The sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the Grand Line sky in hues of bruised purple and burning orange. The Going Merry, now carrying a crew that defied all logic, cut through the waves with a steady rhythm.
On the deck, a relaxed, pre-dinner atmosphere had settled. Sanji was serving light snacks—finger sandwiches and savory tarts—to the crew members who hadn't been turned into science experiments.
"Hey, Ben," Sanji asked, handing a plate to Robin before lighting a cigarette. "Luffy and the others... they've been asleep for hours. Is that normal? Even for Luffy, skipping a meal is rare."
Ben says, "It's fine. The cellular rewriting process consumes a massive amount of energy. By my calculations... they should be waking up in about thirty minutes."
Dorry and Brogy, sitting on the aft deck, nodded. They were currently using a barrel of sake as a shot glass.
Ben turned to them. "You know, the offer still stands. The serum could increase your density. Make your skin harder than steel. You're already strong, but this would make you invincible."
Brogy laughed, a deep rumble that shook the deck plates. "GABABABABA! We appreciate the offer, little Wizard! But we are warriors of Elbaf! Our strength comes from our blood and our years of battle! To alter it with a potion... it would feel like cheating the gods!"
Dorry grinned. "GEGYAGYAGYA! Indeed! Besides, if we got any stronger, we might accidentally break this ship in half just by sneezing!"
Ben smiled. "Fair enough." He looked at Zoro and Sanji. "And you two?"
Zoro didn't even open his eyes from his nap. "Pass. I'm a swordsman. If I can't cut steel with my own strength, then I haven't trained hard enough. I don't need a bottle to make me the strongest."
Sanji exhaled a plume of smoke. "I'll pass too. I rely on my technique and my legs." He touched his arm subconsciously, where the latent Germa genes lay dormant.
"Suit yourselves," Ben shrugged.
Ben then turned to Nico Robin, who was observing the conversation with her usual detached amusement.
"Robin," Ben said softly. "The offer applies to you too. But not yet. After Alabasta... after we take down Crocodile... if you decide you want to stay with this crew of maniacs properly, the serum is yours."
Robin looked at him, surprised by the consideration. She smiled, a genuine, warm expression. "Thank you, Ben. For thinking of me. I will... consider it."
---
Thirty minutes later, the door to the men's quarters kicked open with enough force to nearly tear the hinges off.
"MEEEEEEEAAAAT!"
Luffy stepped out.
The crew stopped what they were doing. They stared.
It wasn't just Luffy. It was Luffy 2.0.
He had grown. He stood at a towering 8 feet and 3 inches. His frame, usually scrawny and wiry, had filled out. His chest was broad, his muscles defined and corded like steel cables under his skin. He looked less like a rubber boy and more like a rubber god—a physique reminiscent of his future Gear Fourth Snakeman form, but compressed into a base state. He radiated raw, crackling power.
Behind him came Usopp.
The sniper had undergone a metamorphosis. He was no longer the lanky, shaky teenager. He stood 7 feet tall. His shoulders were wide, his arms thick with muscle. He looked like a warrior who could actually draw a bow strong enough to pierce a ship's hull.
And then, Chopper trotted out.
In his Heavy Point, he was muscular and imposing, but in his Brain Point (his default hybrid), he looked... polished. His fur was glossier, his eyes brighter.
"I feel great!" Chopper cheered.
"Kawaii!" Robin exclaimed instantly. "You have become even cuter, Doctor."
"SHUT UP! Being called cute doesn't make me happy! You jerk!" Chopper wiggled, his new muscles rippling.
Finally, the door to the women's quarters opened.
Nami and Vivi stepped out.
They had grown taller, their postures radiating an Amazonian grace. Nami moved with a fluid, predatory elegance, while Vivi walked with the explosive potential of a coiled spring. They looked stronger, faster, and infinitely more dangerous.
"Whoa," Sanji whispered, the cigarette falling from his mouth. "Nami-swan... Vivi-chan... you look... divine."
"I feel incredible," Nami said, clenching her fist. "I feel like I could punch a shark."
"Please don't," Ben said, stepping forward. "We need the sharks for research. Alright, everyone. You look different. You feel different. Now let's see what you can do."
---
Ben pointed at Usopp. "Usopp. Front and center."
Usopp walked up, towering over Sanji and Zoro now. "Yes, oh wise Wizard! What is my first trial?"
