"Yohohoho- Yohohoho-" "Binks' Sake..."
The strains of a familiar, jaunty tune drifted across the rolling waves of the South Blue. Song and drunken laughter intertwined, echoing from the deck of a ship that looked like it had been designed by a madman with an obsession for predators. The vessel's figurehead was a grotesque, iron-toothed shark, its metallic maw gaping open as if to swallow the very ocean.
High on the mainmast, the pirate flag fluttered aggressively in the wind. It depicted a pale skull set against four crossed bones, with a singular, massive iron tooth prominently displayed in the center of its grin.
This was the Iron Fang, and its crew was currently in the middle of a raucous celebration. In the center of the deck, surrounded by barrels of cheap ale and scraps of roasted meat, stood a burly man who looked like he had been stitched together from spare parts. He had a face full of jagged scars and hair that stood up in three distinct, greasy sections.
This was "Iron Tooth" Buck, a pirate with a bounty of 1,200,000 Berries, a respectable sum for a marauder in the South Blue. He hoisted a massive flagon of orange liquor high into the air, guzzling the liquid so greedily that half of it spilled down his chin, soaking his already filthy shirt.
"Captain! Captain!"
A scrawny minion perched in the crow's nest scrambled down the rigging, nearly tripping over his own feet as he reached the main deck. He was clutching a brass telescope. "A ship! We've spotted a ship dead ahead!"
Buck wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes bloodshot from the drink. "What of it? Is it a merchant ship? A Marine scout?"
"That's the thing, Captain... it isn't flying a flag at all," the minion stammered, looking nervous. "We can't tell who they are. Should we give them a wide berth just in case?"
SMACK!
Buck's hand moved like a blur, sending the minion spinning through the air with a resounding crack. The pirate landed in a heap amidst the singing crew.
"You coward! Who do you think you're talking to?" Buck roared, his voice like grinding stones. "I am 'Iron Tooth' Buck! I've pillaged a dozen towns and sunk twice as many ships! I don't avoid anybody!"
He turned to the rest of the crew, his scars twisting into a menacing grin. "Lads! Break out the powder! We've got a flagless rookie ship ahead of us. Let's show them the hospitality of the Iron Fang! Plunder everything that isn't nailed down!"
"Ohohoho-!"
The drunken pirates erupted in a deafening cheer, their bloodlust ignited. They scrambled to their stations, hauling heavy iron cannonballs from the hold and priming the guns with practiced, albeit clumsy, speed.
A few miles away, the Wings of Freedom was gliding peacefully through the water. Jack and his two companions had just finished a lunch of seared sea-king steak and seasoned rice, a meal Jack had prepared with surprising skill, much to the delight of the two giants.
They were currently lounging on the deck, enjoying the afternoon sun, when the silence was shattered by a thunderous BOOM.
A massive spray of water erupted just a few meters from the hull, drenching the deck and snapping Jack out of his relaxed state.
"Eh? Where did that come from?" Alger asked, blinking his large eyes in confusion as he wiped a stray droplet of salt water from his nose. "Is the sky falling?"
"Idiot, that was a cannonball!" Jack barked, already on his feet. He sprinted to the bow, his black cape snapping behind him. "Get your heads in the game! We've got company."
In the distance, the Iron Fang was closing in fast, her shark figurehead gleaming menacingly. Another volley of cannonballs whistled through the air, aimed directly at their mast.
"Finally! A worthy opponent!" Alf shouted, his eyes burning with a wild, battle-hungry excitement. He hauled his massive iron axe from his back, the weight of it causing the deck boards to groan.
Jack stood at the very tip of the bow, his hand resting on the hilt of Moon Tear. He didn't look panicked; if anything, he looked slightly annoyed that his nap had been interrupted. As the cannonballs reached the apex of their arc, Jack's thumb flicked the guard of his sword.
"One-Sword Style... Thousand Sails Dance!"
In a flash of silvery light, Moon Tear left its scabbard. Jack's arm moved in a blur of hyper-precise strikes. Half a dozen arcs of sharp, compressed air, sword energy shot into the sky.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The incoming cannonballs were intercepted mid-air, exploding into a shower of harmless iron fragments before they could even reach the ship's railing.
On the deck of the Iron Fang, Buck's eyes widened. He had expected panic, not a coordinated aerial defense. "Boarding positions! Now! They've got a swordsman!"
The two ships drew closer until the distance between them was negligible. Buck stood at his bow, laughing arrogantly to hide his growing unease. "Listen up, rookies! You might have some fancy tricks, but today you're leaving your ship and your treasure behind! Welcome to the real sea!"
