The sun beamed down over a calm stretch of blue ocean. The waves rolled gently, and seabirds circled overhead, their calls echoing in the wind. On a small boat bobbing along the sea's surface were three figures—Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, and Haru, the enigmatic bounty hunter once known to Marines as "Spectre."
Luffy lay on his back with his hands behind his head, humming cheerfully as his straw hat tilted forward to shield his eyes from the sun. Zoro sat cross-legged near the bow, one sword in hand as he lazily polished the blade. Haru stood near the stern, arms folded, the sea breeze tugging at his dark kimono, his two swords secured at his waist.
The silence between them was companionable—until Luffy sat up, suddenly curious.
"Hey, Haru," he said, "why'd you become a bounty hunter?"
Zoro raised an eyebrow at the question, curious himself.
Haru's eyes remained on the horizon. "After I left the Marines… I was drifting. Bounty hunting paid well. And it gave me something to do."
"You were in the Marines?" Zoro asked, his tone tightening just slightly.
Haru nodded. "Yeah. For a few years. I left when I saw how deep the corruption ran. Too many rules that let evil slip through."
Zoro smirked. "Guess we have more in common than I thought."
Luffy leaned forward, eyes wide. "Wait! Is that how you got so strong?"
"Partly," Haru replied. "But most of it came from my grandfather."
Zoro's interest deepened. "Back in Shells Town… I noticed something. You didn't even use your swords. You moved like a ghost—no wasted motion."
"I didn't want to hurt those soldiers," Haru said. "They weren't the enemy. Just pawns under a tyrant. I don't draw my blades unless I have to."
Zoro's gaze lingered on Haru with newfound respect.
"That's pretty admirable," he said. "Most swordsmen would've taken the easy way."
Luffy beamed. "I like you even more now!"
Zoro chuckled. "You and me, Haru. We're gonna have a spar someday."
Haru grinned faintly. "Looking forward to it. But don't expect to win."
The laughter between them echoed over the ocean—until a massive bird swooped out of the sky and grabbed Luffy in its talons.
"Wha—?! Luffy!" Zoro shouted, leaping to his feet.
"Guess he's going ahead," Haru muttered dryly.
As the bird carried Luffy away, the remaining two adjusted the sails and followed in its general direction, hoping to catch up.
Meanwhile…
Luffy crash-landed in a small town ravaged by destruction. There, he met Nami—a clever and cunning thief with a deep grudge against pirates. She helped him at first, but quickly tricked him and surrendered him to the infamous Buggy the Clown to get closer to her goal of stealing his treasure.
Back in Orange Town
Haru and Zoro finally arrived, walking through the debris-strewn streets.
"This place looks like a war zone," Zoro muttered.
"Buggy," Haru said. "He's here."
They heard the sound of a cannon igniting.
"Move!" Haru shouted.
They dashed into the plaza just as Buggy's pirates lit the cannon aimed at a small building. With blinding speed, Haru surged forward and kicked the cannon upward, the cannonball firing harmlessly into the sky. Zoro followed up by knocking out the crew manning it.
Inside, Luffy broke free of his restraints. "Zoro! Haru! You made it!"
Nami stared in disbelief at the two newcomers. "You know them?"
"They're my crewmates!" Luffy grinned.
Nami blinked. "Wait… you're forming a pirate crew?"
Luffy grinned wider. "Yep!"
Nami groaned. "Unbelievable…"
As chaos unfolded, Buggy's crew attacked. Zoro handled the grunts, but Cabaji, Buggy's swordsman, challenged him directly. The two clashed in a whirlwind of steel. Zoro, despite still recovering from previous wounds, stood his ground. Cabaji used acrobatics and tricks, but Zoro's sheer skill began to dominate.
Nami watched Haru standing calmly at the edge of the fight.
"You're not going to help?"
"Luffy asked me not to interfere unless necessary," Haru replied. "He wants to prove something."
Nami glanced at him, her eyes catching the calm precision in his posture, the way he read the battle with silent confidence. "You trust him that much?"
"I do."
Despite herself, her heart fluttered just a little. There was something about Haru's quiet strength, his refusal to flaunt power unnecessarily, that made her cheeks warm.
Zoro managed to bring down Cabaji with a final brutal strike, but not before reopening a wound on his side. He collapsed to one knee, breathing hard.
"Zoro!" Luffy called, ready to jump in, but Haru was already there, kneeling beside him.
"Just a scratch," Zoro muttered, but winced as Haru pressed a cloth to the bleeding gash.
"I've had worse," Haru said, tying the cloth tight. "You'll live."
As Zoro caught his breath, Buggy launched his own attack. Luffy stepped in.
The fight between Luffy and Buggy was strange and comical. Buggy's ability to split his body into parts gave him the upper hand at first, but Luffy's resilience and creative thinking turned the tide. He used Buggy's own bombastic ego against him, ultimately sending the clown pirate flying with a devastating Gomu Gomu no Bazooka.
Buggy smashed into a building with a satisfying crash, unconscious.
The town was finally free.
The townspeople, led by the mayor, emerged cautiously. After realizing Buggy was truly defeated, they offered their gratitude. The mayor, slightly eccentric but kind, insisted on thanking each of them personally.
"You all saved this town," he said. "Especially you, young lady." He turned to Nami.
She gave a small smile. "I was just… doing what was right."
Luffy looked at her hopefully. "You'll join us now, right?"
"I still hate pirates," she said flatly—but then her eyes drifted to Haru. "But… maybe not all of them."
Luffy cheered.
Zoro, recovering slowly, muttered, "Great. Another weirdo."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting gold across the sea, the four of them boarded their small boat and sailed into the distance.
Nami stood near the stern beside Haru, who was adjusting one of the sails.
"So… Spectre, huh?"
"I don't go by that name anymore."
"What should I call you, then?"
"Haru is fine."
She glanced sideways at him, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Well then, Haru… I'm not sticking around for long. Just until I get enough treasure to buy back my village."
He nodded. "That's fair."
"But…" she said quietly, "if I were staying… I think I'd want to learn more about you."
Haru didn't reply, but the faintest smile appeared on his lips.
And with that, their next adventure began.