Chapter 11: A Show of Power & A New Destination

The pirate ship approached the island's shore, its black sails billowing in the salty wind. The ship was large, but not massive—clearly belonging to a crew of mid-level pirates. The Jolly Roger flying above depicted a snarling wolf's head, marking them as the Fang Pirates, a group I had never heard of before.

As the ship docked, rough-looking men disembarked, their boots sinking into the wet sand. There were at least ten of them, all armed with rusted cutlasses and crude pistols.

Their captain, a burly man with jagged scars across his chest and a patch over one eye, stepped forward. He carried a massive cleaver-like sword, his presence radiating confidence.

I stood at the edge of the beach, watching them approach. Calm. Unmoving. Unbothered.

It had been two years since I last saw another human.

And these men were not the kind of people I had been waiting for.

The pirate captain sneered when he saw me, clearly unimpressed by the sight of a lone, shirtless boy standing on the shore.

"Hah! What do we have here?" he barked, nudging one of his men. "Some lost brat? You think the island spirits spat him out?"

The other pirates laughed, a mix of amusement and mockery.

"Oi, kid! Where are the adults?" one pirate called out.

"This island is supposed to be abandoned," another muttered. "How the hell did you get here?"

I didn't answer. I simply stared at them, my expression neutral.

The captain's grin widened. "Heh. Silent type, huh? That's fine." He cracked his knuckles. "We need some entertainment anyway. How about this—you get on your knees and beg, and maybe I'll take you as a cabin boy instead of throwing you to the sea."

The crew erupted into laughter again, their voices grating against my ears.

They thought I was weak.

That was their first mistake.

Their second mistake?

Underestimating me.

I exhaled, my grip tightening slightly. My senses expanded, my Observation Haki picking up on every movement, every shift of their muscles, every breath they took.

Then, I spoke for the first time.

"You're noisy."

The pirates stiffened.

I moved.

Before they could react, I vanished from their sight—a blur of speed faster than they could process.

BOOM!

The captain's eyes widened as I appeared in front of him and drove my fist straight into his gut.

A wave of Conqueror's Haki-infused force blasted from the impact, sending him flying backward like a ragdoll, crashing into the ship's mast with a deafening crack.

The laughter died instantly.

A few pirates stumbled back, their faces drained of color. Some even collapsed unconscious on the spot—weak-willed fools unable to withstand my Conqueror's Haki.

Silence.

Then—

"MONSTER!" one of them shrieked.

I turned my gaze to the rest of the crew, stepping forward slowly.

"You have two choices," I said, my voice calm but firm. "Submit, or sink."

They submitted.

Aboard the Pirate Ship

The pirate ship sailed away from the island, carrying me toward my next destination.

The remaining crew had no fight left in them. Their captain was still unconscious below deck, and the rest answered my questions without resistance.

I sat at the edge of the deck, gazing at the horizon. It felt strange to be on a ship again after two years.

The ocean stretched endlessly before me, the salty wind whipping through my hair.

One of the pirates, a wiry man with missing teeth, cautiously approached.

"Y-You wanted to know about the nearby islands, right?" he stammered.

I nodded.

The pirates knew they had no power over me, so they started talking, spilling everything they knew.

They spoke of the Grand Line, the factions at war, the rising strength of the Marines, and the growing chaos across the seas.

But one particular island caught my attention.

"Cursed Sword Island."

I narrowed my eyes. "Tell me more."

The pirate swallowed. "It's a haunted island, kid. Ain't no normal place."

Another pirate chimed in. "They say a legendary sword is sealed there, but every swordsman who's gone looking for it never comes back."

The ship fell silent at his words.

A cursed sword. A blade strong enough to kill its wielder if they weren't worthy.

The challenge intrigued me.

I needed a weapon. I needed a sword that matched my power.

And this sounded like the perfect one.

I turned toward the crew. "Take me there."

The pirates flinched at my demand but nodded quickly.

No one dared to argue.

Arriving at Cursed Sword Island

Days later, the ship anchored off the shores of a dark, mist-covered island.

From a distance, it looked abandoned—but I could feel something.

A presence. Something alive.

As I stepped onto the sand, the pirates stayed behind, unwilling to set foot on the cursed land.

"Y-You sure about this, kid?" one of them called. "That place ain't normal."

I didn't answer.

Because I already knew.

I could feel it in the air—the weight of something powerful.

I wasn't alone.

Something was watching me.

And it was waiting.

I smirked.

Let's see if this sword is worthy of me.