Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

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The Long Dark Night

The bright moonlight pierced the sea like a cold sword.

At that moment, a ship carved graceful curves across the rising and falling waves. The rhythm of the waves crashing against the hull was almost musical.

"Where... am I?"

Kozuki Momonosuke's eyes fluttered open as the ship rocked gently beneath him. Bathed in the faint glow of the moon, he found himself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.

Due to Jynx's hypnotic influence, Momonosuke had no recollection of being rescued by Alvida and her crew. His mind was still locked on the memory of clinging to Kinemon, struggling to survive the sea's deadly grasp.

"Could it be... I was saved?"

Momonosuke's mind spun in confusion, but a sense of relief washed over him. He had narrowly escaped death. 

Lucky, so lucky...

If he and Kinemon had perished in the ocean, he would have been heartbroken beyond words.

But then... Kanjuro! Yes, it must have been him! He used his powers to escape, and surely brought someone back to rescue me.

Still, how could Kanjuro have found them in the vast sea? But regardless, once I reclaim Wano, I will reward him with a high rank for his loyalty!

Having mentally promised to reward his rescuer, Momonosuke propped himself up on his hands, slowly sitting up. But then...

A strong scent of perfume wafted into his nose.

"Wait, what's this?"

As the son of Wano's shogun, Momonosuke immediately recognized the smell.

"Perfume... this is a girl's scent!"

His eyes widened in realization. Ever since Orochi had taken over the General's Mansion, he hadn't been near a woman!

Surveying his surroundings, he noticed where he was: a large pink bed, a quilt with heart patterns, an elegant swan-shaped bedpost...

There was no doubt about it. He was in a young woman's bedroom. 

And judging by the quality of the perfume, this girl must be quite a beauty. After all, not just anyone could afford such luxury.

Relying on his innate Kozuki sensitivity, Momonosuke sensed the presence of another person in the room. 

"If this really is a girl's bedroom..." 

"Then the one lying next to me must be..."

At that moment, the perverted streak in Momonosuke's bloodline took over, filling his mind with inappropriate fantasies. A lewd smile crept across his face, and he even forgot the sorrow of losing his mother and the time leap of 20 years. 

"I never thought that after escaping death, I'd find myself with such luck!"

"Besides, I'm wounded and still just a child..." 

"So even if I do something inappropriate, I'll be forgiven, right?"

"Hehehe..." 

Obscene thoughts clouded his mind as two hot breaths escaped his nostrils. Under the moonlight, Momonosuke transformed into a ravenous wolf, his hands moving mischievously.

Without a second thought, he slipped under the quilt and reached towards the figure beside him.

From beginning to end, the reckless boy remained blissfully unaware of the danger looming near his waist.

Though the light was dim, Momonosuke's years of experience sneaking up on maids served him well. With ease, he slid beneath Alvida's blanket.

"Huh, this lady is taller than I expected."

Confused by the spacious bed, Momonosuke paused briefly. But soon, he resumed his inappropriate behavior, inching closer to Alvida's body.

Beneath the blanket, Momonosuke couldn't see clearly, but his hand soon made contact with silk pajamas.

His experience told him all he needed was a simple "accidental" turn, and he could pull the girl into his arms!

And so, he executed his plan perfectly, turning over and lifting his hand.

However...

"Huh?"

"Why is her back turned?!"

Raising his hand under the covers, Momonosuke was perplexed to find that he hadn't even crossed her arms.

Confused, he pressed harder against what blocked him—and immediately felt a familiar sensation.

A flicker of doubt flashed through his mind, but before he could process it...

In her sleep, Alvida, stirred by the disturbance, unconsciously swung her arm in Momonosuke's direction.

CRACK!

A blinding pain shot through his body.

"AAAH!!!"

His scream shattered the silence of the night.

"What's going on!? What happened!?"

"Alvida, are you alright!?"

Koby, standing watch nearby, rushed to the door, knocking frantically. But no amount of commotion could disturb Alvida's deep slumber.

 No matter how much Koby shouted, there was no response from inside the room.

In the end, Koby had no choice but to barge in.

'Bang!'

Koby burst into Alvida's room, hurriedly flipping on the light switch.

The room was suddenly flooded with light.

The abrupt brightness finally disturbed Alvida, making her frown as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Huh? Koby?"

Seeing Koby standing beside her bed, his face frozen in shock, Alvida's expression darkened with annoyance.

"What are you doing in my room in the middle of the night!?" she snapped.

But to her surprise...

Instead of reacting with his usual fear, Koby remained in a daze, staring blankly at something. He then lifted a trembling finger and pointed to her side.

"Huh?"

Confused, Alvida followed his gaze, and what she saw made her blood run cold.

Her quilt was stained bright red!

What!? Did something happen to me!?

For a moment, panic set in. But as she gathered her thoughts, something didn't add up.

Wait, no... Ever since I gained the strength to crush boulders with my bare hands, I haven't had to deal with that for a long time. There's no way my body would suddenly revert... right?

Then it dawned on her. She knew exactly what was happening.

Alvida's eyes widened in realization.

She immediately threw the quilt aside, revealing the shocking sight beneath.

