The seas were calm as Kazuha's boat drifted across the East Blue.
But calm didn't mean quiet.
"Let's get something straight," Tōsen, the sentient voice of the system, began lazily. "If you're planning to stroll into a town full of pirates and corrupt Marines, say some edgy line, and cut your way through, that works... once."
Kazuha sat cross-legged near the mast, cleaning his katana with methodical care. "So?"
"So," Tōsen continued, "what happens when word spreads? You'll have bounty hunters after your head, Marines wanting your corpse, pirates wanting revenge, and the World Government watching from the shadows."
"Good," Kazuha said. "Let them come."
"Damn, you're still edgy."
He ignored the jab and focused instead on his blade. The katana remained unnamed, but already the faint pulse of Getsuga Tenshō stirred within it—a latent force waiting to be released.
The blue ribbon tied near the guard fluttered in the wind. It wasn't just decoration anymore. It was a thread of memory. Of weight.
He wasn't from this world.
He didn't belong to it.
He had no flag. No faction. No oath.
Not a pirate. Not a marine. Just a man with a sword.
Island – Shellshade Town (East Blue)
The docks were packed with crates and crates of weaponized cargo.
Slaves labored under the lash of uniformed men wearing fake Marine insignia. Their rifles were rusted, but their smiles were polished.
Children crawled in the dirt, carrying crates too heavy for their small frames.
And sitting atop a tall wooden crate was the self-proclaimed "Commodore" Roque—a man with Marine tattoos burned into his arms and blood on his breath.
He raised a mug of rum and laughed.
"To peace!" he shouted.
The crowd cheered.
Then a voice—quiet, clear, calm—broke the celebration.
"This isn't Marine territory."
They turned. There, at the edge of the dock, stood Kazuha.
Unassuming. Alone.
Roque tilted his head. "Who the hell are you?"
Kazuha stepped forward slowly.
"No one."
Roque grinned. "Then crawl back into whatever pisshole you came from. This town belongs to me. Marines don't care about this place. We make our own law."
Kazuha's blade whispered free from its sheath.
"Judgment Protocol Initiated: Shellshade Slaughter."
"Required Objective: Eliminate All Impersonators and Free Captives."
"Reward: Flash Step Enhancement + Zanjutsu Level 2"
He gave no warning.
He simply vanished.
Combat Log – System Feed
Technique Used: Flash Step → Getsuga Sweep
Result: 5 enemies neutralized in 2.4 seconds
Roque's mug shattered in his hand.
His men collapsed around him in severed halves, limbs sliding from torsos, blood pooling at his boots.
Kazuha appeared behind him, blade poised.
"Wa-WAIT! We, we were just-!"
"Judged."
Getsuga Tenshō.
A shockwave of compressed energy tore through Roque's body like divine lightning. He didn't scream. He didn't have time.
His chest evaporated in a crescent arc, the force blasting open the central warehouse behind him.
The slaves blinked, stunned. Silence fell.
Then... applause. One man began to clap. Then two. Then all.
But Kazuha didn't bask in it. He turned to go.
A young woman with chains still around her wrists stepped forward. "Please! Tell us your name!"
Kazuha paused.
"…Kurogane."
"Are you a revolutionary? A pirate? A former Marine?"
"No." He looked back once.
"I'm what the world made me."
Later That Night – Forest Clearing Outside Shellshade
Kazuha sat alone, sharpening his blade beneath a tree.
"You're not going to break, huh?" Tōsen's voice returned, quieter this time. "Most people who transmigrate into a hellscape like this either die, hide, or lose their mind."
"I'm not most people."
"No. But you're still human. You keep this up, you're going to attract the World Government. And worse."
Kazuha smirked faintly. "Like who?"
Tōsen didn't answer.
But the system pinged instead.
"New Bounty Issued."
Name: Unknown Swordsman (Codename: Black Blade Ghost)
Wanted: Dead or Alive – 50,000,000 Berries
"Charge: Execution of 'Commodore' Roque, Impersonation of Marine Authority, Anti-Government Action."
Kazuha chuckled once. Dry.
"I don't even have a pirate flag."
"You don't need one anymore."
Elsewhere – Calm Belt, Navy Cipher Pol HQ
The report slammed onto the Elder Agent's desk.
"Another rogue," one muttered.
But the man in the black suit said nothing.
He simply lit a cigar, took one long drag, and said:
"Send in Cipher Pol 0."
"Sir?"
The man turned, revealing a scar down his neck.
"If he's not a Marine, and not a pirate, that makes him dangerous. Kill him before he chooses a side."
Final Scene – Kazuha's Camp
The system blinked open with a pulse of energy.
"Combat Reward: Zanjutsu Level 2 Unlocked."
"New Technique Available: Precision Flow – Two-Strike Draw"
Technique Highlight: Combines Flash Step movement with a delayed twin-blade slash at near-invisible speeds. Best used on multiple targets or enemies with enhanced reflexes.
Kazuha's eyes closed.
Tomorrow would bring more battles. More enemies. More bodies.
But tonight, for a moment, the fire was warm. The wind was gentle.
And the stars, far above, didn't seem quite so cold.
*********
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!