Chereads / Nen in One Piece / Chapter 24 - Razor

Chapter 24 - Razor

CRASH*

"What do you mean there's no more sake left?" A tall, muscular pirate with wild purple hair shouted, his voice booming through the bar. His clean, white T-shirt strained against his broad shoulders, while red shorts and green-and-yellow shoes completed his aggressive look. He was clearly not someone to be messed with.

The bartender, trembling, tried to keep his composure. "B-but sir, we have plenty of other drinks. Please, try something else…"

The pirate leaned in, his face inches from the bartender's, a menacing grin spreading across his face. "Do you even know who I am? I'm Razor, captain of the Ace Razor Pirates. We're the most notorious crew in the South Blue, and I don't settle for anything less than sake."

Koby, sitting quietly at a corner table with Te, whispered under his breath, "Holy crap, Te. He looks just like Razor from Hunter x Hunter."

Te glanced at him, eyebrow raised. "Yeah… he's a dead ringer. Should we do something?"

Koby shook his head subtly, his gaze still locked on the angry pirate. "Nah, let's not draw attention to ourselves unless we absolutely have to."

Just as Koby finished speaking, Razor grabbed a nearby table and hurled it against the wall with an earth-shaking crash, sending splinters flying. The entire bar went silent, eyes wide in fear.

CRASH!

"WHO TOOK THE LAST BOTTLES OF SAKE?!"

The bartender, still shaking, immediately pointed toward Te and Koby in the corner. "Them, sir. They had the last bottles."

Te's eyes narrowed, his thoughts racing. 'This sniveling coward just threw us under the bus. We didn't even touch any sake'. He clenched his fists under the table, thinking, 'I'm going to tear this place apart before we leave'.

Koby sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is gonna be a problem, isn't it?"

Razor marched toward Te and Koby with a menacing grin, his fists clenched and eyes burning with anger. His intentions were crystal clear.

"You sniveling brats, you're gonna pay me and my crew for drinking all the sake!" Razor growled, towering over their table.

Te leaned back casually, smirking. "Uh, Razor, is it? I'm not paying you a damn—"

Before he could finish, Koby swiftly clapped a hand over his brother's mouth, stopping him from making the situation worse.

"What my dear brother meant to say," Koby said with forced calm, "is how much do we owe you?"

Razor's expression softened, and a cocky grin spread across his face. "I like you, brat. You recognize the situation you're in. That'll be 10 million Berries, or you two can be cabin boys on my ship to work off the debt."

CRACK!

In an instant, Koby lunged forward, delivering a clean punch that sent Razor flying backward across the bar, crashing into a table with a thud.

Te sighed, shaking his head. "Koby, you were supposed to diffuse the situation, not escalate it."

Koby shrugged, rubbing his knuckles. "I'm not paying 10 million Berries to this loudmouth, and I hated seeing that smug look on his face." He glanced at the fallen pirate. "He may look like Razor from Hunter x Hunter, but he acts like any common thug."

Razor groaned, sitting up while clutching his bleeding nose, his eyes blazing with rage. "You... you don't know who you're dealing with! I've got a bounty of 49 million Berries! I've eaten the Ball-Ball Fruit!"

Koby raised an eyebrow. "The what now?"

"I can turn anything I touch into a ball," Razor sneered, "or create one while keeping or changing its original weight. But here's the kicker—I can handle them like they weigh nothing. You two are dead meat."

Te burst out laughing, unable to hold it in. "First off, pause, my guy. 'Handle balls like they weigh nothing'? Really?"

Koby stifled a grin. "Yeah, man. Maybe work on the phrasing a bit."

Te continued, still chuckling, "And second, why do evil background characters number 12 always feel the need to monologue about their abilities? It's like they've never seen what happens to people who do that."

Razor, enraged, stumbled back to his feet, wiping the blood from his nose. "You think this is funny? I'm gonna wipe those smug grins off your faces!"

Koby held up a hand, his expression calm. "Look, pal, before you do something you're really going to regret, how about me and my brother just leave? No harm, no foul, we'll go on our merry way."

Razor's face twisted into a snarl. "It's too late for that! Let's see how you handle my SUPER SPIKE!"

He touched two metal barrels next to him, shrinking them down into volleyball-sized spheres with his Ball-Ball Fruit powers. With a fierce backspin, Razor launched the two metal balls high into the air, grinning as he took his approach.

Te and Koby watched in silence, both thinking the same thing: 'Wow, the startup of this attack is slow and so impractical.'

WOOSH!

CLANG!

The two metal balls hurtled through the air with immense speed and force, cutting through the bar's atmosphere like cannonballs. However, just as easily as they were thrown, they were caught—Te and Koby each grabbed one with a single hand, stopping them dead in their tracks.

Te yawned exaggeratedly, lazily spinning the heavy ball on his finger. "Yawn… is that all you've got?"

Koby tossed his ball up and down like it weighed nothing, smirking. "Yeah, you might wanna workshop that move, Razor. It's... kinda slow."

