"Hey, Luffy..." The autonomously sentient giant robot starts saying as he undoes the knot hidden in its body for 800 years.
Upon doing this, ripples begin to generate from the island and red rays gradually start emerging that knock the marines unconscious, deter Warcury, and even leave Luffy stunned with his eyes peeled.
"Supreme King Haki?" Luffy asks, his intimidated expression a direct contrast to his fearless personality and the fun and mirth performance of his Gear 5.
"Thank you! For letting me hear that old familiar rhythm!"
The sea begins to generate waves that move the Marine ships due to the Haki lightning as the camera begins to change its focus.
"Don't die, okay?! I WON'T LET YOU DIE!!!"
With these words last words from the robot with consciousness, the scene explodes on the screen. A massively powerful burst of Supreme King Haki is released far beyond the island, splitting the sky and raging the sea.
The animation of red lightning cracking and cutting the sea, the Marines, even the powerful Vice Admiral, dropping like flies, the treachery and confused York also hitting the ground, and the Five Monstrous Elders, who had proven themselves at the level of an Emperor, appearing in black and white before returning to their human appearances and returning to Mary Geoise with a waiting Mars.
"Whoa, that blast was amazing!" One commenter shouts.
"The invincible Five Elders were swept away like fluff! (Voice cracking)." Another write, almost screaming with excitement.
"Although it must be admitted that the detransformation was more realistic in the manga. What's wrong? Did they have scheduling problems and had to use drawings instead of good animation?" A third one comments in an abrasive manner.
Ever since Garp and Koby's strength became legendary in the manga, the pirate forums, which had been quiet for a while, exploded again with doubtful and mocking comments.
The popular opinion that Haki was becoming more prevalent than Devil Fruits had only been reinforced since then, both in the Egghead and Elbaph arcs.
And now, with the recent release of this episode and the live demonstration of the greatest Haki in the entire franchise, the consensus of all viewers is unanimous: Haki is the greatest power in One Piece.
"Certainly, since the word Haki came to light in the Amazon Lily arc, it's as if Eiichiro Oda has completely changed the focus of the story." A member comments.
"Now devil fruits are no longer the big deal. Damn, Roger became the master of the world without one, and despite what the plot tells us, Joyboy tramples the Five Elders with his Haki, not the Nika fruit." Another groans in annoyance.
"The author is going to say that with effort and Haki, you reach the top. If not, look at Koby. Just two and a half years, and he went from a skinny Marine newbie to Admiral-level strength."
"Too bad about Vice Admiral Garp, though..." Someone says sadly, remiscinding his sacrifice.
"[Akainu: Why are only you guys back? Where's Garp?] [Koby: I lost him in the New World!]"
"Hahahaha, the comment above almost made me die laughing!" A user replies, holding their stomach.
"Okay, let's get serious!" Another jumps in.
"The anime says Marine Headquarters soldiers do crazy training every day: 2000 push-ups, 100 rope climbs, 200 laps around the field, and tough fighting practice with kendo swords. Now, times all that by 200... It's normal for him to get THAT strong."
"My brain is going to explode! That's the power of 200x Effort, baby!" A user writes, his expression widening with excitement.
"Nah, that's not true. That training only appears in the anime, as filler. If all the marines worked that hard, they wouldn't be such whiny weaklings." I write, being more realistic.
"Even so, Koby put more effort than anyone and went from zero to hero. If Koby can do it, if we jumped into the Pirate World and worked 200x harder, could we become as strong as Koby and blow up a mountain sized limb?" A user asks.
"That actually makes a lot of sense!" Another one shouts.
"So, who wants to go first and check it out?" Someone jokingly asks, sounding both brave and reckless.
"The truck is ready to go! Anyone interested in trying it?" Someone replies enthusiastically.
"I don't think it was that easy. If we put aside the fact that the author wants to make his characters stronger for no reason, there would be plenty more reasons for them to become stronger than just training." I comment, trying to be the one who has my feet on the ground in this discussion.
"Also, what would you want to achieve by becoming stronger?"
The debate about One Piece went on for quite some time, and when I became aware of the world outside the screen again, I took a glance at the clock on the wall. It was already 9:00pm.
"Ah man, I didn't notice it was this late. Sorry everyone, but I think I will just hit the sack. Have to get up early tomorrow for the lesson on financial planning. Hopefully Mr. Sato doesn't chew my ear out again for whatever reason." I say logging out of the platform and shutting down the laptop.
