The tiny dinghy rocked violently as it cut across the glittering water of the East Blue. It was barely big enough for all of them—Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, Johnny, and Yosaku were squeezed together, knees knocking, elbows jabbing ribs.
Waves slapped the sides as the boat creaked dangerously.
The afternoon sun hung low like a burning coin, casting long shadows across the restless sea. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon, thick and heavy—ominous, foreboding.
Toward Conomi Islands.
Toward Nami.
Luffy sat at the very front, perched on the curved tip of the dinghy, his straw hat brim trembling in the wind. His expression was a mix of anger, determination, and quiet fear.
He didn't say a word.
That alone made the others nervous.
Behind him, Johnny and Yosaku were in the middle of a frantic, breathless explanation—half shouting over the waves, half panicking at the fact that their boat could flip at any moment.
Usopp clung to the mast—if one could even call it that—screaming. "WE'RE GONNA SINK BEFORE WE EVEN GET THERE!"
Sanji snapped, kicking him in the back of the head. "Quit whining or I'll toss you overboard myself!"
Zoro was asleep. With his arms crossed.
On a boat the size of a floating bathtub.
Johnny cried, "Z-ZORO-ANIKI, HOW CAN YOU SLEEP IN A TIME LIKE THIS?!"
Yosaku joined in, shaking him. "WE'RE IN A TINY BOAT! WE COULD DIE!"
Zoro snored.
Luffy didn't react to any of the chaos. He simply stared forward into the storm ahead, gripping the wood tightly enough to dent it.
Nami… I'm coming.
———————-
"L-L-LUFFY-ANIKI… YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!" Yosaku cried, waving his arms wildly.
Johnny nodded vigorously. "The guy Nami-sis is running from… Arlong… he ain't just some pirate! He used to be in the crew of a Warlord!!"
Sanji raised a brow. "A what now?"
Usopp swallowed hard. "Warlord of the Sea… that sounds… really bad… right…?"
Johnny and Yosaku gasped as if he'd committed a sin. "REALLY BAD! SUPER BAD! END-OF-YOUR-LIFE BAD!"
Zoro tilted his head. "Never heard of them."
Usopp looked betrayed. "HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW ABOUT THEM?!"
Johnny took a deep breath, puffing out his chest dramatically. "Listen well! The Seven Warlords of the Sea—the Shichibukai—are pirates so powerful that the Marines themselves give 'em permission to plunder!"
"They're like… like…" Yosaku struggled for a word. "Government-approved nightmares!"
Luffy blinked, unimpressed. "So they're strong pirates?"
"YES!!" both bounty hunters screamed.
Sanji exhaled a long plume of smoke. "Government using pirates… tch… what a messed-up world."
Johnny continued, "The Marines ignore their crimes, and in exchange, the Warlords help them sometimes! They're monsters the Marines are too scared to fight head-on!"
Then Yosaku whispered dramatically. "And one of them… is the same guy Zoro-Aniki fought."
Zoro scratched the back of his head. "Huh. That explains the weird pressure I felt."
Johnny collapsed. "THAT WAS DRACULE MIHAWK! THE STRONGEST SWORDSMAN ALIVE!"
Usopp fell to his knees. "WE. ARE. DEAD."
Johnny added, lowering his voice like telling a ghost story. "And two of the Warlords are in the same crew… Mihawk… and Jinbe… of the Sun Pirates."
Zoro perked up. "Two Warlords in one crew, huh? That sounds interesting."
Sanji smirked. "A real party."
Usopp grabbed their collars. "ARE YOU GUYS INSANE?!"
Yosaku continued, voice trembling. "Arlong used to follow Jinbe! That's why he's so dangerous!"
Luffy cracked his knuckles. "So he hurt Nami?"
Johnny and Yosaku exchanged terrified looks. "Y-Yes!"
"Then I'll beat him up."
A silence fell.
Usopp's jaw dropped. "NO YOU WON'T—THAT'S A W-A-R-L-O-R-D-AFFILIATED PIRATE!"
Johnny panicked. "IF YOU BEAT ARLONG, JINBEI MIGHT COME FOR YOU!"
Luffy shrugged casually. "Then I'll beat him up too."
Usopp screamed into the sky. "WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?!"
Zoro crossed his arms. "I like the captain's thinking."
Sanji nodded. "Same."
Usopp burst into tears. "I'M SURROUNDED BY MANIACS!!"
—————-
The argument in the tiny boat reached its peak—Sanji yelling at Usopp, Usopp yelling at Johnny, Johnny yelling at Yosaku, Zoro snoring through all of it—
When suddenly…
FWOOOOSH—!!!
A gigantic shadow rose beneath the dinghy.
The sea swelled.
The water bulged like something enormous was being pushed upward.
Usopp pointed with a shaking finger. "N–No… nnNO… NONONONO—"
And then—
SPLAAAAAASH!!!
A monstrous cow-fish Sea King erupted from the ocean, water crashing in all directions.
"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
Its roar shook the air.
