Ten years later.
Raen D. Kael stood like a living colossus.
At a full six meters tall, he loomed over the forested ridge like a mountain given form. His frame was massive, even by Buccaneer standards, with shoulders broad enough to blot out the sun; every movement carried the weight of raw, unyielding power forged through blood and hardship.
His once unruly black hair now cascaded past his shoulders, streaked with pale white at the tips from his Oni lineage. It framed a face hardened by years of battle against beasts and storms alike. Tribal tattoos, dark and jagged, crawled across his chest and arms like ancient runes of rebellion.
Curved golden horns rose proudly from his temples, no longer stubby but refined, gleaming like crowns beneath the open sky. A short goatee had begun to form along his jaw, rough and unpolished, unmistakably reminiscent of Garp.
Draped in a black pirate coat edged with red and gold, adorned with epaulets that evoked a fallen kingdom, he gripped the hilt of his mother's massive broad sword, slung across his back. Bekka's blade, once a whirlwind of silver-haired fury, now hummed in his hands, a reminder of the family he'd lost and the freedom he vowed to claim.
Today was the day Luffy left Foosha Village to start his journey to become the King of Pirates. Makino and Dadan both wept as they bid Luffy farewell, holding onto him as if they were afraid he might disappear before their eyes.
Standing on a mountain, with a grin as wide and reckless as Luffy's signature smile, was his big brother, Raen D. Kael.
After Garp dropped him off, Kael became the third sworn brother of Luffy. He wore the same wild, infectious grin as Luffy. As he watched Luffy sail off, Kael said, "Fly, little brother. The sea's waiting for you to shake things up." The fire-forged heart of Ace. The sharp, calculating eyes of Sabo. A storm made flesh, wrapped in a brother's quiet promise.
Dadan, tears streaming down her weathered face, looked at Kael with a mix of hope and sorrow. "Are you leaving us just like your other brothers now that Luffy is gone?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion.
Kael's smile softened as he shook his head. He grabbed a crate of sake, looking at her with the firelight reflecting in his golden eyes. "Not yet, Dadan." His voice was low, resolute. With that, he turned and swam toward the island where Garp used to toss them for training. Kael turned the jungle into his makeshift shipyard, where he had spent countless hours with Ace, Sabo, and Luffy.
The half-built ship stood at the heart of it all. Kael stopped before it, his eyes lingering on the vessel, born from years of sweat, blood, and fury. He exhaled deeply, then started singing an old sea shanty one Shanks and his crew used to sing when Kael and his brothers were just kids dreaming of the sea.
🎶Leave her, Johnny, leave her…
For the voyage is long, and the winds don't blow…
And it's time for us to leave her.🎶
As the song faded into the still night, Kael's thoughts drifted to sleep. Then memories flooded back into his mind. His locked One Piece knowledge, Ace's death at Marineford, his last words, the heat of the flames, the roar of Whitebeard's fall surging like a tidal wave, threatening to pull him under. He envisioned his youngest brother one day unleashing a storm fierce enough to challenge emperors, topple warlords, and defy even the ghosts from the great pirate era. The Yonko. Marine Admirals. Everyone Luffy would face on his journey. Amidst these memories, a low, resonant mechanical ding chimed in his mind.
"Raen D. Kael, you have awakened the Fourth Flame system."
Kael's breath seized as he stiffened, hearing the voice again. It echoed through his mind like an old, familiar song. This wasn't a dream.
"This system will allow you to summon five members of the One Piece world. One from the dead, one from the Roger era at their prime, and the final three at their current level. The system gives you tasks to upgrade your ship, gain treasure maps, weapons, skills, and mythical devil fruits."
Kael halted mid-step as a circle of shadow and flame ignited beneath his feet. Crimson symbols whirled around him, unseen by others but sharp as daylight to him.
A translucent interface formed before his eyes, words carving themselves into his mind like a brand.
[System Booting…]
[Welcome, Raen D. Kael.]
[You are the Chosen Host of the Fourth Flame.]
[Condition Met: All three sworn brothers have departed on their paths.]
