Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Tifa the Brawler
In this era of the Grand Line, ships were indispensable. They were not just modes of transportation, but tools of livelihood and opportunity.
Whether ferrying goods between islands, harvesting the riches of the sea, or chasing dreams across the ocean like pirates, no one could get by without a ship.
A brand-new, mid-sized sailboat could easily fetch tens of millions of Berries and even then, they were often hard to come by. If one went up for sale, it would usually be gone within a day.
Naturally, this gave rise to a new kind of profession: ship theft.
Their targets were usually smaller vessels with few crew members aboard.
Especially the greenhorns those overconfident rookies who barely understood the sea. After docking and paying the port fees, they'd leave a single person behind to watch the ship while the rest swaggered off into town to drink and party. It was practically an invitation.
If the ship lacked any flag indicating allegiance to a trade guild or pirate crew, it screamed "easy target."
For people like Jack the Osprey, it was a dream come true. Dressed in feathers and sharp features that earned him the nickname "Osprey of the Seas," Jack made a living stealing ships just like these.
He saw himself as a teacher, really giving naive kids a harsh lesson before they ended up dead in the ocean. Better they learn now than never.
So when he confirmed that not a single soul was aboard the Lexington, Jack didn't waste a second. He signaled his scattered crew, and under the guise of passing strangers, they began to approach the ship.
The plan was simple snatch the vessel and sail off before the harbor authorities could react.
Unfortunately for them, the Lexington was equipped with an advanced surveillance unit. As soon as the crew drew near, a silent ping reached 2B's interface, alerting her to the threat.
Before Jack's crew could latch onto the deck with their grappling hooks, four figures appeared on the supposedly empty ship, ready and waiting.
Jack hesitated for only a moment, exchanged a glance with his men, then gave a slight nod.
This wasn't some petty theft. Getting caught didn't mean backing down. In this world, if you blocked someone's path to profit, you might as well have killed their family.
If the crew cooperated, maybe they'd live. If not, they'd better prepare to die.
With that cold logic in mind, Jack drew his saber and sneered.
"Be smart. Keep quiet. Tie yourselves up, and once we've sailed off, we might even leave you a lifeboat. Otherwise, don't blame us for what happens next."
"Boss," one of his men leered, "these three babes are lookin' real fine. Maybe we oughta-"
Jack's eyes gleamed. "You're right. Change of plan. Kill the guy. As for the girls heh."
Ethan didn't want to hear another word of their filth. "Tifa, can you handle them?"
"I can. Leave them all to me." Tifa rolled her foot, the toe of her boot scraping the deck. Her eyes flashed with anger and disgust.
These weren't just common thugs. They were pirates vile scum who plundered, raped, and killed without remorse. Far worse than the Shinra goons or back-alley punks she'd fought before.
She couldn't let people like this roam free.
Her gaze sharpened, and in a burst of motion, she lunged at the leader.
Jack wasn't just some pushover. A man bold enough to kill for a ship had to have some real power.
As soon as Tifa moved, he reacted instantly, swinging his blade down with brutal force.
In this brutal world, there was no such thing as mercy or chivalry in battle.
But Tifa intercepted the strike flawlessly, parrying with pinpoint precision at the weak spot near his wrist, blocking his power entirely.
Her counterattack came in the same breath a spinning, chi-infused strike slamming into Jack's gut, folding him like a shrimp.
But she didn't stop there.
She flipped backward, narrowly evading a sword from the side. The moment her boots hit the deck, she unleashed a sharp flying kick to the head of the pirate who had tried to ambush her.
"Somersault Kick!"
The man was sent flying overboard with a yelp. Tifa had already moved on.
She shifted her stance into a low slide, dashing forward like a phantom, fists tight and glowing with power.
A quick combo pummeled the next enemy into a daze. She finished with a soaring leap and came down hard with a crushing heel to the top of his skull.
That made three down.
As she turned to strike the next foe, Jack finally recovered, clutching his gut and roaring.
"Let me handle this!"
The other pirates, intimidated by Tifa's fierce martial arts, fell back to let their boss take over.
Jack wiped the blood from his mouth and spat.
"I'll admit, I underestimated you. But if this is all you've got, it ends now."
His killing intent surged. He drew a second saber and charged like a predator descending from the sky.
In his mind, Tifa was already prey.
He was fast.
But Tifa was faster.
With a backflip, she twisted mid-air, azure energy swirling around her legs. The air distorted as she created a sudden vacuum that pulled nearby enemies off balance.
Jack faltered mid-lunge, his timing thrown off completely.
A Devil Fruit user?
Before he could gather his thoughts, Tifa streaked forward in a blue blur. Her gauntlets glowed with chi, forming a whirlwind of energy around her fists.
A powerful uppercut slammed into his chin.
"Whirlwind Dive!"
Jack's eyes rolled back, body lifting off the ground from the sheer force.
But Tifa wasn't finished.
Another flying kick, wreathed in blue aura, crashed into his abdomen, sending him crashing to the deck.
Seeing his chance, Ethan darted forward and landed a final kick, sending Jack's limp body tumbling overboard onto the pier.
Even if he had somehow survived Tifa's blows, that finishing strike sealed his fate.
Unless he was a protagonist blessed with plot armor, he wasn't getting back up.
"Next time you fight, try not to damage the ship," Ethan said casually.
"Sorry," Tifa replied sheepishly, sticking out her tongue. "It's my first real fight in a while. I might've gotten a bit carried away."
The remaining pirates realized they'd picked the wrong fight.
Their captain had gone down in seconds. None of them had the will to fight anymore.
They turned to flee.
"Don't move."
The cold voice froze them in place.
"Take another step and I'll cut you down."
2B stood behind them, massive greatsword in hand, her killing intent suffocating.
And she wasn't bluffing.
One wrong move, and she'd slice them all in half without a moment's hesitation.
A shiver ran through them.
They were finished and they knew it.
NEXT CHAPTER : Tifa's Drink
(After earning 44 million Berries from a pirate bounty, Ethan shares the reward with the crew. Tifa impresses everyone with her bartending skills, mixing her signature cocktail, Meteor Gorge. Ethan calls it "beautiful"—possibly referring to Tifa herself, not the drink.
Moments later, he kisses 2B, sharing the drink's warmth through their lips. Watching from the stove, Tifa quietly wonders what his words really meant…
Next: Is Tifa falling for him—or just caught in the moment?)
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