"Who are you?"
Jango's voice rang out across the sea, sharp and demanding. His eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar figure standing confidently on the small boat with Ussop and Kaya.
The moment Zino had appeared and unleashed that devastating flying slash, Jango had ordered his men to halt the cannon fire. This newcomer wasn't just some meddling passerby—he was clearly dangerous.
Now, as Zino stood tall with the wind rustling his coat, the glint of the sea behind him, and an aura of quiet strength surrounding him, all eyes were locked on him.
But Jango wasn't just wary of Zino himself—his gaze shifted past him to the eye-catching, jet-black ship now approaching swiftly from behind.
The Silent Orca.
With its sleek hull, dark sails, and ominous presence, it cut through the waves like a predator. The sight alone made a few of the pirate crew stiffen. It wasn't just any ship—it was the kind that spelled trouble.
Zino casually answered, his voice calm yet cutting through the air like a blade.
"I'm a pirate hunter."
For a heartbeat, silence blanketed the pirate ship.
Then—
"AHAHAHAHA!"
The entire deck erupted into laughter. Several pirates nearly fell over themselves, doubling with amusement.
"A pirate hunter? That brat?"
"Look at him! Is this some kind of joke?"
"Oi, kid, you forget your bedtime story and ended up out here?"
"You've still got milk on your breath!"
"Run home to your mama, boy!"
"Mama's boy—!"
BOOM!
The laughter was cut short by a thunderous explosion.
A cannonball slammed into the pirate ship, striking the base of the mast and sending splinters flying into the air. The impact rocked the vessel, and the once-laughing pirates stumbled, wide-eyed in shock.
"Wh-What the hell!?"
Smoke and debris billowed into the air, and the mast creaked ominously.
In the distance, standing proudly on the deck of the Silent Orca, was Alvida—her iron mace resting at her side, a cannon still smoking beside her.
"Less talking. More fighting,"* she said coolly, her voice carrying clearly across the water. "Save the jokes for the afterlife."
The pirates immediately snapped out of their daze, panic replacing their earlier mockery.
"Captain! They fired on us!"
"They hit the mast! We're taking damage!"
"Ah! She damaged our ship!"
"Damn it! Shoot back! Sink their ship!"
The pirates scrambled to retaliate, their laughter now a distant memory. Chaos erupted aboard their vessel as they manned the cannons and unleashed a barrage of cannonballs toward the Silent Orca.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The thunderous sounds of cannon fire filled the air, but the counterattack was short-lived.
From the deck of the Orca, Zoro moved like lightning. His swords flashed as he leapt into the air, slashing cannonballs mid-flight. Sparks erupted from his blades as he effortlessly intercepted them, sending halves of cannonballs splashing into the sea.
Meanwhile, a few cannonballs veered toward Ussop's small boat.
Ussop screamed in terror, shielding Kaya instinctively. But to his shock, the cannonballs never reached them.
Instead, each one vanished midair, as if absorbed by an invisible force.
Zino stood at the bow of the boat, one hand outstretched calmly. Every time a cannonball came close, it disappeared with a faint ripple of light around his palm.
"What… what just happened?" Ussop stammered, eyes wide.
Zino replied without turning, "I stored them."
"Stored?"
Zino lifted Kaya carefully in his arms. "No time to explain. We're leaving this boat. I'll take her to my ship."
Ussop blinked in confusion. "Wait—how? We're in the middle of the sea—"
Before he could finish, his jaw dropped.
Zino had stepped off the side of the boat… and was standing in midair.
His foot kicked against nothingness, yet he was stable as if walking on a solid platform. He glanced back at Ussop, a faint smirk on his face.
"You coming or not?"
Ussop's mind blanked out for a second. "You—you can fly?!"
"No. I can run on air. Hurry up—"
Boom!
The boat beneath them shook violently as a cannonball finally landed a direct hit, tearing a hole through the middle. Water gushed in immediately, tilting the vessel.
