One Piece : Bullet Tide

Dez took another sip of his drink, enjoying the rich burn of the whiskey as he mulled over how exactly to deal with the loud-mouthed rubber kid.

He wasn't interested in whatever nonsense Luffy was spewing—he was here for a meal and information, not to entertain some wannabe pirate captain.

But Luffy?

Luffy didn't care about that.

The Straw Hat captain strolled right up to Dez's table, grinning ear to ear. "Oi! You're really strong, huh?"

Dez let out a slow breath, barely sparing Luffy a glance. "Kid, I'm eating."

Luffy plopped down across from him anyway. "So? You can eat and talk at the same time, right?"

Dez's eye twitched. "What do you want?"

Luffy beamed. "Join my crew!"

Dez snorted. "Pass."

Luffy blinked, looking genuinely confused. "Why not?"

Dez finally set his glass down and leaned back in his chair. "Because I hunt pirates. I don't become one."

"But pirates are fun!" Luffy countered, grinning.

Dez raised an eyebrow. "Fun?"

"Yeah!" Luffy laughed. "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"

That got Dez's attention. He finally turned his full gaze toward Luffy, studying him carefully.

There was no hesitation in his voice. No doubt. Just pure, unshakable belief.

The kid meant it.

For a moment, Dez was quiet. Then he smirked, shaking his head. "You're a damn idiot, kid."

Luffy just grinned. "Maybe! But it's my dream!"

Dez exhaled, drumming his fingers against the table. "A dream, huh?"

Luffy nodded. "Yep!"

Dez tilted his hat up slightly, his sharp golden eyes gleaming with something fierce. "Alright then. I'll tell you mine."

Luffy's grin widened. "Oh! You have one too?!"

Dez grinned back, but his was sharper. "Damn right, I do."

He lifted his revolver and spun the chamber idly, the metallic clicks filling the air.

"I'm gonna be the greatest gunslinger in the world."

Luffy tilted his head. "Greatest?"

Dez nodded. "Not just in the East Blue. Not just in the Grand Line. I'm talking about the greatest who's ever lived. Greater than Benn Beckman, greater than Yasopp, greater than any legend who's ever picked up a firearm. When people think of a gunfighter, they'll think of one name—Dezmond "Dez" Corvin."

Luffy's eyes sparkled. "That sounds awesome!"

"Damn right it does," Dez said, smirking.

Luffy pointed at him. "Then you should join my crew!"

Dez laughed, shaking his head. "I just told you, I ain't a pirate."

"But if you're with me, you'll get to fight all kinds of strong people!"

Dez considered that for a moment, spinning his revolver again. "Tempting," he admitted. "But I'm not interested in sailing under anyone's flag."

Luffy grinned. "That's okay! I'll just make you change your mind later!"

Dez chuckled. "Good luck with that, Straw Hat."

Zoro, still at the other table, smirked. "Looks like you made an impression."

Nami sighed, rubbing her temples. "Why is it always the crazy ones?"

Usopp muttered under his breath, "We don't need another lunatic on board…"

Dez, still amused, tipped his hat slightly. "Tell you what, kid. You get strong enough actually to challenge the Grand Line? Then we'll talk."

Luffy grinned. "Deal!"

Dez just shook his head, finishing the last of his whiskey. "This is gonna be interesting."

Dez leaned back in his chair, still amused by Luffy's sheer persistence. The kid reminded him of a coyote that didn't know when to quit—tenacious, loud, and completely unbothered by rejection.

He was about to order another drink when the restaurant doors swung open with a loud creak.

A hush fell over the Baratie.

Dez instinctively glanced up, his sharp golden eyes narrowing.

A man staggered in—tall, lean but built like a brawler, ragged and exhausted. His clothes were tattered, his face was sunken with hunger, and the desperate look in his eyes set off warning bells in Dez's head.

But it wasn't just the man's appearance that caught his attention.

It was who he was.

Dez recognized him instantly.

"Well, well… look who washed up on my doorstep."

The man barely acknowledged him, dragging himself toward the counter. "Food…" he muttered weakly. "Please… anything…"

One of the chefs scoffed. "Got money?"

Silence.

The man's hands clenched into trembling fists.

The chef crossed his arms. "Then no food."

Dez's fingers tapped idly on the table. "You're a long way from home, Gin."

That got a reaction.

The man stiffened and slowly turned his head.

For the first time since entering, Gin really looked at Dez—his eyes flickering with recognition.

A slow exhale left his lips. "Corvin."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "You know him?"

