Bounty Hunter

"This haul wasn't bad. Who would've thought such a tiny village was hiding this much money? Once we reach the next town, I can finally have some real fun, haha." A pirate with a greatsword strapped to his back laughed madly.

"Gulp, gulp... Ha, exactly. Life at sea has been dull as hell. I wonder if some clueless little pirates or greedy hyenas will come looking to give us some entertainment." Another pirate took a huge swig of liquor, his eyes already somewhat unfocused.

"You idiot, what nonsense are you talking about? Who are we? We're the Giant Axe Pirates, the crew that strikes fear into everyone's hearts! Even the Marines can't do anything to us! And our captain is a vicious pirate with a bounty of twelve million Beli. He's a man destined to become the next Pirate King!"

"Is that so? Then the next Pirate King is rather pitiful. He's gained an extra man for no reason at all." A rather flippant voice reached the pirates' ears, instantly putting them on guard as they grabbed their weapons. They had all made their living on the sea; without even this much awareness, they would not have survived for long.

A pirate who appeared to be a minor leader cautiously walked to the edge of the deck and looked down. He immediately revealed a contemptuous smile. "Hahaha, a little brat dares show up in front of us? You really don't know the meaning of death."

Floating on the sea was a tiny wooden boat, like a speck of dust upon the water. It seemed a single wave could overturn it. Compared with their pirate ship, it was like heaven and earth apart. The pirates looked down from above, while the young man on the boat seemed as insignificant as an ant.

"Kid, the sea is a place for real men to make their mark. A milk-drinker like you should crawl back beneath a woman's skirt."

"Ha, look at that stupid expression. He's probably scared senseless."

"Since he's brought a little amusement into my boring life, I'll be merciful and not make his death too painful. I only hope he doesn't piss himself now. That would dirty my blade."

The young man on the wooden boat showed no reaction to the pirates' filthy remarks, as if he had long grown accustomed to them. Or, as he would put it, there was no need to argue with the dead.

The man on the boat vanished from the pirates' sight in a blur. Before they could react, he had already appeared before them. This time, they finally saw his face clearly.

He looked only fifteen or sixteen, yet there was nothing childish about his face. His gentle features and sharp eyes gave off an indescribable feeling. A heavy pressure bore down on them, making some pirates who had never seen much of the world struggle to hold their weapons. The youth wore a fitted black outfit, with a longsword at his waist. It had yet to leave its sheath, but it seemed as though a cold gleam could flash forth at any moment.

The pirates were not fools. The instant they saw the youth's terrifying speed, they knew he was no easy target. Some even wondered whether their demon-like captain could manage such a feat. The next moment, they forced that horrifying thought from their minds, not daring to think further.

The minor leader gestured for the pirates to spread out and surround him, then said in a low voice, "Kid, whoever you are and whatever your purpose, you'd better be careful. Otherwise, don't blame our guns for being blind. Our captain is a great pirate with a bounty of twelve million Beli. If you leave now, we can pretend none of this happened. But if our captain comes out, you won't be able to leave even if you want to."

His words showed that he was a man who had weathered many storms. He knew that on the sea, one could never show weakness. The only correct course was to display strength before one's enemies. The weak never lived long upon the sea. Besides, he believed no one could survive such concentrated firepower, much less their captain, a terrifying monster of a man.

Clang! A weapon suddenly hit the deck. A pirate's saber had fallen from his hand, and he collapsed weakly onto the deck, pointing at the youth with a face full of terror as if he had seen a ghost.

The minor leader shot the pirate a dissatisfied glance. Seeing that he was a recent recruit, a fierce anger rose in his heart. Once this was over, he would make sure to hang this trash. The Giant Axe Pirates were not a refuge for cowards.

The pirate sitting on the deck was already weeping and sniveling. Disgusting snot ran into his mouth, but he did not even notice. He cried out in utter collapse, "You devil! Why won't you let me go? You already destroyed the Hundred Ghosts Pirates! I was only a sailor on that ship! Why do you keep targeting me?!"

"The... the Hundred Ghosts Pirates? That powerful Pirate Crew with a bounty of fifteen million Beli? The crew rumored to have been crushed by a Bounty Hunter some time ago, with even Captain Torres the Fierce Ghost's head taken in for the reward?"

"I... I think I remember now. That Bounty Hunter seemed to be called Roy. The nightmare of pirates—the Phantom Sword, Roy!"

The pirates murmured unconsciously, as if they had suddenly realized something. They stared at the youth before them in disbelief, their throats making choking, rattling sounds. Several more weapons clattered to the deck, and the pirates collapsed as though every bit of strength had been drained from their bodies.

Roy rubbed his smooth chin and looked teasingly at the first pirate to speak. "That... what was it again? Right. I'm terribly sorry, but don't misunderstand. You're thinking too much. I have no interest in remembering a minor pirate like you. But since we've met here, it must be fate. I'll send you to meet your former captain. I'm sure he'll be very happy to see you."

The pirate's expression of surviving disaster had not yet faded before it froze. As though Roy's words had awakened the demon in his heart, he suddenly grabbed the guns others had dropped. Holding one in each hand, he glared viciously at Roy.

What the others could not understand was that, with Roy's ghostly speed from before, stopping that pirate should have been effortless. Yet not only did he fail to stop him, he even looked as though he were watching a show. A ripple stirred in the others' despairing hearts. Maybe this kid isn't that terrifying after all. At his age, he really doesn't look like an expert.

With two pistols in hand, the pirate seemed to gain limitless confidence. He grinned hideously. "You forced me to do this! Go to hell, trash!"

Two bullets burst from the barrels in an instant, moving faster than the human eye could follow. Before the other pirates could react, the bullets had already vanished.

It worked... right? At this distance, even a god couldn't dodge them. The pirate who had fired kept encouraging himself inwardly.

But then a voice he least wanted to hear sounded. "Is this your final struggle? How boring. Then goodbye."

As Roy's final words fell, a violent pain tore through his body, and then he sank into eternal darkness.

Blood dyed the deck red and snapped the others back to their senses. Stimulated by that crimson color, their eyes filled with blood as they frantically opened fire on Roy. Dense gunfire instantly filled the cramped space.

What terrified them was that this time, they finally saw how Roy had dodged the earlier bullets. He strolled through the rain of gunfire as though taking a leisurely walk in a garden. A slight tilt of his head or a small lift of his foot was enough to evade every bullet.

The pirates even felt something absurd in their hearts. Perhaps what they held were not firearms, weapons capable of killing, but children's slingshots.

Roy passed through the barrage and arrived before the pirates. Amid their terrified faces, a silver-white flash appeared, sending them into eternal sleep.

"Damn it, you're so noisy! You bastards, don't you know that the great Captain Hoxius is resting? It seems I'll have to hang you all..." A door was flung open roughly, and a four-meter-tall giant stepped out, still cursing. But when he saw the scene of corpses strewn across the deck, he fell silent.

The black figure standing amid the red river was especially eye-catching. The figure turned around and revealed a bright smile. "You're Hoxius, the Giant Axe captain with a bounty of twelve million Beli, right? Allow me to introduce myself. I'm a Bounty Hunter, Roy."