The ground still trembled beneath the blows of the two combatants.On one side stood Luffy, his straw hat firmly tied to his head, his golden shield gleaming in the haze of fire and dust.On the other, Mountain Black — a towering colossus with an obsidian beard, his chest wrapped in a cracked stone cuirass, every breath he took making the ground vibrate like a war drum.
The two opponents circled each other, a ring of empty space having formed around them. The other fights had gone silent nearby — no one dared approach these monsters.
Mountain Black stepped forward, and the earth rippled under his foot — a jagged stone spike burst from the ground where Luffy had just been. The young pirate jumped back, almost laughing."You're quick, old man! But you'll have to dig deeper if you wanna catch me!"
The giant growled, his skin hardening, turning to the shade of dark granite."Insolent little monkey!" he roared, his voice echoing like an avalanche. He slammed both hands into the ground — three massive spikes erupted, striking toward Luffy from different angles.
Luffy's eyes emptied of emotion, pure focus taking over. His Observation Haki, until now instinctive, awakened its first true stage — he saw the trajectories before they happened.His feet slammed against the ground, propelling him upward. Wind lashed his face as he spun through the air.
From above, he shouted with a wide grin,"You hit hard, old man! But lemme show ya what a real punch looks like!"
His body coiled, winding up like a spring. Muscles bulged, his arm wrapping around his torso while his shield faced forward."GOMU GOMU NO… SHIELD CANNON!!!"
He dove like a comet toward Mountain Black.The air exploded on impact, a shockwave of dust and shattered stone.
But with a veteran's reflexes, the giant slammed his hands into the ground, raising a colossal wall of rock in front of him. He slipped underneath it, vanishing into the earth with a mocking laugh."You dream if you think that'll hit me, brat!"
Luffy's shield smashed through the barrier, pulverizing it in one strike. Shards of stone flew like bullets, whistling through the air, while Luffy landed lightly, a feral grin stretching across his face.He closed his eyes for a brief instant — his Haki pulsed, sensing a tremor, a heartbeat beneath the ground.
"…Got you."
His arm shot out to the left, disappearing into the dust. The impact rang out like an explosion.A heartbeat later, Mountain Black burst from the ground, shock etched across his face."What—?!"
The golden shield struck him square in the jaw, discharging a surge of electricity that ripped through his entire body. Arcs of lightning crackled across his stone armor, shattering it like glass.His cry of pain turned into a guttural groan as his massive body was hurled backward, tumbling across the sand before crashing heavily among the bounty hunters' ranks.Residual lightning danced across his charred skin.
The men nearby staggered back, eyes wide with terror. One dropped his rifle, trembling."H-he beat Mountain Black!"
In an instant, courage vanished. The ranks broke apart — bounty hunters screamed and fled in all directions, leaving behind flames, smoke… and Luffy, standing tall amidst the ruins, his fist raised high and a wide grin on his face.
"And that's what you get! You mess with me, you get smacked back!" he shouted proudly, striking his shield. The metallic clang echoed through the entire bay.
The ground rumbled beneath my feet, each step sounding like thunder.Mirks and I had abandoned all subtlety — our battle had become pure, animalistic brutality.
Before me, the bounty hunter had transformed into a titanic grizzly, nearly five meters tall, his fur bristling like steel spikes, eyes burning with rage. Each breath he took shook the earth, scattering dust and debris.As for me, my hybrid crocodile form exhaled a hot, heavy breath. My glistening scales reflected the glow of the burning harbor. My massive body, longer than wide, moved with a steady yet devastating power.
The clash of our monstrous silhouettes sent the surrounding bounty hunters fleeing, terrified by the thunderous sound of our blows.Mirks roared, his massive paws sinking into the ground as he charged, breaking the cobblestones beneath his weight.
"You wanna play monster?" he bellowed. "Then come on!"
I lunged to the side, narrowly dodging his charge, before sinking my jaws into his shoulder. The sharp crack of flesh and bone echoed through the air. Mirks roared, striking my chest with a monstrous backhand, sending me flying several meters away.
I rolled along the ground, tearing into the earth with my claws before rising again, growling with frustration.He charged once more, his claws glowing with a dark gleam — raw Armament Haki reinforcement. As head of East Blue's bounty hunter branch, Mirks had earned the beginner-level mastery of Armament Haki.
I blocked his strike with my scaled forearms, cloaked in violet flames and Haki. The clash released a shockwave that blasted everything within ten meters.The flames carried the power of the two CP0 agents I had killed on the bridge, granting me their edge in Haki mastery.
Our eyes locked — fangs bared, primal rage blazing in both gazes.
"You think a pirate can beat a hunter on his own turf?!" Mirks bellowed, slamming both massive fists down on me.
I half-dodged — one fist grazed my jaw, the other slammed into the ground, shattering the dock in a thunderous explosion.I seized his powerful arms between my claws and pivoted brutally, executing a monstrous throw. His back smashed into the ground with a deafening crash, the air driven from his lungs.
The entire beach shook from the force of our blows. Dust and fire thickened the hot air, and terrified bounty hunters scattered in every direction.
