Chapter 4
The iron gates of the Shells Town Marine Base didn't just open; they buckled. Zoro led the charge with a roar, his three-sword style carving a path through the front-line sentries. He wasn't killing them—Aryan's influence had tempered his brother's natural bloodlust—but he was leaving them with shattered shields and bruised ribs that would take weeks to heal.
"Out of the way! You're blocking the view!" Zoro yelled, spinning like a green cyclone.
Kuina moved like a ghost in his wake. While Zoro was the hammer, she was the needle. Her Wado Ichimonji stayed mostly sheathed, using the scabbard to strike pressure points and disarm Marines before they could even draw their flintlocks. She moved with a rhythmic breathing that made her seem to flicker in and out of the soldiers' vision.
Aryan, however, walked straight down the center of the courtyard. He didn't run. He didn't shout. He simply walked, his hands tucked into the pockets of his stylish coat, his grey eyes fixed on the girl tied to the wooden cross.
"Halt! Who goes there?!" A Lieutenant screamed, leveling a pistol at Aryan's chest.
Aryan didn't even look at him.
The Marine fired. The lead ball whistled past Aryan's ear, grazing a lock of his dark hair. Aryan continued walking. The sheer audacity of a seven-year-old boy ignoring a gunshot broke the Marine's spirit more than a blade ever could. The soldier dropped his gun, his hands shaking.
"Who... what are you?" he whispered.
Aryan stopped five feet away from the tied-up girl. She looked up, her orange hair matted with sweat, her brown eyes widening as she took in the sight of the well-dressed boy standing calmly amidst the chaos of a Marine base.
"You're not a Marine," Nami croaked, her voice parched from days in the sun. "And you're definitely not a pirate. Who are you, kid? Get out of here before Morgan kills you."
"My name is Aryan," he said, offering her a charismatic, gentle smile that seemed to defy the violence erupting behind him. "And as for Morgan... he's currently having a very bad day."
"Aryan! Look out!" Kuina shouted.
From the balcony of the main tower, a massive figure leaped down. He landed with a bone-jarring thud, the ground cracking beneath his weight. He was a giant of a man, dressed in a Marine Captain's coat, with a jaw made of steel and a massive, gleaming axe where his right hand should be.
Captain "Axe-Hand" Morgan.
"Insolent brats!" Morgan roared, his eyes bloodshot with rage. "I am the law! I am the greatness of this island! To defy me is to defy the heavens themselves!"
Aryan turned slowly to face the Captain. He looked tiny compared to the hulking Marine, but the aura radiating from Aryan began to expand, a silver shimmer that made the air hum.
Raphael, analysis.
"You talk a lot for someone who hides behind a statue of himself," Aryan said, his voice cold and clear.
"I'll cleave you in two!" Morgan swung his axe in a wide, horizontal arc. The sheer force of the swing created a gust of wind that knocked over several nearby Marines.
Aryan didn't dodge. He reached into his spatial storage and pulled out a simple, unadorned wooden sword.
"Spatial Domination: Static Compression," Aryan whispered.
As the axe approached his neck, Aryan tapped the side of the massive blade with his wooden sword. To the observers, it looked like a suicidal move. But at the moment of contact, Aryan manipulated the space around the axe, increasing the local gravity tenfold for a fraction of a second.
The axe hit the ground with a deafening CRACK, burying itself deep into the stone tiles. Morgan, pulled by his own momentum and the sudden weight, lurched forward, completely exposed.
Aryan didn't waste the opening. He stepped onto the flat of the axe and delivered a palm strike to Morgan's steel jaw. He didn't use raw strength; he used a pulse of Busoshoku Haki (Armament) he had been gathering in his palm.
The impact sounded like a sledgehammer hitting an anvil. Morgan's head snapped back, his eyes rolling into his head. The "Great" Captain crumpled into a heap, unconscious before he hit the dirt.
Silence fell over the courtyard. The remaining Marines dropped their weapons, staring in horror at their fallen leader.
"The Captain... defeated by a child's hand?"
Aryan hopped off the axe and walked back to Nami. With a flick of his finger, a small spatial blade sliced through her ropes. She slumped forward, but Aryan caught her before she hit the ground.
"You... you're a monster," Nami whispered, looking up at him with a mixture of fear and awe.