Dez grinned lazily. "I make it my business to know pirates, and this one? He's Don Krieg's combat commander."

Nami's eyes widened. "What?"

Usopp gulped. "Wait, wait, that Gin? The one they call the Man-Demon?"

Dez nodded. "Twelve million berry bounty, Krieg's right-hand man, and one of the nastiest bastards to sail the East Blue."

Gin said nothing. He simply lowered his head, shoulders tense.

Dez's eyes sharpened. "If you're here… Krieg must be close."

The restaurant fell even quieter.

Luffy, still grinning, leaned forward eagerly. "Ooooh! That means a big fight's coming, right?"

Dez rolled his eyes. "You really don't have a survival instinct, huh?"

Nami, looking pale, hissed, "Dez, how dangerous is Krieg?"

Dez didn't answer immediately. He tapped his revolver on the table, considering his words carefully.

"Krieg's different from most East Blue pirates. He's not just some brute with a sword—he's a warlord in his own right. Ships, weapons, men—he doesn't fight fair, and he doesn't lose easy."

He flicked his gaze back to Gin. "And this guy? He's the attack dog. If he's starving, that means Krieg's crew is in bad shape."

Gin's fists clenched tighter.

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Luffy, however, still looked more excited than concerned. "Sounds fun!"

Nami groaned. "You're impossible."

Dez sighed, pushing back his chair. "Guess we're about to have some uninvited guests."

He turned his gaze back to Gin, eyes cold. "So… you wanna tell me what happened to Krieg's fleet?"

Gin said nothing.

But the haunted look in his eyes?

That told Dez everything.

Something bad had happened.

And whatever it was… it was coming straight for them.

Gin's stomach let out a loud growl, but he clenched his jaw, trying to ignore it.

His fingers twitched at his side as his gaze flickered across the restaurant, landing on a plate of half-eaten food at a nearby table.

Desperation won out.

He staggered forward, reaching for the leftovers—only for a hand to slam down on his wrist.

"You got no shame, pirate?"

Gin froze.

The man who'd stopped him was a burly, red-faced customer with a mean glare. He yanked his plate closer. "You think you can just take my food? Filthy bastard."

Gin swallowed his pride. "Please… I'll take anything."

The man sneered. "Yeah? How about I shove my boot up your—"

THWACK!

A massive, muscular hand grabbed Gin by the back of his head and slammed him face-first into the floor.

Patty, the Baratie's loudmouthed chef, loomed over him. "You hear that, everyone? This guy wants charity!"

The restaurant erupted into laughter.

Gin's breath came out ragged. His hands shook from exhaustion, but his pride… his pride burned.

Patty, unimpressed, dragged him toward the doors. "We don't feed filthy pirates here. If you got no money, you get out."

With one mighty shove, Gin went tumbling onto the docks outside.

CRASH!

Dez sighed, tossing a few Berries onto the table before standing up.

"Guess I should stretch my legs."

Gin groaned as he pushed himself up from the wooden planks.

He didn't need to look up to feel Dez's presence behind him.

"That was embarrassing," Dez muttered, stepping forward. His spurred boots clinked against the dock.

Gin didn't reply. He simply sat there, fists clenched, jaw tight.

Dez crouched down, resting his elbow on his knee. "You always had that scary reputation, Man-Demon. But right now? You look more like a kicked dog."

Gin finally looked up, eyes cold and sharp. "Say what you want, bounty hunter. I don't beg."

Dez smirked. "No, you just tried to steal scraps."

Gin's fists tightened.

Silence stretched between them, the ocean waves lapping gently against the docks.

Then Dez's smirk faded.

"Alright, enough pride talk. You wouldn't be in this shape unless something real bad happened. What the hell happened to Krieg's fleet?"

Gin's jaw locked. He looked out toward the open sea, gaze distant.

Then, finally…

"We sailed into the Grand Line."

Dez raised an eyebrow.

Gin's voice was low, hollow. "We thought we were ready. Fifty ships, five thousand men. No one could stand against us in the East Blue. We had weapons, strategies… everything. And then…"

A shudder ran through him.

Dez's eyes narrowed. "Then what?"

Gin exhaled shakily. His fingers trembled.

"We were annihilated."

Dez's easy-going demeanor vanished. "The hell do you mean?"

Gin swallowed as if the memory itself was too much to relive.

"There was a man… a monster. We never even saw his full strength. Krieg threw everything at him—cannons, bullets, poison gas. Nothing worked. And when it was over… only one ship remained. Just one."

Dez's stomach tensed.

He'd seen strong fighters before, but this? This was something else.