Mirks and I were no longer men — we were beasts, two primal forces crashing against one another in a storm of thunder and steel.
"This isn't your turf."My gravelly voice rolled out in a reptilian growl that made nearby Heartless instinctively retreat.
I tightened my claws around his arms, muscles straining, slowly crushing him into the dirt. The sound of bones cracking mingled with his hoarse scream of pain.
"It's ours now."
Mirks, bloodshot eyes filled with fury, found a brief flicker of clarity amid his rage.With a guttural roar, he wrenched his right arm free, focusing all his Armament Haki into a single, massive punch.
He aimed for my snout, the strike breaking the air like a cannon blast.But I was faster.
My hand, reinforced with my own Haki, caught his punch mid-swing. Flames and shadows danced between us for a heartbeat—before I clenched my claws with a sickening crunch.
Mirks's scream pierced the battlefield noise as his hand twisted, crushed under the pressure. Blood sprayed across my scales.
A familiar voice cut through the scene.
"Jordan, hurry up—I'm getting hungry!"Luffy stood among the wreckage, golden shield in hand, looking unfazed and casually bored.
Mirks, meanwhile, had lost what little sanity he had left. His pupils dilated, turning into burning crimson slits.
"Enough! ENOUGH!!!"
His entire body grew darker with fur, skin stretching and cracking, bones reshaping with nauseating sounds.His roar made the ground tremble, pushing dust away in a shockwave — he had reached his final form.
Before me now stood a massive grizzly bear over seven meters tall, muscles bulging along his back, fangs dripping with saliva. His very breath lifted the rubble around us.
I readied myself to charge him head-on, Armament Haki already flowing into my limbs.But a sudden chill crawled up my neck — my Observation Haki flared, warning me of danger...
Too late.
A jagged rock spike erupted from the ground with a mineral roar, piercing through my left thigh.I grunted in pain, the taste of blood rising in my throat. The shock was brutal—my knee buckled—but I held firm, forcing Haki into my leg to stop it from giving out."Tch… bad timing," I hissed through clenched teeth.
"JORDAN!!!" Luffy's voice thundered, filled with fury.
He turned sharply toward Black Mountain, who stood a short distance away, smirking disdainfully, his hand still pressed to the ground even though his body was covered in wounds and dirt.
"That'll teach you not to underestimate your enemies, you brats," he sneered, his deep voice dripping with contempt.
I didn't have time to respond.Mirks, consumed by bestial rage, came crashing down on me like a meteor. His massive paws slammed into me, driving me deep into the earth. The impact was so violent it created a crater, sending clouds of dust and blood into the air.
I growled, struggling to breathe as my scales cracked under the weight of the colossus.But the rock spike, caught in the movement, shattered into pieces, freeing my bleeding leg.Summoning the sharp tentacles I had absorbed from Krieg's Heartless, I pierced Mirks's body, knocking him out before flinging him aside.
Meanwhile, Luffy stood tall, his eyes locked on Black Mountain with an expression I had never seen before.His face was frozen—cold, almost inhuman.
A golden glow flickered in his eyes—his Observation Haki had just reached a new threshold.
"You made a big mistake, old man."
His voice, calm and devoid of humor, sent chills through the remaining bounty hunters.
Black Mountain raised a hand, but Luffy had already moved.
He shot toward him at a blinding speed, his arms twisting through the air.
"Gomu Gomu no... ZEUS BARRAGE!!!"
A storm of blows rained down on the stone man.Each strike carried the full weight of Luffy's fury, his shield amplifying the impact with powerful electric bursts.
Black Mountain tried to raise a wall of stone, but the blows shattered it before it could even form.The final hit—a direct shield bash to the face—echoed with a sickening crack: the giant's skull had split.
His body wavered, broken, before collapsing with a heavy thud, raising a wave of dust.
Luffy stood, panting, then slowly sheathed his shield before grabbing the limp body by the ankles.
"Your opponent… is me!!"
He lifted the body like a sack of flour and, with no visible effort, slammed it into the ground again and again, each impact sending tremors across the entire beach.
Silence fell after the last crash.
Luffy let go of Black Mountain's broken body and turned to look at me, a faint smile returning to his face.
"You okay?"
Despite the pain, I couldn't help but laugh, my breath mingling with the salty wind of the beach.The muscles in my leg still trembled from the strain, so I slowly returned to my human form, skin folding back over my scales.
"Yeah, Captain…" I murmured, placing my hands on my thigh. A soft green glow emanated immediately—my healing magic sealed the wound with a soothing whisper.The pain faded, leaving only a thin, warm scar behind.
Around us, flames crackled in the ruins of the harbor.The battlefield was now just chaos—charred planks, destroyed cannons, and unconscious bodies strewn about.The bounty hunters' courage had melted away like snow in the sun: they were all fleeing now, abandoning weapons, bags, and comrades in a panic.
But amid the rout, one figure remained standing.
A man in a Marine uniform, his shirt torn, face sweating but back straight: Lieutenant De Gaulle.I narrowed my eyes. I recognized him—it was the same guy I'd met last time while disguised as Sora.This time, he didn't recognize me.