---
Sea Circle Calendar 1515, five years before Luffy starts his adventure.
East Blue, Shells Town.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!*
The bell by the sea rang, its slow rhythm meaning there was no immediate danger. That meant only one thing.
"The Marines are back!" A townsman yells.
A marine ship with the symbol of the 153rd Marine Branch was coming into the port of Shells Town, back from a mission to defeat the Black Cat Pirates, who had been causing trouble on the East Blue islands for quite some time with arms smuggling and caravan raids in East Blue waters
Hoping for safety, the people of Shells Town come out of their homes and gather along the main street overlooking the endless blue sea, excited to see their "heroes" arrive. For these defenseless citizens ignorants of the dark side of the world, the Marines are a symbol of stability and order, a defense force tasked with enforce the law, apprehende
Every time a Marine ship comes back from patrol, the townspeople welcome them warmly, not just out of respect and thanks for the soldiers fighting the plague that terrorizes and causes suffering to defenseless citizens like them, but also yearning to see their friends and family enlisted in the seaborne military forces come back safe.
But the happy homecoming they imagined was about to be ruined.
Commander Rhodes, the Base Commander of the 153rd Branch, led the way getting off the boat with half of his face covered in bloody bandages and his left arm gone, the empty sleeve a sad reminder of his last battle at sea. Red stains still mark his once-clean uniform, and his ornate overcoat characteristic of Marine officers is also covered in cuts and blood stains, the word JUSTICE barely visible.
The other Marines who follow his march are in bad shape too. Heads, bodies, arms and legs - they are covered in wounds and blood-stained bandages, helping each other walk. As they parade through the crowd, the people can see how their faces are pale, and their eyes are haunted by what they had seen.
Behind them are carts filled with even more wounded soldiers who can't even walk, and dead bodies wrapped in white cloth - a terrible result of the patrol and the collision with pirates. This horrible sight is almost too much to bear for the people watching, especially for the younger ones.
"How awful." A young woman whispers in shock, covering her mouth with her hand.
The hopeful faces of the younger people quickly turn pale as their dreams of joining the Marines and becoming heroes that save people disappear, replaced by fear and rejection. Watching the gloomy march across the road, they finally understand the warnings of their elders: Serving in the Marines is dangerous. It can mean death.
Compared to the panic of the young people, the older townsfolk are calm, but their faces show sadness and resignation. They have seen similar scenes too many times in the last ten years, so, while you can't say they're used to the reality of losing people, you can say they're more conditioned to accepting that possibility.
"So few came back this time." An old man mutters, shaking his head.
"Sigh, the pirates are getting bolder and wilder! When will this nightmare end?!" Another adds, his voice full of despair.
"Damn that Roger! This stupid Great Pirate Era is all his fault!" A third spat, his face twisted with anger.
If they remember correctly, the Branch had sent almost 100 men of the base on this mission, but less than half had returned alive, and some of them are so injured that they may not return to their duties in the near future, or perhaps ever.
Since Gold Roger began the Great Pirate Age, even the peaceful East Blue had become a war zone, with frequent pirate attacks everywhere. Not only the Black Cat Pirates, but many other pirates spread terror across this sea with their sadistic and ruthless acts.
Villages were burned and looted, innocent people were killed or even enslaved, and the people had to live in fear and anxiety that the black flags would come for them even with the Marines present.
The Marines' sacrifices had become commonplace, but that doesn't mean people simply accept them. It's a sad cycle of loss and lamentation that repeats itself over and over again and that no one likes.
A heavy silence falls on the street as the "survivors" walk back to the fortress with grim expressions.
The returning Marines, feeling guilty and traumatized by their defeat and casualties, bowed their heads, unable to look at the expressions of the townspeople around them. The memory of their terrible fight against the pirates replayed itself over and over again in their minds: an endless nightmare filled with blood and despair.
The pirates had been waiting for them, setting an ingenious trap to catch them off guard. "Captain Kuro of the Hundred Plans" had been especially terrifying, like a ghost: he was there, and the next moment, he was there. He even cut off Commander Rhodes's arm.
It had been a massacre!
Suddenly, the line of grim Marines stopped, and a small group of townspeople, perhaps a dozen, stood in their way: gray-haired old men, young women in their wedding dresses, and innocent, wide-eyed children.
