In the archipelago of the Gecko Islands, in Syrup Village, a young boy with blue hair could be seen sprinting toward a grand mansion, a wide grin plastered on his face. He wore a long black pirate coat with no shirt underneath, proudly displaying his sculpted six-pack, the result of years of training. White pants and black shoes completed his look, with a cutlass hanging at his hip, swaying with every stride.
With a swift leap, he landed effortlessly on the thick branch of a tree just outside the mansion and gently tapped on a nearby window.
A slim, pale-skinned girl with shoulder-length pale blonde hair appeared behind the glass. Her soft brown eyes, light in shade and warm in gaze, lit up with joy the moment she saw him.
"Drago!" she exclaimed happily.
Drago immediately brought a finger to his lips, making exaggerated shushing gestures. "Not so loud, Kaya! That annoying butler of yours will come running to chase me off again."
Kaya giggled. "Klahadore just wants me to get proper rest. He thinks you're too much of a disturbance."
Drago smirked. "It won't matter soon. We'll be sailing together before long. But first, I need to taste the sea for myself before I take you with me."
Kaya chuckled. "If Merry were here, he would've joined Klahadore in chasing you off with a broom."
Drago shrugged confidently. "Doesn't matter. I'll make you my crewmate—and my wife."
A small blush crept onto Kaya's cheeks as she looked at Drago's handsome, determined face.
Ever since they were little, Kaya and Drago had been close. She knew all about his wild dream—setting sail as a pirate and marrying ten wives. But she also knew that behind the outrageous dream was a pure-hearted boy who simply longed for love and belonging. That's what made his dream genuine in its own weird way. He didn't want ten wife's because of lust, but for love, which he can truly call his own.
"If any other girl heard you say that," Kaya said with a smile, "they'd curse you out before beating you black and blue."
Drago grinned. "That just means I didn't show them my love properly! I never give up!"
Kaya giggled again but suddenly perked up as she spotted Klahadore walking through the garden below. She motioned for Drago to go. "He's coming!"
Drago leaned forward from the branch, catching Kaya off guard, and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. Her eyes widened as her face turned red.
"I'm heading to the sea today," he said gently. "I'll be back soon... to take you with me."
He flashed her one last smile before leaping from the tree and vanishing down the path beyond the mansion grounds.
Kaya stood by the window, fingers lightly brushing her cheek where he kissed her, her face flushed. With a soft smile, she whispered to herself, "Stay safe… and come back soon."
---
It had been three days since Drago had set sail from Syrup Village. Now, as he lay lazily on the deck of his small boat, one leg dangling off the side, he sighed deeply and stared at the vast, empty ocean stretching endlessly around him.
"Ugh... When is something fun gonna happen?" he muttered, tapping his fingers impatiently against the hilt of his cutlass.
Time crawled by like a snail on sand—until, finally, a shape appeared on the distant horizon. Drago narrowed his eyes and sat up, squinting at the faint outline. A wide grin slowly stretched across his face.
"A ship... and it's not a Marine one either!"
Excitement surged through him as he stood and adjusted the sails of his small boat, guiding it in the direction of the larger vessel. As he got closer, the pirate ship's black flag came into clear view—a skull with two cross-shaped eyes and twin swords pierced behind it.
"The Crossbone Pirates, huh?" Drago muttered with interest. "Sounds like fun."
As his boat approached, the pirates aboard the larger ship leaned over the rails, barking threats.
"Oi, kid! Hand over everything you've got, or you're dead meat!"
"You're dealing with the Crossbone Pirates, brat! Don't mess with us!"
Drago yawned, completely ignoring their shouts. In one smooth motion, he jumped from his boat and landed right in the middle of their deck with a solid thud. The pirates reeled back, clearly not expecting the bold move.
He casually rested his cutlass on his shoulder and smirked. "Hey, I've been bored out of my mind. Mind entertaining me for a bit?"
The pirates looked at each other in confusion.
"My name's Drago D. Lucifer," he said confidently, his tone playfully daring. "Captain of the newly formed Lucifer Pirates. I challenge you to a fight! If I win, I take all your food and treasure!"
Instead of answering, the pirates let out a collective roar and charged at him, weapons drawn.
Drago's grin widened. "So that's a yes!"
As the first wave of pirates rushed toward him, Drago bent low and skidded forward, knocking two off their feet. In the same motion, he slammed a punch into a third pirate's gut while parrying an incoming sword strike with his cutlass.
A wide slash narrowly missed his back as he flipped away, landing boot-first on another pirate's face. The man crumpled to the deck with a groan.
Drago turned just in time to see thirty more pirates charging toward him in a mob. "W-Whoa!" he shouted, eyes wide with fake terror as he leapt out of the way. The stampede of men crashed into the poor pirate Drago had just knocked out, flattening him under their weight.
"Bwahahaha!" Drago laughed, clutching his stomach. "You guys are more entertaining than I expected!"
A sudden gunshot snapped him out of his joy. He ducked just in time, the bullet whizzing past his head. His eyes locked onto a tall, intimidating figure approaching from the other side of the deck.
The surrounding pirates stepped aside. "Captain Cross!"
The man called Cross had a cold stare and a smoking flintlock pistol in one hand. He looked Drago up and down with clear interest.
"You're strong, kid," Cross said flatly. "Join my crew. With you, we'll dominate the East Blue."
Drago closed his eyes with a playful smile. "Nope!"
With a swift leap, he avoided another bullet, slashing through the air to deflect it mid-flight. He weaved through the chaos, blade flashing as he slashed at pirates' arms and legs—not to kill, but to leave them injured and disarmed.
Jumping onto the ropes of the nearest sail, Drago swung around the mast like a spinning cyclone, knocking pirates off balance and downing them one by one with fierce kicks and precise strikes.
As he let go of the rope mid-air, another bullet whizzed by—but he twisted in the air and came down hard, slamming the blunt side of his cutlass against the top of Cross's head.
Thunk!
Cross's eyes spun, stars circling above him before he collapsed with a loud thud, unconscious.
The deck fell silent. The remaining pirates froze, staring in horror as Drago planted his foot on their captain's chest and pointed his cutlass at the man's throat.
"I win," Drago declared, flashing a toothy grin. "So all your food, drinks, and treasure are mine now!"
He burst into laughter, while the Crossbone Pirates stood frozen in disbelief.
'Where the hell did this monster kid come from?!' many of them thought in unison, trembling.