"ONE PIECE is real, and the legendary Great Secret Treasure exists!"
"Nothing will stand in the way of my ambition to chase my dreams."
"Alright, everyone, get ready — we're setting sail immediately!"
"Hahahaha, the legendary treasure of One Piece… I'm coming for you."
A few hours after the war's end, the seas had fallen into complete chaos.
Countless ambitious men and women, driven by dreams, wealth, and power, were flooding toward the open sea.
From the Four Blues to the Grand Line, and deep into the New World, the pirate population had nearly doubled in mere hours.
The Great Pirate Era, ignited by Gol D. Roger and propelled by Whitebeard's final words, had entered a new, frenzied stage.
And amidst this turbulence, a new name emerged into the public eye — one that would soon be etched into the memories of countless forces across the world:
Kaelen Tsukishiro.
His declaration had stirred the wrath of both the World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
For the first time in over 800 years, someone had brazenly challenged the World Government's authority before the entire world.
A man like that simply could not be allowed to exist.
Following a tense interrogation at Navy Headquarters, the World Government acted swiftly — issuing a bounty notice.
---
The next morning.
On the vast, sun-drenched sea, a three-masted sailing ship cut steadily through the waves. Overhead, a flock of seagulls circled lazily in the sky.
"'Rebel Thunder', Kaelen Tsukishiro — bounty: 643 million Berries. Suspected wielder of the Gura Gura no Mi.
Crimes: plundering multiple islands, killing thousands of innocents, harboring extreme hatred for the World Government, and committing unforgivable atrocities."
Lying back in a chair, a drink in one hand and a newspaper in the other, Kaelen smirked at the corner of his lips.
None of this surprised him.
"Heh, as expected. Those fools can't do anything but sling mud."
He was a little annoyed though. The bounty set on his head was only 643 million Berries — a figure he considered insulting.
"I should've made a bigger mess while I had the chance," he muttered, rising to his feet and strolling out onto the deck.
The endless sea stretched out before him in every direction. Nothing but water — the world felt both boundless and strangely empty.
Without the internet, Kaelen still found himself out of place, restless, and uncertain.
"Lonely… maybe I should find a woman. A confidante wouldn't be bad either."
Aside from anime novels, Kaelen's favorite indulgence was beautiful women.
And as anyone familiar with this world knew, the seas were filled with them — Nami, Nico Robin, Boa Hancock, Perona… all top-tier beauties.
"Robin's Hana Hana no Mi can create multiple clones… which means… double the fun, huh."
A sly grin crept across his face as he entertained that thought.
"She should be somewhere in the East Blue right now, at that bridge-building island Bartholomew Kuma sent her to."
"In that case… guess it's time to head for East Blue. There are some real interesting characters over there."
Truthfully, Kaelen didn't have a grand plan at this stage. He was simply looking for something to occupy himself — drifting wherever the wind took him.
A spontaneous journey, like a traveler without a map.
As his ship steadily cruised eastward, a battered sailboat appeared on the horizon several miles away.
Its trajectory would soon bring it directly into Kaelen's path.
---
"Moria-sama, are you alright?"
"Cough… damn Doflamingo… when I recover, I swear I'll make him pay."
On the dilapidated sailboat, Gecko Moria leaned against the mast, his massive frame riddled with long, narrow wounds. Blood oozed from countless cuts, leaving him a sorry sight.
Beside him, Absalom worked feverishly to bandage the injuries.
To be fair, Moria's string of bad luck had reached legendary proportions.
He'd come to assist the Navy in battle, only to nearly lose his life. If it hadn't been for Absalom's desperate rescue, his corpse would already be rotting at the bottom of the sea.
"Moria-sama… since the World Government stripped you of your Shichibukai title, what should we do now?"
As he tightened the last bandage, Absalom spoke hesitantly.
"Let's get back to the Thriller Bark… rebuild the zombie army. Those bastards in the World Government, one day, I'll crush them."
His words were sharp and venomous, but the pained tremor in his voice betrayed his weakened state.
After his humiliating defeat at the hands of the Straw Hat crew, Moria's forces had been decimated. Most of his zombies destroyed, the stolen shadows escaped, and Perona missing without a trace.
His influence and power were at an all-time low.
Absalom, glancing away, tried to mask his unease.
Suddenly, his expression shifted.
"Moria-sama! There's a ship ahead!"
A few hundred meters away, a sturdy sailboat was cutting through the waves toward them.
"Our ship's wrecked. It won't survive long enough to reach the Thriller Bark."
Absalom didn't need to explain further. The implication was obvious.
Moria caught on instantly, a cruel smile twisting his lips.
"Kishishishi… looks like they've got terrible luck running into us today."
---
┌(・.・)┘♪
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