Chapter 5
One Piece: Legacy of the Pirate King
The flames from the battle still smoldered in the forests of Amazon Lily. Though the invaders had retreated, the atmosphere was thick with tension. The Kuja warriors scoured the edges of the island, and Straw Hats reinforced defenses around the palace, their laughter from the wedding now replaced by grim determination.
Inside the heart of the palace, Luffy sat at the edge of the bed, elbows resting on his knees, staring at the floor. The fight with Gravemind hadn't shaken him. He had faced worse. But the realization that peace was already slipping through his fingers… that someone was targeting his new family—that rattled something deeper.
Boa Hancock entered the room silently. Her steps were careful, her expression unreadable.
"You're thinking too much," she said gently.
"I'm not used to this," Luffy admitted, not turning. "I thought… when I found the One Piece… everything would slow down. I thought I could finally stop fighting."
She moved beside him and took his hand. "You're still the Pirate King, Luffy. That title comes with a throne the world wants to burn."
He looked up at her, searching her eyes.
"There's something I need to tell you," she said after a pause, her fingers curling slightly around his.
His eyes widened a bit. "What?"
She took a breath. "I'm pregnant."
For a moment, the entire world seemed to hold its breath.
Luffy blinked. "What…?"
She smiled softly, her voice trembling. "I found out after the wedding, during the celebration. I didn't know how to tell you… until now."
Luffy stared at her, mouth slightly open, the gears in his brain slowly turning. "You mean… I'm gonna be a dad?"
She nodded. "You are."
The room fell silent.
And then—
"GAAAAH!! I'M GONNA BE A DAD?!?!" Luffy jumped up, panic and joy and shock exploding across his face. "What do I do?! Do I need meat? Blankets? A baby sword?!"
Hancock laughed through her tears. "You don't need to do anything except stay alive."
He blinked at her, then suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face in her shoulder.
"I'll protect you," he whispered. "Both of you."
For the first time since becoming Pirate King, Luffy felt something more intense than the thrill of battle or the call of the sea—responsibility.
Elsewhere on the island, the crew began to feel the shift too.
Zoro stood atop the palace roof, sharpening his swords. "So it begins," he muttered. "The kid's going to be born in a world full of wolves."
Robin appeared beside him, arms folded. "A child of D. born to the Pirate King and an Empress. The world won't ignore this."
Zoro didn't reply, but the wind carried the weight of their thoughts.
Meanwhile, Sanji stood behind the royal kitchen, punching a wall with his fiery fist. "I should've told Nami when I had the chance… Dammit!"
Nami watched him from the other side of the garden with a soft look in her eyes. She didn't say a word, but something was shifting between them too. Romance wasn't something any of them had planned—but it was starting to grow, naturally, like wildflowers through the cracks of war.
In the training grounds, Chopper checked his medical scrolls for birthing protocols, already preparing. Usopp crafted a mechanical baby toy that could punch an enemy if they got too close. Franky and Brook began modifying the Sunny with new protective systems and a hidden nursery cabin—just in case.
Even Jinbei, normally calm and reserved, walked the shoreline with a hand on his chin, muttering, "A child born to D… This will echo through the oceans."
Back in the palace, Luffy sat beside Hancock, now calmer, but eyes burning with purpose.
"When he's born… I want to name him after my brother."
"Ace?" Hancock asked, brushing her hand over her stomach.
Luffy nodded. "But he'll be his own person too. Ace D. Lian."
She repeated it softly. "Lian…"
Suddenly, the door burst open. Nami ran in, face pale.
"Luffy! Robin found something. Under the palace. A ruin."
He stood instantly. "A ruin?"
Robin appeared in the hallway, her face unreadable.
"It's a sealed vault," she said. "With writing in ancient text… older than the Void Century."
Luffy and Hancock exchanged a glance. Hancock slowly rose, one hand over her belly.
"Let's go," Luffy said.
They moved through the hidden corridors beneath the palace, torches lighting their path. The Kuja had always spoken of sacred places under Amazon Lily, but none had dared enter them. Until now.
At the end of the path stood a stone door, marked with an eye-like sigil. Robin translated as she traced the script.
"This vault contains the Heart of Calypso… the soul of the forgotten sea."
Before anyone could speak, the seal began to glow.
And the door opened.
Inside, they saw a chamber with a floating sphere of water, pulsing like a heartbeat. Around it were seven pedestals, each marked with a lost sea's name.
Robin stepped forward. "This… this isn't just a ruin. This is a weapon."
Luffy stared at it, the realization hitting him.
Gravemind wasn't after revenge alone.
He was after this.
And Luffy's unborn son had just become the key to a war that would shake the world again.
End of Chapter 5
Next Chapter Preview:
As secrets of the Heart of Calypso unravel, Gravemind forms an alliance with a surviving World Noble and a war-hardened Marine Admiral. Luffy must gather old allies once more, and the Straw Hats prepare to return to sea—for their final voyage together as the world prepares to crush the bloodline of the Pirate King.