One Piece: Raijin

Moreover, his son possesses exceptional navigation skills, which cannot merely be attributed to the generational experience of fishermen.

The only logical explanation is that Uncle Sam must have sailed the seas, either as a navy officer or as a pirate.

The seawater beneath their feet churned increasingly violently, spreading ripples rapidly.

Uncle Sam and Kurta were filled with despair. Not only were they facing pirates at such close proximity, but the sea beneath them also seemed unwilling to spare them.

Both men resigned themselves to their fate. They gripped their oars tightly, almost as if awaiting death.

Meanwhile, the fishermen on the other two boats noticed the commotion and converged on the boat where Asa was standing.

They had long been accustomed to dealing with pirates and had no intention of passively awaiting death. Pirates' blood coursed through their veins, and they were no strangers to combat. Their primal instincts, inherited from their ancestors, mirrored that of wolves—ready to tear a piece or two from their enemies even in the face of death.

Eight or nine of them gathered, their brows furrowed as they examined the markings on the enemy's sails.

"It's the Black Bear Pirates. Their captain, Black Bear Blaibel, is a notorious pirate with a bounty of 80 million beli. He's also a user of the Zoan-type Black Bear Fruit. Prepare yourselves—this group is infamous for their cruelty."

Everyone armed themselves, bracing for what they knew would be a futile struggle.

Those who have not seen through the mortal coil fear death. Even ants struggle to survive. Resistance before the end is simply human nature.

While the others gathered, Asa quietly stepped away. He retreated behind the mast and retrieved a wooden box.

Wood provides buoyancy in water, allowing one to float and increasing the chance of survival. If the situation became untenable, Asa planned to jump into the sea and ride the sweeping current.

It wasn't that he feared battle; rather, he understood that Black Bear Blaibel was horrifyingly cruel and exceptionally powerful.

Each time Blaibel and his crew passed a village or island, regardless of whose territory it was, they left behind nothing but carnage.

Due to the sheer threat he posed, the World Government had placed an 80-million-beli bounty on him.

Morgans, the president of the World Economic Society—dubbed "Big News"—trained news birds to deliver news across the world and the Grand Line. Through their collaboration with the World Government and pirates, news spread instantaneously.

Asa frequently read newspapers to stay informed about the state of the world and was well aware of Black Bear Blaibel's infamy.

Estimating his current strength to be equivalent to a bounty of 30-50 million beli, Asa knew he couldn't match a Black Bear Fruit user in raw power.

Zoan-type users were typically known for their immense physical prowess. Engaging them head-on was tantamount to suicide.

Thus, Asa prepared for the worst. If overwhelmed, he would dive into the sea and rely on the wooden box's buoyancy to escape via the currents.

If he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait until the Roger Pirates returned to the Grand Line in three years—or more than twenty years for Luffy's time.

But Asa had no intention of waiting that long. By then, the moment he longed for would have withered, and the fruit of his dreams would be nothing but dregs.

The Black Bear Pirates rode the wind and waves with grins on their faces, resembling wolves eyeing lambs for slaughter.

The large black bear figurehead at the bow of their ship held a thick cannon in its mouth, pointed directly at the fishing boat.

"Wow!"

A soft splash broke the tension as the pirate ship finally connected with the fishing boat. Ropes and chains were hurled over with great force.

The pirates, steady as mountains, scrambled across the ropes to board the fishing boat.

"Kill them!"

"Take everything! Whoever grabs the treasure keeps it!" commanded the towering captain, a bearded little giant standing five meters tall, waving his hand from the bow.

Uncle Sam's face turned grim, an expression Asa had never seen on the usually cunning old man.

"Prepare for battle!" Uncle Sam roared, his voice filled with determination.

Kurta, a massive man standing three meters tall with arms thicker than most men's waists, wielded heavy, hook-shaped anchors as weapons.

"Asa! What are you doing, standing there? Are you waiting to die?!" Uncle Sam shouted when he realized Asa was behind the mast, watching the others engage the enemy without a trace of panic on his face.

"Hah! Uncle Sam, you can barely protect yourself, and you still think you can lecture me?" Asa replied calmly, showing no intention of stepping in.

By now, there was no need for pretense. The bond between them was clearly fraying.

"You insolent brat! If I'd known, I would have killed you five years ago!" Kurta growled, swinging his anchor with deadly precision and taking out two pirates in one strike. His eyes burned with rage.

"People from other villages can't be trusted. If we survive this, I'll peel your skin myself!"

"You talk big for someone who might not survive!" Asa shrugged, unbothered. Whether they would see each other again after today was uncertain—even Asa wasn't sure if he would make it.

Yet, he had no regrets. Life demanded moments of reckless boldness to leave a mark on the world.

If he could achieve his dream of reaching Sky Island, he would willingly do something even crazier.

"Well, look what we have here—a little rat hiding behind the mast!" A pirate spotted Asa and immediately swung a massive blade at his head.

The sharp blade gleamed with cold light, faintly crackling with sword energy. (Yes, sword energy. In this world of pirates, swords are different—don't ask why. It's just how things work here.)

"I thought I could stay out of this, but I was clearly too optimistic," Asa muttered with a sigh, his eyes calm. He sidestepped effortlessly, dodging the blade aimed at his neck.

The pirate's sword slashed into the thick mast behind him, splitting it in two with a resounding "crack." The mast collapsed with a deafening crash.

Asa moved nimbly, avoiding the falling debris. His figure blurred as he reappeared in front of the pirate, delivering a powerful iron fist from his waist to the pirate's jaw.

"Bang!"

The pirate had no time to react. The force shattered his jaw and sent him flying off the boat, crashing into the sea with a scream.

Asa didn't fully understand the training methods for the Navy's Six Forms, but he vaguely remembered a description in an old text: the "Shave" technique required stepping on the ground more than ten times within 0.36 seconds to generate explosive speed through sheer reaction force.

He experimented with this method while strengthening his muscles and bones. Initially, his feet couldn't withstand the pressure, resulting in severe injuries. But as his body grew stronger, the strain lessened.

PS: New books desperately need power stones and collections, so don't hold back!