"Is this… Drought Jack's advance ship? It's massive."
Jasper floated just beneath the surface, wiping seawater from his face as he eyed the imposing ship ahead.
After a moment's pause, he noticed a rusted metal chain dangling from the hull's side. Without hesitation, he grabbed hold and began climbing, his soaked uniform clinging to his body.
Above him, the raucous sounds of pirate laughter rang out. Shouting, clinking mugs, and jeering insults filled the air.
"Hah! What kind of moron sails a Navy tax ship straight into New World waters?"
"Isn't it obvious? They're delivering treasure right into our hands!"
"Good thing I've got sharp eyes. I knew from one glance that was a tax ship—pure gold, baby!"
"Wait, isn't robbing a Navy warship a bit… bold?"
"Newbie, huh? Listen up. We're under Drought Jack—the Calamity himself—one of the All-Stars of Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors! You think the Navy's gonna touch us?"
"Exactly. Robbing tax ships is practically doing them a favor! Hahaha!"
Jasper , hanging just below the deck, scoffed to himself.
Yeah… keep laughing. Won't be so funny in five minutes.
He vaulted up and over the rail, landing silently on the enemy deck. Drawing in a deep breath, his chest visibly expanded under the soaked uniform.
"All pirates present, down on the ground with your hands behind your heads!"
His voice cut like a blade through the revelry.
"This is Captain Jasper of the Marines—you're all under arrest!"
Every eye snapped to him.
For a brief moment, the ship went silent.
Then—
"Pfft… what?"
"Hahahahaha! No way, did he just say 'Captain'?"
"He's just a Captain?! Bwahahaha! You serious right now?!"
"Oh, he's suicidal! Sendin' himself to the grave like that!"
"If you're gonna bluff, at least wear a coat with 'Justice' on the back! Hahahaha!"
They keeled over with laughter, some falling to their knees, wiping tears from their eyes.
None of them took him seriously. Not without a Vice Admiral's coat. Not without a reputation.
They were part of Drought Jack's crew—the Beasts Pirates, for crying out loud!
That was a title that carried weight.
But then—shfft!
One of the pirates froze.
He turned, confusion on his face—only to be met with a blinding flash of blue steam and a thunderous kick to the chest.
BOOM!!!
The deck shattered as the pirate was launched through three layers of ship support, embedding into the lower hull.
Jasper stood tall, steam swirling around his body. His foot still smoldered from the blow.
The Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit (Dōmon)—open.
"He's… not normal!"
"No way! That's real power!"
"Get the weapons! Kill him before he tears the ship apart!"
The pirates scrambled to arms. Several transformed—Zoan abilities erupting—muscles bulging, limbs twisting into monstrous forms.
Artificial SMILE fruits. Cheap knock-offs of real Zoans.
But Jasper was already moving.
A blur.
A kick.
Another scream.
Each pirate that approached was struck down before they could blink. Speed and force merged in a dance of destruction.
Zoan or not, none could withstand his strikes.
Within minutes, the deck was covered in unconscious bodies.
Weapons scattered. Blood pooled. Groans filled the air.
Jasper exhaled and canceled the Eight Gates technique, the blue steam around him vanishing.
Even the Fifth Gate had drained nearly half his stamina. The Gates gave incredible boosts, but even with the system's support negating the usual life-threatening drawbacks, the exertion was still real.
He staggered for a second but quickly straightened up.
If I ever open all eight… I better be ready.
Back on the tax ship, one of the sailors peered through a pair of binoculars, mouth agape.
He trembled as he watched the scene unfold.
"…You okay over there?" one crewman asked, eyebrow raised. "Did the Captain get caught?"
"Don't tell me those pirates already offed him!"
"No… no…" the spotter stammered, voice rising in disbelief. "Our captain… he… he beat them! He took down the whole ship!"
"What?!"
The others swarmed him. One snatched the binoculars.
True enough, there stood Jasper on the pirate ship's deck, wind tousling his soaked hair. He was waving a Marine warrant in one hand like a flag.
Behind him, a heap of defeated pirates lay strewn across the deck, unconscious or groaning.
"Am I seeing this right…?"
