"Let me properly introduce myself first," Ha Shiro said with a confident grin. "I'm the owner of the Superhuman Hair Fruit. I may not be a master of swordsmanship, but I'd say my scissors are sharp enough to hold their own."
With that, he pulled a small pair of scissors from his belt, only to tuck them away again almost immediately. He wasn't armed right now, and the last thing he wanted was to damage his favorite tools.
Sliding his hands into his pockets, Ha Shiro exhaled calmly—and then his hair suddenly flared out like a living creature. The waist-length strands whipped forward against the wind, launching a direct assault toward Zoro.
"So fast!" Zoro barely managed to raise his swords to block, but even then, he was pushed back several steps by the sheer force of the attack.
"What the hell—this isn't normal hair! How's it so tough?"
Even though Zoro wielded his signature Three-Sword Style, Ha Shiro's twin locks lashed through the air like steel whips, leaving glowing afterimages with every swing.
"Damn it… did you seriously use only two strands on purpose?!" Zoro gritted his teeth, sweat beading across his forehead as he found himself completely overwhelmed. "There's no way I can win like this!"
Ha Shiro chuckled and finally withdrew his hair. "Alright, alright, enough fighting for now. Let's call it a night. We'll head out to sea together tomorrow."
He quickly got to work setting up camp, even crafting a bed for Nami out of woven leaves. Despite its simplicity, it actually looked pretty comfortable. It had taken him all day to make—along with a little help from his Devil Fruit powers.
Night passed peacefully. Just like in the original story, Luffy spent the time helping the man with the treasure chest fulfill his long-held wish.
By morning, the four of them set out once again, rowing their small boat away from the island.
"Hey, long-haired freak!" Zoro called over, clearly irritated. "How about you help row for once instead of fawning over Nami all day?"
Ha Shiro was standing beside Nami, offering her a freshly cut fruit platter with an easy smile.
"Useless, huh? You'll see about that," he replied, smirking.
He grabbed both Zoro and Luffy's oars, fixed them in place behind the boat, and then focused his power. The air around them rippled—suddenly, the small boat surged forward at incredible speed, turning into a makeshift speedboat.
"Waaahhhhhh!" came a chorus of screams from everyone aboard.
"Ha Shiro! Would it kill you to give a little warning first?!" Nami yelled, hair whipping wildly in the wind.
"Sorry, sorry! My bad!" Ha Shiro raised his hands in mock surrender. "Next time, I'll follow Captain Nami's orders to the letter, promise!"
Luckily, his sincere tone and quick apology were enough to calm her down—at least for now.
After landing on a new island, Ha Shiro quickly realized where they were in the story.
"Oh no…" he muttered under his breath. "Did I just skip past the legendary Buggy arc? Guess I missed my chance to meet a future Emperor."
Before he could dwell on it, a rustling sound came from the jungle ahead. Rocks suddenly came flying out toward them.
"Nami! Look out!" Ha Shiro shouted, stepping in front of her protectively. He pretended to scan the tall grass, ready for an ambush.
Moments later, a group of pirate flags popped up all around them, looking intimidating—though Ha Shiro already knew who was behind it.
"Wow, incredible acting!" he said with exaggerated awe.
"Hahaha! I'm the great pirate of this village, Usopp!" The man behind the illusion announced dramatically.
His over-the-top tone made it obvious who it was.
Nami sighed. "Yeah, sure you are."
When Usopp pulled out a pistol, Luffy and Zoro exchanged mischievous grins.
"If you're gonna point a gun," Zoro warned, "you'd better be ready to risk your life."
"Your father's Yasopp, isn't he?" Ha Shiro added casually, and Usopp froze mid-pose.
And just like that, they all ended up following Usopp toward his village—though Ha Shiro soon excused himself under the pretense of "taking a leak."
In reality, he had another goal in mind: Kaya's hair.
As a man with a collector's streak—and a barber's pride—he couldn't possibly miss the chance to work with hair that fine.
He arrived at Kaya's grand villa a short while later.
