Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

[Let's end this year with a bang! 🎉 For every 1 review, I'll upload 1 chapter!

The extra chapters, along with the regular daily uploads, will kick off at the start of 2025!

P.S.: For those interested only.]

-----

"Flying slash?!"

A look of intense confusion crossed Squalo's face.

You see...

In his youth, Squalo had sought to master the art of swordsmanship, challenging renowned masters from around the world—and emerging victorious in remarkable fashion!

Yet, despite all that, he had never heard of a flying slash!

In fact, not only had he never encountered such a technique, but it was also the first time Tsuna and the others had seen Takeshi use such a fantastical kendo move.

However, unlike Squalo, they were not as bewildered.

Instead, their eyes immediately turned toward Ace, their thoughts clear without needing words.

Ace himself was slightly surprised as he witnessed Takeshi's energy-infused slash.

With Takeshi's current level of swordsmanship, he hadn't yet reached the level of being able to "cut iron," let alone pull off such a masterful move like the "flying slash."

If it had been an ordinary full-moon strike, Ace might have attributed it to the external use of his Hyper Dying Will Mode.

But Takeshi's move clearly had a hint of sword intent behind it.

Under the curious gaze of others, Ace quickly gathered his willpower and closely examined Takeshi's body.

After only a few seconds, surprise flickered across Ace's eyes, and his lips parted slightly.

"The power of dying will flame can be used this way?!"

"Then, regarding my report to the Chamber of Commerce, does this mean many things will have to be re-evaluated?!"

No wonder he was so taken aback.

With his careful observation, Ace realized...

At this moment, Takeshi's swordsmanship had already surpassed the state it was in before the battle began.

A breakthrough right on the battlefield!

It was almost like a Pokémon evolving mid-fight—astonishing.

But when Ace looked even closer, he noticed that Takeshi's newfound skill was merely an illusion.

Though Ace couldn't figure out how Takeshi had achieved this, considering what Reborn had explained earlier about attributes and characteristics, an idea formed in his mind.

To be fair, during training camp, Ace had already noticed that Takeshi possessed impressive resilience.

But at the time, he'd thought it was simply natural strength, overlooking the potential of deeply developing the power of dying will flame based on its attributes and characteristics.

It wasn't until he saw Takeshi using his stable rain-attributed Hyper Dying Will Mode to condense a slash that Ace realized...

The power system in this world was far beyond what he had originally understood.

Now Ace wondered whether incorporating attributes and characteristics into the Hitman Reborn's power system could elevate its rating.

At that moment, Ace felt a pang of guilt for neglecting his responsibilities, even considering how he should apologize to Leo.

Yet...

Ace's concerns were entirely unnecessary!

What were the attributes and characteristics of dying will flame? As a traveler between worlds, how could Leo not know all this?

After all, he had originally chosen to develop this world...

Because he saw that the total power within the Hitman Reborn far surpassed that of the Pirate World.

If it weren't for that, Leo wouldn't have sent Ace here in the first place.

The current [D]-level rating was only based on the limited report that Ace had provided, as Leo had not yet been able to fully enter this world.

As Tsuna and the others grew stronger and the latent power of the world awoke, the Hitman Reborn would become Leo's new trading hub.

It was clear that Ace didn't yet realize that Leo, from his vantage beyond the world's borders, had long set his sights on the special ammunition stored in the Vongola family's warehouse.

And if the timing was right, Leo had already considered acquiring the Vongola Rings, which might hold the true secret to the world's power.

The more Leo studied the Hitman Reborn, the more aware he became of its peculiarities.

This world was an intricate construct of thousands of parallel timelines, all dedicated to serving one main timeline.

With Leo's current knowledge of this world, he had already glimpsed many of those parallel timelines...

Including alternate versions of Tsuna and the others.

Interestingly, in the parallel timelines, the Vongola Rings in those Tsunas' hands had no special energy at all.

Other than as status symbols, it was nearly impossible to manifest the flames of dying will flame with them.

The only true Vongola Ring that held world-shaping power was the semi-finished ring held by the Tsuna of Ace's main timeline.

