A seconde chance : Between Land and Sea

Seeing two figures sprinting toward them, the pirates, still riding high from their victory over the ship's defenders, took a moment to process what they were witnessing. But when their eyes locked onto Koby, a palpable tension filled the air. It wasn't just the appearance of the two intruders that unnerved them: one was a carefree-looking young man wearing a straw hat, his disarming smile brimming with unshakable confidence, while the other had a calm yet chilling gaze that seemed to pierce through their very beings. The latter gripped a staff tightly, advancing with an assurance that left no room for doubt.

They knew Koby. They had seen him trembling under orders, bowing his head, obedient and unremarkable. But this man… though he wore the same face, he was nothing like the Koby they remembered. This Koby bore no trace of subservience. He exuded an entirely different aura—dangerous, commanding, almost menacing.

A shiver rippled through the pirates' ranks. One of them, looking more nervous than the others, broke the silence with a sharp yell:

"Stop them! Now!"

The group hesitated, but only for a fraction of a second—just long enough for chaos to descend upon them.

"Gomu Gomu no… PISTOL!"

Luffy's arm stretched like a whip, striking the first pirate head-on and sending him crashing into the wall. The others gasped, stunned by Luffy's bizarre power, but they didn't have time to react.

Meanwhile, Koby advanced with deliberate, heavy steps, his staff gripped firmly in his hands. Unlike Luffy's fluid and almost playful style, Koby's approach lacked elegance—it was all raw strength and cold determination.

A pirate lunged at him, roaring a battle cry and raising his sword to strike. Koby evaded awkwardly but countered with brutal force: he swung his staff in a wide arc, striking the pirate's side with everything he had. The man cried out as he was flung against the wall, landing with a resounding crash.

Koby straightened, breathing heavily, his eyes briefly scanning the aftermath of his strike. He hadn't calculated the blow—it had been purely instinctive, an eruption of brute strength. But there was no time to dwell on it. Another pirate charged at him.

"You're gonna pay for that, kid!"

This time, Koby didn't bother dodging. He pivoted smoothly, using the pirate's momentum against him. His staff came down hard on the man's back, a sickening crack echoing through the air. The pirate collapsed to the floor, screaming in pain as his weapon clattered away.

Koby stood tall, his hands still tightly gripping his staff. His breathing quickened momentarily before steadying again, and his calm, piercing gaze swept over the remaining pirates. The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the groans of the pirate at his feet.

He broke the stillness with a voice low but crystal clear, each word carefully measured, carrying the weight of his composure:

"I am aware of the violence of my actions. It far exceeds what you might call self-defense."

The pirates, frozen in place, listened without fully understanding where he was going.

Koby drew a slow, deliberate breath before continuing, his tone unwavering:

"I haven't yet mastered my strength. This could've been avoided if I'd reached the level of control I aspire to. This brutality… it's my fault. I accept that."

A heavy silence settled over the scene. His words, spoken with disarming sincerity, hung in the air like an inevitable confession.

Then, in a deliberate motion, he inclined his head slightly, an almost apologetic expression crossing his face.

"But know this: I won't stop because of it. I can't. And for that, I apologize."

The calm in his voice, far from reassuring, sent a ripple of apprehension through the pirates. Koby didn't shout or try to intimidate—his honest and determined words were more unsettling than any threat.

Luffy, observing the scene, kept a neutral expression that masked his silent reflection. Though busy fending off his own attackers, he kept an eye on Koby, watching as his crewmate unleashed his strength. The strikes of the staff, the thud of bodies hitting walls, and above all, Koby's serene acknowledgment of a violence he had yet to fully control… all of it resonated in Luffy's mind.

Luffy wasn't one for overthinking details, but he had an innate understanding of people. And in that moment, he saw something in Koby that he respected. Not just strength—many had that. What Luffy saw was a man grappling with his own limits, owning his weaknesses while pushing forward regardless.

Adjusting his straw hat slightly, Luffy's eyes sparkled with curiosity and silent admiration. Koby wasn't like him. Luffy fought because it was what he did best, following his heart without hesitation. Koby, on the other hand, carried every blow as a responsibility, every move a reflection of who he was and what he aimed to become.

"He overthinks things," Luffy thought, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. But it wasn't a criticism. Koby's difference was what made their alliance intriguing.

Luffy glanced away from the fallen pirates to his crewmate, who was wiping the sweat from his brow. There was a maturity in Koby that Luffy didn't often encounter.

"Shishishi…" Luffy's light laugh broke the tension. He stepped toward Koby, casually draping an arm over his shoulder.

"No need to master it all at once," he murmured, his tone gentle but carrying a quiet confidence in what lay ahead. "We're moving forward together, right?"

Koby looked up, caught off guard by the simplicity of Luffy's words. There was no judgment or analysis in them. For Luffy, the world was straightforward: move forward, fight, and protect what mattered.

"This guy," Luffy thought as he glanced at Koby, "he's gonna get really strong. Not just with his fists."

Turning back toward the fight, Luffy's grin widened as he prepared to jump back into action.

"Alright, let's go. Still more guys to knock around!" he declared, his usual energy returning.

"Gomu Gomu no… GATLING!"

