Thou Shall Not Die

As Taiyo left Shimotsuki Island, he began rowing in a general direction, continuing without pause. Huginn and Muninn performed their usual duties, scouting nearby islands where Taiyo might stop. After a few weeks of solo sailing, he spotted a nearby island and immediately began rowing with renewed enthusiasm, increasing his speed until he reached it. Upon landing, Taiyo headed straight into town to replenish his food supplies, using his Observation Haki to widen his range and quickly navigate. Huginn and Muninn perched calmly on his shoulders.

As Taiyo walked through the town, he suddenly felt a pair of eyes watching him. He turned toward the direction of the presence, focusing on a hidden section of the mountain, concealed from plain sight. Taiyo kept his gaze forward, subtly tilting his head slightly to the right. He had sensed a sniper—an expert one at that. The shot came from approximately seven kilometers away, and the bullet's trajectory was aimed precisely at his head.

Realizing this, Taiyo smiled faintly in the direction of the sniper and tilted his head toward a nearby bar, then began walking toward it, inviting the sniper for a drink. Taiyo didn't care whether the sniper noticed the gesture or not, but he would know instantly if the invitation had been accepted.

Inside the bar, Taiyo ordered a bottle of sake and a meal for himself, also asking for food for his crows. He waited patiently, anticipating whether or not the sniper would enter.

After a few minutes of waiting, the food arrived, and Taiyo immediately began eating. This was the first time Taiyo was going to eat a cooked meal prepared by someone other than himself. While he could cook, that didn't mean he could make food as delicious as a talented chef. Finding someone like that—a Sanji-like figure—was one of his future goals for his crew.

As he was eating, the bar's doors suddenly swung open. A man walked inside, appearing calm with an emotionless expression. His eyebrows were furrowed in what looked like a sorrowful or somber look. The left lens of his black glasses was a normal, rectangular eyepiece, while the right lens was circular and resembled a crosshair. He wore a large black hat that jutted out to both sides, shaped almost like the hull of an upturned boat. Draped over him was a long black cape.

Taiyo immediately recognized who it was based on appearance alone. The man took the vacant seat in front of Taiyo but, seeing that Taiyo was still eating, simply waited in silence for him to finish.

After a few minutes, Taiyo finished his meal. He called the waiter to order more, then gestured for the person in front of him to order something as well if he wished.

"A bottle of your finest wine," the sniper said calmly, his rifle resting across his lap. After placing his order, he turned his gaze to Taiyo, who met his eyes without flinching.

"You know, it's not exactly polite to aim for someone's head without warning," Taiyo said, breaking the silence with a low, composed voice. Though the comment sounded casual, there was weight behind it.

"Well, what do you know? You're a stranger on this island carrying a sword, which means you're a fighter. I just didn't want the people living here to get hurt by you, so I tried to finish the job," the sniper said as he drank the wine the waiter had served, savoring it for a moment before swallowing.

"Somehow, I don't believe you. I think you were just bored and wanted to fight me," Taiyo said, still eating, not sugarcoating his words.

"Oh really? Then why did you invite me to join you here?" the sniper asked, his full attention now on Taiyo.

"Well, I wanted to invite the one with overwhelming sniper skills to become my right-hand man. But looking at you now, it seems you wouldn't agree without testing my skills first, aren't I right?" Taiyo replied calmly, finishing his meal and getting ready to pay the bill while Huginn and Muninn finished their food as well.

"Well, what do you know—seems like I'm not just getting rid of my boredom, but maybe yours too," the sniper said as he stood up with his rifle resting on his shoulders. Taiyo paid for the food and booze they'd ordered while Huginn and Muninn followed behind.

The two then walked to a remote part of the island where they faced each other, preparing for a duel. Taiyo gave more than a 100-meter distance to the sniper, wanting a bit of thrill in the process.

"Are you sure it's smart to give this much distance to someone you know is a great sniper?" the sniper asked, confident in his skills. He knew Taiyo had Observation Haki—but so did he.

"Yes. Don't worry about it, sniper!" Taiyo yelled back, just as confident in his abilities. He could cross that distance in the blink of an eye without worry.

"Well then, tell me your name. I want to remember the one who died because of his stupidity," the sniper shouted, treating Taiyo as already dead.

"Shimotsuki Taiyo," Taiyo introduced himself.

"Well then, Shimotsuki Taiyo, I'll make sure to bury you in an unmarked grave so no one can mourn you," the sniper said.

"I'll make sure you become my right-hand man. Seems like we're on the same page!" Taiyo said as he stood, placing his hand on his sword while waiting for the sniper to fire the first shot.

The sniper aimed and fired—but the bullet split in the air, hitting the two trees behind Taiyo. Taiyo began walking toward him as more shots followed. The sniper grinned at the sight of Taiyo approaching and loaded more bullets into his rifle. He fired over 3,000 split bullets—small, pellet-sized, but still deadly due to their speed.

Taiyo grinned at the challenge. He deflected every bullet, one by one, in under a second. Bored, he suddenly jumped toward the sniper to finish the battle. The sniper tried to retreat, firing as he moved, but in just over a second, Taiyo closed the distance and slashed at him, defeating the sniper, who lay bleeding on the ground.

"You win. My life is yours to decide. My fate rests with you," the sniper said, closing his eyes and bracing for death. But instead of a killing blow, he felt a strange relief as his wounds began to heal, completely, with no scars. Only the blood and the torn clothing remained as evidence of the fight.

"Didn't I tell you? You'd be my Vice-Captain," Taiyo said as he turned his back, testing whether the sniper would fire at him or follow.

The sniper, still with one bullet in the chamber, fired—but not at Taiyo. He shot into the air.

"My name is Van Augur. I'll be your Vice-Captain. I will follow you even into death. From this day forward, everything I do will serve and benefit your cause. My loyalty, my dedication, and my gun will ensure that no one hinders your path," the sniper declared.

Taiyo stopped and looked back at Van Augur.

"Just say you'll be my right hand," Taiyo said, feeling a bit awkward. Despite having the composure of Yoriichi and an incredible stillness, he still cringed a little at that kind of oath.

Van Augur simply stood up and began walking behind Taiyo.