"I prefer the term 'overachiever'," Aryan replied, helping her stand. "Now, I believe you have something that belongs to the Marines, and I have a ship that needs a navigator. Shall we discuss a partnership?"
Nami blinked. "How did you know I'm a navigator?"
"A gentleman has his ways," Aryan smirked.
As they made their way back to The Silver Sovereign, the townspeople began to emerge from their homes, cheering tentatively. They had lived under Morgan's shadow for years, and to see it lifted by three children was nothing short of a miracle.
Back on the ship, Nami sat in the galley, gulping down water while Zoro and Kuina watched her curiously.
"So, you're a thief?" Zoro asked, leaning against the doorframe.
"I'm a survivor," Nami corrected, her eyes darting toward the gold-trimmed coat Aryan had draped over a chair. "And I'm only here because your 'Captain' over there promised me protection from the Marines."
"Not just protection," Aryan said, entering the room. He held out a small, leather-bound pouch. "I know about Arlong, Nami."
The girl froze. The glass of water slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor. Her face went pale, and her eyes filled with a sudden, sharp terror. "How... how do you know that name?"
"I've spent the last few years reading every record the East Blue has to offer," Aryan lied, his voice dropping to a comforting, charismatic register. "I know about the 100 million Berries. I know about Cocoyasi Village. And I'm telling you now—you don't have to do it alone."
Nami stood up, her fists clenched. "You don't know anything! Arlong is a monster! He's a fishman! He's ten times stronger than that idiot Morgan! If you go there, he'll kill you all!"
Aryan walked up to her, his presence filling the small galley. He didn't look like a seven-year-old; he looked like a sovereign. "Nami, look at me."
She hesitated, then looked into his grey eyes. She didn't see the arrogance of a pirate or the coldness of a Marine. She saw a certainty that was absolute.
"I am the man who will become the strongest," Aryan said. "Zoro will be the Greatest Swordsman. Kuina will be the Queen of Blades. Do you really think a fishman in a puddle is going to stop us?"
Nami felt a lump in her throat. For years, she had carried the weight of her village on her shoulders, lying, stealing, and suffering in silence. And here was a boy, younger than her, offering to break her chains.
"If you're lying to me..." she whispered.
"I don't lie to my crew," Aryan replied. "Now, Raphael, what's our next destination?"
"Syrup Village it is," Aryan announced. "Ren, get the anchor up! Kuina, help Nami with the charts. We have a cat to catch."
The journey to Syrup Village took four days. During this time, Aryan decided it was time to use his accumulated rewards.
Raphael, I want to use the "Spirit-Calming Elixir" and begin the second stage of the Haki Awakening.
Aryan sat in the center of his cabin, the Kusanagi resting on his lap. As the elixir took effect, he felt his consciousness expand. The "seeds" of Haki within him began to sprout.
Kenbunshoku Haki transformed from a simple "danger sense" into a vivid map of the world around him. He could sense the fish swimming deep beneath the hull, the tension in the sails, and even the flicker of Nami's thoughts in the next room.
Busoshoku Haki flowed through his veins like liquid iron. He practiced coating his fingers, watching as his skin took on a subtle, obsidian sheen. It wasn't full "Black Hardening" yet, but it was close.
But it was his Haoshoku Haki that changed the most. It no longer felt like a wild, uncontrollable pressure. It felt like a mantle—a royal cloak that he could wear or discard at will.
Spatial Severance? Explain.
An instant hit... Aryan smiled. That's a game-changer.
He walked out onto the deck. The sun was setting, painting the ocean in blood-red hues. Zoro was on the bow, practicing a new move with his three swords, his muscles rippling with every swing. Kuina was teaching Nami the basics of self-defense with a short staff, her movements patient and precise.
"We're approaching the island," Nami called out, pointing toward a small, forested landmass. "Syrup Village should be just around the bend."
"I see it," Aryan said.
But as they drew closer, the sound of shouting reached their ears. On the shore, a tall, skinny boy with a long nose was running frantically, waving his arms.
"The pirates are coming! The pirates are coming! This isn't a lie! Help!"
The villagers ignored him, throwing buckets of water or closing their shutters.
"Is that... Usopp?" Aryan murmured.
"He's loud," Zoro grunted. "And he's a terrible liar. Everyone knows he's lying."
"Is he?" Aryan looked toward the northern coast. His Observation Haki picked up several dark silhouettes moving silently through the trees. "Raphael, scan the northern ridge."
