The waves around the Baratie rippled calm—too calm. And then the hawk-eyed man appeared.
Dracule Mihawk's tiny coffin-ship cut through the sea like a knife, his presence smothering the air itself. Zoro's gaze burned as he stepped forward, swords at the ready.
"Dracule Mihawk," Zoro said, his voice steady though his blood thundered. "The world's greatest swordsman. Defeat you, and I'll become the greatest."
Mihawk's lips twitched in faint amusement. He unsheathed a blade barely longer than a knife. "Come, boy. Show me your resolve."
The clash came swift. Zoro lunged with all three blades, Mihawk parried with effortless grace. Sparks flew across the deck. Each strike was a scream of Zoro's ambition; each counter, a reminder of the mountain he still had to climb.
Tessal stood near the rail, helm under his arm. His fingers twitched against his gauntlet, every instinct screaming to interfere. But this wasn't his duel. Not yet.
Sanji exhaled smoke. "That swordsman's insane."
Luffy grinned wide. "Zoro will fight until he wins—or dies."
The duel's end was sudden, cruel. Mihawk's black blade sliced through Zoro's steel, shattering his swords like glass. Blood stained the deck.
Yet Zoro turned, arms wide, chest bared. "A wound on my back… is a swordsman's shame."
Mihawk's golden eyes flickered with respect. He sheathed his blade. "Grow strong, Roronoa Zoro. Surpass this blade, if you can."
Zoro collapsed, but his oath carried across the sea: "I will never lose again. To anyone. Not until I surpass you."
---
Krieg's Arrival
The silence after the duel shattered with cannon fire.
Don Krieg's broken fleet appeared on the horizon, sails tattered, hulls splintered, but still brimming with bloodlust. His golden armor gleamed even in ruin.
"Baratie!" Krieg's voice thundered. "Your kitchen is mine! I'll carve my empire from your bones!"
Pirates roared, weapons clashing. Cannonballs screamed through the air.
"Not while I stand here," Tessal muttered. He raised his helm, locking it into place. The lenses flared crimson. His armor shifted, plating snapping into position across his body.
"Atlas Frame—Kabuto!"
Light surged, and in Tessal's place stood a knight of iron and horn, helm crowned with a stag beetle crest. The deck quaked as the transformation completed.
The crew gawked. Sanji's cigarette fell from his lips. Usopp squeaked, "H-he's a bug knight!?"
"Not a knight," Tessal's voice echoed from within the helm. "The Beetleforger."
---
The Swarm Unleashed
At his command, the sea itself seemed to tremble.
Bulwark Beetles locked into a living shield wall, intercepting cannonballs. Crawler, the centipede carrier, smashed onto the deck, mandibles wide as it disgorged ant drones, trappers, iron clusters, and mantis blades. Carabus charged like a juggernaut, fists slamming into pirate ranks. Stinger's tail scythed through armor while Noctis drifted overhead, scattering its glowing powder to blind and disorient.
Krieg's men faltered, their charge torn apart by a tide of steel insects.
Yet Krieg himself pressed forward, mace cracking the deck, armor deflecting Tessal's drones. His laugh boomed like cannon fire.
"You think toys can stop me? I am Don Krieg—the strongest man alive!"
"Then test yourself against me," Tessal answered, stag-horn helm gleaming.
Beside him, Luffy's fists stretched, Sanji's kicks spun. they met Krieg head-on.
---
Nami's Departure
Amid the chaos, Nami slipped across the dock, eyes locked on the Atlas. She darted aboard, hands flying over Tessal's unfinished controls.
The ship rumbled but stayed silent. Frustration burned in her chest—until metal shifted around her. The Iron Cluster locked into place across the hull, while the Shield Beetle clamped to her wrist.
A command rang out in Tessal's voice:
"Navigator protocol: Protect her at all costs."
Nami froze. Her breath trembled. "…He knew."
She turned the ship's wheel, teeth clenched. The Atlas surged forward, vanishing into the horizon.
---
The End of Krieg
The battle reached its crescendo. Luffy's fists smashed through Krieg's golden armor, splintering steel like rotten wood. Sanji's final kick hurled the warlord to the deck. Tessal's Kabuto frame slammed down, his horn piercing Krieg's shield and shattering it in two.
Krieg fell, broken and gasping. His crew scattered into the sea.
The Baratie stood.
Zeff's crutch hit the deck. "You've defended my ship. The fight's over."
But Tessal stood apart, helm glinting in the setting sun. His swarm withdrew, vanishing into shadows. His gaze followed the horizon, where the Atlas carried Nami away.
He had seen the mark burned into her shoulder—the jagged shark's tooth.
"Arlong," he whispered.
Sanji tilted his head. "Beetleforger, huh? That what we call you?"
Tessal turned, helm splitting open just enough to reveal his mouth, his voice sharp:
"That name stays secret. Luffy knows why. If the Marines hear it… my father will too."
The Straw Hats exchanged glances. None questioned further.
The sun sank. Krieg's fleet smoldered. And far ahead, the stolen Atlas sailed toward Cocoyasi—toward the storm of Arlong Park.
" Hey Zoro go tail NAMI, you two go with him." Tessal said pointing to Yosaku and Johnny. "On it big bro. The good thing we thought of having our ship nearby when docking." Johnny said while carrying Zoro with yosakus help.