The sky had darkened.
Clouds rolled in from the east as Karl adjusted the sail. The Whispering Isle was shrinking in the distance, swallowed once more by fog and mystery. But he didn't have time to appreciate the eerie silence left in its wake.
His eyes were locked on the enemy ship tearing through the waves behind him—black sails, reinforced hull, and a jagged sun emblazoned across the flag.
The Onyx Blades.
A bounty crew known across the West Blue for hunting rogue pirates, dangerous criminals, and those who carried mysterious items or powers. The fact that they'd found him so quickly told Karl one thing:
Someone—or something—had marked him.
⸻
The Black Sun's Approach
Karl narrowed his eyes as he watched the sloop surge through the surf, clearly faster than his ship. The wind favored them, and their reinforced hull could handle riskier maneuvers across the choppy sea.
[Incoming Threat Detected: Ship Type – Sloop-Class Bounty Vessel]
Crew Size: Estimated 7 | Captain Power Level: High-Rare Tier Equivalent]
Optional Objective Triggered: Defeat the Onyx Blades' Captain. Reward: 1x Legendary Ticket
Karl's expression sharpened. "Looks like we're doing this."
⸻
Preparing the Battlefield
Karl tied off the sail and moved below deck, grabbing what few weapons and materials he had salvaged from the previous pirate crew. Two short sabers. An oil keg. A pair of broken rifles—not usable, but their powder might be.
He set up traps on the deck—slick oil near the entry ramp, rigged rope pulleys to drop cargo crates, and shards of glass across the upper railing for slipping hazards. It was all makeshift, but it would buy him time.
Then he activated two key abilities.
[Spirit Tracker – Active]
[Ember Shell – Passive Layer Engaged | Charges: 3/3]
A ripple of flame-imbued armor coated his shoulders and chest, barely visible unless struck. If they got in close, they'd feel the heat.
⸻
First Strike
The Onyx Blades didn't waste time.
A harpoon slammed into Karl's deck, followed by a boarding hook. Three figures leapt over—two grunts with mismatched weapons and one woman with throwing knives laced across her chest.
Karl stepped forward.
[Thunder Step]
He blurred into the first pirate, slamming his fist into the man's jaw with crushing force. The grunt crumpled instantly. The second swung wildly—only to find Karl gone again, moving with another quick dash behind him.
Flame Whip ignited from Karl's hand and lashed forward, wrapping around the second pirate's leg and yanking him into a stacked crate.
Boom.
The crate exploded in fire as the oil Karl had set earlier ignited. The pirate was out cold.
The knife-wielding woman backed away.
But Karl didn't chase.
He turned—because he had arrived.
⸻
The Captain of the Onyx Blades
He stepped calmly onto the deck, a long coat fluttering behind him despite the still wind.
Tall. Muscular. Bald head covered in tribal tattoos. A massive broadsword rested on his shoulder like it weighed nothing.
"So, you're the brat with a glowing stone and a strange aura," he said, voice like gravel. "Karl, right?"
Karl didn't answer.
[Captain Gorran – Bounty Hunter | Rare Tier | Wields: Armament Haki + Cleave Edge Style]
[System Alert: This opponent is capable of bypassing certain passive defenses. Tactical thinking required.]
Karl rolled his neck. "Bring it, then."
⸻
Clash of Strength and Strategy
Gorran moved first—a blur of raw speed that didn't match his size. His broadsword came down in a vertical arc, and Karl barely sidestepped.
Clang!
The deck cracked beneath the sword's impact.
Karl responded with Flame Whip, lashing at Gorran's side. The captain twisted, taking the hit on purpose. Fire erupted—Ember Shell's retaliatory burst activated.
But Gorran didn't flinch.
Instead, he grinned. "Heat won't save you, boy."
He launched a Cleave Edge slash—a compressed air blade that tore through Karl's shoulder.
-20% HP
Karl reeled back, activating Hawk Eye to sharpen his senses. The battlefield zoomed in—tiny flickers of motion, pressure shifts, even muscle tension became visible.
Then he saw it.
Gorran's left leg twitched slightly before each air slash. A tell.
Karl grinned.
⸻
The Counterattack
With Hawk Eye active and Spirit Tracker pulsing in the background, Karl fought differently now.
He moved not just with instinct, but prediction.
Each time Gorran lifted his blade, Karl dashed to the opposite angle, forcing the man to overcommit. He baited swings with feints, struck with quick bursts of Flame Whip, and let Ember Shell punish any hits he took.
They clashed again.
Blades met fists.
Steel met flame.
And then—Karl triggered his trap.
He led Gorran across the oiled portion of the deck. When the captain stepped into it, Karl used a broken flintlock's powder charge—boom!—igniting the surface.
Gorran's foot slipped.
Karl didn't hesitate.
[Thunder Step – Targeted Impact Mode]
He rocketed forward, flame-whip ignited, and slammed his fist directly into Gorran's jaw.
CRACK.
The giant staggered—finally.
Karl threw his final attack: a spinning whip combo followed by a point-blank Ember Shell headbutt. The passive burst scorched Gorran's faceplate.
With a groan, the bounty captain dropped.
⸻
Victory
Silence fell over the ship.
The last remaining Onyx Blades member—a wounded scout—threw down his weapon and jumped overboard.
Karl slumped to one knee, panting.
[Victory Confirmed: Onyx Blades Defeated]
Mission Complete – Bonus Objective Achieved!
Reward Earned: 1x Legendary Gacha Ticket
+500 EXP | Level Up! Karl is now Level 3
Loot Collected: Gorran's Broadsword, 2 Rare Gacha Tickets, 6,000 Beli, and a Navigation Compass
Karl grinned, chest heaving.
He'd done it.
⸻
Legendary Gacha Roll
That night, after patching his wounds and throwing the Onyx Blades' unconscious bodies onto their own damaged ship, Karl stood beneath the stars.
He opened the system menu.
[Ticket Inventory]
• Common: 0
• Uncommon: 0
• Rare: 3
• Legendary: 1
[Rolling: Legendary Gacha Ticket – Confirm?]
Karl smiled. "Let's see what a real reward looks like."
The golden wheel spun.
Symbols flashed.
Then—
[Congratulations! You've obtained: Crimson Dominion – A battle state that boosts all fire-based abilities drastically for 3 minutes. Cooldown: 12 hours.]
Effect: During Crimson Dominion, all flame skills evolve. Whip becomes Dragon Lash. Ember Shell becomes Inferno Armor.
Passive Flame resistance increased by 50%.
Karl's jaw dropped.
A full-state buff?
He wasn't just playing anymore.
He was entering the real battlefield now.