One Piece: New Order-Chapter 49: Douglas Bullet

Galzburg Kingdom, Kripa Town.

Douglas Bullet walked down the street in plain black clothes, hands tucked in his pockets. It was one of his rare days off, and he was headed to his favorite dessert shop.

At just eight years old, he had been betrayed by those he once called comrades, left wounded, barely clinging to life. Since that day, Bullet had closed himself off from the world. Trust was a luxury he could no longer afford.

He believed only in his own strength. It was the only thing that never lied to him, never abandoned him. The pursuit of power became his sole reason to live, his only source of solace.

Years spent fighting on blood-soaked battlefields had hardened him. Now twelve, Bullet was a boy tormented by solitude. A quiet ache lingered deep within his chest, buried beneath layers of muscle and silence. That yearning for connection, however faint, had no place to go.

Only desserts could bring him a bit of relief.

Inside the dessert shop, he ordered his usual and found a seat by the window. He sat quietly, staring outside. When the dessert was served, he nodded politely to the server.

Without a word, he picked up his spoon. He ate slowly, savoring each bite. Smooth chocolate and sweet cream danced across his tongue, awakening his senses in ways no battlefield ever could.

The sweetness worked like a key, gently unlocking the parts of his heart he'd sealed shut. Tension drained from his shoulders. For a fleeting moment, he found peace.

In the quiet dessert shop, the ceiling fan turned gently overhead. Sunlight streamed through the glass. The quiet, the flavor, the warmth—it all softened him. Even his cold expression eased a little.

That was, until the cries and shouts from outside shattered the calm. Bullet's face returned to that unapproachable, icy look once again. He set down his spoon, finished the last bite, and rose to his feet. He stepped out of the shop and walked toward the source of the disturbance: a tavern not far ahead.

The staff inside had mentioned something just now; he was sure he'd heard the word "pirates."

...

Outside the tavern, several groaning bodies lay sprawled on the ground: the owner and his employees, beaten and bloodied.

Inside, the members of the Wheel Pirates were in complete disarray. They tore through the place, desperately grabbing anything edible, without the slightest concern for their appearance. Stuffing food into their mouths from all directions, they looked like starving beasts.

Captain Rondo stood among them, choking slightly before grabbing a barrel of ale and guzzling it down in massive gulps. He let out a long, satisfied breath, then shouted over the noise.

"Hurry it up! Eat fast and grab anything valuable. If those damn hounds catch up, we're finished!"

A nearby crewmate, still chewing with his mouth full, mumbled, "I don't think they'll catch up that fast, captain. Those marines probably died in yesterday's storm anyway."

Hearing the idiot speak, Rondo's rage flared. He raised the empty barrel and hurled it at him. The crewmate who had just spoken was struck hard, blood pouring from his head.

Rondo roared, "Are you the captain or am I! Shut your damn mouth!"

The rest of the crew shivered at the sight of the unlucky fool. A few quick-witted members immediately dropped their food and rushed to the counter to search for valuables. Rondo nodded in approval. If only all his men were this useful, he wouldn't have to worry so much.

Just then, the tavern door creaked open.

Douglas Bullet, dressed in black, stepped inside. His cold gaze swept over the room as he spoke. "Who gave you permission to cause trouble in this country?"

The rowdy pirates, wild and untamed, immediately started moving toward him, ready to fight.

"Where'd this brat come from?"

"Got a death wish?"

"Why bother asking?"

"Cut him down already!"

Rondo, however, raised a hand to stop them.

"Hold it."

He could feel something unusual about Bullet. That aura... it wasn't something a regular person had. It felt like someone from the military. Uncertain about the boy's background, the cautious Rondo thought for a few seconds.

"Drop the loot," Rondo ordered his men, eyes locked on Bullet. "Keep an eye on him."

The boy didn't move. He stood exactly where he was, expressionless, staring them down.

Rondo's face darkened. "Get him."

As soon as the command left his mouth, his underlings rushed forward, weapons raised.

Still expressionless, Bullet sidestepped the first attacker's slash. As the sword sliced through the air and clattered to the floor, he caught the man's wrist with his left hand.

Crack!

Bones shattered beneath his grip. The pirate screamed as his weapon fell. Bullet snatched it mid-air with his other hand, then drove his boot into the man's chest, launching him into a crowd to the left.

Spinning his body, he charged toward the right.

Clang!

The sharp clash of blades echoed as a pirate tried to block Bullet's sword. But the moment their weapons connected, the pirate felt a crushing force bearing down. Terror flashed in his eyes as Bullet's inhuman strength pressed down with the cold, merciless edge of the blade.

