đ´ââ ď¸ Chapter 1
The Grand Line had changed.
Where once chaos ruled the seas, a strange calm had settled. The emperors had fallen, the ancient powers scattered. Ships that once trembled before the Red Line now sailed it freely, emboldened by the man who had shattered the very idea of impossibility.
His name echoed across every ocean, every island, every soul who had once dared to dream.
Monkey D. Luffy â the Pirate King.
His bounty? 8.9 billion berries. The highest in recorded history. His face, once that of a laughing fool, was now etched into statues, flags, and stories across the world.
But Luffy didn't care for statues.
He cared for meat.
"Gahahaha! I haven't eaten this good in weeks!" Luffy shouted, cheeks packed full of roast boar as he sat at the center of a massive banquet on Amazon Lily.
The women warriors of the Kuja tribe watched in a mix of awe and disbelief as the Pirate King devoured enough food to feed a fleet.
"Luffy-sama⌠he's eating faster than our kitchen can cook!" a Kuja chef cried.
"I've waited for this!" another woman swooned, holding a sketch of him close to her chest. "He's even more handsome in real life!"
Beside Luffy, Boa Hancock sat with her hand on her cheek, smiling dreamily, hearts floating in her eyes. She had been preparing for this day since the moment he left her island all those years ago.
And now, after conquering the world, after toppling Yonko and uncovering the world's greatest secretâhe had returned.
Just like he promised.
"Luffy⌠you've come back to me," she whispered.
"Mmm? Oh! Yeah, I promised didn't I?" Luffy said with a grin, sauce dripping from his chin. "Also⌠this food is amazing! Way better than Sanji's stew!"
From the other side of the banquet, Sanjiâwho had just arrived with the rest of the Straw Hat crewâfroze mid-step, twitching violently.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" he screamed, kicking a tree.
The reunion was in full swing. The Thousand Sunny had docked on Amazon Lily for the first time everâthanks to Hancock making the island's barrier disappear. The island that once forbade men was now hosting some of the most dangerous, legendary ones in history.
Zoro leaned on a tree, looking over the celebration with his usual quiet calm. "He really did it," he muttered. "The idiot actually did it."
"I never doubted him!" Usopp bragged loudly, arms spread wide. "I mean, I'm Captain Usopp of the Future Sniper King Pirates! He's my right-hand man!"
Chopper danced in the grass, crying, "Luffy! You're really back!"
Brook strummed his guitar, a soulful tune echoing through the trees. "Yohohoho! What a lovely wedding this will be⌠if Luffy doesn't run away before proposing!"
"Shut up, skeleton!" Nami shouted, slapping him with her clima-tact. "He's going to do it. Right, Robin?"
Robin smiled faintly, a flower blooming beside her. "Oh yes. I think Luffy-kun has already made up his mind."
Sanji lit a cigarette, still shaking with betrayal over the earlier stew comment. "That damn rubber bastard⌠proposing before meâŚ"
Franky was already helping the Kuja build a grand stage. "THIS IS SUPER! The Pirate King's wedding deserves a firework cannon platform!"
Jinbei stood back respectfully, watching with calm pride. "The seas will never forget this moment."
As the night celebration carried on, Luffy walked to the cliff edge of the islandâthe same place Hancock used to stand, gazing at the sea, longing for his return.
She followed him silently.
Luffy looked up at the stars.
"They're bright tonight," he said.
"They are. They always shine brighter when⌠you're here."
There was silence. For a long time, Hancock didn't speak. She feared she might scare him off again. But Luffy didn't move. He didn't fidget or laugh nervously.
Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out something smallâwrapped in a soft cloth.
"Hancock."
Her heart stopped.
"I don't really get love the way others do," he said honestly. "I don't understand everything⌠but I know that when I thought about coming home, about where I'd want to go nextâŚ"
He looked at her, a serious, rare expression in his eyes.
"âŚit was here. To you."
Her eyes widened. Her breath caught.
Luffy unwrapped the cloth, revealing a simple yet beautiful ringâa band forged from a rare metal found in Laugh Tale's caves, with a ruby shaped like a serpent's fang, symbolizing the Empress.
Her legs nearly gave out.
"I don't know how this marriage thing works," Luffy continued, "but⌠will you be my wife?"
Tears poured down her face.
"Yes⌠YES! I will!" she sobbed, collapsing into his arms.
A boom of cheers erupted behind them as the Straw Hats (who had been secretly watching from the bushes) all exploded in celebration.
Zoro smirked. "Took him long enough."
Sanji fainted.
Robin clapped softly.
Usopp sobbed dramatically into Chopper's fur.
And far off, from a distant sky, eyes watched.
A new storm was brewing. One that would not wait for honeymoons.
đ End of Chapter 1
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As the wedding preparations begin, powerful forces from across the seas are drawn to the Pirate King's celebration. But not all guests are here to toast⌠some arrive to destroy. The shadow of a forgotten heir emerges from the abyssâŚ