The Boy Who Left the Island
"I really did it… I went to sea."
Kuzan sat on the deck, leaning against the railing.
He had spent his whole life on that forgotten island — hungry, tired, but at least belonging somewhere.
Now that he was gone… who was he?
Would anyone even care if he vanished into the waves?
Around him stood monsters — literal giants, dragons, and people whose presence shook the air.
He was the only one without a power, the only one who felt normal.
Maybe he'd just end up as another nameless errand boy, lost among legends.
As his brief rush of excitement faded, doubt crept in. His rational mind whispered: Was this a mistake?
After all, it was pirates who had destroyed the world he grew up in.
Maybe it was pirates who shattered his home too.
"I wanted to be a Marine," he muttered. "Someone who protects people… like Hero Garp."
He was only eleven — but this small choice would forever change his destiny.
Kaido's Test
"Marine, huh?"
Kaido's booming voice came from behind him. Sharn had already gone below deck, leaving the Vice-Captain to loom over the boy.
"On any other pirate ship, you'd already be dead. But you're lucky — our Captain doesn't give a damn what others think."
He dropped a massive hand onto Kuzan's head.
"The sea's cruel, brat. Every day, someone innocent dies. You want justice? Then find your purpose. See the world's true face first."
With that, Kaido slung his spiked club — forged from fused impact shells and steel — over his shoulder and walked toward the stern.
Life Among Monsters
Urouge handed Kuzan a piece of bread. "What's a Marine? Different from pirates?"
"To me," he said, smiling innocently, "pirates seem better."
For Urouge — a Sky Islander who had never known the world below — pirates meant freedom, rescue, and warmth.
But for Kuzan, born in a lawless land, pirates meant fear.
He looked around. None of them seemed to care what he said — or that he might one day oppose them.
Moria was busy stuffing shadows into a doll. "Welcome to the crew, rookie! From now on, you're the lowest-ranked trainee! Ha ha ha!"
Kuzan blinked. "Trainee? There's such a thing?"
When he heard about their past — about islands in the sky, golden cities, and dragons — his jaw nearly dropped.
"Skypiea? You're saying there are islands in the clouds?"
Urouge nodded proudly. "We came down from heaven!"
Kuzan stared. These guys are insane.
Still, they trained every day, and Kuzan joined them — fetching supplies, cleaning decks, running drills.
Two days later, his body ached everywhere.
How could people be this strong?
Was the gap between them really just the power of Devil Fruits?
He clenched his fists. "How do I get stronger?"
The Captain's Lesson
"Want to learn the Six Styles of the Navy?"
The voice came from above — Sharn sat atop the mast, eating breakfast meant for twenty. His jaw opened like a monster's, and Kuzan swore he saw it stretch three meters wide.
"What's… the Six Styles?"
"Six physical arts," Sharn explained, leaping lightly from the mast to the deck.
"They're what you master when you break the limits of the human body."
"When perfected, they merge into something greater — Life Return. Control over every cell, every breath, every strand of hair."
Kuzan's eyes lit up. "You mean… even without a Devil Fruit, you can become that strong?"
"Watch closely."
Sharn disappeared.
"Soru — Soru."
He reappeared an instant later, behind Kuzan. "Speed beyond sight."
"Geppo — Moonwalk."
He kicked the air, stepping upward as if the sky itself were solid.
"Tekkai — Iron Body."
A cannonball struck his chest and crumpled like paper.
"Kami-e — Paper Art."
His movements turned liquid, flowing like the wind.
"Shigan — Shigan."
He thrust a single finger into steel, punching a hole clean through.
"Rankyaku — Tempest Kick."
A slash of air cut across the waves, slicing foam and sea-spray into mist.
Kuzan stood frozen. The world tilted. His pulse thundered in his ears.
"This... this is insane."
"Still think strength only comes from fruit?"
Sharn grinned. "The human body's already a miracle."
He continued:
"Beyond the Six Styles, there's something higher — Haki. Power of spirit that dominates even the elements.
And among the races, there are techniques just as powerful — like Fish-Man Karate!"
He clenched his fist.
The air itself shimmered — the moisture condensed, then burst outward.
A roaring column of vapor exploded across the sea, lifting waves ten meters high.
The Awakening of Will
Kaido watched silently, leaning against a mast. "How the hell does he keep getting stronger?"
No one had an answer.
"Who wants to learn?"
Sharn's voice boomed across the deck.
"Me!" yelled Kuzan, Moria, and Urouge together.
Even Olivia raised her hand from the storage room, her notebook tucked under one arm.
She wasn't a fighter — but if she wanted to chase the world's truth, she had to survive the journey.
"Alright," Sharn said, stretching. "Then… let's begin."
The deck roared with life. Sweat, laughter, and the crash of training filled the air.
Above the ship, the pirate flag snapped proudly in the wind — the symbol of a crew whose members would one day become legends.
No one yet knew that from these "trainees" would rise future emperors, admirals, and monsters of the sea.
And at the center of it all — the King among Kings — stood Rona D. Sharn.
At the bow, he swallowed the last of his grilled fish and pointed to the horizon.
"That," he said, "is the Sorbet Kingdom."
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