Encounter Battle

Jaya Island's western port.

Splash, splash... The raging wind and rain far off the coast had not affected this island in the slightest.

The waves gently lapped against the shore and the numerous pirate ships... From above, Jaya Island as a whole looked like two seahorses connected by their tails, standing opposite one another.

The missing land in the middle-right was the other part of Jaya Island that had been blasted into the sky.

Before this open harbor, a twin-masted sailing ship flying a pirate flag bearing a skull and treasure chest slowly sailed out of Mock Town's port.

"Yes... Captain, you're brilliant!"

"Yes... Captain, you're mighty!"

"Captain Berg is simply the incarnation of the sea..."

"As long as Captain Berg is here... our skies will always be clear!"

On the deck, pirates of all shapes and sizes, dressed in all manner of clothing, had their arms around one another's shoulders as they shouted slogans... praising the man standing at the bow.

He wore a black tailcoat, a pince-nez monocle over his right eye, and had two upturned mustaches above his lips... Though he dressed like an aristocrat, his features combined to make him look more like a shrewd merchant.

They were the Collection Pirates... named after their captain Berg's hobby.

Whether it was gold and silver treasures, miscellaneous trinkets, or strange and unusual creatures... other than humans, as long as something was unique enough, it fell within Berg's collection: to date, Captain Berg had collected no fewer than 000 items of all sizes.

Not only that, Berg was an outstanding navigator... Relying on his exceptional sailing experience, they had set out from the West Blue and encountered very little bad weather along the way.

Even when they came across unavoidable disasters, Berg could always direct them correctly and lead everyone out of danger... Moreover, their captain himself was extremely strong. His rapier was so swift it dazzled the eye, and since putting to sea, he had never met a worthy opponent.

Yesterday, they had received a new bounty poster from the News Coo on the island, signifying that Captain Berg had officially entered the 000 million bounty range... one step closer to becoming a great pirate.

"Hm? What an exquisite sailing ship... Is it from Water Seven? Helm to two o'clock!"

Berg, holding a spyglass, spoke with delight and immediately gave the order.

The pirates who had been arm in arm just moments earlier swiftly scattered... each returning to his post and performing his duty.

"Wind on the port side, turn the helm to starboard..."

"That won't work, Captain. We're sailing against the wind... We're too far from that ship..."

"Out of my way, I'll do it... You three, go weigh down the windward side!"

Berg came to the sail and kicked his subordinate aside, his eyes gleaming with the eerie light of a beast that had spotted its prey.

"Fitch, you control the sails..."

"Coming, coming... Captain Berg's Upwind Tacking!"

"Boys, stay sharp... No cannon fire. Don't damage the collectible Captain Berg has set his sights on."

"Whooo..."

The appearance of the distant ship sent the entire pirate crew into a frenzy... And Reg, the person involved, naturally noticed them as well: after all, on this vast sea, there was only his ship and theirs.

"You've got to be kidding me... Drifting against the wind?!"

Reg lowered his spyglass, his face darkening... Since when did pirates know such a high-end maneuver as sailing in a zigzag pattern against the wind?

He glanced toward Jaya Island's eastern shore in the distance... Reg wisely gave up on trying to land ahead of them.

No matter what the other side intended... If he turned around now and sailed against the wind, he could reach Jaya Island before them with the wind at his back, but he would not have enough time to pull the ship ashore and hide it.

"I'll need to make some preparations..."

Reg stroked his chin, took a dagger from his inventory, and began applying poison... Judging by the sailing ship's roughly forty-meter length and sixteen cannons, it had to carry at least a hundred sailors.

Damaging the ship in battle was the last thing Reg wanted to see... He did not recognize the pirate flag on the other ship.

That made Reg relax slightly... P9 did not keep as broad an eye on pirates as the Marines did.

Only great pirates with bounties starting at fifty million Berries could catch their attention... This clearly meant that the opponent before him was below that threshold.

Although a bounty often only proved how vicious a pirate was and did not represent strength... Anyone with a bounty above fifty million who could still roam freely would have been captured by Marine officers long ago without sufficient strength.

As time passed, Reg, who had been waiting calmly, observed quite a bit of information... At the very least, the other side had no intention of using their cannons.

The reason for not using cannons... could only be that they wanted to capture him alive, or seize both him and the ship.

That suited Reg's wishes as well... At least he would not need to worry about protecting the ship during the fight.

"500 meters... 00 meters... 00 meters..."

Reg gripped his daggers tightly, his expression stern as he quietly waited for the distance between them to close... A ship of this size could not be snapped in half with a single Tempest Kick from him.

Besides, he had only just barely escaped his starving state... In a moment, he would launch a Moon Walk ambush and test the captain's strength.

If he could win, he would decisively wage guerrilla warfare... then seize their food while killing them.

If he could not win... Reg narrowed his eyes. His life was still more important.

"It's actually a child..."

"Hahaha... Cute little brat, are you playing at sailing like an adult?"

"This sailboat looks really luxurious... What's your name?"

"Looks like your family's pretty rich... Ran away from home, did you? How about us uncles taking you back?"

Before the ships had even drawn close, more than half the pirates' fighting spirit had already vanished... It was easy to tell from their teasing, disdainful, mocking tones.

"Y-you... who's your captain... I-I want to negotiate with him." Reg's face tensed as he gripped his dagger tightly.

"Captain Berg... this kid wants to see you."

"Negotiate, seriously..."

"Hahaha... negotiating with pirates..."

"Shut up... Be gentlemen."

Berg appeared, removed his black hat, and bowed elegantly. "Kid... You only need to hand your ship over to us, and I can guarantee you VIP treatment and see you safely home."

"I see..."

Once Reg understood that their primary target was his ship... he was completely relieved.

"His weapon is a rapier, middle-aged, and physically frail... Looks like a speed-type."

"Enough..."

"Hmm?"

Berg seemed to sense something... His hand immediately went for the slender sword at his waist... Clang, clang, clang!

Other than Berg, none of the pirates reacted in time... They only snapped awake as if from a dream when the sounds of their weapons colliding rang out among them.

"You little bastard..."

"You dare attack us..."

Whoosh, whoosh... Reg's body suddenly became an afterimage as he darted around the clustered pirates. The two daggers in his hands turned into fluttering butterflies, stirring up splash after splash of vivid blood.

"Get back... He's not someone you can handle!"

"Captain Berg... save... urgh..."

"Are you a demon... There's poison on the daggers..."

In just a few seconds, the deck had descended into chaos... The pirates could see only a shadow, and fear inevitably filled their eyes: Could he be a Devil Fruit user?

Otherwise, how could a child his age be so vicious, leaving people either severely injured or dead with every strike?!

"Where's the kitchen?"

Following his plan, Reg evaded Berg's pursuit and casually grabbed a fat pirate.

"It's... on the second level."

"Thank you."

Reg bared his teeth in a smile and casually hurled him at the red-faced Berg... This middle-aged gentleman was probably regretting his decision down to his guts by now.

Bang...!

Reg raised his leg and kicked the wooden door to pieces, quickly vanishing from the deck.

The surrounding pirates looked at one another... In less than half a minute, they had lost more than ten brothers. Who would still dare to chase him?!