As an island nation, the Land of Water had its own proud navy—and plenty of troublemakers.
Every day, officers were chasing pirates through misty harbors and stormy seas. Most of the pirates were nothing special, just small fry.
But nobody expected a force like Whitebeard Papa Whitebeard to suddenly crash into their world.
He wasn't just another pirate—he was a living earthquake, someone who would change the pirate world of the Land of Water forever.
He led a battle that would shake the sea itself, carving open a path to a new world.
Mufasa raised a massive bowl of sake and drank deeply, his eyes gleaming with excitement about the future.
Beside him, Hoshigaki Jinbe chugged from his own bowl, laughing heartily. Mufasa had given him a powerful gift: the techniques of the Rokushiki.
After training with them, Jinbe felt his body strengthen, his muscles tighten with power.
Even the lightning-shaped scar on his face looked like it pulsed with new energy.
He had grown closer with Mufasa quickly, and now he joked around easily.
"Father, why are there seven Warlords? Why not six or eight?" Jinbe asked, grinning.
Mufasa scratched his beard, puzzled. "Seven... huh? Guess you'd have to ask Oda about that one. He's the guy who made this whole mess up."
He chuckled, then waved it off. "But hey, seven sounds better. Either that or Whitebeard and the Seven Dwarfs"
Jinbe blinked. "Dwarfs?"
"Exactly!" Mufasa laughed. "Shichibukai just sounds cooler than something like that!"
Jinbe wisely dropped the subject.
Another question like that, and they might end up with that Seven Dwarfs title.
Still, he was curious. "Father, can a woman become a Warlord too? Or is it sons only?"
Mufasa narrowed his eyes and gave him a look. "Of course women can be Warlords. We don't do gender discrimination in the Whitebeard Pirates. Strength is strength. If they can hold their own, they're in."
Jinbe grinned wide. "Then there's someone you have to meet. The Nine-Tailed Demon Girl—Ahri. From Nine-Tail Fox Island. She's wild. Powerful illusions, crazy chakra control. I've fought her before, and she's scary good. Nearly had me begging for mercy."
Ahri was infamous across the seas.
A rogue kunoichi turned pirate queen, she had robbed countless merchant ships belonging to the Hoshigaki clan.
"She can twist your senses, make you think you're living in a dream. Most men fall for her tricks the moment they see her. She's dangerous, beautiful, and perfect for the crew."
Mufasa raised a brow. "You want your old enemy to join us?"
Jinbe's grin widened. "Well... once she's part of the family, I outrank her. As your first son. Seniority rules, right?"
Mufasa threw an arm around his shoulder. "That's my boy! Come on, drink!"
The two clinked bowls and drank again.
Jinbe, drunk with both sake and excitement, kept going. "There's another one, Father. Yutaro, the Mudfish from Aba Island. You'd like him too."
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Mudfish? That your brother or something?"
Jinbe shook his head. "Not by blood. But his Mud Release is insane. He can cover an entire island in sludge. Calls himself Sandfish now because the mud dries and crumbles into sand. He hates the name Mudfish."
Mufasa chuckled. "Sounds like a weirdo. But powerful. I like it."
The Land of Water's outer islands weren't exactly under strict control.
Mist Village only ruled the core territories. Beyond that, it was chaos—wild beasts, rogue ninjas, and forgotten creatures thrived out there.
Nature ruled those parts.
Fish ate people, and sometimes, people ate fish.
And for someone like Mufasa, it was the perfect hunting ground to find new crewmates, new family, new power.
"Alright, Jinbe," Mufasa said, standing. "You've earned some credit. Good work."
Jinbe stood proud. "It's my honor to serve you, Father."
Mufasa laughed loud and strong. "Gurarararara!"
The next day.
Mufasa stood on the deck of the Flying Dutchman, ready to set sail for Nine-Tail Fox Island.
Originally, Jinbe was going to stay behind on Hoshigaki Island and train some new recruits. But now, he stepped forward with purpose.
"Father," he said, "nobody knows Ahri's haunts better than I do. Let me guide us. I know the spots she visits."
He wasn't doing this out of kindness.
He wanted to see her face when she lost to Mufasa. When she kneeled, called him 'Big Brother' or even 'Senpai.'
Mufasa nodded. "Alright. Climb aboard."
Jinbe didn't waste a second. He leapt aboard and headed straight to the helm.
"Let me take the wheel," he said.
Ganji, the current helmsman, blinked. "Uncle?"
"Brother," Jinbe replied with a smirk, "let me do this."
Ganji sighed. He was both Jinbei's nephew and technically his older brother by rank.
It was a mess, but he couldn't refuse.
He stepped aside.
