Chapter 15
A cold wind swept over the port.
Charlotte stared intently at the approaching ship, his senses alert.
He already felt a chill radiating from the pirate ship anchored before him.
No need to guess—there had to be someone on that ship with a Devil Fruit power.
Sure enough, as the ship drew closer, a thin layer of ice formed across the water's surface—not thick, but unmistakable.
Could it be a natural Devil Fruit user with ice powers? Charlotte wondered.
General Aokiji, who was famous for his ice Devil Fruit, hadn't appeared yet.
Could this pirate captain be a former ice Devil Fruit user?
If that was the case, it would be troublesome—Charlotte didn't yet know how to use Armament Haki against such powers.
As the pirate ship docked, several pirates leapt down, brandishing long knives and muskets.
The last to jump down was the captain who had blocked Charlotte's attack earlier.
The captain, wearing a distinctive captain's hat, glared at Charlotte—the young man standing firm, gripping his long sword.
"Little devil! You were the one who just swung that slash!" the captain said, a trace of coldness in his voice.
Charlotte remained cautious.
"That's right. I'm the one. Pirates are not welcome here!" he replied firmly.
The pirate captain sneered.
"Hahaha! Kid, you've got some nerve! You're the only one young enough to swing a sword slash like a hero's. Just waking up to your power, huh?"
His words triggered laughter from the fifty or sixty pirates behind him.
"Captain, this is hilarious! This kid claims pirates aren't welcome here. Pirates go wherever they want—it's not up to him to decide!"
Charlotte wasn't fazed by their mockery.
With a wave of his hand, a 30-meter-long streak of sword energy shot toward the laughing pirates.
Bam!
In an instant, more than thirty pirates were cut down.
The remaining pirates went silent, swallowing nervously.
"Boat! Captain, that kid really is a swordsman!" one whispered.
The captain frowned but stepped forward, undeterred.
"Want to join the Chill Pirates, kid? Join us, and I'll forgive what you've done so far. What do you say?" he offered, beckoning.
Charlotte laughed, surprised.
"Who do you think you are? You really think you can recruit me?" he shot back, his gaze fierce.
Suddenly, Charlotte unleashed his Armament Haki—an invisible aura bursting outward from him, sweeping across the pirates.
"Eh~!"
Behind the captain, some pirates fell to the ground, overwhelmed by the pressure.
"This... this is Armament Haki!" the captain gasped in disbelief.
He hadn't expected this kid to possess a talent so rare it appeared only once in a million.
This boy was a born king.
Gritting his teeth, the captain resolved not to let this offense slide. He wasn't about to lose to a brat.
White smoke curled from his fists as a puff of freezing air radiated out.
"Boy, you're courting death!" the pirate captain roared, charging forward.
Charlotte recognized the fighting style instantly.
This guy could use the Navy's Six Styles—an impressive skill.
But Charlotte didn't panic. Gripping his sword, he met the captain head-on.
Clang!
The captain's fists collided with Charlotte's sword, sparks flying.
"I see you're using Armament Haki!" the captain snarled.
The captain introduced himself as Will Werner, a notorious Chill Pirate with a bounty of 6000 million Baileys.
"This is your lucky day—dying by my hands," Will growled.
Charlotte remained calm, though.
His attention was on one word from Will's declaration: Chill.
If his Devil Fruit power wasn't just freezing but cold-based, then he wasn't untouchable.
With that thought, Charlotte pressed forward, pushing Will back with a powerful slash.
A ten-meter-long wave of sword energy shot toward Will.
Bam!
Will's arm was covered by his own Armament Haki, blocking the attack—but the sword energy still slashed open a deep wound.
Charlotte laughed triumphantly.
He wanted to capture Will alive to learn the secrets of his Armament Haki cultivation method.
His own body was strong enough; all that was missing was mastering the Armament Haki itself.
And with Will here, Charlotte could finally fill that gap.
Excited, Charlotte wielded his sword in a blur, forcing Will into a defensive retreat.
Will, a Devil Fruit user, couldn't close the distance.
"Damn! Damn kid!" Will cursed, overwhelmed by Charlotte's sword energy.
His Armament Haki hadn't reached full body coverage yet—how could he block such overwhelming power?
Charlotte landed a sword strike to Will's chest.
Will hurriedly activated his Devil Fruit ability, freezing the bleeding wound.
Charlotte held back, wary of killing him outright. He wanted to find a way to cultivate his own Armament Haki with Will's help.
Will, seeing his crewmates lying unconscious behind him, panicked.
No escape was possible.
His despair was clear as he looked at Charlotte.
In a last desperate move, Will raised his fists and charged.
But luck was not on his side.
Charlotte easily severed one arm, then shattered his hamstring.
"What!" Will's scream of pain echoed—his loudest ever.
Even Charlotte winced, feeling a rare flicker of sympathy.
But shaking off the emotion, Charlotte stared down at the defeated pirate.
With a confident smile, he declared, "Armament Haki—here I come."
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