"Waaaah! It's sinking!" Ussop shouted in panic. He didn't think twice. "Hey, wait for me!"
He jumped from the crumbling boat and latched onto Zino's waist like a koala, arms and legs clinging tight.
"Oi—! Hey! You're gonna make me fall!" Zino staggered slightly, adjusting his balance with Kaya in his arms and Ussop on his hip.
"My bad! But please don't let go!"
Zino rolled his eyes and let out a breath. "You're heavier than you look."
With a small burst of wind under his feet, Zino used Geppo to bounce off the air, ascending smoothly. In just a few agile steps, he landed gently on the deck of the Silent Orca.
The moment they landed, Nami came forward helping Kaya down, her expression mixed with worry and curiosity. Zoro stood nearby, still alert and watching the enemy ship.
Ussop slowly let go, his legs shaking. "That… was insane…"
Zino cracked his neck, still calm as ever. "Welcome aboard."
Behind them, Ussop's small boat was almost submerged, slipping beneath the waves.
Seeing his targets escape once more, Jango's scowl deepened. His patience had clearly run out. With a low growl, he stepped forward on the deck of his ship and called out loudly, "Hey! I've got something to show you all!"
Zino, standing at the front of the Silent Orca, raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Show what?"
Jango grinned widely, holding up one of his signature chakrams. He began to swing it rhythmically in front of him, left and right, the metal ring glinting under the sun. His voice became slow and steady, almost melodic.
"Watch carefully… In the count of three, you'll all fall into a deep sleep. Three… Two… One… Jango!"
The final word was shouted with force, echoing across the water. At that moment, a strange sensation washed over Zino—an invisible pressure, like a wave of sleepiness trying to settle in his mind.
"So this is his hypnosis…" Zino muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes.
Rather than resist immediately, he chose to observe the effects, letting the influence touch his consciousness. It was subtle but noticeable—an unnatural will, nudging him to drop his guard and let sleep take over.
Fortunately, Zino's mental discipline was strong. Whether it was his natural willpower, his training, or his system-enhanced mind, he shook off the sensation with ease, his mind clear once again.
As for the rest of the crew, Nami, Zoro and Alvida had already sensed something was off the moment Jango raised his voice. His tone, the rhythm, the swinging chakram—it was a textbook setup for some kind of trick. They instinctively averted their eyes, avoiding visual contact with the spinning weapon.
"Hypnosis, huh?" Zoro muttered, scoffing. "Just an old trick."
"I've seen better party tricks," Alvida added with a snort.
Nami on the other hand, stayed vigilant, not daring to look directly at those pirates.
However… not everyone was so vigilant.
From behind them, the sound of soft snoring reached Zino's ears. He turned around and saw Ussop, lying flat on the deck beside Kaya, completely knocked out. His mouth was open, drooling slightly, one hand still clinging to his slingshot.
Zino sighed. "Of course he fell for it…"
"Impossible! How are you all still standing?" Jango shouted, his voice rising with disbelief. He stared wide-eyed at the crew on the Silent Orca, completely stunned that his hypnosis—his strongest and most reliable technique—had failed so utterly.
"You've got quite the skill there. I won't lie—I almost fell for it." Zino said, looking at Jango, not with mockery, but with genuine interest. "Your hypnosis has real potential. But this fight? It ends now."
With that, Zino's form vanished in a blur. A burst of wind followed as he launched himself into the air using Geppo, soaring toward the Black Cat Pirates' ship.
The pirates onboard immediately panicked.
"He's flying! He's flying right at us!"
"Get the cannons! Shoot him down!"
"No—he's too fast!"
By the time the first cannonball was loaded, Zino had already landed on the deck like a ghostly shadow. A split second later, screams erupted as he blurred across the ship, striking pirates down with lightning-fast precision.
"Gah!"
"He disappeared!"
"He's behind you—Argh!"
