Pirates: Seeing My Proficiency, I Became a Legend

A strange premonition surged in Dongze's chest, making his heart pound wildly.

"Click!"

In an instant, his heightened perception instinctively cut off all external noise. A dreadful thought clawed its way into his mind.

"No… this can't be happening—!"

He didn't wait to rationalize it. His body moved before his mind could catch up, dashing toward the warehouse with all the speed he could muster. A storm of emotions raged within him—anger, resentment, and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

"If fate is truly set in stone, then why am I even here? Am I just a puppet dancing to the gods' amusement?"

In mere moments, he arrived at the warehouse and sprinted inside. His breath caught in his throat.

There—on the cold floor—lay Kuina.

He was beside her in an instant, falling to his knees as he gently lifted her into his arms. His eyes darted to the whetstone clutched in her hand, its presence mocking him.

Resentment. Anger. Unwillingness.

A fire erupted in his chest, threatening to consume him.

"Why?!

"Why, after all her training, is she still destined for this fate?!

"Is this the will of the heavens? Some cosmic rule?"

"Who the hell decided this?!"

Kuina had always treated him with warmth, from the time he was just another nameless student to now. It was an unchanging kindness, and he knew—sincerity given is sincerity returned.

Something snapped inside him.

A crushing force exploded outward.

At that moment—across the entire dojo, throughout Shimotsuki Village, and even beyond to the surrounding island—the air turned suffocatingly heavy. Even the monkeys deep in the mountains screeched before collapsing, overwhelmed by the pressure.

Not far away, inside the dojo, a group of unexpected visitors sensed the disturbance.

Monkey D. Dragon's eyes flew open, his calm demeanor vanishing in an instant. He abruptly stood, his piercing gaze locking onto the source of the overwhelming presence.

At his reaction, Ivankov and Koshiro exchanged glances, their expressions puzzled.

"Oi, Dragon! What is it?" Ivankov questioned, sensing something was very wrong.

Before Dragon could respond, an invisible force swept across them—wave after wave of sheer, unrestrained dominance.

The very clouds overhead split apart.

The sea at the island's shore recoiled, the tides pushed back as though some unseen force had repelled them.

Deep within the mountains, animals crumpled unconscious, their instincts screaming submission.

Then, in the dojo—

Students fell where they stood.

Villagers collapsed mid-step.

Revolutionary soldiers, hardened warriors, and even a young Roronoa Zoro, training alone in the distance, all succumbed to the pressure.

The only ones still standing were those with the strength to resist—Dragon, Ivankov, Bartholomew Kuma, and Koshiro.

Inside the warehouse, Dongze clutched Kuina tightly. His body trembled—not with fear, but with sheer, uncontained rage.

Tears slipped from his eyes, falling onto her pale face.

At that moment, his fury materialized into a force unlike any other.

Conqueror's Haki—霸王色の覇気—erupted.

The warehouse shattered.

Back in the dojo, Dragon narrowed his eyes, his instincts kicking in. With a slight exhale, his own Haki flared up, shielding the few remaining conscious individuals from the overwhelming pressure.

As the opposing forces clashed in the air, Dragon's lips pressed into a thin line.

"This Haki… It's Conqueror's Haki."

The others barely had time to process his words before he added, inwardly stunned, "But this level… It rivals the strongest I've ever encountered."

A deep crack split the sky itself, as though the heavens had been torn asunder.

"Oi, Dragon! You've gotta be joking! You're telling me some brat in the East Blue has Haki strong enough to match yours?!" Ivankov shouted in disbelief.

Dragon didn't answer immediately.

Because it wasn't a match.

It was overwhelming.

His own Conqueror's Haki—a force powerful enough to make warlords and admirals wary—was being crushed, ravaged by an unfathomable presence.

"This intensity… This level of Haki… Could it be comparable to the legendary Rocks D. Xebec?"

Realizing he couldn't overpower it, Dragon sighed and withdrew from the confrontation, focusing solely on shielding those around him.

Back in the ruins of the warehouse, Dongze's ragged breathing slowed. His fury ebbed slightly as a soft, familiar voice reached his ears.

"Dongze… are you crying?"

The words were barely a whisper, but to Dongze, they were like a thunderclap.

His eyes widened.

The weight crushing his chest lifted as he looked down at the girl in his arms.

Kuina—blinking up at him, alive.

"Kuina… you're okay…"

Relief surged through him, leaving him breathless. He pulled her close, holding her as though afraid she might vanish.

Kuina, now fully aware of the situation, felt heat rise to her cheeks.

It turned out that while sharpening her newly inherited Wado Ichimonji, she had slipped from the second floor of the dojo, hitting her head and passing out. It was a simple accident.

She had not died.

She had not been stolen by fate.

As realization settled in, she shivered slightly.

For all of Dongze's teasing about her physical weakness, this moment had genuinely frightened her.

But before she could say anything, voices erupted outside.

Dragon, Ivankov, Kuma, and Koshiro stood at the edge of the ruins, all staring at Dongze in open disbelief.

"…Koshiro. This monster… is your disciple?" Ivankov finally spoke, breaking the stunned silence.

Koshiro smirked. "That's right."

Ivankov crossed his arms. "Unbelievable. A brat from the East Blue just unleashed a Haki strong enough to shake the world."

A mischievous glint flickered in Dragon's eyes.

"Oi, Koshiro! Let's talk. How about letting this kid join the Revolutionary Army?"

Koshiro's smirk widened.

"Forget it. Not happening."

"Oh? And why not?"

"Because my daughter is interested in him."

"Oi, oi! Using your daughter as a bargaining chip?! That's low!"

"I don't see you stopping me."

"Old man, have you no shame?!"

Amidst their back-and-forth, the storm that had swept through Shimotsuki Village finally subsided.

The island had returned to normal.