One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

Emerging from the cabin, Wright held his longsword aloft, Ashes' blade encircled by a shimmering golden aura. The sight stunned the pirates on deck, none of whom noticed when this stranger had even boarded their ship.

"Disperse! This man is my esteemed guest!" Edmond, the captain, barked urgently, noticing the greedy glances some crew members cast at Wright's weapon. Fearing a single slash might wipe them out, he shouted, "Get lost and stay vigilant! Have you forgotten who's ahead of us? The Mad Dog Pirates aren't your average crew!"

"That's a pirate worth over 70 million berries! Are you planning to stand here and wait for death instead of preparing to run?"

Edmond's authority among his crew was undeniable. As a Devil Fruit user, he was the strongest member of his crew, and his knack for survival had allowed them to climb to a 38-million-berry bounty. Despite his bravado, his panicked urgency wasn't lost on his seasoned crew. They immediately understood the underlying message: "This guy's a big deal! Don't mess with him! Say the wrong thing, and you're dead! The Mad Dog Pirates ahead? They're our distraction—get ready to run!"

Without hesitation, the pirates scattered, efficiently resuming their duties.

"Not bad," Wright remarked with a half-smile, watching Edmond sweat bullets as he plastered on a nervous grin. "Your leadership skills seem decent. Your crew trusts you enough to pick up on what you really mean."

"Your wisdom is unmatched, sir," Edmond replied hurriedly, wiping his brow. "Just some minor tricks that couldn't possibly escape your notice. That said... the Mad Dog Pirates are just up ahead..."

"Yeah, I see them." Wright moved to the bow, observing the enemy's ship closing in. It had been some time since they spotted the Mad Dog Pirates, and the opposing crew clearly noticed them too, drawing near at speed.

Without Wright's command, Edmond dared not turn his ship to flee. He could only hope this mysterious powerhouse honored his word, focused solely on taking down "Mad Dog" Joyce, and allowed them to escape unscathed.

Wright gave no further instructions, leaving Edmond paralyzed. All he could do was watch as the Mad Dog Pirates approached, now close enough to see their infamous captain, "Mad Dog" Joyce, himself.

Joyce was tall and wiry, his muscular, bare upper body flaunting his strength. Draped in a black captain's coat, his snarling, long face twitched with protruding veins, radiating cruelty and bloodlust.

"Ha ha ha! Just when I was running low on goods, some fat sheep deliver themselves to me! What luck—let's see which pirate crew this is! Such a slow ship—are you waiting for me to come aboard?"

Joyce, true to his moniker, was like a rabid dog. Before the strong, he fled with his tail between his legs; before the weak, he tore them to shreds without mercy.

"Captain, it's the Fang Pirates—Captain Edmond, with a bounty of 38 million! He's a Zoan-type, Mouse Mouse Fruit user: Squirrel Form. Judging by their heading, they must've come from Water 7!"

"Oh?" A gleam of calculation flashed in Joyce's eyes. "A 38-million bounty? And from Water 7? No way he hasn't heard of me. So why isn't he running? Frozen in fear? No, impossible… Could this Devil Fruit user captain be hiding his true strength?"

As Joyce puzzled over the situation, the two ships drew even closer.

"Hm? Is that the Devil Fruit user in the captain's coat? Why is he standing behind some random kid?"

Joyce's sharp eyes scrutinized Wright, a young man he didn't recognize. "He's no famous bounty hunter, nor a notorious pirate in the area. A Marine, maybe? Even if he is, he's too young to be an officer of rank!"

While Joyce spun theories, Wright, listening in with his Haki, couldn't help but laugh. "This guy sure loves overthinking—he's like an old granny!"

Wright leapt into the air, stunning Edmond, who had never before seen a display of the Marine's Six Powers technique. As Wright ascended with Geppo, Joyce's face twisted in alarm, and he immediately activated his Devil Fruit powers.

"Marine Six Powers! He's a Marine! Prepare to fight!"

"He's too young to be a Marine officer from headquarters! If he's just a captain or commander, I'm not afraid of him!"

"With no warship in sight, he came here alone? Does he think my bounty is just for show? Let me teach this cocky brat a lesson!"

"Hey! Old dog down there!" Wright called from above, his voice dripping with mockery. "Aren't you pirates supposed to hunt each other? You've got a Dog Dog Fruit user here and a Mouse Mouse Fruit user there—why not give me the classic 'dog chases rat' show?"

"I'm a squirrel, not a rat!" Edmond screamed internally, though his body betrayed him, retreating rapidly as he shouted, "Captain Joyce! We mean no harm! We don't even know that guy! Farewell!"

"Hurry! Full speed ahead!" Edmond ordered, but Joyce felt like he'd swallowed molten iron. You don't know him? Then how is he on your ship attacking me?!

Shifting into a combat-ready hybrid form, Joyce roared, "Fire the cannons! Shoot that brat out of the sky!"

Wright dodged a volley of shells with ease, smiling as he taunted, "Old dog, you don't have any long-range attacks, do you?"

"Bang!"

A bullet whizzed past Wright's face. Nodding in approval, he said, "Not bad. Your sniper's got skill—deserves some praise."

But the sniper, terrified after witnessing Wright dodge every shot, was already firing wildly, none of his bullets landing.

Enraged, Joyce bared his fangs, snarling, "Marine! If you want to catch me, come down here! Your sword can't reach me from up there!"

"Can't reach you?" Wright clicked his tongue in mock disappointment. "Whoever said swords can't fly?"

Drawing Ashes, its blade glowing with golden Haki, Wright swung downward.

"Final Judgement!"

A massive crescent-shaped golden slash flew from Wright's blade, growing larger as it traveled. The Mad Dog Pirates, frozen in horror, watched helplessly as their ship was cleaved in two.

Edmond's crew fell silent as they watched the carnage unfold, their captain murmuring in resignation, "I knew this lord could cut an entire ship apart, but…"

"We've never seen flying slashes before either!"

"Do you think running too fast will get us slashed next?" 

----------------------

If you want to support me and read advance chapters, please visit:

patreon.com / juanpiece