Chapter 4

Hancock was just about to speak when her expression suddenly changed, and she whipped around to look at the cabin behind her.

She reached out to shield her two younger sisters behind her and shouted, "Who's there? Come out!"

But inwardly, her heart was pounding. Could an enemy have already slipped aboard?

Just then, footsteps sounded from inside the cabin, followed by a voice.

"Don't be nervous. We're not here to cause trouble. We just ended up here by mistake."

"Could you tell us where we are?"

As the voice faded, two figures, one tall and one small, emerged from the cabin.

A young man and a young woman.

They were Xunjing and Uchiha Chisato.

Neither had expected their first spatial teleportation to land them straight aboard this ship.

From the two giant snakes at its bow, Xunjing recognized it as a warship from Kuja Island.

Then, looking at the three girls before him, he quickly guessed who they were: Hancock and her two sisters.

So at this point in time, Hancock and her sisters hadn't been captured and enslaved yet?

That was an unexpected bit of good news.

"She's so beautiful!"

The three sisters couldn't help blurting it out when they saw Uchiha Chisato.

Not only was the woman beautiful, but she also radiated a gentle, mature air that made people want to steal a few more glances.

Still, they merely marveled for a moment. Their guard hadn't dropped in the slightest.

Hancock stared at Uchiha Chisato and Xunjing, her voice still wary. "Who are you? What exactly are you doing here?"

Noticing their unease, Uchiha Chisato surveyed the fighting around them, then smiled faintly and said gently, "Don't be afraid. My name is Uchiha Chisato, and this is my son, Uchiha Xunjing. We're looking for medical treatment. Ending up here was an accident."

"You're under attack, aren't you? I can help you win this battle. In return, could you tell me where we are afterward and take us to Drum Island?"

"Huh?"

Hancock froze, then frowned. "Medical treatment? Drum Island? Can you really help us?"

Before Uchiha Chisato could reply, a grating laugh rang out in the distance.

"Gya ha ha ha!"

Everyone turned toward the sound.

A vicious, ugly pirate over two meters tall approached with a sinister grin. His gaze swept over them before settling on Uchiha Xunjing, and he bared his teeth in an insolent smile.

"Well, aren't I lucky! Three little girls, one big **, and a sickly little pretty boy-and a good-looking one, too. What a shame. Looking half-dead like that, you probably won't last more than a few days. Otherwise, I could've sold you for a bit of money."

Uchiha Xunjing said nothing, but a cold glint lurked in his eyes.

If he weren't genuinely too weak to fight right now, he would have chopped this foul-mouthed bastard to pieces already.

The pirate didn't take them seriously at all. Planting a hand on his hip, he swaggeringly waved his weapon. "If you know what's good for you, surrender quietly, and I'll spare you some suffering. But if you refuse... heh heh..."

Before he finished, Uchiha Chisato turned to Hancock without even looking at him and said calmly, "Wait a moment. I'll dispose of this trash first."

" say-"**

The pirate's expression changed abruptly, and he raised his sword to strike.

In the next instant, Uchiha Chisato tilted her head and fixed her gaze on him.

The pupil of her left eye spun sharply. Her Sharingan activated in an instant, forming a strange pattern.

"Genjutsu: Sharingan."

The pirate froze in place before he could so much as move his eyes.

Squelch-

Uchiha Chisato's figure flickered. She had already swept past him and charged straight toward the pirates still ** behind him.

A line of blood burst across the pirate's neck. His head rolled to the ground, his eyes still wide in death.

Then flames erupted.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Claw Red!"

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"

"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!"

One Ninjutsu after another slammed into the pirates. Before they could react, they were blasted away, burned through, or sliced in half.

In the blink of an eye, the battlefield became Uchiha Chisato's one-woman show.

The women of the Kuja Pirates watched, dumbstruck, their eyes round and mouths hanging open. Their minds were filled with the dazzling flames and blades of wind.

It was too fast.

Once the leaders fell, the remaining pirates lost their nerve instantly, threw down their weapons, and fled.

Within minutes, the battle was completely over.

Apart from a dozen or so who were lucky enough to escape, the remaining hundred-odd pirates lay on the ground.

Hancock and her sisters watched the whole thing with their jaws hanging open.

When Uchiha Chisato stopped and walked back, Hancock turned to Uchiha Xunjing with shining eyes. "Your mom... isn't she a little too amazing?"

Uchiha Xunjing couldn't help smiling, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. "Of course she is."

Come on. This was Uchiha Chisato.

Hancock took a deep breath and looked solemnly at Uchiha Chisato. "Thank you for saving us. How should we address you?"

The leader of the Kuja Pirates forced her wounded body forward to stand before Uchiha Chisato and asked with gratitude and puzzlement written across her face.

"I just happened to be passing by. Don't worry about it."

Uchiha Chisato smiled and waved a hand, then walked toward Xunjing and the others.

She then turned to Hancock and said, "All right, I've done what I promised. Now, sorry for the trouble, but I'll need you to take us to Drum Island first. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"Uh..."

Hancock blinked, looking troubled, then turned toward the leader. "What do you think, Captain?"

She felt rather helpless herself. Their side hadn't even agreed yet, but Uchiha Chisato had gone ahead and acted on her own.

And yet, she couldn't deny that they owed her.

If Uchiha Chisato hadn't stepped in, their entire pirate crew would probably have met its end here.

But this clearly wasn't a decision she could make.

She wasn't yet the formidable Pirate Empress she would one day become.

Seeing this, the leader roughly understood the situation and immediately said to Uchiha Chisato, "Drum Island? The one in the Drum Kingdom? I've heard it's famous for its medicine. Are you going there for treatment?"

As she spoke, she glanced at the sickly Uchiha Xunjing beside her.

"That's right."

Uchiha Chisato nodded firmly. "Can you take us?"

"Of course."

The leader's voice was resolute. "We Kuja Pirates won't forget that you saved our lives. We're not ungrateful people."

"We'll do it."

"But that alone is nowhere near enough to repay you. Is there anything else you want? Just say the word. As long as it's within our power, we'll do everything we can to provide it."

"Also, quite a few of us are seriously injured, and we already asked our former captain for help. So we'll have to stop at the Sabaody Archipelago first to rest and recover."

"Once we're ready, we'll take you to Drum Island. How does that sound?"

"You can use that time to think about what you'd like as a reward, too."

The leader planned to report the matter to their former captain, Shakuyaku, first. It would be more appropriate for her to arrange their repayment.

She probably couldn't offer anything worthwhile herself.

"I see..."

Uchiha Chisato didn't answer right away. She turned to Uchiha Xunjing. "Xunjing, what do you think?"

"That's fine."

Uchiha Xunjing certainly had no objections. If anything, this was even better.

It was the perfect opportunity to meet Shakuyaku and Rayleigh.

"Then it's settled."

Hearing his answer, Uchiha Chisato smiled in satisfaction and told the leader, "We'll go with your plan."

"Thank you."

The leader breathed a sigh of relief.

She immediately sent Hancock to arrange a room where Xunjing and his mother could rest.

Only then did she begin directing the others to clear the battlefield, treat the wounded, and repair the damage to the ship.

Hancock led them to the door of a spacious, tastefully furnished room and casually asked, "Will this room do for you both? If sharing is inconvenient, I'll have someone prepare another."

"No need. One room is enough."