Midnight at Half Crescent Island’s port, the air heavy with salt and tension. Nami, the Bonney Pirates, and I haul a battered Kryhiss—his wounds still oozing blood—and crates of looted treasure and supplies from his fortress onto our ships. After splitting the spoils with Bonney, Nami and I board our small commercial vessel, ready to part ways.
I flash a grin at Bonney, Mark, and their crew, gesturing to Kryhiss, who’s slumped in a barrel of seawater, only his head above the surface. “Well, we’re headed different ways now. Gotta deliver this sorry bastard to the Marines. It’s been a blast, Big Eater, Mark.”
“I’m not Big Eater!” Bonney snaps, puffing out her cheeks. She glances at Nami and me, a flicker of reluctance in her eyes. After a pause, she says, “Hey, John… Nami… ever thought about becoming pirates? I’m serious—join the Bonney Pirates.”
Her earnest look catches me off guard. Nami and I exchange a glance, both of us chuckling. I shake my head. “Piracy’s not my thing. I’m sticking with the bounty hunter life. Maybe we’ll cross paths on the Grand Line.”
Nami shakes her head too. “Sorry, Bonney. I’ve got to get back to my hometown.”
Bonney’s eyes dim with disappointment, but she forces a smile. “Knew you’d say that. Well, see you around, then.” She waves.
“Catch you later,” Nami says, waving back.
Our ships part at the port, hers veering one way, ours another.
But ten minutes out, a sailor’s shout breaks the calm. “Trouble, Mr. John! Miss Nami!”
“What’s wrong?” I ask, joining Nami at the railing. In the distance, two ships bearing Kryhiss’s pirate flag bear down on us, their sails taut. Likely the goons who were quelling the prisoner riots outside the fortress, now chasing us—either to rescue their broken captain or to reclaim the stolen loot.
On the Bonney Pirates’ ship, their lookout spots the same threat. “Captain! Two of Kryhiss’s ships are chasing John’s boat!”
“What?!” Bonney snatches the spyglass, peering at the pursuing vessels. “Get us closer!” she orders, her voice sharp. She trusts my skills, but our rickety commercial boat is no match for pirate ships in a sea battle. One cannonball could splinter it to driftwood, leaving us at the mercy of the waves.
Our sailor, sweating, turns to me. “John, their ships are faster. We can’t outrun them. Should we change course, try to lose them?”
Nami nods. “If we reroute, we might slip away.”
“No need,” I say, my voice steady. “Stick to the original course. I’ll handle this.” I draw Whisper, my short gun from the Hunter’s Shop, and attach its rifle barrel, transforming it into a sleek, long-range weapon. The pieces lock together with a satisfying click.
Nami stares, puzzled. “What are you doing?”
I don’t answer. My vision sharpens, the sea stretching out in crystal clarity, the enemy ships as vivid as if they were right in front of me. This is Perfect Curtain Call
, a Hunter’s Shop technique tied to Whisper, amplifying my senses to pinpoint targets with deadly precision.
Bonney, watching through her spyglass, mutters, “What’s John up to?”
I raise the rifle, steady my aim, and fire. Bang! A flash pierces the night, and the first pirate ship erupts in a cataclysmic explosion. BOOM! The hull shatters, wood and steel flying like shrapnel, blood and screams mixing with the sea spray as bodies are torn apart. In seconds, the ship is a mangled wreck, sinking into the dark waves, flames licking the debris.
Everyone freezes. Bonney’s jaw drops. “Mark, did I just see that? He… he blew up a ship with one shot?”
Mark’s face is blank, his mind reeling. “Uh…”
Before he can respond, I fire again. Bang!BOOM! The second ship meets the same fate, its deck splintering in a fiery blast. Splinters and blood rain down, the crew’s screams cut short as the vessel disintegrates, leaving only wreckage and corpses bobbing in the churning sea.
Mark clears his throat, turning to Bonney. “So, uh, Captain… we still heading over to help?”
Bonney blinks, then laughs awkwardly, waving a hand. “Nah, forget it. Let’s just keep moving!” She shouts to her crew, “Full speed to the Grand Line, you lot!”
“Aye, Captain!” they roar, their ship surging forward.