The briefing room reeked of stale sweat and cheap tobacco, a fitting aroma for the grim news Captain Daigin was laying out. "Sky Pirates," he growled, his voice a rasping rumble that sent shivers down my spine. "Bulla the thief. Our target."
Bulla. The name alone was enough to make my palms sweat. A hundred million Berry bounty. 100 simulation points! My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat of avarice. I can exchange it with two Silver Simulation points.
"He wields the Bubble-Bubble Fruit," Daigin continued, his eyes narrowed, as if daring us to underestimate him. "Blue bubbles for flight, red bubbles for sinking. A slippery devil, that one."
"A Devil Fruit user? Bulla? Seriously?" I muttered.
Of all the things... I mean, on his bounty mentioned his 'Bubble-Bubble Fruit,' but I just assumed it was some weird nickname, some pirate slang. I didn't think... I didn't think it was literal. Devil Fruits are practically myths, aren't they? I've never even seen one in person. And at G-3? We don't have a single user. Not one. And this pirate, this slippery, arrogant thief, he just... had one? That's insane. No wonder he was so damn fast, so strong. It all makes sense now. But still... a Devil Fruit. That changes everything. It changes him. Makes him... more than just some pirate. Makes him... legendary thief in Grand Line. Damn.
"A hundred million, sir?" a young recruit squeaked, his voice barely a whisper.
"Yes," Daigin confirmed, his gaze hardening. "But don't be fooled. His strength is in his escape. He can make his ship vanish, like a ghost, into the sky or the sea, that why our mission is can take 2 years or longer."
Two years? He said this could take two years or more? My mind raced, calculating. A year of chasing a shadow, a phantom. But a hundred million Berry? That kind of reward was worth any risk, any hardship.
"His ship," Daigin explained, "is his greatest weapon. It can shift between air and water. This will be a long, drawn-out hunt."
Then, the bombshell dropped. "However," he said, his voice dropping to a low growl, "this isn't just about capturing Bulla. It's about recovering stolen property."
Stolen property? My interest waned slightly. As long as I can kill Bulla, I don't care about their trinkets.
"The Sky Pirates stole treasure," Daigin continued, his eyes glinting with a dangerous intensity, "treasure belonging to the World Nobles."
World Nobles? A flicker of unease danced across my skin. That complicates things. But only for a moment. A hundred million Berry is still a hundred million Berry. That sum overrides any fear.
"This mission," Daigin emphasized, "is of paramount importance. Failure is not an option."
Failure? I thought, a predatory grin spreading across my face. Failure isn't in my vocabulary. Not when 100 simulation points are within reach.
As the briefing ended, a dark determination settled over me. Bulla's slippery tactics, his phantom ship, the World Nobles' treasure – they were all just obstacles, stepping stones to my fortune.
I'll find him, I vowed silently, my gaze locked on the map of the Grand Line. I'll chase him to the ends of the earth. I'll bring him down and kill him and get 100 simulation points.
I left the briefing room, the salt-laced air now thick with the promise of riches. Tomorrow, the hunt begins. And Lazarus, driven by greed and ambition, would be ready. Ready to claim his prize.
During the nearly two years hunting the Sky Pirates, the Marines had encountered them more than 5 times but they managed to escape, which made this mission difficult. But this time, the opportunity to catch them was very big, because Captain Daigin got the news that the Sky Pirates had stopped on a nearby island.
And only I was brought by the captain, because he didn't want the Sky Pirates to know about the Marines' presence. Our task was to defeat Bulla with an ambush and use the shackles made of seastone to seal the power of his devil fruit. My pistol was loaded with seastone bullets, in case one shot was not enough to kill him, it will weaken him.
The skiff, a dark sliver against the moonlit sea, nosed into the shadowed cove. "Quiet," Captain Daigin hissed, his voice barely a whisper. "Remember, stealth is our advantage." The "Gale Rider" loomed, a black behemoth against the starlit sky.
We slipped ashore, our boots sinking silently into the damp sand. On the deck, Bulla, impossibly tall and slender, stood silhouetted against the mast. His face, youthful and strikingly handsome, held an air of arrogant command. He looks barely out of his teens, I thought, yet he commands these pirates with an iron fist, and his physical strength is said to be remarkable, even for a pirate.
Daigin drew his sword, the polished steel reflecting the faint light. "Now!" he whispered, and lunged.
"Foolish Marines!" Bulla's voice, surprisingly deep, cut through the night. A stream of shimmering bubbles erupted from his hands, some large, some small, all moving with surprising speed and force, but he also moved with powerful, rapid strikes, his punches carrying a weight that sent Daigin stumbling back. "You think you can sneak up on me?" He moved with an almost fluid grace, the bubbles and his raw strength combining for a chaotic and dangerous offense.
"Damn it," Daigin muttered, recovering his footing. "His Bubble Fruit isn't the most combat-oriented, but his sheer strength is captain-level."
Bulla grinned, a cruel twist of his handsome features. "You'll never catch me, old man!" He launched a barrage of larger bubbles, some bursting with concussive force, and followed with a powerful kick that sent a wave of debris flying towards Daigin.
Daigin parried, his sword flashing, deflecting the bubbles as best he could, and narrowly avoided the kick. "You underestimate me, pirate!" He pressed his attack, a whirlwind of steel and determination against Bulla's shimmering, explosive offense and brutal physical strength.
They're evenly matched in raw power, I thought, my heart pounding. But Bulla's devil fruit gives him an unpredictable edge. I saw my chance. Bulla, his attention fixed on Daigin, left his flank exposed. My hand tightened around the pistol, the cold steel a reassuring weight. This is it.
I shoot him.
The shot echoed through the cove, a sharp, decisive crack. Bulla staggered, his youthful eyes widening in disbelief. A crimson stain bloomed on his pristine white shirt. The bubbles surrounding him flickered and weakened. He looked down, his handsome face contorted in shock and pain, then crumpled to the deck, his devil fruit powers visibly diminished.
Ding! Host gets 100 simulation points.
"He's down!" I shouted, the adrenaline still coursing through me.
Daigin stared at the fallen pirate, his sword still raised. "Good shot," he said, his voice tight. "Very good." He sheathed his sword, a grim look on his face. "Well, it seems we won't be needing those seastone shackles after all. The seastone bullet weakened him enough." He looked at the ship, and then back to me. "With their captain gone, the Sky Pirates are vulnerable. They'll be disorganized, demoralized. Let's move quickly and apprehend the rest of the crew before they scatter."
The fight was swift and decisive. The Sky Pirates, lacking Bulla's leadership and sheer strength, offered little resistance. Fear and confusion reigned on the deck. We moved with practiced efficiency, securing the ship and rounding up the remaining pirates. The mission, once fraught with difficulty, had turned into a clean sweep.
Faced with Captain Daigin's threat to expose their secret, the pirates confessed the stolen treasure was on their ship. A small, World Noble's treasure box was found. Upon opening it, we were surprised to find an oddly shaped, green fruit. Captain Daigin's eyes widened. "A Devil Fruit," he declared.