Air Pressure Pistol

Inside the steamship restaurant.

Stella wore a somewhat reluctant expression. Under Dawn's gaze, she cautiously took a bite of the food she had just cooked.

Just as she was about to swallow, Dawn, who was sitting across from her, abruptly rose to his feet without warning.

Before Stella could even react, Dawn had already stepped in front of her. One arm wrapped around her slender waist while his other hand cradled the back of her head. Then, domineering and direct, he kissed her soft, delicate lips!

"Mm...!"

Stella's beautiful eyes widened instantly, and her mind went blank. She struggled instinctively, pressing both hands against Dawn's iron-solid chest in an attempt to push him away.

But the gap in their strength was simply too great. Her resistance was like an ant trying to shake a tree, and all she could manage were faint, helpless whimpers from her throat. The man's aggressively masculine presence engulfed her in an instant.

Only after a long while, when Stella felt as though she were about to suffocate, did Dawn slowly release her. Looking at the beauty before him—her face flushed, her gaze unfocused, her breath coming in soft pants—he smacked his lips.

"Mm, today's cooking tastes pretty good too."

Only then did Stella recover from the massive shock. Covering her slightly swollen lips, she was both embarrassed and furious, her words tumbling over one another.

"Y-you... what are you doing?! All of a sudden..."

Although they had been sailing together for a month, aside from occasionally teasing her verbally, Dawn had been fairly proper in his behavior. This was the first time he had ever made such an intimate move!

Seeing her flustered anger, Dawn found it especially amusing and spoke as though it were only natural.

"What am I doing? Have you forgotten? The main reason I bought you in the first place wasn't to have you cook for me."

Stella suddenly recalled Dawn's blunt declaration from a month ago, one so direct it had made her blush furiously. Her face instantly reddened like a boiled shrimp, her heart raced wildly, and even her ears turned crimson.

"Y-you mean... now...?"

"You guessed right."

Dawn cut her off, the teasing smile at the corner of his mouth widening.

"It's exactly what you think."

As he spoke, he gave her no chance to react or protest. Bending down, he swept Stella's light, delicate body into a standard princess carry.

"Ah! Let me go! You... you little pervert, you filthy rogue!"

Stella struggled futilely again, her small fists pounding Dawn's shoulders, but that strength was no more than a tickle to him. Holding her in his arms, he turned and headed toward the bedroom.

Just as passion and struggle intertwined—

"Boom!"

A dull, violent impact rang out, and the entire ship jolted fiercely! Plates slid off the dining table and shattered crisply against the floor.

Dawn reacted incredibly quickly. His feet rooted themselves in place as he steadied his body, while he held Stella tightly to keep her from falling. The amorous atmosphere was instantly shattered by the sudden upheaval.

The laziness and teasing expression vanished from his face, replaced by cold fury. He set down the still-shaken Stella, his face dark.

"Stay in the restaurant. Don't move. I'll go take a look."

After giving the order, he rushed out of the restaurant like a gust of wind without waiting for Stella's reply. Stella held onto the dining table and patted her chest, letting out a long breath. She did not know whether she should be glad that this unexpected disturbance had interrupted Dawn, or worry about what was happening outside.

Dawn arrived on deck with a frosty expression and immediately saw the pirate ship that had brutally rammed alongside his steamship, as well as the ferocious figures glaring murderously from the opposite deck. How could he not understand? They had run into pirates foolish enough to try robbing them!

What a... mood killer!

A surge of anger shot up from the depths of his heart. At the same time, he silently made a note to himself.

I need to put developing the elemental clone ability on the agenda as soon as possible! Otherwise, who knows how many more of these irritating emergencies I'll run into while sailing in the future!

As a Logia-type Devil Fruit, the Yami Yami no Mi should theoretically be capable of developing an elemental clone ability. Clone abilities were the most effective precaution against surprise attacks.

As for recruiting new crew members? He had not considered it for the time being. The promising candidates he had in mind were either too young right now, or in circumstances that he could not yet reach or handle with his current strength.

He had never intended to recruit random fodder just to fill out the crew.