Razor's face went pale as he watched the brothers handle his attack with zero effort. "I-Impossible!" he stammered, backing up. "Those balls weigh a ton! How did you—"

"Look, we told you we didn't want any trouble," Koby said, shrugging as he casually lobbed the ball back at Razor's feet, cracking the floor beneath it. "But you really wanted to do this the hard way."

Te grinned, tossing his ball onto the ground with a loud thud. "So, here we are."

Razor swallowed hard, looking between the brothers and the wreckage. His bravado melted away, replaced with panic.

"Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me," Razor repeated, his forehead pressed against the floor as he kowtowed at the brothers' feet, his voice shaking.

Te, a devilish grin spreading across his face, glanced down at Razor. "Well, I wouldn't be much of a pirate if I just let you off after disrespecting me like that."

Razor's head shot up, his face pale. "Y-You two are pirates?" His voice cracked with disbelief. "I-I've never heard of you, and I've been to the Grand Line!"

Te raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying himself. "Oh, you haven't heard of us? Typical of a low-life like you." He straightened up, putting on his best menacing tone. "I am the Chemist, Te Krueger, the man with a billion Berri bounty! Captain of the Hunter Pirates in the New World!"

A collective gasp rippled through the bar as the patrons' jaws practically hit the floor. "A... BILLION Berri?!" someone shouted, eyes wide in shock.

Te's grin widened, basking in the reactions, while Koby stood off to the side, trying to stifle his laughter. He could barely contain it anymore. Finally, he burst out, chuckling. "Pfft—oh man, Te, seriously, leave the poor soul alone!"

Te broke character, letting out a chuckle himself. "Fine, fine. Let's get outta here." He gave Razor a final pat on the head. "But remember this face, Razor—next time, don't mess with pirates who are out of your league."

Razor nodded frantically, still shaking as Te and Koby turned and headed for the door, leaving the bar's patrons murmuring in awe.

As they stepped outside, Koby nudged Te. "A billion Berri, huh? Captain of the Hunter Pirates in the New World? You really went all out back there."

Te laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Hey, I had to sell it. Besides, it was fun seeing their reactions."

"You're lucky we didn't get called out on it," Koby smirked. "But yeah, that was pretty entertaining."

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

Elsewhere on the island of Sorbet, there was a little girl playing with her toys, with her 'Nanny' keeping an eye on her.

" When can I see my dad," Bonney said.

"Once you are done with your treatment you can see him." The nanny said.

"Ok!" Bonney continued playing with her toys none the wiser.

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

"So, where to next?" Koby asked, stretching as they walked away from the bar, the streets bustling with life around them.

"We need to kill a few hours before it gets dark," Te replied, glancing at the sun still hanging high in the sky.

"Bar?"

"Bar."

And just like that, the decision was made. Without hesitation, the two strolled down the cobblestone streets, side by side, on the hunt for their next watering hole. The sound of merchants haggling and children playing in the background faded into white noise as the brothers focused on their mission: finding the perfect spot to kick back and knock a few more drinks.

As they walked, Koby glanced at Te. "You know, we've probably been to every bar in this town by now."

Te shrugged. "Eh, still gotta be one we missed. Besides, it's not like there's anything better to do until we handle business later."

Koby smirked. "Right. Priorities."

They continued to stroll, both keeping their senses open, not just for a good bar, but for any signs of a great bar.

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

Ronin lay sprawled across the hotel bed, snoring peacefully as the late afternoon sun streamed through the window. His sword rested nearby, leaning against the wall, its polished blade glinting softly in the fading light. He was in a deep sleep, completely unaware of the footsteps creeping outside his door.

BANG!

The door burst open, splintering as two rough-looking pirates stormed into the room, grinning wickedly. They had spotted Ronin earlier in the streets, and the gleam of his sword had caught their greedy eyes. Now, with him fast asleep, they thought they'd struck gold.

"There it is," one of the pirates whispered, pointing at the sword. "Take him out quickly, and the blade is ours."

But before either of them could make a move, Ronin's eyes snapped open. Without a word, and quicker than they could blink, he was on his feet. His hand reached for the sword, and in one fluid motion, he unsheathed it and swung.

SLASH!

The first pirate collapsed instantly, his body hitting the ground with a dull thud, blood pooling beneath him. The second pirate's eyes widened in horror as he tried to backpedal, but Ronin was already on him. With a swift strike, the second man's life was ended just as quickly.

Ronin yawned, hardly bothered by the attack. He calmly wiped the blood from his blade, muttering to himself, "Can't a guy get some sleep?"

Without a second thought, he walked over to the window, opened it, and tossed both bodies out. The two pirates fell into the alley below with a quiet thud, the darkening street concealing the evidence of the brief encounter. Ronin shut the window, then stretched lazily before turning back to his bed.

"Eh, I'll deal with that later," he mumbled, flopping back onto the mattress.

Within seconds, he was asleep again, undisturbed by the chaos he had just so effortlessly handled.