With the speed of Soru and the deadly accuracy of Shigan, Zino moved like a reaper through their ranks. His fingers, hardened like spears, struck pressure points and vital spots, knocking grown men out with a single touch. Each time he moved, it was as if he teleported, blinking in and out of existence between his victims.
In less than a minute, over thirty pirates had been knocked unconscious, groaning on the deck or slumped over the railings. Their weapons clattered to the floor, forgotten.
Jango stood frozen, completely overwhelmed by the chaos. His eyes couldn't track Zino's movements. All he could see was the aftermath—the broken, groaning bodies of his crew, scattered like fallen leaves.
His face twisted in horror as he gasped, "Th-That technique… That speed! That's... Shakushi! Why—why do you know Captain Kuro's signature move!?"
Zino paused mid-step and turned to look at Jango with a curious expression. He tilted his head slightly, then replied with mild confusion. "Shakushi? You mean moving fast like that?"
"Yes! That blur—those steps! That's Captain Kuro's technique! It's his secret weapon!" Jango insisted, clearly shaken. "It's what makes him unstoppable!"
Zino chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Sorry to break it to you, but this is not some secret Kuro move. It's called Soru. It's a martial art technique used by elite marine fighters."
"Soru!?" Jango was hit by this surprising new knowledge.
"I don't know whether your captain knew this technique or he just immitated it." Zino continues to say, tone grew sharper, colder. "What I know is that you picked the wrong target."
Jango stumbled backward, his confidence shattered. The crew he led was already defeated. Now, he was left alone.
Just then, Zino vanished again, moving so swiftly that it looked as though he had teleported. A blur of motion, and he reappeared directly behind Jango.
"Shigan!"
His arm shot forward, and in a rapid flurry of strikes, his hardened fingers pierced Jango's back multiple times in key points. The hypnotist barely had time to react before his body stiffened and collapsed. His eyes rolled back as he hit the deck with a heavy thud. Blood seeped from the pinpoint wounds, but none were fatal—Zino had struck with precision.
Jango was out cold.
Zino stood over him, calmly withdrawing his hand, and looked around at the now-silent pirate ship. Every last one of the Black Cat Pirates had been defeated—most unconscious, some groaning in pain, but all thoroughly incapacitated.
He took a breath and murmured, "If I remember correctly, this guy, Jango, his bounty should be nine million Berries."
Zino tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Should I haul him to the nearest Marine base? That bounty would come in handy."
"Let's retrieve that bounty!" Nami's voice rang out from the Silent Orca like a cash register bell. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. If there was one thing sharper than her navigation skills, it was her hearing when it came to money.
In the next moment, she nimbly hopped onto the Black Cat Pirates' ship and began inspecting it with the practiced eye of a seasoned thief—no, a "treasure relocation expert." Gold, supplies, anything of value—nothing escaped her notice.
"Alright, boys, start tying up these losers!" she called out without looking back. "We're not leaving until I've stripped this ship cleaner than a fishbone!"
Zoro and Alvida also made their way over to the damaged vessel. Zoro rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck lazily. "Guess it's clean-up duty again."
As they began restraining the unconscious crew, Zino turned to leave. He looked over his shoulder and said, "You guys handle tying them up. I need to check on the sick girl we just rescued."
Alvida raised a brow. "What, you're a doctor now?"
Zino simply smiled as he leapt toward the Silent Orca. "You all saw me swallowing those medicines earlier, didn't you?"
Zoro and Alvida exchanged glances, both remembering the bizarre but effective way Zino had consumed countless pills and tonics before. It was strange… but considering what they have witnessed, neither of them doubted that Zino's "Swallow Swallow" ability had a logic of its own.
"He's a walking pharmacy now, apparently," Zoro muttered, turning back to the unconscious pirates.
Alvida glanced back toward the Silent Orca. "Well, if he can keep the girl alive, then that weird ability of his might be useful after all."