Chapter Twelve: The Krieg Pirate Crew

"Captain, there's a small sailboat in our path ahead."

Far out on the ocean, a massive fleet suddenly appeared before Roland. At the head of this formidable armada was a colossal, three-decked ship shaped like a black panther's head. High upon its mast fluttered a skull flag, with hourglasses on each side. Every ship in the fleet bore this same ominous emblem.

Were Roland not in the middle of his training, he would have recognized this fleet instantly. After all, only one pirate group in the East Sea wielded such power.

The Admiral of the East Sea—Krieg.

"Is it worth reporting every little sailboat to me? Don't you know what to do by now?" In the opulent captain’s cabin, Krieg, clad in golden armor, looked up from his desk, his face dark as he glared at the pirate before him.

Having established a strong enough force and with little left to plunder in the East Sea, Krieg had decided to take his fleet to the Grand Line. Since the dawn of the Great Pirate Era, every ambitious pirate had set their sights on this legendary sea. Without venturing into the Grand Line, one would always remain a small-time marauder.

But as Krieg studied the Grand Line, he realized that his mighty force would be considered insignificant there. That sea was teeming with Devil Fruit users and powerful warriors. Including himself, his crew only counted three true fighters.

How could he be pleased with such odds?

"I—I understand," the pirate stammered, retreating from the cabin, fear clutching his heart. Following a captain like Krieg had its perks, but the risks were grave—he’d seen far too many killed on a mere whim.

Once outside, on deck, the pirate summoned several gunners and pointed at Roland’s distant sailboat. "Sink it, and loot whatever’s left. We’re off to the Grand Line soon."

"Yes, sir!"

No one objected to the order. Sinking a small sailboat was routine. The gunners quickly rolled out the cannon, ignited the fuse, and took aim.

A thunderous boom split the air as several cannonballs arced toward Roland, exploding in the waters around his boat.

"Adjust your aim and fire again," instructed the lead gunner. They were seasoned hands and knew a direct hit on the first shot was mere luck. The first volley was always a test; they’d adjust their angle based on where the cannonballs landed.

...

"What’s happening?"

In the midst of his training, Roland had sensed the incoming cannonballs almost instantly. Thanks to his Haki, he foresaw where they would land and didn’t bother to move. But as the next volley approached, his expression darkened. If he couldn’t guess what was happening now, he might as well give up sailing.

"A pirate’s firing at me for sport? Or did they see my small boat, decide there was nothing worth stealing, and opt to sink me outright?"

Watching the cannonballs whistle toward him, Roland’s face grew grim. With a casual swing of his blade, a dark crimson slash cleaved through the air, shattering the shells before they could reach him.

"Good thing I was only training and not distracted. If I’d been hit by those, I wouldn’t have lived to regret it."

Narrowing his eyes, he gazed at the distant fleet. As a Devil Fruit user, he was helpless in the water. If the Navy had sunk him, they might have fished him out—but pirates wouldn’t bother salvaging a corpse for amusement.

Still, in the East Sea, only one pirate crew possessed such a vast fleet. There was no mistaking it.

Krieg.

"I didn’t expect Krieg to still be around. Does this mean I’m ahead of the main storyline?" Roland stroked his chin, trying to determine the current timeline. If he could pinpoint it, finding Nami would be much simpler.

But first things first—he had pirates to deal with.

Quickly stowing his belongings in the system’s storage, Roland invoked his Devil Fruit power, transforming into Udean. Leaving the little sailboat behind, he sprinted across the sea’s surface toward the fleet.

He’d only discovered the system’s storage function in the last two years, and it had sparked renewed interest in the system itself. But, to his disappointment, no new functions had emerged; aside from issuing daily discipline tasks and providing storage, the system remained unchanged.

"What… what is that thing?"

On another large ship, a pirate who’d been expecting a bit of sport suddenly noticed something strange gliding across the water—a creature leaving behind footprints of ghostly green flames.

"What are you talking about?" another pirate asked, shifting his gaze out to sea—and instantly freezing in terror.

The creature, neither man nor beast, was suddenly right in his face.

"In your next life, don’t be a pirate—if you have one."

Roland showed no mercy. With a swift stroke of his short blade, he cut the pirate down in an instant.

"We’re under attack!"

A nearby pirate shrieked, his face drained of color.

"Under attack?"

"Hurry, hurry! No one’s dared challenge the Krieg Pirates like this before."

"Haha! Don’t get in my way, I’ll be the one to kill him and claim the captain’s reward!"

"You? Keep dreaming. The next officer will be me for sure."

The pirates swarmed onto the deck, brandishing an array of weapons, eager for the fight. They were not afraid of battle; besides, Krieg’s recent command promised that any who proved themselves in combat could become officers. Life was far better for an officer than for a common deckhand.

But when they saw the transformed Roland—Udean—with a single hand crushing the pirate who’d raised the alarm, their faces turned as pale as death.

What was this thing?

Why had they never seen anything like it before?

It had to be a demon, surely.

For the pirates of the so-called "weakest sea," their horizons were narrow compared to those from other oceans. Confronted with this monstrous figure, they quailed. They were brave enough—unless the enemy was beyond their understanding. Would they charge at a Navy Admiral? Of course not; they weren’t fools.

Roland shook his head at their cowardice. As he thought, they were nothing but bullies, bold with the weak and fearful of the strong.

He dispelled his transformation. Against these wretches, he needed no power from Udean.