“Captain, we found information on that brat. He’s the laborer at the tavern where we drank before.”
“Now that you mention it, he does seem familiar.”
“What’s his name?”
The dawn broke as the first rays of sunlight appeared on the horizon.
Holding a two-meter-long cutlass, the leading pirate looked fiercely at his subordinates with murderous intent.
He was Spandau, the captain of the Cutlass Pirates, with a bounty of 4.6 million berries. Although insignificant beyond this small place, he was ruthless and notorious nearby.
In the New World, pirates with bounties of 4.6 million berries were as common as grains of sand.
However, to common folk, the Cutlass Pirates were rulers of their lives, bullying them at will.
“That brat’s name is Hermes Jormungandr, living in the slums.”
“What are you waiting for? Find that little bastard for me.”
Spandau gripped his huge cutlass tightly, his fierce face turning even more savage.
That was a legendary Devil Fruit, worth at least a billion berries, and it had cost them several crewmates to find it, only to be stolen by a little brat.
Catching him and tearing him apart would be the only way to quell his anger.
On the other side.
Hermes, still familiarizing himself with the Mini Mini Fruit’s abilities, was unaware that the Cutlass Pirates had pinpointed his location. Even if he knew, he wouldn’t be the least bit worried.
Because the Mini Mini Fruit was his trump card.
As long as the enemy didn’t have Observation Haki, he was invincible.
After a night of contemplation, Hermes had a preliminary plan for developing the Mini Mini Fruit’s abilities. First, he’d focus on shrinking his body and also on growing larger. He aimed to develop from three transformations to four, five, or even to the extent where he could change size at will.
Shrinking to the size of dust, microbes, or molecules, he could sneak into enemies’ bodies undetected and then expand, blowing them up from within.
He could even become like Ant-Man, exploring quantum realms and traveling to the past or future.
And by growing larger—fifty meters, a hundred meters, five hundred meters—he could become a giant, an unstoppable force like an Ultraman or a Titan, with his attacks causing massive destruction.
If he grew large enough, a single slap could split the planet!
This was just the basic development path. A deeper level could involve changing the size of opponents or objects, making reaching for the stars an easy feat.
As long as he fully develops these two paths, Hermes Jormungandr’s future on the Grand Line will be significant.
He could get whatever he wanted.
For now, the priority was to develop the Mini Mini Fruit and steal a small goal right under the enemy’s nose. Those money-grubbing pirates wouldn’t stop until they found him.
The Cutlass Pirates arrived quickly—nineteen in total, including Captain Spandau. They surrounded Hermes’ shabby little hut with muskets, cutlasses, and clubs.
Some raggedly dressed commoners fled in terror at the sight, not wanting to get involved.
Hermes heard the commotion inside the hut. Though he was familiarizing himself with the Mini Mini Fruit’s abilities, he remained vigilant.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have survived the past year.
Hermes instantly shrank to five millimeters, quickly slipping through a gap in the wall to the outside. He observed the pirates from the shadows of some weeds, who appeared like giants without being detected.
Before Hermes could act, he saw something that shocked him. A pirate was aiming a rocket launcher at his hut and about to fire it.
Such brute force.
Boom!!!
The ground shook violently, a wave of heat rushed out, and flames shot into the sky.
Fortunately, Hermes was far enough away, and the rocket launcher wasn’t as powerful as expected, so he was unscathed.
“Nineteen.”
Counting the pirates, a hint of madness flashed in Hermes’ eyes.
Though they outnumbered him and had powerful weapons, he believed he had a chance to win with the Mini Mini Fruit’s abilities.
A normal person would retreat.
But Hermes Jormungandr wasn’t normal; he had guts.
Two lifetimes of poverty had given him psychological issues. Having come to this world and gotten a chance to rise, he couldn’t help but go wild.
Suppressing his desires for too long would kill him.
Moreover, with caution, these pirates were just stepping stones.
“Find him for me.”
Spandau watched the burning hut, his hands gripping his massive cutlass, his voice cold and ruthless.
“Yes, Captain.”
As all the pirates’ attention was on the hut, Hermes, still in his five-millimeter form, quietly approached the nearest pirate and climbed up his pants leg.
