Gojo, standing on the deck of his ship, also spotted the grand fleet of the Krieg Pirates spreading across the horizon like a dark wall of sails. But he was in an unusually good mood—this was his first voyage into the open sea, and he had no intention of letting anything spoil it. So, with a calm motion, he adjusted the rudder, turning his ship just enough to alter its course. If he maintained this direction, he would slip right past the fleet without ever interacting with them.
His ship continued forward at a steady, confident pace. From the dock, James watched through his monocular, tracking the subtle shift in trajectory. "He's changed his direction," James reported. "He's avoiding the Krieg Pirates' fleet."
Martha and Gojo's other acquaintances let out breaths they didn't realize they were holding. A ripple of relief passed through them.
Meanwhile, out on the water, Gojo's ship glided along the outer edge of the fleet's formation. But just as it began to pass by, a pirate aboard the nearest Krieg vessel happened to glance toward the unfamiliar, newly built ship. His eyes widened—not just at the pristine condition of the vessel but at the sight of Gojo standing calmly at its bow. The potential value of such a ship alone made his pulse quicken.
Excited, the pirate rushed to alert his ship's captain. The captain stepped out, narrowed his eyes toward the lone vessel, and focused on Gojo.
The ship captain narrowed his eyes at Gojo, a greedy grin spreading across his face. "Such a handsome young man… Why don't we capture him? If we take him alive, we can make a fortune. Captain Krieg will definitely be pleased—he might even reward us personally. Sink his ship and bring him in, but do not damage him. His face alone will determine his price."
The pirate who had reported Gojo nodded eagerly and hurried off. Within moments, the captain was shouting commands, and the crew scrambled to aim their cannons toward Gojo's sleek, newly built ship.
On the other side, standing calmly on his deck, Gojo felt the shift in the air—the scraping of metal, the creak of rotating cannon mounts, the faint tension of killing intent washing toward him. With his extraordinary senses, he didn't miss a single movement. He let out a long, tired sigh.
"Why do you force me? Why do you have to ruin my mood…?" he muttered.
A heartbeat later, a series of boom—boom—boom thundered across the sea as multiple cannonballs roared toward his vessel. The pirates leaned forward eagerly, expecting to watch the ship splinter apart on impact.
But before the first explosion could bloom across the water, something happened—something they couldn't process.
For the briefest second, Gojo vanished from where he stood… and then reappeared as if nothing had changed. The pirates blinked, stunned, their expressions warping with confusion.
"Did our eyes trick us?" one whispered.
"Or… was that some kind of ability?" another muttered, dread creeping into his voice.
But soon the pirates understood exactly what had happened. The cannonballs—every single one of them—were sliced cleanly in half. Pieces of iron rained into the sea with heavy boom, boom splashes as the water below churned violently, waves rolling in chaotic spirals around the ship.
The captain's eyes went wide. His mind finally caught up with the impossible sight. In that fleeting instant when Gojo had vanished, he had moved—swift as a flash—and cut down every cannonball midair with his sword.
Cold sweat poured down the captain's back. Maybe I've provoked someone I should never have provoked…
While the clash erupted out on the water, the dock at Shellpoint Town had grown crowded. Many townspeople had gathered there after hearing rumours of the kingdom's army assembling at the port. Curious and anxious, they watched the sea from afar. Soon, they could see the distant flashes and hear the thunder of cannonfire echoing across the waves.
Gojo's friends held their breath, eyes fixed on the distant battle.
Back on the sea, after reducing all incoming cannon fire to scrap, Gojo exhaled slowly. "Now that you've provoked me," he said, voice low and cold, "there's no reason for me not to retaliate in kind."
With that, he kicked off the deck and leapt forward. Instead of falling, he simply stood in midair—as naturally as standing on the ground. A faint distortion shimmered beneath his feet.
It was his Limitless ability at work.
After stabilizing himself in mid-air, Gojo reached over his shoulder and unsheathed the sword on his back. He raised it high above his head, the blade catching a glint of sunlight, and then delivered a perfect, clean vertical slash. A flying sword slash erupted from the arc of his swing, slicing through the air with a piercing whistle.
In an instant, the flying slash collided with the Krieg ship that had fired upon him. The vessel split straight down the middle, torn apart as if made of paper. Panic exploded among the pirates as the two halves of the ship lurched apart, water rushing in violently. Men screamed, scrambling in terror. Some leapt overboard in desperation; others sank with the collapsing deck.
Gojo didn't spare the wreck even a glance. The moment the ship was destroyed, he shifted his footing in the air and blitzed toward another vessel in his line of sight. Below, the entire Krieg fleet erupted into chaos—alarms ringing out, men shouting orders—because they had just watched one of their ships get annihilated without understanding how.
Before they could process it, Gojo appeared on the deck of the next ship. His speed was so overwhelming that to the pirates, it looked as though he materialized from thin air. A nearby pirate, startled and tightening his grip on his sword, blurted out, "W-Who are you!?"
Gojo looked at him calmly. "After today, you'll either be alive or dead. Your fate will be completely unknown." His voice carried across the deck, cold and steady. "So what use is my name to you? Instead, tell me—does anyone on this ship have a bounty on their head?"
After hearing Gojo's words—and the strange question he asked—not only the pirate in front of him but all the others who had begun surrounding him grew confused. Their eyes darted between each other, unsure of what this intruder was even talking about. The ship's captain, standing on the upper deck, quickly lost patience.
"No need to talk to him," the captain barked. "Just kill him!"
From his tone alone, Gojo could tell the man had already guessed the truth—that Gojo was responsible for the destruction of the ship beside them. And knowing that, the captain wasn't foolish enough to take any risks.
Gojo exhaled slowly. The captain's reaction was enough of an answer. So… no bounty among them. If someone here had one, it would've been the captain—and pirates love boasting about their bounty. His conclusion was immediate.
At the captain's order, the surrounding pirates lunged toward him with swords, axes, and iron rods. Gojo responded in the same breath, pulling his blade free once more. Each time his sword swung, it flashed with precision—clean arcs, perfect angles, and swift movements that cut through the chaos like a dance.
Any pirate who rushed at him was dealt with in an instant. One strike per person—clean, efficient, controlled. The injuries he delivered were deep enough to incapacitate but not instantly fatal. And that was intentional.
Gojo understood something about this world's strange biology. In One Piece, he thought, someone like Robin can snap a spine and the victim still survives… something that would be a guaranteed death back on Earth. So the wounds he inflicted here—though brutal by normal standards—were unlikely to kill.
And even if a few of these pirates did die… Gojo didn't care. These were criminals terrorizing seas and towns. He held no belief that sparing them would miraculously turn them into better people. His only concern was finishing the fight cleanly—and keeping his mood from being further ruined.
----
Want to get daily updates and read chapters on a daily basis? Then join my Patreon!
Patreon Link: https://[email protected]/Hkj822
Join Discord Link: https://discord.gg/Ab9HdNbK