"Eh!!!"
"No way!"
"How… how is that possible!!"
"That guy took out the vice-captain in a single blow?"
"…The vice-captain had a bounty of one million Berries…"
The surrounding pirates gasped in shock. Their vice-captain hadn't even had time to react before his head was smashed into the ground, his life or death uncertain.
This was unreal!
Everyone present was completely dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events.
Looking at the towering figure—over two meters tall, with a build as solid as a fortress—their legs instinctively trembled.
Who the hell was this guy?
Someone with that level of power couldn't possibly be an unknown nobody.
The pirate grunts were already thinking about running, but the mere thought of their captain's violent and ruthless nature made them reconsider.
"H-he's alone! There's no need to be afraid!"
"No matter how strong he is, we have guns…!"
A pirate in the crowd was the first to shout.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the rest of the crew quickly raised their firearms, all aiming at Kisame.
"How laughable… You really think those weapons can stop me?"
Kisame remained expressionless as he reached down and grabbed Revy off the ground.
"Get ready."
"Huh??"
She stared at him in confusion, completely lost.
"Nothing to worry about. In a moment, I'll make sure to hold onto you so you don't get washed away." Kisame gave no further explanation, his hands moving rapidly into a sequence of strange signs.
What the hell is he doing?
She watched, her head full of question marks, as Kisame's fingers twisted into odd formations.
Then, the next second, he bent over—his whole posture looking like he was about to puke.
Wait… what? He's not actually gonna throw up, is he?
If you're gonna puke, at least pick a better time!
But before she could say anything, her entire understanding of the world was shattered.
With a deep, guttural growl, Kisame completed his jutsu.
"Water Release: Great Exploding Water Shockwave!"
Huh…? Great what?
What is this? Is he… Poseidon?
Revy's brain completely froze as she watched Kisame spew out an overwhelming torrent of water, flooding the area like a tidal wave.
Before she could fully process what was happening, she felt herself being yanked off the ground. Pain shot through her shoulder as she was lifted into the air, carried along with the surging floodwaters.
The raging water roared like an unstoppable tsunami, spreading out in every direction.
Nearby buildings were instantly shattered by the sheer force of the crashing waves.
"M-monster!!"
"Help! I can't swim!"
"You idiot! You're a pirate! How can a pirate not know how to swim?!"
"Oh, right! I'm a pirate! I CAN swim!"
"Aaaaaahhh! The waves are too strong! I'm gonna drown in them!!"
"…This guy has WAY too much water!!!"
"Ahh, help! There's too much water—I'm gonna drown…!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The towering waves surged like a tsunami, crashing down and obliterating everything in their path. The burning town was instantly swallowed by the overwhelming floodwaters…
The sky-high flames were snuffed out in an instant—not even a trace of smoke remained as the ocean swallowed everything.
"This…"
Perched on the rooftop of a higher building, Revy trembled uncontrollably as she gazed at the town, now nothing more than a post-tsunami wasteland.
This guy… had destroyed an entire town in just one move…
This was way too powerful!
"This is… the Great Exploding Water Shockwave?"
Can you believe it?
Even Kisame, the one who cast the jutsu, was completely dumbfounded.
Sure, his chakra levels rivaled that of a Tailed Beast, and his jutsu were always a size bigger than others'—but this? This was on a whole other level.
He knew exactly how much chakra he had put into the technique.
And yet… this was the result?
Kisame stared at the ruined, muddy town for a long moment before shaking his head. Turning to Revy, he said,
"If possible, I'd like you to take me to retrieve Samehada."
"After all, that guy is my partner."
"Partner?"
Revy looked at the man who seemed more like a sea god than a human. She immediately thought of that bizarre weapon wrapped in bandages.
This guy… considers a weapon his companion?
The world of sea kings is seriously weird!
"Alright, fine. Not like we can stay here anymore. Let's go." She nodded after thinking it over.
Wait, wait… why is he grabbing my shoulder again?
