Pirates: Seeing My Proficiency, I Became a Legend

"It's the Pirate Hunter—Dongze!"

"We're doomed!"

"That guy's never left anyone alive!"

"Boss! We told you not to take that woman in! Now Dongze is after us! We're dead!!"

Dongze, standing on his small sailboat, could hear the panicked cries of the pirates aboard their ship. His Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) picked up their every word, and he couldn't help but twitch his eyes.

They thought he had come for Nicole Robin. They were dead wrong.

Robin, the so-called Devil's Child, was raised under the silent watch of Kuzan (Aokiji)—one of the three Marine Admirals. If he got involved with her now, he would undoubtedly attract Aokiji's attention.

It wasn't hard to figure out why Robin had survived this long despite the 79 million bounty on her head. Wherever she went, the pirates who sheltered her met disastrous ends—either arrested or eliminated. The signs were too clear. Aokiji had been secretly watching over her all along.

And Dongze? He wasn't foolish enough to cross paths with an Admiral just yet.

In the hierarchy of the world's strongest, an Admiral stood near the pinnacle. A Great Swordsman (Dai Kengō) like Dracule Mihawk might rival them, but only at the highest level. Aokiji wasn't just an Admiral—he was a Logia Devil Fruit user, the wielder of the Hie Hie no Mi (Ice-Ice Fruit), and an absolute monster in combat.

Dongze gauged his own strength—stronger than most Vice Admirals, but still far from Admiral level. He wasn't Garp the Fist, whose raw power had once rivaled Gol D. Roger, nor Zeff the Black Arm, a martial arts master.

Sure, his Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) had reached the Ryuo stage, allowing him to harm even Logia users, but that wasn't enough to guarantee a win. Victory required more than brute force—it required strategy.

He glanced at his Swordsmanship Proficiency Panel:

• Haki Mastery:

• Armament Haki: 2000/1,000,000

• Observation Haki: 2000/1,000,000

• Conqueror's Haki: 100/1,000,000

• Sword Techniques:

• "Crossing All Directions" 6500/10,000

• "Hiryuu Kaen (Flying Dragon Blaze)" 1200/10,000

• "Shikkoku Itto-Ryu (One Sword to Black)" 100/10,000

• Sword Intent (Locked): 0/100

100 points to unlock Sword Intent… so close, yet so far.

Still, Dongze knew the risk was too great. He had no intention of babysitting the Devil's Child.

Behind Robin stood an Admiral.

Whoever made a move on her—died.

Even the infamous Jaguar D. Saul, a Vice Admiral who had tried to protect her, was frozen and shattered by Aokiji himself. Did these pirates really think they could keep Robin without consequences?

Dongze sighed. Not that I wouldn't want to take in a beautiful, intelligent woman… but I like living.

With a flick of his sword, eight black slashes ripped through the air—"Crossing All Directions!"

The pirate ship exploded into pieces, scattering debris across the sea.

Dongze turned away, refusing to even glance at Robin. He wasn't about to test fate.

But behind him, a voice called out—soft yet sharp.

"You're not going to kill me?"

Robin stood amidst the wreckage, her deep black eyes fixed on him. She had survived countless betrayals, countless close calls, yet this bounty hunter simply walked away?

Dongze didn't stop walking. His voice was calm, almost indifferent.

"Devil's Child. 79 million bounty. I can't win."

Robin twitched. What?

Was he joking? A pirate hunter who had single-handedly wiped out East Blue's most fearsome crews was saying he couldn't win?

Liar.

Robin's fingers clenched. For years, she had been hunted, betrayed, and abandoned. And now, this man—who had just obliterated an entire ship—was claiming he was no match for her?

The sheer absurdity of it made her want to slap him.

She had only just found another crew willing to take her in, and now, because of him, she was alone again.

Dongze returned to his small boat. He watched as Robin quietly rowed away, her figure growing smaller against the horizon.

He sighed.

"What a shame. Maybe one day, I'll be strong enough to handle that pair of A's—"

Before he could finish that thought, he suddenly felt a surge of danger.

"Flying Immortal!"

Another black slash tore through the sea, erasing the remains of the pirate ship behind him.

Days Passed…

With fewer and fewer pirates in East Blue, Dongze's reputation grew.

They called him the Pirate Nemesis, a hunter who only spared those who never harmed civilians. Word spread quickly. Those who merely sailed for adventure had nothing to fear. But those who killed, plundered, and burned? They disappeared without a trace.

But as the seas grew quieter, the chances of crossing paths with Robin again increased.

And then—on the seventh encounter—Robin snapped.

"You bastard! Why are you targeting me?!"

Dongze looked at her blankly.

"…I'm not."

Robin's fists clenched.

"Bullshit! Six times! SIX TIMES, you let me go while sinking every ship I was on!"

Dongze sighed.

"…I really can't win."

Robin's eye twitched.

"You're lying! I couldn't even block your sword! You—"

In frustration, she activated her Hana Hana no Mi (Flower-Flower Fruit).

A dozen arms sprouted behind Dongze, ready to snap his neck—

But before she could even react—

BOOM.

A wave of Conqueror's Haki surged through the air.

Robin's vision blurred.

Her body collapsed.

Dongze scratched his head.

"…Oops."

Looking at the unconscious woman lying on the deck, he sighed again. He couldn't just leave her like this.

Picking her up, he carried her to his small boat.

"Guess I'm stuck with you now."

Another pirate ship approached in the distance. Dongze drew his sword.

"Flying Immortal!"

The ship shattered into splinters.

Two hours later, Robin awoke in a small cabin.

The room was neat, the bookshelves filled with navigation charts, medical texts, and ship repair manuals. In the corner, she spotted several boxes filled with stacks of Beli, carelessly left out in the open.

Then her eyes landed on a framed photo.

Three children and a man stood together.

• A green-haired boy with a confident smirk.

• A black-haired boy, standing firm with quiet determination.

• A laughing girl, bright and cheerful.

• And behind them, a swordsman in a kendo uniform—an unmistakable presence.

Robin's heart skipped.

She turned sharply—only to find Dongze standing at the doorway.

His eyes were calm.

"You're awake. Now leave."