Chapter 3
The ocean air was crisp and smelled of salt and adventure as the small fleet—two dinghies and a small cargo boat—cut through the gentle swells of the East Blue. With Nami now at the helm, the aimless drifting of the past week had been replaced by a purposeful, sharp trajectory. She sat at the back of the lead boat, her eyes constantly scanning the horizon and the charts spread out before her, her fingers moving with the practiced ease of a master.
Aryan sat on the prow of the second boat, his back against the small mast. His eyes were closed, but he wasn't sleeping. He was deep within the architecture of his own mind, navigating the vast library of data the Supreme Comprehension System had gathered since his arrival.
[Ding! Soul Integration: 12.1%]
[Analyzing: The Breath of All Things...]
[Synthesizing: Spatial Displacement + Molecular Severance...]
"Hey, Sepharot," Zoro called out from the back of the boat, his hand resting on the hilt of Shusui. "You've been quiet. Thinking about that clown's fruit?"
Aryan opened his eyes, the faint purple glow of the Eyes of the Monarch fading into his natural dark iris. "A little bit. The ability to divide one's self is interesting, but it's the 'will' behind the division that matters. Buggy treats his power like a circus trick. He doesn't realize he's literally rewriting the laws of physical cohesion."
Luffy, who was trying to catch a passing seagull with his bare hands, poked his head over. "He was just a big red nose! But his hands flying around was cool. Can you do that, Aryan?"
"Not exactly, Luffy," Aryan chuckled, stretching his arms. "I'm more interested in the space between the parts. If you understand the gap, you understand the whole."
Nami looked back, her brow furrowed. "You guys talk about the weirdest things. Can we focus? We're approaching the Gecko Islands. Specifically, Syrup Village. If we're lucky, we can find a real ship there. These tubs aren't going to survive a summer squall, let alone the Grand Line."
Aryan stood up, his Sea-Sense picking up the vibration of land long before it appeared on the horizon. "Syrup Village... It's a quiet place. High cliffs, lots of greenery. And one very loud liar."
[Ding! Observation triggered.]
[Comprehending: The Concept of the 'True Lie'...]
As the coastline finally materialized—a series of steep, verdant cliffs topped with lush forests—Aryan felt a shift in the atmosphere. It was the same feeling he got whenever a significant thread of destiny was about to be pulled.
"There's someone up there," Zoro said, his hand tightening on his sword.
On the ridge of the cliff overlooking the small hidden cove where they were heading, a silhouette appeared. A young man with a very long nose, wearing a bandanna and a pair of goggles, stood with his hands on his hips, looking down at them with practiced bravado.
"HALT, PIRATES!" the voice boomed, echoing off the rock faces. "I am Captain Usopp! Leader of the Great Usopp Pirate Crew, commanding a fleet of eighty million men! If you value your lives, turn back now, or my army will rain destruction upon you!"
Luffy's eyes went wide. "Eighty million?! That's amazing!"
Nami rolled her eyes. "He's obviously lying, Luffy. Look at the bushes."
Aryan chuckled, his Eyes of the Monarch scanning the ridge. He saw the "eighty million men"—which were actually three small children shaking branches to make them rustle. He also saw Usopp's heart rate—high, frantic, but driven by a strange, desperate kind of courage.
"He's a good liar," Aryan noted, his voice cheerful. "He believes in the lie so much it almost becomes a truth. That's a skill in itself."
"I'm gonna go talk to him!" Luffy shouted, already preparing to launch himself.
"Wait, Luffy—" Nami started, but it was too late.
"GOMU GOMU NO... ROCKET!"
Luffy flew through the air, crashing onto the ridge right in front of Usopp. The "Great Captain" let out a scream that was decidedly un-pirate-like and tumbled backward, his goggles sliding down his nose.
Aryan used a more subtle approach. He stepped off the boat and onto the cliff face.
[Void Step.]
In a series of three instantaneous flickers of movement, he ascended the vertical rock wall, appearing beside Luffy just as the rubber boy was helping a trembling Usopp to his feet.
"Whoa! You guys are fast!" Usopp stammered, his bravado crumbling. "I mean... of course you are! My army let you through because I felt like being merciful today!"
Aryan smiled, his presence radiating a calm that seemed to steady the air. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Usopp. I'm Aryan. That's Luffy. And the grumpy guy and the scary girl are still on the boat."
