Chapter 52 - 52: I ask once. Step up, or Fall.

Words : 1471 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

"Ju~~~~!" The sharp, piercing whistle of a cannonball slicing through the air instantly put the marines aboard the patrol ship on high alert. Just a second earlier, Santos had been trying to reassure Yoriichi not to overthink things, his face calm and casual. But the moment that ominous sound reached his ears, he dove flat onto the deck, so fast and so practiced that it was almost heartbreaking to witness. "Cannon fire! Everyone, get down, now!" Peeking up from his prone position, Santos saw that Yoriichi was still standing. His heart seized with panic. "Yoriichi! Get down!" he shouted, scrambling to his feet and reaching to pull him down. But to his surprise, no matter how hard he tugged, Yoriichi wouldn't budge. In the sky above, a black speck grew rapidly larger. In the space of just a few heartbeats, the cannonball had closed the distance and came crashing down into the sea just ahead of the patrol vessel. BOOM! The explosion erupted with a thunderous roar, sending waves surging outward and causing the entire ship to lurch violently. "Ambush! We're under attack!" "Full speed! Evade the barrage!" "Accelerate and maneuver, get out of the firing range!" After the initial probing shot stopped, a flurry of urgent cries erupted from the marines on deck, the chaos underscored by the rush of footsteps and commands. Santos sprang back to his feet, bellowing orders over the din. On this patrol ship, there were three marine squads onboard—each twenty men strong and led by a sergeant. The squads were assigned three separate duties: helm and navigation, patrol and security, and lookout watch. As one of the sergeants, Santos was effectively the highest-ranking "officer" on board. Under his booming commands, the deckhands began relaying orders in a chain, shouting toward the bridge in hopes that the helmsman would receive them. But then, the vessel suddenly stopped. Its hull angled sideways directly facing the cannons of the distant pirate ship. "We've stopped?!" "Why the hell did we stop?!" "What the hell is Brulle doing?!" Santos's voice rang out in alarm. The "Brulle" he referred to was the sergeant in charge of the navigation squad, currently stationed in the bridge. Seeing no response, Santos didn't hesitate. He spun around and bolted toward the helm to find Brulle and get the ship moving again. The rest of the deck marines followed suit, sprinting toward the artillery chamber. In a flash, the once-crowded deck was empty—leaving only Yoriichi standing there. He glanced in the direction Santos had run, then calmly turned his gaze to the distant pirate vessel. The enemy ship had started to slow, perhaps having calculated the range and preparing for a second strike. "Yoriichi, they're slowing down." "Brace yourself, another volley is coming." This voice came from Kyros, who hadn't followed the others to the cannon chamber. Instead, he had rushed over to Yoriichi's side, his eyes locked on the pirate ship now clearly visible on the horizon. "Kyros, go with Santos. Head to the bridge and check on the situation." "Leave this to me." As Yoriichi spoke, his expression grew solemn. He was now fully activating his Kenbunshoku Haki(Observation Haki), his sensory field stretching nearly a hundred meters. He hadn't been paying full attention before, but now that battle was imminent, his instincts sharpened. What he sensed in the bridge made his brow tighten. Too many presences. Far more than a single squad. Kyros nodded and was just about to take off when a gunshot suddenly rang out from below deck. At the same time, the pirate ship finished loading. This time, it wasn't a test shot. Seven, no, eight cannonballs burst forth, screaming toward the patrol ship in unison. "Kyros go. Be careful. If anyone tries to raise a gun at you don't hesitate. Take them out on the spot." Yoriichi gave the command quickly and without room for debate. Then he drew his long blade. Gazing at the incoming cannonballs, he took a single step forward and unleashed three flying slashes. The sword light, forged from pure Haki, soared across the air and struck the cannonballs mid-flight. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! A series of explosions erupted midair. The firelight from the blasts reflected across the sea, dyeing the waves a brilliant, burning red. In an instant, the cannonballs exploded mid-air, their fiery bursts painting the sea blood-red. "Gunfire from our own warship... Pirates disguised as merchants... From what Santos said, the design of that pirate ship—could it be from the Lolo Trading Company?" "In other words, there might be a connection between these pirates and the merchant guild." "And another thing... A pirate crew that dares to attack the Navy head-on—they must be nothing short of ruthless." "They're headed straight for this patrol ship. That can't be a coincidence." Yoriichi's thoughts raced. His face, already tinged with solemnity, darkened further as the implications settled in. "Juuuu~~~" Another volley roared from the pirate vessel. The sharp whistle of cannon shells tore through the air above the sea. With a cold expression, Yoriichi slashed several flying sword waves into the sky, shattering the incoming shells with precise, explosive cuts. Then, without hesitation, he bent low and launched himself from the deck, stepping into the air with Geppo, darting toward the pirate ship at blinding speed. "Captain Rigg! The target destroyed both of our salvos mid-air—none of the cannonballs even touched their ship! There's an expert aboard that Navy vessel!" The report came from a breathless crewman, rushing across the deck to his captain. The Rigg Pirates numbered just over a hundred and twenty men. In the West Blue, their name was obscure, Captain Rigg didn't even have a bounty on his head. The reason? "Tch! I've got eyes, don't I? Of course I saw!" "Tell the men—keep firing!" "…Huh?! What the hell is that?!" Just as Rigg was about to issue another command, his eyes caught a flash of white leaping from the Navy ship. What startled him even more was that the figure wasn't falling—it was flying. And it was headed straight for them. Rigg rushed to the railing, squinting toward the sky to get a better look. As the white figure closed the distance, the image sharpened into something recognizable. "A… person?!" "A Navy officer!" "Quick! alert the gunners! Shoot that bastard out of the sky!" "Don't let him get close!" Rigg's voice broke into a shout as he finally made out the intruder: a red-haired boy in a Navy uniform, soaring through the sky like a comet. An unexplainable dread crawled over Rigg's skin. His instincts screamed, this was danger, real danger. "Wait, tear down that pirate flag. Dump it overboard!" The order came sharp and sudden. Some realization had struck him like lightning. He looked up again, too late. The white blur was almost upon them. Before Rigg could blink, the red-haired youth landed on the deck with a whisper of impact, standing right in front of him. "He… he flew here?" Rigg murmured in disbelief. Then their eyes met. In that brief moment of contact, a chill shot through Rigg's spine. Every hair on his body stood on end, his scalp tingled, and his tongue froze. He opened his mouth to speak but the red-haired boy vanished. The next instant, the world spun. "Huh? I didn't bow my head… why am I looking at the floor?" The thought had barely formed when Rigg's vision caught a headless body wearing a uniform he knew all too well. Next to it stood a red-haired youth, blade at his side, crimson hair fluttering in the sea breeze. Around them, his crew stood frozen in horror. "…Is that… me?" "…Am I… dead…?" Rigg's head hit the deck with a dull thud. His consciousness flickered once… and then went out. Blood gushed in rhythmic pulses from the neck of his now-lifeless body. Crushing and absolute. Yoriichi Tsugikuni flicked the blood from his blade with a single motion. His gaze, half-lowered, swept over the corpse at his feet—then slowly lifted to meet the eyes of the remaining pirates on deck. He spoke, his voice calm yet sharp as tempered steel: "Answer one question, and I'll let you live." "Who sent you?" ********* Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch! For advance chapters, please do visit and consider joining me on Patreon, it really helps me out and I'd love to have you along for the journey! p(a)treon.com/Lnee *remove () to open it

Chapter 52 - 52: I ask once. Step up, or Fall.

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