Luffy unleashed a barrage of punches, scattering the remaining pirates across the deck.

Meanwhile, Koby set his words into action, his blows sending bodies flying in every direction.

As the last pirate collapsed, groaning in pain, Koby stepped back, his muscles taut and his breathing heavy. He surveyed the scattered bodies, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his expression.

Luffy, as usual, was already laughing, hands on his hips. As the dust settled, an eerie calm blanketed the deck. But just as Luffy assumed the battle was over, a roar rang out from above.

"KOOOOBY!!!!" Alvida's voice thundered as she leaped from her pirate ship, landing heavily on the deck with a force that shook the planks.

Luffy turned toward the source of the scream, his eyes glinting with excitement.

"Oh, who's this big whale?" he asked with a curious tone. "She looks really mad."

Koby, however, remained still for a moment, slowly lifting his gaze to meet Alvida's. His staff was still tightly held in his right hand, but his expression didn't change. Calm and almost impassive, he met her cry with the same serenity he had displayed throughout the fight.

Alvida landed with a thunderous impact, her massive spiked club in hand, shattering a few planks under her weight. She stood upright, her dark gaze burning with fury.

"You!" she roared, pointing her weapon at Koby. "How dare you stand against me, you worm? I'll crush you into pieces!"

Luffy, still smiling, glanced at Koby.

"Hey, she's talking to you, Koby. You want to handle this, or should I have some fun?"

Koby didn't respond immediately. He locked eyes with Alvida, his gaze unwavering. Then, he took a step forward and, in a calculated motion, raised his staff and planted it firmly into the deck before him, as if anchoring himself in place.

"No," he said simply. "This is my fight."

Luffy shrugged, his grin never wavering.

"Alright, but make it quick—I'm hungry," he said, stepping back slightly, ready to watch the show unfold like a spectator.

Alvida let out a guttural laugh, gripping her club so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"A fight? Against me? You're dreaming!"

Koby took a few steps forward, his staff in hand, his expression unchanged.

"I'm not dreaming. I'm here to put an end to this," he replied, his voice low but firm.

Alvida roared again and charged, swinging her massive club with inhuman strength. The deck trembled beneath her steps as she barreled toward Koby like a destructive storm.

Koby waited until the last possible moment, his muscles coiled like a spring. As Alvida brought her weapon down in a devastating vertical strike, he sidestepped with calculated precision.

The mace crashed onto the deck, shattering the planks into splinters in a burst of wood and debris. But Koby was no longer at the point of impact. With calculated precision, he pivoted on himself, firmly planting both feet on the ground. Gripping his staff with both hands, he channeled his strength from his hips through to his shoulders, unleashing all his power in a devastating strike aimed at Alvida's exposed side.

The impact echoed like thunder, and Alvida was hurled across the deck, rolling several meters before crashing heavily into a stack of crates. A chilling silence fell over the scene. The remaining pirates, frozen, watched the scene with a mix of fear and disbelief, their weapons hanging limply as if they had forgotten their purpose.

Alvida lay sprawled on the ground, motionless for a moment, her imposing figure broken by the impact. Then, with a guttural groan, she began to move. A trembling hand pressed against the ground as she struggled to support her weight. When she finally lifted her head, her gaze was no longer that of an invincible woman but of someone overwhelmed by humiliation and pain.

She tried to stand, but her legs buckled beneath her. In a desperate attempt, she fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Her lips parted, and a violent cough racked her body. A spurt of blood escaped her mouth, staining the ship's planks.

"My… my organs…" she muttered in a strangled voice, more to herself than anyone else.

Koby, still standing motionless, observed the scene with his characteristic calm, his staff firmly held in his hands. Yet, a subtle tension in his expression betrayed that he took no pleasure in seeing her like this.

"So this is the extent of my current strength," he thought, his gaze falling to the weapon in his grip. A faint glimmer of introspection flickered in his eyes. "Even though I struck the other pirates hard, I always held back. I've been wielding my staff with one hand this entire time. I knew that if I went all out… I could've torn half their bodies apart."

He slowly lowered his staff, loosening his grip slightly. Koby wasn't ignorant of what this uncontrolled violence signified. It wasn't strength, and certainly not something to be proud of. On the contrary, his lack of control was a reflection of his weakness. And this weakness, he knew, had to be corrected.

"I'm not precise enough yet, not disciplined enough."

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to regain control of his emotions. He knew he was still far from his ideal—that balance between strength and mastery he sought to achieve. But he couldn't let that paralyze him.

As Alvida coughed on her knees, her breathing shallow and broken, Koby stepped forward slightly, his staff lightly tapping the deck with each step. When he spoke, his voice was low but clear, carrying a gravity that even the boldest pirates dared not challenge.

"This isn't power," he murmured, almost to himself. "It's just brute force, poorly directed."

He planted his staff into the deck, leaning on it slightly as if emphasizing his point.

"But one day… I'll master it. And on that day, I won't need to hit so hard to end a fight like this."

His gaze rested on Alvida one last time. Then, without waiting for a response, he struck her at the base of the neck, rendering her unconscious, before turning on his heel and walking away with measured steps toward Luffy, who was waiting nearby, an unreadable smile on his face.