Title: One Piece: Gacha Hunter of the Grand Line.
Chapter 21 - The Chains of Ironhold Isle
The gentle sway of the sea shifted as Ayman's ship emerged from the narrow channel between two towering rock faces. The sun dipped just past midday, casting a golden hue over the glistening waves. The crew—Yoruichi, Tsunade, Android 18, and Calla—stood near the bow, eyes locked on the silhouette of the island ahead.
Ironhold Isle.
It loomed in the distance like a fortress. Jagged cliffs lined the coastline, and the faint glimmer of iron scaffolding wrapped around its highest hilltop. Thick smoke billowed from a distant foundry stack, trailing into the open sky like a black wound.
Ayman felt his fingers tighten around the ship's rail.
"This doesn't look like any place for a vacation," he muttered.
Yoruichi clicked her tongue. "You're telling me. That smoke? That's not your average forge. Someone's running something big here."
[New Mission: Liberate Ironhold Isle]
[Objective: Investigate the source of the slave operations. Free the oppressed. Defeat the pirate warlord controlling the island.]
[Reward: 1,000,000 System Coins + ??? Bonus Summon Unlocked]
Tsunade let out a low whistle. "A million coins? Either the system's feeling generous, or this mission's going to suck."
"Let's just assume both," Ayman said with a half-smile.
As the ship neared the shoreline, the crew lowered anchor near a secluded inlet shrouded by overgrown cliffs. A winding path stretched into the jungle beyond, leading to the town center.
Android 18 scanned the coast. "There's no patrol here. Looks like they don't expect visitors."
Calla nodded, tightening her gloves. "Let's use that. We move quietly. Learn before we fight."
The town of Ironhold was eerily quiet.
Dilapidated buildings leaned over cobbled streets like drunkards asleep on their feet. Faded posters were plastered across walls: propaganda filled with messages of obedience and punishment. Rusted chains dangled from lampposts, and in the far-off square, a giant iron bell sat cracked and unused.
Then they saw them—locals.
Dirty, thin, and sunburnt. Men, women, even children, moving in lines between warehouses under the watchful eye of armed pirates in black-and-red uniforms. Each wore a collar connected to a shimmering device on their belts.
"Slave collars," Yoruichi whispered, her voice venomous.
Ayman's jaw tightened. "I thought the World Government outlawed this."
Tsunade crossed her arms. "Not that it matters in places like this. Some pirates set up their own kingdoms, and nobody comes to stop them."
They ducked behind a crumbling bakery wall. Android 18 placed a hand on Ayman's shoulder.
"What's the plan?"
He exhaled slowly. "We split. Gather intel. Don't get spotted. Rendezvous at the northern overlook in an hour."
Calla weaved through the alleyways, posing as a beggar with impressive skill. She overheard talk from two young dockworkers about a man named Vice Captain Drosk who handled all the prisoner transfers. Apparently, he made regular visits to the Iron Barracks atop the cliff.
Tsunade wandered into a tavern disguised as a brawler looking for a fight. With a few broken tables and mugs, she extracted valuable intel: the boss of the island was a pirate named Ironjaw Brix, known for his reinforced metal jaw and brutal discipline. He had a bounty of 118 million berries and commanded a crew of over 200 men.
Android 18 climbed the scaffold of an old church and accessed the patrol routes of the guards by tapping into their den den mushi radio signals. She memorized the guard rotation pattern and quietly disabled three patrolmen for good measure.
Yoruichi shadowed a suspicious merchant into a warehouse filled with smuggled weapons. She tagged the crates with a chalk sigil and vanished before the man noticed.
Ayman, for his part, befriended a local boy named Rudo who snuck food to the prisoners. Rudo revealed that his sister was taken to the Iron Barracks weeks ago and hadn't returned. He begged Ayman to help.
Ayman put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I swear, we'll bring her back."
Nightfall.
The crew regrouped at the overlook. The tower of Iron Barracks loomed above them, sharp and menacing against the moonlit sky.
"Everything points to the Barracks," Android 18 said.
"Ironjaw Brix is up there," Tsunade added. "That's where we end this."
Ayman looked over his team. "Then we go in. No holding back. Tonight, we make the chains of Ironhold Isle break."
They infiltrated the barracks under the cover of darkness.
The guards didn't stand a chance.
Yoruichi knocked out sentries like a shadow with fangs, vanishing into the walls after each strike.
Android 18 blasted through reinforced doors with controlled plasma bursts, melting locks without triggering alarms.
Tsunade bulldozed through halls once stealth failed, sending guards flying with chakra-enhanced strikes.
Calla provided cover, her blades slicing silently through chains and disabling collar devices.
Ayman, empowered by each of their strengths, stood at the center of the chaos. He shared Tsunade's strength, Android 18's energy control, and Yoruichi's speed through the system's link.
[Skill Merge: Shared Buff Activated - Duration 20 minutes]
He punched through walls, dodged bullets, and slammed a squad of pirates into the floor with a single sweep of his arm.
Then they reached the top.
Ironjaw Brix stood before them.
He was enormous—eight feet tall, a cybernetic jaw gleaming like steel fangs. His body was a mass of muscle and armor plating. His red cape flared behind him as he flexed his fingers.
"You think you can walk into my home... break my toys... and walk out?"
Tsunade stepped forward. "You're going to need dentures after tonight."
Ironjaw laughed. "Let's dance."
The room shook with the impact of their first clash.
Tsunade engaged Brix head-on, fists clashing with steel in seismic waves. Sparks flew as her chakra-enhanced punches battered his reinforced frame.
Yoruichi zipped through the air, landing dozens of lightning-fast hits on his joints.
Android 18 unleashed a barrage of blasts that weakened his armor.
Calla threw knives that found weak points in his joints.
Ayman entered the fray last, channeling their energy into a devastating combined assault.
[Skill Overload: Quad-Sync Strike]
He dashed forward, delivering a flurry of blows that left even Brix staggering. The final punch cracked the iron jaw clean in half.
Brix fell to his knees.
"This... was my kingdom..."
"Not anymore," Ayman said.
With one final punch, he knocked the pirate warlord unconscious.
By dawn, the slave collars were dismantled, the foundries shut down, and the townspeople were free.
Rudo found his sister in the holding cells. Tears flowed as the two reunited.
Ayman stood on the steps of the Iron Barracks, watching the townspeople cheer.
[Mission Complete: Liberate Ironhold Isle]
[Reward: 1,000,000 System Coins + Special Bonus Summon Token Obtained]
He felt the system buzz inside his mind. Another summon was possible.
But he looked around at the celebration, at the cheers, and the warmth in Calla's gaze as she passed him a drink.
"Let's wait a bit before summoning someone new," he said to himself.
For now, they had earned peace.
And Ayman intended to enjoy it.
[End of Chapter 21]