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

After saying goodbye to Rayleigh, Natsu strolled happily, whistling and singing as he headed toward the next island. His destination was the lawless 16th District, the dark side of the island rife with fights, robberies, and human traffickers.

Just as Natsu set foot in the 16th District, a thunderous boom echoed through the air. Looking ahead, he saw a thick cloud of dust and two pirate crews fiercely clashing, surrounded by onlookers with intense, greedy stares. The reason for this brawl? A box in one captain's hand.

A Devil Fruit.

Two pirate crews were fighting to claim the prized fruit, battling fiercely with blood staining the ground. The smell was sharp and metallic, with severed limbs scattered around.

"Bang!"

"Fight all you want, but nobody's walking away today!"

The two pirate captains clashed weapons, sparks flying. One of them sneered, glancing around. After several seconds of silent tension, they both took a step back and ceased fighting. After all, even if one of them emerged victorious, they wouldn't get far with so many hungry eyes watching.

"Heh, they actually stopped? Smart choice. Too bad, I was hoping to pick it up in the chaos," Natsu muttered, shrugging as he turned to leave. Entering the New World was his priority; there was no point drawing too much attention.

"Hey! Leaving already? You think our boss will let you walk out of here?"

A cocky, blonde pirate stepped forward from the crowd.

"The Wild Wolf Pirates! Led by Whitefang, a notorious pirate with a bounty of 100 million berries!"

The captain holding the Devil Fruit's box clenched it tightly, gripping his sword with his right hand. This bounty was beyond his reach.

"W-Why should we hand it over to you?!"

"Why? Because we're stronger than you! Haven't you heard of survival of the fittest?" The Wild Wolf captain sneered, flexing his claws, which gleamed in the sunlight.

"Attack!" The captains exchanged glances, drawing their weapons and charging at the Wild Wolf Pirates. Their only hope was to fight together, splitting the fruit later if they survived. They had chased each other across the Grand Line to this very island for it.

"Fools," Whitefang scoffed, standing unfazed as he began to transform.

Whitefang's already muscular frame expanded, his body swelling as snowy white fur sprouted, forming a towering three-meter-tall white wolf. In a flash, he lunged, jaws open, aiming for the pirate clutching the Devil Fruit.

"Aagh!"

Whitefang's fangs tore through flesh, causing the captain to scream in agony as he dropped the box. The fruit tumbled out, rolling right to Natsu's feet.

"Huh, what's this? Looks like fate's on my side," Natsu mused as he picked up the Devil Fruit, brushing off the dust.

"Ding! Superhuman Blood Vine Devil Fruit detected. Store in inventory?"

"Not yet." It would be too conspicuous now. Besides, it was his by fate.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a huge figure crashed into the ground before Natsu, creating a deep crater—a bloodied pirate, the original owner of the Devil Fruit.

"Grrr!"

A claw slashed at Natsu with a metallic hum, aiming to kill him in one strike.

"Not bad, but too slow!"

"Tai Chi: Crushing Fist!"

Natsu shifted his stance, his right fist wrapped in Armament Haki as he threw a powerful punch. A shockwave rippled through the air as his fist collided with Whitefang's abdomen, blasting straight through him. Whitefang's eyes widened, and he collapsed, unconscious.

One punch. It only took one punch to take down a pirate with a 100-million-berry bounty.

The Wild Wolf crew stared, stepping back instinctively. Their leader, whom they saw as a monster, had been defeated in seconds. None of them dared to challenge Natsu.

Seeing no one else willing to fight, Natsu turned and walked away, the Devil Fruit in his possession.

Today was indeed a lucky day; he hadn't expected to stumble upon a Devil Fruit. Once he was further away, he stored the fruit in his system.

Natsu looked up at the sky and quickened his pace, planning to regroup with his crew and make some plans. Coating the ship would take at least three days, so the Smile Pirates would need to stay on the island in the meantime.

"Three days on the island? Really, Captain?" Kumo leapt in excitement, grabbing Ilin's hand as both he and the panda-boy danced around.

"Yes, of course."

"Yay, Captain, you're the best! (ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́)✧"

In District 1's Auction House, a scruffy-looking man entered, carrying a wriggling burlap sack.

"Hey, isn't that Peterman? What have you brought us this time? Today's big item is a Giant!" the auction clerk remarked. It seemed the two were familiar, regulars in each other's business.

"Heh, wait until you see what I got!"

Unzipping the sack, he revealed a pale-skinned youth. Not a human—upon closer look, there were gills on the boy's neck.

A young fish-man.

"Peterman, where did you find him?" The clerk's voice trembled with excitement. Fish-men had ten times the strength of humans and were highly prized as slaves among the nobles of Mariejois. He would fetch a handsome price.

"That's a secret."

"Alright, a fish-man! This auction is going to be incredible, Peterman—you're in for a windfall!"

As soon as Peterman left, the clerk dashed upstairs to the office.

"Mr. Disco, this auction is going to be sensational!"

"Of course! Giants are rare enough to draw a crowd, and we'll have some Celestial Dragons attending," Disco replied with a grin.

"No, sir, a young fish-man too!"

"A fish-man? Hahaha! Excellent! This auction is going to be huge! Take me to see him at once!"

(If you want to read the full story, follow me on Patreon.com/ Pirate_Kingman!)