Jinbe took the wheel with a grin, spun it hard, and the Flying Dutchman cut a smooth arc across the sea, leaving Hoshigaki Island behind in a shining trail of seafoam and sunlight.
...
Hoshigaki Jinbe piloted the Flying Dutchman through several familiar routes where Ahri was known to wander.
But after days of searching, they hadn't caught even a glimpse of her.
"Father, I bet she's in Border Town having her usual fun," Jinbe suggested.
Border Town was basically a pirate black market—home to shady deals, rogue shinobi, wandering mercenaries, and lawless adventurers.
To keep the crowd entertained, the island featured taverns, brothels, gambling dens, coliseums, and even kabuki-style theaters.
Mufasa grunted, adjusting his coat. "Alright, let's check it out. Even if we don't find Ahri, we might run into other promising recruits."
After several more days at sea, they finally reached the twin islands that formed Border Town.
The sea was wild here—currents clashing, whirlpools forming, and jagged rocks waiting to shred the hulls of careless ships.
The right island was larger and held most of the infrastructure: docks, markets, and the city's main entertainment district.
The smaller left island was reserved for the town's elite—those who ruled the black market with power and fear.
Jinbe pointed toward the smaller island. "That man is the Border Town's manager, they nicknamed him the Thunder Emperor. They say he controls lightning and can call storms at will."
Mufasa raised an eyebrow. "Sounds promising. If we can't find Ahri, maybe he'll make a good son."
Jinbe chuckled nervously and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Uh, Father, look over there."
In the distance, a massive whirlpool churned violently, sucking in debris from nearby wrecks. Mufasa narrowed his eyes as he watched the wreckage spiral into the sea.
"That whirlpool?" Jinbe said. "That's what happens to people who think they can challenge Enel and survive. All those broken ships down there? Failed attempts. The masts still standing—those are their gravestones."
Mufasa let out a low, amused laugh. "Good. I like a challenge. Let's go meet him."
Carefully steering the Flying Dutchman between the deadly currents, reefs, and spinning whirlpools, Jinbe demonstrated expert navigation.
"You've been here before, haven't you?" Mufasa teased.
"Heh, survival training," Jinbe replied. "When you grow up in these waters, you're either a fisherman, a trader, or a pirate. Sometimes all three."
In the Land of Water, identities were fluid, much like the sea. Old alliances meant nothing, and danger lurked behind every deal.
The kingdom itself had power—plenty of bloodline limits, hidden clans, and powerful jutsu. But isolation, mistrust, and infighting had weakened it.
Cut off from the mainland, the Land of Water had the potential to dominate. But that potential was buried under division and paranoia.
People didn't work together. They competed, distrusted, and sabotaged each other. And so the nation drifted, powerful but lost.
Under Jinbe's guidance, the Flying Dutchman pulled into Border Town's main harbor. The ship was a towering sight—massive, foreboding, with Papa Whitebeard's skull banner snapping in the sea breeze.
Locals took notice.
"Who's that? Never seen that flag before."
"Wait... isn't that the Flying Duthman Ship?"
Some had heard the rumors: a ghost ship that moved too fast to track, with a crew that screamed like banshees in the wind.
Under curious stares, the Dutchman was guided into an open dock space.
Enel's trusted subordinate, Satori came down with a group of enforcers. Normally, only frequent customers were allowed to dock here.
Seeing the ship, Satori assumed it belonged to Jimbe seeing that he was on it.
"Jinbe! Since when did you have a ship like that?"
Jinbe bowed slightly. "It belongs to my father—Mufasa, the Whitebeard."
Satori blinked. "Your... father?"
'Isn't his father dead?'
Before he could ask more, Jinbe turned and called out respectfully, "Father."
Mufasa stepped down from the ship, a towering figure with a heavy presence that silenced the dock.
"You must be one of Enel's men," Mufasa said, cracking his knuckles. "Tell your boss I want to meet him."
Satori hesitated. "That's... a bit bold."
Mufasa's voice dropped into something colder. "Go."
Satori felt his legs move before his brain caught up.
As the subordinate disappeared, Jinbe pointed across the harbor.
"Father, I see Ahri's flower boat docked over there. She's here."
Mufasa nodded. "Good. Let's pay her a visit."
"She's probably in the casino," Jinbe added. "Gambling's her thing."
Mufasa grinned. "A gambler and an illusionist. This'll be fun."
He paused. "Why is it always the pretty ones who're trouble?"
"Writers like to make them complicated, Father," Jinbe said with a smirk.
With Jinbe leading the way, Mufasa walked toward the glittering heart of Border Town, ready to meet the fox-faced enchantress who might just be his next daughter.
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Word count: 1586
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