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.]

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Lose...

I…lose…?

As the cold, gleaming blade pressed against his neck, Squalo slowly lowered his arms, his eyes empty, as if all hope in the world had vanished.

To be honest, Squalo wasn't surprised that he lost to Takeshi.

After all, there had been countless examples showing that Tsuna and his team were far more formidable than anyone had initially thought.

Moreover, Takeshi had not even utilized his powerful companion creature.

But...

What truly overwhelmed Squalo was the level of swordsmanship that Takeshi displayed—completely beyond his imagination.

The sword energy that could strike from a distance, the sword intent that caused illusions, and the effortless way Takeshi's blade sliced through Squalo's own sword...

It all seemed to shout at Squalo:

The pinnacle of swordsmanship you've worked so hard to reach is nothing but an illusion!!!

While Squalo was lost in this confusion, two members of the Cervello agency stepped into the ring. They reached for the half of the Rain Ring in Squalo's hand and handed it to Takeshi.

At the same time, one of them announced:

"The winner of the Rain Guardian battle is..."

"Sawada Tsunayoshi's representative, Guardian of Rain—Takeshi Yamamoto!!!"

"We won! We won!"

Upon hearing Cervello's declaration, Tsuna jumped up excitedly.

There had been a total of seven battles, including six Guardians and one Boss. Takeshi's victory marked their fourth win.

In other words...

Tsuna and his Guardians had won the battle for the rings!!!

Though Tsuna had come to Italy to deal with Varia once and for all, ensuring they wouldn't disrupt his life again, he wasn't fond of fighting. He would have preferred if everything could be resolved peacefully under the supervision of the Cervello agency.

After all, Tsuna wasn't a warlike person.

However...

While Tsuna wasn't interested in becoming Vongola's leader, he had clearly underestimated how coveted that position was for others.

The moment Cervello finished announcing the result, the entire battlefield fell into a tense silence.

All of Varia's elites drew their weapons and turned to look at XANXUS, who sat upon his throne, awaiting his next move.

And sure enough!

Just as Cervello was about to declare Sawada Tsunayoshi as the successor of Vongola, a low, hoarse voice echoed from Varia's side.

"Wait a minute!"

A hot, oppressive aura descended over the arena.

XANXUS rose from his seat, his eyes blazing with fury.

With a dark expression, he strode toward the ring.

"Lord XANXUS, the battle is over, you—"

One of the Cervello officials moved forward to stop him.

But then...

Boom!

A deafening gunshot rang out, accompanied by searing flames.

XANXUS showed no hesitation as he fired directly at the Cervello official in front of him, his flames slamming into her chest.

Under the immense force, the Cervello agent's body flew back like a ragdoll, collapsing unconscious.

"What!?"

The other Cervello agents were shocked, but none dared move to stop XANXUS. Instead, they rushed to the injured official, calling the headquarters for medical support.

Meanwhile...

Before anyone could fully process what had happened, XANXUS leveled his gun at Tsuna.

"Jūdaime!!!" 

Seeing Tsuna in danger, Hayato rushed forward, shielding him with his own body.

Even though Hayato knew...

That Tsuna was no longer the weak leader he once was, and didn't need protection.

As Tsuna's loyal right-hand man, his actions were instinctive.

XANXUS grinned at the sight.

"I didn't expect you to have such loyal subordinates!"

"They're not my subordinates. They're my friends!" Tsuna shouted, his voice firm.

"Friends!?"

XANXUS let out a derisive laugh.

"How amusing!!!"

But his laughter dripped with mockery.

At that moment, Tsuna placed a reassuring hand on Hayato's shoulder, signaling him to step back.

The next second...

A bright flame suddenly burst from Tsuna's forehead, blazing intensely.

"What? Is this funny to you?" Tsuna asked, his tone calm as he met XANXUS's gaze.

Though Tsuna didn't know exactly what XANXUS was planning, his senseless violence ignited a deep anger within him.

XANXUS's mocking laughter abruptly stopped.

The fire at the barrel of his gun flared even brighter, ready to strike at any moment.

"Funny? Of course it's funny!!!"

He roared, pulling the trigger.

The pistol, designed to channel XANXUS's fiery dying will flame, condensed the searing flames into a powerful shot aimed straight at Tsuna.

Driven mad by the looming loss of the Vongola leadership, XANXUS no longer cared about Takeshi's impressive display of skill.

His only thought was to kill Tsuna and remove him as a rival!

That way, he would remain the sole heir to the Vongola's Tenth Generation!!!

"Jūdaime!!!"

"Tsuna!!!"

Hayato and the others screamed in panic as they watched the fiery bullet speed toward Tsuna.

But then, in an astonishing moment, everyone froze in disbelief.

Tsuna calmly extended his right hand, making no effort to dodge the oncoming flames.

Just when everyone thought he was about to be engulfed by the burning rage of XANXUS's attack...

A cold light flickered from Tsuna's gauntlet, barely noticeable—like moonlight on the horizon at dusk.

Yet in that moment, it was clear to everyone...

Who the future would belong to.

With a sudden, sharp hiss, a cold air emanated from Tsuna's palm.

The moment XANXUS's flames touched it, they were instantly frozen!

The once fiery blaze became a magnificent, frozen spectacle, encased in ice.

Clink.

The ice crystals, still holding the flames, shattered and fell to the ground.

XANXUS's face twisted in disbelief.

Pointing at Tsuna, his voice quivered in shock:

"How... How did you do that!?"

But...

Tsuna didn't answer.

Instead, he lifted his head and gazed at XANXUS with a calm, unreadable expression.

After a moment, he sighed softly and asked:

"Did you really intend to break the rules of the ring battle?"

