"Why are ships so damn expensive?" I muttered, pacing through the bustling marketplace of Water 7. Everywhere I looked, ship prices ranged from 50 million to 200 million berries for decent ones, while the best ships—those masterpieces crafted by top-tier shipwrights—were priced anywhere from 500 million to a billion.
For a moment, I had considered myself wealthy, flush with the paycheck I received from my time with the Whitebeard Pirates. But reality was harsh. Ship prices reminded me how little my savings amounted to in the grand scheme of things.
The only silver lining was that I wasn't here to buy a full-fledged ship. I didn't have the people to crew one—not even a single soul. It was just me, alone and in search of a modest vessel. After the chaos of Marineford, I had hoped for some time to relax, but life had other plans.
Adding to my frustrations, I couldn't even roam around Water 7 freely. My recent rise in fame forced me to adopt a disguise—an oversized ronin hat and sunglasses that made me look ridiculous. It felt like I was a celebrity dodging the paparazzi. Annoying as it was, I couldn't deny the small thrill of being recognized as someone important.
What? Everybody likes being famous from time to time.
After hours of wandering through the ship market and feeling increasingly disappointed, I eventually shifted my search to smaller boats. It was there that I found something perfect: a sleek, modern houseboat with a clean, minimalistic design.
The polished wooden deck gleamed a dark shade, complementing the navy blue roof. Inside, the houseboat had a cozy layout—a small kitchen, a bath, and two rooms. What caught my attention, though, was its high-powered engine, capable of speeds up to 200 miles per hour. While it lacked a Seastone coating to repel Sea Kings, I wasn't worried. If Sea Kings dared to attack, I could handle them.
It cost me 20 million berries, almost half my savings. Stocking it with supplies—fuel, food, and some basic tools—ate further into my funds, leaving me with only 25 million berries. The sting of spending so much in one day lingered, but I consoled myself. The boat was worth it.
With my new boat secured, I set my sights on Sabaody. Shady deals were extremely common there—devil fruit catalogs, rare items, and all kinds of contraband. I wasn't above robbing a few criminals to balance my dwindling fortune.
As I started my journey towards Sabaody, I remembered how the Straw Hats got Going Merry. And that alone made me angry. I mean, they got the ship for free just cause Usopp has a rich 'girlfriend'. I can't even describe how unfair that is.
I know, I know. I'm just venting. But the 'being too poor to buy a ship' thing is annoying me way too much. So, I decided to cool off by hunting a few Sea Kings.
After five hours and adding a few Sea Kings to my inventory I reached Sabaody. It was already dark when I arrived. I docked my boat in the lawless zone of the archipelago, taking extra precautions to hide it. I set up traps around the boat to deter thieves. With that done, I ventured into the island's dense jungle, guided only by moonlight.
My boat was parked right beside a jungle. The trees were a bit larger than usual and I didn't see any roads or houses there. So, I just picked a direction from the map and started heading there. It was nice to roam around in a moonlit night. It was quite peaceful.
But my peace was short-lived as I heard the sound of a metallic door hatch being opened from my right. I was curious to see what was the source of the sound. So, I erased my presence as much possible and moved towards the source of the sound.
I climbed onto a tree and started observing what was happening. Two dark robed figures were guarding the metallic door. The surprising thing was that the door was connected to the ground below. An underground hideout. A secret hideout of the World Government maybe.
My suspicion was confirmed to be true as people emerged from the door. Slaves. They were chained in their arms, legs and necks. Their bodies were battered and bruised that showed signs to inhuman torture. They wore a bland tunic made of wool that had turned red. My anger was increasing by the second one by one almost thirty slaves exited the hideout.
It seems I'm going to kill a bunch of marines tonight.
Normally, I try avoiding killing marines as I know very well that there are marines who are working just to make the world a better place. But this was unforgivable. They're going to get a painful death tonight.
I stayed hidden, though, scanning the scene for the person in charge. The slaves all wore explosive collars, and I wasn't foolish enough to rush in without ensuring their safety first. After waiting for a couple of minutes, the overseer exited. He was middle-aged, with a scar running down his left eye. He carried himself with a swagger of authority, tossing a remote control in his hand—the trigger for the slaves' collars. His muscles suggested he was trained, likely a haki user, but he didn't feel like much of a threat to me.
I was about to jump in when more figures emerged from the bunker. Five robed guards struggled to restrain someone, dragging her into the moonlight.
"Sir, she's too strong! We need more help," one of them pleaded.
The overseer groaned in frustration, rubbing his temples. "Ugh, this is why I hate working with amateurs. Can't do a single thing right!" Then he went on a rant about how hard his job is.
But my attention was already elsewhere towards the figure they were trying to restrain. She stood as tall as me, nearly two meters, her body covered in scars—far more than the other slaves. These weren't just wounds from beatings. The precision of the cuts suggested she had been experimented on. Which wasn't surprising considering how World Government behaved with other near-extict races.
Even though she looked almost like a human, with her deep red hair and pitch-black eyes; The horns attached to her head gave away the identity of her race pretty quickly.
An Oni.
I knew basically nothing about Onis. The only two known people of their race are Kaido and Yamato. But what I do know is that they are physically a lot stronger than normal humans. And considering even five men could not restrain her properly, it would be sufficed to say that the assumption is true.
But it wasn't her strength that struck me. It was her eyes.
I had expected hatred, but there was none. Instead, her eyes burned with raw determination. There was no malice, no desire for revenge—just an unyielding will to survive and one day become strong enough to kill her oppressors.
Hatred is fleeting in nature and it's quite self-destructive. It fades with time, and even the strongest desire for revenge often leaves people empty once fulfilled. But determination? That's something else entirely. It's a fuel that drives you forward, no matter the odds. It drives you towards doing extreme things to ensure that your goal is fulfilled. Determination is what makes a person truly strong.
Now, that was truly interesting.
The supervisor wasn't a fan of having an unruly slave. So, he punched her right in the gut with a haki infused fist. He looked at her and gestured towards the controller in his hand.
"Look, girl. I know that I can't kill you right now seeing that you are a too valuable test subject. But that doesn't mean that you can do as you want. From now onwards every time you move without asking permission, I'll blow someone's head off. And for injuring one of my men earlier, I'll give you a first-hand demonstration."
The supervisor grinned in an ugly was as he lifted up the controller. But even before he could do anything, he found that his fingers were not responding. Confusion spread through his face as looked at his missing wrist. Then came the scream.
But my attention was already elsewhere as I threw away the wrist I just dismembered just now. The controller was now safe in my hands. The five men that were holding the oni looked at me fearfully. It seemed as if their heartbeat has stopped. My eyes went towards the oni in question. She was definitely startled to see me.
"You seem strong. Tell me girl, what's your name?"
She studied me carefully, her gaze flickering to the bloodstained ground, the discarded wrist, and finally to the sword at my hip. Her confusion was evident, but so was her curiosity. After a long pause, she finally spoke.
"Akane," she said, her voice steady despite her injuries. "My name is Akane."