Chapter 1
Great Pirates Era, Year 1509Reverse Mountain – The starting point of the Grand Line, where the four seas converge!
A pirate ship with a roaring lion figurehead slowly slid out of the narrow, treacherous canal of Reverse Mountain.**
Judging by the state of the vessel, it had just survived a nightmarish ordeal: the main mast was snapped in half, the sails were long gone, and the hull was covered in deep cracks. Yet, instead of cries of pain, the ship echoed with wild, ecstatic laughter.
"Hahaha! We're alive!" "This is the Grand Line!" "Brothers! We've made it! Roger's treasure is ours!!" "Treasure! Treasure!!!" "And women! WOMEN!!!"
Eleven years had passed since the Pirate King Gol D. Roger was publicly executed, but the flames he ignited with his final words only burned hotter with each passing year. More and more pirates poured into the Grand Line. The Lion Pirates were just one of many such crews.
Their captain, "Roaring Lion" Pat," looked every bit the beast he was named after: sharp fangs, a golden mane-like ruff around his neck, and a bounty of 25 million berries earned in the North Blue. That amount was enough to make him a big name even in the first half of the Grand Line.
Riding his reputation, Pat had gathered a horde of greedy, treasure-hungry pirates and charged straight into the Grand Line. And now, they had cleared the first hurdle — they had conquered the terrifying Reverse Mountain!
Drunk on the illusion that wealth, fame, and women were already within reach, the crew forgot the terror they'd just endured moments ago. Under their captain's orders, they frantically began repairs, resupply, and scouting — ready to carve their legend into the Grand Line.
Captain Pat, of course, didn't lift a finger. He lounged on the ornate throne that marked his authority, basking in the warm sun while the manic cheers of his men rang in his ears. The future looked golden.
As he gazed idly at the clear blue sky, something caught his eye. He pulled a 100-berry coin from his pocket and flicked it into the air, flashing sunlight off its surface.
A moment later, a familiar goofy-looking bird with a news cap flapped down — a News Coo. It snatched the coin, dropped a newspaper into Pat's hand, and flew off again.
Pat unfolded the paper. The headline hit him like a cannonball.
[World's Most Beautiful Woman!!!]
[Captain of the Kuja Pirates: Boa Hancock – First Bounty: 80,000,000 Berries]
The 80 million figure didn't scare him in the slightest. His eyes were glued to the woman in the photo: proud gaze, perfect curves, snow-white skin, and those endless, mesmerizing legs. Heat surged through his body. He threw his head back and laughed like a madman.
"Ahahahaha… perfection… absolute perfection…"
His crew immediately crowded around. "Captain, what's got you so excited?"
Pat grinned and tossed them the paper. In seconds, every pirate on board was drooling, eyes blood rushing south.
"She's unreal…" "I'd die happy just for one night with her!" "Hahaha…"
Some, however, hesitated. "Captain… she's worth 80 million berries…"
Pat waved it off arrogantly. "So what? She's just a woman."
He had the right to be cocky. In the North Blue, 25 million made him a king. He was certain his bounty would soon surpass hers once he made his name here.
Just then, the lookout shouted from the crow's nest: "Captain! Pirate ship off the port side!"
Tension rippled through the crew. They might talk big, but this was their first real encounter with Grand Line pirates.
Pat's expression darkened. He strode to the railing and raised his spyglass.
What he saw made him relax — then grin like a wolf.
It was a tiny triangular-sailed boat, barely more than a sloop. A blood-red jolly roger fluttered from the mast. On the deck, only two figures were visible: A young man lounging in a beach chair… …and a beautiful girl in a purple dress straddling his waist, her skirt bunched up around her hips.
Pat's eyes nearly popped out. His mouth went dry. Then he laughed like a demon.
"Hahaha! The heavens are blessing us! Our first victory on the Grand Line is already here!" "Men — sink that toy boat and bring me the woman!"
He licked his lips. His crew flashed cruel, lecherous grins.
"Aye aye!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Four cannonballs arced through the sky and splashed harmlessly around the tiny sloop.
Pat's face twisted in fury. "Useless idiots! Just ram them!"
Fuming, he raised the spyglass again, eager to keep admiring the scene.
But what he saw next froze his blood cold.
At some point, the sky above the little sloop had filled with thousands upon thousands of crimson bats. They swarmed toward the Lion Pirates' ship like a living crimson cloud.
"What the—?"
Before anyone could react, the bats were upon them. They swirled around the ship, merging into a massive sphere of blood that completely enveloped the vessel.
No one outside could see what happened within that crimson dome. Only muffled, blood-curdling screams leaked out.
Ten minutes later, the blood sphere slowly dissipated.
Not a single living soul remained on deck. Only desiccated corpses — Captain Pat included — lay scattered about, skin shriveled, eyes bulging in terror, every drop of blood drained from their bodies.
One by one, the crimson bats flew back, carrying gold, food, weapons, and supplies from the hold. The very last bat noticed the newspaper lying on the deck. With an almost human-like curious expression, it snatched the paper and flew off with the rest.
The stolen goods were delivered to the small sloop's hold. Then the bats melted into liquid blood and flowed back into the body of the lounging young man.
The newspaper fluttered down from the sky and landed squarely on his face.
The young man — Nar — lazily opened his eyes. The front-page photo of the world's most beautiful woman stared back at him: Boa Hancock, Captain of the Kuja Pirates.
"Oh?"
A spark of genuine interest lit in his eyes.
The girl straddling him bit her lip and let out a soft, seductive moan at his sudden movement.
"She's finally out at sea, huh…"
The girl — tanned skin, purple dress pulled up to her waist, radiating both innocence and dangerous allure — looked at the woman in the newspaper and smiled like a mischievous little demon.
"Captain Nar… already bored of my body? Looking for a new woman so soon?"
Nar grinned playfully, sliding his hand up her smooth thigh.
"What's this? Is my cute little Robin-chan actually jealous?"
Yes — the seductive young woman in his lap was none other than the survivor of Ohara's Buster Call nine years ago, the "Devil Child" with a 79 million berry bounty: Nico Robin — in her teenage form.
Robin didn't answer, only gave him a coy, sidelong glance.
Nar chuckled, tossed the newspaper aside, and closed his eyes again in bliss.
One thought echoed in his mind:
"What a wonderful world… One Piece!!!"