With a swift diagonal slash, the man was cleaved in two.

The sudden, brutal scene stunned the pirates behind him. Before they could even react, Bullet's blade tore into them. The storm of slashes came down like torrential rain. In the blink of an eye, blood erupted from their bodies like geysers.

Squelch!

The sound of blades sinking into flesh echoed. Heads flew into the air, spinning before crashing to the floor.

The tavern fell dead silent.

A few pirates who had been knocked away earlier looked on with visible relief in their eyes.

At the bar, Rondo didn't hesitate anymore. His body shifted, morphing into a giant wheel. He rolled straight toward the boy.

Seeing the huge wheel rushing toward him, Bullet's brow furrowed. He leapt aside as the wheel charged past him, but Rondo had planned for that. He reverted mid-motion and grabbed Bullet's shoulder tightly with his left hand. At the same time, his right arm transformed into a spinning wheel that resembled a circular saw.

Zzzz—!

The shrill hum of the blade spinning through the air rang out as it slashed toward Bullet's neck.

With lightning reflexes, the boy ducked low, then drove his head upward into Rondo's gut. The two of them crashed through the tavern wall and flew into the street beyond.

In mid-air, Rondo drove the spinning blade into Bullet's back. Blood burst from the wound, but the boy didn't cry out. He broke free of Rondo's grip and rolled away just as they hit the ground.

Bullet's back was now a mess of torn flesh and blood, yet he still stared coldly at the pirate captain without a hint of emotion.

Rondo let out a cruel smile. 'Soldiers... sometimes they're the easiest to break.'

Without warning, he transformed back into his wheel form and charged toward the boy—and the civilians behind him.

Bullet's brow furrowed. He was about to dodge, but suddenly stopped. In an instant, he realized what the pirate was trying to do. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. As the wheel approached, Bullet twisted his body and drove a fist into it from the side.

Bang!

The wheel veered off course slightly, but still smashed into him, sending him flying into the nearby buildings.

Boom!

With a loud crash, Bullet and the wheel slammed into a house, collapsing it entirely.

Lying in the rubble, the boy coughed lightly. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. He rolled away just in time to avoid Rondo's next attack.

But instead of dodging the third time, he stood firm and raised his blade. As the spinning wheel hurtled toward him, Bullet didn't flinch. He angled the sword upward, right toward the wheel's center.

Just before impact, the massive wheel swerved off and rolled to the side, shifting back into human form.

Rondo's expression twisted with frustration. 'Damn it... how did that little brat know?'

Since his body became the wheel itself, if that blade had pierced into it during high-speed rotation, it would've shredded him from the inside out.

Now glaring darkly at Bullet, the pirate's eyes narrowed.

Whoosh!

A sudden sharp sound tore through the air. Rondo's face changed drastically. Without hesitation, he spun into his wheel form and tried to escape.

The instant he vanished, a small crater the size of a fingertip appeared on the ground.

Boom!

A deafening crash followed; the wheel form of Rondo was sent flying back, smashing into the ground not far from Bullet.

Bullet's pupils shrank. 'That kind of power...'

Then, three figures in marine uniforms appeared, calmly walking toward the fallen pirate.

Panic still etched across his face, Rondo reverted back into wheel form and shot toward Bullet's side.

Suddenly—crash!

The shattering of a bottle rang out behind Bullet. He turned his head instinctively, catching sight of a little girl. Shards of glass and spilled liquor scattered on the floor around her. She stood frozen, eyes wide as the massive wheel roared toward her.

Despite his blood-soaked body, Bullet exploded forward with a speed that even outpaced the spinning wheel. In a flash, he dropped into a crouch and shielded the girl with his own body.

BOOM!

A thunderous impact shook the street. Dust and wind burst outward. As the shockwave settled, Bullet looked up.

Before him stood the imposing figure of a marine officer. At his feet lay Rondo's still-warm corpse, motionless.

The officer turned his head and glanced at Bullet.

"You did well, kid."

Bullet looked up at the man before him, a puzzled expression on his face. Almost as if murmuring to himself, he asked, "Why?"

Carlo, the marine officer, tilted his head slightly. "Hm?"

Bullet's gaze sharpened as he met the officer's eyes. "Why did you save me?"

Carlo smiled faintly. "Because protecting this sea, its people, their lives—that's our duty as the Marines."

Bullet stiffened. His throat tightened. For a long moment, he couldn't speak.

His heart, frozen for years, began to thaw.

That long-buried desire, the one he'd tried to suppress all this time, surged up uncontrollably.

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