One piece: Without a system, I have to survive!

The jungle was no longer silent.

The ground trembled beneath the weight of approaching enemies.

Through the dense foliage, I could hear voices—rough, cruel laughter mixed with the sharp clatter of weapons.

A pirate crew was coming.

And they were coming for me.

Fight or Flight?

I turned to my teacher. "We should escape."

He raised an eyebrow. "Escape? Why?"

I clenched my fists. "There are too many of them! I barely survived one!"

He smirked. "So? That's why this is perfect."

I frowned. "Perfect?"

He stretched his arms. "Real warriors aren't made in training. They're made in battle."

I inhaled sharply.

This wasn't training anymore.

This was life or death.

And my teacher expected me to fight.

The Enemy Reveals Itself

The first pirate emerged from the trees—

A burly man with a scarred face and a massive axe slung over his shoulder.

Behind him, five more pirates appeared, all grinning like wolves spotting an easy meal.

"Oi, who the hell took down our guy?" the axe-wielder growled.

His gaze landed on me.

His lips curled into a smirk.

"You?!"

Laughter erupted among the crew.

"A brat like this took down Boro?" one of them sneered. "He must've been drunk!"

I forced my breathing to steady.

They thought I was weak.

That was an advantage.

The First Move

The axe-wielder cracked his knuckles. "Alright, kid. I'll make this quick."

He lifted his massive weapon—faster than I expected—and swung it down at me.

I dodged.

Just barely.

The axe slammed into the earth, splitting the ground open.

My heart pounded. One hit. Just one hit, and I'd be dead.

But I didn't freeze.

I moved.

I stepped in close, aiming a punch at his ribs.

But he reacted faster than I thought—

His knee slammed into my gut.

I gasped, my body launched backward.

A Test of Survival

Pain exploded through me as I hit the dirt.

I coughed, struggling to stand.

The pirates were laughing.

"That's it?" one of them scoffed. "Pathetic."

The axe-wielder sighed. "What a waste of time."

He lifted his axe again.

I needed to move.

I needed to fight back.

I forced myself to my feet, ignoring the pain.

I had fought for my life before.

I would do it again.

I wasn't going to die here.