4 Becoming A Bounty Hunter

It has been 8 years since I reincarnated here.

I am now 18 years old.This is the probably the year I set out on sea but not as a pirate but as a bounty hunter.

I realized I wanted to have a core of crew mates before I officially make my crew.I will sail across the East Blue, maybe even the other blues as well, in search for powerful crew mates.

On another note though, my Rokushiki skills have been perfected to my standards. I have excellent mastery over all the 6 Rokushiki techniques.

Another thing I have become quite adept at is navigating.I have been learning it since I asked Garp for a manual about it.

I also have a new cutlass which is bigger than my old one. I can't be using the same small cutlass out on the sea. I'll miss using it though. I won my biggest battles in my life so far with that sword.

_______

I dragged my ship which I was building from 10 to the front of the island. The ship was small to my standards but it will get the job done

Dadan and the mountain bandits all came to the front of the island to send me off. The sight of the bandits scared some of the townspeople but once they realized they weren't here to pillage, they ease up a little bit.

Luffy also came to send me off with a goodbye. I have about 3 years out on the sea before Luffy leaves the island as well. I'll make sure to be a notable pirate by then.

As I boarded my ship, Dadan ran up to me and hugged me.

"I can't believe you're finally going. Garp is going to be furious when he comes back", she laughed as she held back tears."Speaking of Garp, I want you to have this".

She pulled out a Den Den Mushi from her pocket and handed it to me.

"It has Garp's number on it. Just because you're not going to be a marine, doesn't mean he doesn't love you", she smiled.

A Den Den Mushi is very expensive.Most towns only have 1 that everyone uses. I'll call Garp once I have defeated my first pirate and claimed his bounty.

Luffy then ran up to me and held his fist out.

"Ace, you better savor your 3 years when it lasts because when I get out on sea, I'm going to be King Of The Pirates", he laughed out.

I smiled seeing his declaration. It won't become true since I'm here but it cool to see people hae aspirations that push them to be better.

"Not if I have anything to say about it Crybaby",I said, fist bumping luffy.

Everyone I have ever known said their goodbyes before I finally decided to leave once and for all.I cut the rope tying the ship to the dock as I waved goodbye to my friends.

I watched as the ship departs from the island, my friends and family becoming smaller and smaller before I can't see them anymore.

When I come back to Dawn Island,I'll be the Pirate King or maybe even something greater.

________

As my ship was at sea, I began to think about my plan.

The plan is the following:

1.Defeat a Pirate out on sea with a bounty.

2.Circle around to the nearest Marine branch(In this case, Shells Town), where I'll cash in that Pirate.

3.Rinse and Repeat.

The plan was simple and easy to follow.All I need to do is find a pirate and I'll get my first easy payday.

On another note though, I'm going to eat dinner. I have packed my ship with foods like canned beans,canned corn and a whole lot of other canned foods. I don't know how to cook but I do know how to survive.

My thoughts were interrupted though as I could hear something.Something was approaching. I rushed inside and grabbed a telescope and as I suspected, a ship with a jolly roger was headed towards me.

This will be my first fight out at sea.

I won't let them get close to my ship. I can't defend my ship and attack at the same time. I'll meet them at their ship.

I jumped off the ship and used Geppo to jet over to the pirate ship. I can finally use Geppo for about 10 minutes before it starts to take a toll on me.

I landed on the foreign ship's main deck.As I landed, the members that were on the main deck hastily grabbed out their weapons, most of them being guns.

"Surrender yourself".

"Get ready to be killed"

"You have a death wish'?

The yells among the people were irritating.None of these people could be the captain I assume.They just don't have the presence of one.

I shouldn't waste my energy on mobs like them.

My eyes turned cold before a wave of black aura burst out of me.It enveloped the deck and incapacitated every single one of the fodder.

I have been training my Conquerors Haki over the years too. Former Ace unlocked it while I, the current Ace, trained it.

It was a hard skill to train but I have a feeling it will be worth it.If one day I could scare off an Admiral with my Conquerors, I'll be happy.

That's when someone emerged from the ship on to the main deck.

He was 10 feet tall with armor from head to toe. It was made from a rare red steel known as "Rose Steel".

That will go for a pretty hefty price for once I sell that after beating this dude.

I couldn't use consecutive Conquerors flashes yet so I pulled out my cutlass out of my obsidian black hilt.

The man yelled out to me in an angry voice."It seems you have defeated my crew. Prepare for a battle with the upcoming pirate, Red Riot".

Upcoming?I guess he'll have a smaller bounty than expected.It still means I'm going to pummel this fool to Impel Down.

The pirate rushed towards me, drawing a matching Rose Steel lance, making the first move.

Before he was to stab me though,I disappeared and the attack hit nothing. I reappeared behind him with my cutlass in hand, ready to show what an actual attack looks like.

I swung my cutlass in a vertical motion down the pirate's back.It cut through the steel actually penetrating the man's skin.

He turned around and swung the lance at me, hoping it would connect finally.

I stopped it with my left hand instantly, clutching it with extreme force. I then used my cutlass in my right hand and swung, it hitting the man in the side with the flat side of my sword.

The man was launched across his ship before hitting the floor. As the dust cleared, the man was unconsciousness.

I grinned before carrying the man and the air walked to my ship. I also did many rounds pillaging the ship and taking anything valuable back to my ship.

The first day on the job was a success.