirate ship and its entire crew had been completely annihilated by Kyle's single, earth-shattering blow. All that remained on the sea were floating pieces of wreckage and the desperate wails of the few survivors.
Kyle stood on the waves, leaning on his naginata for support, his chest heaving from the exertion. An unprecedented feeling of exhilaration surged up from the depths of his soul. Act fast, look cool, and shout the name of your move—this… this is the passion of youth!
"Ku… Kuhahahaha!"
Back on Roger's ship, a moment of stunned silence was broken by Roger's characteristic, earth-shattering laughter. He laughed so hard he bent over, tears streaming down his face as he forcefully patted Rayleigh's back.
"Did you see that, Rayleigh?! Did you see that?! Kuhahaha! Well done, Kyle!"
Rayleigh helplessly shrugged Roger's hand off and pushed up the glasses on his nose. His gaze, from behind the lenses, was filled with relief and profound approval.