"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SCARY?!" Nami's voice drifted up from below.
Usopp looked at Aryan, momentarily dazed by the young man's looks and the easy, non-threatening aura he projected. "Uh... yeah. Right. So, what brings a bunch of pirates to our peaceful village? We don't have any treasure! Only... uh... man-eating plants! Thousands of them!"
Luffy tilted his head. "Man-eating plants? Cool! Where?"
"He's kidding, Luffy," Aryan said, patting Usopp on the shoulder. He felt the boy flinch, then relax. "We're just looking for a ship. A real one. Do you know anyone who can help?"
Usopp's expression changed. A shadow of something—perhaps pride mixed with sadness—crossed his face. "A ship? Well, the biggest house in the village belongs to Kaya. She's... she's a friend. But she's been sick lately."
[Ding! Observation triggered.]
[Comprehending: Medical Anomalies & Slow-Acting Poisons...]
[Tracing the Intent of the 'Butler'...]
Aryan's eyes narrowed slightly as he processed the information. He didn't just hear Usopp's words; he "comprehended" the underlying tension in the village. There was a foul "breath" coming from the mansion on the hill. It smelled of stagnant water and cold iron.
"A sick friend, huh?" Aryan said, his tone remaining light but with an edge of seriousness. "Maybe we can help. I've picked up a thing or two about medicine on my travels."
"Really?" Usopp asked, his eyes brightening. "Kaya's been feeling worse ever since her parents passed away. Her butler, Klahadore, takes care of her, but he's really strict. He hates pirates."
"Klahadore," Aryan repeated the name.
[Ding! Database Entry: Kuro of a Thousand Plans (Probability: 98.7%).]
Aryan felt a thrill of excitement. Another legend of the East Blue. A man who had faked his own death to live a life of quiet luxury, waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Luffy, Zoro," Aryan called out as the others reached the top of the cliff. "I think we should pay a visit to this mansion. Not just for a ship, but to check on a patient."
"I'm down for a mansion!" Luffy cheered. "Maybe they have snacks!"
Zoro looked at Aryan, sensing the shift in his friend's mood. "Something's up, isn't it?"
"Just a hunch," Aryan smiled, his eyes flashing purple for a split second. "Let's go meet this 'perfect' butler."
As they walked toward the village, Usopp led the way, spinning increasingly tall tales about his adventures. But as they neared the gates of the large estate, a tall man in a black suit and spectacles stepped out. He moved with a mechanical, unsettling precision, pushing his glasses up his nose with the palm of his hand.
"Usopp," the man said, his voice cold and devoid of warmth. "I believe I told you that you are not welcome here. Especially not with... such low-class company."
Aryan stepped forward, his smile bright and disarming. "Low-class? Ouch. And here I thought I'd dressed up for the occasion."
Klahadore's eyes narrowed behind his lenses. He looked at Aryan, and for the first time in three years, his composure wavered. He saw the way Aryan stood—perfectly balanced, centered, with no openings.
[Ding! High-Level Observation Event!]
[Comprehending: The Nuki Ashi (Silent Step) Technique...]
[Analyzing: The Cat Claws (Pussyfoot Maneuver)...]
[Progress: 20%... 40%...]
This boy, Klahadore thought, his fingers twitching instinctively. He's dangerous.
"We're just here to see Miss Kaya," Aryan said, his voice smooth. "I hear she's been under the weather. And as a concerned traveler, I'd like to offer my services."
"Miss Kaya needs rest, not the company of vagabonds," Klahadore spat. "Leave at once, or I shall have the guards remove you."
"Vagabonds?" Luffy blinked. "Is that a type of meat?"
Zoro stepped up, his hand on his hilt. "The kid asked nicely. Maybe you should listen."
The tension was thick enough to cut with a sword. Aryan watched Klahadore, his System mapping out the man's muscle structure and hidden killing intent. He could see the "claws" in the man's mind long before they were drawn.
"Klahadore! It's alright!"
A soft voice broke the silence. A young woman with pale blonde hair and a gentle, tired face appeared at a second-story window. This was Kaya.
"They're Usopp's friends," she said, a small smile gracing her lips. "Let them in. I'd like some company."
Klahadore stiffened, but he bowed low. "As you wish, Miss Kaya." He turned his gaze back to Aryan, a cold, murderous promise in his eyes. "Follow me. But do not touch anything."
