Two to four months after Garp's departure, the boys had become inseparable. Tessal's dream had drawn them closer, though Ace and Sabo still didn't fully trust Luffy. Tessal tolerated him mostly because Luffy kept bringing back unusual creatures—perfect raw material for Tessal's mechanical experiments. But Luffy's wild, reckless energy often tested his patience. More than once, Tessal had sicced Rend or Bulwark on him just to get some peace.
One day, everything changed.
Luffy had been caught by the Bluejam Pirates.
Inside his workshop, Tessal bent over the final touches of his latest creation: a mechanical dragonfly—Dragon Fighter—equipped with new ammunition drones, the Taser-squitos. The construct, as large as Bulwark, sported propeller-blade wings that cut silently through the air. Unlike earlier prototypes, this one was refined, sleek, and dangerous. He had even sold an earlier model to a passing merchant in the Noble District.
As he tightened the last joint, a panicked voice shattered his focus.
"Tess! Tess! Tessal!" Sabo's shout cracked with desperation. "We need your help—Bluejam has Luffy!"
Tessal didn't even flinch. He set his tools aside with a click. "Let me guess," he said evenly, strapping on his bullet-hopper gun and sliding in fresh magazines. "He was tailing you and Ace. Stumbled onto your secret stash—the one I told you to move, or at least let me build a mobile cache for. Then Bluejam's thugs found him. And now, because you feared he'd spill your secret, you two left him behind, didn't you?"
Sabo's silence said enough. His head dropped, shame burning in his eyes. The truth stung, but Tessal's calm words cut cleaner than any blade.
Tessal straightened and spoke like a commander.
"Bulwark—activate. Crawler—deploy. Rend—prepare for combat."
At his order, the workshop stirred to life. Bulwark's frame rolled forward, heavy gears grinding with menace. Crawler skittered out, legs clacking against the floor. Rend stepped into the light, blades gleaming, ready for blood.
Tessal slung the gun across his back, eyes hard. "Let's go get Luffy. And let's remind Bluejam—no one messes with our family."