One Piece: Rising to Power as a Warlord of the Sea

With one punch, the massive stone giant crumbled, shattered into countless fragments that scattered in every direction. Pica's face twisted with disbelief; trapped within the immense attack range, he couldn't dodge and was forced to endure the full blow. It felt as if his organs were thrown out of place. He spat a mouthful of blood mixed with bits of tissue, staining the ground with a dark red pool.

"Pica! Are you alright?" Gladius rushed to his side, his voice filled with concern. He hadn't expected these two young pirates to be so powerful—not even Pica, one of the highest-ranking officers, could stand against them.

Could it be that these two were from the New World? Gladius's mind raced, and slowly he recalled a recent bounty poster of a rapidly rising rookie pirate. The image on the poster merged with the face of the young man before him, Natsu. And the black-and-white creature beside him confirmed it. A beast like that could only belong to the newest pirate crew—no one else would have such an unusual companion.

"I'm fine... cough, cough," Pica forced out, grimacing, his gaze darkening as he looked at Natsu.

"Kid, do you know who we are? We serve Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Perhaps... you'd consider letting this matter go out of respect for our young master?" Gladius discreetly nudged Pica, hoping to persuade Natsu.

It was true; he had decided to back down! There was no point in risking his life here. They could return, report this to Doflamingo, and let him take care of the matter. Then these cocky kids would experience the true terror of a seasoned pirate.

After all, they were the Donquixote Family! Rulers of the Underworld, holding a position that even the Navy didn't provoke lightly.

"Oh, a Warlord? So powerful! I'm soooo scared," Natsu said, feigning fear, but his taunting expression turned Pica and Gladius's faces a shade darker.

"Show respect to Doflamingo? Who does he think he is?" Natsu scoffed.

Respect? He thought he could demand respect like Red-Haired Shanks? What was his "face" worth, anyway?

Internally, Natsu was full of ridicule. His crew, the Smile Pirates, weren't just troublemakers; they didn't fear it, either.

Besides, if they could defeat a Warlord, they might just take his place. That was part of Natsu's plan. He even intended to employ Doflamingo's methods to claim the title for himself.

"You—"

"Me what? Enel, zap him! Enough with his talking." Natsu interrupted Gladius, giving the go-ahead for some shocking therapy.

When God himself offers you a lightning service, be sure to rate it five stars!

"Crackle!"

Electricity crackled, filling the entire auction house with lightning. Gladius's hair stood on end, terrorized by the sensation he hoped never to feel again.

"Shwoom!"

Suddenly, Pica grabbed Gladius by the arm, and the two vanished from Natsu's sight, merging into the ground.

Thunder struck, leaving a charred crater where Pica and Gladius once stood. Smoke and dust filled the air as Pica quickly navigated the stone walls, manipulating the rock to speed their escape.

"Trying to run?"

Natsu's Observation Haki surged, enveloping the entire auction house. Through recent frequent use, his Haki had reached a high level. A bit more, and he'd rank among the world's best. As for advanced Observation Haki, the kind that glimpses the future, only a few possessed that skill—like Katakuri from Big Mom's crew.

Natsu sensed Pica's approximate location and readied himself. His gaze was focused and steady as he raised his fist. Power gathered around it, whipping the air into a storm.

"Serious Punch: Siege Cannon!" His calm voice pierced through the walls, sending waves of dread over Pica and Gladius.

"Crack!"

The air exploded. Spider-web cracks spread from Natsu's fist, rapidly expanding. In an instant, everything in the direction of his punch shattered, leaving a desolate trail over a kilometer long.

"Blugh!"

Pica felt his throat clench, and he spat blood. The attack was terrifyingly fast; despite his best efforts, he was still grazed by its power.

But Pica forced himself to ignore his wounds. He grabbed Gladius once more, casting a long, deep look at Natsu before vanishing into the stone, racing away as fast as he could.

If they stayed, they might not survive.

"Natsu, should we chase them?" Enel's body crackled with lightning. His usual vacant expression now sparked with excitement. Who would've thought the Blue Sea held so many fascinating opponents? Besides his dream of reaching the endless Vearth, Enel now had another ambition: challenging every powerful fighter and reigning supreme as a god in the Blue Sea.

"Let it go. They're just cowards. We'll meet them again someday. The sea may be vast, but sometimes it's quite small," Natsu shook his head, signaling to stand down. Sailing forward was their top priority.

"Hmph. Lucky them!"

…

Elsewhere on the island, Pica pulled a Den Den Mushi from his pocket. Back in Dressrosa, Doflamingo answered the call. Pica reported every detail of the incident without leaving a single fact out.

"Hmhmhm! Interesting… hahahaha! Monkey D. Natsu, quite a fearsome name, isn't it? What does the hidden clan of 'D' plan to do?" Doflamingo sipped from a wine glass, chuckling with a strange intensity. He stood by his window, the wind ruffling his flamingo coat as he gazed toward the distant island where Natsu was.

"Even if he's of the 'D' clan, my family is not for him to harm," Doflamingo said with a smirk. "Smile Pirates, let's see what happens in the New World."

Regardless of how ruthless he was with others, Doflamingo cared deeply for those he deemed family. He wouldn't allow anyone to disrespect them.

…

Back in the auction house, a quarter of the walls were gone, leaving Karina staring in shock at the now-ruined venue. Her lips parted in awe as her gaze remained fixed on Natsu. Lost in thought, she seemed to be plotting something.

"Help… me…"

A weak voice rose from beneath the rubble. They looked down to see the Fishman who had been auctioned off, now trapped beneath a massive stone, unable to move.

"Boom!"

Natsu walked over and, with a mighty shove, pushed the boulder aside. The rock rolled to the side, hitting the wall with a heavy thud.

"No, don't! That's a special explosive—"

"Click!"

In a surprisingly calm move, Natsu removed the slave collar around the Fishman's neck. As the collar fell to the ground with a soft thud, the Fishman was finally free.

"It's done."

"Thank you for saving me! My name is Noriyuki. I'm a Flyfish Fishman and a traveler. I was out exploring when I was ambushed by slavers…" Noriyuki began recounting his adventures, full of tales about the wonders of the sea. Soon enough, he had captured Kumo's attention, who loved a good adventure story.

Kumo kept glancing at Natsu, clearly eager. It seemed that Kumo wanted Noriyuki to join the crew. After all, who wouldn't want a living storybook on board?

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