Chapter 13: A New Adventure Begins

The salty breeze tugged at Ryo's hair as the small sailboat rocked gently on the waves. He and Yamato were on unfamiliar waters, their destination uncertain. The events of their encounter with Kaido and their narrow escape from Onigashima replayed in Ryo's mind as he gazed out at the endless expanse of sea. He needed to become stronger. He needed to train his abilities.

"We need to find something to eat," Yamato said softly, her voice barely audible over the sound of the waves.

Ryo nodded, realizing that food and water was now most important. "Yeah, we need to find an island."

Hours passed, and eventually, land came into view on the horizon. It was a small island, barely more than a point of the was ocean, but it offered a glimmer of hope. They sailed towards it, their spirits lifting with each passing moment.

Finally, they reached the island and stepped ashore, greeted by the warm embrace of solid ground beneath their feet. The dock worker welcomed them with a friendly smile, and Ryo couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude towards the kind stranger.

"We should get something to eat," Yamato suggested, her voice tinged with hunger.

Ryo nodded in agreement, his stomach rumbling in response. They made their way into a small bar, the aroma of freshly cooked food filling the air.

As they stepped in, he collided with a girl with orange hair, her eyes wide with surprise as she stumbled back. Ryo reached out to steady her, his hand brushing against hers for the briefest of moments.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

The girl flashed him a mischievous grin before disappearing into the crowd. Ryo felt a strange sense of curiosity tug at him, and he found himself wanting to know more about her. But for now they needed food. He could find her later again.

They sat down to eat as Ryo couldn't stop himself to wait and offer Yamato the food first. As they where finished both of them felt strengthed and ready to leave. However he realized his bag with coins was missing. "She is good", he chuckled to Yamato.

"We should find her," he said to his Vice-Captain, his voice filled with determination.

Yamato nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning the bustling marketplace for any sign of the mysterious girl. They spotted her weaving her way through the crowd, her movements swift and graceful as she expertly picked the pockets of unsuspecting bystanders.

Ryo and Yamato approached her cautiously, not wanting to startle her. As they drew closer, he couldn't help but admire her skill, even as he felt a pang of guilt at the thought of her victims.

The girl noticed them approaching and turned to face them, a playful smile playing on her lips. "Well, well, what do we have here?" she said, her voice tinged with amusement.

Ryo felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through him as he prepared to confront her. He knew they needed answers, and this girl seemed to hold the key to unlocking them.

But before he could say anything, the sound of laughter caught his attention. He turned to see a clown and a fat, ugly woman approaching, their expressions filled with malice.

"Who are you?" the clown demanded, his voice dripping with contempt as he held his hands stretched out with daggers between his fingers.

Ryo tensed, readying himself for a fight. He knew these two where nowhere near Kaidos level of danger, but he was determined to protect Yamato at all costs.

"My name is Ryo, and this is Yamato," he said, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He did everything to get relaxed because this guy was nothing but a punching bag in direct comparison to Kaido or even his Soldiers.

The clown introduced himself as Buggy, a notorious pirate with a devil fruit power that made him virtually invulnerable. But Ryo wasn't afraid. As his last thoughts of doubt vanished, he was now fully at ease. The literal clown before him was overestimating himself.

As Ryo began laughing at him, Buggy was getting hysterical. He lunged forward and attacked him. Ryo drew his katana, the blade gleaming in the sunlight. With a swift motion, he slashed at Buggy, infusing his blade with armament haki to bypass his devil fruit defenses.

The blow landed with a satisfying thud, and Buggy screamed in pain as his arm fell to the ground. "ARGHHH HOW CAN YOU CUT MEEE? OH GOD IT HURTS SO MUCH." All Ryo answered was a smirk.

Meanwhile, Yamato faced off against the overweight woman as she began to speak. "I am Alvida. Your Captain is looking like a really strong guy. Would be a shame if there was nobody he could unleash his desires on." As these words left her mouth, Yamato was furious.

With a swift swing of her weapon, Yamato sent Alvida flying through the air, her body crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. As she struggled to regain her footing, Yamato approached her, her eyes blazing with determination.

"You think you can flirt with my captain and get away with it?" she said, her voice dripping with disgust. "Think again. Someone as ugly as you don't deserve someone like him!"

With a swift strike of her kanabo, Yamato delivered the final blow, knocking Alvida unconscious. She turned to Ryo, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry about that," she said, her voice soft.

He smiled reassuringly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. You did what you thought was right."

As the dust settled, Ryo and Yamato made their way through the marketplace, their senses alert for any sign of the orange-haired girl. Thanks to his growing observation haki, he could feel her presence nearby, and guided Yamato towards her location.

They soon arrived at a marine base, its imposing walls looming overhead. A guard approached them, his expression wary as he warned them to stay away.

Ignoring the guard's warning, Yamato launched herself forward, delivering a powerful punch that sent him flying. As they entered the base, they were met with hostility from the marines stationed there, their captain leading the charge.

Captain Morgan, as he introduced himself, was furious at their intrusion and ordered his men to capture them. But Ryo's aura alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of the marines, and they hesitated to approach.

As Captain Morgan tried to end this quick he dashed foward and swung his Axe-Arm in Yamatos direction. With a swift motion, Ryo drew his katana and clashed with Morgan, their blades ringing out in the air.

Despite Morgan's attempts to intimidate him, Ryo remained steadfast, his resolve unwavering. His emotions rapidly shifting. No one should dare to hurt Yamato in his presence. "Thast was your death sentence", was all he growled a low tone. With a single stroke, he disarmed Morgan, the captain's axe-arm falling to the ground with a resounding thud.

Next to him Yamato snorted. "Talking about dis-armed, heh."he had to supress his laughter. How can she be always this adorable?

As Morgan screamed in pain, the remaining marines fled in terror, leaving Ryo and Yamato standing alone with him in the base. Yamato chuckled softly, her eyes filled with admiration.

As he looked at Morgan one last time, Ryo swiftly slashed his head off his shoulders. "You never stop to amaze me" She whispered to him.

Ryo grinned, a sense of satisfaction coursing through him. "Just doing what needs to be done," he replied modestly.

Together, they made their way through the base, their hearts set on finding the orange-haired girl. With each step, he felt a sense of anticipation building within him, knowing that their encounter with her would be the beginning of a new adventure.