Chapter 96: Not a Single One Left

Jasha shook his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips, and said softly:

"I ate a Devil Fruit; the changes came from the Devil Fruit."

"Superhuman-type—Smooth Smooth Fruit."

Gao Wen nodded, his gaze still fixed on Jasha until Jasha's face visibly flushed, at which point he finally looked away.

Maybe it was an illusion.

Gao Wen felt an unprecedented power emanating from Jasha, just as he had sensed in Xiang Keluo when he awakened his true heart amid bloodshed.

He sent out a probe—and the evaluation that appeared before him made him pause slightly:

【Name—Jasha】

【Potential—Bronze】

【Rating—Iron: Awakened True Heart, Chasing Absolute Power!】

This woman… did she just achieve enlightenment like Longchang?

Bronze-level potential?!

Gao Wen forced down his inner astonishment and nodded to Jasha:

"As long as you're alive."

"Thank you."

Jasha clenched his lips tightly, as if making a final decision, and offered the treasure chest with both hands, bowing deeply:

"Mr. Gao Wen, please teach me the strength needed to protect the people of Raven Harbor."

Gao Wen looked down at the girl before him, her gaze resolute, and reached out to ruffle her hair:

"Then from today on, the flag of the Gao Wen Pirates shall fly over Raven Harbor!"

"No!"

Jasha shook his head:

"Mr. Gao Wen, I don't need your protection—I need strength. Strength enough to protect the people of Raven Harbor, to protect Jasmine."

Gao Wen paused, then a faint smile curved his lips:

"That's exactly what I meant. Join my pirate crew, and you'll gain the power you seek."

"Publicly, you remain the lord of Raven Harbor, while we are merely a pirate crew active near it."

In truth, whether Navy, pirates, or nobles watching this situation, anyone with a functioning mind could see the connection between Raven Harbor and the Gao Wen Pirates.

But as long as Gao Wen and Jasha didn't openly reveal it, no one dared to act.

After all, when the Gao Wen Pirates had individually defeated renowned East Sea pirate crews—and even Navy forces—

he had already become a de facto overlord, one with a fixed territory and a reputation for following rules.

Under these circumstances, while some in the Navy, among pirates, or among East Sea nobles might hate Gao Wen, few truly wished for the Gao Wen Pirates to fall.

Because the next pirate to rise to the top of the East Sea would almost certainly not be as restrained as Gao Wen.

Gao Wen understood this; Jasha understood it too. She clearly grasped his meaning, and exclaimed excitedly:

"Then please guide me."

"Captain Gao Wen!"

Gao Wen nodded, then turned to face the pirates on deck.

All of them, paralyzed by fear, dared not move; when they saw Gao Wen looking their way, they lowered their heads even further, as if trying to bury their skulls into the deck.

Nothing like the bloodthirsty frenzy they had shown in Raven Harbor.

"My lord Gao Wen, we surrender! We come from the Grand Line and know where Hanafuza's treasure is hidden—I still have value!"

"I know his hideout, I know everything about him!"

"If you spare me, I'll tell you everything!"

Facing death, these pirates could no longer hold back—they immediately betrayed Hanafuza without hesitation.

Gao Wen's gaze grew cold:

"You can betray Hanafuza so easily—you can betray me just as easily."

They froze.

For a moment, no one spoke.

It felt as if the pressure already crushing them had suddenly intensified, making it hard to breathe.

One raised his head—and met Gao Wen's gaze, utterly devoid of mercy:

"Besides, as captain, I owe it to the brothers who died in Raven Harbor and to the cat-people wounded by you."

Saying this,

Gao Wen bent down, picked up a knife from the deck, turned, and placed it in Jasha's hand, saying calmly:

"Since you've chosen to become a pirate, since you seek power, prove it to me."

"Leave not a single pirate on this ship alive!"

Jasha's hand trembled slightly as he gripped the knife—but steadied immediately.

Scenes from Raven Harbor flashed before his eyes once more, tightening his grip on the blade.

"Yes!"

The word rang out.

Jasha stepped forward, amid the pirates' horrified stares, and swung his long blade—

Hss!

The blade slid through cleanly, meeting no resistance whatsoever.

After consuming the Smooth Smooth Fruit, she was intimately familiar with the limits of her ability—her body could become frictionless, and so could the knife in her hand.

In exchange for this, she gained a slashing ability that even Gao Wen found astonishing!

Warm blood splattered across Gaza's face; the slippery sensation instantly raised goosebumps on her skin, yet that discomfort, which should have made her retch, was swallowed in the next instant by rage and hatred.

"She's mad! This woman has gone mad!"

"Run!"

"We..."

Watching Gaza, who looked like a demon possessed as she swung her blade incessantly, the pirates felt their very souls tremble.

At this moment, their courage had already been shattered by the scenes they had just witnessed; all they could think of was turning and fleeing.

Leave this hellish place!

Return to the Grand Line, for that place was truly paradise!

For the first time in their lives, they felt awe toward this sea called the East Blue—no, it was fear!

But after retreating only a few steps, all that lay before them was the surging seawater.

Splash!

Accompanied by the sound of the first pirate hitting the water, the pirates on deck jumped into the sea like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

Yet before they could even celebrate, flames erupted from that small pirate ship in the distance...

Boom!

A cannonball struck the swimming pirates with pinpoint accuracy; severed limbs and blood instantly dyed the ocean red.

Xiang Keluo stood on the deck, gazing indifferently at the distant sea surface, and said coldly:

"After all, that person's order was to leave no one alive; how could he possibly let you escape so easily?"

Nami, standing beside Xiang Keluo, pressed her lips tightly together, forcing herself to keep watching.

The voyages during this period had long since taught her that the world of pirates was never a fairy tale; bloodshed, slaughter, and plunder were its eternal themes.

Among them, the Gao Wen Pirates could already be considered an absolute anomaly.

Moreover, when those pirates turned their butcher knives upon their own comrades, did they hesitate even for a moment?

Blood debts can only be repaid with blood.

Bellemere's death had taught Nami this lesson.

Amidst the flames.

Gaza was bathed in blood, yet her expression remained cold as ice.

As the slaughter continued, the hand gripping her blade grew steadier, and her heart grew harder.

Seeing that all the pirates on deck had fallen into the water, Gaza simply turned and walked into the cabin; moments later, screams echoed from within.

When Gaza emerged, her entire body had been dyed a gruesome crimson by the pirates' blood, appearing ferocious yet revealing a strange kind of beauty.

"Captain, do you think those guards felt this much pain when they died?!"

(End of Chapter)