One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

The pirate ship, cleaved into two, collapsed with a thunderous crash.

On the deck, Captain Daniel Joyce g

ritted his teeth as his crew scattered in disarray. Some fell into the sea, others were dragged underwater by the vortex created by the ship's sinking hull. Joyce leapt and dodged frantically, trying to avoid the same fate.

Finally, the ship's broken remains stabilized, becoming a heap of debris floating on the water's surface, though it continued to sink gradually.

Daniel "Mad Dog" Joyce, still in his semi-beast form, panted heavily as he stood on a relatively stable piece of wreckage. He stared at the debris sinking ever so slowly, knowing full well that as a Devil Fruit user, the moment the wreckage completely submerged, his fate would be sealed.

In the air, Wright descended using Geppo and landed lightly in front of Joyce. "That was just a warm-up. Frustrated? Come on, try to take me down before this wreck sinks completely. Who knows? Maybe you'll get lucky and survive long enough for your rescue to arrive… or at least take me down with you."

A faint golden glow emanated from Wright's body. "Oh, and by the way, I'm a Devil Fruit user too."

"..."

Joyce's face darkened. The young man standing before him was undoubtedly a rising officer of the Marines—one who was far beyond the rank of a mere junior officer. He'd clearly underestimated his opponent, only to find himself biting off more than he could chew.

"Who… exactly are you?" Joyce growled.

"Ah… my bad," Wright said with a casual shrug. "I'm still getting used to introducing myself. Marine Headquarters Ensign Wright. Used to be a bounty hunter, you know."

"Ensign?!"

Joyce's fury boiled over. He lunged at Wright, roaring, "Are you mocking me?!"

"Clang!"

Wright parried Joyce's beastly claws with his sword. A flicker of golden light traced his right leg, now coated in Armament Haki, as he delivered a sweeping kick.

"Boom!"

The kick produced a muffled explosion, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. Joyce, unfamiliar with Haki, was launched violently into the wreckage, embedding himself into the mast's base just a few steps from the waterline.

"Light-Speed!"

Wright had perfected a technique he named Light-Speed, which combined the Shave (Soru) technique with his Holy Light powers. By delivering concentrated bursts of energy at specific points, he achieved speeds ten times faster than ordinary Soru, allowing him to accelerate as though teleporting. Unlike Soru, Light-Speed could be applied to any part of the body—fists, elbows, legs—and even partially emulated Admiral Kizaru's Light-Speed Kick.

Of course, Kizaru's so-called light-speed was a fraction of a millionth of a second. Wright's version, at best, was only a few thousandths of a second—but it was a work in progress.

Joyce, struck by Wright's imitation Light-Speed Kick, was gravely injured despite his Zoan fruit's resilience. Bloodied but still standing, he heaved himself from the mast's base. The wreckage sank further, and Joyce realized his chances of survival were slim.

"You're a monster," Joyce muttered with a bitter laugh. "I was too afraid of the New World's real monsters to venture there. I thought I could make some money trading slaves, gather a stronger crew… but who'd have thought I'd meet someone like you here, in Paradise?"

"Tch. Someone like me?" Wright scoffed. "I'm just about the level of a Headquarters Rear Admiral—one of the stronger ones, maybe. If not for the unique situation in the Sabaody Archipelago restricting Marine operations, do you think someone of your level, with a bounty of just 75 million berries, could roam free for this long?"

"You…"

"I know what you're about to say," Wright interrupted, smirking. "That I'm lying about being an Ensign to mess with you? Sorry to disappoint, but I really am just an Ensign."

Joyce coughed up blood, his eyes red with rage. With a roar, he activated his full beast form. "To hell with you, Ensign! Let's settle this in a fight to the death!"

A massive pit bull stood before Wright, its maw lined with razor-sharp teeth. Its hulking frame and explosive musculature radiated power—a beast worthy of a 75-million-berry bounty.

As the enormous pit bull charged, Wright nodded approvingly. "Your courage is commendable."

With a single slash, his Haki-infused blade severed one of the beast's forelimbs. "But ultimately futile."

"Judgment Strike!"

Combining the principles of Tempest Kick (Rankyaku) with Holy Light and Armament Haki, Wright unleashed a strike that caused paralysis and temporary numbness. Against severely injured foes, it could even knock them out instantly.

Joyce, already critically wounded, succumbed immediately.

"Convenient," Wright muttered, catching the unconscious and reverted human form of Joyce. He tossed the limp body into the air. "Off you go!"

"True Holy Storm!"

Golden, blade-like energy blasts swirled like a storm, obliterating the sinking wreckage and shredding the scattered pirates who hadn't managed to escape. Wright leapt into the air, caught Joyce, and made his way toward a nearby pirate ship that hadn't dared to flee.

"Yo, Edmond! Still here?" Wright landed on the deck, tossing Joyce's unconscious body onto the planks.

Edmond, captain of the Jagged Fang Pirates, forced a grin that looked more like a grimace.

"Too bad," Wright said with mock regret. "I couldn't manage a double-kill on both pirate crews."

"Damn it! You Marines are all the same! You promised we could leave once you dealt with the Mad Dog Pirates!" Edmond raged internally while counting himself lucky for his restraint—at least for now.

"Brr brr brr… click!" Wright pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed.

"Zehahahaha! Wright here. Mission accomplished—captured Daniel Joyce, bounty 75 million berries. His crew? Wiped out."

"Impressive, Wright," Zephyr's voice crackled. "You've only been on solo missions for less than a week."

"Oh, by the way, Zephyr-sensei…"

"Yes?"

"I kind of… left the boat you gave me at Water 7."

"..."

"But no worries! I commandeered a medium-sized pirate ship! And as a bonus, I captured the entire Jagged Fang Pirates crew—bounty 38 million berries!"

"..."

Even through the Den Den Mushi, Zephyr's exasperation was palpable. "Fine. I'll arrange for a nearby warship to escort you and your… spoils."

"Thank you, Sensei!"

"Hmph. Don't push your luck! Return to Headquarters immediately. Sengoku and Garp have been waiting for you. Oh, and effective immediately—you're promoted to Headquarters Lieutenant Commander!"

"???"

"Seriously, Sensei? A triple promotion?"

"With your contributions, it's well-deserved. Now get back to Marineford!"

"Yes, Sensei!"

With a grin, Wright savored his newfound rank. Triple promotion. Not bad. 

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