Pushing lightly on his left feet, he rises above them suddenly, stretching of all is length, before plunging again amid the shocked crew. While they were all gawking at the feat of fitness, not a single of them reacts rapidly enough to avoid the end of Kreig spear, striking where Alex was, just a second before.

As the explosion ring, five pirates suddenly fall on themselves, their Achilles" tendon cut, offering a neat shield to Alex from the explosion.

Kreig fighting style wasn"t meant for close combat, not with his men all around. Launching the moaning pile of bodies to their captain, Alex hides in their shadows, circling them to arrive on Kreig left.

Surprised by the sudden attack, he reflexively swung his spear again, striking the inform ma.s.s nearing him at high speed. While open and obstructed by the smokescreen, Kreig only understands what happens when he feels his chest becoming lighter.

Giving a rapid glance, he sees with horror that his chest plate had vanished, leaving him only with his skintight black suit underneath. Moving his finger, he activates the guns on the left part of his armour on the left side, pelting it with bullets.

But Alex was already knowing the man style and had long since vanished behind him the second he was successful. Conturning his entirely, he was standing on his right side the moment he fires the mounted pistols.

With him concentrated on his left side, his grip on his spear had naturally lesser, allowing Alex to store every piece of armour from the finger to the shoulder, before retreating in the crowd as the smoke dispersed.

##################################

"Stop hiding your coward!" Shout Kreig furiously, after losing his chest plate and every piece of armour from his upper right side.

Never before had he face such an opponent. The man, while taller than most, even him, was incredibly stealthy and quick. He even stole his armour while he was still wearing it, and didn"t feel a thing! This was maddening! For a man like him who heavily rely on tricks and his weapons, the boy was turning into his worst adversary! He had lost his main weapon and the larger piece of protection he had. His diamond knuckles were gone, he only had left his pistol on his left shoulders and leg, as well as his flame thrower, who was now useless, as the liquid cartridge was in his chest piece.

Deprived of nearly all his weapon, he was left with hand-to-hand, but before that, he needs to found him in the sea of dumb morons that was looking at him with wide eyes.

"DOn"t stay like this, and search for him!" Scream him at them, snapping them back, before they ear pained yell on the far end of the deck, literally at the other side of their position.

##################################

Alex was running on pure instinct, already immersed completely in the fight, for the first time in his life. Weaving through the men, he hacks, slash, parry, dodge, side-jump and strike without thinking.

For the first time of his life, he understands why it feels so good to let his body exprimate itself. He was born with an otherworldly speed and instinct. His mind-hand coordination was so good that his limbs were moving nearly freely, evading blow on their own, while still keeping a connection with his mind, allowing him to retake control of them the instant he needs.

But he didn"t. In the HP world, it had been his magic, In DanMachi, it had been mindless creatures, and in ZnT his mind. Now, it was time for his body and instinct to run wild, and rather to fight it, he fully embraces the feeling.

Lost at the marvels of the prowess of his pumping blood, stretching muscles and fleshes, the coordination of his mind, all his attention was on this tenuous links maintaining and turning the whole into a beautiful dance of death.

While barely skilled, the sheer numbers of adversaries were pushing his body for the first time. He was loving the slight strains his muscles were put under for the first time, the exhilaration of shedding blood, the constant" minors change he could feel his instinct operating on his body, making him better, stronger, deadlier.

For the first time of his life, Alex was feeling free, totally free, and he loves it.

##################################

While he was basking into the feelings of euphoria, Kreig crew was far from sharing his feeling.

They were terrified at the monster shredding mauling and seeking them. He was a single man and yet, he was cutting through them like a sharp blade mowing the lawn. The men on the two free ships were all rushing there, but their numbers didn"t seem to rise, on the contrary, they seem to lose more and more men. For every one crossing the gangplank, two were falling by that demon hand and tails.

##################################

While curious as to why most of their opponent seems distracted, none of them misses the opportunities. Unlike Alex, they weren"t against using their fire ability, the only power he had shared with them, burning through dozen at a time. Their fight was rapidly finished, and while Kiuna and Tashigi would have prefered to use their blades rather than fire, it wasn"t the place to be difficult.

With the ships only left with burned and poisoned corpses, they all dart inside the ships, trying to salvage as much as possible, bringing everything on the deck, crushing some of the littering corpses at the same time.

While still keeping their guard just in case, they were surprised that not a single pirate was coming their way. They were around 200 men on each of their ships. With only 5 of them, it should have been around 360 men they should have faced, but the other 100+ never came.

It was only after they finish to gather as much as possible supplies that they understand why.

There, on one of the two ships that had tanked the cannon fire, all the rest of the men, the 800 were. Every one of them rushing at the slowly moving cl.u.s.ter formed at the end of the deck.

