In Mary Geoise, the Holy Land perched atop the Red Line, a soldier knelt before the Gorosei.
"Report! Red Hair Shanks has appeared in Peach Garden!"
"What?"
His face darkened with fury and disbelief at the news, his voice echoing in the enormous chamber. "What is Shanks doing in Peach Garden?"
Whispers spread among the Gorosei, the highest authorities of the World Government. This was no ordinary rumor — Shanks's every move carried weight far beyond that of a typical pirate, and to show up in Peach Garden was unheard of.
Inside the sprawling camping grounds of Peach Garden, virtually the entire group of Rolan's crew, Ion Tempest, and Shanks's crew were gathered under hundreds of paper lanterns. The long wooden tables sagged beneath platters of roasted meats, steaming bowls of noodles, fruit, and barrels filled to the brim with wine.
"Come on, come on! Drink up!" shouted Shanks as he raised his cup high, beckoning everyone to join in.
Across from him, Zoro clinked cups with Lucky Roux, both towering and boisterous in their drunken cheer.
"Hey! What are you waiting for? Drink it all! You raising fish or what?" Zoro joked with a smirk, draining the last drops in his cup.
Lucky Roux, noticeably tipsy, grinned back. "Zoro, I didn't expect someone so young to have such a legendary tolerance for liquor."
Zoro tilted his head back again and swallowed another deep gulp, letting the wine dribble down his chin, "Ah! So refreshing."
Shanks stretched out a hand and casually hooked Rolan's shoulder, voice rich with warmth and teasing.
"Hey Rolan, how do you brew this wine? It's incredible."
Rolan only smirked, the corner of his mouth lifting in that detached, nonchalant way he reserved for moments like this.
The brewing techniques from the Great Hua Kingdom were famous throughout the New World, unrivaled by many even among drink connoisseurs in the pirate world.
"If you want some, just say so," Rolan offered easily, leaning back in his chair, eyes shining just a little in the lantern light. "I'll dispatch a few cases once you leave here."
Shanks burst into laughter, pleased by such frank generosity, "Hahahaha, that's exactly what I was waiting for."
Rolan pursed his lips in reply, but there was something in that expression — quiet pride rather than pure modesty. Shanks and the others had long since come to appreciate not just Rolan's strength, but his cold, almost selfish charm — a man who never bothered with pleasantries unless he wanted to.
In this moment, Rolan was certain — among the Four Emperors, Whitebeard and Shanks were definitely allies. Kaido and Big Mom remained uncertainties, powerful forces that could not be dealt with at the moment.
All that could wait.
…
Eight months later.
East Blue, Windmill Village, on the sun‑kissed coastline.
A small boat bobbed on gentle waves. On it stood a boy wearing an oversized straw hat, the wide brim creating a calm silhouette against the sea breeze.
A crowd of villagers gathered near the shore, waving and calling out as he prepared to set off into the open sea.
"Well then, I'm off!" the boy called out cheerfully, gripping the edges of his straw hat without a hint of fear.
"Luffy! You brat, take care of yourself out there!"
"Luffy, make sure you get enough to eat!"
"Don't forget to find a wife!"
Old grins and laughter rose from the villagers as they watched him, voices full of warmth, affection, and unpredictable teasing.
Makino, apron tied neatly around her waist, stood at the edge of the shore with a slightly pained expression. Her eyes were gentle but tired, as though she was tearing up just a little.
"Luffy, you must take good care of yourself and don't catch a cold!"
Luffy pumped both fists with determination, grin as bright as the sun overhead.
"Oh, I'm not gonna catch a cold, Makino."
Standing nearby, the Village Chief stirred in his usual solemn way, voice quiet but sincere.
"Luffy, take care."
He had once tried to stop the boy from becoming a pirate. How could he not worry like a parent? But he had no real power to restrain someone with dreams big enough to pull wind from the very sky.
Almost everyone in the village had come to see him off, waving until the small boat cut through the horizon like a moving dot.
Luffy looked back once, then ahead — at the endless seam where water met sky, bright waves glinting like scattered gems, seagulls wheeling overhead, and nothing but possibility stretching out before him.
A fiery spirit bloomed in his heart again.
