A Different Dawn
The seas were calm, the sun blazing overhead, when Alvida's ship bore down on a helpless merchant vessel. Her crew cackled as they hauled crates and coin across the deck. Alvida herself, iron club slung over her shoulder, roared her satisfaction.
Among the chaos, Nami slipped through the shadows, her eyes sharp and calculating as always. She wasn't interested in Alvida's theatrics — only in the treasure and the chance to vanish before anyone noticed.
Then a sailor froze mid-stride, staring at the horizon.
"C-Captain! Something in the water—coming fast!"
All heads turned. At first it looked like a dark shape beneath the waves, then it broke the surface — a massive prow plated in gleaming black and silver, shaped like the horns of a titanic beetle.
BOOOOM!
One of Alvida's masts exploded into splinters as a cannonball ripped clean through it, fired straight from the beetle-horn cannons of the approaching vessel.
The Battle Atlas surged into view, towering over both ships like some mechanical leviathan. Its armored hull glinted in the sun, its shadow falling across the waves. From the hidden ports along its sides, mechanical insects stirred and clicked, their wings buzzing faintly in anticipation.
Nami's eyes widened. "What kind of ship is that…?"
On the deck of the Atlas, a figure in a straw hat bounded to the railing, waving with a grin as wide as the sea.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy! And I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Beside him, Tessal stepped forward, armored gauntlets gleaming, his gaze fixed on Alvida's ship. "Atlas, ready the guns," he muttered, voice calm, deliberate. A row of Bulwark cannons rotated into position with a metallic grind.
Alvida snarled, slamming her club down. "Who dares interfere with Alvida the Pirate?!"
The answer came as the Atlas' horns glowed with smoke and fire. Luffy laughed, pointing forward. "Let's go, Tess! Our adventure starts now!"
The Battle Atlas loomed over the waves, casting its shadow across Alvida's ship. The mast still smoldered from the first cannon blast. Panic rippled through her crew as they scrambled for weapons.
On the merchant deck, Coby shook like a leaf, clutching a coil of rope in trembling hands. He had dreamed of freedom, but standing in the middle of pirates and fire, his knees nearly buckled.
Nami, meanwhile, slipped past the chaos with practiced grace. Her satchel was already full of stolen coin, her eyes darting toward the nearest escape dinghy. "Idiots can fight their battles," she muttered. "I'll take the treasure." She cast one last glance at the incoming beetle-shaped warship. But that ship… it's something else.
"Fire again!" Alvida bellowed, her voice thundering. She raised her iron club high, fury burning in her eyes. "I'll smash whoever thinks they can meddle with me!"
Before her cannons could roar, Luffy vaulted high into the air, rubber arms snapping him across the decks. He landed with a grin, planting his feet firmly.
"I told you! I'm Luffy — and I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
Gasps broke out among Alvida's men. He looked nothing like a pirate — but the fire in his eyes left no doubt.
Then Tessal stepped forward onto the Atlas' bow, his gauntlets locking with a hiss of steam. "Rend," he called.
From the belly of the ship, the deck split open. With a shriek of gears, a towering insectoid mecha rose into view — Rend, his first war-machine. Its body gleamed in jagged plates, forearms bladed like mantis scythes, eyes glowing crimson. The air itself seemed to shudder at its presence.
But Tessal wasn't done. "Awaken."
Hatches all along the Atlas burst open, and from them leapt a host of humanoid mecha-bugs, each distinct, each terrifying in its design:
Carabus — a hulking beetle knight, shoulders capped with horns, its fists like battering rams.
Formicid — an ant-shaped soldier, slender but swift, wielding twin segmented spears.
Stinger — a scorpion construct, its tail arched over its back, blade gleaming with venomous sheen.
Noctis — a moth-winged phantom, wings shimmering with powder that glowed like moonlight.
Together, they landed across Alvida's deck with a ground-shaking CRASH. Her men stumbled back in horror, weapons clattering from their hands.
Coby, chest heaving, suddenly found his voice. "I-I won't serve you anymore, Alvida!" His shout cut through the fear, surprising even himself. "You're cruel and terrible — I'd rather die than keep living like this!"
Alvida froze, eyes bulging, rage flaring hotter than ever. "You worthless worm…!" She raised her iron club high.
"Gomu Gomu no—PISTOL!"
Luffy's fist rocketed forward, slamming into Alvida's face with bone-shaking force. She flew back, crashing into the railing with a scream, her club shattering the planks as it fell.
The deck went silent, broken only by the hiss of Tessal's mecha and the crackle of burning mast.
Coby fell to his knees, tears in his eyes — but they weren't of fear. They were of relief. Freedom had never felt so real.
Luffy stretched his arms behind his head, grinning as if nothing had happened. "Guess that takes care of her."
Beside him, Tessal's voice was calm, his gaze sweeping the wreckage. "First fight of many. And the world's going to remember this day."
The Battle Atlas loomed behind them, sails snapping in the wind — a titan heralding the dawn of their journey.