The snow fell thick over the island, blanketing the trees and rooftops in white silence. Wind howled across the coastline, but the village nestled between the frozen cliffs remained still—until the cannon fire began.
BOOM.
The explosion shook the earth, followed by terrified screams.
"Pirates!" someone shouted. "They're attacking from the harbor!"
Within moments, chaos erupted—homes caught fire, flames devouring wooden roofs as villagers scrambled to protect their families. Smoke curled up into the gray sky.
In the middle of it all, a boy no older than nine stood in front of the main square. His dark curly hair was dusted with snow, and his breath steamed as he stared down the invaders with wide, unblinking eyes.
Kuzan's tiny fists were clenched. His body trembled—not from the cold, but from fear.
"I won't let you hurt them," he muttered, then shouted louder, "I WON'T LET YOU!"
The lead pirate, a grizzled brute with a jagged sword and steel jaw, sneered. "Outta the way, brat. Or I'll cut you like firewood."
But something in Kuzan had already awakened.
The air shimmered around him. Frost crawled across the ground at his feet, spiraling outward in a beautiful, deadly pattern.
The pirate stepped back. "What the—?!"
WHOOM. A sudden wave of ice blasted out from Kuzan, freezing several pirates instantly. Their bodies were locked in jagged sculptures of terror.
Kuzan gasped, staggering slightly as the cold power surged through him, unsteady and raw.
The captain snarled. "You little freak… that's a Devil Fruit!"
He raised his hand—and dropped his sword. "I surrender! Don't kill me, kid! Please!"
Kuzan blinked, unsure.
"You're strong," the captain said, inching closer. "You win. I give up. Just don't hurt me…"
But as Kuzan's icy grip relaxed, the pirate grinned wickedly.
CRACK. The ice shattered.
"Gotcha."
SHLICK. A hidden blade slid between Kuzan's ribs.
The boy gasped, eyes wide as pain bloomed through his side. Blood spilled across the snow.
"D-Damn it…" he choked, falling to his knees. "I'm… not strong enough…"
The snow felt colder than ever. His vision blurred. Blood stained the white beneath him. The pirate captain loomed over him, blade raised again. There was no one left to help. No strength left to fight.
In that moment—when death seemed certain, when everything went still—
A blinding light exploded through the storm.
BOOOOM.
A sound like thunder tore across the sky.
The snow around them vaporized in an instant, melted in a perfect glowing circle that pulsed outward with heat and power.
The pirate captain staggered back, shielding his eyes. "What the hell—?!"
And then he saw him.
A radiant figure stood just feet away, stepping through the snow like he didn't belong to this world.
A humanoid sun, wrapped in swirling arcs of plasma and fire. His form flickered between brilliant yellow, molten orange, and searing red, with trails of flame licking across his body. The very air around him warped and shimmered from the heat. His glowing red eyes cut through the storm like twin stars.
To Kuzan, still crumpled in the snow, it was like a miracle.
His vision, dim and fading, locked onto the figure. And in that instant—he saw not a man, but a hero born of fire and light. Someone who had come to save him when all hope was gone.
Juno turned his burning gaze to the pirate captain.
His voice was calm—too calm.Like a volcano whispering before it erupts.
"Do you take pleasure in sneak attacking a little kid, pirate?"
The captain's eyes widened. His instincts screamed. He took a shaky step back—but his legs wouldn't move fast enough.
The ground beneath him cracked and hissed, unable to withstand the heat radiating from Juno's presence. Snow evaporated in waves around his feet. Even the air trembled, as if nature itself feared him.
"W-Wait—!" the pirate stammered, raising his sword, eyes darting for an escape.
He never got the chance.
Juno's left hand shifted, crackling with untamed plasma, and morphed into a radiant blade of energy—fluid like fire, sharp like vengeance.
In a single, impossibly smooth motion—
SWOOSH.
He sliced the pirate diagonally from shoulder to waist.
There was no scream. Only a flash of light and the smell of burned air.
The wound didn't bleed. It didn't even mark the snow.
The two halves of the pirate's body didn't fall apart—they simply disintegrated, turned to glowing ash that scattered on the wind like a forgotten nightmare.
Silence followed.
Juno stood still, his blade humming softly, flickers of light dancing around him like orbiting flames. Not a single snowflake dared fall within his radius.
To everyone watching, it was clear:
This wasn't a man.
This was a force of nature. Unstoppable. Untouchable. Unsolvable.
From behind, Kaido, watching from a distance, cracked his knuckles with a grin. "Hah. Now that's how you make an entrance."
Then he stepped forward, dragging a massive kanabo across the ground. His muscular frame loomed like a mountain.
One pirate raised a rifle. "M-Monster!"
Kaido didn't even look. He swung once—casually.
CRACK.
The shockwave leveled five pirates at once.
Another screamed and ran. Kaido grabbed him by the face and slammed him into the snow.
"Pathetic," he muttered.
Within seconds, the remaining pirates were broken, unconscious, or buried under snow and fear.
Juno turned back to the wounded boy.
Kuzan lay in the snow, shivering and clutching his side, blood staining his shirt. His breath came in shallow puffs.
Juno knelt beside him. "You did good, kid."
Kuzan blinked up at him, vision blurry. "You guys… are crazy strong… Who are you?"
Juno smiled faintly. "We're the ones who'll change the world."
He placed a glowing hand on Kuzan's wound. The plasma didn't burn—it warmed, cauterizing and sealing the injury gently. A faint golden light pulsed, and Kuzan felt the pain ease.
"Just rest," Juno said softly.
They brought Kuzan back to the village. Snow still fell, but the flames had died. The remaining villagers emerged slowly from their hiding places—wide-eyed and cautious.
Kaido carried a pile of pirate bodies on one shoulder and dumped them outside the village wall. "Won't be bothering you anymore."
Some villagers whispered thanks. Others stared at Juno and Kaido with a mixture of awe and fear.
One older woman approached Juno. "Thank you, strangers. That boy… he tried to save us before you even came. Brave, but foolish."
"He's got heart," Juno replied. "He just needs guidance."
Kuzan sat nearby, wrapped in a blanket. He looked at his hands, still frosted with residual power. His expression was blank—somewhere between shock and frustration.
"I had them," he muttered. "I thought I had them."
Juno crouched beside him. "You froze five grown men. That's more than most adults could do. But power without control…"
"…will get you killed," Kuzan finished. "Yeah. You said that."
Kaido grinned. "He learns fast."
Juno rose and walked toward a clearing outside the village. "Time to move on."
He tapped his Visionary Device.
"Tera," he called, "open a portal."
A swirling doorway formed in midair, humming with light.
Kaido slung his kanabo over his back and took a long swig from his jug. "Alright. What's next?"
Juno smiled. "We collect more partners and bloodline."
As they stepped toward the portal, Kuzan watched from behind. His fists clenched in the blanket. His heart pounded.
He didn't want to stay behind.
He didn't want to be weak.
He didn't want to be afraid again.
Still, he said nothing.
But Juno paused.
He turned and looked over his shoulder. "What's wrong, kid? You wanna come?"
Kuzan froze. "Can I… really?"
Juno tilted his head. "Only if you're ready to get stronger."
Kaido smirked. "No backing out halfway."
Kuzan stood, ignoring the pain in his side. He walked slowly, then faster, then ran to them.
"I'm in."
Juno extended a hand. "Then let's go."
As Kuzan stepped into the portal with them, the snowy village faded behind him—along with his past of weakness, loneliness, and fear.
Ahead lay a new future.
One where he'd forge his own path.
One where his cold heart would burn with purpose.