Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Junichi strolled leisurely across the deck, flicking his wrist and tossing senbon.
Each one found the perfect angle, piercing the temple with precision, penetrating brain tissue, instantly killing the sleeping pirates.
Clean.
Efficient.
Ninjas were simply too good at killing. Ninety-nine percent of their skills were created solely for the purpose of killing.
Before long, only two people remained alive on the deck.
He had deliberately spared them for interrogation later. He drew a kunai and pinned their limbs to the ground, then stuffed towels into their mouths.
"Mm! Mmghh!!" The two woke up from the searing pain, staring at him in terror, unable to move.
"Hang tight, it'll be quick." He gently reassured them as he covered their eyes with cloth. The two thought they were about to be executed and sobbed even harder.
Only when he walked away did they hesitantly quiet down.
---
Junichi headed toward the ship's cabin, expertly reaching into his ninja pouch and pulling out wire to set traps. He also attached explosive tags. If anyone tried to rush out, they'd be met with a barrage of kunai and an explosion.
Once everything was in place, he casually made his way to the captain's quarters above.
He cleared his throat and shouted loudly, "Captain! There's something strange in the sea ahead—come take a look!"
At the same time, he pounded hard on the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The door to the captain's quarters rattled from the force.
Done with his performance, he immediately slipped to the side, hand gripping his ninja blade.
---
Inside, a middle-aged man with long dark red hair and a scruffy beard rolled out of bed the moment he heard the shout.
Hearing Junichi's voice, a cold glint flashed in his murky eyes.
An intruder! He instantly judged that the voice outside did not belong to one of his crew.
The tone, the speech, the mannerisms—none matched the Red Hound Pirates.
Someone made it onto the ship... Were the night watch idiots? He seethed silently, his expression cold as he grabbed his pistol.
He approached the door, deliberately pretending to be fooled, responding loudly, "What's going on?"
He raised his gun while walking.
Before the person outside could answer, he suddenly yanked the door open and pointed the gun at the boy standing there, grinning viciously as he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The bullet flew out, striking the boy between the eyebrows.
The boy's face froze in surprise—as if he hadn't expected his trick to be exposed, let alone for the captain to shoot so decisively.
"Hmph!" Hound grunted smugly, about to flash a victorious smile.
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he caught a figure lunging from the side.
Thud!
A surge of pain erupted in his chest.
"Impossible…" He looked down in shock.
A boy, identical to the one he had just shot, was driving a blade diagonally between his ribs, piercing his heart with pinpoint accuracy.
Up ahead, the boy who had taken the bullet began to fade, as though he were an illusion.
Clone Technique! One of the three fundamental jutsu every ninja in the shinobi world must learn.
"Devil… Fruit user?" Hound muttered, though he didn't know for sure.
He stared at Junichi in a daze, confusion lingering in his eyes even in death.
He couldn't understand, how a no-name pirate crew like his had ended up provoking someone with a Devil Fruit ability?
"Rest in peace." Junichi withdrew his ninja blade, gently lowered the corpse, and thoughtfully closed his eyes for him.
He glanced briefly around the captain's room.
After casually picking up a few items and the captain's gun, he headed for the cabin entrance.
---
Bang!
Inside the ship, the sudden gunshot had awakened many of the pirates.
"A gunshot!"
"Get up, quick!"
"Prepare for battle!"
Still half-asleep, the pirates were all roused by their crewmates.
The moment they heard there was an intruder, their drunken haze vanished. They grabbed their weapons, eyes turning fierce.
At the same time, deeper inside the ship's prison, the black-haired girl's two younger sisters were also startled awake by the commotion, uneasily looking out through the cell bars.
Hancock quickly wiped away her tears and embraced her sisters.
The three girls listened intently to the pirates' conversation, and gradually, hopeful expressions appeared on their faces.
"Someone is attacking the ship!"
"Kuja?" the two younger sisters looked at Hancock in delight.
"No… not sure yet," Hancock said calmly and steadily at this point, "but either way, this is a good thing. Only in chaos will we have a chance to escape."
Hearing their sister say this, they also calmed down and began listening carefully to the noises outside the cell.
---
"Charge out!"
With an order from the first mate, several low-ranking pirates gritted their teeth and rushed toward the hatch.
But as soon as they pushed the door open, a wire, previously set by Junichi, snapped—and over a dozen ninja tools sprang forth.
Shuriken, kunai, senbon.
All launched at angles specifically aimed at their faces.
"AAHH!!" The three immediately dropped, screaming and clutching their faces.
The others behind them dragged the injured back, one had his throat slit, the other two had been blinded.
Three casualties, just like that.
The first mate frowned and said grimly, "Keep going!"
He didn't believe the traps outside were endless. Three more pirates ran out—but this time, they'd learned. They grabbed barrel lids to use as shields and held them in front of them.
Too bad, Junichi chuckled softly outside the hatch, the second trap uses explosive tags.
Snap!
The second tripwire broke, triggering the next trap. The explosive tags, previously placed, ignited instantly, releasing a powerful shockwave and a burst of flame.
BOOM!!
The second wave of pirates were blown apart like rag dolls, their bodies shredded by the blast. They didn't even have time to scream—dead on the spot.
The first mate's face instantly darkened. He hadn't expected the second trap to be even more lethal, instantly killing everyone.
"What do we do now?" a pirate asked nervously.
The first mate turned around. Every pirate averted their gaze, not daring to meet his eyes. In this kind of situation, it was a death sentence. No one wanted to be used as a human landmine detector.
He sighed inwardly. He understood he couldn't force them. Pirates had no loyalty. If he pushed too hard, they'd likely turn on him and throw him out first.
"Hold for now. Let's observe the situation," he finally said.
Hearing this, the surrounding pirates visibly relaxed. The hidden hostility in their eyes faded.
---
The cabin suddenly fell into silence.
No more noise.
No one came out.
"Oh?"
Junichi had been holding his gun, ready to shoot anyone who came out. He had only set two traps. But now, it seemed the people inside were scared.
Fine then, stay in there. He lowered his gun and reaching into his ninja pouch.
He pulled out three small orbs.
Gas bombs.
Gas bombs.
Gas bombs…
Whoosh!
With a flick of his arm, he hurled all three bombs into the cabin.
As soon as they entered, something inside knocked against them, causing them to detonate on impact.
Hissss—
A thick, toxic gas poured out and filled the interior.