Chapter 20:The Weight of a Bounty Hunter

Jason stood calmly before the Ape King Pirates as the weaker combatants rushed him. His grip on his sword tightened. With a quick slash, his blade sliced cleanly through the throats of the first wave of pirates, blood spraying through the air as they fell lifelessly to the ground. The gruesome sight did nothing to rattle Jason. He had trained for this moment. But even with all his training, a cold chill ran down his spine as the reality of what he was doing began to sink in.

The sound of heavy footsteps pulled him from his thoughts. Boulder, the Ape King Pirates' first mate, came barreling at Jason with his massive fists clenched, intending to crush him with sheer strength. Jason sidestepped the blow, parrying Boulder's attack effortlessly. As Boulder swung wildly, Jason moved with precision, his sword aiming for vital areas. With one fluid motion, Jason plunged his blade into Boulder's chest, piercing his heart. Boulder's eyes widened in shock before he crumpled to the ground, dead.

Before Jason could recover, he sensed danger from behind. Ironhide and Stonefist, the remaining lieutenants, were charging at him from his blind spot. But Jason had been expecting this, thanks to his finely tuned Observation Haki. In one smooth motion, he leaped into the air, twisting his body in a graceful mid-air spin. As he completed the spin, he unleashed a powerful Tobu Zangeki, the flying slash cutting through the air like a blade of wind. The force of the attack cleaved Ironhide and Stonefist in half, their bodies falling in two pieces as they collapsed onto the dock.

Jason landed lightly, steadying himself as he faced the final opponent—Kong, the captain of the Ape King Pirates.

Kong's eyes narrowed with fury, his face twisted into a snarl as he stared at Jason. "You think you're hot stuff just 'cause you took out those weaklings, huh?" Kong sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "Let me show you why they call me the 'Ape King.'"

With a roar, Kong's body began to shift, muscles bulging and growing as he activated his Devil Fruit powers. His skin darkened, his form expanding into a massive, hulking gorilla. "I have the invincible Gorilla-Gorilla Fruit!" Kong bellowed. "You're just a kid—no way you can handle this!"

Kong charged at Jason, his enormous fists crashing down like meteors. But Jason was ready. He parried each of Kong's brutal strikes with his sword, his body unfazed by the force thanks to his Destroyer Physique. In fact, Jason began to push back, overpowering the massive gorilla with each clash of their weapons.

With a devastating strike, Jason slashed Kong's chest, sending him staggering backward. Kong growled in frustration, his eyes wild with anger. "How is a brat like you this strong?!"

Jason didn't respond. He took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing with fierce focus. Black tendrils of Armament Hakicoated his sword as he prepared for the final strike. With a single, precise movement, he slashed his sword through the air, aiming directly at Kong's neck.

The blow connected cleanly, severing Kong's head from his shoulders in one swift stroke.

As Kong's massive body collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud, Jason stood still, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tried to calm his breathing. The battle was over, but something felt... wrong. His hand trembled slightly as he looked down at the bodies of the pirates scattered around him. It was the first time he had taken a life—multiple lives—and the weight of that realization crashed down on him all at once.

A sick feeling welled up in Jason's stomach, and before he knew it, he was vomiting onto the ground, his body convulsing as the nausea overtook him. He staggered backward, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he tried to steady his breathing. The battlefield was quiet now, the only sound being the gentle lapping of the waves against the dock.

Calm your mind, Jason. He remembered his father's words. Control your emotions. He closed his eyes, focusing on the breathing exercises Rayleigh had taught him. Slowly, the trembling subsided, and his heart rate steadied.

Jason opened his eyes, feeling more in control. He knew that this was only the beginning. The path he had chosen wasn't an easy one, but it was necessary. He stood up, walking over to Kong's decapitated body. With a swift motion, he cut off the heads of Kong and his lieutenants, placing them in a large sack.

Suddenly, the familiar System Prompt appeared in his mind:

Do you want to store these heads?

Jason mentally clicked "Yes."

The heads vanished, stored safely within the system's inventory. With his job done, Jason made his way back to his small boat, the sounds of the harbor fading into the background as he sailed toward the nearest Marine base.

The Marines at the base were in shock when Jason arrived with the bounties. The boy who barely looked ten years old stood before them, presenting the heads of the Ape King Pirates with a calm, serious expression.

"Y-You took out the Ape King Pirates?" one of the Marines stammered, barely able to believe his eyes.

Jason nodded, his face unreadable.

The Marines handed him the bounty money in a state of disbelief. Jason didn't bother explaining himself. He simply took the money and stored it in the System's Treasury, then turned and left without another word.

When Jason finally arrived back home, he was greeted by his mother and father, both of them waiting for him at the door. Shakky's eyes softened as she saw the look on Jason's face—he was putting on a brave front, but she could see the weight of the experience hanging over him. She pulled him into a gentle embrace, and Rayleigh gave his son an approving nod.

"You did well," Rayleigh said quietly. "But don't forget that it's okay to feel the burden of taking a life. It's part of the journey."

Jason nodded, leaning into his mother's comforting hug. As the night settled in, Jason retreated to his room, sitting on his bed as he opened up the System.

You have 8,000 System Points.

Satisfied with his progress, Jason closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, knowing that this was just the beginning of the long road ahead.