Aryan winked at Usopp. "See? Easy as pie."
But as they walked through the ornate halls, Aryan whispered to Zoro. "Keep your guard up. Our host isn't a butler. He's a shark in a tuxedo."
[Total Progress: 1,000 / 4,000 words]
Continuing
The interior of the mansion was a testament to wealth and isolation. Every polished surface reflected the opulence of the estate, but to Aryan's heightened senses, the air felt stagnant, as if the very walls were holding their breath.
Klahadore led them to a sunlit parlor where Kaya sat in a plush armchair, a blanket draped over her legs. Despite her illness, she possessed a quiet beauty that seemed to brighten the room.
"Usopp!" she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "You've brought so many friends today."
"Yeah! These are... uh... my elite guard!" Usopp boasted, though he looked considerably more nervous under Klahadore's icy stare. "They've traveled the seven seas!"
Luffy immediately wandered over to a bowl of fruit on a side table. "Whoa, these look good! Can I have one?"
"Of course," Kaya giggled.
Aryan, however, remained standing. He walked slowly toward Kaya, his Eyes of the Monarch scanning her physical state.
[Ding! Analysis Complete: Toxicosis Detected.]
[Source: Arsenic-based compound, administered in small, frequent doses.]
[Estimated time to critical failure: 48 hours.]
Aryan's expression didn't change, but a cold fire ignited in his chest. He had seen many things in his past life, but the slow, methodical poisoning of a kind girl for an inheritance was a level of cowardice that disgusted him.
"You look tired, Miss Kaya," Aryan said softly, taking a seat opposite her. "The medicine you're taking... who prepares it?"
Klahadore, standing by the door, stiffened. "I oversee all of Miss Kaya's care. Her family doctor prescribes the tonics, and I ensure she takes them regularly. Why do you ask, 'Doctor' Aryan?"
Aryan looked at the butler, his smile not reaching his eyes. "Just a curious observation. You see, I have a very keen sense of smell. And this room... it smells of almond and bitter herbs. Not the kind that heal, but the kind that 'settle' things permanently."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. Zoro shifted his weight, his hand moving closer to Wado Ichimonji. Nami, sensing the danger, stepped back toward the door.
Klahadore pushed his glasses up with his palm, the light reflecting off the lenses so his eyes were hidden. "I suggest you watch your tongue, boy. Accusations are dangerous things."
"So is faking your own death, Captain Kuro," Aryan said calmly.
The name hit the room like a thunderclap.
Usopp gasped. "Captain... Kuro? The pirate who was executed by the Marines three years ago?"
Klahadore stood perfectly still. For a heartbeat, there was no sound but the ticking of a grandfather clock in the corner. Then, a low, rasping chuckle escaped the butler's throat.
"I wondered if anyone would recognize the name," Klahadore—Kuro—said, his voice losing its refined edge and becoming something sharp and predatory. "But it doesn't matter. You're too late. The Black Cat Pirates are already at the shore. By dawn, this mansion will be a tomb, and Miss Kaya will have 'died' of her illness, leaving everything to her loyal butler."
Kaya's face went pale. "Klahadore... you... you wouldn't..."
"Be quiet, girl!" Kuro snapped. "I spent three years playing the servant for this. I endured your boredom and your weakness. I'm done waiting."
In a blur of movement that even Zoro struggled to follow, Kuro's hands dropped, and he drew his weapons—ten-inch blades attached to each finger of his gloves. The "Cat Claws."
"I'll start with the pretty boy," Kuro hissed, his body coiled like a spring.
[Ding! Observation triggered.]
[Comprehending: The Nuki Ashi (Silent Step) - Complete.]
[Skill Acquired: Silent Step (Level 1).]
Kuro vanished. To the untrained eye, he had simply ceased to exist.
SHING.
A series of slashes appeared on the armchair where Aryan had been sitting a millisecond before. Aryan was already standing by the window, his cloak fluttering in the breeze.
"You're fast," Aryan noted, his tone conversational. "But you're noisy. I can hear your heartbeat, Kuro. It's loud and frantic, like a rat caught in a corner."
"DIE!" Kuro screamed, entering his "Shakushi" state—a blind, high-speed massacre where he slashed at everything in his path.
"Luffy! Get Kaya and Usopp out of here!" Aryan commanded.
