No one aboard that ship had imagined things would end like this.
In less than ten minutes, they had gone through the thrill of hunting their prey, the relief of surviving catastrophe, the mockery of a small girl—
And finally, sheer terror.
None of them could believe that a girl barely seven or eight years old could move that fast…
Strike that hard…
And kill without a shred of hesitation.
One man, moments before his throat was slit, caught sight of the excitement burning in the girl's eyes.
In that instant, a phrase flashed through his mind—
Like chopping vegetables. Like flowing clouds and running water.
Effortless.
Natural.
Inevitable.
As the blue blade-light gathered unstoppable momentum—like wind and thunder fused into one—those who still clung to arrogance finally turned pale. They raised their rifles and began firing wildly at the little girl.
Others quietly retreated toward the back, trying to escape this nightmare of a battlefield.
The blue blade-light flashed at blinding speed.
Tuanzi's figure became ghostlike—flickering in and out of existence. Each fleeting pause meant a head hitting the deck.
The swordplay was agile, eerie, ferocious—
Overflowing with killing intent.
Wrapped in faint streams of water, the blue blade flashed again. A crewman's thumb suddenly burst into blood, half of it dropping onto the deck.
He opened his mouth to scream—
And a streak of blue light plunged straight in.
The blade pierced through his mouth and burst out the back of his neck, blood and water churning together along the steel.
His eyes went wide.
Even in death, he never made a sound.
The Dragon-Slayer Blade, wreathed in blue currents, traced a perfect circular arc in the air and shot forward again like lightning.
The blade-light danced unpredictably—now ahead, now behind—its trajectory impossible to track. Rifles barked one after another, but not a single bullet found the little girl.
In the blink of an eye, two more bodies collapsed.
The ship that had survived Ace's flames became a river of blood.
Wails echoed without end—an authentic hell on earth.
At last, the remaining pirates broke.
Unable to endure the terror any longer, they leapt into the sea one after another like dumplings tossed into boiling water.
On the Going Merry, silence reigned.
The sea breeze brushed across the water, lifting faint sprays. The air was thick with the stench of blood.
Dead quiet.
They weren't far from that ship. They had seen everything—every strike, every kill—and even heard the screams.
At first, Nami had been worried sick, complaining that Logan was far too reckless, that no master trained a disciple like this.
But now, after a long silence, she murmured softly,
"Big Brother Logan… what has this child been through?"
"Yeah…" Sanji said grimly. "The murderous aura around her is terrifying. That killing intent is way too heavy."
Zoro stared at the distant girl, his voice low.
"Big Brother Logan… if this continues, Tuanzi could easily fall into a demon's path."
Logan remained calm.
His fingers tapped rhythmically against the railing as he looked toward the distant sky.
"She's been through the most painful hell this world has to offer," he said slowly.
"She needs a battle like this—to vent it all out. Otherwise, that would be truly dangerous."
He paused.
"As for whether she falls into a demon's path… that doesn't matter."
"Even if Tuanzi falls into Avīci Hell, I'll empty hell itself."
No one spoke.
Nearby, Vivi glanced at Logan. Her eyes shimmered, cheeks faintly flushed as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger, lowering her gaze, lost in thought.
By now, the screams from the ship had faded completely.
Tuanzi stood atop the Flying Nimbus, the Dragon-Slayer Blade sheathed at her waist, drifting calmly back toward them. Her face was expressionless, unreadable.
Ace frowned slightly.
He snapped his fingers.
A blazing flame sprang to life at his fingertips. With a flick of his hand, he sent it flying.
The flame grew violently with the wind, and by the time it reached the ship, it had become an overwhelming inferno—instantly swallowing the vessel whole.
When Tuanzi landed on the deck, she was drenched in blood. Crimson ran down her fingers, dripping steadily onto the planks.
Vivi rushed forward immediately, pulling her into a tight embrace.
Nami's eyes were red as well. She gripped Tuanzi's hand gently and said softly,
"Come on, Tuanzi. Big sister will take you to wash up."
"Let me do it, Nami," Vivi said tenderly. "You've only just recovered."
Nami nodded and didn't argue.
"Come on! Come on! Let's drink!" Luffy shouted, hauling out a huge crate of grape wine and slamming it onto the deck.
Sanji laughed. "You all start first. I'll prepare some simple dishes."
"Sanji, don't forget a spicy hot pot for me!" Logan called out with a laugh.
"You got it! I'll make something special for you this time, Big Brother Logan," Sanji replied cheerfully, heading into the galley.
Only then did Logan look down—
And spot a small, furry creature that looked like a reindeer, wearing a pink hat.
"So you're Doctor Chopper?" Logan's eyes lit up. "You're adorable!"
Chopper instantly beamed, twisting his body bashfully.
"E-Even if you say that, I won't be happy at all—eh? Wait! How do you know who I am?!"
Logan just laughed and said nothing more, beckoning Ace, Zoro, and Usopp over to join Luffy.
They sat cross-legged on the deck, clinking cups together.
"To freedom! Cheers!"
They tilted their heads back and drank it all down.
"Ace, don't leave! Stay and become my partner!" Luffy said between gulps.
Ace sat on a barrel, scratching his head helplessly.
"Sorry, Luffy. I can't be your partner. I'm chasing someone right now… I'll be leaving soon."
"Oh… okay!" Luffy looked disappointed for a second—then instantly brightened and raised his cup.
"Then let's drink to Ace catching his target successfully!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their cups again, laughing.
Ace looked baffled. "That works as a reason to drink?"
"Don't worry about it," Nami laughed. "They just want an excuse to drink."
Logan gently set his cup down and walked over to Ace, his expression solemn.
"Ace."
"Normally, whatever you choose to do, I'll support you as your big brother."
"But this one thing—this one time—I'm asking you to listen to me."
"Just once."
He met Ace's eyes.
"Don't go after Teach."
"Please."
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