"Rules?"

XANXUS hadn't expected that question, and before he could respond, Tsuna continued:

"Alright then..."

"This makes my decision easier."

"What are you talking about?" XANXUS asked, utterly bewildered by Tsuna's cryptic words.

Still, his gaze remained fixated on the frozen remnants of his once-raging flames. 

There may be no one in the world who understands better than XANXUS what those ice crystals on the ground represent.

Zero Point Breakthrough: First Generation Edition!

It's an incredibly advanced technique using the Dying Will Flames, vastly different from the usual fiery and explosive energy of the dying will flames. The Zero Point Breakthrough requires its wielder to completely clear their mind, creating a state of total emptiness to freeze the target with the dying will ice, the opposite of the dying will flames. It's a technique that demands immense talent.

Up until now, only the Ninth Boss of the Vongola Famiglia had mastered it.

But today, someone else has learned to wield this move.

XANXUS himself had tasted its power eight years ago.

Back then, he gathered a group of elites, intending to force the Ninth to step down so he could claim the title of Vongola's new leader. But his arrogance blinded him—he didn't realize the Ninth still had such a formidable technique hidden up his sleeve.

Using the Zero Point Breakthrough, the Ninth froze XANXUS in an instant, defeating him with ease. That freeze lasted for eight years. 

And now, seeing Tsuna execute the same move leaves XANXUS completely stunned.

Yet, as shocked as he is by Tsuna's ability to perform the Zero Point Breakthrough, XANXUS still hasn't realized something crucial... His disregard for the rules has opened Tsuna's eyes to the brutal realities of the mafia world. He had hoped that under the supervision of the Cervello, things could be resolved peacefully. 

But now Tsuna understands... 

He was wrong. So, so wrong.

To people like XANXUS, rules and ceremonies mean nothing. 

The only "rules" they recognize are those that benefit them. The only "ceremonies" they care about are the ones that help them reach their goals!

Following the Cervello agency's advice, Tsuna and his guardians abandoned their original plan and agreed to participate in this battle for the rings. But the reality? It's just been a waste of time. A game of pretend.

In the mafia world, there's only one rule that matters: Dominate, terrify, or destroy your enemies so thoroughly that they will never dare oppose you again.

That's the real rule!

…

As XANXUS remains lost in his bitter memories, Tsuna looks around at the gathered Varia elites, his gaze finally settling on Varia's castle.

"If an organization like this continues to exist, the people I care about will always be in danger, won't they?"

His voice is quiet, almost as if he's talking to himself, but the flame on Tsuna's forehead blazes with intensity, casting an incandescent light.

When he raises his head again, his eyes are filled with a fierce, unyielding determination.

"In that case, there's no reason for Varia to exist anymore."

The thought that crosses Tsuna's mind is not something the old him would have even considered. But the cold reality of the mafia world has forced him to change his perspective, like a math problem that suddenly makes sense once you look at the answer key.

Turning towards his six guardians, Tsuna speaks with unwavering resolve:

"Everyone, for the sake of our peaceful future… I'm counting on you to carry out the original plan and completely destroy this place."

A tense silence falls over the group.

Even Hayato and Takeshi, who are closest to Tsuna, hadn't expected him to give such an order. 

But then, Hayato's face lights up with excitement.

Because he knows... 

The Tsuna he follows has finally grown up.

With a fierce gleam in his eyes, Hayato pulls out two special bombs and loads them into the device on his waist.

"I'd follow you through fire and flames, Jūdaime, no matter what!"

Boom! 

Twin flames burst from his device as Hayato shoots into the air, flying over everyone's heads, straight toward Varia's castle. Bombs rain down from above, scattering like falling petals, landing at the castle's gates.

Grinning wildly, Hayato spreads his arms wide and shouts:

"For the glory of the future Vongola Jūdaime, let's light up the sky with fireworks!!"

Boom!

A massive explosion erupts, far larger than the one he used against Bel. The blast obliterates the castle's outer walls, revealing its inner workings.

Hovering in midair, Hayato's smile grows even more confident.

He had wanted to blow up Varia from the start, and now Jūdaime had just given the order to do so. 

As he takes off to continue his demolition mission, Hayato feels a rare, mutual understanding with his boss. 

No one understands me better than Jūdaime!

…

Meanwhile, XANXUS finally regains his senses. Snarling in rage, he raises his pistols, aiming directly at Tsuna. But before he can fire, a dark figure steps between them.

Hibari, with his predatory gaze, licks his lips in anticipation. 

Initially, he thought this trip to Italy would be a waste of time, just following Tsuna around for company. But Varia's disregard for the rules had pushed Tsuna to his breaking point, igniting his fury.

While Hibari despises having to follow orders as one of Tsuna's guardians, he cannot deny the thrill of facing off against a strong opponent like XANXUS.

…

Across the battlefield, Ryohei adjusts the bandages on his fists while Takeshi spins his baseball bat, which morphs into a long sword.

Both are completely oblivious to the broader situation but speak casually:

"I don't really get what's going on," Ryohei says, "but if all we need to do is defeat the enemies, that's simple enough."

"Yep, sounds about right," Takeshi responds with a grin.

Together, they march towards the Varia assassins awaiting them. An uneven battle is about to begin.

…

"Damn it! This wasn't part of the deal!" Mammon mutters. "I need to talk to XANXUS and renegotiate my price!"

As Mammon, the sole remaining Varia guardian capable of moving freely, takes to the air, a vine covered in thorns shoots up from the ground, instantly ensnaring him.

Chrome, timid but determined, steps forward, her trident raised as she faces Mammon.

"Your opponent… is me!" she declares quietly but firmly.