-----------

Lila strolled through the bustling marketplace of the Sorbet Kingdom, her eyes scanning the stalls filled with various trinkets, clothes, and accessories. She was particularly drawn to one of the booths displaying a stylish, vibrant shirt that caught her eye. Smiling to herself, she reached for it—but just as her fingers brushed the fabric, another hand snatched it away.

"Excuse me," a sneering voice interrupted. Lila turned to see a group of rough-looking female pirates standing behind her, the leader of them holding the shirt with a smug grin. She was tall with wild, dark hair, and a scar running down the side of her face. "I believe we were here first."

Lila raised an eyebrow, keeping her cool. "Funny, because I'm pretty sure I was about to buy that."

The pirate leader's grin widened, her companions snickering behind her. "Oh, is that so? Well, too bad. You're not getting it."

Lila glanced at the other pirates, noting the challenge in their eyes. She sighed, already feeling the tension rising. "Look, I don't want any trouble. But if you're not going to put it back, then we'll have a problem."

The pirates laughed, clearly underestimating her. "You think you can take us on? You're outnumbered, little girl."

Lila's eyes narrowed. "I've taken down bigger idiots than you with one hand. Want to test me?"

The pirate leader stepped forward, her grin disappearing. "You just made a big mistake."

Before anyone else could react, the leader lunged at Lila, but she was ready. With lightning-fast reflexes, Lila dodged the attack and grabbed the pirate by the arm, flipping her over and sending her crashing into a nearby stall. The other pirates gasped, but that didn't stop them from charging at Lila all at once.

WHAM!

Lila swung her leg in a high kick, knocking two of them out cold before they could even touch her. The remaining pirate hesitated, but Lila didn't give her a chance to back out. She grabbed the last pirate by the collar and threw her into a stack of barrels with a force that left her dazed and groaning.

Dusting off her hands, Lila casually stepped over the pile of unconscious bodies and picked up the shirt. She walked over to the vendor, handed him a handful of Berri, and smiled. "I'll take this, thanks."

The vendor, wide-eyed and trembling, simply nodded, accepting the money.

With the shirt in hand, Lila left the marketplace, shaking her head. "What a waste of time," she muttered, glancing back at the beaten pirates. "Guess I'll go find Te and Koby. They're probably causing trouble by now."

With that, she headed down the street, her footsteps light but determined as she made her way toward the bar, where she figured her brothers might be.

-----------

Inside the dimly lit bar, Razor sat nursing his pride, still fuming from the earlier encounter with Koby and Te. His bruised face and ego stung as he replayed the humiliating moment when Koby sent him flying. His crew tried to give him space, sensing the captain's foul mood.

Suddenly, the door of the bar flew open with a bang. A frantic pirate from Razor's crew staggered in, his face pale and drenched in sweat.

"Cap'n! Cap'n Razor!" the pirate gasped, rushing over to their table. "We've got a serious problem!"

Razor barely glanced at him, still simmering in his thoughts. "What now?" he growled. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

The pirate looked around nervously, lowering his voice. "Some of our men... they've been taken out."

Razor's eyes snapped up, finally giving the man his full attention. "Taken out? By who?"

The pirate hesitated, wiping his brow before speaking. "A girl and some guy. The girl was blonde, wore some kinda flashy coat, and the guy… dark hair, looked half-asleep, carrying a sword. They tore through our men like it was nothing!"

Razor's eyes narrowed, a flicker of recognition passing through them. "Blonde girl… and a swordsman," he muttered to himself. "Go on."

"And Cap'n," the pirate continued, his voice shaky, "I saw them earlier in the day. They were walking around town with two teenage boys—looked like brothers. Curly hair, almost identical."

Razor's face tightened as it all clicked together. Lila and Ronin. And the two boys had to be Koby and Te. The realization hit him hard. He'd already gotten a taste of Koby's strength earlier, and now these other two were knocking out his men?

"Shit…" Razor cursed under his breath, but he quickly masked his panic with a calm expression.

"You sure it was them?" Razor asked, leaning forward with a piercing gaze.

The pirate nodded vigorously. "Yes, Cap'n! I'm sure of it! Those boys were with them earlier. And now… now our guys are down."

Razor leaned back in his chair, his fists clenching beneath the table. He couldn't afford to let his crew get wiped out by these people. He'd already tasted defeat, and the last thing he needed was another disaster.

"Alright," Razor said after a long pause. "Listen up. If you want to live, you'll drop this. I don't care how tough you think you are, those four aren't to be messed with. Spread the word to the rest of the crew: stay the hell away from them."

The pirate blinked in surprise. "But Cap'n, they—"

"I said drop it!" Razor's voice boomed, cutting him off. "Those people… they're dangerous. You've already seen what they can do. If anyone tries to go after them again, they won't just be dealing with me—they'll be dead before they know what hit 'em."

The pirate stood there, trembling, before nodding quickly. "Y-Yes, Cap'n. I'll make sure the others know."

As the pirate rushed out to deliver the message, Razor sat in silence, staring down at his drink. His crew wasn't ready to face monsters like that. The thought of tangling with them again sent a chill down his spine.

"Damn it," he muttered, gripping his glass tightly. "Those kids are way out of our league."