"Camouflage," Ben said. "Your serum contained Chameleon DNA. It should be instinctive. Don't think about hiding. Think about becoming the background. Blend in."
Usopp blinked. He looked at his hand. He focused. Blend in... become the wood...
His skin rippled. Pigment cells shifted rapidly.
Starting from his feet, color washed over him. He turned the exact shade of the weathered deck wood. Then, his torso matched the white of the sails behind him.
In seconds, Usopp vanished. Only his goggles and his clothes remained visible, floating in the air.
"SUGGEEEEEE!" Luffy roared, eyes popping out. "USOPP IS A GHOST!"
"I... I'm invisible!" Usopp's disembodied voice cheered. "I am the phantom of the seas!"
"Not quite," Ben corrected. "Your clothes give you away. But it's a start. Now, drop the camo. Try to walk on that wall."
Ben pointed to the vertical wall of the cabin.
Usopp solidified. He walked to the wall. He lifted a foot and placed it flat against the wood.
It stuck.
He lifted the other.
He walked up the vertical surface as easily as if it were the floor.
"I'm doing it!" Usopp yelled, blood rushing to his head. "I'm a spider! I'm a lizard! I'm unstoppable!"
"NINJA!" Luffy screamed. "USOPP IS A NINJA! Can you walk on water too?!"
"No," Ben said. "Surface tension isn't high enough. Come down, Usopp."
Usopp dropped, landing in a crouch that would have shattered his old knees, but his new legs absorbed the impact effortlessly.
---
"Now," Ben said, looking at Nami, Vivi, and Usopp. "The big one. The serum contained avian DNA. Eagle for Usopp. Albatross for Nami. Falcon for Vivi."
He circled them.
"Focus on your shoulder blades. Feel the extra muscles there. The dormant limbs. Unfurl them."
The three of them closed their eyes. They concentrated.
At first, nothing happened. Then, a ripping sound—not of flesh, but of clothes adjusting (Ben had enchanted their clothes to be mutable).
SNAP. WHOOSH.
From Usopp's back, massive, brown-and-gold feathered wings erupted, spanning twelve feet.
From Nami's back, long, elegant, snow-white wings spread out, the tips dipped in black ink—Albatross wings, built for endurance.
From Vivi's back, sleek, aerodynamic peregrine falcon wings burst forth, sharp and fast.
The crew gasped.
Sanji's eyes turned into hearts, then exploded into fireworks. He dropped to his knees, clasping his hands in prayer.
"ANGELS!" he howled. "REAL ANGELS HAVE DESCENDED UPON MY SHIP! NAMI-SWAN! VIVI-CHWAN! TAKE ME TO HEAVEN!"
"Ero-cook," Zoro muttered, though he was eyeing the wings with impressed caution.
"What did you say, Moss-head?!" Sanji snarled, instantly switching from worship to rage. "Don't insult the divine forms of the ladies!"
"Try to fly," Luffy commanded, ignoring the bickering. "Go up!"
Nami, Vivi, and Usopp flapped.
Flap. Flap. Flap.
They generated a lot of wind. Dust swirled. Nami's hair blew around.
But their feet stayed firmly planted on the deck.
"It's... hard," Vivi panted. "They're heavy."
"I can't get lift!" Usopp complained. "Do I need a running start?"
They tried for ten minutes. Running, jumping, flapping frantically. They looked like oversized chickens trying to escape a coop.
Ben rubbed his chin, watching the struggle. "Hmm. Instinct isn't kicking in. They're thinking too much like humans."
An idea formed. A terrible, wonderful idea.
He walked over to Usopp.
"Usopp," Ben said gently, placing a hand on the sniper's shoulder.
Usopp stopped flapping. "Yeah, Ben? Any tips? Do I need to adjust my angle of wings?"
"Tell me, Usopp," Ben asked, his voice conversational. "Do you know how baby birds learn to fly?"
Usopp nodded sagely. "Of course! I am an expert in nature! They... well, usually the mother nudges them out of the nest. It triggers a survival instinct. Adrenaline overrides hesitation."
"Excellent," Ben smiled. "Ten points to Gryffindor. You know the theory perfectly."
"Heh. I know," Usopp grinned. "So... what should I do? Jump off the railing?"