Momonosuke, who had been lying next to her, now had one arm bent grotesquely at a 180-degree angle behind his back. His face was severely swollen, his cheekbones crushed as if hit by a heavy object. Two of his teeth lay next to his crooked mouth, and his arm was still bleeding, soaking the bed.

"It's... broken!!!"

A scream echoed in Alvida's mind as she saw the boy, the one she was specifically instructed to protect, now in such a pitiful state.

"Uh..."

Noticing Koby still standing there in shock, Alvida forced a nervous laugh and awkwardly said,

"Maybe... maybe I was dreaming about flies, and accidentally... heh... heh..."

"Uh, Koby, be a dear and grab the medical supplies, would you? We should bandage the kid up."

Koby just stood there in silence.

It wasn't that he didn't want to obey Alvida—it was just that when he looked at Momonosuke's mangled form, he couldn't help but wonder... 

Is there even a point?

---

 Three days passed.

Due to the delicate nature of her mission, Alvida eventually decided to have Jynx hypnotize the injured Momonosuke. After bandaging him up, they put him to sleep and tossed him into the ship's prisoner hold, placing him next to Kinemon.

To be fair...

The Kozuki bloodline was truly remarkable.

Despite his serious injuries, just three days later, Momonosuke had almost fully recovered. Even his broken arm had healed, and in a few more days, he'd likely be back to normal.

This allowed Alvida to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

If Kuina had found out that the boy she had ordered to be closely guarded had been accidentally beaten so badly...

Even though Kuina wouldn't punish her, the thought of disappointing Kuina was far more painful for Alvida than any reprimand.

"As long as Master Zoro arrives soon, everything should be fine," Alvida murmured, gazing at Momonosuke's unconscious body in the cage.

Once this troublesome kid is handed over to Zoro, what happens next won't be her problem anymore.

However...

Just as Alvida was thinking this, a sudden explosion rocked the ship.

'BOOM!'

A cannonball-like blast tore through the hull, leaving a massive hole in the cabin.

Flames roared through the opening, spreading rapidly across the ship.

"What?! What just happened!?"

Alvida was stunned by the sudden chaos. 

She rushed to the gaping hole in the hull, trying to assess the situation.

But what she saw outside left her speechless.

 At that moment.

In front of Alvida's ship, a dozen massive battleships formed a fan-shaped blockade, surrounding them tightly.

But the most alarming sight was the pirate flag flying on the masts of those battleships—a symbol that could send shockwaves through the world.

"Kanjuro, are you sure that Kozuki kid is on this tiny boat?" 

On the lead battleship, a towering giant over seven meters tall looked down at the funny warrior below him, his voice deep and authoritative.

"No doubt about it, Lord Kaido!" 

Kanjuro's eyes gleamed with certainty as he held up a life card that seemed to tug toward the ship.

"Twenty years ago, Kinemon and I escorted that boy here through Lady Toki's time powers. I'm certain he's on that ship!"

"I see..."

Kaido grunted, his eyes narrowing in thought. He then issued his command:

"King, take the crew and capture that Kozuki brat."

"Understood, Captain."

King, wearing his signature black, pointed mask, responded immediately. Flames erupted from his back as enormous pterosaur wings unfolded. With a powerful flap, he shot into the sky, speeding toward Alvida's ship.

---

 On Alvida's ship.

Koby lowered his telescope, his expression grim as he turned to the others.

"It's confirmed. That's the Beast Pirates' fleet."

"What?!" 

Alvida gasped, her voice filled with disbelief.

"You're saying the ones attacking us are the former Four Emperors!?"

"Yes." 

Koby nodded solemnly. Without wasting a second, he pulled out his phone and quickly dialed.

"Hello?"

A lazy voice answered on the other end.

It was Zoro, speaking as if he were still half-asleep. 

"What's up, Koby?" 

Koby's voice was urgent as he explained:

"It's bad, Brother Zoro! We're surrounded and under attack by the Beast Pirates!"

"The hull's been breached, and we have almost no chance of escape."

"What did you say!?" 

Zoro's sleepy tone vanished, replaced by one of sharp focus.

"Why are they attacking you?"

"I'm not sure," 

Koby admitted, shaking his head.

"But I suspect it has to do with the heir to the Kozuki family we rescued a few days ago."

"Huh? You mean that kid?"

Zoro had been present when Alvida had first made contact, so he knew who Koby was referring to.

"Exactly!" 

Koby confirmed. 

"They targeted our small ship right away. It's clear they were prepared and had a specific objective in mind."

"There's no way the Beast Pirates would send an entire fleet like this for a random attack. And just now, through the telescope, I think I caught a glimpse of Kaido himself—former Emperor of the Seas."

"Hmm..."

Zoro fell silent for a moment, thinking. Then, without hesitation, he spoke firmly:

"If their goal is the kid, don't fight them. Hand him over."

"But, Master Zoro..."

Alvida, standing behind Koby, protested anxiously. Just two days ago, Kuina had told them all about her plans—the Kozuki boy might be the key to solidifying their mercenary group's position in the New World. 

Alvida couldn't bear the thought of giving him up so easily.

However...

Koby cut off Alvida's protests with a calm yet determined voice.

"I know what to do, Brother Zoro."

Zoro paused, sensing Koby's resolve. There was a flicker of concern in his eyes, but he still replied:

"Just remember—your safety comes first."