"He really did it?"
The sailor rubbed his eyes furiously, trying to shake the surreal image.
But the truth was clear:
Their "straw bag" Captain had just soloed a ship full of Kaido's men.
And he wasn't done yet.
Since Jasper had been promoted to Captain, the number of times he'd actually personally taken action in battle could be counted on both hands.
Most of the time, he hung back, fired a few shots from cover, and let others do the heavy lifting. And yet… he had somehow just soloed a ship full of pirates.
And not just any pirates—this was a crew under the banner of Kaido of the Beasts, one of the Four Emperors!
"Wait, is that true?" a sailor asked in disbelief. "Did the Captain really beat them all?"
The spotter nodded with great difficulty, eyes still wide.
"It's true. He even waved us over… told us to dock the ship."
The surrounding sailors still looked like they were struggling to accept reality. But as the warship sailed closer to the pirate vessel, and the full view of defeated men and wrecked deck came into sight, their skepticism started to crack.
They wanted to doubt it. But the truth was now undeniable.
As the warship drew alongside the captured vessel, Jasper turned his attention away from the stunned sailors and fixed his gaze toward the horizon—where the main ship of Jack the Drought might be.
He grabbed one of the beaten pirates, a grizzled man with a jagged scar and blood pouring from the corner of his mouth.
"You." Jasper 's voice was calm but commanding. "Where's your main ship? Is Jack on it?"
The pirate spat blood to the side and sneered, trying to summon the last dregs of defiance in his battered body.
"You think you're tough, punk? You've got no clue what you've just done. That's Drought Jack's crew you hit. You've just signed your death warrant—!"
SMACK!
Before he could finish, Jasper slapped him hard across the face, sending a few teeth flying. He didn't care for dramatics.
"And what if your boss is Jack of the Drought?" Jasper said, eyes narrowed. "My father's Sengoku the Buddha—the Fleet Admiral of the Navy. You think I'm scared of a walking tusk with anger issues?"
The pirate froze, the fire in his eyes dimming.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku?! Then this brat is actually… but why is someone like that just a Captain?!
His jaw clenched, but there was nothing he could do.
Right now, Jasper had the strength, and he had the leverage. And the pirate was just another grunt in a bad situation.
"Our main ship…" the pirate finally muttered, "is just behind us. Maybe twenty minutes out… maybe less…"
Jasper 's eyes narrowed again. "That fast, huh? You sure you're not trying to mess with me?"
"N-No! Of course not!" The pirate immediately shifted tones, backpedaling with practiced cowardice. "You're too strong! The Beasts Pirates… we respect strength above all else!"
His groveling was almost convincing.
At that moment, the Navy warship finally docked with the enemy ship. Dozens of sailors peered over the edge, jaws dropping at the sight below.
It was real.
Jasper was standing atop a pile of defeated pirates like it was nothing.
"…Am I dreaming?" one sailor muttered.
"Pinch me. Seriously."
Their so-called "straw bale" captain had just wiped out an entire pirate crew—by himself.
"What are you all standing around for?!" Jasper shouted up at them. "Get down here and restrain these guys!"
That snapped them out of it. With hurried steps and stunned expressions, they climbed down to the pirate ship and began the arrests.
"Captain… you really did all this?" one sailor whispered as he passed.
Another crouched beside a fallen pirate, squinting at the man's face.
"Hold up, isn't this guy Bloody Kaman?! He's got a 30 million bounty! And our Captain beat him like it was nothing?!"
"No way… he's one of Jack's key enforcers! Was our Captain always this strong?! Has he just been hiding it?"
The murmurs spread through the sailors like wildfire. Their awe deepened by the minute.
But before anyone could speak again, a massive shadow fell across the water.
The sea trembled.
From the other side of the horizon, a gigantic ship appeared—its massive bow carved in the shape of a woolly mammoth skull, complete with enormous curved tusks.
The sailors who were standing watch with spyglasses screamed in panic.
"—It's the Mammoth! That's Jack's flagship!!"
A chill swept across both ships as the monstrous vessel approached, its black sails emblazoned with the Beasts Pirates Jolly Roger.
Jack the Drought… had arrived.