Usopp instantly died inside. "WHAT—WHAT IS THAT THING?! A DEMON COW MERMAID?! WHAT KIND OF OCEAN IS THIS!?"
Johnny nearly flipped overboard, screaming, "TH-THAT'S A SEA KING! ARLONG'S PERSONAL SEA KING!! WE'RE DEAD!! WE'RE SO DEAD!!!"
Yosaku clutched his shaved head. "ANIKI, WE HAVE NO SHIP, NO WEAPONS, AND NO DIGNITY LEFT!!"
Sanji lit his cigarette despite the hurricane-level wind. "So the welcome party's early. Tch."
Momoo snorted, lowering its massive head—
And then lunged.
The beast's jaws opened wide—
ready to CRUSH the tiny boat in one bite.
Johnny screamed. "EVERYBODY ABANDON—!!"
But then—
Luffy stepped forward.
Calmly.
Almost lazily.
He stared straight into Momoo's eyes.
Just one look.
One simple glance.
The air went silent.
The waves stilled.
Even the wind froze.
The gargantuan Sea King trembled so violently the ocean fizzed with bubbles. Moo's pupils shrank to pinpoints as it stared at the boy glaring back at it—
Then, to everyone's shock…
Momoo lowered its head.
Slowly.
Respectfully.
Tears streamed down its giant face as it whimpered. "Mooooo…"
Then, sobbing loudly, it turned around like a scolded puppy…
…and swam away at full speed—creating a small tsunami as it fled.
The dinghy rocked violently, almost flipping.
Silence.
Pure silence.
Everyone stared at Luffy.
Sanji broke it first, whispering, "…What the hell just happened?"
Usopp's jaw hit the floor. "C-C-C-CAPTAIN… WHAT DID YOU DO?! You—you—you stared down a SEA KING!! A GIANT ONE!! WITH HORNS!!!"
Luffy blinked innocently. "Hm? I didn't do anything."
He tilted his head. "I just looked at it."
Johnny collapsed backward, arms spread, eyes white. "ANIKI HAS DOMINANCE OVER SEA GODS—!!! HE'S A FISH KING WHISPERER!!!"
Yosaku shook him. "HE'S ASCENDED!! ANIKI IS A MARINE DEVIL!!"
Sanji rubbed his temples. "I swear to god… this crew is gonna give me wrinkles."
Zoro yawned, waking up at last. "What's with all the noise?"
Usopp grabbed him by the collar. "LUFFY SCARED A GIANT SEA COW AWAY WITH HIS FACE!!"
Zoro blinked, unimpressed. "Oh. Yeah, that sounds like him."
Luffy laughed, clueless. "Eh? What? Why's everyone freaking out?"
Usopp screamed, "BECAUSE YOU DID SOMETHING TERRIFYING AND YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU DID!!!"
Luffy just tilted his head with his usual grin. "Anyway! Let's go get Nami!"
——————-
The Conomi Islands slowly rose into view, shrouded not by mist—but by an unsettling quiet. The once-bustling docks were empty, the houses still. Not a single villager stood outside. Even the seagulls avoided the shoreline.
The crew shivered.
"…This place feels wrong," Sanji muttered.
"Like a graveyard," Usopp whispered.
But Luffy kept his eyes locked forward, jaw tight. "Nami's here."
And he wasn't leaving without her.
Their tiny boat bumped against the dock—
—but it wasn't the only vessel arriving.
A massive warshio gracefully pulled into the harbor beside them, its shadow blanketing their small craft. The figurehead was a blazing sun, carved proud and bold, radiating strength even from wood.
And on its sail—
A giant sun brand burned bright.
Johnny and Yosaku screamed in perfect stereo. "THAT FLAG—!! THE SUN PIRATES!!!"
Usopp practically choked on his own fear. "SUN PIRATES—!? W-WAIT—THAT'S—THAT'S THE W-WARLORD JINBE'S CREW, RIGHT!?!?"
Johnny nodded violently. "YES! THE CREW OF FISHER TIGER AND JINBE!!"
Yosaku continued, shaking. "A CREW OF MARAUDERS AND HEROES—DON'T ASK US, WE DON'T KNOW WHICH IS TRUE—!!"
Luffy blinked. "Sun Pirates?"
Johnny and Yosaku launched into a frantic explanation. "They're legendary!! The whole world knows them!! Led by Fisher Tiger—!!"
"He's the guy who destroyed Marie Geoise with Mihawk and other pirates back then," Yosaku said breathlessly.
"And freed slaves from the Holy Land!" Johnny added. "He's famous for defying the Celestial Dragons and the World Governement!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled like a child seeing treasure. "Whoaaa… he sounds super cool."
Usopp grabbed his face and screamed, "NOT COOL IF THEY KILL US, LUFFY!!"
A heavy thud sounded across the dock.
The air changed.
A presence—deep, steady, immovable—settled over the harbor.
Slow, powerful footsteps approached.
A towering silhouette emerged.
Broad chest.
