First Encounter with Pirates

A lecherous pirate with a flat nose and triangular eyes stared at the little girl curled up in a pool of blood. A sickening grin spread across his lips, and he let out a strange, shrill laugh. "Hehehe, this little girl's quite pretty. Kehahaha!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Aren't you a little too perverted?!" Rather than stopping him, the pirates beside him burst into laughter, their eyes brimming with bloodthirsty excitement. "You can even lay hands on a brat that small? Hahaha! You've got guts!"

The surrounding laughter grew louder, and filthy obscenities splashed over her like dirty water. Har, leaning against the mast, watched the scene without making any move to stop it. Instead, he held a cigarette between his lips and wore a cruel smile, as though this human tragedy was nothing more than entertainment.

Just as the lecherous pirate rubbed his hands together and stepped toward Nina, the lookout atop the mast suddenly let out a heart-rending scream. The shock and terror in his voice instantly drowned out the laughter and wails across the ship.

"Th-that... what is that?!! Everyone, be on alert!! Hurry, stay alert!!"

Har's expression darkened at once, his irritation at having his fun interrupted nearly spilling over. He spat his cigarette onto the deck and roared at the lookout, "What the hell are you screaming for?! Did you see a ghost?!"

Cursing under his breath, he rushed to the railing, snatched the telescope his subordinate offered him, and looked in the direction the lookout was pointing.

But after just one glance, the rage on his face froze, replaced by utter shock and disbelief.

On the boundless blue sea, three figures stood upright atop the rolling waves. There was not even a plank beneath their feet, yet they raced toward the merchant ship as if walking on solid ground!

"What the hell is that?!!" Har abruptly lowered the telescope, his eyes wide as saucers. He almost thought he had drunk too much rum and was seeing things, but when he looked again, the three figures were already drawing closer, and he could even make out their clothing.

He snapped back to his senses, every hair on his body standing on end as he howled madly, "Everyone, be on alert!! Move your asses!! Aim the cannons over there! Boys, grab your weapons!!"

The pirates who had been laughing and looting instantly fell into chaos. They hurriedly grabbed their blades and guns, stumbling toward the railings. The gunners frantically turned the cannons, while everyone stared fixedly at the three utterly impossible figures on the sea.

At the same time, the salty sea breeze carried a faint scent of blood, along with indistinct cries drifting over the waves.

Uchiha Yashiro looked at the merchant ship and pirate ship tangled together in the distance, his brows immediately knitting together. He turned to Natsu beside him. "Young Master Natsu, what do we do?"

"Get aboard. Leave survivors and gather intelligence." Natsu's gaze settled on the ship flying the skull flag. Without the slightest hesitation, his voice carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

The moment he finished speaking, a deafening roar erupted.

Several black cannonballs wrapped in flames tore through the air with shrill whistles, hurtling straight toward the three of them with terrifying force.

Uchiha Yashiro raised a brow, his tone carrying a hint of disdain. "What kind of trick is this? People in this world use such straightforward things for sneak attacks?"

With a flick of his fingers, four chakra-coated kunai were already clasped between them. He flicked his wrist, and cold flashes shot through the air, leaving behind only the sharp whine of blades tearing through the wind.

"What was that?" Har froze by the distant railing, then scoffed disdainfully. "Hahaha! What kind of joke is this? They think they can stop cannonballs by throwing a few scraps of metal? What primitive savages?"

Before his laughter could fade, four earth-shaking explosions suddenly erupted over the sea.

The four cannonballs were struck with perfect accuracy in midair and exploded apart. Towering waves surged into the sky, and the shockwave made the sea surface tremble.

The mockery on Har's face instantly froze. His eyes bulged like bells, his face full of disbelief. "What?! How is that possible?!"

On the other side, Uchiha Yashiro also felt the explosive force comparable to an Explosive Tag. He clicked his tongue, his expression changing slightly. "Not bad. Its power is almost on par with standard Explosive Tags."

Natsu did not reply. His expression remained calm as his hands moved rapidly, completing the hand seals in an instant.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu."

The instant his words fell, the sea beneath the three of them began to churn violently. A water dragon more than ten meters long burst from the surface, its scales and claws clearly defined. With a deafening roar, it slammed fiercely into the merchant ship's hull.

"Clang—!!"

The tremendous impact rocked the entire merchant ship violently, and its hull groaned under the strain.

Dozens of pirates who had failed to keep their footing screamed as they were flung away, crashing heavily into the sea. The rest staggered about or collapsed on the deck while clutching the mast, their faces filled with terror.

Several cannons by the railing were directly overturned by the waves, smashing onto the deck with dull crashes.

Har's face instantly turned as pale as paper. His legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed to the ground as he screamed incoherently, "Monster! It's a monster!"

Before the pirates' terrified screams could die down, three figures appeared in three different places aboard the merchant ship like ghosts.

Atop the lookout tower, Uchiha Yakumi held the railing with one hand, his scarlet Sharingan slowly turning as it swept over the scene;

At the bow, Uchiha Yashiro played with a kunai in his hand, a cold smile at the corner of his lips;

And on the railing of the second deck, Natsu crouched there, his clothes fluttering in the sea breeze. His scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan coldly surveyed the pirates in disarray below.

"Hey, which one of you is the captain?"

His voice was not loud, yet it seemed to carry shards of ice. It forcibly suppressed the screams and wails across the ship, reaching everyone's ears with crystal clarity.

The pirates below instantly fell silent. They looked at one another, shrinking their necks, and no one dared speak first.

"I'll ask one more time. Who is the captain?" Natsu's tone did not fluctuate in the slightest, yet everyone felt a bone-piercing chill.

The deck remained deathly silent.

No one knew what this boy, who looked barely ten years old, would do to the captain. If they pointed him out now and this fiend left afterward, the captain would be the one to settle the score with them.

But in the next moment, Natsu vanished from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already standing before a pirate cowering at the front of the crowd.

He reached out with his right hand and precisely gripped the man's neck, his fingertips tightening slightly.

"Crack—"

A crisp sound of breaking bone rang out. The terror had not yet faded from the pirate's face when his body went limp and collapsed, lifeless.