One Piece: Blood Clan

"This is your ship—please inspect it," a crewman announced.

"Very good," came the reply.

Bors sprang lightly onto the deck and strolled around. As he examined every detail, he couldn't help but be impressed by the flawless craftsmanship.

The vessel, built to accommodate around thirty people, boasted every conceivable amenity: a well‐equipped kitchen, a training room, ample storage, a luxurious bathtub, even a small aquarium for freshly caught fish.

There was also a modest garden planted with a few fruit trees and vegetables—ensuring a steady supply of greens while at sea. After roughly thirty minutes of thorough inspection, Bors was thoroughly satisfied with the ship.

Out of nowhere, he produced a small chest and handed it to a man named Kaku. "All the remaining funds are in here. Count them and let me know if everything's in order."

"Mm," Kaku replied, nodding as he swiftly tallied the money with surprising speed.

"Then I must be on my way, Mr. Bors," Kaku said politely.

"Hold on a minute—you're one of Galley-La shipwrights, aren't you?" Bors asked.

"Indeed. Is something wrong?" Kaku inquired.

"I've heard that Galley-La shipwrights are exceptionally skilled. I'd like to test your ability—are you up for a spar?"

Bors's challenge hung in the air.

After a brief hesitation, Kaku nodded. "Please, lend me two swords," he requested.

"Very well," Bors replied.

Seeing Kaku's willingness to compete stirred a spark of excitement in Bors. Ideally, he hoped Kaku might even throw in one of his famed "Six Styles" techniques to give him a taste of what might later be required against the Marines.

With that, Bors casually tossed two standard samurai swords toward Kaku.

"Mr. Bors, before we begin, may I ask you a question?" Kaku ventured.

"You may," Bors answered.

"Are you a Devil Fruit user? And these swords and funds—are they the result of your ability?"

"Ah, yes, yes, yes!" Bors replied with a conspiratorial grin.

Kaku's eyes widened in surprise. "?"

"Your guess is correct. I am indeed a Devil Fruit user. Let's have a match!" Bors declared.

"Very well," Kaku answered, his demeanor turning serious. Compared to ordinary men, a Devil Fruit user was always formidable—even Kaku had to be cautious.

Within the next heartbeat, Bors relied on his refined body techniques—enough to handle Kaku without revealing too much.

Whoosh!

Kaku charged at Bors with impressive speed, though he did not deploy his technique immediately. Yet Bors stood unmoving, exuding a quiet authority that made Kaku hesitate.

In that split second before contact, Kaku suddenly recoiled as if he'd sensed impending disaster; he felt that had he swung his blade at Bors, things would have ended much worse for him.

Judging from the unwavering confidence in Bors's stance, Kaku suspected that if he had pressed the attack, he'd have been knocked down without question.

After all, Bors was known throughout the East Blue as a fearsome devil—a fact Kaku couldn't ignore.

Perplexed, Bors frowned. "What are you doing? Come at me or not?" he murmured.

Noticing Bors's steely expression, Kaku's face twisted with anxiety—as if facing a legendary adversary—and for several long seconds, neither moved.

Finally, unable to wait any longer, Bors charged forward. With Armament Haki surging through his fist, he bellowed, "Eat my serious punch!"

"Wow, that was fast!" Kaku thought as he instantly raised his twin blades in a defensive cross, then, on instinct, tried to block with a chunk of iron. But it was futile: under the might of Bors's Haki, even his ordinary swords shattered, and the iron clump was no match for the overwhelming force.

In one devastating motion, Bors obliterated Kaku's guard, sending him hurtling backward.

"Even in daylight, though my power is a bit diminished, Kaku still isn't a match for me," Bors mused triumphantly. Not willing to let his opponent recover, Bors pursued.

In response, Kaku, gritting through searing chest pain, suddenly surged with speed and retreated a considerable distance.

Then came a brief moment when Kaku finally employed his technique—a subtle maneuver he'd hoped to keep hidden from his undercover identity.

"I recognize you!" Kaku shouted, his voice edged with both defiance and desperation.

Bors was about to press his attack when Kaku called out, "Surrendered already?"

Even so, Bors couldn't afford to corner Kaku too much; this match was meant only as a test.

Observing keenly, Bors noted that his own Demon Eyes tracked Kaku's every move with unnerving precision—so much so that even if Kaku accelerated further, Bors would not lose sight. And this was only in daylight; at night, his vision would be even keener.

"What about your way of getting back?" Kaku asked uncertainly.

"Don't worry, I have my own methods," Bors with the calm reply.

"Very well then. Goodbye," Kaku said before turning away.

Bors ordered his men to load his belongings onto his ship. Kaku's eyes fell on one particular item—a high-end coffin among Bors's luggage—which aroused his curiosity. "What's a coffin doing on a voyage? Perhaps it's meant for transporting a body after death?" he wondered.

Once aboard, Bors's excitement for the journey ahead began to build. In the New World, he mused, he'd have countless Devil Fruit users to target for their blood—meeting the conditions for further evolution wouldn't be an issue at all.

"Captain, where to next?" the navigator inquired, his tone tinged with anticipation.

"Let's head to Cocoa West Village," Bors ordered.

"Understood!" the crew replied in unison.

For Luffy's crew, Bors decided to take along two trusted companions: Nami and Sanji. In the New World, a capable navigator is indispensable—while his own crew, raised in his village, only knew the East Blue routes, Nami's expertise would be vital. As for Sanji, his mastery for cuisine promised that Bors would get to savor the finest culinary delights the pirate world had to offer.

Later that night, just after waking, Bors found a crewman dashing up to him.

"What's the matter? Why so urgent?" he asked.

"Captain! There are pirates!" the man panted.

Instantly alert, Bors demanded, "Where? Tell me now!"

"Right ahead—Buggy's Pirate Crew is here!" the crewman replied breathlessly.

"Buggy?" Bors murmured.

That was the small boss from Newbie Village—and Buggy was a Devil Fruit user. Bors's mind raced with plans: he would capture Buggy, raise him, and periodically extract his blood, turning him into a renewable resource.

Besides Buggy, he planned to target other Devil Fruit users—after all, in the pirate world, few were truly good.

"No matter. I'm not here to capture saints; in the world of pirates, good men are scarce," he thought grimly.