"On it!" Luffy grabbed both of them and jumped out the second-story window, his body expanding like a balloon to cushion the fall.
Zoro moved to block Kuro's path, but Aryan held up a hand. "No, Zoro. This one's mine. I want to see how he handles 'nothing'."
Aryan closed his eyes. He didn't need them. He tapped into the Void God thought, expanding his awareness until the entire room was a map of vibrations. He could see the "lines" of Kuro's movement—the jagged, chaotic streaks of a man who had lost his mind to his own speed.
[Skill Activation: Void Domain.]
As Kuro charged, moving so fast he was invisible, Aryan didn't dodge. He simply moved his hand in a slow, circular motion.
CLANK. CLANK. CLANK.
The Cat Claws hit an invisible wall of force inches from Aryan's chest. Every strike was deflected by a microscopic ripple in the air.
"What is this?!" Kuro screamed, reappearing ten feet away, his breathing ragged. "What kind of Devil Fruit do you have?!"
"I don't have a fruit," Aryan said, opening his eyes. They were glowing with a deep, cosmic purple. "I just understand that you aren't moving through space. You're fighting it. And space always wins."
Aryan stepped forward. To Kuro, it looked like Aryan was walking at a normal pace, but with every step, the distance between them vanished instantly.
[Void Step.]
Aryan appeared directly in front of Kuro. Before the pirate could react, Aryan tapped the center of Kuro's chest with two fingers.
[Skill Activation: Molecular Severance.]
The impact wasn't physical. It was a disruption of the kinetic energy Kuro had built up. The pirate was sent flying backward, his spectacles shattering and his gloves cracking. He crashed through the heavy oak doors, tumbling into the hallway.
"Zoro, Nami, go help Luffy at the shore," Aryan said, not taking his eyes off the fallen pirate. "The Black Cat Pirates will be arriving soon. I'll finish things here."
"Don't take too long," Zoro grinned, heading for the stairs. "I want to save some for myself."
Kuro struggled to his feet, blood trickling down his forehead. "You... you think you've won? My crew... Jango... they'll slaughter everyone in that village!"
"No, they won't," Aryan said, his voice dropping to a terrifyingly calm whisper. "Because I'm going to show you what a real Shadow Monarch looks like."
Aryan's shadow began to pool at his feet, growing darker and thicker until it looked like a hole in the floor. From the darkness, two glowing purple eyes emerged.
[Skill Activation: Shadow Extraction (Test).]
"Arise," Aryan whispered.
The shadows rose, taking the shape of a towering knight in tattered, dark armor. It wasn't a physical body, but a manifestation of Aryan's will and the "dead" energy he had comprehended from the void.
Kuro's eyes widened with a terror that bypassed his logic. "What... what are you?!"
"I'm the one who comprehends the end," Aryan said. "And for you, Kuro, the end is now."
The shadow knight moved. It didn't make a sound. It didn't even disturb the air. It simply passed through Kuro.
The pirate didn't scream. He didn't bleed. He simply collapsed, his mind shattered by the glimpse of the "nothingness" Aryan had shared with him. He wasn't dead, but the "Captain Kuro" that lived in his head was gone, replaced by a void of pure, cold silence.
Aryan sighed, the shadow knight dissolving back into his own shadow. He felt a surge of exhaustion, his soul integration ticking up.
[Ding! Soul Integration: 13.5%]
[Warning: High mental strain. Suggest rest.]
"Not yet," Aryan muttered, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. "There's still a crew at the shore."
He walked to the window and looked down. He could see the flashes of fire and the sound of steel clashing at the beach. Luffy and Zoro were already in the thick of it, and Usopp was bravely—if shakily—firing pebbles with his slingshot.
Aryan smiled. "Wait for me, guys. The party's just getting started."
He stepped out of the window, not falling, but gliding through the air as if the wind itself were carrying him toward the battle.
[Total Progress: 2,000 / 4,000 words]
Continuing
The beach was a chaotic theater of sand and steel. The Black Cat Pirates, a motley crew of men dressed in feline-themed gear, were pouring off their ship, the Bezan Black. At their head was Jango, a tall man with heart-shaped glasses who was frantically swinging a pendulum.
"ONE, TWO, JANGO!" he shouted.
A group of pirates suddenly bulged with artificial strength, their eyes turning red as they charged at Zoro.
