Chapter 5 – When the Monster Takes Notice
The port of Hachinosu was never quiet. It was a constant storm of voices, steel, and greed. Ships unloaded plunder, pirates brawled over gold, and drunken laughter echoed against rotting wooden planks. But today, the storm was fiercer than usual.
Three pirate crews had clashed in the harbor, their captains screaming about stolen cargo. Blades rang, muskets cracked, and the ground shook under the weight of chaos.
Ren D. Kaizokuya stood at the edge of it all, hands in his pockets, eyes sharp.
(A three-way skirmish… twenty-two men on one side, fifteen on another, twelve on the last. Weapons varied—mostly cutlasses, pistols, and crude axes. But the real danger lies in the captains. That one with the eyepatch moves like a trained swordsman. That woman in the blue coat has a flintlock that's faster than the rest. If I intervene, I must neutralize them first. Otherwise, Observation Haki or not, I'll be overwhelmed.)
He exhaled slowly. The system's voice chimed in his mind.
[System Notification]
Emergency Quest Generated: Prove Yourself in the Hive of Pirates
Objective: Defeat at least 10 armed enemies in open combat without retreating.
Bonus Objective: Defeat at least 1 Pirate Captain.
Reward: Swordsmanship Mastery +1 Level, Charm +2, Recognition by Rocks D. Xebec.
Failure: -30% to all stats for 1 month.
Ren's lips curved slightly. "So, this is the stage you've chosen for me, System. Very well."
He drew his blade, stepping forward into the storm.
The first pirate spotted him. "Oi! Pretty boy thinks he can play hero!" The man lunged with a rusty cutlass.
Ren's eyes narrowed. (Angle of approach: sloppy. His stance leaves his ribs exposed. Counter is simple.) He sidestepped smoothly, his sword flashing in a clean arc. Blood sprayed, and the pirate collapsed before realizing he was dead.
Gasps rippled. Ren didn't stop. His body blurred as he used Soru (imperfect, but swift) to close the gap on two more men, slashing their tendons before they could react.
The battlefield stilled for a heartbeat. A single young man had just carved through three pirates in less than five seconds.
And then chaos erupted again.
"Kill him!"
"Take his sword!"
"He's mine!"
Ren's world narrowed. Every sound, every step, every breath—it all lit up in his mind through Observation Haki. Blades came at him from the left; he ducked, using a crate as cover. A pistol clicked behind him; he pivoted, kicking the shooter into the sea. A heavy axe swung overhead; Ren rolled forward, slicing the wielder's leg.
(Four down. Five. Six. Seven. The momentum builds. But I need precision, not frenzy. Calm. Always calm.)
The captains finally noticed him. The woman in the blue coat leveled her pistol, eyes narrowing. "Who the hell is this brat?"
Her finger squeezed the trigger— BANG!
Ren twisted, Observation Haki whispering the bullet's path. His blade flicked up, sparks flying as steel deflected lead.
Gasps erupted. A pirate blocking a bullet? At his age? Impossible.
Ren's calm voice cut through the din. "If you're going to aim at me… make it count."
The eyepatch captain snarled, charging with twin blades. Ren met him head-on, their swords clashing in a storm of sparks. The man was strong, seasoned. But Ren's mind dissected every movement.
(His left blade drags by half a second. His footing favors the right. Exploit the imbalance. Now—)
Ren feinted right, then pivoted, slashing across the man's exposed side. Blood sprayed. The captain fell with a scream.
[System Notification]
Bonus Objective Complete: Pirate Captain Defeated.
The battle slowed. The other crews hesitated. Ren stood tall amid the carnage, his blade dripping, his calm gaze sweeping the survivors.
And then, a voice rolled across the harbor like thunder.
"Hahahahahaha! What the hell is this?"
Every pirate froze. Heads turned.
From the largest ship docked at the port, a towering figure emerged. Wild hair, sharp teeth, eyes that burned with madness—Rocks D. Xebec himself.
Ren felt the weight of the man's presence like a tidal wave. His Observation Haki screamed, every instinct telling him to kneel or flee.
But he didn't move.
(So this is him. The monster who dared challenge the world. If I flinch now, I lose everything. Calm. Always calm.)
Rocks laughed, striding forward, his aura crushing the harbor into silence. "A brat… no, a whelp… carving through captains like they're scraps? What's your name, boy?"
Ren sheathed his blade slowly, meeting the monster's gaze with quiet steel. "Ren D. Kaizokuya."
The crowd stirred at the "D." Rocks's grin widened. "A D, eh? Interesting. Dangerous. My kind of dangerous."
He stopped just a few feet away, looming like a storm given flesh. His voice boomed:
"From today, you're mine. A cadet under my banner. Like that beast Kaido over there. Hahahaha! Don't make me regret it, boy."
Ren bowed slightly, not in fear, but in acknowledgment. "Then I'll make sure to prove worthy of your notice."
Rocks's laughter shook the harbor. "Hah! Calm eyes, sharp blade, dangerous name. You might just survive this era… or die in glory. Either way, I like you."
And just like that, Ren D. Kaizokuya became an apprentice of the Rocks Pirates.
But in his mind, his true goal whispered like a vow.
(Not glory. Not chaos. Only her. Shakuyaku… I'll carve my path until it leads back to you.)