As I stared down the dismembered body in front of me I realized:
I've won! The fight was over.
I've never killed anyone before, yet the sight of blood and the twisted remains of Morgan weren't affecting me in the slightest.
It would've been super concerning from a psychological perspective if I were still on Earth. But here? Here, it seemed almost normal. Oda-san might've skimmed over the blood and gore in the original series for the sake of a "Shonen" audience, but the world of One Piece was brutal as hell.
Or maybe... maybe I was just trying to rationalize the joy I felt after cutting down these men. Maybe I was just giving excuses for the thrill I had just felt.
The truth was, I didn't know and I didn't care. All I wanted was to savor this feeling, to hold onto this rush of victory.
But it was cut short.
My senses flared announcing a couple of new arrivals. My body reacted on instinct as I swung my sword. But the strike didn't land. It was stopped easily by a scabbard.
I looked up at the owner of the sword, and I was genuinely surprised by who I saw. Standing there, smiling—actually smiling—was Trafalgar Law. His signature hat tilted slightly as he looked down at me with an excited expression.
"Hi! I'm Trafalgar Law, and this here is Bepo," he said, gesturing towards the mink beside him. "What's your name, kid?"
I blinked, taking a moment to process the situation. Why was he smiling? Law never smiled. At least, not that I could remember from the series. He always had that cold, serious demeanor. Plus, where was the part when I would go to an information broker to get the details about Heart Pirates? What happened to the info-gathering arc?
Well, this sure was... anticlimactic.
I shook off my initial surprise and responded,
"Call me Zephyr. Also, who the fuck are you calling a kid? You look only a couple years older than me." I was tired, and my irritation was conveyed clearly.
Law didn't seem fazed. He continued as if he hadn't heard my jab at all.
"Damn, kid! Those are some nice moves you got there. But we should go somewhere else. Too many eyes on us right now."
I frowned. Sure enough, there were plenty of onlookers. I could feel their stares boring into me, gauzing how much of a threat I was.
But before I could even think of a proper response, Law murmured, "ROOM."
My heart sank as the world around me shifted. In an instant, the scenery blurred.
"MY LUUUNCHHH!"