Their faces are tense with fear, and their eyes search for any sign of hope amidst the wounded group.
An elderly woman with a wrinkled face pushes her way to the front of the group, her hands tightly clasped, as she begins to speak to Commander Rhodes, her voice trembling with uncertainty and fear. "Commander Rhodes, please, could you tell me why my son, Jamie, isn't here?"
"And my fiancé, Cole?!" Another woman shouts.
"Is my beloved back?" A third voice asks.
The small group speaks as one, each pleading for news of their loved ones. Although they fear the worst, they retain a small bit of hope that they will be returned.
Commander Rhodes's gaze is dull and empty at this sight. "Bring them in." He says, his voice barely audible as he grits his teeth.
The next moment, the carts carrying the bodies moved forward, their wheels creaking under the weight. Each white cloth had a name hastily written on it, and the cloth with the name of the old woman's son, Jamie, was small, no bigger than a child's body, and contained only the tiny remains of the young soldier.
"We were ambushed by pirates." Commander Rhodes starts explaining, his voice flat. "Ensign Jamie was hit by enemy cannon fire during the battle. These are all the pieces of his body we could find."
*Thump--*
The old woman falls to his knees, holding the small bundle of her son's remains. Her cries of sadness echo through the street, a heartbreaking song for a life that was over too soon.
Ten minutes later, after all the people in the group have searched the loved one that each one of them was waiting for among the wounded Marines and the dead bodies in the carts, the sad line of Marines continues going back to the Branch Fortress at the end of the street. Even after the last soldier has disappeared, the street is still filled with sorrowful cries, showing the human cost of the piracy threat.
---
The next morning.
The 153rd Branch put up notices and fliers looking for new Marine recruits. Although they feel crushed and the fight with the Black Cat Pirates has left them with lingering bitter memories, they are still part of a military organization charged with providing order and security, so they must seek new recruits to replace the soldiers lost in combat.
Outside the Food Tavern, Takahashi Tetsuo puts his small bag over his shoulder, ready to leave.
"Tetsuo!"
Ririka, the owner of the Food Tavern, can't help going out of the local and call out to him with a voice full of worry while she holds her young daughter of 3 years old close to her, a hint of fear and pain in both of their eyes.
She had hoped that seeing the Marines' defeat and human cost would discourage Tetsuo, but he still seems determined to enlist no matter what.
"Are you really going to join the Marines?" She asks, her voice soft but lingering with worry.
"That's right." Tetsuo replies, turning his head to face the worried mother and daughter and smiling warmly in gratitude
"Ririka, thank you for taking care of me these past few months when I had nowhere else to go. I don't think I would have been able to survive if it weren't for the kindness and trust you showed toward a complete stranger like me."
"Little Rika, thank you too. It's been fun playing with you, and your rice balls are really delicious. Now that you've learned to use salt instead of sugar, you're sure to become a great cook like your mom."
"..." Ririka's face turns sad as she remains silent.
She really wants to convince Tetsuo to stay, believing that working at the Food Tavern and living a peaceful life is better than the dangers of joining the Marine. After all, with a Marine base on the island, pirates and other criminals are unlikely to plunder this quiet town.
But she has no right to stop him. As Tetsuo said, he's a stranger who appeared one day out of nowhere. Even though she had hired him as her employee and had established a friendly relationship with him, he had already made it clear that he was someone who was to stay with them only for a short time.
"Uncle Tetsuo!"
Rika, not knowing the worries of the adults, wriggles out of her mother's arms and runs to grab Tetsuo's pants. Her big eyes, filled with tears, tug at his heart.
"Please don't go!" She begs, her voice full of emotion as she rubs her tearful face against Tetsuo's pants. "Rika likes you! Mommy likes you too! We want you to stay with us! Please don't leave us!"
"Rika, your uncle Tetsuo likes you too." Tetsuo says softly, crouching down to mess up her hair. "Being with you and Ririka has been very rewarding for me, and the two of you have helped me last until the Base Commander returns. But now I have to leave to fulfill my goals and dreams."
That's true! Even though he's bonded with Ririka and Rika, and despite the clear demonstration the other day of how dangerous this world can actually be, Takahashi Tetsuo is fully determined to begin his adventure as a transmigrator in the fascinating world of One Piece!