Kon plummeted through the clouds, the wind roaring in his ears. Goku's tiny paws clung to his shoulders, the four-armed monkey squeaking with excitement.
'This is freedom, No more being limited to seeing only a single island,' Kon thought, spreading his arms wide as he angled his descent.
His metal bo-staff, strapped securely to his back, didn't budge. Below, the clouds parted, revealing a vast ocean sparkling under the sun. In the distance, a small island dotted the horizon, and Kon grinned.
'There we go. First stop.'
Goku nudged his cheek, chittering. "Yeah, yeah, I know," Kon said, laughing. "You're excited too, huh?"
The monkey's big eyes gleamed, and Kon's grin widened.
He adjusted his trajectory, bending the air around him to glide toward the island. He landed lightly in a grassy clearing, knees bending as he touched down. Goku hopped off his shoulder, scampering to a nearby tree. "Not bad, right?" Kon said, stretching his arms. 'First landing in the world below, and I nailed it.'
He sat on a rock, thinking aloud. The island looked inhabited from the sky and was pretty small.
"What's first? Find a ship, maybe. Old man Iroh told me that the sea was filled with ships. Meet people. Spar with someone strong." He mumbled aloud.
He paused, then reached into his bag, pulling out a Straw hat. "Oh, right. Gotta keep this secret." He placed the hat on his head, covering the arrow mark on his forehead. The hat was given to him by Iroh who was quite tight lipped about why he selected this hat for him.
'Old man Iroh said to hide my Avatar identity as long as I can.' He lifted Goku, setting the monkey on top of the hat to keep it secure. Goku chittered, settling in like a tiny guard.
Kon stood, looking toward the sea. "Let's go, Goku." He took a step, then leaped into the air, bending air beneath his feet to propel himself upward. 'To the ocean.'
---
Ironjaw Rick, captain of the Rustfang Pirates, leaned against the railing of his ship, the Iron Serpent, sipping a mug of beer.
The day was perfect—clear skies, calm seas, and a haul of goods from an abandoned merchant ship they'd looted yesterday. It was not looting if you just left the ship without any people in the middle of the ocean.
'Life's good,' he thought, grinning. Rick wasn't your typical pirate. Sure, he loved treasure, but adventure? That was his real passion. Killing wasn't his style—he'd rather outsmart his foes and sail off laughing.
He squinted at the sky, catching a strange shape in the distance. 'What's that?'
He rubbed his eyes, then blinked. A figure was flying toward the ship—a young man in a hat, with a four-armed monkey perched on top, waving two arms like a lunatic.
Rick rubbed his eyes again. 'Am I drunk already?'
The figure got closer, and Rick's jaw dropped. "Wake up, you fools!" he bellowed, slamming his mug down. "Come outside! We've got company!"
His crew, sprawled across the deck napping or playing cards, stirred groggily. A wiry pirate named Jek stood, scratching his head. "No ship out there, boss. You drunk again? Bwahahaha!" The crew burst into laughter, slapping their knees.
"Not in the sea, you idiots!" Rick pointed skyward. "Look at the sky!"
Every head turned, and eyes widened. The flying figure—a kid, maybe seventeen, with a monkey on his hat—landed on the deck with a soft thud.
"Hey, y'all!" the kid said, grinning wide. "My name's Kon. Nice to meet you! Would you be willing to be my friends? Which sea are we in? Are you pirates? What's your crew name? Are you searching for the One Piece too?"
The questions spilled out like water from a burst pipe, and the monkey—Goku—rubbed its forehead, looking exasperated.
Rick stared, his mind racing. 'A crazy kid with the fabled devil fruit power, flying with a four-armed monkey? Now this is an adventure.'
He saw something familiar in Kon's eager grin. 'He's like me just when I left home with dreams. Chasing thrills, with no fear whatsoever.'
"Kid," Rick said, crossing his arms, "I'd love to answer, but… do you have some fabled devil fruit power that lets you fly?"
Kon opened his mouth. "Nope, I'm a bend—" A tiny fist from Goku smacked his head, cutting him off.
Kon winced, rubbing the spot. 'Right, gotta keep bending a secret.' He looked down, shuffling his feet. "I, uh… didn't fly. A… a bird dropped me from the sky."
The crew exchanged glances, smirking.
'A bird?' Rick thought, chuckling.
'Kid's a terrible liar. Let him have his secrets.'
"Sure, a bird," Rick said, winking. "Big one, huh?"
Kon's face reddened, but then his nose twitched. "What's that smell?"
Rick grinned, pointing to a crate. "That's something we found on a merchant ship, packed in ice. Ice cream, they call it. Pretty tasty."
Kon's eyes lit up. "Can I have some? Please?"
"Of course you can!" Rick slapped his back. "Let's party, everyone! We've got a guest on our ship!"
"Hell yeah!" the crew roared, scrambling to set up tables and barrels.
---
The deck of the Iron Serpent transformed into a lively party. Pirates dragged out crates of food—fish, bread, and the prized ice cream, still cold from the ice chests.
Someone struck up a tune on a battered guitar, and others clapped along, their boots stomping the deck.
Kon sat on a barrel, a bowl of chocolate ice cream in his hands, Goku perched on his shoulder nibbling a spoonful.
'This is amazing,' Kon thought, scooping another bite. 'The world below is so friendly. Mom, Dad, and Iroh must've exaggerated the dangers.'
Rick plopped down beside him, a fresh mug of beer in hand. "So, kid," he said, grinning, "that bird that 'dropped' you—must've been a big one, yeah? What was it, a roc? A sky dragon?" The crew howled with laughter, and Kon's face flushed.
"I, uh… yeah, big bird," Kon mumbled, shoving ice cream in his mouth. 'Gotta work on my lies.'
Jek, the wiry pirate, leaned in, smirking. "Bet it was a whole flock! Had to carry you and that monkey, right?" He mimicked flapping wings, and the crew roared again.
Goku chittered, waving a tiny fist, and Kon laughed. "Okay, okay, you got me. I'm not great at stories yet."
A burly pirate named Mara handed Kon a piece of bread. "Eat up, kid. Can't adventure on an empty stomach. So, you really hunting the One Piece?"
Kon nodded, chewing. "Yup! Gonna find it, whatever it is. And make friends, fight strong people, see the world!"
Rick raised his mug. "That's the spirit! Reminds me of me at your age. Left home, sailed off, chased every crazy rumor I heard. Never found the One Piece, but the adventure? Worth it."
Kon grinned, feeling a spark of connection. "What's your crew called?" he asked.
"Rustfang Pirates," Rick said proudly. "Best crew in the East Blue. We don't kill, just… borrow stuff and sail on. Adventure's our treasure."
"East Blue," Kon repeated, nodding. 'First sea, first friends. Not bad for day one. I never thought making friends would be so easy.'
He scooped more ice cream, offering a bit to Goku, who snatched it eagerly.
The music picked up, and pirates started dancing, some spinning each other, others stumbling from too much beer. Rick grabbed Kon's arm, pulling him into the chaos. "Come on, kid! Show us your moves!"
Kon laughed, letting him drag him in. He spun, mimicking the firebending forms Iroh taught him, though without the flames.
Goku hopped onto a barrel, clapping with all four hands, drawing cheers from the crew.
Jek staggered over, grinning. "Bet that 'bird' taught you to dance like that!" The crew cackled, and Kon just shook his head, laughing along.
Rick clapped Kon's shoulder. "You're alright, kid. Stick with us a bit. We'll show you the seas."