One-Shot Kill

"Then... then I'll be kind enough to tell you~"

Standing at the bow, Tashigi shyly recited the lines Kael had just taught her.

Kael: "To prevent the world from being destroyed!"

Tashigi: "To... to protect the peace of the universe..."

"To uphold the evil of love and truth!"

"The cute and... and charming villainous characters."

"Kael."

"Tashigi."

"We are the Dusk Pirates, crossing the East Blue!"

"Wealth! A shining tomorrow awaits us."

"That's right~ meow~"

Little Tiga suddenly appeared between them, adorably curling his tiny hands into cat paws as he joined Kael in completing this cringeworthy performance.

In truth, unlike Tashigi, Little Tiga was not embarrassed in the slightest. He actually found it quite entertaining.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

As soon as the words fell, the two figures standing at the bow leaped in unison.

Before everyone's eyes, Kael and Tashigi landed directly atop the platform and faced Alvida.

Kael looked up with a smile.

"The Alvida Pirates?"

"I didn't expect to run into you people in a place like this."

As he spoke, golden light flashed in his eyes as he stared at the fat woman before him.

No wonder the pink swan pirate ship in the harbor had looked so familiar.

So he had run into an "old acquaintance"~

Back when Kael browsed Pixiv to appreciate art, he had seen plenty of Alvida's art.

NEL, ZEL, and all that...

He had no idea how many descendants he had spent on her.

Of course.

The Alvida he had looked at was the one after eating the Slip-Slip Fruit, which had nothing to do with the fat woman before him.

What excited Kael now was not lust, but Alvida's bounty!!!

Five million Beli was already enough for him to buy five gacha pulls!

"Who are you?"

Seeing the two appear so suddenly in such a bizarre manner, a flash of panic crossed Alvida's vicious face.

Her instincts told her...

These two were here with ill intent!

But Kael clearly had no interest in saying much to walking Beli.

He gave the order directly:

"Tashigi, leave them all to you. Take care of her!"

"At once, Captain!"

The grim blade of the soul was suddenly drawn, and a brilliant white gleam flashed across her glasses.

Having long been eager to test her current strength, Tashigi sprang into action.

She had nothing to say to pirates.

Following a swordsman's clean and decisive habits, she swung her blade straight through the air, producing a sharp tearing whistle.

"Damn it!"

Seeing Tashigi charge at her, Alvida inexplicably flew into a rage.

She was a great pirate with a bounty of five million Beli, yet someone dared ignore her!?

And it was a delicate little girl at that!

She hated women prettier than herself the most!!!

"If you won't speak, then you'll never speak again for the rest of your life!"

Her massive spiked iron club was raised high, stirring up a fierce gust.

Before Tashigi, Alvida looked like a collapsing hill.

The difference in their sizes was enormous.

The townspeople below and Coby, who was supporting the platform, could already imagine the brutal scene of Tashigi's body being pierced by the iron club.

Some of the more timid ones simply shut their eyes.

But in the next second...

A crisp, ringing clash of metal suddenly echoed through the harbor.

The bright white blade collided with the thick iron club.

Not only did the slender blade show no sign of retreat, it instead seemed exceptionally excited, as though it had finally been allowed to fight.

"Time-Slicing Rain!"

A cold glint flashed through Tashigi's eyes.

Her sharp Zanpakutō suddenly cut into the shaft of the iron club, cleaving the metal weapon in two with a single slash.

"What!? How is this possible!?"

Watching the iron club that had followed her for years get sliced apart like tofu, shock immediately appeared on Alvida's bloated, freckled face.

Even more terrifying was...

The Zanpakutō that had severed the iron club did not slow in the slightest and continued toward her chest!

Splat!!!

One slash, one kill!

Blood mixed with grease sprayed out and splattered across the ground.

"Ah!!!"

Under the force of the slash, Alvida let out a scream. Her entire body toppled backward and crashed heavily onto the platform.

"Damn it..."

