Crane's life aboard the Going Merry began with an oddly harmonious rhythm, an unassuming existence as the ship's self-appointed "cabin boy."
He cleaned the deck daily.
Every wooden plank was polished until it reflected the drifting clouds above, and even the smallest traces of sea salt were scrubbed away, using the least amount of fresh water possible.
He washed everyone's clothes.
Bloodstains and oil smears were erased with strange combinations of seawater and crushed plant juices he gathered himself. When dry, the fabric carried a faint scent of sunshine, like it had never seen battle.
He mended torn sails.
His expert chakra control, once used for precision in ninja combat, now guided every needle stitch with such perfection that even sewing machines would be ashamed. Yet every repair bore the appearance of clumsy earnestness, as if done by a well-meaning amateur.
All these once-deadly micro-control skills from the shinobi world were now repurposed into the most mundane of chores.
His efficiency was frightening.
But to everyone else, Crane was simply that "particularly diligent," "oddly lucky" kid who always figured things out.
His greatest strength was that he appeared utterly useless.
That harmless image gradually earned him trust.
"Crane! Lunch!"
Luffy's favorite time of day quickly became whenever Crane grilled fish. Somehow, he always made the limited ingredients taste different every time.
Even Nami, who had once looked at him with suspicion, now merely reminded him not to waste supplies from time to time.
Zoro dismissed him outright.
In the swordsman's eyes, Crane was so weak that even looking at him felt like a waste of energy.
Oddly enough, Usopp found in Crane someone even more cowardly than himself, and this boosted his confidence to unprecedented levels.
"See that, Crane? My slingshot can knock the left eye off a fly from 800 meters away!"
Usopp would strike a heroic pose while Crane trembled in the corner, looking on with exaggerated awe and fear. He played the part of the ideal audience with perfection.
And so, the ship sailed on, until a looming fish-shaped structure came into view.
Baratie. The sea restaurant.
And with it, the story gears began turning.
When the Krieg Pirates launched their bombardment, Crane's response was textbook perfection.
He didn't scream.
He didn't panic.
At the first cannon blast, his eyes rolled back, and his body dropped with a thud, a clean, decisive "faint."
The location of his "collapse" had been pre-selected with precision: out of the blast radius and away from anyone's direct line of sight.
He successfully avoided every battle.
And while he lay "unconscious," Crane quietly activated [Byakugan Insight].
His vision pierced through walls and chaos.
He analyzed the golden-haired cook's legwork, every strike laced with explosive force hidden behind flexible muscle movement.
He studied the green-haired swordsman's style, each swing deceptively wild but mathematically perfect in its arc.
Every bit of combat data flowed into Crane's mind like a quiet stream. He absorbed everything.
Until, he appeared.
A coffin-shaped ship. A man with a massive black cross-shaped sword on his back.
Dracule Mihawk.
The moment he stepped onto the battlefield, Crane's heart skipped a beat.
His system interface screamed in crimson red, alarms blaring like sirens.
[Warning! World-Class Entity Detected!]
[Target's Lifeform Rank Vastly Exceeds Host!]
['World's Strongest Swordsmanship' Contains Irreproducible Willpower.]
['Advanced Armament Haki' Emissions Can Annihilate Low-Tier Souls.]
[Attempting Copy = 100% Fatality.]
Crane shut off his Byakugan without hesitation.
A chill ran down his spine.
Just looking at the man from a distance made him feel like an invisible sword was already pressed against his neck.
Soon after, Nami stole the Going Merry and fled.
When Luffy decided to pursue her, Crane knew, the true opportunity had finally arrived.
His target wasn't the swordsman, or the chef, or any Straw Hat.
It was the enemy that waited ahead.
The fish-man.
Arlong.
The system displayed a preliminary analysis:
[Paramecia-Type Ability: Serration Fruit (System Reconstruction Naming)]
[Enhances Strength, Speed, and Bite Force Tremendously]
[Risk: Low to Moderate. Suitability: High.]
A supplement, perfect for this near-depleted body.
Cocoyashi Village.
Arlong Park.
While Luffy smashed through the gate in a full-frontal assault, Crane slipped into the shadows of the broken walls like a ghost.
Drawing from what he learned from Zabuza, Crane employed the art of [Silent Killing].
He suppressed his breathing, slowed his heartbeat, moved without a single sound.
Even Nami, stealthily sneaking back to confront her past, was less silent than him.
Crane wasn't here to fight.
He was here to create a single moment of perfect, unsuspected contact.
He let himself be seen, on purpose.
"Human?!"
A patrol grunt spotted him.
Crane's face twisted into raw, instinctive terror. He turned and bolted, scrambling so clumsily it was almost comedic, yelling nonsense like a scared child.
The shout drew attention.
A handful of fish-men gave chase.
The distraction bought the others just a sliver more breathing room.
Then it happened.
Luffy got thrown into the ocean.
Arlong's voice boomed like thunder, shaking the entire park.
Crane saw his window.
As Arlong charged toward a fallen Zoro, Crane "accidentally" tumbled out of a pile of rubble.
He rolled like a ragdoll, landing directly in Arlong's path.
"Out of my way, trash!"
The fish-man didn't even spare him a glance. He raised his foot, and kicked.
The impact slammed into Crane's chest.
But at that exact moment, as his body crumpled midair, Crane's limp hand brushed across Arlong's calf.
The contact was brief. Just a flick of his fingertip.
Cold.
Hard as steel.
Time seemed to stop.
Then, DING.
[Contact with Target "Arlong" Confirmed. Detecting Unique Genetic Code...]
[Copy: "Fishman Physiology (Lesser)" and "Serration Force (Trial Version)" Available?]
His body flew like a broken kite, crashing into a far wall.
"Gah, !"
He spat blood. His eyes rolled back. He went limp.
But inside, deep beneath that battered shell…
A transformation had begun.
From her spot amid the chaos, Nami, who had long carried the weight of her village, glanced at the unconscious Crane.
Her eyes flickered with something unreadable.
For just a split second, her brow twitched.
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter