By dawn, the Sabaody summit was already legend. The world buzzed: marines claimed a truce, Yonko compared tear streaks, and bounty posters for the "Crow King" hit a billion berries. But amid the scattered sake bottles and leftover karaoke slips, one Straw Hat stood silent, eyes shining with fire.
Monkey D. Luffy, pirate captain, dreamer of the impossible, approached Itachi where he sat alone beneath the mangrove roots. The crows parted for Luffy, as if granting an audience.
Luffy dropped to the ground, cross-legged. "I figured it out," he said, voice serious. "If I want to be Pirate King, I have to beat the world's strongest. Right now, that's you."
Itachi regarded him, eyes ancient. "Strength isn't just power. It's the weight of what you carry."
Luffy grinned. "Yeah, but sometimes you gotta punch your way through, right? So—one fight! Winner gets the One Piece! Or, uh, at least bragging rights."
The crew gathered nearby, sensing a moment that would become a story told for generations. Zoro unsheathed a sword, just in case. Sanji lit a cigarette, hiding his nervousness. Nami started tallying bets.
Luffy cracked his knuckles, hat casting a shadow over his eyes. "I won't hold back."
He shot forward, Gear Second's steam billowing, fists stretching with will and dream. The earth shook with each blow—Luffy's heart, spirit, and endless ambition in every punch.
But Itachi was a different kind of mountain. Every move Luffy made, Itachi seemed to anticipate—slipping past rubber arms, deflecting a Bazooka with a flicker of cloak, crows swirling like shields.Their battle was both thunder and silence, each Straw Hat feeling the weight: this wasn't just a clash of strength, but of destiny.
Luffy unleashed a furious "Gomu Gomu no King Kong Gun!"—the sky itself seemed to bend.
Itachi met him, not with force, but with a gaze. The Mangekyo spun.
The world shifted.
Luffy found himself standing atop a mountain of treasure—the One Piece glimmering at his feet. Around him, the voices of his crew cheered, the sun shone, and the seas stretched endless and free.
But something was wrong.
Luffy looked back. The Thousand Sunny was empty. His friends faded, laughter echoing off the gold, growing hollow. The treasure gleamed, but Luffy felt nothing. No joy. No warmth. Just silence.
He dropped to his knees, clutching his hat."What's the point… if I'm alone?"
The illusion faded.Luffy woke on the ground, Itachi kneeling beside him, hand on his shoulder.
Luffy blinked, dazed, but then burst into laughter—a pure, honest sound. "I get it! It's not about treasure. It's about the journey! The friends! The adventure!"
He stood, brushing dust from his pants, and extended his hand. "Thanks, Itachi. You taught me something even Grandpa Garp couldn't."
Itachi took his hand, a rare smile breaking through. "Dreams matter more when you're not chasing them alone."
The Straw Hats erupted in cheers, rushing forward. Nami hugged both, Zoro nodded his deepest respect, Usopp immediately retold the whole fight—adding dragons, of course. Chopper declared Itachi "the best sensei ever," while Sanji handed him a bento of actual food, vowing never to lose a cook-off again.
Luffy grinned, tears in his eyes. "If you ever change your mind, Crow King, you've got a place on my crew. The hat's not up for grabs, but you can take the nap spot."
Itachi looked at them—this impossible, infuriating, wonderful group—and realized he felt lighter than he had in years.
As the sun rose, crows and seagulls circled together above Sabaody, and the world's wildest rumors began anew:
The Crow King had bested the Pirate King.But in the end, he chose the same dream:To find peace, to find family, and maybe—just maybe—a place to finally nap.
And as Itachi lay back beneath the mangrove trees, a chorus of Straw Hats and birds around him, he sighed his legendary line one last time:
"This world… is stranger than Tsukuyomi."
But now, he was glad for it.