Chapter 7: The Fall of the Wild Bear Pirates

Chapter 7: The Fall of the Wild Bear Pirates

After killing the last pirate lackey, Charlotte's blood-red eyes returned to their usual clarity, and the overwhelming aura of Conqueror's Haki dissipated.

Alex Jesse, feeling the pressure vanish, staggered to his feet, his eyes filled with fear as he looked at Charlotte.

"W-Who are you?"

Charlotte smiled faintly.

"My name is Rockefeller Charlotte."

Feeling an immense sense of relief and satisfaction after releasing all his pent-up frustration, Charlotte looked at the pirate captain before him.

Raising his sword, he spoke with calm confidence, "You will be the first step in my journey to conquer the seas."

"Damn brat! Enough of your boasting! I'll avenge my crew!"

Alex Jesse roared as he charged at Charlotte, swinging his massive sword.

Charlotte kept his eyes fixed on the pirate captain.

Clang!

The sound of metal colliding echoed as Charlotte effortlessly blocked Alex Jesse's full-force attack with one hand.

With a slight push, he deflected the captain's sword and countered with a swift slash.

A deep gash appeared across Alex Jesse's chest, sending him flying and leaving him writhing on the ground in pain as blood soaked his clothes.

"Damn you!"

Gritting his teeth, Alex Jesse threw his sword to the ground.

Charlotte thought he was surrendering, but the pirate captain let out a feral roar instead.

"This is your fault! You pushed me to this!"

Alex Jesse's body began to transform, swelling in size as black fur covered his frame.

"Roar!"

The massive figure of a bear glared at Charlotte, revealing its sharp fangs.

"A Devil Fruit user?"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, surprised that this pirate captain possessed such an ability. Judging by the form, it was likely a Zoan-type fruit.

"That's right! I am Alex Jesse, captain of the Wild Bear Pirates!"

The enormous black bear growled as the wound on its chest began to heal rapidly.

"Impressive recovery. Zoan-types are something else. But if you think a Devil Fruit alone is enough to defeat me, you're mistaken."

Charlotte flicked the blood off his sword and dashed forward, his blade aimed at the bear's neck.

The black bear didn't back down, raising its massive claws to meet Charlotte's attack.

Steel met flesh in a fierce clash.

Charlotte's strike was blocked, and his sword barely managed to cut through the bear's thick hide.

"Roar!"

Seeing that his defense held, Alex Jesse grew more confident.

He charged at Charlotte, slamming his massive body into him.

Charlotte quickly raised his sword to block.

Boom!

Crack!

Charlotte was forced back several steps, his sword snapping in two from the impact.

"Hahaha! Brat, without your sword, let's see how you survive against me!"

Alex Jesse laughed triumphantly.

"Looks like I need to work on my swordsmanship," Charlotte muttered, glancing at the broken blade. Shrugging, he tossed the hilt aside and cracked his knuckles.

"Guess it's time for hand-to-hand combat."

He locked eyes with the massive bear, a fiery determination in his gaze.

With a light step, Charlotte propelled himself forward, closing the distance in an instant.

Boom!

His punch sent Alex Jesse crashing into a stack of cargo crates.

Steam rose from Charlotte's body as he unleashed his full power.

Before the bear could recover, Charlotte dashed forward again, landing a devastating uppercut to its jaw.

Alex Jesse, unable to fight back, spat out blood—and something else.

Only the bear knew that it was his tongue.

The force of the punch sent him flying into the air.

Charlotte leaped after him, delivering a powerful kick that sent him plummeting into the sea below.

For a Devil Fruit user like Alex Jesse, the ocean was a death sentence.

The impact reverted him to his human form as he splashed into the water, unconscious.

Charlotte dove in, dragging the pirate captain back onto the dock. Grabbing a nearby long sword, he decapitated Alex Jesse in one clean stroke.

Blood sprayed as the captain's head separated from his body.

Charlotte hoisted the severed head onto a flagpole at the harbor as a grim warning.

The battle had ended quickly but left chaos in its wake. The port was littered with bodies, both of those killed by Charlotte and those knocked out by his Conqueror's Haki.

Ignoring when—or if—they would wake, Charlotte turned his attention to the pirate ships docked nearby.

"I wonder if there's anything valuable on board," he mused.

If he could find a Devil Fruit, it would be a huge gain. Even the most basic ones could sell for 100 million berries, while rarer ones could go for tens of billions.

However, his hopes were quickly dashed.

After thoroughly searching all three ships, he only found a measly 10 million berries and a group of 70 malnourished slaves hidden in the cargo hold.

Charlotte had sensed their weak life forces through his Observation Haki and was surprised to find such a large group of people onboard.

Entering the dimly lit cargo hold, he was met with the sight of ragged, emaciated individuals huddled together in silence.

"Who are you?" Charlotte's voice broke the eerie stillness.

Several people flinched, shrinking away from him instinctively.

Standing amidst the blood-stained wreckage, Charlotte's presence was more terrifying than comforting.

Realizing no one would answer, Charlotte turned to leave.

"W-Wait, sir!"

A panicked female voice called out.

Charlotte stopped and turned toward the source.

Even in the dim light, he could easily identify the girl who had spoken.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone neutral.

The girl hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice trembling.

"Sir, we're from the Kingdom of Karkna. After the Wild Bear Pirates attacked, we were captured and sold as slaves. Please… help us."

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