Jack watched the pirates prep their grappling hooks. He turned to his subordinates, his voice calm and authoritative.
"Alf, you're on offensive duty. Go clear the deck. Alger, you stay here and guard the Wings of Freedom. I don't want a single scratch on our paint job, you hear me?"
"You got it, Boss!" Alger said, planting his feet firmly and cracking his knuckles.
"Roar! Kill these bastards!" Alf bellowed.
The four-meter giant didn't wait for a gangplank. He squatted slightly, his massive leg muscles coiling like steel springs, and then launched himself into the air with a thunderous whoosh. The Wings of Freedom actually rocked from the force of his jump.
Alf landed on the Iron Fang like a falling meteor.
The moment his feet hit the wood, he swung his giant axe in a wide, horizontal circle. The first pirate in his path didn't even have time to scream before the blunt side of the axe shattered his ribs, sending him flying overboard.
Alf was a force of nature. Against these low-level pirates, his sheer size and strength made him look like a tiger rampaging through a flock of helpless sheep. He moved with a terrifying momentum, his axe rising and falling, leaving a trail of broken weapons and groaning men in his wake.
"Our Captain is a great pirate with a 1.2 million bounty!" one minion screamed, brandishing a rusty scimitar. "Don't be afraid, he'll--"
Alf didn't let him finish. He brought the flat of his axe down on the man's head, driving him into the deck boards like a nail. "Your Captain is next!"
"You brat!" Buck roared, grinding his iron-capped teeth. He turned his sights on Jack, who had just stepped casually onto the pirate ship's deck. "I'll deal with you myself!"
Buck lunged. He was surprisingly fast for his size, his mouth open wide to reveal the sharpened steel plates covering his teeth. He aimed straight for Jack's throat, intending to tear it out in one bite.
Jack's eyes flickered with a faint red light, a momentary spark of Observation Haki. To him, Buck's "astonishing speed" looked like a slow-motion crawl.
As Buck pounced, Jack took a subtle, elegant step to the left. He turned his body in a fluid motion, Moon Tear tracing a shimmering arc through the air.
Slash.
Buck's momentum carried him forward for another two steps before he froze. A thin, red line appeared across his chest, stretching down to his abdomen. A second later, blood erupted from the wound, and the "Iron Tooth" pirate collapsed onto the deck, gasping for air.
Buck struggled to lift his head, staring at Jack with a mix of terror and confusion. "Bastard... why is... why is someone like you in the South Blue? No flag... no reputation... who are you?"
Jack flicked the blood from his blade before sheathing it with a satisfying click.
"I only set sail a few days ago," Jack said, looking down at the fallen captain. "And if you think I'm strong, you haven't been paying attention. There are monsters on these seas that could erase you just by walking past."
Jack's mind drifted to the figures he knew were out there. Ace, who was likely making waves already; the Straw Hat boy who would set sail in four years; and monsters like Garp or the Revolutionary Army leaders who moved in the shadows.
"Small fry should know their place," Jack muttered to himself. "The sea is a dangerous place. Even in the 'weakest' waters, there's always a bigger fish. Stability and caution... that's how you survive the Grand Line."
He turned to Alf, who was standing over a pile of defeated pirates. "Alf, tie up the ones who are still breathing. Especially the 'Captain' here. Don't kill him yet; we're taking him to the nearest Marine base for the bounty."
"Yes, Boss! You can count on me!"
"All our money went into building the Wings of Freedom," Jack sighed, looking at his empty pockets. "1.2 million Berries isn't much, but it'll keep us in steak and sake for a while. Alger! Get over here and start moving their supplies. I want their warehouse emptied!"
Jack walked into the Captain's cabin, hoping for a hidden stash of treasure. He spent twenty minutes tossing the room, but only came up with a few small bags of jewels and some loose gold. Total value? Barely 200,000 Berries.
"Cheapskates," Jack grumbled, carrying the loot back to his ship. "Small-time pirates really are a waste of time."
Once the Wings of Freedom had been fully stocked with the stolen goods, Jack gave the order to move out. The caravel slowly pulled away, leaving the crippled Iron Fang drifting aimlessly.
Jack stood at the stern, looking back at the dilapidated ship. He didn't want to leave a threat behind, even a minor one.
"One-Sword Style... Waning Moon Shine."
He swung Moon Tear in a vertical arc. A massive, blue-white Flying Slash tore through the air, hitting the Iron Fang dead center.
BOOM!
The pirate ship was sliced clean in half. Within minutes, the iron-toothed shark figurehead disappeared beneath the waves, sinking toward a watery grave. Jack turned his back on the wreckage, his eyes fixed on the horizon. The first hunt was over, and the real journey was just beginning.