"Stop! Who are you?" one of the guards barked, blocking his path. Moments later, Kuro appeared beside them, eyeing Ha Shiro suspiciously.
Thankfully, Ha Shiro had prepared in advance. He'd changed into a crisp black suit, his hair neatly tied back. With a polite bow, he said smoothly, "I'm the barber Miss Kaya requested. You can call me Mr. Tony."
He presented his scissors and comb set with practiced professionalism.
Kuro frowned but motioned for him to follow. "A barber, huh? Fine. Come with me."
They entered Kaya's room, where the pale young lady sat weakly on her bed.
"Miss Kaya," Kuro asked pointedly, "did you really make an appointment with a barber?"
Kaya blinked in surprise. She hadn't—but when she saw Ha Shiro's warm, refined smile, she hesitated, then nodded softly.
Lately, she'd been unbearably lonely, her health poor and her spirit lower still. Having someone to talk to didn't sound so bad.
"Miss Kaya, if you would please sit here," Ha Shiro said gently, motioning to a nearby chair.
When she didn't move, he sighed and simply lifted her—carefully, tenderly—into his arms and carried her over.
"Ah! W–What are you doing?" Kaya's cheeks flushed crimson as she squirmed. No one had ever held her so boldly before.
"Just relax," Ha Shiro said with a chuckle. "I'll start with a dry wash. Give me a moment."
He washed her hair with almost reverent care, his movements precise and gentle. Seeing her pale reflection in the mirror, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of sympathy.
Kuro, seeing that Ha Shiro behaved himself, eventually left the room, though he ordered a servant to stand guard at the door.
"What's your name?" Kaya asked softly.
"My name's Ha Shiro," he replied, smiling in the mirror. "You have beautiful hair, Miss Kaya—smooth and silky, just the way a barber likes it."
As he trimmed and styled, he kept up light conversation, telling her little fairytales and childhood stories—about Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and more.
Time passed easily.
Usopp appeared at one point, but when he noticed the scene through the window, he wisely stayed hidden.
Moments later, chaos struck—Luffy, Nami, and the others came crashing through the window.
Ha Shiro facepalmed. "Yep. Still the same old entrance."
Kaya blinked in confusion as Ha Shiro carried her closer to the window.
"I can walk…" she murmured shyly.
"It's fine. You're light," he said kindly, setting her down by the window so she could watch what was happening outside.
"Kaya, why is he here?"
"Ha Shiro? Wait, what are you doing here?" Luffy asked, already half-grinning. "Hey, Miss Kaya, can you do us a favor? We need a ship—"
Before he could finish, Kuro stormed in, cutting him off with a villain's dramatic monologue that went on for several minutes before Usopp finally punched him mid-sentence.
Ha Shiro sighed. "Man, Kuro's acting is top-tier. Almost makes me forget he's the bad guy."
When the dust finally settled, he turned to Kaya and smiled softly. "Miss Kaya, I should be going too. I hope we'll meet again someday. Please, take this as a gift."
He handed her a delicate seashell tied to a single shimmering strand of his own hair. Through that strand, he could sense her location anytime.
As he stepped out of the villa, he spotted Luffy and the others waiting outside.
"Hey, Ha Shiro! What were you doing in Kaya's room?" Luffy asked immediately, grinning like an idiot.
Ha Shiro glared at him. "I was trying to negotiate funding for a new ship, genius—until you lot showed up and ruined everything."
"Hahaha!" Luffy burst out laughing.
"Tch." Nami clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed. She eyed Ha Shiro's neat suit and polished demeanor. "You weren't negotiating, you were flirting. Don't think I didn't notice."
"Miss Nami," Ha Shiro said with a perfectly straight face, "I was only giving Miss Kaya a haircut. It cost a hundred thousand Berries, see?"
The moment money was mentioned, Nami's eyes sparkled like gold coins. Her earlier irritation evaporated instantly as she leaned close, grinning sweetly.
"Oh, my irresistible charm," Ha Shiro muttered under his breath, exasperated yet amused.