The sea breeze carried laughter as the Going Merry drifted into port beside the hulking silhouette of the Atlas, its hull still glistening with dew and morning light. The village of Whiskey Peak gleamed on the coast — a lively oasis of cheers, music, and waving banners.
The Straw Hat Pirates were met with open arms, tables of food, and warm welcomes. Luffy laughed loudest, a plate in each hand. Nami's eyes sparkled at the thought of hospitality and potential treasure. Usopp and Sanji flirted and joked, and even Zoro allowed himself a drink.
Only Tessal stood apart — silent behind his retracted helm, sensors humming. His metallic companion Drakarion, the dragonfly-like humanoid mecha, stayed perched in standby near the Atlas' deck, wings folded and eyes dim.
> "A village that welcomes pirates with wine and song…" Tessal murmured, his voice low under his breath. "Too kind to be honest."
Zoro, leaning against a wall with a jug of ale, smirked.
> "You think too much, metalhead. But… yeah, I smell it too."
---
Nightfall — Masks and Shadows
By midnight, the music had dimmed, and one by one the Straw Hats drifted to sleep in warm beds. The town, however, was only pretending to rest. Beneath the laughter and applause, Whiskey Peak's true nature awoke.
Rooftops filled with shapes — bounty hunters armed with rifles, blades, and tranquilizer darts. Among them, the group known as the Unluckies, infamous for taking any job if the price was high enough, crept like vultures around the sleeping pirates.
But Zoro was no fool. The faint sound of boots scraping tile was all he needed. His swords whispered from their scabbards before dawn broke.
When the first hunter lunged, Zoro was already moving — a blur of slashing steel that cut through the night.
> "You shouldn't wake a swordsman early," he muttered.
---
Tessal's Awakening
The hum of servos echoed from the Atlas. Tessal, already awake and scanning heat signatures, saw the ambush unfold. He touched the communication plate on his wrist.
> "Atlas… deploy Drakarion."
The hangar hissed open. From the mist rose a six-foot armored figure — Drakarion, the Dragon Fighter General — its design insectoid yet majestic. Gleaming carapace armor, thrusters beneath its wing joints, and glowing crimson optics.
Drakarion leapt into the air, wings buzzing to life, and shot into the heart of Whiskey Peak like a meteor. The ground shook as it landed, releasing a burst of compressed air that scattered bounty hunters.
Tessal dropped from the Atlas, armor unfolding around him piece by piece, and landed beside Zoro.
> "Let's keep score," Zoro said with a smirk.
"You cut," Tessal replied. "I crush."
---
The Baroque Works Agents Arrive
Just when the bounty hunters started to scatter, two new figures arrived through the smoke — dressed sharply, with unsettling confidence.
A lean man with a cigar in his mouth tapped his boot and grinned.
> "Mr. 5. Bomb Man."
Beside him, a tall woman in a yellow dress twirled an umbrella.
> "Miss Valentine. Kilo Woman."
> "You Straw Hats and that 'Beetle Forge' guy… you've stirred up quite the bounty," Mr. 5 said, flicking his finger. The booger he sent flying exploded in midair, blowing apart a fountain. "Boss wants you alive — but broken works too."
Miss Valentine floated gently above them, her weight shifting with a giggle.
> "Shall I drop a few tons, Mr. 5?"
---
Clash Under the Moon
Zoro charged first, swords flashing. Mr. 5 met him with a wide grin, throwing miniature explosives that curved and detonated. Each time Zoro closed the distance, an explosion forced him back.
Tessal's visor flared.
> "Drakarion, combat sync — on!"
The Dragon Fighter roared, its wings expanding as it soared above, firing plasma-coated tail darts and scattering the Unluckies. Tessal's armor shifted to combat mode, vents releasing steam.
Miss Valentine tried to crush Tessal by shifting her weight to 10,000 kilograms, but Drakarion intercepted, wings flexing under the pressure. The mecha grunted as its servos screamed, before hurling her back with a burst of thrust.
> "Your physics don't impress me," Tessal muttered, recalibrating his servos.
Mr. 5 lunged forward, explosive punches lighting the plaza. Tessal's gauntlet split open, forming a rotating magnetic field shield, catching the explosion mid-blast and dispersing it with a sound like shattering glass.
Zoro and Tessal fought in tandem — man and machine, steel and science — carving through the chaos. The Straw Hats woke and joined in, the battle stretching across the rooftops until dawn stained the horizon.
---
The Silent Watcher
High above, watching it all unfold, stood a woman cloaked in shadow — Nico Robin. A calm smile touched her lips as she observed Tessal's strange technology and the Straw Hats' tenacity. She whispered softly:
> "Interesting… so that's Beetle Forge."
When Drakarion's sensors briefly caught her silhouette, she vanished — leaving behind only a slip of parchment with her name written in ink.
---
Dawn and Rebuilding
By sunrise, the plaza was rubble and silence.
Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine retreated, burned and bruised. The Unluckies scattered into the desert.
Luffy yawned.
> "Man, that was fun! Breakfast?"
Tessal deactivated his armor, revealing soot-covered skin and a tired grin. As the Straw Hats prepared to sail, he stayed behind a while longer. His smaller helper bugs — worker drones and nano beetles — crawled through the wreckage, repairing damaged homes, mending walls, and cleaning debris.
When the townspeople asked why, Tessal only said:
> "If we can destroy, we can build. Both are part of the forge."
Zoro watched from afar, smiling slightly.
> "Guess even metal men have a heart."
Tessal chuckled.
> "Steel remembers heat. Compassion is just another form of energy transfer."