Ben's smile widened. It shifted. It stopped being the smile of a friend and became the smile of a devil who had just found a new toy.
Usopp saw the smile. His survival instinct screamed. He gulped. He tried to take a step back.
"Uh... Ben? Your hand... It's really gripping my shoulder. Why is your grip so strong?"
"So... should I jump off the figurehead?" Usopp asked, sweat beading on his forehead. "Into the water?"
"No, no, no," Ben chuckled darkly. "There is no need to jump off the ship."
Usopp looked up slowly. "Really?"
"Yes," Ben whispered. "You're not jumping. Because the height isn't enough."
"Ben? BEN WAIT—"
CRACK.
The sound of Apparition echoed across the deck.
Ben and Usopp vanished.
The crew blinked.
"Where did they go?" Luffy asked.
One second later.
CRACK.
Ben reappeared on the deck. Alone. He dusted off his hands.
"Where's Usopp?" Nami asked, a creeping sense of dread rising in her stomach.
Ben held up a finger. "Wait for it."
"Wait for what?"
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A scream. A long, Doppler-shifting scream coming from directly above them.
The crew looked up.
High in the sky, a small dot was plummeting toward the ocean. It was flailing wildly.
"BEN!" Nami shrieked. "YOU DROPPED HIM FROM THE SKY?! HE'S GOING TO DIE!"
"Relax," Ben said, leaning against the mast. "Watch the show."
Usopp was falling. The wind roared in his ears. The ocean was rushing up to meet him.
I'm gonna die! Ben killed me! I'm a pancake!
His brain screamed panic. But his body... his new, genetically modified body... screamed something else.
Use the wings, idiot!
Instinct took over.
Usopp stopped flailing. His back muscles clenched.
SNAP.
His massive eagle wings caught the air.
The fall turned into a swoop. The terrifying descent became a graceful arc. He skimmed the surface of the water, his boots creating a wake, and then... he pulled up.
He soared.
He shot past the Going Merry, spinning in the air.
"I'M FLYING!" Usopp screamed, his voice changing from terror to pure, unadulterated ecstasy. "LOOK AT ME! I'M THE EAGLE OF THE SEA!"
He banked, circling the ship, diving and climbing with ease.
Luffy cheered. "USOPP IS A BIRD! SO COOL!"
Ben smiled. "See? Motivation."
He turned slowly.
Nami and Vivi were backing away. They were hugging the cabin wall, their eyes wide with terror. They had seen what happened to Usopp. They knew what was coming.
"Ben," Nami warned, holding up her Tempest Tact. "Don't you dare. I will charge you a billion berries per foot of altitude. I will strike you with lightning!"
"No need for violence," Ben said, raising his hands innocently. He walked toward them.
"Stay back!" Vivi cried, her wings flaring defensively. "I'm royalty! You can't drop royalty!"
Ben vanished.
CRACK.
He reappeared behind them. His hands clamped onto their shoulders simultaneously. They froze, tensing up like statues.
They turned their heads mechanically, terrified, to see Ben's face right between them. He was smiling that same, innocent, terrifying smile.
"Are you girls ready?" Ben whispered.
"NO!" they screamed in unison.
"That wasn't a question."
CRACK.
They vanished.
Seconds later, two distinct screams—one demanding payment, one invoking royal decree—echoed from the stratosphere.
"BEN, YOU BASTARD! I'M DOUBLING YOUR DEBT!" (Nami).
"THIS IS TREASON!" (Vivi).
But then... silence.
Followed by the whoosh of air.
Two figures swooped down from the clouds.
Nami, gliding effortlessly on her massive Albatross wings, riding the wind currents like she was born to them.
Vivi, diving like a missile, her Falcon wings tucked for speed before snapping open to brake.
They circled the ship, joining Usopp in the air. Their fear was gone, replaced by the sheer, breathtaking freedom of flight. They laughed, chasing each other through the clouds, diving toward the sea and pulling up at the last second.
Sanji watched them, tears of joy streaming down his face. "My angels... they are truly flying..."
Zoro watched, impressed despite himself. "Air superiority for the crew. Not bad, Wizard."
Ben leaned back, watching his squadron of flying pirates.
"Trial by fire," Ben said satisfied. "Or, well... trial by gravity. Works every time."
The Straw Hat Pirates now ruled the land, the sea, and the sky.
Alabasta... was in for a shock.