The Navy post lay in ruins. Webs clung to broken walls, smoke stains blackened the stone, and scorched beetle shells littered the courtyard. Dawn's light revealed the destruction in full, but for once, Garp didn't laugh at the chaos.
He stood with his back to Tessal, arms folded, gaze fixed on the horizon. The boy was asleep behind him, slumped in a nest of battered machines. The Iron Shield Beetle lay dormant, curled protectively around Tessal like a shell. Legion ants picked at the ruins in silence, repairing scraps out of instinct.
"Albert's boy…" Garp muttered under his breath. His jaw tightened. "If HQ knew, they'd snatch him up in a heartbeat. Another 'asset.' Another mind chained to their weapons."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. His orders were clear — report everything. Always. But this wasn't just some brat with clever toys. This was a boy with guts, who fought shoulder to shoulder with machines he'd built from nothing. Tessal wasn't his father's shadow — he was something new, something untamed.
And the Navy didn't tolerate "untamed."
"Damn it," Garp growled, clenching his fist. "The world would eat you alive, kid. Maybe better they don't know you exist. At least… not yet."
He turned, glancing once more at the boy sleeping among his swarm. Then, with a grunt, the old man strode out of the courtyard, leaving Tessal to his dreams.
---
Later that day, Tessal stirred awake. The machines hummed faintly around him, clicking like they were checking if he was still alive. He winced, sitting up, every muscle aching. But when he saw the sunlight spilling across the ruined post, a grin tugged at his lips.
He found Luffy, Ace, and Sabo waiting just outside, leaning against a fallen wall. They'd snuck there during the night, watching parts of the battle from the shadows.
"You're insane," Ace muttered, though there was a grudging respect in his tone.
"That was amazing!" Luffy shouted, fists pumping. "You and your bugs went boom and screech and smash and—!" He toppled over mid-gesture, grinning wide.
Sabo adjusted his hat, studying Tessal carefully. "You really think you can handle yourself out there? The world beyond this island isn't kind."
Tessal looked at his friends, then down at his hands. The Ironclads crawled across his arms, clicking faintly as if echoing his thoughts.
"My father… he wanted to change the Navy," Tessal said softly. "He believed machines could protect people, not just kill for them. But that was his way."
He clenched his fists. The beetles locked tighter, forming little plates across his knuckles.
"I'll change the world too — but my way. Not as a scientist locked in some lab. Not as the Navy's tool. I'll take these machines to sea, and I'll prove they can protect the people I care about. I'll build a future that isn't just war."
Ace tilted his head, a small smirk tugging his lips. "Hmph. Sounds like trouble."
Sabo's smile was softer. "Sounds like a dream."
Luffy just grinned, eyes sparkling. "Then let's go to sea together someday! We'll be the best pirates ever!"
Tessal laughed, tired but certain. For the first time, he didn't feel like his father's shadow, or Garp's secret. He felt like Tessal — inventor, fighter, and soon, a sailor chasing his own dream.
Above them, the morning sun blazed bright, as if daring them to reach it.
Please give me your thoughts.