Chapter 12: Kakarot

"Hehahaha, you're sharp, Navy. Too bad you're still going to die!" A person emerged arrogantly from behind the tree roots, swaggering up to stand before Bardock.

"One-Eyed Worley, you've got it wrong. I'm not a Navy," Bardock replied. He had seen this guy when checking bounty posters earlier. Though Worley stood only 1.8 meters tall, he carried a bounty of 35 million Berries, and he was a swordsman at that.

In the world of pirates, those with modest height but high bounties were often tricky opponents. The first pirate Bardock ever caught was Worley's subordinate, Iron Hook Hawk.

Could this guy be here for revenge? But I haven't exposed my identity, Bardock thought.

"Stop lying! You're using the Navy's Six Powers!" Worley's expression grew more twisted. It was the relentless pursuit by the Navy that had driven him to the Sabaody Archipelago, hoping to escape to the New World through Fish-Man Island.

All the misfortunes that had befallen him in Sabaody were due to the Navy. Now, he wanted nothing more than to storm the Navy base on Island 66 and slaughter them all. But he couldn't do it; the Navy was too strong. Even the local branch's forces were beyond his ability to challenge.

Yet people don't stay unlucky forever. Look at what he had found—an isolated young Navy officer, and one so young who had already mastered Shave, one of the Six Powers. Could this kid be the child of some high-ranking officer? Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!

Worley's murderous intent grew stronger by the second. Bardock didn't dare hesitate any longer and immediately activated his Devil Fruit power, transforming into his Great Monkey King form. His natural defense was still too weak, and swordsmen were renowned for their powerful attacks. Bardock had never fought a swordsman before, so he needed to play it safe. Moreover, the Great Monkey King form was different from other beast forms like bulls, sheep, lions, or tigers. Bardock could still use all of his humanoid techniques in this form. Because the Great Monkey King form was so versatile, Bardock rarely transformed fully into his beast form, only occasionally using partial transformations to enhance his Fiery Eyes.

"A Devil Fruit user! Damn you, Navy! Damn you to hell!" Worley cursed.

After spending so many years struggling in the vast seas, he had never even seen a Devil Fruit, only heard of them. Yet here stood a mere boy who had already consumed one—how could Worley not be consumed with jealousy?

Worley's sword slashed forward in an instant, swinging diagonally from his lower left to his upper right as if intending to cleave Bardock in half. Bardock, unfazed, dropped into a crouch and swept his leg toward Worley's lower body in counterattack.

Yet Worley managed to evade. A battle-hardened pirate indeed, even in his rage, he retained enough clarity to react swiftly, using the momentum of his sword swing to take a large step back and dodge Bardock's sweep.

The two clashed, but neither managed to land a solid hit.

Bardock realized he was at a natural disadvantage in range, having not brought a weapon with him on this trip. It reminded him to always carry a weapon, especially when unsure if a fight might break out.

Worley, too, noticed the advantage of his longer reach and continued to rain attacks on Bardock. Dodging left and right, Bardock realized this couldn't go on. He needed to find a way to turn the tables.

"I've got it! His left eye is missing—that's his weakness."

Bardock used Shave to move to Worley's left and aimed a punch directly at Warly's lower abdomen. The "Monkey Steals Peaches" move was something no one could argue with. If the punch landed, Warly would instantly lose all ability to fight.

But, unfortunately, "if" only remains an "if." Before Bardock could land his hit, he was instead sent flying by Worley's blade.

"Kid, you're too green. You think I wouldn't know my own weaknesses? It was just a trap. I've killed 56 idiots just like you."

"Oh man, that was close. I almost died there," Bardock said, relieved he had been in his strongest form. That sword slash had been dangerously close, and he had almost ended up as Bardock-the-Half!

"How is this possible?" Worley looked at his long sword, "White Iron," in disbelief. There was not a single drop of blood on its blade. This was a famous sword, nearly as good as one of the Great Swords!

"It's the armor I'm wearing," Bardock said casually as he patted the dust off his pants.

"Do I look like an idiot?" Worley pointed to the tear in Bardock's clothing, where his golden fur was visible.

"Oh? So my clothes can get torn? Why didn't the Supreme Slippers get damaged?" Bardock mused.

"Don't get cocky, kid. Watch as I slice you up!" Worley didn't immediately attack. Instead, he sheathed his sword, preparing to unleash a powerful move. His next strike would undoubtedly be devastating.

"Hmm, a Draw Slash, huh?" Bardock mused. Was he really going to just stand by and let Warly charge up? This wasn't like watching a magical girl transformation. Without hesitation, Bardock used Shave again, this time aiming a kick directly at Worley's groin—the "Monkey Kicks Peaches" technique seemed appropriate here.

Slash!

As soon as Bardock reappeared, Worley's slash cut through the air, slicing through the massive tree root behind him.

"You've fallen into my trap again, kid! Hahaha, I've done it, I've become a true Swordmaster…"

But Worley suddenly collapsed to the ground, clutching his groin and convulsing.

"Did you really think I'd fall for the same trick twice? Who do you think I am?"

This time, Bardock had been much more cautious after his earlier misstep. He had carefully observed Worley's movements and was sure it was another trap. So, Bardock played along. The moment he appeared in front of Worley, he shrank himself to the smallest possible size, avoiding the attack completely, and then returned to normal size just as the strike passed.

Bardock picked up Worley's sword. It was a double-edged, handguard-equipped rapier, somewhat resembling Cavendish's Durandal. He gave it a few test swings—it was quite good, better than the one he had bought.

"Do you know Iron Hook Hawk?" Bardock asked, glancing at Warly nonchalantly.

"Could it be that he…"

"You know too much."

With a flash of his sword, Worley's head flew off, a perplexed look frozen on his face—the kind you'd expect from a dumbstruck pirate.

Bardock killed Worley because he truly did know too much. He had recently learned that the Navy interrogates captured pirates, and he couldn't risk Worley exposing his secrets. Furthermore, some of Bardock's tactics in this fight were less than honorable. Though anything goes in a fight to the death, it wouldn't sound good if word got out. If Bardock ever became a famous figure, this would be part of his dark history.

After tidying up the area, Bardock found a suitcase behind the tree roots. Opening it, he found it packed neatly with Berries. After a quick count, he estimated it contained around 20 million.

"20 million plus 35 million, that's 55 million Berries earned in one night, along with a fine sword. I can lay low for a while now. So this is how Swordmasters make breakthroughs? Fascinating!"

Wrapping Worley's head in cloth and gathering his loot, Bardock headed back toward the Navy base.

"I can't use Chopper's alias this time; the persona doesn't fit. I'll just add a new alias—Kakarot will do."

As Bardock walked away, his form shifted, transforming back into his beastly form.