Perhaps this was the reason that the Tsuna from the future had tasked the present Tsuna with solving their problems.

Of course, time and space and the concept of parallel worlds were still too profound for Leo to fully grasp at this stage.

All this was merely speculation on his part.

But Leo knew that if he could strike a deal with Tsuna and the others for the Vongola Rings...

The power he could gain from this world would be beyond belief!

...

Returning to the open space near Varia's base, Ace calmed himself and began explaining to the group:

"In the world of pirates, swordsmanship is roughly divided into three stages…"

"The first stage refers to those who simply use swords as weapons for combat."

"These swordsmen may not have refined techniques, but through countless life-and-death battles, they've developed a certain feel for the sword."

"In fact, even if these fighters used other weapons, they'd still achieve impressive results."

"Squalo, from Varia, is clearly at this stage."

"He's a capable swordsman, but his swordsmanship has been stuck here for quite some time due to his limited perspective."

"The second stage is known as the swordsman."

"When someone specializes in swordsmanship and their skills reach a certain point, they encounter a significant challenge…"

"Their sword may be able to cut through wood, stone, or even injure people…"

"But when it comes to tougher materials like metal, pure sword skill and brute force simply aren't enough."

"And this is the first true barrier swordsmen face—cutting iron!"

"Since I'm not a swordsman myself, I can't explain how one reaches this state in great detail."

At this point, Ace flashed a grin at the group.

After all, with his fighting style, there was nothing that couldn't be solved with a single punch.

And if one punch didn't work, well, just give it two.

Swords and the like would only slow down his fists.

Ace directed everyone's attention toward Takeshi in the ring, then continued:

"At this moment, Takeshi is exactly at this swordsman stage!"

"Although he is still relatively weak and inexperienced, his strength has indeed reached the level where he can cut through iron."

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to perform the flying slash—what people call sword energy."

"As for how Takeshi was able to reach this level of swordsman so quickly..."

Ace's gaze shifted slightly toward Reborn, and he suddenly remarked:

"I think... this has to do with the attributes of his dying will flame, right?"

"Dying will flame attributes!?"

Hearing this phrase again, everyone tensed up.

After all, according to what Reborn had said earlier, each of the Vongola Guardians would have powers with their own corresponding attributes.

The known attribute of the sun guardian, for example, was vitality, which could boost physical energy and heal injuries.

Following Ace's line of sight, everyone's attention now focused on Reborn.

Reborn smiled and nodded.

"That's correct."

"Like Ryohei, Takeshi has indeed awakened his own dying will flame." 

"The rain attribute is both the easiest and hardest attribute to control!"

"Because its nature is simple—it's [Tranquility]!"

"Tranquility?"

Hearing this unfamiliar term, Tsuna and the others exchanged confused glances, while a knowing look flickered in Hayato's eyes.

From Reborn's explanation, it became clear that Takeshi had awakened his attribute powers, which made Hayato, who had been proud of his own skills in battle, feel a sudden pang of disappointment.

Once again...

He had fallen behind that fool!

As Tsuna and the others pressed for more details, Reborn began explaining the calming property in more detail.

"Tranquility might sound like a simple word, but very few people are capable of truly awakening it."

"Throughout Vongola's long history, those who have awakened the rain attribute have all been exceptionally talented, with abilities at the top tier of the world!"

Reborn's praise left Tsuna and the others stunned.

But in fact, everything he said was true.

Aside from the sky attribute, which reigns supreme, the rain attribute is the most difficult to master.

Even the mist attribute, which is known for its complexity, pales in comparison to the rain.

Unfazed by the group's astonishment, Reborn continued:

"Vongola's first-generation Rain Guardian was a swordsman without equal. His abilities were acknowledged by all."

"Even now, Varia's Rain Guardian, Squalo, is regarded as the king of underground swordsmanship, earning him the title of the Second Sword Emperor!"

After these words, Reborn once again looked toward Takeshi in the ring, smiling slightly as he said:

"And as for Takeshi..."

"I believe he used the calming property of the rain attribute to settle the turbulence in his heart, which allowed him to display swordsmanship beyond his usual limits!"

"No! That's not quite right!" Ace interjected.

