One Piece: Blood Clan

Bors had, unsurprisingly, seen the headline himself.

"'Pirate Killer'… They weren't far off. This newspaper knows how to spin a story," he mused.

Since his rise to notoriety, it wasn't long before someone set their sights on him. On a pirate ship anchored in the southeast corner of Loguetown, Captain Bobo Noco "Evil Ghost" Laru—whose bounty had soared to 16 million Berries—had marked Bors as his target.

Aboard that ship, the crew watched their captain with tense expressions. They knew that when he fell silent, it meant his temper was about to erupt.

"Hey! What do you mean 'Pirate killer'? Don't kid around! Find that insolent brat at once—I'll teach him a lesson personally!" the captain barked.

"Yes, Captain!" the crew shouted before scattering in a hurry, not daring to linger a moment longer.

After the crew had fled, Laru's boot landed squarely on a photograph of Bors.

With a sneer, he spat, "Bors, I'll show you what fate awaits anyone who steals my spotlight."

Meanwhile, with few daring to provoke him further, Bors wandered into the local weapon shops in search of the famed sword Sandai Kitetsu. It wasn't long before he found a small shop run by a surly proprietor named Yiben Song.

At that moment, Yiben Song was slumped behind the counter, listlessly picking his nose. Ever since that lowlife named Smoker had come around, business had been on the decline—and the recent incident with the so-called pirate killer had driven even more pirates away.

"Boss, are you here?" a voice called out.

"Y-Yes, yes!" Yiben Song perked up at the sound of a customer's approach. But when he recognized the visitor—none other than the notorious pirate hunter Bors, who'd been raking in bounties and cash lately—his face shifted to one of greedy excitement.

"Do you have any fine blades you'd recommend?" Bors inquired coolly.

"Absolutely, sir! Please, take a look over here—these are all top-quality swords," the proprietor replied eagerly.

Bors scanned the wall-mounted display. Most of the swords were luxury blades valued at over 500,000 Berries apiece. He casually picked one up to test its heft and quality.

It was decent—if only it were the famed sword Sandai Kitetsu he sought—but that particular masterpiece was nowhere to be found among the high-end collection. He then surveyed the lower-priced section (swords in the 50,000–100,000 Berry range) but found nothing worth his while.

"Perhaps I've come too early… Sandai Kitetsu isn't here yet," he thought.

Determined to make the most of his visit, Bors began methodically pulling each sword from the counter.

Yiben Song watched with increasing irritation but dared not object given Bors' fearsome reputation.

Finally, upon reaching the thirteenth sword, Bors stopped and said, "Boss, I'll take this one."

Yiben Song's expression transformed in an instant. The sword in Bors' hand was the priciest in the million-Berry range—a legendary blade named Bi Maru, one of the renowned fifty-class swords, priced at 4.5 million Berries. It had hung untouched in the shop for ages due to both the dwindling number of pirates and its sky-high price.

Now, to see it sold was cause for celebration.

"Sir, you have excellent taste! This is none other than the fabled A Bi Maru. Purchase it, and you surely won't regret it!" the proprietor crowed.

"Mm," Bors replied curtly before handing over the money and departing. Though he knew that a blade named Yubashiri was in Yiben's possession, he had no intention of buying it.

After all, he wasn't a practitioner of a three-sword or two-sword style; Bi Maru was simply a backup in case his prized Blood Drink ever ran low.

As Bors savored his new acquisition, his mood soured briefly—but he soon noticed subtle signs that someone was watching him.

At first, it seemed a couple of rough individuals were tailing him; their strength appeared unimpressive, yet they showed a boldness that bordered on fearlessness.

"If they want to tangle with me, I'm happy to play," Bors mused, thinking that his Blood Drink needed a few more units to reach its full potential.

However, after a short while, he realized these followers were peculiar—they weren't closing in for an actual fight but merely shadowing him. Could they have been sent to track his movements?

Although Loguetown wasn't overtly dangerous for him now, caution was never misplaced. Deciding to shake them off, Bors managed to lose his tail and returned to his quarters.

Elsewhere, aboard Laru's ship, a few junior pirates approached their captain. "Captain, we've heard that someone spotted Bors at an inn on the western side," one reported.

"Take me there," Laru ordered.

"Aye!" they replied.

At that moment, Bors, glancing at the blood in his small bag, couldn't resist taking a quick swig. Instantly, a surge of power rippled through him—though with his recent strength gains, even a modest sip of one or two blood units was enough to fuel him.

Leaning by his window and gazing out at the scenery, his thoughts drifted to Luffy. Before crossing over, there had been talk that the Pirate King had once bestowed upon Luffy the Nika Fruit—the fruit of the Sun God.

Bors felt a faint stir of admiration, though he'd also heard that Shanks and his crew had already sailed from the East Blue for the Grand Line, and the chance to obtain that fruit had likely passed.

Just as Bors was about to shut his window and resume training, he noticed a group of figures approaching.

By a twist of fate, among them he detected the aura of the same two men who had followed him earlier that day.

"Have they found me again?" he thought.

Soon the group gathered before him. At their head stood none other than Captain Bobo Noco "Evil Ghost" Laru—a man notorious in the East Blue, whose bounty of 16 million Berries was marked as a minor boss in Bors' eyes.

What set this man apart from other pirates Bors had encountered was that he possessed Devil Fruit powers—an animal-type ability that, while still rudimentary, already granted him a clear edge over ordinary pirates.

The news had reported that he'd only recently acquired his Devil Fruit power and was still learning its limits; hence his bounty was a modest 16 million. With time, his strength would undoubtedly grow.

Since they had come actively seeking him, Bors decided to meet them head-on. Licking his lips, he calculated that with his remaining 300 units of blood, he'd soon have enough to replenish his Blood Drink.