"So some clueless pirate laughed at his laugh, and he ran off to kill them?"
Kid frowned after hearing the lookout's report.
"That idiot tells me to keep a low profile, then goes off to play on his own?"
A flash of red glinted in Kid's eyes as he jumped off the ship.
"Captain, Killer said he wanted to handle it alone."
"Hmph. Is he the captain, or am I the captain?"
Kid snorted coldly, licking his lips as a savage grin twisted across his face.
He'd been suppressing his urges for days.
Finally—finally—he had a chance to cut loose.
He blurred forward, body turning into an afterimage as he sprinted toward the reported location, terrified he might arrive too late and only catch the cold leftovers of Killer's "fun."
It took him only minutes to reach a hidden anchoring point, where an old pirate ship floated in ruins.
"Cowards, hiding like rats. You disgrace the name of pirates."
Disdain flashed in his eyes as he launched himself toward the derelict ship.
With Magnet-Magnet powers coursing through him, his body shot across the sea like a cannonball, carving a deep scar across the water's surface.
Polar Shift—
At the last second, he reversed attraction into repulsion and stabilized his body midair.
Had the fight ended?
Kid's gaze swept the deck—
Littered with corpses, limbs scattered like rotten driftwood.
He frowned.
No…
He hadn't run into Killer on the way here.
That meant the fight wasn't over.
"Killer! Leave some for me!"
He shouted excitedly and was about to rush into the hold—
Until something made him freeze.
A large, bloody symbol—"death"—had been carved into the deck.
Beside the dripping character lay a body, thrown aside like a discarded rag doll.
A headless, legless corpse.
That clothing—
Kid's already small pupils shrank to pinpoints.
The Magnet-Magnet Fruit flared violently.
Everything around him—metal shards, weapons, debris—lifted into the air, drawn toward him like iron to a storm.
He frantically searched, praying he was wrong, praying it was just someone with a similar build wearing the same outfit.
But then he saw it—
A familiar blond head.
Eyes still wide, frozen with confusion and unwillingness.
The treasured mask he always wore—gone.
Kid's world cracked open.
His hands trembled as he lifted Killer's severed head, holding it as if it were made of glass.
"Killer… Who? Who the hell did this to you?"
"WHO KILLED MY PARTNER?!"
Kid roared at the sky.
His rage detonated outward.
The ruin of a ship, already falling apart, shattered under the violent magnetic surge.
Countless blades and metal fragments rose into the air, forming a blackened storm cloud overhead.
"Bastard… damn it… DAMN IT!!!"
He pounded the deck, meeting Killer's lifeless eyes—eyes that refused to close.
"Killer… I promise you this."
"I will avenge you."
"I'll find the bastard who did this… I'll make him beg for death, unable to live or die!"
"I'll kill EVERYONE in this wretched town to accompany you in the grave!"
Lifting Killer's mangled corpse, Kid marched toward the town with a towering iron storm coiling above him.
Meanwhile—
Davy had brought Penny back to the ship and completed emergency treatment.
"Your injuries are severe," he said. "Internal bleeding, ruptured tissues, multiple fractures. You need bed rest."
He had soul-puppets who knew medicine—but doctors from small fry pirate crews had limited skill.
Penny was lucky.
No fatal hits.
Just utterly incapacitating ones.
Davy exhaled through his nose, a sense of urgency settling over him.
This time it's Penny.
What if next time it's me?
He lived by the sword.
He couldn't guarantee he'd never suffer a grievous injury.
He had originally planned to steal a Logia Devil Fruit—
Elemental transformation would solve most injuries:
As long as he wasn't instantly killed, soul energy could heal him.
But what if he was attacked while wounded?
He needed a healing-type fruit.
At the very least, a highly capable doctor-soul.
"Davy…"
Penny's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
She looked timid, nervous, terrified of disappointing him.
"You're… not angry?"
"What would I blame you for?"
"You taught me to train, but I used it to hurt others. And I brought trouble to you…"
Ah.
So that was it.
"I did tell you not to harm innocent people."
Penny's eyes dimmed instantly.
But Davy continued:
"But pirates don't count."
Her eyes widened.
"When I say 'don't harm people,' I mean innocent civilians.
Not murdering, pillaging scum.
If I met those bastards, I would act too."
"More decisively than you.
More ruthlessly.
Without hesitation."
Relief washed over Penny's face.
Her lips curled in a tiny smile—
The kind of proud smile a student wears when praised by a teacher they revere.
"Don't get too happy.
Your intentions were fine—
Your execution was idiotic."
His tone sharpened.
He had to drill this into her.
Or she'd repeat the mistake.
"You attacked, then left witnesses alive to fetch reinforcements—that was your first mistake.
Your group was strong enough to eliminate those initial pirates.
With your current strength, you should've worked together instead of playing the hero."
"If someone can't even fight for themselves, they have no right to save others."
Penny immediately shook her head.
"They're not cowards. Many of them had already drawn their knives—I just… rushed ahead."
"Good. At least you know you were being self-important."
"But leaving survivors wasn't your only mistake."
"Instead of notifying me, you ran off ALONE.
Did you think you were invincible?
You've trained for what—days?
Even I have to act carefully!"
Penny bit her lip.
She didn't explain.
The truth was simple—
She thought she had violated his rules.
She feared being expelled from the ship.
If she lost Davy…
She had no reason to keep living.
Her self-destructive tendencies had pushed her to chase danger.
Davy sighed.
"Use your brain. If you were captured or killed, how the hell could I sit still?
Your 'I don't want to trouble you' excuse is just cowardice."
"Foolish."
But in Penny's ears, every harsh word sounded like warmth.
Her shoulders trembled as she lowered her head, fighting back tears.
She was only fifteen or sixteen—
A child.
A wounded, traumatized child.
Davy thought back to his own past life; at that age he was playing around with paper swords like an idiot.
"Learn to value yourself.
If you can't cherish your own life, how can you cherish anyone else's?"
He stood and left the room.
The others gathered, except Clara.
"Stay here. Once I clean up this mess, we'll talk."
He left without another word.
Killer was dead.
Kid would never let this go.
Now Davy had to finish the problem—
For good.
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