Blue skin.
Shark-like features.
Eyes like the calm depths of the sea.
Jinbe.
Knight of the Sea.
Warlord of the Sea.
The crew froze mid-breath.
Usopp almost fainted on the spot. "HIII—!!! I KNEW IT! I KNEW WE'D DIE ON A THURSDAY—!!"
Johnny and Yosaku said dramatically. "WE'RE SORRY, LORD JINBE! WE HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG! IF WE DID WE DIDN'T MEAN IT!!!"
Sanji exhaled cigarette smoke, cracking his knuckles. "Strong bastard…"
Zoro rested a hand on Wado's hilt. "A real warrior."
Luffy stepped forward without hesitation.
"Yo."
Usopp almost wanted to smack luffy. "LUFFY STOP TALKING TO POWERFUL PEOPLE SO CASUALLY!!"
Jinbe's gaze softened a fraction. "You there. Is this Conomi Island?"
They all nodded violently except Luffy, who just tilted his head.
Jinbe looked around at the empty, fearful coastline. "…So it is true."
Luffy blinked. "What's true?"
Jinbe took a deep breath. "I have come seeking Arlong."
The name fell like a stone into water.
Usopp squeaked. "T-To beat him?!"
Jinbe shook his head. "No. To bring him back to face punishment."
Shock rippled through the crew.
"P-Punishment? From a Warlord?!" Johnny stammered.
Sanji frowned. "What did he do?"
Jinbe's expression hardened—like deep granite.
"He left Fishman Island years ago due to our fallout. He chose a path we could not condone. And now…"
He swept a slow gaze across the quiet homes.
"…now he has fallen so low as to enslave humans."
Usopp slapped his hands over his mouth. "E-ENSLAVE?!"
Luffy clenched his fists.
His voice dropped to a growl.
"Nami's here."
Jinbe blinked. "Nami?"
He shook his head. "I do not know this person."
Sanji smoked his cigar lazily. "She's our navigator."
Usopp said frantically. "And Arlong kidnapped her! Or— or tricked her! Or something!!"
Johnny and Yosaku bowed their heads.
"She's been suffering because of that fishman…"
Jinbe's expression darkened subtly—something deep and disappointed flickering behind his eyes.
"…I see."
His jaw tightened.
"So Arlong has brought his cruelty here… and dragged innocent lives into his corruption."
Luffy stepped closer. "He hurt her."
Jinbe stared at Luffy for a long moment, weighing his words.
Then—
His voice dropped, heavy as an anchor hitting the ocean floor. "Then that is yet another sin he must answer for."
Jinbe nodded. "And I am here to rectify Arlong's sins."
"No," Luffy said.
Jinbe raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"
"I'll beat him first," Luffy declared.
Everyone choked.
Johnny then shouted to luffy. "LU-LU-LUFFY ANIKI–!! WRONG PERSON TO SAY THAT TO!!"
Usopp then began panicking again. "STOP TALKING BACK TO WARLORDS!!!"
Zoro smirked. "He already said it once. Too late now."
Sanji exhaled. "The idiot's committed."
Jinbe lowered his torso slightly, eyes narrowing.
"Listen, boy. This is not a child's fight. Arlong is strong. Very strong. You are—"
"I don't care," Luffy cut in. "He hurt my friend. My navigator. I'm gonna beat him up."
Tension cracked the air like lightning.
Zoro grinned, resting his sword on his shoulder. "Now this is getting fun."
Sanji inhaled deeply. "Tch… he got guts."
Usopp tugged at his hair. "WE'RE GONNA DIE BECAUSE OF GUTS—!!"
The sea breeze swept between Luffy and Jinbe, carrying the weight of two wills crashing like waves.
Finally…
Jinbe straightened.
Slowly.
Then he exhaled, long and deep.
"…Very well."
Luffy blinked. "Huh?"
Jinbei simply folded his arms, studying the boy before him with a warrior's eyes.
"You're willing to fight Arlong… to save your crewmate?"
"Of course," Luffy said, as if the answer were obvious. "She's my friend."
Jinbe stared for another long moment.
Then his shoulders relaxed. "…You truly have the spirit of a captain."
Luffy blinked. "Huh?"
Jinbe's voice rumbled like a tide turning.
"Very well. Fight him. If your resolve is strong enough to protect your own… then prove it."
His voice rumbled like distant thunder.
"But if you lose—"
He leaned down, eyes piercing straight into Luffy's.
"—I will drag Arlong back myself. And I expect no excuses from you."
Luffy grinned wide, stretching his neck side to side.
"Deal."
Usopp collapsed face-first into the deck.
Johnny crossed his arms in despair. "Aniki signed our death warrant with a smile…"
Yosaku wept. "WE'RE GONNA FIGHT A WARLORD'S ROGUE BROTHER—!!"
But Luffy didn't hear them.
His eyes were blazing.
Nami was here.
Arlong was here.
And the man who enslaved this village—
was about to face the wrath of the future Pirate King.