A/N: This fanfic has dropped chapters for 3 consecutive days for the first time since it dropped ✌😭.
I don't know about you but I think that deserves a review and a collection. Its up to you tho 👀.
WELL THEN. ENJOY THE CHAPTER :)
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A big, burly pirate pushes through the crowd from the back and shouts, "Let me have a go at him first!" He grips a generic-looking anime-style sword, and the other pirates hype him up, shouting over each other to motivate him.
The large man reaches the front and grins.
"Sorry everyone, but I'll finish this one real quick."
Captain Frugal laughs, folding his arms.
"Entertain me, won't you, Sterling?"
The burly man charges at Sterling, encouraged by loud cheers from the crew. He swings his sword in a heavy downward arc, but Sterling casually sidesteps, letting the blade crash past him. The man plants his front foot firmly and snaps the sword back in a fast return swing, trying to catch Sterling off guard.
But Sterling thrusts the back end of his flintlock pistol forward in a straight line, hitting slightly to the left side of the man's blade. The sword is redirected sharply to the left.
The man stumbles, shocked by Sterling's technique. He tries to recover for another attack—but before he can act, he sees the butt of the flintlock pistol coming toward his face.
Sterling slams the pistol into his nose, knocking him out instantly with a single blow.
The cheering pirates go dead silent.
Captain Frugal clicks his tongue in irritation.
"Tch. It seems he's skilled in combat. Don't send in anyone bad at close-quarters fighting."
Sterling bends down and picks up the sword the burly man had been using. He swings it once and says, "It feels weird, but it'll work, I guess—since Bellé-mer is taking her own sweet time bringing my saber."
Just then, a tall, lanky man with a longsword steps forward.
"I'll take him next."
Sterling looks at him with amusement.
"It's pointless. You as well are too weak for me."
The man's face instantly twists in anger.
"What did you say? Don't get cocky, brat!"
Sterling replies calmly, "I'm not being cocky. I'm just stating an honest fact. Individually, none of you pirates here can take me on one-on-one."
The man raises his longsword in rage.
"Die!"
He swings downward with full force, but Sterling jumps back and the blade cracks the ice beneath them. The man raises his sword again and slashes toward Sterling's midsection, but Sterling uses his own blade to block, the impact pushing him back a step.
The man charges forward with another downward slash, but Sterling plants his feet and redirects the blow. The man's longsword smashes into the ground again, pulling his body forward with its momentum.
Sterling gets into stance and slashes the lanky man in a single clean cut. Blood sprays, his eyes roll white, and he collapses unconscious.
Suddenly, a figure blurs behind Sterling, rushing at him at high speed. Sterling sidesteps immediately, letting the attacker zoom past him.
The man's first thought is pure shock: He reacted to that!? My most silent and fastest attack…
Before the man can recover, Sterling raises his leg and kicks him in the gut. The impact is brutal—blood sprays from the pirate's mouth, his eyes roll back, and he passes out instantly.
By now, all excitement has drained from the gathered pirates. Watching Sterling drop each opponent so quickly plants a deep, creeping fear in the crowd.
Captain Frugal grits his teeth in frustration and shouts,
"Useless! All of you are useless! You can't take down a simple kid! Three—three of you attack him at the same time!"
Two twin men carrying swords and one big guy built like a tank push out from the crowd. Sterling steadies himself as the two swordsmen, far faster than the previous fighters rush straight toward him. Sterling pushes back, weaving and dodging their rapid strikes.
The twins then combine their sword attacks, both aiming a synchronized thrust. Sterling angles his blade upward, pressing both sword points with his own. As the pressure bends their blades slightly, Sterling jumps, using the tops of both their heads as momentum to launch himself forward toward the big man.
The large brawler, who had been waiting and watching, is caught off guard by Sterling suddenly closing the distance. He throws a barrage of punches at Sterling midair, but Sterling twists his body, causing all the punches to miss. Using the rotation, Sterling brings down an axe kick directly onto the big man's skull.
The impact shakes the ground. The tank-like pirate crashes down flat, instantly unconscious.
The twin swordsmen freeze and back away slightly, fear creeping into their expressions. One of the twins thinks, What is this monster? He reads every move we make… and he defeated Brock with one blow.
Captain Frugal grits his teeth in fury.
"You damn Sterling, why won't you just stay down!? I'm getting really angry now!"
He then roars, "Ten! Ten of you attack him at once!"
Movement stirs violently through the crowd as ten pirates prepare to rush forward.
Sterling thinks, This is bad. If he keeps piling more and more people on me, fatigue will eventually catch up.
Not far from there, a sweating Yami sprints across the snowy ground. He spots Sterling in the distance surrounded by ten men. He shouts at the top of his lungs:
"Sensei! I'm here to help you!"
Everyone turns toward the new voice, a young boy with black hair and an iron bat strapped to his back. Sterling also turns.
Sterling shouts, "Yami! Don't come here! Turn and run! I got this!"
Yami shakes his head. "No can do, Sensei! You're surrounded. You need help!"
He charges forward.
Sterling's eye twitches. That's why I'm telling you to run, idiot. It's because I'm surrounded.
After a short while Yami finally reaches him. He unsheathes his iron bat and stands back-to-back with Sterling.
"I'm ready, Sensei."
Sterling sighs. "Alright… but just know I'm not babysitting no one."
Yami smiles. "I wouldn't prefer it any other way."
Captain Frugal scoffs.
"Adding one person to a fight against one hundred and seventy pirates is downright useless."
Sterling smiles.
"Don't underestimate the power of friendship, Captain Frugal. Shonen has proved this many times."
Captain Frugal frowns.
"What's 'Shone'? Don't come say words we don't understand here."
Sterling replies, "Oh, sorry. I won't do it again."
---
Back at Sterling's House
Shanks says, "You see, Mrs. Kushina… the government is very bad. It looks good on the outside, but it's mostly bad. When they see someone who threatens them or their existence, they wipe them from existence."
Kushina sighs. "Well, I don't want to hear any more of that. I think I'm okay being oblivious. And I won't bother asking how you know such stuff or whether it's true or not."
Shanks chuckles.
"That's a good choice, Mrs. Kushina. I mean you can't feel responsible for something you don't know. Sometimes not knowing is better than knowing."
Noelle, sitting on the bed, nods.
"That's some very deep words, Shanks-san. Very unexpected of you."
Shanks laughs.
"What do you mean? I'm very articulate."
Everyone laughs until Bellé-mer suddenly bursts into the room.
Shanks and Benn Beckman instinctively reach for their weapons, but lower their guard when they see Bellé-mer.
Bellé-mer looks at Kushina and Noelle… then her eyes move to Shanks and Benn.
She gasps in shock.
"You two Pirates! What are you doing here!?"