One Piece: The Deadly

The Thousand Sunny floated peacefully on the calm seas until an ominous shadow loomed over it—a massive ship with jagged sails and an unmistakable Jolly Roger: Blackbeard's.

The crew stood on the deck, tense and alert. Luffy stared up at the approaching ship, his usual grin replaced with a serious expression. "What's he doing here?"

Blackbeard's boisterous laughter echoed across the sea as his ship pulled alongside the Sunny. "Zehahahaha! Straw Hat! Long time no see!"

The tension was thick as Blackbeard leapt onto the Sunny's deck, his imposing figure casting a long shadow. His crooked grin sent chills through the air.

"What do you want, Blackbeard?" Luffy asked, his voice firm.

"Oh, nothing much," Blackbeard said, waving a hand dismissively. "Just passing by and thought I'd say hello. But I see your crew's gotten even weaker. Zehahaha!"

Chopper, standing near Luffy, frowned. "Don't insult my captain!"

Blackbeard turned his gaze to Chopper and sneered. "What's this? A talking reindeer? You call *this* a crewmate, Straw Hat? Pathetic!"

Chopper's ears flattened, but before he could respond, Kikidori stepped forward, his shinai in hand.

"Hey!" Kikidori shouted, glaring up at Blackbeard. "You don't talk to Chopper like that!"

The entire crew turned to look at Kikidori, their expressions ranging from shock to horror.

"Kikidori, what are you doing?" Nami hissed, her voice laced with panic.

"Step back, kid," Zoro growled, his hand already on his sword.

But Kikidori ignored them, his small frame trembling with anger. "I don't care who you are. You don't get to insult my friends!"

Blackbeard blinked, then burst into laughter. "Zehahahaha! What's this? A brat with a stick? Are you serious, Straw Hat? You let a kid like this join your crew?"

Kikidori's grip on his shinai tightened. "I'm not afraid of you!"

Luffy started to step forward, but before he could, Kikidori charged at Blackbeard, swinging his shinai with all his might.

The crew collectively shouted, "KIKIDORI, NO!"

Blackbeard didn't even flinch. With a single swipe of his massive hand, he sent Kikidori flying across the deck. The boy hit the railing hard, crumpling to the ground.

"Kikidori!" Chopper yelled, rushing to his side.

Blackbeard cackled. "Zehahaha! That's what you get, kid! Stay out of grown-up fights!"

Luffy's face darkened with fury. He disappeared in a blur, reappearing in front of Blackbeard and landing a powerful punch to his gut.

The force of the blow sent Blackbeard stumbling back, his laughter replaced with a pained grunt. "Straw Hat…!"

"You don't touch my crew," Luffy growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Blackbeard straightened, his grin returning, though it was clear he was shaken. "Zehahaha! Fine, fine! I'll leave. No need to get so worked up, Straw Hat!"

With that, Blackbeard retreated to his ship, his crew scrambling to follow. As the massive vessel disappeared into the horizon, the tension on the Sunny finally eased.

Chopper was already tending to Kikidori, who groaned as he sat up. "Did… did I win?"

"Not even close," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette.

"Idiot," Nami muttered, shaking her head.

Zoro stood nearby, arms crossed and frowning deeply. As he watched Kikidori's feeble attempt to stand, a thought crossed his mind: *Maybe I should train him…*

Luffy knelt beside Kikidori, grinning. "You've got guts, kid, but you're not ready for fights like that yet."

Kikidori nodded weakly, tears of frustration welling up in his eyes. "I just… I just wanted to protect Chopper…"

Chopper patted Kikidori's shoulder, his voice soft. "Thanks, Kikidori. But next time, let us handle it, okay?"

As the crew returned to their routines, Zoro's eyes lingered on the boy. Kikidori's spirit reminded him of someone—reckless, determined, and full of potential.

*Yeah,* Zoro thought. *Maybe it's time he learned how to fight for real.*

End of Chapter 11