"What are you doing there?" I asked, watching the movement behind the tree.
From behind the trunk, a trembling old man stepped out. His face was lined with wrinkles, hair gray, and a worn-out cloak hung from his shoulders, partially burned by ash. He held his hands in front of him, showing he meant no harm.
"I... I am the elder of this village," he said, his voice hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken aloud in ages."I needed to check... if the pirates had left."
I gave him a careful look. He seemed exhausted.
"They're gone. Or rather… they flew off," I smirked, remembering how one flew into the well, another into a wall, and the captain — unconscious and tied up.
The old man slowly nodded.
"And now what happens?" he asked, nervously glancing at the smoldering ruins and fallen houses.
I turned to him, meeting his eyes.
"Call the locals. Tie up anyone unconscious — make sure they're not a threat. Take everything these dogs looted. Give back what's yours."
He nodded. His hands trembled slightly, but there was determination in his eyes.
"And you?" he asked.
"Me? I'm checking their ship." I pointed with my thumb toward the bay, where a dark silhouette of a ship was hidden between the rocks."If I'm lucky, it still sails. If not — maybe I'll find something useful."
With those words, I lunged forward, my legs clicking as they turned into springs.With a single leap, I covered half the street, leaving behind only the echo of my jump.
The ship was anchored at a small wooden pier — dirty, peeling, but still afloat. A flag above bore a chipped skull with a crooked scar across the eye socket — the emblem of the Grim Pirates.
"So this is your den, huh?" I muttered, stepping onto the deck.The ship was old, but solid. Scattered supplies littered the floor — stolen goods, crates with village shop markings. Everything screamed panic and haste.
Click.
"Hey! Don't move!" came a sharp, nervous voice.
I turned my head. Three figures appeared on deck — no older than twenty.One, clearly the leader, pointed a pistol at my chest. The other two stood flanking him, machetes glinting in the sunlight.
"Seriously? There are still some left?" I said with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.
"This is Grim's ship! He's got a 4-million bounty!" barked the one with the machete on the right.
"Last chance," added the one with the pistol, taking better aim.
"Bad day for threats," I whispered — and then moved.
Bane Bane no Mi — Spring Launch.
I burst forward before the gunman could pull the trigger. Dodging the line of fire, I dived sideways and launched a spring-leg forward.
Bane Bane — Whip!
A sharp, snapping strike hit the shooter square in the chest. He howled, flying backward into a barrel, which burst open, spilling water. The pistol flew from his hand.
Thud! — a machete struck my stretched spring-arm with a dull clang. The blade bounced off as if it hit metal-lined rubber.
The guy froze for a moment, confused. His eyes widened.
"Bad idea," I said, and reversed the spring's direction.
My arm lashed out like a whip and struck the enemy in the stomach with a sharp crack. He doubled over, wheezing — and crashed into the third one before flying back and slamming into the wooden railing with a loud crack.
I looked over the three defeated pirates, squinting slightly.
Then glanced at my arm, now back in its normal state after deflecting the blade.
"Yeah… not as perfect as it seems," I muttered, clenching my fist."If he had been stronger… I might've lost that hand. Or worse."
Sea silence returned to the deck, broken only by creaking wood and groans of the beaten.
"Still not skilled enough," I said quietly, more to myself."Gotta be faster."
I bent over the nearest pirate, rolled him over, and yanked a few old ropes from a nearby tarp.
One by one, I tied them up tightly, disarming them. One mumbled something through swollen lips, but I didn't listen — I was already climbing toward the cabin.
"If anyone's still hiding, now's the time to come out nicely," I called into the ship, pushing open the door.
Surprisingly, the cabin was clean. Guess you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Nothing interesting — yet.
I walked down a narrow hallway and peeked into the hold. More crates, some with village markings, some plain.
"So this is the 'loot', huh?" I chuckled."Doubt they earned any of it honestly."
As I moved through the cabins, I reached the largest one — likely the captain's.Let's see if there's anything worthwhile.
I pushed open the captain's quarters. The hinges creaked as if protesting — like everything on this ship, the door hadn't seen oil in ages.
Inside was more spacious than I expected. A wide table with scattered maps, half-empty rum bottles, and a handful of coins. The walls were decorated with stolen, ill-fitted paintings and a faded steering wheel — probably just for flair.
By the wall stood a chest. Suspiciously well-kept.
"Could it be treasure?" I smirked, stepping closer.
I kicked the lid — locked.
A quick spring-punch — the lock snapped off with a crack. Inside was a mess: papers, scrolls, boxes of personal items. At the very bottom — a pouch of jewels and a leather-bound scroll.
I unrolled it.
They're broke, I thought, looking around the cabin again.The only conclusion I could draw after digging through all this was: poverty.Fifty thousand beli for a crew of twelve… it's not even pathetic. It's just sad.
I shut the chest with my foot, causing a creak, and waved my hand as if to brush away the dust — and disappointment.
"At least they've got supplies," I muttered, checking the sacks by the hold's exit."Rice, dried meat, a couple barrels of fresh water. Should be enough for the village for now."
After a final glance at the "trophies," I climbed back to the deck. The sun was already dipping toward the horizon, painting the sky amber-orange. A breeze fluttered my cloak, and above the mast, the tattered flag creaked.
The tied-up pirates still sat by the rail — beaten and quiet. One tried to speak, but I gave him a look, and he shut up instantly.
"They won't run," I snorted."And there's nothing to run on. Let 'em sit and think."
Need to check on Sabo, I thought.
The springs in my legs compressed softly — then I launched upward. Over the ship, over the village — toward where we had docked.
As I moved toward the square, chaos was still in the air, but there was also calm — the people were clearly recovering after the pirate attack. Villagers were pulling back stolen goods, piling them up, reviving the unconscious, helping the wounded.
I neared where my boat had been… and noticed something odd. The whole area was surrounded by scattered goods — leftover supplies and items.
And in the middle of all this, sat Sabo, rummaging through something, clearly ignoring the chaos around him.
I landed a few meters away and glanced at the boat. Couldn't hide my confusion.
"Why aren't you in the boat?" I asked as I walked closer.
He just shrugged and pointed at the "sub-boat," which now barely resembled what it once was.
"What the hell happened to it?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
The boat was a wreck. The upper frame was crushed as if a giant press had smashed it. It sat much lower in the water than usual — only bits of it remained above the surface. Clearly, not normal.
Sabo didn't answer immediately. He sat for a bit in silence, then stood and said:
"After you jumped out of it, your spring force was enough to crush the top frame. It also damaged the inside. Now the boat's sinking, so I pulled out everything I could."
He went quiet, and I realized he hadn't expected the fruit's power to be so destructive.
"I forgot..." I said quietly."The fruit's power really is pretty destructive."
"How do you even turn your legs into springs like that?" Sabo finally asked, curious.
I smirked a little and turned to him.
"It's the nature of my Devil Fruit," I explained."Bane Bane no Mi. I can turn my limbs into springs."
"So… how do we get out of here now?" he asked.
"Well... I do have an idea."