April 6, 1514 of the Sea Circle Calendar – A rocky canyon on the southern side of Shiga Island.
"Impact Gun!"
Aeridar's figure darted between the boulders, his fingers snapping in rapid succession.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Ripples shimmered faintly in the air.
Roughly ten meters ahead, a massive three-meter-high rock was blasted into a cloud of dust, its surface punctured with deep craters.
"Geppo!"
Aeridar leapt skyward, tapping mid-air with both feet. Each step released a burst of white steam and a crisp boom-boom-boom, as though the air itself were solid beneath him. He seemed to ascend invisible stairs—like something out of a martial arts light-foot technique in a wuxia novel.
In the blink of an eye, he soared over thirty meters into the sky. Then, twisting at the waist, he whipped his right leg down in a swift arc.
"Rankyaku—Crescent Slash!"
Whoosh—!
A crescent-shaped blade of blue-white energy, over two meters long, cleaved through the air.
Shhhhk—
It struck the canyon wall, tearing open a gash several meters long. The fissure plunged deep into the stone, so dark it was impossible to tell how far it reached.
"Haah—Impact Cannon!"
With a powerful shout, Aeridar spun midair, raised his right arm, and clenched his fist tight. His exposed forearm bulged like a coiled dragon—muscles straining, veins protruding. An overwhelming force surged forth as he drove his fist toward the ground.
The air around him trembled. Instantly, a pale-white cylindrical shockwave formed and smashed into the canyon floor. The rock beneath it exploded into a spray of rubble.
BOOOM!!!
The sound hit like a bolt of thunder on a clear day. The ground quaked violently, and a wave of dust erupted skyward, blanketing the area in smoke and debris.
Fwip—!
Aeridar dropped from the sky.
Thud—!
He landed with a seismic crash, the impact fracturing the earth in a web of cracks. The shockwave scattered the dust, revealing the devastation below.
Just ahead, about ten meters away, was a massive crater—roughly five meters wide. The interior was pitch-black, the depth uncertain, but it had to go down at least twenty or thirty meters.
"Whew…"
Aeridar exhaled deeply. His fists clenched, arms swelling, and his yellowish skin suddenly turned jet black—sheened like tempered steel.
"Armament Hardening: Twin Bear Pillars! (Localized Hardening)"
He vanished in a flash, reappearing beside a massive boulder. With both fists raised, he slammed down. The sheer force stirred the air, sending out a burst of wind that scattered pebbles all around.
BAM!
His obsidian fists struck the rock. The impact split it with a resounding crack. A stone over three meters tall and five meters wide shattered into pieces—the largest no bigger than a human head.
"Hey, boss! You out here?"
A voice echoed from beyond the rockfield.
"…Someone's calling me."
Aeridar paused, the voice strangely familiar. He turned toward the sound, but the jagged rocks obscured his view.
"Damn, they're outside."
He smacked himself on the forehead. The black coating faded, and his skin returned to its normal yellowish tone. Then he released his Observation Haki.
As expected, once his Observation Haki was active, he sensed a familiar presence moving quickly toward him—about two hundred meters away, just beyond the rocky outcrop.
"Hey, Arlan! I'm over here!"
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Aeridar strode toward the voice.
Not long after, a familiar figure came into view.
"Phew… Hey, Arlan. You came looking for me while I was training—what's up?"
Aeridar asked, still catching his breath.
Sure enough, it was one of his top enforcers—Arlan.
He wore a navy-blue and black suit, red tie against a crisp white shirt, and pointed crocodile-leather shoes. His spiky blue hair gleamed, and his features were sharply handsome: bright eyes, a straight nose, and a faintly cocky smile.
Compared to two years ago, he'd grown more mature—understandable, since he was now twenty-three. The most notable change was the eerie skull tattoo emblazoned on the back of his right hand.
Arlan ran a hand through his hair and grinned. "Boss, the last shipment's here."
Aeridar's eyes lit up. He moved past Arlan without another word.
"Come on. Let's head to the dock."
"Heh." Arlan chuckled and followed.
...
The western coast of Shiga Island.
Mountains loomed on all sides, trees thick as walls, boulders scattered like fallen giants. Hidden behind a leafy tunnel lay a narrow, secret cove.
Inside was a dock—and moored there, a colossal warship. Or rather, a sailing battleship. It stretched over 120 meters in length, a triple-masted behemoth.
At the prow, a black wolf's head howled skyward. The ship had five decks—three below, two above—and three full cannon decks: the top, the first below deck, and the second below. Its hull was sheathed in copper beneath the waterline. The color scheme was stark black trimmed with white sigils.
A few smaller boats drifted nearby.
The dock bustled with activity—around a hundred to two hundred men moving in sync. Three watchtowers kept vigilant watch, while teams below loaded goods, stacked timber, and manned more than a dozen cannons along the dockside.
"Boss!"
"Sir!"
"Over here, boss!"
As Aeridar and Arlan entered the harbor zone, a towering man in a black suit moved to guide them further inside.
When they neared the cannons, another large man—this one with a long scar down his cheek—grinned broadly.
"Twelve 24-pound cannons, all accounted for. That was the last piece—we're fully stocked now."
"Yeah… it's all here."
Aeridar glanced at him, then walked over to the nearest cannon. He ran his fingers along the barrel, closing his eyes as the cold metal hummed beneath his touch. Then he turned and grinned at the scar-faced man.
"Well done, Gorbo. You've worked hard. Looks like it's time for us to set sail."
"Heh heh—not at all, boss! We've all been waiting for this day."
Gorbo scratched the back of his head, gazing at the great ship bobbing in the cove, eyes alight with anticipation.
While they spoke—
A man in a black suit came running, breathless. "Boss! Someone in town is asking for you!"
"Slow down. Who is it?" Aeridar turned, curious. "Do any of you know him?"
The man shook his head. "No, he's a stranger. A young outsider. Says he's an old friend of yours."
"…An old friend?" Aeridar's eyes narrowed as a familiar face flashed through his mind.
"He said his name is Dimitri."
"…Heh."
Aeridar chuckled, then turned to Arlan and Gorbo with a smile.
"Our navigator has arrived."
"Looks like we've got another brother," Arlan said with a grin.
Gorbo smiled too.
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