The afternoon sun bled gold across the beach, turning the sand into molten glass. Stanlee stood barefoot, fists clenched, every muscle coiled like a spring. Across from him, Benn Beckman rolled his shoulders, the dark sheen of Armament Haki already crawling up his right arm like living shadow. The air hummed with tension.
"Ready to see what real Haki feels like, brat?" Beckman's voice was calm, but his eyes held the glint of a predator testing prey.
Stanlee spat salt from his lips. "Been ready since you opened your mouth."
The Red-Hair crew roared in approval, forming a ragged circle. Lucky Roux passed around a barrel of ale, Yasopp leaned against a palm tree cleaning his rifle, and Shanks watched from a driftwood log, sake cup in hand, his grin wide and easy. Gaimon, wedged in his treasure chest, wobbled precariously for a better view.
Beckman moved.
Not fast – impossibly fast. His Haki-coated fist became a black blur, striking Stanlee's ribs like a cannonball.
CRACK!
Sand exploded as Stanlee flew backward, tumbling head over heels before slamming into a fallen tree trunk. The impact splintered wood. He gasped, pain lancing through his side, but when he coughed, no blood came. His ribs throbbed, then… the ache faded. Skin that should have bruised purple remained unmarred.
Beckman raised an eyebrow, smoke curling from his cigarette. "Still standing?"
Stanlee pushed himself up, grinning through gritted teeth. "Told you. Takes more than that to fold me."
The crew whistled and jeered.
"Kid's got springs in his legs!"
"Look at him bounce! Like a damn rubber ball!"
Beckman didn't let up. He closed the distance in two strides, fists wrapped in obsidian Haki. Each strike landed like a hammer on an anvil – THUD! THUD! THUD! – driving Stanlee into the sand, against rocks, through driftwood. Dust clouds bloomed with each impact.
Yet Stanlee kept rising.
Beckman finally stepped back, lowering his smoking fist. A rare, sharp smirk touched his lips. "Skin like steel. Reminds me of Big Mom's iron balloon."
Yasopp barked a laugh, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. "Hell, Beckman, it's not just the skin! Look at him heal!" He pointed. Stanlee's split knuckles, raw seconds ago, were already sealing, the swelling vanishing before their eyes. "Regeneration like that? Kaido'd be jealous."
Shanks chuckled, taking a slow sip of sake. His single eye gleamed with unnerving certainty. "Jealous? No. When this brat's grown, he won't just match them. He'll surpass Big Mom's hide and Kaido's recovery. A body built to laugh at gods."
A beat of silence hung over the beach, heavy with implication. Then a drunken pirate shattered it:
"OI, CAPTAIN! YOU GONNA GIVE THE KID TO BIG MOM AS A WEDDING PRESENT?!"
The crew exploded.
"GYA-HA-HA-HA! SHE'D LOCK HIM IN WHOLE CAKE AND NEVER LET HIM LEAVE!"
"CAN YOU IMAGINE THE BABIES? LITTLE IRON-SKINNED DEMONS!"
"HE'D BE THE ULTIMATE HUSBAND – BIG MOM'S DREAM COME TRUE!"
Stanlee's face burned crimson. "SHUT UP ABOUT BIG MOM'S BABY FACTORY, YOU DRUNKS!"
Even Gaimon was howling, nearly tipping his chest over. "PFFFT! IMAGINE THE LITTLE HALF-BOX KIDS! STUBBY ARMS AND SKIN LIKE TANKS!"
Shanks just raised his cup, eyes dancing. "Don't worry, Stanlee. If Big Mom or Kaido come sniffing… you'll be strong enough to send them packing with a laugh."
Stanlee met his gaze, the fire in his chest burning hotter than the sun. Yeah. I will.
Yasopp's Newspaper: A World in Chaos
As the laughter subsided, Yasopp flopped onto the sand and pulled a crumpled newspaper from his satchel. He whistled low, scanning the front page. "Oi, Beckman, Captain, check this out. Marines finally bagged a nasty one."
He held it up. The headline screamed: MARINES CAPTURE CATARINA DEVON! WITCH-FACED PIRATE CORNERED BY VICE ADMIRAL TSURU!
Stanlee froze. Catarina Devon. He knew that name – or would know it, years from now. The witch-faced woman, one of Blackbeard's future Titanic Captains. The article described her capture: a brutal battle in the West Blue, Vice Admiral Tsuru's strategic genius finally cornering the elusive pirate after months of pursuit.
"Tsuru, huh?" Beckman murmured, taking a drag. "She doesn't miss once she's on the hunt."
"Damn right," Yasopp flipped the page. "Says here Devon's got some creepy Mythical Zoan too. Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Kyubi no Kitsune. Nine-Tailed Fox. Lets her shapeshift, disguise herself… spooky stuff." He shuddered dramatically. "Imagine her turning into your sweetheart, then stabbing you in the back!"
The crew groaned.
"Shapeshifters are the worst!"
"Trust no one, especially pretty ladies!"
"Careful, Stanlee!" a pirate yelled, pointing. "She might sneak onto this island and pretend to be your girlfriend!"
Stanlee flipped him off, but his mind raced. So she's caught now. But Blackbeard will break her out of Impel Down someday. And when he does…
Yasopp turned the page, his brow furrowing. "Big Mom's at it again. Another tea party invite sent out. Rumor is she's trying to marry off one of her daughters to some Underworld big shot. Probably Shipping King Umit."
"Umit?!" A pirate spat. "That slippery eel? He'd sell his own mother for a barrel of sake!"
"Speaking of Umit," Yasopp scanned further, "he's been spotted in the West Blue again. 'Negotiating' trade routes. Translation: smuggling weapons and slaves under the Marines' noses."
Stanlee filed the names away: Big Mom. Umit. Devon. Pieces of the grand, chaotic puzzle falling into place.
Yasopp whistled low, tapping another article. "And the best part? Gecko Moria challenged Kaido. Again."
The crew erupted.
"AGAIN?!"
"Does that idiot have a death wish?!"
"Kaido probably used him as a punching bag for five minutes before getting bored!"
Yasopp grinned. "Says here Moria's barely breathing. Dragged what was left of him back to Thriller Bark." He pointed to the date in the corner. "Sea Calendar 1510."
1510. Stanlee's breath hitched. Luffy was born in 1504. I'm Seven years old now. One year older than him. The story… hasn't even started.
He looked out at the endless blue, Pirates, Marine, World Government they're all out there.