The only thing left behind it was knee-high (for them, so a little higher than waist high for any "normal" men) pile of the corpse, all showing large bleeding gash. They could see the hundreds of litres of blood soaking the deck, tainting the wood into a sombre red shade. There was so much of it that it was starting to acc.u.mulate into a thick layer of liquid on it.

The mix of charred corpses and heavy iron sent was turning them a little sick, but they stay still, looking at their man achieving the impossible.

##################################

"More, faster, lighter!"

Was all Alex thoughts at the moment, every parcel of concentration was fixedly directed into those single objectives. He had long since starting to acc.u.mulate small wounds, cut and blunt strikes, but it was nothing compared to the heavy, and mortal damages he was dealing each time.

His body seems to have started to learn on his own to doges, something bending more that it was humanly possible, leaving weapons barely scratches and cut his skin when they should have open the fleshes.

Rather than tiring from all those slashes and dodges, he wasn"t feeling like exhausting his body, he was even feeling like he was keeping his reserve at the same capacity, or feeling them decrease so slowly that it was nearly inexistent.

What he wasn"t knowing was that he was slowly improving his movements, with a subtle change of power and position, he was erasing superflux moves, better controlling his force and thus wasting less stamina, giving the impression that he was keeping it at the same level.

##################################

"What are you waiting! continue to swarm him, he is tiring! GO!" ANgrily yell Kreig at his men.

"Don, shouldn"t it be better for me or pearl to deal with him?" Ask Gin, while looking at the ma.s.sacre, not the less perturbated that his Don was sending his troops to their death.

"If they can"t bring him down I have no use of them for Grand Line. If they can"t kill a name-less kid of east blue, what use they will have in Grand Line?"

Gin could only nod at this, knowing it was true. More so, they are short in ships, it wouldn"t hurt to thin the crew, leaving just the stronger behind and recruit one on Grand Line if need.

##################################

Alex had long since turned red from all the splattering blood he had received but he couldn"t care less. Every time blood was flooding his hands and blades he would store it, leaving him to keep an iron grip on them.

He was feeling the tumps of his blood in his veins, the heat spreading to the confine of his limbs, his stamina, lowering a little more with each strike. Even his breath was starting to turn erratic, laborious, multiples...

The realisation was sudden, it was not his breath that was turning short, but there, he could feel it faintly, flickering on and off, the hairs on his body suddenly jolts, feeling as if the wind was blowing on his raw nerves, but without any pain.

He was aware. Aware of everything that was happening as far as he could stretch his tails, the breath of everything. the wind, the steel in their hands, the beck below him, even the corpses and blood seems to give off a particular breath.

For the first time in his life, he was feeling the breath of the wild.

But even when he feels it, his concentration never wavers, it even seems to rise, as if the barrier of his mind had been broken, freeing it to the external world. With but a thought, his blade fall on the raised steel mace ready to strike him, only to cut in without any problem, continuing its path unbothered, gutting the dumbfounded wielder.

##################################

All the pirates forming the tight cl.u.s.ter around him seems to freeze at the impossible sight. All their thoughts immediately derivated from the fight to a single question.

"How can he cut steel like it wasn"t here?!"

This was all he needs. Pushing the new feeling at his maximum, he melts in, a silver of fire, before crouching slightly and spinning on himself, his arm extending as much as he can, subconsciously muttering.

"Nitôryû, fire ring blast!"

Releasing the build-up energy while rising, a thin blue fire ring form at the drawn edge in the air, before immediately expending downward, burning through the surrounding into a six-meter wide disk centred on him.

The thin layer of fire was so much condensed that it burns through anything on its path, be it steel, flesh or bones. The tightly formed cl.u.s.ter of pirates immediately turns into a blank s.p.a.ce around him as a headless corpse with cauterised wounds falls.

He immediately feels the strain on his stamina, burning through his reserves and taking a good chunk with it. It also snaps him of his previous mental state. Seeing the dumbfounded expression of all, he immediately throws his knives to his tails, making his rifle appears, and shot Kreig.

Having aim at the unprotected chest, a fist-sized hole appears on their Don body, under the frozen gaze of his two lieutenants on his side. When they turn their head to the culprit, they barely had the time to take a glimpse at the flying shadow, before a knife impaled them, Gin in the heart, and Pearl, in the hole of his shield, leaving his throat open.

##################################

This was the signal from the girls that the show was over, jumping to the ships, they immediately start to take down the left messy 100 of leaderless pirates.

After the last four actions of Alex, their hopes have been completely crushed. With barely any resistance, they made a rapid work of the leftover, and Alex starts to collect everything.

##################################

the entire fight didn"t last more than two hours, in this short lapse of time, a crew strong of 1,800 men have been decimated by a crew of 5. All of this, while happening into the sea, had also been sufficiently near the restaurant from everyone on it to a.s.sist to it, as the ships had drifted to it during the fight.

"Lieutenant Fullbody, answer! Are you still there, Lieutenant Fullbody!"

The sudden yell of his denden Mushi snaps the man back.

"Sorry, yes, I still there!"

"What happens?"

"..."

##################################

Not long after he arrived at the floating restaurant with his date, Fullbody was interrupted by the sudden scream of a woman.

As all gaze land on her, who was standing near a window giving on the sea, she pointed outside, making everyone look at it. Silence fell on the floating restaurant before hastily steps were heard from outside.

"Lieutenant Fullbody, Kreig fleet had appeared!" The barging in Marine yell, while transporting a Denden Mushi with a line open.

Nodding at the marine, he takes the transponder.

"Here Lieutenant Fullbody, code 1566895, Location North, north-west of Cocoyashi island, onboard of the floating restaurant Baratie. I am here as a break but an emergency had happen, the vanished Kreig fleet just appears, distance..." He looks at the marine on his side.

"2 miles, sir!"

"... 2 miles. From the size, it seems that few ships are missing."

"Thank for your report, Lieutenant Fullbody, a patrol is not far, and had just lost track half-an-hour prior. Evacuate the civilian, there his a risk that fight broke through on the ship before reinforcements arrive."

"A common patrol won"t be able to take the man" fleet on their own, sir." Interject Fullbody.

"We are aware, captain Smoker is on his way and should arrive on the place in less than an hour. Prioritize the civilian evacuation, and if possible stay near, we need to know how this will turn out."

"Yes sir! Everyone, please calmly start to evacuate the ship, and sails further!"

Hearing that the marines were on their way calm the rising unrest, following the order, the customer starts to walk toward the exit, after cooks arrive, packing the leftover food for them to take. Settling their bills one after others, they had enough time to board their ships and boat, and sails further.

While still in the area, they would be able to easily flee, if the pirates arrive.

As the pirate"s ships came nearer, cannon blast suddenly resounds from the same direction. The pirate"s ships slowly changed their course and start to fire back.

"It seems that the patrol has arrived sir."

"Very well."

"A ship is already sinking... what?! where did they come from?!"

"What happen?!"

"Another ship had appears from the side of the pirates, and fives individual had boarded the empty ships of Kreig fleet before their ship vanish, sir!"

He hears static for a few seconds before yell could be heard in the back, before sc.r.a.pping sound and hurriedly stepping.

"Describe their general feature!"

From the stressed tone, he knows that something was happening. Taking the binocular tended from the marine on his side, he takes a look with one hand, while the second was still holding the transmitter.

"Four women, one man. I see a bluenette, two black, perhaps dark-blue and a redhead. The male is sporting a crimson mane of long hair..."

"f.u.c.k! Evacuate immediately the civilian, right now!"

The marine on his side immediately scamper away, and a few seconds later a red flare was seen rising in the air. The boat still near immediately start to sails away, leaving the floating restaurant and marine ship. During the call, the owner of the restaurant had made his way outside, staying close and listening to the conversation, his cooks behind, all armed and ready for the fight if needed.

"What happens? Who are they?"

"You say that you are still in a break, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, that right."

"Have you seen today news coo?"

"No, I was on my way here during their distribution time."

At his side, Zeff opens for him the newspaper. Giving a quick look he whitens at the crime listed from the crew.

"They are extremely dangerous criminal with a general bounty of 98,000,000B for Four of them, but it would seem that we are in need to add another one."

"What?!" Say him weakly, his eyes glued on the fight that had broken between the marine and the pirates. "Sir you must say to the reinforcement to hastily make its way, our men are being mowed there, they had already lost near a fourth of them!"

"Roger!"

##################################

A few minutes later they all see the ships of Smoker appears, bringing some relief, but it was ruthlessly squashed when they see Kreig action.

"Oda all mighty! Kreig just fired some sort of smoke bomb on the ship, no, poisonous gas! Captain Smoker had fallen into the sea and his men are falling one after other!"

Just like that, East blue swallowed another high ranking marine in a few days.

"Wait, what are they doing, are... The crew of five just started to fight Kreig crew on their own! The man was even facing alone what must be near a 1,000 men... and he is winning?"

What followed was a veritable slaughter, as a measure that the ships near them, they could better see what happen.

"Sir?" Ask Fullbody, a clear shake in his voice.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

"You might want to raise all their bounty, each of the crew members had taken on their own 200+ men alone, per dozen each time, with fire ability, and their captain seems to be a skilled blade user. I don"t know if it a Devil Fruit or a domain yet, but he was clearly able to cut through steel weapon easily, even mixing som fire in it to take more than 40 men in one go, and he just made appear a rifle out of nowhere and blow a hole in Kreig"s chest and stab his two lieutenant without effort."

"... Roger, I would advise you to immediately flee, they are ruthless against marines, there is no need to throw your life away in a lost cause, marine."

"Yes sir." He shakily hangs up, before making his way to his beat, and sail away.