"Hypnosis, huh?" Zoro grunted, parrying three swords at once. "Cheap trick."
Luffy was busy fighting the Meowban Brothers, two large, agile pirates who moved with feline grace. "GOMU GOMU NO... GATLING!"
His fists were a blur, but the brothers were slippery. "You can't catch us, rubber boy! We're too fast!"
"Is that so?"
A voice drifted over the dunes, calm and melodic. Every pirate on the beach froze as Aryan descended from the sky, landing softly on the crest of a sand dune.
"Aryan! You're back!" Luffy cheered, dodging a claw swipe.
Aryan looked down at the brothers, then at Jango. "Your Captain is taking a very long nap. I suggest the rest of you join him."
Jango snarled, spinning his pendulum. "I don't know who you are, pretty boy, but nobody stops the Black Cat Pirates! One, two—"
"Stop," Aryan said.
He didn't yell. He didn't even move. But he focused his Void God's Presence into a single, concentrated point.
[Skill Activation: Void Pulse - Wide Area.]
A ripple of distorted air expanded from Aryan, washing over the entire beach. The pirates felt a sudden, crushing weight in their chests, as if the very atmosphere had turned to lead. Jango's pendulum snapped, and he fell to his knees, his heart-shaped glasses cracking.
"What... what is this pressure?" Jango wheezed.
[Ding! Observation triggered.]
[Comprehending: Hypnosis & Mental Suggestion...]
[Skill Acquired: Mental Fortress (Passive).]
"It's the weight of your own sins," Aryan said, walking down the dune. "You follow a man who would kill a child for money. You have no will of your own. And in this sea, the weak-willed are just dust."
Luffy watched Aryan, his eyes wide. "Whoa, Sepharot. You look really cool right now."
"Thanks, Captain," Aryan smiled, the terrifying pressure vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. "But I think our friend Usopp has something he wants to say."
Usopp stood at the edge of the cliff, his slingshot drawn tight. His hands were shaking, and he was covered in bruises, but his eyes were filled with a fire that hadn't been there that morning.
"This is MY village!" Usopp shouted, his voice cracking but firm. "And I won't let you hurt anyone! I am Usopp, the Brave Warrior of the Sea!"
He let fly a special lead star. It whistled through the air and hit Jango square in the forehead, knocking the hypnotist unconscious.
The remaining pirates, seeing their leaders fallen and faced with the "Demon" Zoro and the "Void" Aryan, turned and ran for their ship.
"WE SURRENDER! DON'T KILL US!"
Within minutes, the Bezan Black was sailing away, leaving the beach in a state of stunned silence.
Usopp fell onto his back in the sand, gasping for air. "I... I did it. I actually did it."
"You did," Aryan said, walking over and offering a hand. "You're a brave man, Usopp. Not because you weren't afraid, but because you stood your ground anyway."
The next morning, the village was quiet. The truth about Klahadore had spread, and Kaya, though still weak, was recovering quickly now that the poison had been removed from her system.
The crew stood at the docks, where a magnificent new ship was moored. It was a three-masted caravel with a sheep's head figurehead. The Going Merry.
"It's a gift," Kaya said, leaning on a cane as she stood with the crew. "For saving my life and my home. Please, take it and fulfill your dreams."
Luffy's eyes were the size of dinner plates. "IT'S SO BIG! AND IT HAS A SHEEP!"
Aryan walked up to the figurehead, running a hand over the smooth wood.
[Ding! Observation triggered.]
[Comprehending: Shipwrighting & The Klabautermann...]
[Skill Acquired: Master Shipwright's Instinct.]
He could feel the "soul" of the ship. It was young, eager, and filled with a sense of adventure that matched Luffy's own. "She's a good ship, Kaya-san. We'll take care of her."
"Hey, Usopp!" Luffy shouted toward the village. "What are you doing? Get your stuff!"
Usopp, who was carrying a small bag, stopped in his tracks. "Wait... me? You want me to come?"
"Of course!" Luffy grinned. "We need a sniper! And a liar!"
Usopp's face broke into a massive, tearful grin. "ALRIGHT! I'LL JOIN! BUT I'M THE CAPTAIN!"
"No, I am!" Luffy argued.
As they boarded the Going Merry, Aryan stood at the stern, watching the island fade into the distance.
[Ding! Quest Completed: The Land of Lies.]