"Who was it?" he asked, his voice unusually serious.

Gin's eyes flickered toward him.

And then, in a hushed whisper, he spoke a name.

"Dracule Mihawk."

Silence.

The name alone sent a cold chill through Dez's spine.

The Greatest Swordsman in the World.

A legend. A demon. A man said to cut entire fleets apart with a single swing.

Dez took a slow breath, absorbing the weight of it.

"…So Krieg's and whoever is left are the only survivors, huh?"

Gin nodded. "And he's on his way here."

Dez sighed, rubbing his jaw. "Well… guess this trip just got more interesting."

He stood up, stretching. "I ain't got a stake in this fight, but if Krieg's coming, I wouldn't mind seeing if he's got anything left in him."

Gin looked up at him, something unreadable in his gaze.

"You really think you can take Krieg?"

Dez grinned, rolling his shoulders. "Oh, I ain't worried about Krieg. I'm just hoping I get a warm-up before I take on the real legends."

Gin stared at him for a moment.

Then, finally… he smirked.

"Bold words, bounty hunter."

Dez chuckled, turning back toward the restaurant. "I back 'em up."

Gin sat on the dock, his body tense, his pride in shambles.

Dez leaned against a wooden post nearby, hands in his coat pockets, but his fingers rested lightly on Dusk's grip. If Gin so much as twitched wrong, he'd put a bullet through his skull.

Then, the restaurant doors swung open.

"Oi, get up."

Gin blinked and looked up.

A tall, blond man in a black suit stood before him. A cigarette dangled from his lips and in his hand…

A plate of food.

Dez's eyes narrowed.

Gin's hands clenched into fists. "What's this…?"

Sanji clicked his tongue. "What does it look like? Food."

Gin stared. His body wavered. "I told you… I don't beg."

Sanji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I don't care about your pride, pal. A man's gotta eat." He crouched down, setting the plate beside Gin. "No customer leaves my restaurant hungry."

Gin's breath caught in his throat. A customer. Even after everything, this man was treating him like a regular patron.

Dez scoffed, arms still crossed. "You're makin' a mistake, cook."

Sanji glanced at him. "You think so?"

Dez didn't move. "He's a pirate. He's Krieg's right hand. The guy's got a bounty for a reason. If you give him food, you might as well be feeding a wolf."

Sanji exhaled smoke and shrugged. "Maybe. But a man starving in front of me? I don't give a damn if he's a pirate, marine, or the damn Fleet Admiral. If he's hungry, he eats."

Dez studied Sanji's face. He wasn't naive. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Luffy, sitting on the deck nearby, grinned ear to ear. His eyes sparkled.

"Oi, oi, oi!" Luffy suddenly shot up. "That's so cool! You should totally join my crew!"

Sanji froze.

Gin, about to take a bite, also paused.

Dez snorted. "Didn't even wait five minutes, huh, Straw Hat?"

Luffy bounced on his heels. "You'd be a great cook for my ship! We need someone who makes food that good!"

Sanji exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "Yeah, I'll pass."

Luffy pouted. "Why not?"

Sanji stood up, hands in his pockets. "Because I already have a job."

Luffy crossed his arms. "So? My ship needs a cook more than this place does."

Sanji turned away. "Not interested."

Dez chuckled, watching the interaction. Luffy was persistent, he'd give him that.

As the sun dipped lower, Gin finally stood. His energy had somewhat returned, and his hunger wasn't gnawing at him anymore.

Sanji walked him to the docks, where a small boat was waiting.

"This'll get you back to your crew," Sanji said, tapping the boat with his foot. "I packed enough food for them, too."

Gin's throat tightened. He wasn't used to kindness. He wasn't sure he deserved it.

He hesitated before slowly bowing his head. "I owe you."

Sanji waved him off. "Just don't come back trying to kill us."

Gin stepped into the boat. Before pushing off, he looked over his shoulder at Dez, who still stood near the dock.

The bounty hunter's hand hadn't left Dusk.

"You've been itching to shoot me this whole time," Gin muttered.

Dez's eyes remained sharp. "If you'd made a move, I would've."

Gin smirked. "Maybe next time, bounty hunter."

He pushed off, the small boat drifting into the horizon.

Dez exhaled, finally letting go of his gun.

Sanji, lighting another cigarette, shook his head. "You really that trigger-happy?"

Dez grinned. "Nah. I just don't like leavin' loose ends."

Sanji exhaled smoke. "Neither do I."

And with that, they both turned back toward the Baratie—the storm on the horizon brewing ever closer.

TO BE CONTINUED…