MTLNOVEL Chapter 3: CHAPTER 3
c3: The Bloody Sea
The world of pirates has never lacked ruthless individuals who prey on civilians.
This is one of the reasons why Luo Ye left such a deep impression on Ace, Sabo, and Luffy.
Now, in private, Ace's most commonly spoken phrase was:
"Since this era of chaos was started by that man, it's up to me to end it."
When Garp first heard these words, he was both surprised and relieved.
Raising Ace was already enough trouble if he had really chosen to become a pirate, Garp's heart would have suffered even more.
Fortunately, everything changed after Luo Ye arrived in this world.
Ace never joined the Whitebeard Pirates.
Sabo never suffered amnesia or joined the Revolutionary Army under Monkey D. Dragon.
Even Luffy, who once loudly proclaimed his dream of becoming the Pirate King, had chosen a different path.
For Luo Ye, seeing these changes was enough to bring a sense of fulfillment.
---
Hunting the Bloody Hand Pirates
"Admiral, the pirate ship ahead belongs to the Bloody Hand Pirates."
Hearing this, Luo Ye glanced up.
He shook his head slightly.
The weaker a pirate is, the more they resort to slaughtering civilians to increase their bounty.
Even in the New World, there were plenty of these types.
But over there, pirates who heard Luo Ye's name would flee on sight.
In the East Blue, where information traveled more slowly, they had no idea who he was.
---
The Bloody Hand Pirates' Foolish Confidence
"Captain! A Marine warship is pursuing us!"
On the open sea, a medium-sized sailing ship cut through the waves.
A blood-red skull emblazoned its flag, fluttering in the wind.
To those living on nearby islands, seeing this emblem meant only one thing run.
The Bloody Hand Pirates had just finished their massacre of an island and were celebrating, drinking in revelry.
When word of their actions spread, their captain, Mobida, was certain his bounty would increase.
A higher bounty meant greater status in the East Blue.
But just as they were basking in their delusions of grandeur, one of the crew shouted about the approaching Marines.
"Marines?" Mobida sneered and drew his saber.
His bounty was 8 million berries.
In his mind, it was more than enough to intimidate the weak Marines of the East Blue.
"Turn the ship around! We'll sink them and drive up our bounties faster than slaughtering civilians!"
The crew roared in agreement.
"Yeah, let's show these Marines what the Bloody Hand Pirates are made of!"
They turned their ship, charging straight toward the warship.
On the Marine vessel, Lieutenant Colonel Kerz nearly burst out laughing.
Not only did they have an Admiral aboard, but even without him, this warship was filled with elite Marines from Marineford.
And these idiots thought they stood a chance?
"Sink them," Luo Ye ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
Kerz stepped forward to direct the gunners.
Pirates like these didn't deserve an Admiral's time—just a few cannonballs.
---
A One-Sided Battle
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Bloody Hand Pirates' ship was pitifully under-equipped.
Even a half-decent pirate crew would have better gear.
Against a Marine warship outfitted with Marineford's firepower, they didn't stand a chance.
Three cannon blasts later, the pirate ship was sinking.
Dozens of pirates flailed helplessly in the water, their arrogance gone.
Now, they were terrified.
They had never imagined they would encounter this Marine Luo Ye, the new Admiral.
Had they known, they would have fled the moment they saw the warship's sails.
Luo Ye gazed down at the struggling pirates and asked,
"Who is the captain?"
Silence.
They had no idea why he was asking, but they knew it couldn't be good.
When no one answered, Luo Ye remained indifferent.
"If no one speaks, I'll just kill you all."
That snapped them out of it.
"Wait! I'll talk! He's the captain!"
One of them pointed frantically at a man beside him.
"Yes, it's him! He forced us into this! We had no choice!"
Mobida's face twisted in shock and rage.
His own crew had turned on him without hesitation.
Luo Ye watched, unimpressed.
"In East Blue, an 8 million berry bounty might seem like a big deal," he mused.
"But it's really nothing."
Mobida began pleading, but Luo Ye wasn't listening.
He simply took a saber from a nearby Marine and swung.
Even among Admirals, Luo Ye's swordsmanship was exceptional.
For a pirate of Mobida's caliber, resistance was impossible.
In an instant, his body was sliced in half, his blood staining the ocean red.
The other pirates nearly cried out, but when they saw Luo Ye's calm, unfeeling eyes, they swallowed their fear.
At least, they thought, their captain was dead.
Maybe they could still live.
Then, Luo Ye gave a casual wave of his hand.
"I'll leave the rest to you."
"Yes, sir!"
The Marines didn't hesitate.
They knew Luo Ye's stance on pirates, especially those who slaughtered civilians.
None of them deserved mercy.
Luo Ye had no interest in the execution.
Instead, he was focused on something else.
"Open the status panel," he thought.
Immediately, a screen appeared before him, invisible to anyone else.
---
Status Panel
[Host: Luo Ye]
[Abilities Acquired]:
Basic Swordsmanship (Lv. 18)
Swordsmanship: Sword Flash (Lv. 9)
Swordsmanship: Falling Snow (Lv. 8)
Taijutsu (Lv. 9)
Conqueror's Haki (Lv. 5)
Armament Haki (Lv. 7)
Observation Haki (Lv. 6)
[Special Ability]: Flutter- Flutter Fruit (Pika Pika no Mi) [Awakened]
[Activatable Ability]: None
---
Luo Ye glanced at the updates on his status panel.
Another pirate down.
But in the grand scheme of things, nothing had changed.
There were always more.
And soon, he would find them.