People Keep Running Into My Sword

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One Hour Later

On the ship of the Tado Pirate Crew docked in the harbor, a melodic tune wafted from the gramophone in the corner, drifting between the cabin and the deck. The crew members, freshly returned from Plos Island, were laughing and cheerfully preparing for the farewell banquet.

Biggie was humming a tune while helping several burly sailors rearrange the tables and chairs in the dining room. Meanwhile, Uncle Raku and Keral were directing the pirates under them to bring out barrels of fine wine. In the kitchen, where the aroma of food lingered, Tado was just pushed out the door by the grumpy head chef, Lika. Looking despondent, Tado removed his chef's uniform and retreated to his room on the second floor.

Almost everyone was busy, but there were always exceptions.

Shanuo and Sanji, the two youngsters considered "troublesome kids" by the adults, were sent to the deck with the excuse that they were too young to help. This way, they wouldn't get in the way.

Shanuo, who couldn't sit idle, drew his katana, Toyako Lake, and found a secluded corner to practice his swordsmanship with full concentration. Sanji, on the other hand, initially wanted to help in the kitchen and learn a few culinary tips from Aunt Carly. Now, though, he could only lean against the railing and stare blankly at the sea.

"Ugh, so boring. Why hasn't that old man come back yet…"

Sanji muttered with a blade of grass in his mouth, his words muffled, "If only he'd come back sooner, we could leave this ship already…"

Hearing this, Shanuo couldn't help but chuckle to himself. It seemed that because of his past experiences, this little guy harbored a bias against pirates. Even though he knew the uncles on the Tado pirate ship were decent people, different from the ruthless and savage pirates he despised, he still hadn't warmed up to them. He just wanted to leave as soon as possible to pursue his dream of working at the floating restaurant.

This kid… truly a born chef.

Shanuo lazily withdrew his gaze and was about to continue his sword practice when a sudden commotion erupted from the shore, accompanied by rough shouting and cursing. He froze momentarily, then instinctively turned to look.

Near the island's small town exit by the shore, a group of burly men with menacing expressions and weapons in hand barged through the crowded streets. They laughed cruelly as they pushed their way through, showing no concern for the pedestrians they shoved aside. Anyone too slow to move was met with blows from their blunt weapons. The earlier shouting clearly came from this group.

"So brazen… Are they pirates?"

Shanuo frowned, murmuring to himself.

The burly men moved quickly. In no time, they passed through the crowd and reached the docks.

"Hmm, something's off."

Shanuo's expression gradually shifted, his face showing a mix of surprise and doubt.

Even though the group was still a few hundred meters away, they began to fan out, forming a semi-circle around the ship Shanuo was on. Meanwhile, the leaders of the group whispered to each other and occasionally glanced over with malicious smiles.

The way they looked… like hunters eyeing prey.

It was an uncomfortable feeling.

"Sanji."

Shanuo narrowed his eyes, turned his head, and called out in a low voice.

"Huh?"

Sanji, still chewing on his blade of grass, looked up in confusion. "What is it?"

"Go to the second floor, find Uncle Tado, and tell him to come out immediately. Then hide in the storage room, lock the door, and no matter how loud it gets outside, don't come out unless I call for you," Shanuo instructed firmly.

"Huh?"

Sanji was taken aback. He spat out the blade of grass and retorted irritably, "Hey, who are you to order me around? Why should I listen to you?"

"Stop arguing and go!"

Shanuo snapped, pointing toward the shore. "Idiot! Don't you see the pirates heading this way? If you don't want to die, do as I say!"

"Pirates?"

Following Shanuo's gaze, Sanji finally noticed the approaching group. By chance, one of the leaders locked eyes with him, sending a wave of killing intent his way. Sanji shuddered instantly.

"T-Those are…"

His face pale, Sanji stammered, "I… I got it! I'll go tell Uncle Tado now."

With that, he turned and dashed toward the cabin door, sprinting up the stairs to the second floor.

"Still a scaredy-cat newbie…"

As memories of Black Leg Sanji crossed his mind, Shanuo smirked, shaking his head. He turned his focus back to the approaching pirates.

There were quite a few of them, all armed. Sanji hadn't learned his kicking techniques from Zeff yet, so staying on the deck would only put him in danger. That's why Shanuo told him to hide. Telling him to find Tado was just an excuse to get him to listen.

"Biggie and the others should've noticed the situation by now. Why aren't they coming out yet?"

Shanuo glanced toward the dining room. It had windows on both sides, so they should've spotted the pirates before he did. There shouldn't have been any need for him to notify them…

At that moment, the pirates on the shore seemed to have finished their discussion. A one-eyed man, clearly one of the leaders, stepped forward with a cruel grin. Resting his long blade on his shoulder, he pulled out a pistol from his pocket. Without aiming, he raised his arm and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The gunshot shattered the harbor's silence. The bullet hit a window on the side of the ship, shattering it with a loud crash. Shards of glass scattered everywhere.

The one-eyed man's arrogant laughter echoed across the harbor:

"Rurururu! Tado Pirate Crew, you worthless scum! How long do you plan to make the Silver Shark Pirate Crew wait? Come out already!"

To his surprise, the deck remained silent. No one emerged from the cabin or responded to his taunts. Only the eerie echo of his laughter lingered.

The atmosphere turned awkward.

"Rurururu… What an ungrateful lot."

The one-eyed man stopped laughing, his expression darkening. Seeing the empty deck with only Shanuo standing there, he raised his pistol coldly.

"In that case, I'll just kill the brat on the ship first. Let's see how much you cowards can endure!"