While shrinking, his weight also changed accordingly, another aspect that will develop in the future.
This pirate had messy, long hair that hadn’t been tended to in ages and reeked of alcohol. Distracted, he didn’t notice Hermes climbing up to his shoulder, grabbing his hair, and leaping into his ear.
The pirate shook his head and scratched his ear, but Hermes was already deep inside.
“Goodbye.”
With those words, Hermes rapidly expanded to his normal size, instantly blowing the pirate’s head apart. Without even a scream, brain matter and blood splattered everywhere.
It happened so quickly.
Before the surrounding pirates could react, Hermes shrank back to five millimeters, hiding among the chunks of flesh covered in blood.
“Gard!”
“What happened?”
“How did Gard die?”
Eyes turned to the headless corpse, the air filled with the pungent scent of blood, a scene of horror.
“His head just exploded suddenly.”
“I think I saw that brat.”
The nearest pirate’s voice trembled. He thought he saw the brat in the corner of his eye, but he vanished in an instant.
“What brat? I didn’t see anything.”
Several pirates gathered around, looking at the bloody corpse. There was no sorrow for their comrade, only anger and confusion.
They were used to such scenes, their hearts as hard as iron.
Hermes remained calm, hiding under the corpse, practically invisible.
Without Observation Haki, he was safe.
He considered a gentler approach but decided on this violent method instead.
In the peaceful world he came from, various restrictions suppressed desires. In the pirate world, he could live however he wanted.
Two lifetimes of misery had shown him reality.
As long as he was strong.
“Captain, there’s no body of that brat in the wreckage.”
“Damn it, where is that brat?”
“Gard’s death is too mysterious.”
“Grab a nearby commoner and question them.”
Amid the pirates’ searching eyes, Hermes remained still. Even at five millimeters, a close inspection could reveal him.
“Bury Gard’s body.”
After confirming there was no mistake, Spandau issued another order.
The pirates nodded, digging a grave nearby quickly preparing a resting place. Two pirates began gathering Gard’s remains.
“Perfect chance.”
At this moment.
Hermes saw an opportunity. As a pirate squatted to gather the remains, Hermes seized the moment to rush and leap into the pirate’s open mouth.
The pirate’s face was close to the body, and his mouth was open, talking.
“What was that?”
The pirate saw a black speck and gagged slightly but quickly dismissed it, not realizing that the speck was a person.
An unimaginable taste filled Hermes’ senses as he slid down the pirate’s throat, wet and sticky, his face contorted. He quickly reached the stomach.
This time, Hermes didn’t return to normal size but stayed at thirty centimeters, enough to rupture the pirate’s stomach. The stomach acid didn’t affect him because it was too brief.
“Ugh!!!”
The pirate fell, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, his eyes filled with pain and fear.
“What happened?”
“Art!”
“Save me.”
“Captain.”
It happened so fast, just like Gard’s death. One moment, he was fine. The next, his chest was bulging.
Hermes quickly shrank back to five millimeters. He didn’t want to be discovered yet; he planned to eliminate the Cutlass Pirates individually. His target was Spandau’s head, worth 4.6 million berries.
Money was crucial.
This reminded Hermes of the forgotten profession in the pirate world – the bounty hunter.
Outside.
The pirates were now on edge. First, Gard, then Art, both died mysteriously. It felt like encountering something evil in broad daylight.
Their deaths were too gruesome.
They didn’t fear death but were terrified of this unknown threat.
“Captain, it’s clear the brat hasn’t returned. Let’s leave; this place is eerie.”
Looking around, a pirate suggested.
“Retreat.”
Unexpectedly.
Spandau agreed, and his decision was quick and decisive. His frowning face suggested he might have realized something.
Being a leader of even a small group with a bounty of over a million berries, he had some smarts and sensed something was wrong.
He hadn’t connected it to Hermes yet, but it was only a matter of time.
“The hunter and the prey should switch roles.”
Hermes wasn’t going to let them off so easily. After all, he hadn’t gotten his hands on the 4.6 million yet. He rolled around to wipe off the blood and then climbed up another pirate’s leg.
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