[Rewards:]
[+1.5% Soul Integration (Total: 15%)]
[New Skill: Shadow Step (Advanced Void Step).]
"Fifteen percent," Aryan whispered. He felt a new level of power hum in his veins. He could now move his shadow independently of his body, a scout that could see through walls and listen to whispers miles away.
"Aryan!" Nami called out from the helm. "Where to next?"
Aryan looked at his map, then at the horizon. "We need a cook. And I know just the place. A floating restaurant in the middle of the sea."
"Food?!" Luffy's head snapped around. "LETS GO!"
The Going Merry caught the wind, its sails billowing as it headed toward the Baratie. Aryan leaned against the railing, his dark cloak snapping in the breeze. He looked like the most handsome man in the world, a god of the void lost in a sea of blue.
But inside, his mind was already working, comprehending the next challenge. Because he knew that at the Baratie, they wouldn't just find a cook. They would find the "Greatest Swordsman in the World."
"Dracule Mihawk," Aryan whispered, a sharp, hungry smile touching his lips. "I wonder... can I comprehend the 'Black Blade'?"
The Going Merry glided across the sapphire waters, her new sails catching the rhythmic breath of the East Blue. On deck, the atmosphere had shifted from the frantic tension of Syrup Village to a celebratory, if slightly chaotic, harmony.
Usopp was already busy "improving" the ship, which mostly involved hanging his various gadgets from the rigging and telling the sheep figurehead elaborate stories about his heroism. Zoro was back in his corner, napping with one hand on a hilt, while Nami was meticulously organizing the supplies Kaya had provided.
Aryan sat on the upper deck, his legs crossed, eyes fixed on the horizon. He was practicing a new technique: Shadow Perception. He had sent his shadow sliding across the surface of the water, a thin ribbon of darkness that acted as a remote sensor.
[Ding! Integration Stable at 15%.]
[Shadow Range: 500 meters.]
[Sensing: A large metallic structure approaching.]
"Luffy," Aryan called out, not moving his gaze. "Your stomach is about to be very happy."
"MEAT?!" Luffy shouted, springing up from the mast like a coiled spring.
"Even better," Aryan smiled, pointing forward. "A restaurant."
Emerging from the sea mist was a sight that defied logic—a massive ship shaped like a giant fish, with decks that fanned out like fins. This was the Baratie, the world-famous floating restaurant.
"Whoa! It's huge!" Usopp gasped, his goggles nearly falling off. "Do you think they have giant fish-burgers?"
"They have everything," Aryan said, standing up.
As they drew closer, Aryan's Eyes of the Monarch began to hum. He could feel a dense concentration of "Will" coming from the restaurant. It wasn't the chaotic, raw energy of the pirates they'd faced so far; it was disciplined, hot, and seasoned with years of struggle.
"A cook who fights with his feet," Aryan whispered, comprehending the "vibration" of the kitchen. "Interesting."
But beneath the smell of garlic and roasted meat, Aryan felt something else. Something cold. Something that felt like the edge of a world-ending blade.
He's here, Aryan thought. The Hawk-Eyes.
[Ding! High-Level Threat Detected.]
[Analyzing: The Aura of the World's Strongest...]
[Warning: Host's current level of comprehension is insufficient to fully map this target.]
Aryan didn't feel fear. He felt a thrill. The Supreme Comprehension System thrived on the impossible, and Dracule Mihawk was the ultimate "Impossible" of the East Blue.
They docked at the Baratie, and the crew stepped onto the floating deck. Almost immediately, they were greeted by the sound of shouting and the clatter of plates. A blonde man in a suit, with a swirly eyebrow and a cigarette dangling from his lips, was currently kicking a rowdy pirate out of the front door.
"If you can't pay, you don't eat," the man said, his voice a smooth, dangerous baritone. "And if you insult the food, you die. Understand?"
The pirate scrambled away into the sea. The blonde man turned, his gaze landing on Nami. His eyes instantly transformed into hearts.
"MY LADY! AN ANGEL HAS DESCENDED UPON THIS HUMBLE KITCHEN!" He was suddenly at her side, kneeling and offering a single, perfectly garnished appetizer he'd pulled from a pocket.
"Uh... thanks?" Nami said, taking a wary step back.
Luffy walked up to the blonde man. "Hey! You're a cook! Join my crew!"
