Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

Tsuna and the others were completely unaware of the situation unfolding at Vongola headquarters.

At this time, they had already begun their new semester.

Perhaps Reborn had worked some magic, but the class reassignments for the new term did not separate Tsuna and his friends.

After spending the entire summer together, the bond between Tsuna's group had solidified completely.

Following 40 days of intense training, even Tsuna's rusty brain seemed to have sharpened slightly. 

In the first quiz of the semester, his average score improved from 17 to 23 points—a significant jump.

Although he still held the title of last place, he was at least one step closer to not being the absolute worst.

Tsuna claimed... 

he could live this peaceful life for ten thousand years!

Ever since the Mukuro Rokudo incident ended, they had immediately thrown themselves into a grueling training camp, giving Tsuna the uneasy feeling that another storm was on the horizon.

But now, it seemed that all of it had been just his imagination.

...

In the blink of an eye, nearly a month had passed since the start of school. Without the mafia or constant fighting, even the air felt fresher.

Tsuna felt utterly relaxed, free from any pressure.

Although they still performed basic physical training every night, after surviving the hellish 40-day training camp, such exercises felt as easy as eating or drinking.

However...

with the Vongola family transitioning to a new generation, could Tsuna and the others truly continue to live in such peace?

...

Tokyo, in a quiet alley.

The bright crescent moon shone through the darkness, casting a faint light on the ground.

Amid the silence of the buildings, a sudden spark appeared, followed by the sound of swords clashing.

Two figures darted between the buildings like ninjas.

"Cough…" 

A young man with blue flames burning atop his head suddenly fell from the sky, groaning in pain before swiftly standing back up.

And then, in the next instant!

A terrifying glint of cold steel flashed!

A sharp longsword slashed through the air, narrowly missing the young man and piercing deep into the ground.

The solid tiles, as if made of soft sand, were effortlessly pierced by the sword.

Laughter, wild and animalistic, echoed through the alley.

"Hiiiiyaaaa!!!"

The long-haired Squalo Superbia grinned menacingly as he stepped forward, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he glared at the young man.

"Kid! Why would a low-level doorman like you know when the foreign advisor is coming to Japan?!"

"If you don't spill the truth, I'll slice you to pieces!"

As he spoke, Squalo swung his sword, causing a violent gust of wind to tear toward the young man.

"Ugh…"

The young man with the blue flames quickly raised his arms, attempting to shield himself from the force of the slash.

Even though he was exhausted, he stubbornly replied, "You want information from me!?"

"That's not going to happen!!!"

"Oh?" 

Squalo sneered, raising his head arrogantly as he looked down on the young man.

He began to approach him step by step, the moonlight reflecting off his sword, making it gleam with an icy light.

"Who gave you the guts to talk to me like that, kid!?"

In a fit of anger, Squalo swung his sword once more!

In an instant, a powerful slash flew out, blasting a massive hole in the ground beneath the young man's feet.

Under the weight of the attack, the young man's body was blown backward, as if caught in a hurricane.

But he had been prepared.

Using the force of the blow to his advantage, the young man leaped forward, gracefully landing atop a nearby rooftop.

Mid-air, he turned to taunt Squalo, "Didn't expect that, did you?! This is my escape route!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the young man pushed off the rooftop, disappearing into the shadows between the buildings.

As the moonlight faded, his figure vanished into the quiet alley.

Squalo's powerful slash reached the rooftop a second too late, leaving a massive crack in the ground.

"Damn brat!!!"

Realizing he had been tricked, Squalo leaped down into the alley, continuing his pursuit of the young man.

...

Morning.

The soft sunlight fell on Tsuna's face.

Having gotten used to going to bed early and rising early, he woke instantly, springing up from his bed with the agility of a fish.

After the intense training, his body had developed a muscle memory that responded to time as if it were second nature.

Even though he was back in his familiar bedroom, Tsuna could not forget the consequences of sleeping in.

Dressed in his school uniform and having finished a quick wash, he headed downstairs to the dining room.

However, before Tsuna could even start his breakfast, a shocking piece of news left him frozen, mouth agape.

"What!? You mean…"

"Did you find Dad?!"

Tsuna stared at her mother, Nana in disbelief.

Nana tilted her head, looking confused.

"Huh? Find what?"

Tsuna quickly asked, "Dad… hasn't he been missing for two years!?"

No wonder he was so shocked. After all...it had taken Tsuna a long time to come to terms with his father's disappearance. He had even prepared himself for the possibility of never seeing him again in this lifetime.