Feeling a slight pain from his grip, She was dumbfounded once more, cursing internally.
Damn it! Does he not know how to treat a lady with a little more care?
Are all "sea kings" this rough?!
"Bastard!"
"Hmm?" Kisame turned to her.
"N-nothing! I was talking about those damn pirates!"
"Oh. What exactly is a pirate?"
"Pirates are scum!"
"So you don't like pirates?"
"Who the hell would like those thugs?! Stop asking weird questions!"
As the two bickered, their figures slowly disappeared into the distance…
---
Not long after they left, a man in tattered clothes, wearing a dark red captain's hat, arrived at the scene of destruction with a group of pirates.
The ruthless-looking man frowned as he scanned the surroundings…
Did a tsunami hit this place?
"C-captain! The guy who killed the vice-captain and that chick went into the forest!"
One of the soaked, bedraggled pirates ran up to the man, panting.
"Heh… Interesting. So someone actually dared to kill my vice-captain."
"Let's go, boys. Time to meet this bastard face-to-face."
With that, the captain swaggered forward, leading his crew toward the forest behind the ruined town…
Meanwhile, out at sea near Bali Island, a navy warship slowly approached.
"Reporting to Vice Admiral Kizaru, we're approaching Bali Island. Should we dock for supplies?"
…
Under the night sky, the forest was eerily silent.
For the first time in a while, Revy wasn't being dragged along by her shoulder. However, her face was now flushed, and she was struggling to catch her breath.
The clueless brute beside her, after much persuasion, had finally stopped gripping her shoulder to move her around.
But instead of carrying her properly… he had gone for an even rougher approach—grabbing her by her slender neck.
Like she was some sort of stray puppy!
What the hell is wrong with this "Sea King"?!
Does he seriously have no idea how to treat a lady?!
"It's over there."
Just as Revy felt like she was going to be choked to death, she finally spotted the strange weapon. She hurriedly pointed in the direction of it.
Even without her guidance, Kisame had already sensed Samehada's presence.
His pace suddenly quickened, and with Revy yelping in shock, he arrived at a small clearing in the forest.
Thud!
He dropped her unceremoniously and strode forward without hesitation, eagerly picking up Samehada. The familiar sensation washed over him.
Feeling the weapon's own joyous response, Kisame's usually stern, shark-like face broke into a smile.
It wasn't exactly a pleasant sight—in fact, it was a bit unsettling—but it was a genuine moment of happiness for him.
"Heh… Old friend!"
BANG!
CRACK!
The sudden gunshot shattered the moment of reunion. A black bullet whizzed past Kisame's face, embedding itself into a tree trunk and sending splinters flying.
"So he dodged it, huh?"
A voice echoed through the darkness.
Moments later, a group of men emerged from the shadows of the trees. Leading them was a burly man with a thick beard and a dark red captain's hat.
"Wild Wolf Tova!!"
Revy's eyes widened in shock. Instinctively, she drew her twin pistols, her hands trembling as she aimed at the bearded man.
Click!
Samehada now rested on Kisame's shoulder as he took a step forward, placing his towering figure between Revy and Tova. His imposing silhouette blocked her from view as his sharp gaze locked onto the pirate captain.
"Is he strong?"
"Strong. Very strong!"
"He's the captain of the Lone Wolf Pirates—Wild Wolf Tova. His bounty is 8 million Berries!"
8 million?
Hmm… not bad.
Back in his organization, Kisame had dealt with the "Zombie Twins" before, and he had even visited bounty offices a few times.
He knew that 8 million was a considerable sum—not some small-time pirate.
Even though he couldn't sense any chakra from this man, meaning he couldn't gauge his strength conventionally, Kisame felt it was necessary to take him seriously.
Not because of the bounty.
But because that was simply how he did things.
"A pirate worth 8 million, huh? Guess I should see what you're made of."
As he spoke, the relaxed expression on his face disappeared.
A crushing aura exploded from his body…
(End of Chapter)