Aryan's eyes narrowed. "They're already here. Ren, Kuina, stay with the ship and protect Nami. I'm going ahead."
"Wait! You're going alone?" Kuina asked.
"I need to test a new move," Aryan said. He didn't wait for an answer. He stepped onto the railing and disappeared in a silver blur.
Aryan reappeared in the middle of the forest, his feet barely touching the leaves. He moved like a predator, his spatial senses guiding him toward the highest concentration of hostile intent.
In a clearing near the Kaya mansion, a man in a black suit was adjusting his glasses with the palm of his hand. His fingers were tipped with long, razor-sharp blades.
Captain Kuro.
"Tonight, I shed this identity," Kuro whispered to his crew. "Tonight, 'Klahadore' dies, and the inheritance becomes mine."
"I'm afraid your retirement plans have been canceled," a calm, melodic voice interrupted.
Kuro spun around, his blades clicking together. He saw a young boy standing on a tree branch, looking down at him with an expression of mild disappointment.
"A child?" Kuro sneered. "How did you find us?"
"You're not as quiet as you think you are," Aryan said, hopping down. He didn't draw his sword yet. "Captain Kuro of a Thousand Plans. Your plans are about to hit a wall."
Kuro's eyes flashed with murderous intent. "I don't care who you are. No one interferes with my peace."
Kuro vanished. This was his "Shakushi" (Death Waltz)—a speed so great he couldn't even see what he was attacking. He became a whirlwind of invisible slashes, tearing through the trees and the ground alike.
Aryan stood perfectly still.
Within Aryan's mind, the world slowed down. He saw the ripples in the air caused by Kuro's movement. He saw the trajectory of the claws.
Now.
Aryan drew the Kusanagi. For the first time, he released the seal. The blade glowed with a cold, celestial light.
"Spatial Severance," Aryan whispered.
He didn't swing at Kuro. He swung at the space in front of him.
The air itself seemed to crack. A silver line appeared in the void, and suddenly, Kuro was pulled out of his high-speed movement as if he had run into an invisible wire. He collapsed to the ground, a deep, clean cut appearing across his chest—despite Aryan being ten feet away.
Kuro gasped, coughing up blood. "What... what was that? I was... I was faster than the eye..."
"Speed is irrelevant if you don't control the space you're moving through," Aryan said, sheathing his blade.
Usopp, who had been hiding behind a nearby bush, stared at Aryan with his jaw hitting the floor. "You... you just beat Kuro! The legendary pirate! With one swing!"
Aryan turned to the long-nosed boy. "And you're the one who tried to warn everyone, right? That takes a different kind of courage, Usopp."
Usopp stood up, shaking like a leaf but trying to look brave. "I... I'm the great Captain Usopp! I was just about to... uh... use my secret technique!"
Aryan laughed, the sound warm and genuine. "I'm sure you were. But how would you like to use that technique on the Grand Line instead of a sleepy village?"
Usopp blinked. "The Grand Line? Me?"
"We need a sniper," Aryan said, holding out a hand. "And I have a feeling your 'lies' are just stories waiting to come true."
The next morning, the village was in a state of confusion. Kuro had been handed over to the local authorities (who were still too stunned to speak), and the Kaya family was safe. Kaya herself, a sickly but kind-hearted girl, stood at the docks to see them off.
"Thank you, Aryan," she said, her voice soft. "And thank you, Usopp. Please... take care of him."
Usopp, now carrying a bag of "special gunpowder" and his favorite slingshot, looked back at the village with tears in his eyes. "I'll come back! As a brave warrior of the sea!"
As The Silver Sovereign pulled away, Nami looked at the growing crew. "A swordsman, a swordswoman, a thief, and a liar. We're certainly a colorful bunch."
"We're a legend in the making," Aryan corrected, looking toward the horizon.
Store them, Aryan thought. We're going to see the 'Red-Leg' Zeff. I want to see what a former Grand Line captain has to offer.
"Full speed ahead!" Aryan shouted. "Next stop, the Baratie!"
Status Check:
* Name: Aryan (Bran)
* Age: 7
* Template: The Silver Swordsman (25%)
* New Abilities: Spatial Severance, Intermediate Haki (All three types), Agility Boost.
* Crew: Zoro, Kuina, Nami, Usopp.