However, as Tsuna stood there in shock, Nana's cheeks flushed as she let out a playful laugh:

"Oh, that? I was just teasing you! I didn't think you'd take it so seriously, Tsuna you silly boy! Haha…"

"..."

"..."

"Teasing... me...?"

Tsuna's eyes went blank for a moment, as if he'd been hit by a ton of bricks. 

That dazed expression lingered with him throughout the entire day at school.

Until…

"Tsuna~ Tsuna~"

A sweet voice suddenly rang in Tsuna's ears, pulling him from his stupor.

Tsuna, who had been sitting at his desk, quickly turned his head.

And there, looking at him with curious eyes, was a cute, familiar face.

"Ky...Kyoko!?"

Seeing the girl of his dreams standing so close, Tsuna's face turned bright red.

He stammered, "Wh-What's the matter, Kyoko?"

Even though they'd shared an unforgettable summer together, it was still the first time Tsuna had been this close to her!

The soft fragrance from Kyoko made him feel both relaxed and elated.

With a sweet smile, Kyoko asked, "Do you have time after school? Want to go shopping together on the commercial street?"

"Commercial street?!"

Tsuna blinked in surprise.

Kyoko... was asking him to go shopping? Together?

Could it be… 

Was this the legendary date!?!

It was as if Cupid himself had shot an arrow straight into Tsuna's heart, turning his entire inner world into a pink, love-filled paradise.

His mother's earlier request to come home early to greet his father was instantly forgotten.

Surely, Dad would understand if he knew his son had a date with such a cute girl.

Justifying it in his mind, Tsuna turned back to Kyoko, nodded enthusiastically, and said, "Okay... YES!"

However...

Just as Tsuna was about to bask in the springtime of his youth, an unexpected voice interrupted.

"Great!!!"

Suddenly, two arms draped over Tsuna's shoulders.

It was Hayato and Takeshi standing beside him.

Hayato beamed with excitement.

"That's awesome, Jūdaime!"

"Now I can stay by your side even after school!"

Takeshi also clapped Tsuna on the shoulder with a big grin.

"Wow, Tsuna! Didn't expect you to want to hit the commercial street too..."

"In that case, why don't we stop by my dad's sushi shop tonight!"

Crash!!!

It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Tsuna's entire world.

He stiffly turned to his left and right, his neck creaking, and forced a wry smile.

"Hayato... Takeshi... You guys are coming shopping too?"

"Of course!"

Before Hayato and Takeshi could respond, Kyoko cheerfully chimed in.

"We haven't all hung out together since school started!"

"It just so happens that Haru's school had a holiday this afternoon due to a sports event, and there's a festival on the commercial street."

"So I arranged for us to meet up, and I invited everyone to join us on the shopping trip."

"My brother's coming too!"

For Tsuna, those 40 days of training had been nothing short of hell.

But for Kyoko and Haru, it had felt like a 40-day spring vacation.

In their minds, it was a treasured, unforgettable memory.

"So... that's it…"

After hearing Kyoko's explanation, Tsuna's excitement deflated, and he sighed.

But as he took in the happy, buzzing atmosphere around him, his expression quickly changed to match the cheerful mood, a broad smile spreading across his face.

"Well, then! Let's make the most of it and have some fun!!!"

The afternoon dismissal at Namimori Middle School was early, which meant if they went straight to the commercial street after school, they'd have plenty of time to spend the entire day together.

As for his "missing" father, who had now returned...

Well, his mother did say that his Dad would be staying for a while this time. What's a day or two?

He could always call home later and explain the situation.

With those thoughts in mind, Tsuna quickly joined the excited group, eagerly chatting about what to do once they arrived at the commercial street.

  ...

  …

A few hours later...

At the commercial street near Namimori Middle School.

Although their plans had taken an unexpected turn, Tsuna and the others still enjoyed a pleasant afternoon.

Taking advantage of the discounts from the festival celebrations, they visited several places—game arcades, pet shops, photo studios…

Even Tsuna found himself waiting outside a lingerie shop, awkwardly and excitedly, as Kyoko and Haru took their time inside.

But, as always, happy moments pass quickly.

Just as Tsuna and his friends were relaxing with cold drinks at an open-air café, they suddenly heard a loud explosion from one of the buildings on the commercial street.

"What was that?"

A startled Tsuna quickly turned his head toward the source of the chaos. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that the trouble unfolding had something to do with him.

