Strongest Possessor of One Piece

You can read ahead up to 15 chapters on my Patreon and I've also activated a (date-to-date) subscription model on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395

Leaping down from the pirate ship, Rojen swiftly made his way toward the heart of the island. 

Perched on his shoulder, the cat remained silent, not uttering a sound, though its occasional glances forward betrayed its worry. 

It feared that Rojen might encounter danger. After a few days of companionship, a bond had formed between the man and the cat. 

Passing through the coastal jungle, Rojen soon caught sight of the town at the island's center. 

The once peaceful town had descended into chaos the moment this pirate crew arrived. These ruthless pirates showed no kindness or mercy. Their first act upon landing was a slaughter— a brutal massacre meant to intimidate the villagers and force them to surrender their wealth. 

Refusal or hesitation meant death. 

Blood pooled into a small river, flowing slowly along the gravel paths of the town. The faint scent of blood hung in the air, and a grim atmosphere settled over the island. 

"We're only here to rob, nothing else." 

"Hand over your money, and we'll leave you unharmed." 

From the back of the pirate crowd, a large figure bellowed loudly. 

In front of them, the villagers stood together in fear, clutching makeshift weapons like shovels and hoes. 

Faced with danger, these people chose not to submit but to resist. 

Between the two groups lay dozens of corpses. 

"Enough with the nonsense! This blasted village has already wasted two hours of our time. The captain's busy!" 

A burly, bald man stepped forward, wielding a machete, its blade pointed directly at the villagers. 

"I'll give you two more minutes to decide. If you don't hand over your money, I'll slaughter every last one of you!" 

"Captain!" 

At these words, the pirates behind him grew uneasy. 

Pirates are ranked by their infamy and bounties. Their captain, though cruel, had always held back compared to the most notorious and bloodthirsty pirates. Those at the top of the Marines' wanted lists were drenched in blood, capable of annihilating entire islands and their inhabitants. 

They had always avoided such large-scale massacres to prevent drawing the Marines' full attention. 

They knew all too well that if the Marines decided to hunt them down seriously, they'd be finished!

But this time, the captain—! 

"Enough talk! After this job, we're heading to the Grand Line!" 

"Once we've amassed 100 million berries, we'll do a few more jobs along the way. Then, we'll find an auction and buy a few Devil Fruits. What's there to fear then?" 

The bald captain waved his hand arrogantly and shouted. 

At this, the crew understood. 

They were close to Reverse Mountain. If they wanted to leave, the Marines would hardly be able to stop them. 

And if they decided to go, could the Marines of South Blue even handle them? 

Once in the Grand Line, they could use their wealth to buy a few Devil Fruits, bolster their crew's strength, and then they wouldn't have to fear the Marines anymore. 

This was how most pirates operated these days. They weren't fools. They accumulated wealth through plunder in the early stages, then entered the Grand Line to find Devil Fruits and grow their power. 

Seeing the sudden ferocity in the pirates' eyes, the villagers visibly panicked. 

Compared to the pirates, who lived on the edge of death through constant battles, the villagers were clearly outmatched. Once the fighting started, the villagers would almost certainly be wiped out. 

"Two minutes are up!" 

The captain had reached the limit of his patience. After counting down with a stopwatch, he let out a furious roar. 

"Have you made your decision?" The bald captain glared at the villagers with murderous intent. 

None of the villagers spoke, but they tightened their grips on their weapons. 

"Fine, fine, fine!" 

The bald captain laughed in extreme anger. He suddenly raised his hand into the air, about to swing it down and give the order to slaughter the defiant villagers in one go. 

But at that moment, painful screams erupted from behind the pirate crowd. 

"Ah, help!" 

"There's an enemy!" 

"Be careful!" 

Several cries quickly rang out but were abruptly cut off. 

The pirates turned around in confusion and saw a young figure holding a sword in his right hand, slowly walking toward them. 

"Who is he?" 

The bald captain glanced over and immediately asked the pirate beside him. 

"I don't know either!" 

The pirate looked bewildered. 

The young man held a sword in his right hand, and on his shoulder sat a small cat. The cat's eyes were filled with fear, evoking pity. Its gaze darted around, looking both cute and lively. 

But it was this strange pair. 

With each step they took, 4-5 pirates fell. 

In the few moments it took for the bald captain to react, the young man's sword had already claimed dozens of lives among the pirate crowd. 

"Dammit!" 

The bald captain finally reacted and let out a roar. 

"What are you lot standing around for? Kill that brat!" 

His roar was like a thunderclap, instantly snapping the dazed pirates out of their stupor. 

Then, chaos erupted. Nearly a hundred pirates surrounded one person, encircling Rojen in the center. 

But for a moment, none of the pirates dared to step forward. 

"Meow!" 

The cat let out a worried cry. 

"Don't be afraid. These are just weaklings." 

Rojen's face was cold, his tone indifferent to the pirates. 

At the same time, he secretly contacted the system. 

"Summon an orange-grade soul for me, category: Sword Weapons!" 

"Specifying the category will double the cost. Please confirm." 

The system's cold voice responded. 

"Confirm!" 

With Rojen's current strength, dealing with these pirates wouldn't take much effort. But an orange-grade soul was no longer a burden for him. 

His main goal was to master multiple skills. 

In a flash of light, a young figure with scarlet hair and a lion-like scar on his face, holding a long sword, suddenly stepped forward and merged into Rojen's body. 

With a slight tremor, Rojen's eyes immediately showed a flash of enlightenment. 

"Cost: 200,000. Summoned character: Himura Kenshin!" 

"Skills acquired: Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū!" 

Himura Kenshin, a character worth 100,000, was someone Rojen was completely familiar with. 

At the same time, the sword in his hand changed its stance, and his style abruptly shifted. His entire demeanor underwent a subtle transformation. 

Of course, none of this was noticeable to the pirates in front of him. 

In a flash, Rojen's figure disappeared from the pirates' sight. 

The sword gleamed, and at this moment, Rojen's movements were too fast to follow. 

In just three breaths, dozens more bodies fell to the ground. 

Himura Kenshin's sword techniques, combined with the power within Rojen's body, unleashed a terrifying force. 

(End of Chapter)