end game

The Marine ship was gradually approaching, giving the impression that they were specifically targeting us. Upon reflection, the three individuals had raised a skull flag, which explained why the Marines were after them...

"Hey guys, do you have a high bounty?" I asked.

"Well, we have a total bounty of 30 million, 10 million each. Not bad for the East Blue," they replied. At that time, which wasn't the golden age of piracy, 10 million was the average bounty in the East Blue. My former captain and the gladiators were probably sailing in these waters, without a doubt.

But why was a vice admiral here? They can't know that I'm on this boat. There must be a pirate with a huge bounty nearby, otherwise, there would probably be a rear admiral, but that's it. Well, I have to prepare myself. If I could defeat that Dalmatian, who, in my opinion, was at the level of a rear admiral, a vice admiral would be difficult, but not impossible. And besides, I don't really have a choice.

"Guys, I'll personally take care of the vice admiral, but try to handle the weaker ones, okay?" Without waiting for their response, I went to the front of the boat. Observing the opposing ship over 200 meters away, I could see that the vice admiral was standing in the same spot as me. We locked eyes, like two cowboys ready to fight. He pulled out a microphone from I don't know where and spoke:

"You, unknown pirates, surrender, and we won't kill you!"

I didn't respond, knowing that shouting would be futile. Besides, he was too far away. I tied my daggers with bandages and prepared myself. I tensed every muscle in my body, ready to use them to their fullest power. My goal was to catch him off guard because I knew I wasn't on his level, but I had to immobilize him as quickly as possible, even if I was undoubtedly weaker than him.

A minute passed, and the two boats closed in, only 10 meters apart. We were face to face. This was the moment.

"Let's go!" I used a technique similar to Soru, striking the ground rapidly multiple times to propel myself quickly towards him. I could see that he was surprised, but I didn't give him time to react. With a bloodthirst that probably unsettled him for half a second, I used my new technique.

"Purge!" I threw my two daggers, one right and one left, diagonally towards him with all my strength. I even saw a tiny blue aura emanating from my blades, but I would worry about that later, probably.

After that attack, I didn't waste any time. I knew he would survive, so I kicked him, making him stagger against the side of the boat. I rushed towards him again to finish him off, but at that moment, my perception alerted me to a big problem. I stepped back to see a large slash where I had just been.

"Not bad for a small pirate from the East Blue, but it's still not enough," he said. Still feeling the danger, I dodged to the right, and this time, I saw a wind blade slicing through the pirate ship I had been attacking. So, this was the strength of a vice admiral, a master swordsman... I have to think. Observing him, I noticed slight traces of cuts on his clothes from my first attack, but nothing more.

"Let's go, I want to have some fun before capturing real pirates!" He used Soru and appeared in front of me, ready to strike me with his blade. So, I positioned my feet and daggers and blocked his attack, but the force behind the blow was completely different from what I expected. The ground beneath me broke, sending me into the water, under the boat.

** Karika POV**

Well, I had to capture a rather dangerous pirate, and here I am facing this kid. Fortunately, it was quick.

"There are only three people left, I've detected them with my Haki. I could make a quadrakill, too bad a pentakill is impossible..." (Author: sorry, I wanted to make a reference to League of Legends)

Using my sword once again, I threw it at the pirate ship already cut in half, but this time I struck it multiple times to reduce it to pieces. And that's the job done. I'll have a small additional bounty for that, no problem.

However, I damaged the hull of our ship by crushing that little pirate.

"Marines! Protect the ship's hull, we can't let it sink!"

"It's too late, captain. You've damaged it too much," they replied. As I began to order them to prepare the lifeboats, my Observation Haki warned me of a massive attack, much bigger than mine. In an instant, some sort of giant rock fell on me. It must have been hundreds of meters in diameter, with a pirate ship flying alongside it.

"So, this is the crew I have to deal with. It's going to be complicated, but it must be done. Marines, take the boats and flee! Hurry, I'll handle this."

Even though my crew has no chance of surviving against that, I must do my best to protect them. I used Soru to elevate myself high in the sky, facing that "meteorite" coming down.

"Eclipse" is my most powerful attack. The technique is simple: using my power to the maximum, with extreme agility, to slice an object into a thousand pieces. So, when the rock was close to hitting me, I used this attack to cut it as much as possible. It worked. The small blocks of a few centimeters couldn't kill the crew anymore. But now, the bigger problem is the pirate who was able to launch this: SHIKI, this man is worth 300,000,000 Berry, a dangerous criminal.

I decided to make my way to their ship, but at that moment, a problem occurred. An island fell on me, several kilometers long, something massive. Even if I run, I'm doomed.

"ECLIPSEEEE!" I used even more muscular strength, already at its maximum, to try to cut the island, but unfortunately, the damage was minimal, and I took the attack head-on, sending me, like that kid, into the water.

** PROTA POV**

I couldn't breathe, couldn't move, nothing. I was like dead, struck down by a single attack... I didn't think I was so weak. It's just a vice admiral. The path to becoming the strongest is actually so far away. I'm not even sure if I can make it. I was defeated in a single blow, and now I'm underwater, unable to breathe.

As if that wasn't enough, I started to feel something crushing and pushing me even deeper into the water, as if an island was falling on me. But that's impossible, right?

At the bottom of this sea, I began to see certain strange things, moving shadows, surely sea monsters ready to devour me for breakfast...

"Are you really going to give up when you have a new chance?" This voice woke me up, but I couldn't see anything, not even the water or the monsters, just an ocean of endless darkness. Finally, a pair of blue eyes looked at me. I recognize this shadow... It's like in Solo Leveling.

... it's... Ahahah, now I understand. My strength that increases so easily, my telekinesis, or even my bloodlust, it's the same as the Shadow Monarch, Sung Jin Woo. So this is my power, and how far can I go if I don't give up?

"Ashborn... I understand, but right now I'm screwed, literally."

Even though I regained my will, I'm underwater, with my legs trapped, crushed by a gigantic rock. Finally, I'm really going to die.

"The sun?" That was my first thought.