Stopping a Ship with Bare Hands

The blazing sun was like molten gold, mercilessly pouring down upon Seiken Island. It baked the exposed rocks of the mine until they were scorching hot, and even the air twisted slightly from the heat.

It was noon. The miners, who had been working all morning, and Dawn's group, the island's new owners, were each taking shelter in the shade to enjoy their belated lunch.

Along the coast, an invisible shadow slowly patrolled. It was Dawn's Dark Clone. Any light that fell upon it seemed to be swallowed without reflection, allowing it to blend perfectly into its surroundings as it maintained an unseen watch.

Suddenly, a black speck quietly appeared on the distant horizon and rapidly grew larger. It was a three-masted sailing ship cutting through the waves. Its design was rather unusual, with enormous tracked paddle wheels installed along both sides of the hull, clearly granting it the ability to travel on land.

Even more eye-catching was its ferocious prow. Two dark cannon muzzles were arranged one above the other, emanating an icy killing intent. The pirate flag flying from its mast revealed its identity—the Fire Tank Pirates, a notorious West Blue pirate crew composed primarily of the mafia.

Inside the manor, in an elegantly decorated dining hall, Dawn was leisurely cutting the steak on his plate. His brilliant golden hair fell casually over his shoulders, with several strands hanging beside his handsome face.

His pupils shifted slightly, and his movements paused for an instant. Through the Dark Clone's vision, the pirate ship speeding toward the island had clearly appeared in his mind.

This subtle change did not escape Stella, who had been watching him all along.

"What is it? Did something happen?"

Her voice broke the quiet of lunch. The others at the table also stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward the tall figure seated at the head of the table.

Dawn elegantly placed the final piece of steak into his mouth. After chewing and swallowing slowly, he picked up a napkin and wiped the corner of his mouth before looking around at the companions waiting for his answer.

"An unexpected guest has arrived. I didn't get the assassin I was expecting. Instead, I got that guy... I'll go deal with him."

After giving a brief explanation, he calmly rose to his feet and casually smoothed the slightly wrinkled front of his white shirt. His movements were unhurried, as though he were merely heading out for a walk, and he strode toward the dining hall exit.

The others exchanged glances, each seeing the gravity in the others' eyes. Without hesitation, they left the table and followed after him.

At the coast, the Fire Tank Pirates' vessel, the Nostra Castello, relied on its unique tracked paddle wheels to roar onto the beach, crushing reefs and gravel in its path before coming to a steady stop.

The Capone Family members skillfully furled the sails, and the deck immediately became a hive of activity.

At the prow, Capone Bege, short and stout like a castle with a thick cigar clenched between his teeth, exhaled a dense white ring of smoke and narrowed his eyes at the faintly visible manor ahead.

The flesh on his face quivered as he issued a cold command:

"Straight ahead! Destroy the most conspicuous building in front of us and force the target out!"

"Yes, Godfather!"

The pirates answered in thunderous unison.

Soon, the Nostra Castello let out another deafening roar. Its tracked paddle wheels spun madly, kicking up sand and stones into the sky as it charged straight toward the manor deeper within the island like a steel behemoth. Its massive hull plowed deep furrows through the ground.

Just as the steel beast advanced with unstoppable momentum, a tall figure abruptly appeared directly in its path.

The figure came to a stop. Dawn calmly watched the enormous object bearing down on him.

The next moment, he made a move that left everyone dumbfounded—he planted his feet one before the other, lowered his center of gravity, raised both palms, and actually intended to use his flesh and blood to withstand the pirate ship charging at full speed!

The Capone Family members on the deck froze for a moment before erupting into deafening laughter.

"Hahaha! Has that kid gone insane?"

"He wants to stop our ship all by himself?"

"What an idiot! Crush him!"

Amid the noisy mockery, Capone Bege also spotted Dawn, who had voluntarily shown himself. His thick lips curled into a cruel smile, his eyes filled with contempt.

"Idiot! He jumped out to die on his own! Give it more power and go full speed ahead! Grind him into paste!"

Upon receiving the order, the mafia in the engine room raised the boiler pressure to its limit. The tracked paddle wheels spun even more frantically, and the ship somehow accelerated again, slamming toward Dawn with the force to crush everything in its way!

Meanwhile, atop a low mountain not far behind Dawn.

With several faint sounds of rushing air, the others arrived swiftly. Watching Dawn's seemingly suicidal act below, they could not help but furrow their brows, their faces filled with worry.

Even though they had faith in Dawn's strength, the sight of a man confronting a pirate ship traveling at full speed head-on was simply too horrifying.

Facing the massive prow that was already upon him, bringing howling winds with it, Dawn's expression remained unchanged as he slowly exhaled a long breath.

"[Life Return]!"

He silently called out in his heart. His already exceptionally muscular body visibly expanded by a size, his muscles becoming even more defined and brimming with explosive power.

"[Iron Body]!"

He shouted again, specially manipulating his muscles through the Iron Body technique. His already massive arms abruptly swelled another size, veins winding and bulging like coiling dragons, as if they contained the power to shake mountains.

After completing all his preparations, Dawn's eyes narrowed, a sharp gleam flashing through his pupils. With resolute force, he thrust both palms forward and pressed them precisely against the prow's ram!

Bang!

A thunderous, muffled boom exploded!

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. The expected sight of Dawn being sent flying and crushed never came. Instead, the Nostra Castello was like a charging bull crashing into an immovable iron mountain, its forward momentum abruptly halted.

Dawn's feet sank deep into the ground from the tremendous recoil, all the way to his ankles. The muscles in his thick arms bulged and his veins throbbed, yet his body stood as steady as a rock.

The enormous pirate ship could only futilely spin its massive tracked paddle wheels wildly, flinging up countless stones and clouds of dust, but it could not advance even half a step farther!

Stella and the others on the mountain instinctively covered their mouths, their beautiful eyes wide with disbelief. Even the ever-composed Robin and Stussy had their pupils shrink slightly.

"H-He did it?!"

Kalifa cried out in shock.

"He actually... stopped it with sheer strength..."

Kaku stared at the golden-haired figure below, using his small body to hold back the massive ship, his eyes filled with shock.

This pure display of strength exceeded everything he understood.

The ship's violent abrupt stop caught the Capone Family members on deck off guard, sending them tumbling everywhere in a dizzying mess.

The mafia members who had been leaning over the prow, ready to watch Dawn get crushed, now had their eyes bulging and mouths wide enough to fit a fist inside. All color drained from their faces as though they had witnessed the most terrifying sight in the world.

"N-No way!!"

"M-Monster!!"

Capone Bege steadied himself, then tore away the cigar that he had already bitten out of shape. The composure and contempt on his face had vanished completely, replaced by intense horror and a barely perceptible panic.

He roared through gritted teeth:

"Keep going! Keep moving forward! He can't hold on for long! Wear him down until he dies!"

He believed this was merely the burst of some unknown ability and could not be sustained.

The pirate ship's power system was pushed to its absolute limit. Thick black smoke billowed out as the tracks dug madly into the ground. The muscles in Dawn's arms trembled at high frequency, and the cracks in the earth beneath his feet spread further.

One man and one ship became locked in an extreme contest of strength along the shore.

TO BE CONTINUED