"Takeshi is right on the brink of reaching the Iron-Cutting Realm."

"I think what he did was more than just calming his emotions—he forcibly pushed through the boundaries of his swordsmanship."

"Using his sword intent, just like a Pokémon evolving mid-battle, he found his own unique path in kendo."

"So... Takeshi's already this strong!?"

Hearing Ace and Reborn explain things in tandem, Tsuna's eyes widened, and he quickly turned toward the ring, looking intently at Takeshi.

By this point, the battle between the Rain Guardians was nearing its end.

After Takeshi had broken through his kendo limits, his strength had completely transformed.

With his dying will flame, he had learned to wield the flying slash with precision and mastery.

It was safe to say that he now stood in an entirely different league from Squalo!

...

...

Boom!!!

Another streak of light-blue sword energy sliced through the air, intercepting an incoming missile, creating a deafening explosion.

Takeshi's eyes shone with a soft, faint blue glow, mist-like and serene.

He suddenly spoke:

"It's no use."

"You can't even begin to understand the power I now wield."

Though his words were filled with arrogance, Takeshi's tone made it sound like nothing more than a statement of fact.

Yet...

Even though Squalo inwardly acknowledged Takeshi's overwhelming strength, and fear began to creep into his heart...

He still let out a furious roar:

"Kid, don't get too cocky!"

"So what if you can launch a few flying slashes?!"

"You might be able to block a missile or two…"

"But my missile stockpile is endless! How many more times can you unleash sword energy like that?!"

Though Squalo recognized Takeshi's power, his pride made him stubbornly defiant.

But Takeshi, unaffected by Squalo's outburst, remained as calm as the rain attribute dictated, showing no sign of emotion.

He merely lifted his head slightly, locking eyes with Squalo with a gaze as still as a deep, undisturbed pool, and said:

"Oh? Is that what you think?"

"It seems you still have no idea of the gap between us."

"If that's the case, there's nothing more to say."

Takeshi looked briefly disappointed as he lowered his head, but his sword moved to rest at his waist, ready for a swift draw.

A sudden, inexplicable aura surged around him—sharp, like a bird of prey spreading its wings, its keen eyes trained on everything before it.

Though Squalo couldn't see it with his naked eye, as a fellow swordsman, he could keenly sense the sword intent emanating from Takeshi.

"Another... technique I've never seen before!?" 

Squalo instinctively gulped, raising his sword defensively in front of him.

Dozens of switches popped out from the blade, ready to launch explosive missiles at any moment.

Then, suddenly!

All he heard was Takeshi quietly muttering:

"Shigure Soen Ryu…"

"Night Rain Slash!"

Whoosh!

As soon as the words left his lips, Takeshi's figure burst forward.

His footsteps seemed to dance upon the ground, as if walking on a curtain of water, sending up shimmering droplets with each step.

It was an elegant sight, but due to the immense pressure of Takeshi's sword energy, it felt like a shadowy, fog-filled night—one where vision blurred and perception was dulled.

The soft sound of rain pattering filled Squalo's ears, making it nearly impossible for him to track Takeshi's movements.

"This...!? Impossible!"

Caught in what felt like an eerie illusion, Squalo was stunned.

He wanted to fire his missiles, but he couldn't find his target.

In his panic, he saw faint footprints growing closer and closer, and in the blink of an eye, they were right in front of him.

Relying purely on his swordsman's instincts and years of combat experience, Squalo reflexively raised his sword horizontally to block the incoming strike, catching a glint of cold light.

A long blade flashed before his eyes, meeting his sword with a sharp, ringing sound.

Squalo exhaled in relief.

But in the very next moment...

His expression twisted in shock.

The blade, glowing with a faint blue light, sliced through his prosthetic sword as if it were mere paper, the edge of Takeshi's sword effortlessly cleaving through the metal.

Clang!

With a sharp crack, the sword in Squalo's hand shattered, flying to the edge of the ring before embedding itself into the ground.

Takeshi, now slightly crouched, held his long sword pressed firmly against Squalo's neck.

Then, lifting his gaze, he calmly said:

"You've lost."