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The sun had barely risen when the sea breeze shifted.
The villagers of Syrup awoke to distant shouting and the unmistakable crash of small waves against wood.
Rael was already awake.
From his perch near the forest edge, cloak rustling gently in the wind, he watched the ocean with calm, alert eyes. His arms were folded, face unreadable—but his presence was unmistakable. To the village below, he was a quiet wanderer. To some, a protector. To others, a mystery best left alone.
Then he saw them.
A strange boat arrived at the docks. And from it leapt a boy with a straw hat, laughing wildly as he landed directly onshore and stole a meat skewer from a vendor before anyone could react.
Behind him trailed a swordsman with green hair and three katanas, and a sharp-eyed girl who immediately started haggling over maps.
[System Notice: Target Identified – Straw Hat Pirates. Mission Progress: 90%. Objective: Establish Contact.]
Rael narrowed his eyes slightly.
So… that's Monkey D. Luffy.
But he didn't move. Didn't speak. He simply… watched.
He'd seen too many self-proclaimed pirates, warlords, bounty hunters. This crew felt different.
Unpredictable.
Then a loud voice echoed from the hillside path.
"HALT, PIRATES!!"
A wide smirk tugged at Rael's lips.
Here we go again.
There, on the slope, stood Usopp—dramatic pose locked in, slingshot raised, chest puffed out like a hero in an old legend. Three kids stood behind him like mini bodyguards.
"I am Captain Usopp!" he declared, "Protector of Syrup Village, Commander of a Grand Fleet—fifty ships strong! You will NOT take a single step forward without answering to me!"
Rael couldn't help but remember the last time Usopp used that line.
It was on him.
The boy had shouted just as loudly. Claimed to have warships, elite soldiers, and poison-tipped arrows.
Back then, Rael had played along. Pretended to be scared. In truth… it was refreshing. Usopp was a coward, yes—but he was also someone who stood up when no one else would.
Even now, as he trembled slightly beneath his confident posture, Usopp hadn't changed.
Still lying. Still standing.
The Straw Hats below looked up at the hill.
"Eh?" Luffy said with meat still in his mouth. "What's that guy yelling about?"
Nami blinked. "Did he say fifty ships?"
Zoro squinted. "There's no way that nose is legal."
Usopp kept it up. "I'm telling you now—leave this village, or suffer the wrath of my hidden fleet!"
The kids behind him shouted "Yeah!" even though one of them had clearly lost their place in the script.
Rael remained still in the shade of the trees, watching carefully.
[Target Profile: Monkey D. Luffy – Threat Level: Unassessed. Observation Mode Active.]
He had no intention of stepping in. Not yet.
He'd told Usopp once, during a quiet moment by the cliffside:
"You don't need a real army to protect people. Just the courage to stand when no one else will."
Rael could see it now—how Usopp remembered those words. How he clung to them.
Even if the Straw Hats could wipe the floor with him, Usopp stood his ground anyway.
Rael's gaze shifted to Luffy.
That carefree energy. That unfiltered joy. No mask, no hunger for blood.
It was dangerous in its own way.
But not evil.
Later that night
The fire crackled in the village square. Rael remained hidden, cloaked beneath the branches just outside the firelight.
The Straw Hats had eaten their fill. Usopp was now awkwardly sitting nearby, trying to seem like he hadn't just threatened them with imaginary warships an hour earlier.
Luffy snored peacefully, his hat tilted over his face. Zoro leaned against a barrel, half-dozing. Nami pored over stolen maps, muttering about treasure and routes.
Rael said nothing.
He simply watched.
[System Notice: Observation Complete. Mission Updated – Contact Optional. Awaiting Trigger Event.]
There would be time.
Soon, something would shift. He could feel it coming.
He looked one last time at the sleeping crew. Luffy's smile—so open and honest, even in rest—stirred something old and painful inside him.
That smile…
It reminded him of someone long gone.
Rael turned back into the trees, eyes cast skyward.
"This world might still have hope."
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