A week passed.
We raided a merchant ship — nothing serious, just rations and a barrel of rum that had half the crew singing sea shanties for two days.
I didn't kill. I never did. I used my powers to disable, distract, and protect. Jaro noticed.
"You're too soft," he told me over breakfast.
"Maybe," I said. "But I'm not a pirate."
He barked a laugh. "You're on a pirate ship, eating pirate food, wearing stolen boots."
I glanced down. Damn. He was right.
Still, I wasn't like them. I had a purpose — to survive, grow stronger, and eventually... chart my own course.
That chance came sooner than expected.
We docked at a small port island — a trade hub nestled in the cliffs. No Marines, just shady dealers and bounty boards. I wandered through the market, half-masked in a cloak. Not because I was wanted, but because I wasn't sure how much of my growing power was leaking off me.
I felt… charged. Like the Kirin was always humming beneath my skin now.
That's when I saw him.
Tall. Lean. White trench coat. A long rifle slung across his back.
And a bandage covering both his eyes.
He was standing in front of a tavern door, completely still — until I walked by.
Then he turned his head toward me.
"You smell like lightning," he said.
I froze.
He sniffed the air. "Devil Fruit. Strong. Ancient. Mythical Zoan, if I'm not mistaken."
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm called Vash. Some call me the Blind Marksman. Others call me dead men."
He smiled. It wasn't friendly.
I stepped back. Sparks flickered in my palm.
"Relax," he said. "I'm not here for your head. Not yet."
"Then what?"
"I've been tracking traces of powerful fruits. You're leaving a trail. That temple? That island? Half the bounty world's curious now."
My blood ran cold.
"You're not ready for what's coming," Vash continued. "But I like your spark. So I'll give you advice."
He tapped his forehead. "First, control your aura. You're broadcasting like a bonfire in a graveyard. Second…"
He leaned closer.
"Never trust a Fishman with secrets."
Then he walked away.
I didn't follow. My heart thundered.
When I returned to the ship, Jaro was waiting.
"Make any friends?" he asked, too casually.
I didn't answer.
But that night, I stayed awake.
Thinking.
Vash was right.
Trouble was coming.
And I needed to be ready.