"Hey, you guys! Go grab those people on the cargo ship!"
Kurekku reacted quickly. He knew Oguro was a tough opponent, so he immediately resorted to taking hostages. Being a pirate, cowardice and deceit were in his blood.
The group of pirates roared and charged toward the cargo ship.
"Haha! ladies, behave nicely, and you won't get hurt!"
"That's not guaranteed! With a body this fine, maybe we'll have some fun later!"
"Hehe… three women at once? Looks like this'll be a long, enjoyable day!"
All their attention was on the three women, completely ignoring the boy Yamada Hanataro. At less than 1.7 meters and scrawny, he was almost invisible in this world of towering pirates, practically a symbol of weakness.
Nami's face drained of color, terrified by the grotesque pirates and their lewd words.
Rukia Kuchiki scowled, reaching for her Zanpakutō, Sode no Shirayuki, but Rangiku Matsumoto stopped her.
Rangiku adjusted her flowing hair and said lightly, "Lieutenant Kuchiki, I'll take this one. Being summoned by the Soul King is rare, so I might as well contribute!"
Rukia nodded and released her grip on her sword.
"Oh? Giving up? How wise,"
Several pirates had already jumped onto the cargo ship. They leered at Rangiku's figure and chuckled, "Don't worry! We'll take good care of you!"
Rangiku's lips curved into a cold smile as she drew her Zanpakutō. Her cherry-colored lips parted slightly.
"Whisper, Haineko!"
As she uttered the Shikai release command, the slender blade transformed instantly into a wisp of gray smoke. Fine dust enveloped the cargo ship.
The pirates didn't understand Zanpakutō, but years of fighting for their lives gave them a bad feeling. They hesitated, ready to rush.
Rangiku chuckled coldly, "Being underestimated like this… I'll have to show some real skill. Otherwise, the Soul King might get upset."
With a flick of the remaining hilt, the dust around them turned into countless invisible blades, swirling violently.
Thud!
Every pirate caught in the dust felt as if a thousand knives had cut into them. Deep wounds appeared on their bodies in an instant, bones visible through some.
Haineko!
Once released, her Zanpakutō's blade became countless shards of dust. Anywhere the dust touched, a swing of the hilt could cut through.
Not just those on the cargo ship—pirates leaping onto the deck were cut down as well, all falling into the sea. The water turned red immediately.
If Rangiku wanted, she could have dismembered every last one, but she refrained to avoid making the scene excessively gory.
"That woman… is she a Devil fruit user?" Kurekku's eye twitched, realizing he'd hit a brick wall.
Seeing Rangiku act, Oguro, now awakened to Armament Haki, didn't want to waste time. He commanded, "Rangiku, Rukia, take them out!"
"Yes!"
Rukia drew Sode no Shirayuki and began chanting.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"
"First Dance: Tsukishiro!"
The tip of her sword traced a circle, and a flash of white light swept across the sea. Within moments, the surrounding waters were completely frozen.
The fifty ships of Kurekku's pirate fleet came to an immediate halt.
"Nekko!"
After freezing the ships, Rukia's follow-up allowed Rangiku to unleash her Nekko. The gray dust coalesced into a massive whirlwind, cutting through everything in its path—people and ships alike. In the blink of an eye, more than ten ships were completely destroyed.
"Damn… another power user?" Kurekku roared internally. With the ocean frozen, he had nowhere to retreat.
"Dammit! Stop your men right now!"
Watching his fleet being destroyed bit by bit, Kurekku raised his shield, fury in his eyes.
"M·H·5 Gas Bomb!"
A shell fired from the shield toward Oguro. Chaos erupted among the pirates.
"No! Get the gas masks ready!"
They scrambled toward the cabins. Unlike the previous fake projectile, this was a real poison gas bomb—just a single breath could kill.
Boom!
The bomb exploded, purple gas spreading instantly. Pirates unable to escape inhaled just a trace, foamed at the mouth, and collapsed from poisoning.
Kurekku felt no remorse. Subordinates were replaceable; the ships were the true prize. After all, he'd worked so hard to assemble fifty ships.
He shouted to Oguro through the gas, "Kid, tell your people to stop! I can give you the antidote, or we all die together!"
No response came.
"Already poisoned?" Kurekku wondered, donning his gas mask to go in himself. This was his bargaining chip, he couldn't afford to lose it.
Then, a clear voice rang out from the other side of the gas.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"
"Second Dance: Haku-Ren!"
A surge of snow-white cold swept across, instantly freezing the gas into shards, shattering them on the deck. The icy blast continued relentlessly toward Kurekku.
He tried to dodge, but half his body was grazed, instantly encased in solid ice, completely numb.
Crack! Crack!
Oguro walked over a ground of ice fragments. His Zanpakutō, Gen, had transformed, snow-white and crystalline, glittering brilliantly under the sun. Its form mirrored Sode no Shirayuki's Shikai, but retained its original design.
"Still a long way from Rukia…" Oguro muttered. It was his first time using Gen to channel Sode no Shirayuki's power. While he could replicate the moves, the potency was far weaker. Rukia could freeze an entire sea area with First Dance: Tsukishiro. Oguro's Second Dance: Haku-Ren could at most freeze a single ship.
"But enough for punks like you!"
He sneered and advanced toward Kurekku. The remaining pirates had already cowered in fear, retreating frantically.
"You… monster! Die!"
Cornered, Kurekku drew his strongest weapon, a massive two-thousand-pound spear packed with explosives, and hurled it at Oguro. Its impact amplified the explosion. This weapon was why he controlled the pirate fleet.
Oguro only sneered.
"Pathetic trick."
Whoosh!
He vanished, leaving the spear to crash into the deck, detonating violently.
In the next instant, the cold edge of his blade pressed against Kurekku's neck.
"Nice armor… but let's see if your neck's as hard."
***
we're close to 50 stones guys
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