The Last One (One Piece x Reader)

Chapter 27: Unexpected Confession

"Fuck! Pirate ships in sight!" Leo's voice rang out from the deck, his alarm evident. You immediately sprang from the bed you'd slept in the previous night, grabbing your hat and Kuroshi. Shiro, now fully awake, followed closely behind.

Pirates? What had Leo so worked up about these ships?

"Motherfuckers... I can sense a bunch of soul-fuckers on those ships!" Leo's words made your blood run cold, and you quickened your pace.

Adrenaline surged through your veins as the stench of Niverian black spirits grew stronger the closer you got to the deck.

The four Pillars were already out there, clad in their black suits and glaring daggers at the distant pirate vessels.

The ships were far, but close enough to make out their figures. And that stench... it hung in the air like a damn virus.

You were sure your fellow Pillars could sense it too.

"Why the fuck do they have Jolly Rogers on their ships? Are you seriously telling me these sons of bitches are pirates?!" Leo growled, disbelief thick in his voice.

Three large pirate ships, each flying Jolly Rogers with a skull and a dahlia flower—purple, no less.

You couldn't believe it. You'd expected these creatures to be underground mercenaries, not fucking pirates.

This was bad. Really fucking bad.

And you weren't even halfway to the island yet. So they were expecting you after all?

Fuck.

You clenched your jaw, eyes narrowing as the pirate ships came into clearer view. The five of you were at a loss for what to do. All you could think about was destroying them, killing those bastards. But how could you do that without knowing exactly how?

Leo paced back and forth, tension in his steps almost tangible. "This doesn't make sense. Why the hell would *they* align with pirates?" He spat, his hands balling into fists.

Louise moved beside you, his eyes glowing faintly red, alert to any threat. "There's no way this is just a coincidence," he muttered. "Those ships are too well-positioned. They knew we were coming."

Maki, breathless and clutching your arms tightly, murmured, "We're gonna fucking die."

The black spirits on those ships were unlike anything you'd ever felt. As one of them, you saw a massive purple aura emitting from the ships, engulfing them and reaching the sky. Only Niverian blood could see that aura.

And that massive aura meant they were all fucking strong.

The wind shifted, bringing with it a stronger wave of that sickening stench. You glanced at the others. Each of the Pillars was stone-faced, ready for battle, but the unease was palpable.

"What's the plan?" Maki asked, looking up to you. She wasn't a close-combat fighter, but she fought well enough to survive. All of you had to be prepared for anything, as if each battle might be your last.

You scanned the horizon, weighing your options. You were still too far from the island to dock, and rushing in without a solid plan was suicide. But if you waited too long, they'd close the gap.

"Prepare for an assault. We can't afford to get surrounded," you said, pulling Kuroshi from its sheath. "We'll hit them hard and fast before they have a chance to regroup."

"We won't need to get closer. We'll sink their ships before they even get closer. From the aura and the stench of those black spirits, they're most likely Soul-eaters. We can kill them by targeting their hearts when their black spirit is out of their bodies," Dark explained, unsheathing his rapier.