"No way... I can't be that unlucky, right?"

While trying to convince himself, Tsuna glanced at the worried expressions on Kyoko and Haru's faces.

After a moment of thought, Tsuna turned to Ryohei and said, "Brother Ryohei, can you stay here and look after Kyoko and Haru?"

"Leave it to me!" Ryohei responded with a nod, full of confidence.

Feeling reassured with Ryohei's strength, Tsuna said no more and immediately ran toward the source of the commotion.

Behind him, Hayato and Takeshi exchanged glances and nodded, before quickly following after him.

...

...

"Wait for me, Jūdaime!" Hayato called out while running at full speed.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel shocked. It was only now that he realized just how much faster Tsuna, whom he admired, had become.

At first, Hayato thought he could easily catch up with Tsuna, but as they ran, he was stunned to find that the gap between them was growing larger and larger!

Left with no other option, he shouted after Tsuna.

It wasn't really his fault. 

Hayato's training had mostly focused on handling explosives, and a lot of his time was spent studying the intricacies of creating them. 

Compared to Tsuna, who had awakened his Dying Will Flame abilities and spent 40 days on physical training, it was no surprise that Hayato was lagging behind.

"Hayato, Takeshi?"

Hearing the familiar voice behind him, Tsuna slowed his pace.

He looked back and saw his two friends catching up, but said nothing. With just a quick nod exchanged between them, they resumed running toward the chaos.

Perhaps, even Tsuna hadn't realized it yet…

The once timid and fearful boy had, after enduring grueling training, gained the courage to confront challenges head-on.

And without even knowing it, he had become the leader others naturally followed.

Growth often happens quietly, unnoticed.

...

...

"Take this!!!"

Squalo shouted as he unleashed another powerful sword strike, slicing clean through the street ahead of him.

"Give up!"

"I don't know what you're trying to protect, but this is the end for you!!!"

Looking at the Vongola external advisor members in front of him, Squalo had no mercy. Although they had once fought together for the family, now, to secure XANXUS' rise to power, Squalo had no choice but to eliminate them.

At that moment, Tsuna and the others arrived near the battlefield.

Seeing a long-haired man wielding a sharp sword, relentlessly pursuing a weakened boy, Tsuna stopped in his tracks and let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness...

Judging from the scale of the fight, it was clear these two weren't ordinary people.

But at least, Tsuna thought, this battle had nothing to do with him.

After all, he didn't know either of these guys.

However…

Just as that thought crossed his mind, a voice called out from the young boy in the fight, shattering Tsuna's relief.

"Mr. Sawada Tsunayoshi!? Why are you here!?"

Squalo froze when he heard the boy call out Tsuna's name.

He immediately turned and glared at Tsuna.

"Sawada?!"

"Could it be... you're the son of Sawada Iemitsu!?"

A crazed grin spread across Squalo's face.

"I can't believe I found you so easily!"

"Once I cut you in half, XANXUS will become the Tenth Boss of Vongola!!!"

"…"

Tsuna: …? ? ?

How on earth is this my fault!? 

Is this guy insane!?

Tsuna's mind raced in confusion, but despite Squalo's threatening words, he wasn't paralyzed by fear.

At that moment, Tsuna could feel it clearly from Squalo…

Even with his newfound strength, it would still be difficult for him to deal any real damage to the man.

Tsuna stepped forward, ready to say something, perhaps to defuse the situation.

But before he could, Hayato suddenly strode forward, his voice sharp with anger:

"Hey! You white-haired bastard, what are you talking about!?"

"To become the Vongola Tenth, you have to defeat the rightful Tenth Boss!!!"

"Oh?" 

Squalo's grin widened.

Having defeated the strongest sword master of his time, he saw little threat in Tsuna or his friends. He rested his long sword casually on his shoulder, and with a sneer, replied:

"More yapping dogs, huh?"

"Don't worry, you'll all..."

"You'll all die!!!"

"What did you just say!?"

Enraged, Hayato immediately pulled out a handful of explosives from his jacket, ready to retaliate.

But before he could act…

A baseball bat suddenly swung in front of him, blocking his path.

"Hold on, Hayato."

Takeshi stepped in, calmly stopping his friend. Taking a step forward, he sized up the situation before speaking with a lighthearted tone.

"I don't really know what's going on here..."

"But this guy seems like an enemy, right?"

"Since he's wielding a sword, I think it's time to see how far I've come!"