Far across the Grand Line, in the heart of Marineford, a meeting of high-ranking Marines was underway. The atmosphere was tense inside the Fleet Admiral's chamber. Sengoku sat behind his massive desk, fingers steepled, expression grim.
"Garp," he said sharply. "An entire Navy base in the East China Sea has been wiped out. I want you to investigate."
Garp, leaning back in his chair with arms behind his head, grinned.
"Buhahahaha! Good, good. I was getting bored anyway. Maybe I can take my grandson along and toughen him up a bit."
Before Sengoku could protest, Garp was already up and walking out of the room.
"Bogard! Set sail for the East!"
Sengoku watched him go, sighing heavily.
He pulled open a drawer and retrieved a new bounty poster. His eyes narrowed as he studied the name and face.
"Rakan… What are you planning?"
Suddenly, he blinked, then leaned into the drawer.
"GARP, YOU BASTARD! YOU STOLE MY LIMITED EDITION DONUT!!"
His furious yell echoed through the halls.
Far away, aboard his ship, Garp laughed heartily.
"Buhahahahaha! That donut was too good to ignore!"
Meanwhile, in the calm waters of the East Blue, a warship modified with a new black-and-gold flag drifted peacefully. Rakan lounged on the deck under the sun, arms behind his head, golden eyes closed.
Nojiko was preparing juice from Bell-mère's oranges, while Nami leaned over the railing, enjoying the sea breeze.
A seagull swooped down, carrying the daily newspaper bundle. Nami threw a coin at it, and the seagull squawked, dropping the papers.
Three bounty posters fluttered out.
Nami grabbed them, curious.
"Hey! I got a bounty! Burglar Nami… 100 million?! That's more than Arlong!"
Her face went pale. "T-That's bad... but I guess it's also cool."
Nojiko took hers. "Cook Nojiko… 80 million. Seriously?! I just made soup!"
Then they both looked at the third poster, the one Rakan tossed aside lazily.
It read:
WANTED – DEAD OR ALIVEBEAST RAKANBounty: 800,000,000 Berries
Nami and Nojiko stared at it, then screamed in unison:
"WHAT?! YOU'RE WORTH EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION?!"
Rakan blinked at them, then shrugged.
"There are lots of bigshots in the Grand Line. I'm nothing special."
Nojiko and Nami exchanged a stunned glance. Rakan returned to lounging.
A small shrine had been built on the ship's deck, with flowers and incense in front of a photo of Bell-mère. Rakan had taken time to pay his respects before leaving the island.
"I promised to protect your daughters," he had said.
Nami sat beside the small garden of Bell-mère's transplanted orange trees, chewing thoughtfully.
"So, where to next? Loguetown? To see the Pirate King's execution platform?"
Rakan yawned. "No. That place is boring."
Nami raised a brow. "You're not interested in the man who started it all?"
"He was a loser. A man who couldn't protect the people he loved. Not worth my time."
The ship went quiet.
Nojiko exhaled slowly. "Then… where are we going?"
Rakan stood up and pointed forward, eyes glowing faintly.
"Set sail to the Grand Line."
Nami and Nojiko shouted together:
"THE GRAND LINE?!"
Rakan grinned. "The Beast Pirates are coming."
Their journey into the most dangerous sea in the world had begun.
10 days later....
The sun burned gently above the ship as it cut across the calm waters of the East Blue. It was a rare moment of peace.
Rakan sat at the center of the deck, arms folded across his massive chest. His black cloak draped over his shoulders, the two steel chains crossing his torso glinting in the sun. Beneath them, his body was carved like stone, each muscle defined like that of a titan born from the sea itself.
Nami and Nojiko sat behind him on either side, silently massaging his shoulders and back. Their delicate hands pressed against his toughened skin—war-hardened, scarred, and immovable.
"Are you… really human?" Nojiko asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've never felt anyone like you."