I walked toward him slowly, my steps crunching over the still-smoking debris.
"What do you… want?" he stammered, trying not to back away.His hand trembled on his pistol, but he didn't fire."I'm Lieutenant De Gaulle, Marine Intelligence Officer… I'm not looking for a fight!"
Luffy, casually sitting on the half-crushed chest of Black Mountain, looked up with a yawn.
"Relax, man. We're not gonna hurt you. I don't want Gramps coming after me again."
His comment made me chuckle, but poor De Gaulle didn't catch the reference—he just swallowed hard, pale as a sheet.
I raised an eyebrow as I noticed the transponder snail hanging from his belt.
"Tell me, Lieutenant… were you taking pictures?"
The poor man went even paler, staring at the snail like it could somehow save him.
Luffy burst out laughing, completely laid-back.
"Hey, Jordan! Think we could ask for a photo shoot for our bounty posters?"
I pretended to consider it, then shrugged.
"Why not? At least they'll have nice faces on the wanted walls."
I raised my hand and shouted:
"Everyone! Gather up! Time to give your best smile for your bounty posters!"
The dumbfounded expressions of my crewmates were priceless.
Nami pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something about "the most ridiculous crew on the seas."Zoro raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms with a crooked smile.Usopp struck a pose like an adventure novel hero, while Sanji fixed his shirt and winked at White Tornado, still nestled beside him.Kaya had taken Usopp's hand and was smiling shyly, dried blood still on her cheek.
The lieutenant, resigned, activated the camera-snail, trembling with each flash.
"Uh… a little more to the left, Captain? Oh… oh no, not so close, the monster behind you, that's—"
"That's my buddy Meumeuh! He's nice!" Luffy replied, patting its head.
The shoot lasted longer than expected. Koby suggested "heroic" poses, Nami demanded flattering angles, and Luffy refused to leave the frame until he had found "the perfect smile of the future Pirate King."
By the end, even De Gaulle, completely drained, admitted it was "the most absurd assignment of his entire career."
I picked up a soaked newspaper lying on a toppled crate.
A photo on the cover immediately caught my attention: it mentioned "dark creatures discovered by one Jordan D. Heartless."I went quiet for a moment, eyebrows furrowed.
At the end of the article, a small print line read:"Name attributed in reference to the first individual who reported their existence."
I rubbed my temples, exasperated.
"Seriously… they named the Heartless after me?..."
Luffy burst out laughing again.
"Would you have preferred they call them the 'Black Terror Thingies'?"
"…Yes," I replied simply, which made him laugh even harder.
I turned to De Gaulle."Tell me, Lieutenant, do you have a transponder snail that can reach Marine HQ?"He hesitated, then shook his head."No, but… I have a relay line. They can transfer the call… if you'd like.""Perfect," I said, holding out my hand.
A few minutes later, the snail began to vibrate. A deep, familiar voice came through:"Garp speaking. Who is this?"I smiled, regaining my composure… just before exploding:"It's YOU! I KNOW it's you, you crazy old man! Why the hell did you name those creatures after me!?"
A stunned silence followed, then a loud BANG—the sound of a fist slamming into a desk."Hah?! Jordan, that you, brat?! You're alive?! HAHAHA! So, what do you think of my little publicity stunt for you!?"
In the background, I heard Tsuru's dry, scolding voice:"I told you he'd call you one day, idiot."And another, calmer one—Aokiji, trying not to laugh:"Wow… I never thought I'd see someone crazy enough to yell at Garp through a transponder snail."
I rubbed my eyes, resigned."Yeah, it's me. And now I'm going to be permanently associated with them because you put the explanation in small print at the bottom—and no one reads that far. Thanks a lot."
A booming laugh echoed through the line."Wahahahahaha! Hey, they needed a name, right? And come on—it's flattering! You've got your own monster category now!By the way, is Luffy with you?"
"I'm here, Grandpa, and I'm staying with my crew! Oh, and a Marine guy's gonna send you some pictures, so make sure we look good," said my captain casually.
"Look at what you've done," Tsuru muttered, annoyed. "Now your own grandson is asking you to make his wanted posters look nice. I knew Dragon was right about your parenting."
"I just wanted to raise him to be a proud Marine! And I haven't given up—once I catch you lot, I'm turning the whole crew into Marines!" Garp declared.
"Never, Gramps! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" Luffy yelled at Garp's words.
"I'll give you my Fist of Love when we meet again, Luffy. And Jordan—keep making me laugh! Wahahahahaha!"I sighed, palm on my forehead, while Luffy was already rolling on the ground laughing.
"…You're gonna pay for this, Garp.""I'm counting on it, brat!" he replied, still laughing, before the line cut off with one final booming laugh.
De Gaulle stood off to the side, completely stunned, before walking off to compile the photos and names that had been picked for us.
(Author's note: I hope this gave you a good laugh—I really enjoy writing scenes between Garp, Luffy, and Jordan. I'll probably do a full bounty board update and debrief at Marine HQ soon!)