Boom! Boom!
Several pitch-black cannonballs tore through the night sky, whistling sharply as they hurtled straight toward the Moby Dick.
Uchiha Itachi stood in the shadows of the second-level deck, his body pressed tightly against the mast.
The deck, which had been eerily quiet just moments ago, instantly erupted into chaos.
Yet there was no fear on the pirates' faces.
Only irritation at being woken up—and a faint, unmistakable thrill for bloodshed.
"Boys!"
A burly man with pouch-like pockets sewn into his chin strode to the bow.
"Swat these flies down for me!"
Blamenco, commander of the Sixth Division.
He casually reached into one of the pockets on his body—
And pulled out a wooden mallet larger than a grown man.
He swung.
Bang!
The incoming cannonballs were smashed straight back, detonating into showers of sparks in midair.
Itachi's eyes narrowed slightly.
No chakra fluctuations.
Pure physical strength—combined with some kind of spatial storage ability.
More cannonballs followed immediately.
"Diamond Hardening!"
Jozu charged forward, half his body transforming into gleaming diamond.
He rammed the falling cannonballs head-on with his shoulder.
Boom!
Fire and smoke engulfed him.
As the dust cleared, Jozu casually brushed off his shoulder, completely unharmed.
"Didn't even itch!"
Haki?
Or a Devil Fruit ability?
The terms Itachi had earlier extracted through genjutsu flashed through his mind.
This world's power system was crude—but overwhelmingly powerful.
By now, grappling hooks from the enemy ship had latched onto the railing.
"Kill them! The Giant Axe Pirates will make a name for themselves tonight!"
Hundreds of pirates wielding massive axes swung aboard.
The Whitebeard Pirates met them head-on, blades clashing.
Blood splattered.
But this was nothing like the slaughter Itachi knew.
"Hey! Don't steal my opponent!"
"Let's see who takes down more!"
They laughed as they fought back-to-back, completely exposing their blind spots to one another.
That kind of trust wasn't trained.
It was forged through countless brushes with death.
Itachi observed coldly—
Until a figure caught his attention.
A newcomer wielding a rusted longsword, his movements awkward and unrefined, was being surrounded by three enemies.
"Die, brat!"
A giant axe was raised high.
The nearby commanders were all occupied—no one could reach him in time.
Itachi's expression remained calm.
No need to save him.
The risk of exposing his abilities outweighed the benefit.
Whether this newcomer lived or died had nothing to do with him.
However—
Just as the axe was about to fall, the newcomer stepped forward, shielding a wounded comrade behind him.
His eyes were filled with terror—
Yet he did not retreat even half a step.
That look.
It was the same look Itachi had worn that night, standing at the edge of the Uchiha compound.
The same way he had stood in front of Sasuke.
Itachi's finger twitched.
His body moved faster than his reason.
Not out of justice—
But because that look irritated him.
The Body Flicker Technique activated.
Itachi vanished.
The next instant, the three pirates froze mid-motion.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Three arcs of blood sprayed into the air.
Three shuriken had cleanly severed their windpipes.
No screams.
The bodies collapsed bonelessly to the deck.
The newcomer stared in shock.
All he saw was a black-clad back wearing a fox mask.
Not tall—
Yet radiating a suffocating chill.
Itachi didn't look back.
With a flick of his fingers, thin wires snapped taut, pulling the shuriken back into his grasp.
Uchiha-style Shurikenjutsu.
In a world of straightforward brawling, it was practically an art form.
A brief vacuum formed around him.
"Isn't that… the kid who just boarded the ship?"
Not far away, Thatch stared wide-eyed.
"That was fast."
In the air, Marco looked down, blue flames reflecting surprise in his eyes.
"A technique that exists solely for killing…"
Itachi ignored their gazes.
Since he had acted, he would go all the way.
Demonstrating value was often safer than hiding strength.
He turned.
The crimson three-tomoe Sharingan rotated slowly.
Every enemy caught in his gaze felt as if an icy hand had seized their hearts.
It was killing intent made tangible.
A few pirates instinctively stepped back.
"Watch out!"
The newcomer behind him suddenly shouted.
At some point, the enemy ship's main cannon had shifted its angle.
The dark muzzle was aimed directly at the deck where Itachi stood.
Too close.
Dodging would mean abandoning the two behind him.
They would die.
Itachi's eyes sharpened.
Susanoo? The cost was too high.
Water Release? The cannon's impact would disperse it instantly.
Just as he prepared to force hand seals—
A blazing wall of fire descended from above.
"Fire Fist!"
A massive flaming fist smashed into the cannonball like a falling meteor.
Boom!
The explosion erupted midair, the heatwave blasting Itachi's hair backward.
The rolling flames forced the enemy boarding party to retreat.
Itachi looked up.
A bare-chested young man wearing an orange cowboy hat crouched on the railing, his entire body engulfed in roaring flames.
He grinned, freckles dotting his face.
"Yo! Not bad, newcomer!"
Portgas D. Ace—Second Division Commander.
Ace leapt down, ignoring the lingering flames, and strode straight toward Itachi.
Slap!
He clapped Itachi hard on the back.
Itachi's body tensed instantly, nearly counterattacking on reflex—but he stopped himself.
That palm was scorching hot, and absurdly strong.
"Thanks!"
Ace laughed, bright and carefree.
"If I let those scumbags hurt my family, Pops would chew me out for sure!"
Family?
Itachi froze.
He looked at Ace's clear eyes.
Then at the crew members around them, who were casting grateful smiles his way.
The cold calculations he'd made moments ago suddenly felt out of place.
"I just—"
He opened his mouth, trying to explain it was a tactical decision.
"Hahahaha! Don't be shy!"
Thatch leaned in and threw an arm around Itachi's shoulders.
This time, Itachi couldn't dodge.
"I knew you weren't simple! That shuriken trick was awesome!"
Thatch laughed, raising his sword.
"From today on, you're family!"
"Come on! Let's celebrate driving off the enemy—and welcoming our new crewmate!"
"Boys! The banquet's back on!"
"Ohhh!!!"
Cheers roared into the night sky.
The battle wasn't even fully over, and these lunatics were already talking about another feast.
Itachi was pushed along between Ace and Thatch, carried into the crowd.
Behind the mask, confusion flickered in his eyes.
This feeling—
It was too hot.
So hot it made him uncomfortable.
So hot it almost made him want to run.
Yet in the end…
He didn't push Ace's hand away.
Maybe—
In this strange world…
Getting a little closer to this flame wouldn't burn him after all.