Massive Marine warships loomed like beasts circling prey, closing in on the small fishing boat drifting helplessly in the vast sea.
"How dare a filthy little boat sail this close to me?!"
A Celestial Dragon stood arrogantly on the warship's deck, wearing an oxygen mask. Surrounded by Marine soldiers, he sneered down at the fishing boat below, where Sabo stood with a puzzled expression.
Disgusted and offended, the Celestial Dragon grabbed a rocket launcher from one of the Marines without warning, ignoring the tension in the air. He aimed it straight at the boat.
Sabo didn't even have time to react. He glanced at the nobleman in shock, then turned to Iggy beside him.
"My lord, it's just a child—perhaps we should—"
An officer tried to intervene, stepping forward hurriedly, but it was too late.
The trigger was pulled.
"No!!!"
Iggy's voice cracked with terror as the rocket launched. In the blink of an eye, the missile struck the fishing boat. A thunderous explosion echoed across the sea, sending up a towering pillar of smoke and spray.
Sabo vanished.
The shockwave disoriented Iggy, his ears ringing. Debris rained down like shrapnel, splashing into the sea.
As the smoke cleared, all that remained was blood and wreckage floating on the waves. A familiar, torn blue hat drifted toward Iggy.
"Sabo…"
He stared blankly at the hat, then snapped out of his daze with a gasp. Without hesitation, he dove into the sea.
He swam like a madman, slicing through the water, frantically searching the wreckage. Ten meters down, he spotted Sabo's sinking body, limp and lifeless like a puppet with its strings cut.
But what he saw made his mind shatter.
Sabo's body… or what remained of it, had been ripped apart. From his shoulder to his thigh, half of him was gone—only floating organs and shredded flesh remained. The rest of his body was scorched, blackened, and breaking apart into the water.
"Sa… Sabo… Please… don't die…"
Iggy clutched his friend's broken form, tears mixing with seawater. Sabo's eyes barely moved, his lips trembling as he released a final stream of bubbles.
"Iggy… we never got to… try that sake…"
As the last light faded from Sabo's eyes, something inside Iggy snapped.
"SAABOOOO!!!"
His scream shook the ocean. Tears streamed down his face, but the cold sea swallowed them whole.
He had no strength left. He couldn't move, couldn't even cry out again. He just clung to Sabo's corpse as it sank deeper into the abyss.
And with Sabo's death, the last of Iggy's humanity died with him.
From that moment forward, he became something else—something darker.
Only revenge remained.
---
Deep below the waves, Iggy erupted with fury. He kicked off with enough force to create a sonic boom underwater, shooting toward the surface like a missile. He landed on the shattered remnants of the fishing boat.
Fueled by grief and rage, Iggy's body moved on its own, bloodlust radiating from him.
In a flash, he leapt again—dashing across the surface of the sea—and landed directly on the mast of the nearest warship.
"It's that kid! Protect the Celestial Dragon!"
Captain Saquivans, head of the escort unit, felt a chill run down his spine. The ship was nearing port, but the boy had survived and now stood like a demon on their mast.
"Marksmen, ready your rifles! Aim at the mast!"
He didn't care that Iggy looked like a ten-year-old child. A veteran of countless battles, Saquivans knew that appearance meant nothing. He shoved the Celestial Dragon behind him, shielding him.
But before the Marines could fire, Iggy vanished with a sharp whoosh.
"Storm Kick: Chaos Spiral!"
Iggy reappeared on the railing and launched his assault. His legs moved in a blur, sending out blue crescent-shaped shockwaves in every direction. They formed a wall of light that screamed across the deck like a storm.
"Rokushiki?! Defensive formation! Protect the noble!!"
The slicing arcs tore through soldiers and steel alike. Screams echoed as Marines collapsed—limbs severed, weapons shattered, blood spraying the deck.
But even in chaos, the surviving soldiers tried to hold the line, forming a protective circle around the Celestial Dragon.
Captain Saquivans stepped forward, arms shielding the noble.
"Urgh!"
Blue energy slashed across his forearm, carving deep into his flesh. He hissed in pain, but held his position.
All around him, the deck was torn apart. The walls were gouged with deep scars, and the air was thick with blood and smoke. Bodies lay in piles. Screams turned to silence.
"He's… unbelievably strong!"
Saquivans gritted his teeth, trying to find Iggy—only to see the boy vanish again, darting like a shadow between corpses.
"Don't think you'll get away! Everyone dies today!"
Iggy's eyes glowed with pure hatred. He was merciless. Any soldier still breathing received a swift, fatal blow.
He was no longer human—just a weapon of vengeance.
"What are you idiots doing?! Kill him already!!"
The Celestial Dragon was in complete panic. Born and raised in the Holy Land, he'd never seen real death—only slaves groveling and Marines obeying.
But now, he watched as the boy cut down his guards like cattle.
He screamed at Saquivans to deal with the monster.
He had no idea...
That today, no one on this ship would be spared.
Iggy tossed a severed head into the ocean just as a sudden gust swept over him.
A powerful presence surged.
"I'll be your opponent!"
Captain Saquivans roared and leapt into the air.
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