"Finally, I'm setting sail too! Rolan, Ace, wait for me, I won't lose to you guys!"
He shouted that with a grin that could light up the stars.
"First, I need to gather crewmates. I want ten awesome comrades, all under one Pirate flag!"
"The first one'll be a chef, a fantastic chef. Slurp~"
"And then a musician too! Pirates gotta have banquets and sing along, right? Yes! A musician is essential!"
Luffy's excitement bubbled up like fireworks in his voice.
"Alright! Let's go!"
"I'm going to be the Pirate King!"
With paddle in hand, he slowly guided the little boat further out to sea against the rolling waves.
The villagers only drifted back to their daily lives once the boat disappeared from sight.
"It seems another remarkable soul is being born from our East Blue."
"The sea isn't gonna stay calm much longer."
"I just hope Luffy finds true happiness."
…
Sunlight danced on rolling seas.
A small wooden boat pitched gently amid those wide blue waves, each crest brushing the hull with soft, rhythmic lapping sounds — like the breathing of the sea itself.
In the distance, seagulls circled high, sometimes dropping low to snatch snacks from the water with ease.
A cheerful, unskilled song drifted from the tiny vessel.
"Ah ah The southern islands, so warm, pineapples so sweet, my head feels like boiling, what an idiot I am~ The northern isles, so cold…"
Suddenly, the sea level surged.
With a massive shockwave the surface broke open, and a hideous sea monster erupted from the deep.
Its body was massive, eyes glowing intense scarlet as they locked onto the tiny boat. Its face was ugly, contorted with fury — angry at being rousted from sleep by that atrocious singing.
This was the notorious Lord of the Coast, a unique and fearsome Sea King, known for its aggressive nature and power unmatched even by strong pirates at times.
The sea creature's scarlet eyes snapped toward the small boat with violent intent. It lunged, jaws gaping wide, aiming to swallow the vessel whole.
Luffy turned calmly, barely raising his voice above his usual tone, "Oh, it's you, Lord of the Coast."
The creature's fury doubled. Not only was he insulted by the song — it seemed this human didn't even take him seriously.
Its enormous maw snapped eagerly toward the boat.
Luffy tipped his straw hat slightly, looking casual almost to the point of irritating nonchalance.
"Want to dance too then?"
He vanished from the wood as though swallowed by shadows, reappearing beside the Lord of the Coast's head in an instant.
"Haki, Armament!"
A faint ripple of intense force enveloped his right arm, coating it in black Haki that gleamed with eerie light beneath the sun.
The monster's eyes blinked wide in surprise — and then pain — as Luffy's Haki‑infused fist met its skull with thunderous impact.
With a thunderous boom, the Lord of the Coast's eyes rolled back, and its massive body collapsed into the sea's surface, waves erupting into fountains from the impact.
The little boat rocked violently, nearly capsizing from the blast.
Luffy now stood soaked on the splintered remains of the vessel. "Ah, geez… that boat nearly turned into just a memory."
He began paddling once more into the distance, brushing seawater from his shoulder.
"Let's try round two of that song."
"North islands, so chilly, carp are tasty, I'm still shaking in my head~"
"Hmm?! Why's the sky getting dark? Is it night already?"
Luffy raised a hand toward the sky, puzzled. "It was bright just now."
"Oh no, oh no… I haven't eaten four meals yet!"
Crack!
A blinding streak of lightning split the sky, followed by roaring wind and sheets of driving rain. A massive whirlpool spiraled outward, hundreds of meters across, its pull drawing everything toward its deadly center.
The small boat trembled beneath the oncoming chaos.
"Ah! This can't be good!"
Luffy pounded his paddle so fast it blurred, but even that frantic effort couldn't resist the whirlpool's pulling force.
"Never mind!"
In one fluid motion, he tossed the paddle aside and opened the fruit barrel at the stern. He dumped the remaining half barrel of fruit into his mouth, then folded himself into its space.
The instant he was sealed inside, the wooden boat shattered into splinters.
Only the barrel bobbed in the rolling waves.
===
100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter
200 Powerstones = 3 Bonus Chapters
===
If you want to read more, check out my patreon.
Patreon.com/ _Zeph