The sun blazed high over the modest coastal town of Shells, casting stark shadows over the marine base and the surrounding rooftops. It was a peaceful day—until a man clad in a traditional dark kimono strode through the main street, dragging a bag behind him that stained the cobblestone path red. His pink hair, tied into a neat ponytail, swayed gently in the wind, and a scar over his left eye told a thousand stories. The swords at his waist glinted ominously in the sunlight.
Haru—the bounty hunter now known throughout East Blue as "Spectre."
The townsfolk whispered and cleared a path. Everyone had heard the stories. A marine-turned-vigilante who now hunted pirates with merciless efficiency. He never smiled. He never hesitated. They said he once slaughtered a crew of fifty by himself, using only his fists.
As Haru stepped onto the steps of the Marine base, two guards halted him. But one glance at the blood-soaked sack was enough. They stepped aside, pale-faced.
Haru reached the front desk, dropped the bag with a thud, and opened it—ten severed pirate heads stared blankly into space.
"Ten heads. From the Red Snakes crew," Haru said calmly, his voice devoid of emotion.
The marine clerk at the desk, visibly shaken, nodded. "Y-yes, their bounties total… three million berries. Please wait while I retrieve the amount."
As the bounty was counted, Haru stood silently, eyes scanning the base. A small crowd of marines watched him from a distance, whispering behind their hands. They feared him. Not because of his brutality—but because of the pain in his eyes. The kind of pain that never went away.
As he turned to leave, he heard a commotion. A young boy with a straw hat was standing nearby, staring curiously at him. Beside him stood a nervous boy with purple hair—Koby—and a smug blond in a pressed uniform—Helmeppo.
The girl had tried to sneak food to someone tied up in the yard. A green-haired swordsman, bound to a cross, sunburned and parched.
"Hey! You can't go there!" Helmeppo had shouted. "That's an order!"
The girl tripped, and the tray of rice balls flew through the air.
In a blur, Haru moved.
Faster than anyone could follow, he caught the girl and the food tray mid-air, landing gracefully on his feet. The rice balls were ruined, but the girl was unharmed.
"Are you okay?" Haru asked softly.
The girl blinked, shocked, then nodded. "I-I'm fine… but the food… I made it for Zoro…"
Haru's gaze shifted to the tied swordsman. He narrowed his eyes. The man had taken a beating, but his spirit remained unbroken.
Luffy stepped forward. "Whoa! That was so fast! Who are you?"
Koby, trembling, whispered in his ear, "That's Spectre… the bounty hunter. He's not a good man, Luffy. He's dangerous. Cold. He hunts pirates like animals…"
Luffy tilted his head. "Doesn't look dangerous to me."
Haru chuckled dryly. "Don't buy into rumors, kid. They're usually half lies and half exaggeration."
The girl then told them the truth about Zoro—how he had defended her from Helmeppo's abuse and was imprisoned for it. How Captain Morgan ruled Shells Town like a tyrant.
Luffy clenched his fists. "I'm gonna help him. I want him on my crew."
Haru stared at Luffy for a long moment. There was something in the boy's eyes—naivety, yes, but also something rare. Something pure.
"I'll help you," Haru said at last.
Koby gasped. "Y-you'll help a pirate?!"
"I've hunted monsters for a year," Haru replied. "But this guy," he pointed to Luffy, "is different. I don't sense malice from him."
The three of them—Luffy, Haru, and the girl—made their way through the base. Zoro had refused to submit to Morgan's tyranny, and now they would return the favor. Haru moved ahead like a ghost, taking out marine guards with lightning-fast blows, never drawing his blades.
In the main courtyard, Captain Morgan stood tall with his massive axe arm. Marines surrounded him.
"You dare challenge me?!" Morgan roared.
Luffy grinned. "Yup!"
Haru stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "Let's dance."
Morgan lunged at Luffy, but Haru was already there. A single palm strike to the gut sent Morgan flying back through a stone wall. The marines rushed them, but Haru weaved through them like a phantom. His fists were precise, his strikes deadly. Luffy laughed as he joined the fight, his rubber powers catching marines off-guard.
Zoro, now freed, grabbed his swords and joined in. It was chaos—beautiful, coordinated chaos.
In minutes, it was over. Morgan lay unconscious. The base was quiet.
Koby stood in awe. "He… he didn't even use his swords…"
Luffy turned to Haru. "Join my crew."
Haru raised an eyebrow. "Just like that?"
"You're strong. You're cool. And I like you," Luffy said.
Haru paused, looking at the sky. He thought of Naomi—of her smile, her warmth, her dreams. He had been drifting for a year, alone in his pain.
"Alright," he said at last. "But on one condition."
"What is it?"
"There will come a day when I need to leave. Temporarily. To finish something I started. When that day comes, you don't stop me. After I'm done… I'll return."
Luffy grinned. "Deal! Oh, and you'll be vice-captain."
Zoro blinked. "Already?!"
Haru smirked. "Try to keep up, swordsman."
As they boarded Haru's small boat, Koby saluted them, tears in his eyes.
"Goodbye, Haru-san… Luffy… Zoro… Thank you."
Luffy waved. Zoro leaned on the railing. Haru, standing at the helm, looked forward.
For the first time in a year, his heart didn't ache.
Not as much, anyway.
As the ship sailed into the horizon, three silhouettes stood proud on the deck—one wearing a straw hat, one with green swords, and one in a black kimono, haunted by love and loss but finally moving forward.
And so, the journey of the Straw Hats—and their deadly vice-captain Spectre—began.