Rakan let out a low grunt, not in annoyance, but thought.
"No," he said simply. "Not fully."
Nami, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow, asked curiously, "Then what are you?"
He gazed at the horizon, the ocean stretching endlessly. "My father… was a Buccaneer. My mother… a Mermaid."
The girls exchanged wide-eyed glances.
"A Mermaid? That's—" Nojiko began.
"Real?" Rakan smirked faintly. "Yeah. She was beautiful. Calm like the sea on a windless day. My father used to say she could sing the storm to sleep."
"And Buccaneers?" Nami asked, frowning. "I've never heard of that race."
"You're not supposed to," Rakan said coldly. "The World Government is erasing us."
He shifted, causing the chains across his chest to creak.
"The Buccaneers were a rare race… human minds, giant strength, and an unbreakable will. A cursed gift. The Government calls us a threat."
"Why?" Nojiko whispered.
"Because long ago," Rakan said, "the Buccaneers backed a king. A man who challenged the World Government. A rebel. When he lost, we were branded enemies of the world. The purge began. Execution, slavery, erasure from history."
Nami bit her lip. "That's… horrible."
Rakan's gaze darkened, eyes glowing faintly gold. The warmth of the day seemed to dim around him.
"We lived in peace," he continued, voice distant, haunted. "A quiet island in the West Sea. I was a boy. My mother sang to me every night. My father taught me how to lift a boulder with one hand before I could even swim."
A small smile crossed his lips, quickly fading.
"But peace never lasts. A slave trader found us. He was hunting mermaids. He took my mother while I was asleep."
Nami gasped. Nojiko's hands froze.
"My father… he hunted the slaver down. Killed him. Freed all the captives. But the man worked for the Celestial Dragons. And that's when everything fell apart."
Rakan's voice dropped into a low growl.
"They sent Vice Admirals. Three of them. They didn't come to arrest us. They came to erase us."
He clenched his fist slowly, veins bulging.
"I was thirteen. My parents fought. My father destroyed two of them. The third… was a demon in a Marine coat. My parents knew they wouldn't survive. They made me run."
He paused, swallowing hard.
"I watched from the cliff as the sea swallowed them. Their bodies were locked together… as if even in death, they refused to let go."
Tears formed in Nami's eyes. Nojiko had her hand to her mouth, silent.
Rakan reached into the folds of his cloak. He pulled out two rings—simple, worn silver bands.
"These were their wedding rings."
He placed them in Nami's hand, then opened the small locket hanging around his neck. Inside was a photo—faded, weatherworn—of a happy family. A giant man, a beautiful mermaid, and a small boy with wild hair and wide eyes. A smile untouched by the pain that would follow.
"This," he said, voice quiet, "was their final gift to me."
Nami stared at the picture for a long time. "They… really loved you."
"They were my world," Rakan said. "And I carry them with me."
He took the rings back gently, holding them as if they were the most fragile things in the world. He stared down at them.
"After they died, I drifted. Village to village. I helped people. Protected them. But greed poisons the heart. Time and again, they sold me out. For money. For fear."
He stood slowly, the deck groaning beneath his weight. He looked down at the sea with burning eyes.
"One day, I stopped running. I turned around… and crushed the cowards who betrayed me. I left fire and ruin behind. And I kept walking."
Nojiko stepped forward, placing a hand on his massive arm. "And now?"
"Now…" Rakan said, looking at her. "Now I have something worth protecting again."
The silence that followed was thick—but not heavy. It was filled with understanding. With trust.
Nami wiped a tear and forced a smile. "Well, now you've got two crewmates who'll never betray you."
"Damn right," Nojiko added, eyes gleaming.
Rakan let out a rare, deep laugh. "Then you'd better get used to danger."
Just then, the sea breeze shifted. Far off, clouds gathered. A distant roar of wind rolled across the horizon.
The Grand Line was calling.
And the world… would soon learn the name Rakan.