The man, Sanji, didn't even look at Luffy. He was too busy swooning over Nami. "I would follow you to the ends of the earth, my belle—"
"I'm serious!" Luffy pouted. "We need a cook! And you're strong!"
Aryan walked up, his presence drawing Sanji's attention away from Nami for the first time. Sanji looked at Aryan—his perfect features, the depth of his eyes, and the sheer 'quality' of the air around him.
"And who are you?" Sanji asked, his playful demeanor sharpening. "Another 'pretty boy' pirate?"
"I'm Aryan," he replied, offering a friendly hand. "And while I appreciate the compliment, I'm actually here to see the old man with the wooden leg. I hear he makes a mean seafood risotto."
Sanji's eyes narrowed. "Old Man Zeff? He doesn't see just anyone."
"He'll see us," Aryan said, his gaze shifting toward the horizon. "Because in about ten minutes, this restaurant is going to be attacked by the largest fleet in the East Blue. And right behind them... is a man who can split this ship in two."
Sanji froze. "What are you talking about?"
[Ding! Observation triggered.]
[Comprehending: Sanji's 'Black Leg' Style...]
[Analyzing: The Heat of Passion & Friction...]
Aryan didn't answer. He turned toward the sea. Far off, a massive, tattered galleon was limping toward the Baratie. It was the ship of Don Krieg, the "Pirate Admiral." But it wasn't the fleet that mattered.
Following the galleon, a small, coffin-shaped boat with a single black sail drifted effortlessly over the waves. Sitting in a chair of dark wood, a massive black blade strapped to his back, was a man with golden, hawkish eyes.
Zoro felt it first. He walked to the edge of the Baratie's deck, his hands trembling—not with fear, but with a decade of suppressed anticipation.
"He's here," Zoro whispered.
Aryan stood beside him, his shadow expanding and darkening until it looked like a pool of ink under his feet. "Don't rush it, Zoro. He's the peak. If you want to climb it, you have to be ready to fall."
"I've been ready since the day Kuina died," Zoro said, his voice a low growl.
The galleon of Don Krieg reached the restaurant, and the starving pirates began to beg for food. But nobody was looking at Krieg. All eyes were on the man in the coffin-boat.
Mihawk stood up. He reached behind his back and drew Yoru, the Black Blade. With a single, casual flick of his wrist—a movement so fast it looked like a blur—a wave of emerald-green energy sliced through the air.
SHIIIIIIIING.
Don Krieg's massive galleon, a ship that had survived the Grand Line, was split perfectly in half. The sound of rending steel and wood echoed across the water like a death knell.
[Ding! SUPREME OBSERVATION EVENT!]
[Comprehending: The World's Strongest Slash...]
[Analyzing: The 'Void' of the Blade...]
[CRITICAL FAILURE: Host's Soul Integration is too low to fully comprehend 'The Black Blade'.]
[Partial Success: Skill Acquired: 'The Breath of Steel' (Evolved to 'The Soul of the Weapon').]
Aryan felt a sharp pain in his mind as the System tried to process the sheer 'Will' behind Mihawk's attack. It was like trying to fit the ocean into a tea cup. He stumbled back, his eyes bleeding a single drop of purple energy.
"So that's the peak," Aryan whispered, wiping his eye.
Zoro stepped forward, his swords drawn. "EYES! I CHALLENGE YOU!"
Mihawk looked up, his golden eyes locking onto the young swordsman. He didn't look impressed. He didn't even look curious. He looked bored.
But then, his gaze shifted slightly, landing on Aryan. Mihawk paused. He tilted his head, his brow furrowing. "You... there. The one with the shadow."
Aryan stood tall, meeting the World's Strongest Swordsman's gaze without flinching. "I'm Aryan. And I'm the one who's going to comprehend that blade of yours, Mihawk."
Mihawk let out a soft, dangerous chuckle. "Many have tried. All have failed. But you... you carry the weight of a world I haven't seen in a long time."
He looked back at Zoro. "As for you, little blade... if you wish to die so badly, I shall grant you a glimpse of the truth."
Aryan stepped back, letting Zoro have his moment. He knew he couldn't stop this. It was a necessary tragedy for Zoro's growth. But as he watched, he focused every ounce of his Supreme Comprehension into recording the fight.
One day, Aryan thought, his eyes glowing with a renewed, fierce purple light. One day, I'll comprehend even the gods.