The sun began to tilt westward, and its golden light touched the sharp stone walls of the Shells Town Navy base. The air felt tense, like a blade pressed against bare skin. Marines patrolled the courtyard lazily, unaware that two strangers were already planning to throw their entire base into chaos.
From behind a broken part of the courtyard wall, Luffy crouched low, peeking through a crack. His eyes sparkled with childish excitement.
"We should charge in now!" Luffy whispered, grinning.
Rex stood behind him with arms folded, his black hair fluttering gently in the wind.
"No. We strike when they don't expect it," Rex said calmly. "A direct assault without a plan is just a tantrum."
"But tantrums are fun," Luffy mumbled.
Rex smirked. "You'll learn. That kind of thinking will get you killed in the real world."
Suddenly, the heavy gate to the courtyard swung open.
Captain Morgan stepped out, towering in his heavy coat, his metallic jaw glinting in the sun. His massive axe-arm swayed with every step. Behind him walked a thin, cowardly boy—Helmeppo—with a smug grin on his face.
Zoro remained tied to the crosspost in the center of the yard, the hot sun burning his skin.
Helmeppo pointed. "Zoro, you're being executed today! My dad said so!"
Zoro didn't even flinch.
Luffy clenched his fist. "Tch… I hate guys like that."
Rex's eyes narrowed.
He stepped out from the shadows.
Not ran. Walked.
The gravel crunched beneath his feet as he entered the courtyard in full view, facing off against every Marine present, including Captain Morgan.
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Morgan growled, pointing his massive axe-arm toward Rex.
Rex's gaze was cold and fearless.
"I'm the one who breaks tyrants."
Gasps rang out across the soldiers.
"GET HIM!" Morgan roared.
Marines raised rifles and sabers, yelling as they charged.
[…Combat support engaged. Skill branches activated: Muay Thai – Aikido – Krav Maga – Jeet Kune Do – Taekwondo – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – Wing Chun – Boxing – Kenpo – Lethwei – Judo. Initiating Hybrid Mode.]
Rex took a deep breath.
Then he moved.
In the blink of an eye, he dashed forward, his footwork light and explosive like a thunderclap. The first marine came in swinging his saber.
Rex slipped the blade—weaving under it like water—and delivered a vicious elbow straight to the man's ribs with a CRACK. The soldier flew back, screaming.
Another tried to grab him from behind.
Rex dropped his hips and executed a perfect judo shoulder throw, slamming the man onto the stone tiles.
"W-WHAT KIND OF FIGHTING IS THAT?!" one Marine shouted in panic.
Three more came at once.
Rex's fists blurred.
Left jab. Right cross. Spinning elbow. The third went down with a knee to the jaw that lifted him into the air before crashing down, unconscious.
[…Adrenaline surge balanced. Reflex time increased. Energy output steady. Multiple combatants neutralized.]
Captain Morgan grunted, stepping forward.
"You dare defy me?! You low-class SCUM!"
Rex looked up at him.
"You're no justice. Just a coward hiding behind a badge."
Morgan roared, swinging his massive axe-arm with enough force to shatter a tree.
Rex stepped to the side at the last second, the blade whistling past him. He reached up and slammed an open palm into the underside of Morgan's jaw—a perfect upward strike that rattled the man's brain.
But Morgan didn't go down.
He snarled, and this time brought the axe down vertically with a scream.
Rex didn't move.
He closed his eyes.
The blade crashed—
CLANG!!
Rex's palm caught the metal.
Not with power.
With precision.
His fingers bent perfectly into the notch between blade and handle—arresting its motion completely.
The courtyard fell silent.
Even Zoro blinked.
"That's not normal," he muttered.
Rex looked up at Morgan with eyes like blue fire.
"Let me show you how WE fight… where I come from."
He spun, ducked under Morgan's wide arm, and launched a Muay Thai knee straight into Morgan's gut, lifting the giant man off the ground for a moment.
Then—two punches to the throat, one to the chin, and a spinning back kick that sent Morgan flying ten feet across the courtyard, crashing through a wall.
Helmeppo shrieked. "F-F-Father?!"
Luffy laughed. "Rex, that was AWESOME!"
Zoro watched the chaos in disbelief.
He didn't know who this guy was… but his fighting wasn't like anyone Zoro had ever seen.
It wasn't swordplay.
It wasn't martial arts from the seas.
It was something else.
And it was terrifyingly effective.
Rex turned toward Zoro and walked over, the wind brushing gently past.
"Still wanna hang up those swords?" Rex asked, his tone casual but serious.
Zoro looked up at him. "…I'm not joining a weakling."
"Good," Rex said. "I'm not asking you to."
He bent down and cut the ropes, freeing Zoro.
"You're strong," Zoro said, standing up. "But that rubber idiot said he's the captain."
Luffy appeared beside them. "Yup! That's me!"
Rex raised a brow. "And you're okay with that?"
Luffy grinned. "Sure! You're cool, but I'm cooler."
Zoro looked between them. "…You two are insane."
"But you're coming with us, right?" Luffy asked.
Zoro paused. Then smiled, just a little.
"…Yeah. I'm tired of waiting."
As they began walking away from the courtyard, Marines scattered in fear, not even bothering to stop them.
Nami watched from the rooftop, her arms crossed, her heart beating fast.
That black-haired guy… Rex.
The way he moved.
The way he fought.
The way he looked straight into danger and made it kneel.
Her cheeks flushed, and she hated it.
"Tch… stupid handsome pirates…"
[…Target 'Nami': Emotional interest level increased. Observation continues.]
Back in the square, Helmeppo was trying to pull his unconscious father out of the wall while crying like a baby.
"DAD?! DAD, GET UP!"
Rex didn't even look back.
He walked beside Luffy and Zoro as they exited the base.
Three strangers. Three enemies of the World Government.
Three men chasing freedom in their own way.
And one of them?
Would challenge the entire world.