The Fruit Appears, No More Brothers

"Hahaha~~~"

"What a bountiful harvest--"

"Cheers,"

"I'll finish mine first, you take your time!"

"Eat,"

On the now calm sea, two ships sailed slowly, one after the other.

On the Wave Rider, a feast was underway: the members of the Silver Light Pirates, having just achieved a great victory, were moving food and wine from the merchant ship onto the deck to drink and feast heartily!

Drinking from large bowls, eating meat in huge chunks, and dividing gold by the pound--

After a thrilling battle, feasting and drinking was the happiest time for pirates!

Of course, there were also the berries in their pockets and various gold and silver jewelry...

And besides these 'personal' spoils, they had completed a major deal this time, as the merchant ship was loaded with munitions!

This kind of 'hard currency' would never lack buyers in any country in this war-torn world. The captain promised a 3241 split after selling the cargo.

The captain took 30%, the Bald Captain took 20%, the others split 40%, and Captain Roman took 10%.

Actually, it should have been a 3232 split, but the young Captain Roman insisted on taking only 10%, giving the remaining 10% to everyone else. However:

No killing children, no raping women...

Given the share of the profits and his formidable strength, all the pirates could only grudgingly comply with the demands of the 'eccentric' Captain Roman. After all, with the captain's tacit approval, even the Bald Combat Captain had to abide by them.

In short, the young man named Roman seemed out of place with the ordinary pirates, possessing many 'quirks' that they couldn't understand.

For example: brushing his teeth and washing his face every day;

For example: constantly exercising whenever he had free time;

For example: using all his savings to buy high-quality ingredients;

For example: only retaliating after being attacked first...

Therefore, while everyone else gathered in small groups, boasting and drinking, the young man named Roman sat alone by the ship's railing, sipping his drink.

Marineford Calendar 1520--

Roman felt a bit dazed. Unknowingly, he had been in this world for three years.

Yes, Roman was a transmigrator from the Celestial Dynasty.

However, the annoying part was, whether it was a glitch in the Space-Time Administration or not, Roman, who had transmigrated to the One Piece world, wasn't just an unknown nobody, he didn't even have the standard cheat! Forget about a system, he hadn't even seen a Devil Fruit, something every transmigrator was supposed to get.

Furthermore, as Roman had a 'record,' besides continuing the hopeless job of being a pirate, he didn't even have the chance to join the Marines to learn 'Rokushiki' and the Three Types of Haki...

His future was bleak.

Thinking of Devil Fruits, Roman subconsciously glanced towards the captain's direction, his gaze meeting the middle-aged man sitting in the main seat.

In an instant:

One young and calm, one middle-aged like a falcon, their gazes collided across the distance!

Then they casually looked away as if nothing had happened.

Devil Fruits, Roman sighed in his heart.

A treasure rumored to be worth 100 Million Berries!

And it was simply priceless. Because for many factions, 100 Million Berries was nothing, just a 'small goal,' but a single Devil Fruit could significantly boost the combat power of a core member...

Whether it was converted into combat power or sold for money, it was a huge temptation for the Silver Light Pirates!

Therefore, after the middle-aged captain casually closed the box. A strange, inexplicable atmosphere flowed between the three leaders of this pirate crew.

Perhaps, at that time, the captain should have just eaten it in one bite—

?

His vision blurred, Roman's well-muscled arm suddenly lost its strength, and the cup fell powerlessly onto the deck.

Clang—

The sound of the metal cup hitting the ground was like a signal. As Roman leaned back crookedly against the ship's railing, the pirates who had been celebrating moments ago immediately went limp one by one!

Thump thump thump,

Following a series of dense falling sounds, the previously lively Wave Rider instantly became silent. Everyone had collapsed on the ground, as if dead asleep...

No, they were already dead!

The pupils in their wide-open eyes began to dilate, blood slowly trickled from the corners of their mouths, and their chests no longer rose and fell...

Everything indicated that the end of the Silver Light Pirates had quietly arrived.

Except for:

The middle-aged captain, sitting on his captain's throne, toying with the wine cup in his hand!

"Hmph,"

The middle-aged captain, his face grim, snorted and stood up, placing his hand on the rapier at his waist.

"Get up, stop pretending."

As the captain spoke, two figures rose from the 'pile of corpses': Roman, and that Bald Combat Captain!

"Why bother, Captain."

Roman spoke softly, "Wouldn't it be better if you just ate the Devil Fruit?"

"It could greatly increase your combat power and lead the brothers to fortune--"

Roman looked at the middle-aged captain's icy face, his eyes a mixture of regret and disappointment.

Frankly speaking, his captain was already 'decent' among pirates. He was smart, strong, generous, and not crazy...

As a transmigrator, without any cheat system and completely ignorant of sailing, Roman felt that staying with the Silver Light Pirates was a good choice. At least he could 'peacefully' train his body and improve his strength...

"It seems I overestimated you, Captain."

Picking up his cutlass and shield from the deck, Roman assumed a stance, facing the middle-aged captain. His intention was self-evident!

"Roman, let's take him down together!"

The Bald Strongman on the other side, holding an axe, moved towards Roman while cautiously guarding against the middle-aged captain.

A three-way standoff. It was a very wise choice for the weaker two to team up against the stronger one, so--

"Okay,"

Roman replied without hesitation, and then:

Whoosh--

The moment the Bald Strongman entered Roman's two-meter guard range, the Bald Strongman suddenly turned, his massive axe whistling through the air as it swung down towards Roman! It was an all-out attack!

