The air in Water 7 was heavy with the scent of sea-salt and the metallic tang of cooling iron. For the first time in weeks, the 'System Interface' in front of Amine wasn't flashing red. It was a dull, exhausted grey, reflecting his own physical state. He sat on the edge of the docks, his legs dangling over the water where the Going Merry had shared her final moments.
[Current Status: System Cooldown – 48 Hours Remaining.]
[Data Integrity: 15% – Severe Fragmentation Detected.]
Amine held his broken Golden Stylus in his lap. The crack in the middle was leaking a faint, violet mist. "You pushed too hard, didn't you?" he whispered to the tool. It wasn't just a pen; it was his bridge to this world's source code.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over him. The ground didn't just shake; it felt like a 'Physics Glitch' occurred, causing the nearby crates to rattle. Amine didn't need his system to tell him who it was. The 'Main Character' energy radiating from the newcomer was so strong it was distorting the local 'Rendering'.
"So, you're the 'Scholar' my grandson keeps talking about?"
Amine turned his head slowly. Standing there was a mountain of a man, wearing a Marine cape that billowed in a wind that didn't exist. Monkey D. Garp. To Amine's eyes, Garp wasn't just a man; he was a 'Hard-Coded Legend'. His 'Bounty-Level' was so high that the system couldn't even display the numbers—it just showed a series of infinity symbols.
"Vice-Admiral Garp," Amine said, his voice raspy. "I'd offer you a seat, but I think the dock would 'Crash' under your weight."
Garp laughed, a sound like a server-room explosion. "Bwahaha! You've got guts, kid. Most people's 'Scripts' freeze up when they see me. Luffy says you're the one who 'Edited' him to survive Lucci."
Amine stood up, leaning on the wooden pillar. "I didn't edit him, Admiral. I just unlocked the 'Permissions' he already had. Luffy is the 'Admin' of his own destiny; I'm just the 'Technical Support'."
Garp's eyes narrowed, a flash of 'Conqueror's Haki' leaking out. It felt like a 'System Ping' hitting Amine's soul. "Careful, Scholar. The World Government—the real 'Admins'—don't like people who play with the 'Source Code'. You're a 'Virus' in their eyes. And eventually, they'll send an 'Anti-Virus' you can't hack."
Amine looked at his broken stylus. "Let them come. I've already 'Backed-Up' the Straw Hats' dreams. You can't delete what's already been 'Synced' with the truth."