Chapter One: Shimura Seiji

That night, on an island in the Grand Line.

"Hee-hahaha! Each of you only needs to hand over five hundred thousand Berries!"

"What? You don’t have it? Then die!"

The bonfire roared, sending crackling sparks into the air. The crimson flames illuminated a wide area.

Around the fire, nearly a hundred villagers knelt, all of them common folk, their faces etched with terror. Their hands were tied behind their backs, making them nothing more than lambs awaiting slaughter.

A band of fierce pirates, weapons in hand and blood-stained blades raised, stood behind them, threatening their fragile lives at every moment.

A young girl knelt before a man nearly three meters tall, repeatedly bowing her head to the ground, begging for a shred of mercy—begging to be spared. She had a younger brother who still needed her; she could not simply die.

The man had an enormous beer belly, his clothes stretched tight and splitting above his navel, exposing a hairy chest. His face was covered in warts, his skin rough like old tree bark, and whenever he smiled, his crooked black teeth were revealed.

Peppo drew his pistol from his waist and pressed it to the girl's forehead. "No money? Then die! Begging is useless, because we’re pirates! Hee-hahaha!"

"Kill her! Kill her!"

"Kill her! Kill her!"

The other pirates shouted with sick excitement, their faces twisted in perverse grins.

The girl stared in despair at the ground, tears streaming down her face. She was going to die.

Suddenly—a black blade shot from the rooftop, hurtling straight for Peppo’s neck with such speed that the eye could scarcely follow.

Peppo’s eyes widened. He dodged to the side in panic, his pistol clattering to the ground as he shouted up at the roof, "Who’s there? Who dares ambush me!"

A figure appeared atop the building.

He wore a white short-sleeved shirt and blue shorts, standing about one meter eighty-two, with short black hair and an unmistakable look of mockery on his face.

Aoshi spoke. "Just a no-name pirate, aren’t you exaggerating a bit calling yourself ‘lord’?"

Peppo gritted his teeth. "I’m Wild Boar Peppo, with a bounty of one hundred million Berries! How dare you look down on me!"

With that, he raised his axe and lunged at Aoshi.

Aoshi leapt lightly aside, dodging the attack, then immediately sprinted toward the edge of town.

Peppo chased after him, axe in hand. Despite his bulk, his movements were astonishingly agile.

Such was the terror of the pirate world—here, common sense had no place.

Aoshi darted into the woods, weaving between trees. Bathed in moonlight, he could see as clearly as day.

Peppo crashed into the forest after him, but saw no sign of Aoshi. He brandished his axe, scanning the darkness but found nothing.

Furious, he shouted, "Come out! I see you, you filthy rat! I’ll rip you to pieces!"

"Shave!"

A shadow flickered. In an instant, Aoshi appeared before Peppo, his fist—hardened with Armament Haki—rocketing toward Peppo’s face.

A heavy punch landed. Peppo staggered back several steps, his nose broken and blood flowing freely.

Clutching his nose, he glared at Aoshi, demanding, "Who the hell are you?"

Aoshi shook out his right hand and replied calmly, "Lieutenant Shimura Aoshi, Navy."

"Shimura Aoshi!"

Peppo’s pupils contracted violently. The contempt in his eyes vanished, replaced by fear and dread.

Aoshi’s hands shimmered black as Haki covered them. He exhaled softly, then pushed off with his toes—his whole body rocketed forward like a cannonball, fists raining down in a flurry.

Peppo tried to shield himself behind his massive axe, sparks flying as the blows landed. With a final, crushing punch, the axe shattered into pieces.

Terrified, Peppo’s body swelled, his ugly, bloated features twisting into a monstrous visage. Two black tusks erupted from the sides of his mouth as he transformed into a gigantic wild boar in a heartbeat.

Aoshi withdrew, using Moonwalk to quickly open the distance.

"A Zoan-type Devil Fruit user, is it? Let’s see what you can do."

"Mirror Image!"

He somersaulted and landed, feet first, pressing his right hand to the earth.

His own body swelled rapidly, morphing in moments into the complete wild boar form, even larger than Peppo.

Seeing the creature before him, Peppo turned and bolted.

Aoshi’s twin white tusks instantly darkened, and he charged after Peppo at full speed. He rammed into Peppo’s flank and, with a powerful upward flick of his tusks—now razor-sharp with Armament Haki—sent Peppo flying, smashing through a stand of trees.

Peppo’s belly ached with pain, terror clutching his heart. His eyes soon turned blood-red, and he howled, "Don’t get cocky, Marine! Wild Boar Rampage!"

A cornered dog will still bite—Peppo, desperate, barreled toward Aoshi at breakneck speed.

Aoshi sneered. "Perfect timing, Peppo!"

The two colossal beasts collided with an earth-shaking crash, dust and smoke billowing everywhere.

When the dust settled, Aoshi stood in tattered clothes, unmoved. At his feet, Peppo lay unconscious, eyes rolled back, foam dribbling from his mouth.

Just then, several Marines rushed over, guns at the ready. "Lieutenant Aoshi! Are you alright?"

Aoshi dusted his hands off and replied with effortless calm, "I’m fine. Did you bring the Sea Prism Stone chains? Bind him and get him back to the ship."

He then walked up to one of the Marine recruits, grinning slyly. "Lend me your uniform, would you?"

A few minutes later.

Dressed in a Marine recruit’s clothes, Aoshi returned to the town.

The villagers had already been freed, and the once-arrogant pirates were now the ones tied up. After Aoshi left, the arrival of the Marines had restored order.

As Aoshi approached, a sturdy, dark-skinned middle-aged Marine hurried over, saluted, and reported, "Lieutenant Aoshi, all pirates have been subdued. Thirty-two captured, thirteen killed. We suffered zero casualties—ten wounded. Report complete!"

Aoshi patted Tanaka’s broad shoulder with satisfaction. "Excellent work. Keep it up."

He walked past Tanaka to the shaken girl and spoke gently, "I’m truly sorry, beautiful lady. We arrived too late."

"Tanaka, bring the medical kit. I’ll treat this young lady myself as an apology for our tardiness."

The girl’s cheeks flushed crimson as she stared at Aoshi and murmured, "Lieutenant, there’s no need..."

Tanaka quickly set the kit before Aoshi and tactfully stepped aside.

Aoshi carefully prepared the medicine and gently applied it to the girl’s forehead, finally securing it with gauze.

"It’s necessary," he said softly, "otherwise, if such a lovely face were to scar, I’d be heartbroken."

"Mmm..." the girl lowered her head in shyness, unable to meet Aoshi’s gaze.

He was simply too handsome—stunningly, irresistibly so.