Having swiftly decided on his future development direction, the anger in Dawn's chest turned into tangible action. Like an enraged lion, he stormed toward where the ships had boarded together, ready to teach these idiots who had interrupted his "good thing" a lesson they would never forget.

Seeing Dawn charge at them, the pirates raised their swords, sabers, and muskets, preparing to attack.

But Angelica raised a hand and stopped them. She lightly leaped onto the railing, her peach-blossom eyes greedily sweeping over Dawn's tall body, handsome face, and dazzling golden hair. Her tongue unconsciously licked across her red lips as though she were admiring a flawless work of art.

"None of you make a move!"

"I'll personally play with this handsome little guy! Don't hurt my new toy!"

With a nimble leap, she landed on the steamship's deck like a powerful yet graceful panther. She deliberately put extra force into the landing, and spiderweb-like cracks spread across the deck beneath her feet, flaunting her extraordinary brute strength.

Seeing this, her subordinates revealed helpless yet knowing expressions. They were clearly long accustomed to their captain's nature. They could only put away their weapons and watch from the sidelines.

"Handsome little guy~"

Angelica threw a seductive glance at Dawn as he approached, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Be good and come back to my ship with big sister. Big sister can play lots... lots of interesting 'games' with you~"

She deliberately thrust out her impressive chest.

"Otherwise, if such a pretty face and body get hurt, big sister will be heartbroken~"

Dawn frowned deeply, making no effort to hide the disgust in his eyes. His expression was indifferent.

"Sorry, I'm a germaphobe. I don't like sharing personal items with others."

He could tell at a glance that this woman had already been with countless men. Combined with the strong, able-bodied pirates all over this ship, her "preferences" and "experience" were easy enough to imagine.

As he spoke, Dawn had already assumed a fighting stance. His left palm stretched forward, aimed at Angelica, while his right arm bent back, muscles taut as he gathered strength. The posture resembled the starting stance of Luffy's Jet Pistol.

Angelica did not care about Dawn's mockery. She had heard similar remarks too many times and had long since become immune. Instead, she giggled even more suggestively.

"Handsome little guy, you'll understand after you 'experience' it yourself~ Only someone battle-tested can give you more... mm... unexpected 'techniques' and 'pleasure'~"

As she spoke, the speed beneath her feet abruptly increased. Carrying a fragrant breeze with her, she lunged toward Dawn, her five fingers curled into claws as she went straight for his shoulder. Her intention was clearly to capture him alive.

Dawn turned a deaf ear to her filthy words, his mind wholly focused on using his ability. A tiny vortex of darkness suddenly appeared in the palm of his outstretched left hand, madly drawing in the surrounding air and devouring it into that bottomless Subspace.

Within Subspace, the air was rapidly compressed by an invisible force, then compressed again!

Over the past month, Dawn had naturally not spent all his time on romance. Strength was the foundation of survival, and he had always kept that firmly in mind.

Based on the compression properties of the Yami Yami no Mi's Subspace, he had developed this move.

Just as Angelica pounced close, her fingers painted with bright red nail polish nearly touching the edge of Dawn's clothes—

"[Air Pressure Pistol]!"

Dawn's long-prepared right fist shot out. Thick darkness wrapped around it, and at the instant he struck, it released the air compressed to its absolute limit within Subspace!

"Boom!"

An invisible Air Cannon containing terrifying power shot forth and slammed squarely into Angelica's towering chest!

"Puh—!" The seductive smile on Angelica's face instantly froze, turning into utter agony and disbelief.

Before she could make any effective defense or evade, she only felt an indescribable force violently smash through her breastbone and injure her internal organs.

She spat out a mouthful of blood, her entire body flying backward like a kite with its string cut as she crashed toward her own pirate ship at incredible speed!

"Bang!!!!"

Angelica's body smashed through the pirate ship's rail boards like a cannonball and crashed heavily into the lower cabin with a muffled thud.

Immediately afterward, the compressed air erupted violently where she landed, forming a small shockwave that blasted the gathered pirates off their feet, breaking bones and tearing tendons. Their screams instantly filled the air.

The pirate ship, which had been deafeningly noisy moments ago, instantly fell into dead silence. Only the groans of the injured and the creaking of the ship's structure remained.

To be continued