The sea was calm, the waves lapping gently against the hull of the Battle Atlas as it cut through the waters. Inside the belly of the ship, the steady clank and hiss of gears echoed.
Zoro ducked into Tessal's workshop, eyes narrowing at the cluttered chaos of blueprints, gears, and crawling mechanical insects scattered across the benches.
"Feels like walking into a blacksmith's nightmare," Zoro muttered.
Tessal didn't look up from his work. He was hunched over the bench, a half-finished contraption glowing with heat. Beside him, however, sat two finished pieces.
One was a sleek armor set, its plates segmented like a beetle's shell. Tessal tapped it once, and the plates hummed faintly as if alive.
"This is Resistance Armor," Tessal explained. "Adjustable weight system. It grows heavier or lighter depending on your movements. Training and combat combined."
Zoro arched a brow. "So it slows me down?"
"For now," Tessal said flatly, "until you grow strong enough to move in it like normal. Then, when you take it off, you'll feel like lightning."
Next, Tessal lifted a strange insect-like device. It had the curved mandibles of a stag beetle, folded around like sheaths. Its glossy carapace gleamed as the legs clicked open and shut.
"This little guy is the Stag Holster. It holds your swords for you, locks them in place, even sharpens them when stored. When you reach for a blade, it'll snap the hilt right into your hand faster than your reflexes."
The beetle clicked experimentally, eager.
Zoro couldn't help the grin tugging his lips. "Cheating. I like it."
Before Tessal could reply, a familiar voice bellowed from above deck.
"FOOD! I SEE FOOD!"
Both men looked up just in time to hear a strangled scream.
"WAAAHHHH! LET ME GO!"
They rushed out. Luffy dangled high in the air, caught in the talons of a massive seabird, flailing helplessly as it carried him inland.
Zoro slapped a palm over his face. "Unbelievable."
Tessal sighed, already seizing the wheel of the Battle Atlas. "Hold on, Captain. We're coming."
The ship sailed toward the coast, following the bird's shadow. Soon, the ruined outline of a town rose on the horizon, a ragged flag fluttering with a grinning red nose. Orange Town.
As the Battle Atlas anchored, Tessal released scout beetles, their wings buzzing as they darted ahead. The images they sent back showed empty streets, shops smashed open, Buggy's pirates drinking and laughing among the wreckage.
Meanwhile, the bird released its catch.
"AAAHHHHH—"
THUD!
Luffy crashed down in a plaza, landing at the feet of a young woman with short orange hair clutching a rolled chart.
She blinked at him, unimpressed. "You're loud."
Luffy grinned as if nothing had happened. "Hi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy. I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!"
The girl raised a brow. "A pirate, huh?" She smirked. "Good. I need a pirate." She leaned closer, her eyes sharp and calculating. "Name's Nami. Want to work together?"
Elsewhere, Tessal moved through the ruined streets, his cloak pulled close. His scout beetles crawled in and out of broken shops, collecting scraps of wire, metal hinges, and any salvageable fuel.
"This place is a graveyard," he muttered, pocketing bolts and gears. "But even ruins have uses."
He turned a corner, just as a pair of drunken Buggy pirates staggered past. Tessal pressed against the wall, silent. The beetles on his shoulders clicked faintly, waiting for a command. But Tessal let them pass — no point wasting parts on trash.
Zoro, meanwhile, followed the trail of destruction until he stopped outside a small pet shop. The door creaked as he pushed it open.
Inside, a lone white dog stood guard before a chewed-up food dish. The place smelled of dust and loss.
The dog barked once, sharp and protective.
Zoro crouched slightly, frowning. "You're still here, huh? Guarding what's left."
He read the sign above the counter — Chouchou's Pet Shop. He didn't know the story, but the determination in the dog's eyes told him everything.
Zoro smirked faintly. "Got more guts than most people I know."
Back in the plaza, Nami's plan unfolded. She led Luffy straight toward Buggy's occupied square. The red-nosed pirate lord threw his arms wide in mock joy when he saw her.
"Nami, my clever little thief! And you've brought me a gift? A pirate, you say?"
Buggy's crew jeered as Luffy was shoved forward. Nami's smile stayed sharp, but her eyes flicked uneasily to the laughing clown.
Luffy, oblivious as ever, only tilted his head. "You're funny looking. Why's your nose so big?"
The square went dead silent.
Buggy twitched, veins bulging.
Tessal, scavenging in the nearby streets, paused as his beetles relayed the sound of shouting and laughter from the plaza. He adjusted his satchel, eyes narrowing.
"Looks like our captain's in the thick of it again," he muttered. "Time to see how deep this circus goes."