Yet even after hitting the ground, she refused to surrender. Enduring the pain in her chest, she tried to struggle back to her feet.

But at that moment, a brown Martin boot suddenly stepped onto her shoulder, brutally stomping her back down.

"Give up struggling, Miss Alvida."

"If you don't want to die..."

A deep gun barrel suddenly appeared before her eyes, aimed at the center of her brow like a boundless hell ready to devour her life at any moment.

Behind the barrel was a handsome face wearing a teasing smile.

"Y-you... who exactly are you people?"

Feeling the mountain-ridge-like weight on her shoulder, Alvida instantly understood...

Their pirate crew had truly fallen this time!

The strength of those two was on an entirely different level from theirs!

Hearing Alvida's question, Kael lightly shook the flintlock in his hand. Seeing that she no longer showed any sign of resistance, he gave a soft laugh.

"It seems your pirate crew's intelligence work is rather lacking~"

"The central figure of the East Blue's biggest news story over the past few days is standing right in front of you, and you still can't recognize him?"

Kael was not being narcissistic.

Over the past three days, every newspaper in the East Blue had reported on Kael's kidnapping of a female Marine in Loguetown.

Even the renowned World Economy News Paper had given Kael a small column.

His name had already spread throughout the East Blue.

Some pirates were even planning to imitate his methods and make a name for themselves in Loguetown.

With that hint, Alvida narrowed her eyes and carefully examined Kael. Then fear once again appeared on her face.

"You're Kael, the one who caused that huge mess in Loguetown!!?"

"That would be me!"

Kael answered from above.

"Unfortunately, your pirate crew has already been defeated by us."

"By pirate custom, all of your supplies now belong to me!"

"You have no objections, do you?"

"Gulp~"

Lying on the ground and staring at the gun barrel that seemed ready to fire at any moment, Alvida swallowed in fear.

"...N-no."

"Excellent!"

Kael put away his flintlock and grinned.

"I like talking to smart people!"

"Tashigi, tie her up."

"Okay."

Tool Tashigi went back to work, muttering a strange incantation.

Then, under Alvida's shocked gaze, a golden energy rope suddenly shot from Tashigi's fingertips.

"Binding Spell #4: Hainawa!"

With Tashigi's light shout, the gleaming golden chain instantly moved like a long snake swimming through the air, binding Alvida into a dumpling and sealing up her ugly face as well.

The chains condensed from spiritual power did not block air, so even if they wrapped someone completely, they would not suffocate to death.

"What a useful technique."

Kael licked his lips enviously and praised her.

Although before awakening, Tashigi only had Kidō as a skill and could not yet use the true power of her Zanpakutō.

However, Kidō was divided into Hadō, which focused on offense; Bakudō, which focused on restraint; and Kaidō, which focused on support.

As Tashigi's level continued to rise, one day she would be able to master all of Kidō.

This one skill could practically be used as hundreds!

In comparison, although Kael's Hyper Intuition was also A-rank, aside from sounding impressive and predicting the future, it was practically useless.

Unless it was intentional or there was an overwhelming gap in strength, letting an enemy get close or launch an attack was simply an insult to his status as a transmigrator!

Kael only hoped that his second awakened skill would be useful enough to make him truly mighty!

Looking toward the distant town still shrouded in smoke, Kael turned to Tashigi behind him and said:

"There are still quite a few pirates in town. Go clean them up."

Before she left, he added:

"Dead or alive."

"Yes."

Tashigi accepted the order and dashed away with her Zanpakutō in hand.

Though her personality was gentle, as a Marine chief petty officer who had come from Marine Headquarters, Tashigi's hands had long been stained with the blood of countless pirates.

When it came to killing, Kael, who had never killed anyone, might hesitate somewhat, but Tashigi certainly would not!

Watching the girl's nimble, graceful figure leave the harbor, Kael ignored Alvida's still-bleeding wound and reached out to lift her up.

Then he looked toward the harbor and shouted:

"Is the mayor of Ville Town here?"