[Initializing System Core…]
Kael's heartbeat pounded in his chest. Emotions swirled shock, wonder, the wild pulse of excitement. He couldn't deny the allure of the adventure that awaited. A chance to change everything. To write a new story where his brothers didn't have to die. "System, you finally awaken," Kael said, unable to hide his excitement.
[System Functions Unlocked:]
Summon System (5 Slots) Quest Log Ship Upgrade Tree Treasure Map Archive Inventory
[Summon Slots Available:]
1 Dead (Locked – No valid candidates)
1 Prime Era (Available)
3 Current Timeline (3 Available)
[Starter Quest Received:]
Ignite Your Path: Leave Dawn Island, summon your first ally.
Reward: One Mythical Devil Fruit (Random), One ship upgrade card
Kael clenched his fists, the air crackling around him like the calm before a storm. "No more deaths… Not on my watch."
[Summon Option Available: Prime Era Character]
Select One:
– Gol D. Roger (Locked – Soul Unavailable)
– Edward Newgate (Whitebeard) (Locked – Still Alive)
– Shiki the Golden Lion (Available)
– Silvers Rayleigh (Prime) (Limited)
– Rocks D. Xebec (Dangerous – Suppressed Option)
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Rocks, huh? Yeah… no thanks." He dismissed the option, focusing on what mattered.
[Current Summon Options Available (3):]
– Portgas D. Ace, Whitebeard Pirates, Second Division Commander
– Trafalgar D. Law, Surgeon of Death
– Yamato, Oni Bloodline, Daughter of Kaido
Kael's hand hovered over Ace's name for a long, heavy moment.
The weight hit him, his thoughts flashing to Ace's fiery determination, his reckless smile. But Kael wasn't ready for that yet.
"No… not yet," Kael whispered. "He's got his story. I need to write mine."
His gaze shifted to the base of the mountain, where his half-built ship waited like a silent promise of what was to come.
A labor of solitude, of fury, scavenged wreckage, forest timber, and the brutal will of a Buccaneer's bloodline.
[Quest Updated: Depart Dawn Island]
[Summon Token (1) Available]
[Do you wish to use your first token?]
Kael's smile sharpened. "Let's see what fate throws my way."
[Summoning Initiated: Searching Eligible Characters…]
[Selection Confirmed: Yamato – Oni Bloodline, Current Timeline]
[Summoning…]
A thunderous shockwave of spiritual pressure tore through the forest, shaking the earth beneath Kael's feet. Leaves scattered, trees groaned, and the air trembled as a portal of crimson flame and swirling shadow erupted before him.
From it, a tall, fierce-eyed woman emerged, silver hair flowing around curved horns, clad in furs and iron chains.
Her aura blazed with rebellion, strength, and untamed fire, the very essence of a warrior born to break chains.
Yamato's sharp eyes locked onto Kael as her hand gripped her kanabō, Takeru. The weapon hummed with bloodlust, its edge gleaming with promise. Her gaze narrowed.
"What the hell…? Where am I?"
Kael stepped forward, his golden eyes shining beneath his bandana. A wild grin curled his lips. "I'm Raen D. Kael," he said, his voice low and confident. "I summoned you."
Yamato tensed, her grip tightening on her weapon. "Summoned me? Who the hell are you?"
Kael raised a hand, cutting her off. "I'm not one of Kaido's dogs, and I'm not after your head. What I want… is a first mate."
Yamato's eyes flickered with surprise, her stance relaxing just a bit. She studied Kael for a long moment, and she saw the fire in his eye,s the same fire burning in her soul.
"I need a first mate who's as untamed as the sea itself, someone who doesn't bend to anyone. Someone ready to conquer the world with me. So, what do you say, Yamato? You in?"
For a heartbeat, only the residual energy crackling in the air and the thick tension filled the silence.
Then, Yamato's lips curled into a sharp, feral smile. "Tch… you've got balls, I'll give you that." She hefted her kanabō over one shoulder. "Alright, Captain, I'm in."
[New Crew Member Acquired: Yamato – First Mate]
Kael chuckled darkly. "Good," he said. "Let's go raise some hell."