"Captain, attack--!"

Clang!

However, the instant the Bald Strongman launched his surprise attack, Roman also turned, raising his shield at a thirty-degree angle to block! While blocking the Bald Strongman's attack, he deflected the axe, sending sparks flying as it slid to the side.

Then, the blade in his other hand flashed.

Thwack,

A massive, gleaming bald head flew into the air.

Dong!

Stepping aside to avoid the headless corpse that fell, Roman turned to look at the middle-aged captain standing still.

"Why didn't you take the opportunity to attack?"

Facing the silent middle-aged captain, Roman shook his head to himself.

"It seems you didn't even want to keep him around. --Even though he was loyal to you until death."

However, the middle-aged captain on the other side remained indifferent.

"Come on, Captain!"

Words were useless. For pirates, wasn't the final way to settle things determined by whose fist was bigger?

Shield forward, sailor's knife hidden behind, Roman struck a stance and strode towards his direct superior! The opponent was incredibly fast and agile; to win, he had to compress the opponent's movement space.

Whoosh--

Clang clang clang clang--!!

On the 'Wave Rider', littered with corpses, the last two members of the Silver Light Pirates were engaged in a desperate struggle! One moved at high speed, his rapier a storm of blows; the other fought steadily, his shield blocking while he waited for an opening!

Although it seemed Roman was being overwhelmed, with several bleeding wounds appearing on his body, there was not a trace of panic in his eyes. After all, the middle-aged captain's high-speed swordplay consumed a lot of stamina. Normally, he and the others would coordinate to help him recover. As long as he could endure until the opponent showed fatigue...

You want to wait for me to show fatigue?

Naive.

After blocking another thrust with his shield, the middle-aged man, while moving at high speed, suddenly took a deep breath and then:

Slash--!

The rapier in his hand suddenly erupted in a brilliant light and slashed down fiercely! Like a silver moon descending, like thunder in the early spring! Silently, it sliced Roman's heavy shield in two as easily as a hot knife through butter.

Iron Cutting!

With a single sword strike that shattered Roman's proud defense, the middle-aged captain swiftly retracted his rapier and, without hesitation, thrust it towards Roman's throat at high speed! In his eyes, Roman, having lost his shield, would be defeated in an instant before his swordsmanship--

Pfft,

Blood splattered!

His face changed drastically!

The blood was Roman's; but the expression of shock and rage was on the middle-aged captain's face.

The moment his shield shattered, Roman directly raised his left hand to meet the middle-aged captain's rapier! He certainly couldn't perform a high-difficulty maneuver like 'disarming with bare hands'. But based on Roman's understanding of the middle-aged captain, his next strike would definitely target his throat, so:

Empty-handed 'pretending' to disarm!

Completely no problem.

The middle-aged captain's rapier pierced Roman's palm, then traveled up his arm, breaking out from his elbow. It looked as if Roman had grown a silver 'arm blade'!

Suffering such a heavy blow, even the battle-hardened Roman's face twitched, but in a flash of electric light, his left hand's five fingers unhesitatingly closed and gripped the rapier's guard! At the same time, his right hand slashed horizontally.

Pfft!

Amidst the splashing blood, internal organs spilled from his lower abdomen.

Indeed, it was just as the middle-aged captain had imagined, victory or defeat was decided in an instant!

It was just the opposite of what he had imagined.

"You lost."

Roman, with his left hand pierced by the rapier, slowly walked towards the middle-aged man who was kneeling on one knee, clutching his stomach.

"Actually, the moment I saw the Devil Fruit, I was tempted too."

"But, I still hope that Captain can come up with a 'fair' distribution plan."

Things did not go as planned.

"Cough, cough,"

"That's 100 Million Berries!"

The middle-aged captain, kneeling on one knee, spoke in pain.

"With this money, I could set up a business and become a noble in any country! Who would want to fight and die at sea?!"

The middle-aged man finished through gritted teeth, but had to face reality.

"Roman, I lost."

"The fruit is yours, it's in the Captain's Cabin--"

He covered the wound on his stomach with one hand, blood continuously seeping from between his fingers, and with it, his 'dignity' was also draining away.

"Spare me, I can't threaten you anymore..."

"I didn't want this either, but I still have my mother, wife, and a five-year-old daughter back home..."

"I don't want them to lose their son, husband, father... I just wanted to fight for a home that could provide them with a happy life..."

Under the middle-aged man's confession, Roman, who had walked up to him, sighed and put down his sailor's knife.

Even after years of being immersed among pirates, his past life's mindset still influenced him.

"Thank you, thank you..."

The middle-aged man bowed his head as if in repentance, but a fierce glint flashed in his eyes!

He flipped his wrist, and a hidden blade silently sprang out, then:

"Die!!"

Puff,

Two figures suddenly merged together. As the sharp blade pierced flesh and blood, the middle-aged captain's expression slowly shifted from ferocious to bewildered.

"Captain—"

Roman, who had stabbed the other man, whispered in his ear.

"Your hometown was razed to the ground by yourself ten years ago. What wife, children, or mother are left there?"

Puff,

The sailor's knife was withdrawn, taking the middle-aged captain's life and soul with it. He fell backward into a pool of blood, his tricorn hat, a symbol of authority, rolling aside.

Only an ordinary middle-aged man remained.

"This is piracy,"

The sole victor looked around. Although the people lying on the ground were scum who had plundered and murdered, they were also comrades who had fought and laughed together...

"It's just piracy."

The young man turned and walked towards the Captain's Cabin, to claim the victory watered by blood!