One Piece: Lost in the Tutorial #64

Kiera Flint moved silently in the dead of night, her dark figure blending seamlessly with the shadows. She climbed onto the main deck of Blake's ship, her eyes narrowing as she took in the peculiar features of the vessel. "What kind of ship has a metallic hull and no steering wheel?" she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.

Her gaze swept the deck, searching for an entrance to the lower levels. Spotting a hatch, she moved towards it with silent steps, her movements as fluid and stealthy as a cat. She tried the handle, but it was locked. Kneeling next to the door, Kiera pulled a hairpin from her hair, expertly picking the lock within moments.

The hatch creaked open, and Kiera slipped inside, closing it quietly behind her. She moved through the dimly lit corridors of the lower deck, her annoyance growing with each step. "This ship is way bigger on the inside," she grumbled softly, her eyes scanning for any sign of her targets.

Several minutes passed, and she finally came upon a door that seemed to lead to someone's quarters. Reaching for the handle, she found it unlocked and carefully pushed it open. As she stepped inside, she froze at the sight before her.

Double Six lay sprawled under his bed, dressed only in his underwear, snoring softly in a strange, contorted posture.

"Are you kidding me?" she whispered, cursing under her breath. Shaking her head, she closed the door quietly, muttering to herself about the bizarre sight. She resumed her search, her determination unwavering despite the oddities she encountered.

Kiera continued to move through the ship, her senses on high alert. Every creak of the wood, every distant murmur of the crew, kept her on edge. She needed to find Blake or Law, and she needed to do it quickly.

She knew that capturing them would bring her a significant bounty, and she wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through her fingers.

Kieran continued her search through the ship's lower decks, narrowly avoiding detection by Sif, the gigantic grey wolf. She pressed herself against a wall, holding her breath until Sif moved on. With her heart pounding, she finally found herself at the door to Blake's room.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open, wincing as it creaked. The room was not what she expected. It was adorned with hides and weapons of all sorts, exuding a sense of raw power rather than comfort.

A bed sat in the middle, but it was unused. Instead, Blake was seated cross-legged on the floor, deep in some kind of meditative state.

Kiera's eyes narrowed.

She carefully moved closer, grateful for his apparent obliviousness. As she knelt behind him, she drew a knife and pressed it to his throat. Blake's eyes snapped open, and he didn't flinch. Instead, he smiled.

"You know, usually, I'd expect a drink before this kind of close encounter," he said, his voice calm and amused.

"It's not that kind of night visit," Kiera retorted, pressing the knife closer. "I'm here for my hat and the bounty on your head. So, you have a choice: come with me quietly, or I'll take your head right here."

Blake's smile didn't waver. "You mean my hat... but I guess I shouldn't be surprised you'd come back for it. But the bounty? That’s a bit more complicated." He tried to turn around and look at Kiera, his relaxed demeanor a stark contrast to the deadly situation.

Kiera tightened her grip on the knife, her eyes cold as she turned his straight with her other hand. "No more games, pirate. What's it gonna be?"

Blake sighed, his gaze drifting to the various weapons decorating the room. "I suppose you believe you have me at a disadvantage," he said with a chuckle. "But before we proceed, are you sure this is what you want? Things might get messy."

"Messy or not, I'm prepared," Kiera replied, her voice steady.

Blake's grin widened. "Messy it is," he said, reaching for Kiera's arm that held the knife. Though surprised by his sudden action, Kiera didn’t hesitate, intent on slitting his throat.

But instead of feeling the knife cutting through flesh, it grated against something hard, like stone. Blake's hand clamped down on her wrist with an iron grip.

Panic flashed in Kiera's eyes as she tried to withdraw her hand, but Blake's grip was unyielding. She resorted to punching at his head with her free hand, her blows fast and furious, yet Blake's head remained still, her punches having no effect other than hurting her own hand.

Blake chuckled. "You're quick, I'll give you that. But speed alone won't get through my thick skin." He twisted her arm as he stood up, moving with incredible agility. In a swift motion, he positioned himself behind her, his grip still firm on her wrist.

"Although you did say you'd pay us a visit again once we had bounties," Blake remarked, "I didn't expect you to come chasing after us this quickly."

Struggling freely, Kiera could barely move in Blake's grip, but it didn't deter her. "I didn't come chasing after you... I arrived here first," she explained in an irritated tone. "I have a personal business on this island..."

Blake raised an eyebrow, feeling intrigued. "And what business would that be?"

Kiera gritted her teeth, struggling against his hold. "Let me go, you bastard," she spat, trying to free herself.

Blake couldn't help but be irritated at those words, yet he still relaxed his grip slightly. "Lady, you make it sound like I'm the one who snuck into your room intent on snatching you out of your bed or something..."

Kiera glared for a moment before letting out a sigh of defeat. "Well... when you put it like that..." she trailed at the end of her sentence. "Fine. Let's talk about this. What will it take for you to let me go..."

Blake chuckled, saying, "So you're in the mood to talk now, huh?" He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "What brings you to this island, Kieran?"

Kiera sighed, clearly frustrated. "And why is that any of your business?"

Blake shrugged. "It's not, really. I'm just curious. You should act like a proper captive and tell me what I want to know. Who knows, I might be in a good enough mood to let you go."

Kiera resigned herself to her fate. "Fine," she said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "I'm here to kill a member of Lvneel's royal family."

Blake's eyebrows shot up. "Kill a royal? That's a tall order. Why?"

Kiera's eyes darkened as she recounted her story. "Revenge. For my mother."

Blake's curiosity grew. "The royal family killed your family?"

"Not directly," Kiera replied. She took a deep breath before continuing. "My father was a pirate, a man who didn't even know I existed. The royal family hunted him down and killed him. My mother became depressed and died of illness several months later once she heard of his death... the love-struck idiot...."

Blake's confusion was evident. "Why would Lvneel's royal family go out of their way to kill some pirate? Most pirates avoid this island like the plague. Even the ones who come here behave themselves and don't cause trouble."

Kiera's expression turned grim. "It's not my father they wanted, but his entire crew... the bastards attacked some marine ship and killed a distant member of Lvneel's royal family in the process... I'm not too sure about the details, but I know for sure that this country's royals are behind it..."

Blake nodded slowly, absorbing her story. "That's quite the tale, but how exactly did the royals hunt down your father? They don't have the biggest of armies or even a proper navy... just enough men to defend the island..."

Kiera's jaw clenched. "The bastards didn't do it themselves... they had the marines do it for them... they offered so many resources that they even began killing off their own country's nobles to cease their assets..."

Blake's expression turned alarmed. "You... what did you say your name again? Kieran Flint? Does the name Barnabas Flint mean anything to you?"

Kiera's confusion peaked at those words. "That's my father's name... how do you know of him?"

Blake sighed, involuntarily letting go of Kiera as he rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Motherfucker... that explains a lot..." he trailed off, fixing his gaze on the bounty hunter. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but I was on your old man's ship when the Marines came for him and the Cutthroat pirates..."

Giving Kiera a troubled look, he continued with a complicated tone. "As for the one to kill him, it wasn't the Marines or the royals. It was me..."