"Annoying pests." Rody's voice was flat as he looked at the ugly giant before him.
Ogata Raizo's face twisted with fury. He took a step toward Rody, then his massive axe slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a soft, metallic chime. In the next instant Raizo's upper body slid off at a slant from his right shoulder down to his left abdomen. A geyser of blood spouted from the standing lower half and doused Rumen, Raizo's brother, from head to toe.
Rumen, drenched in his brother's blood, dropped his weapon and, trembling, stared at the fallen upper half of the man he dared to call brother. His eyes bulged, despair written across his face.
"W-what… how…" he stammered. "Brother, you… you're a pirate with a ten-million Berry bounty!"
The ruckus in the square died in an instant. The pirates who had been jeering went silent, the plaza sinking into a deathly stillness.
[Slaughter Value +1]
"Oh, interesting." The system's voice whispered at Rody's ear. He summoned his panel in his mind.
[Host: Rody (Ryomen Sukuna)
Age: 24
Slaughter Value: 1
Abilities: .....]
As Rody thought about the new entry in his panel, Rumen fell to his knees before him. He pressed his forehead to the ground, voice shaking.
"Please, sir, spare our lives. We will follow you. We will serve you."
One by one the pirates threw down their weapons and dropped to their knees, voices quavering in unison.
"Please, sir, spare us. We will serve you."
Rody looked out over the mass of supplicants with cool detachment. "Do you really think I'll accept every scrap of trash that crawls to my feet?" he asked.
Without another word he swept one hand. Every kneeling pirate split cleanly in two. Their torsos fell apart and a red fountain sprayed from their midsections. Blood cascaded over the square like rain, painting the town center in a gruesome crimson.
The villagers who had been dragged to the square screamed in terror. Some elderly folk, some children and women, fainted from shock. Rody turned his gaze to the citizens who were shrieking. The screams died. Each of them clamped hands over their mouths, bodies shaking, eyes wide and vacant as they stared at the ground. No one dared meet his eyes.
Rody walked through the carpet of blood and broken bodies and came to the edge of the square. There sat a large armchair. He turned and took the seat. Right fist clenched, elbow resting on the chairback, he buried his face into his knuckles and looked down at the town's mayor, slumped on the ground.
The old man shuffled forward, trembling. "S-sir, is there anything we can do for you?" he asked, voice quavering.
Rody's expression remained flat. "Bring out all the town's liquor, drinks, food, anything delicious. Bring them here now."
When the mayor shuffled away to fetch provisions, Rody's eyes turned toward a narrow alley lined with cramped houses. "Women who've been hiding, you can come out now. Enough watching."
"What should we do?" someone whispered.
"If we do not come out, we will surely die. What about Nojiko, Uncle Aken, everyone in Cocoyasi Village? We are so close to raising the 10 million Berries to buy the village back from Arlong." Nami's thoughts raced as she pressed her back against the dark wall of the alley.
"I can't die now. No matter what, I must live." She steadied herself.
Rody's patience was wearing thin. At last Nami stepped out, trembling. She walked across the blood-slick square and came to stand before him. Orange hair cropped short, blue-and-white striped top, a snug orange skirt. This Nami had not yet shared Straw Hat Luffy's later adventures. She was younger, her face and body still a touch inexperienced. Still, bearing the entire town's debt had forged her into someone fierce; even trembling, strength showed through her eyes.
"You're Nami, right? I know about you, so I won't waste words," Rody said with a smile.
He continued, "My name is Rody. I will kill Arlong for you. In return, you will serve me for the rest of your life. How does that sound?"
Nami's body froze at his words. "How do you know… Wait, don't joke. That is a fish-man. You know that, right? Fish-men are ten times stronger than humans by nature. They can fight underwater. Even a Marine detachment can't easily take them on."
Rody smiled. "Do you know what fish-men are, in the Grand Line? They are, for all their arrogance and pride, one of the most popular slave types in the Grand Line's human trade."
"S-slaves?" Nami echoed, stunned.
"Yes, slaves."
Nami's face went blank. She found it impossible to accept that the fish-men, who strutted as if they were superior, were merely a hot commodity in the markets of the Grand Line.
Rody stood and stepped in front of the stunned girl. His tall form blocked all the light in front of her. He reached out, lifted her chin, and stared at her young, still-innocent face.
"How about becoming my little wildcat, mine alone? I will clear every obstacle for you and chart out the world's sea routes." His voice was low and confident.
"First, how do you know about me…" Nami took a breath, gathered herself and stared straight into his eyes. "Who are you? You came out of nowhere and slaughtered all those pirates. Are you a pirate, a Marine, or a bounty hunter?"
Rody's gaze took on a proud tilt. "I am not a Marine or a pirate, nor a bounty hunter. I am myself. I kill who I want, I save who I wish. I am a person who is truly free."
"Well… okay." She swallowed and tried to steady her voice.
"What do you want then?" Nami asked.
"I want to taste every delicious food in the world. I want to go to the Grand Line and fight powerful opponents," Rody replied.
"The Grand Line?"
Nami's shock from the blood-drenched square had eased. Her mind was clearer. "The Grand Line is dangerous, but many East Blue shipping lines can reach it. Why choose me?"
"Because of talent," Rody said.
"Talent?" she repeated.
"Yes. Because I want to visit Sky Island. I am interested in their sky shells and rulers. Sky Island sits ten thousand meters above the sea. You need to ride the jet currents to get there. People with the navigation talent to do that are rare." He looked at her.
"Ten thousand meters high." Nami's thoughts whirled. "Jet currents."
"Nami, is that… me?" she said, staring.
Rody nodded. "Yes, you."
"Will you really kill Arlong for me?" she asked.
"Of course."
Nami's face softened, then warmth crept into her expression. She smiled ingratiatingly. "Captain, when do we leave?"
"Not yet." Rody's right hand ignited into a small flame as he rested it on Nami's left shoulder.
"I would not have my little wildcat carry such an ugly mark," he said. Then he turned and walked toward where the villagers were bringing food.
"Also, call me Rody."
Nami looked at her pale left shoulder. Her body trembled, she bit her lower lip, and tears spilled from her eyes unbidden. The ugly, humiliating tattoo that had been seared into her skin simply vanished from her shoulder.
"Yes, Captain Rody."