Young Demon [Please bookmark and vote!]

Rain fell, washing everything clean.

Long Yi tilted his head back and stared into the sky, sitting atop Belik's corpse in a daze. The mud on his face was gradually washed away by the rain, revealing his youthful features.

With the ruthlessness and madness gone, he was no more than a slightly bedraggled boy standing in the rain.

He struggled to breathe in the damp air, and his long-numb wounds began to ache faintly again. Long Yi felt no relief, only an inexplicable emptiness.

Killing was not salvation.

With his last breath of strength, Long Yi lowered his head and looked at Belik's dead face.

Mud and rainwater covered Belik's body, erasing his arrogance. The once wild and tyrannical pirate captain finally revealed a peace in death that he had never shown in his life. Aside from his pale face, he looked almost no different from someone asleep.

Of course, Long Yi deliberately ignored the blade he had personally driven into Belik's heart.

"Come to think of it, I was so busy fighting you to the death that you still don't know who I am."

Facing Belik's corpse, Long Yi gave a soft laugh and began introducing himself word by word.

"I'm Long Yi, from Mosmar Village. Heh, but you killed so many people that you probably don't even remember where Mosmar Village is anymore."

Shaking his head, Long Yi seemed to be mocking himself for doing something so pointless.

A moment later, he suppressed the emotions in his heart. Taking a deep breath, he pressed down on his legs, which trembled uncontrollably from exhaustion, gritted his teeth, and slowly rose to his feet.

The boy stood upon the battlefield, his posture less than upright.

He was the final victor.

In the wind and rain, his white Marine uniform fluttered. Once the rain had washed away the mud, the two words "Justice" on the back of his coat appeared once more, though the bold black characters were now stained with a faint crimson red.

Facing the wind and rain, the boy stood beneath dark clouds as thunder rumbled overhead.

Boom!

Thunder erupted, and the dazzling lightning willingly became the victor's backdrop. As Zovi's shutter clicked, everything came to an end.

Ten days later, Ulabia City, an inn.

Fujitora rose early as always. Leaning on his sword cane, he came to the corner of the inn's dining hall and took a seat.

After ordering breakfast from the waiter, he did not forget to place a small-denomination banknote on the table. At that moment, a seven- or eight-year-old child would always seize the chance to come running over.

"Uncle Issho, I've been waiting for ages. Shall we begin?"

The child first greeted Fujitora politely, then immediately grabbed the banknote from the table tightly in his hand. Looking like a little miser, he raised his face and softly asked the burly Fujitora.

"Mm."

Fujitora nodded faintly, a barely visible smile touching his lips.

The child was the innkeeper's son. Though he was a little greedy for money, he had a pure nature and was very likable.

After receiving Fujitora's response, the child eagerly pulled out a stack of the latest newspapers from the cloth bag on his back. He carefully spread them over the table and began reading from the beginning.

The child read attentively, and Fujitora listened closely.

But today was destined to be unlike the peaceful newspaper readings of the past. When the child reached the headline, "Belik Fleet Annihilated," he noticed that Uncle Issho, who had always been as steady as a mountain, suddenly shuddered involuntarily.

"Wes, please read this section carefully."

In an instant, Fujitora returned to his usual calm. He showed no outward reaction, merely furrowing his brow slightly as he asked the child named Wes to read that passage more carefully.

Naturally, Wes had no objection. Since he had taken the Beli, he had to work hard. He solemnly cleared his throat, then began reading the contents of the newspaper one word at a time.

"Ten days ago, the Belik Fleet was annihilated, leaving no pirate survivors. The one responsible for all this was a thirteen-year-old boy."

At that point, Wes paused and suspiciously stared at every word in the newspaper.

Though he was young, he had heard of the vicious reputation of One-Eyed Belik.

In the North Blue, Belik was enough to make children stop crying at night. Yet the pirate captain who had dominated the North Blue had been killed, and the hero who accomplished such a feat was only a boy a few years older than him. Never mind adults—even Wes could not believe such a thing.

"Keep reading."

Compared with Wes's astonishment, Fujitora appeared much calmer. Yet although he revealed nothing on his face, the shock in his heart was no less than Wes's.

"Oh."

Wes responded softly, no longer dwelling on it, and continued reading the unfinished passage.

"The boy's name is Long Yi, a Third-Class Seaman of Marine Headquarters. He came from Mosmar Village and was the sole survivor of Belik's massacre there two years ago.

"After undergoing two years of training at Marine Headquarters in Marineford, he returned to the North Blue and single-handedly completed his revenge against the pirates. He slaughtered more than one hundred and fifty great pirates, personally killing the cunning pirate captain, 'One-Eyed Belik.'"

The farther Wes read, the more dumbfounded he became.

In the end, he slammed the newspaper onto the table and pouted angrily.

"What kind of news is this? It's all made up! How could someone only a little older than me be that amazing?"

Fujitora suddenly fell silent, doing nothing but repeatedly stroking the hilt of his sword cane.

Only after Wes's emotions had calmed somewhat did the child suddenly remember his job. He secretly glanced at the burly Uncle Issho, and once he saw that Fujitora was not angry, he settled himself and continued reading.

"By decision of Marine Headquarters, Long Yi is hereby formally promoted to Ensign of Marine Headquarters in recognition of his outstanding merits."

A thirteen-year-old Marine Ensign!

Wes rubbed his eyes. Only after confirming that he had not misread a single word did he accept what was written there.

"A Marine Ensign, is it? Not bad at all."

Hearing this, Fujitora finally smiled in satisfaction. He stood up, using his sword as a cane, and without waiting for breakfast to arrive, patiently asked Wes, "Wes, does it say where that boy named Long Yi is now?"

"Ha ha ha ha! This is hilarious! Aren't those Marines afraid of boasting too much?"

On an unknown pirate ship, several rough-looking pirates laughed wildly at a newspaper.

They had spent a few copper coins to buy it from a news-carrying gull, intending to see the latest developments in the North Blue. They had not expected to find such a huge joke instead.

"A thirteen-year-old kid wiped out the Belik Pirates by himself and even personally butchered that vicious Belik? Why don't those Marines just say he can fly?"

A fat pirate slapped his belly, laughing so hard that he rocked back and forth.

But when he laughingly turned to the next page of the newspaper, the smile on his face abruptly vanished as though he had seen a ghost.

That page contained the photograph accompanying the report they had just read.

The black-and-white photograph could not show the rich red of blood, yet it carried an overwhelming pressure that made it hard to breathe.

The other pirates did not know what had happened. Seeing the fat pirate's reaction, they exchanged glances before involuntarily gathering around him.

With puzzled expressions, they turned their eyes to the newspaper. But after merely glancing at the photograph, it was as if someone had seized them by the throat, and all traces of laughter disappeared.

It was the silhouette of a boy, with only half of his face visible.

He was not particularly handsome, yet he possessed an indescribable aura, both righteous and wicked. What truly made those arrogant pirates hold their breath, however, was the boy's gaze.

His lips were pressed tight, his brow faintly furrowed, and a trace of undispersed killing intent seemed to linger between his brows. Ruthlessness and resolve faintly shone from his black eyes.

Every seasoned desperado knew that someone with such eyes was not to be provoked!

Thunder roared behind him, willingly serving as the boy's backdrop.

At his feet, Belik's corpse lay motionless in the mud. No one could overlook the blade buried in the pirate captain's heart.

The dead overlord of the seas, and the cold, silent boy.

That day, Long Yi's name resounded throughout the North Blue, and a title began to spread of its own accord.

The Marines' young Asura, the ruthless sword-wielding demon.

Young Demon.