One Piece: The Chisel in the Sea

Smoke from the burning crates drifted into the cove's deeper alleys, curling around rooftops like ghostly fingers.

Art knelt on the outer walkway, his tools and scrap metal spread out like a silent altar. Nico crouched close, wide eyes reflecting the dim glow.

Art's fingers moved quickly, fusing metal rods and thick wooden stocks into new tri-shot and five-shot fusion pistols. He laid each finished weapon in a line, checking balance, sight, and smoothness.

At the end of the line, he set aside two pistols with wider barrels, each fitted with reinforced grips and metal catch mechanisms.

"These are yours," Art said, glancing at Francis. "In close quarters, you'll need something faster than a knife."

Francis stepped forward, grin sharp. He twirled a knife between his fingers before taking the pistols, tucking them into a new cross-slung strap Art had crafted.

"Beautiful work," Francis murmured, checking the weight. "Like holding a loaded promise."

Art barely paused. He turned to Nico, who shifted from foot to foot, crossbow hanging at his side.

"You need something faster," Art said simply.

Nico hesitated. Then he swallowed, voice small but certain. "A slingshot. Back home, I… I used one for hunting birds. I can reload it faster than a crossbow. And… you can make it stronger."

Art nodded once. He pulled iron scraps and thick bands of rigging cord from a nearby crate.

Intent — compact, silent, lethal. A weapon small enough for a boy's hands, strong enough to crack bone.

Metal shrieked as it bent into a new frame, heavy bands sliding into place. Art tested the tension with a quick pull, then crafted small, sharp iron balls — dented and pitted, designed to tear.

He handed it over. Nico took it reverently, his fingers trembling.

"Use these," Art said, nudging the small pile of iron shot forward. "Aim for soft points. Don't hesitate."

Nico nodded, jaw set.

---

Meanwhile, deeper in the cove...

Pirates hurried through narrow alleys, slamming fists against doors and barking orders.

"The dock's gone! They took the ships!" "Check every street! Find the shooters!"

A grizzled gunner slammed a crate lid closed, sweat streaking his soot-marked face.

"Reform squads along the main walk! Send runners around to the rooftops — we'll catch them in a crossfire!"

Another man with a scarred brow spat over the edge of a balcony. "We flush them out, burn them alive if we must. No outsiders leave here breathing."

One group dragged crates of old muskets and pistols into a barricade, while others tied lantern ropes across alleys, preparing to set traps.

On the upper balconies, pairs of pirates stacked crates to create makeshift sniper nests. Their eyes scanned every flicker of movement, hands twitching near triggers.

In the largest house near the center of the cove, a captain slammed his fist on a rough map.

"Pinch them into the center plaza," he snarled. "Once they're trapped, we crush them. I want them dead before sunrise."

Pirates around him nodded, blades clattering as they rose.

---

Back on the dock, Art stood, checking over each new weapon one final time. The moonlight caught his silhouette — sharp and unwavering.

Francis loaded new shot into his belt pouches, knives glinting under the lantern glow. "Ready for round two?" he asked, amusement and hunger mixing in his voice.

Nico slipped a metal ball into the slingshot, testing the pull. His shoulders trembled once, then stilled.

Art glanced at them, then toward the darkened alleys waiting ahead.

"The cove is tightening," he murmured. "They think they can cage us in."

Francis barked a short laugh, flicking sand from his fingers. "Let them try. We'll turn this place into a graveyard before we're done."

Nico lifted the slingshot, breathing out slowly, his eyes firm.

Art's fingers tightened around the silent rifle's grip. "Stay close. We cut through before they close the net."

They stepped forward, shadows sliding with them, as the first pirate squads began to creep out into the walkways — knives, pistols, and torches in trembling hands.

Tonight, the cove would learn what it meant to be hunted by ghosts.