Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions thundered across the sky, shaking the heavens. The land was torn apart, black smoke rising like monstrous tendrils from hell itself.
Wave after wave of artillery fire rained down from the battleships off the coast. Each shell was a death sentence for the innocents trapped on the island.
Screams, sobs, and curses filled the air:
"Why? Why are you doing this to us? We only wanted to live!"
"Bastards! You call yourselves enforcers of justice?!"
"I don't want to die! I really don't want to die!"
"I won't accept this! No, I can't!"
...
But no matter how loud the cries, the shells kept falling - merciless, mechanical, unstoppable.
On one of the warships, a naval officer scoffed, his voice icy.
"Hmph. Just the people of some nameless island, yet they dared to claim Will Crystals for themselves. This is the price of defiance. Let their deaths serve as a warning - anyone who dares oppose the Empire shall meet the same fate."
Cold, heartless words. Words that should never have come from a man who claimed to uphold justice.
Yes, perhaps the island had committed a crime - but without an investigation? To massacre an entire population for the actions of a few? That was nothing short of inhuman.
By now, blood had soaked the soil, mixing with the mud to form thick, black stains.
Bodies littered the ground. Some were slashed apart. Others shot. And many... there was nothing left to recognize.
In a shattered home, a child huddled in the rubble, trembling. His small body shook violently, paralyzed by fear at the horror before him.
Just moments ago, he'd been an ordinary boy with a whole family.
Now, both of his parents were gone - slain by the same soldiers who claimed to protect the peace.
His green hair was smeared with ash, his small body was trembling uncontrollably.
Red, swollen eyes were locked onto the blaze devouring the village he once called home.
He had cried - cried until there were no tears left.
Since the moment his mother was torn apart by a shell, and his father died trying to protect him from a soldier, everything had become a never-ending nightmare.
"Why...?" he whispered, his cracked lips barely moving.
But no answer came. Only the cold, relentless thunder of artillery tore through what little remained.
It was a long time before the bombing finally stopped.
And by then, he was the only one left alive on the entire island.
Yet he didn't move. He stayed frozen in place, shivering, paralyzed by fear.
For a child barely five years old, this was far more than he could bear.
Sometime later, a man appeared.
Tall and lean, with deep blue hair tied back by a silver-black cord, he moved with the air of someone who lived by his own rules - free, wild, and untamed.
His face was striking - sharp jaw, straight nose, lips curved into a mocking half-smile. His eyes, like deep oceans, seemed to see through everything.
He raised an eyebrow in surprise, then chuckled.
"Well, I didn't expect anyone to survive. Looks like today's your lucky day. I'm in the mood to save someone."
Without hesitation, as if he could sense the boy's exact location, he walked straight toward him.
The child's heart pounded in panic.
After everything he had just been through, anything unknown was terrifying. He didn't know how to fight. All he could do was stay hidden and pray - pray that luck hadn't abandoned him too.
The man stopped in front of the ruins where the boy was hiding.
Most of the house had been blown to pieces, yet somehow, the spot where the child cowered remained untouched. That alone sparked a glint of interest in the man's eyes.
He smirked.
"Hey, kid. If you don't come out…"
His voice dropped, calm but dangerous.
"I'll kill you."
The boy trembled, visibly shaken by the man's words. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly stepped out, his legs still quivering uncontrollably.
When the man saw the mud-streaked child standing before him, trembling from head to toe, his eyes lit up as if he had discovered a hidden treasure. A wide grin spread across his face.
"Haha, hello there. I'm Luo Tian Hai. What's your name, kid?"
The boy was stunned. Just moments ago, he had sensed an overwhelming threat from this man - as if death itself had reached out to him. But now, the man's warm, almost playful demeanor felt oddly genuine. After a moment's pause, the boy mumbled:
"Lan Hao Tian."
Seeing how timid the child was, Luo Tian Hai crouched beside him, gently patting his shoulder.
"No need to be so scared. A real man should stand tall. Besides, I'm here to save you. Do you want to come with me?"
Lan Hao Tian glanced at the man beside him. Up close, he didn't seem nearly as frightening. The boy's nerves settled a little. He asked warily:
"Where would we go?"
Luo Tian Hai scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"I can show you how to become stronger. Don't you want revenge? Revenge for those who took everything from you?"
The boy's body tensed. Dark, twisted memories surged back into his mind. He took a deep breath and said:
"I... I do. I want to make them pay. I want revenge for everyone! But... how? I'm just a kid..."
He had heard the word "revenge" before - but never truly understood what it meant.
Luo Tian Hai looked at him for a while, then smiled.
"Change the world." he said.
"If this world brings people pain, then reshape it. Make it better. Make sure no one else has to go through what you did. That is the greatest revenge of all."
The boy's eyes widened in awe as he stared at the man before him. It felt like a light had just been switched on inside him. At that moment, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life.
"So... what should I do to change the world?" he asked.
"Get stronger. Then become the greatest pirate the world has ever seen - and reshape this world into the dream you believe in."
Lan Hao Tian's gaze grew sharp, unwavering. He had made up his mind. He would follow Luo Hao Tian. If becoming stronger could stop anyone else from enduring the horrors he had faced, then he would chase that dream with everything he had.
Suddenly, a large group of navy soldiers appeared, quickly surrounding the two of them.
"Report. There are two survivors here that need to be dealt with immediately."
Surrounded by dozens of soldiers, Lan Hao Tian's body trembled uncontrollably. But then, a warm hand was placed on his shoulder, bringing him a sense of calm.
"Let me show you what it means to be a pirate!"
Luo Tian Hai's voice boomed with an overwhelming aura, and his eyes glowed with a deep blue light. His entire presence exuded the power of a monarch, making everything around him submit to his will.
Dozens of soldiers suddenly dropped to their knees, their faces contorted in pain, as though they were enduring unbearable torment. Some of them, unable to believe what was happening, muttered in disbelief:
"Why is a world-class expert here?"
Before they could finish, their eyes went completely white as they were forced into unconsciousness.
Lan Hao Tian looked at the imposing man before him with admiration and awe. He said:
"I will become a great pirate like you."
Luo Tian Hai gently patted the boy's head, smiling as he shook his head.
"No, if you want to change this world, you must be greater than me."
Lan Hao Tian clenched his fists, his eyes burning with determination. He shouted:
"I will become the greatest pirate of all time!"
"Ha ha ha, that's the spirit! Now, come with me, and I'll train you."