The Swarm Awakens
The sea around Cocoyashi trembled as the Atlas activated. Panels slid open, revealing:
Bulwarks charging like living fortresses
Rhino Beetle Units pounding the ground
Dragon Fighters diving with electric "Tasersquito" bursts
Soldier Mecha Bugs and Crawler drones flooding the village streets
Humanoid Mecha Bug Generals: Carabus, Formicid, Stinger, Noctis, Brawler, Anubis
Rend, Tessal's mantis-arm whips, ready for precision strikes
Tessal, in his full Beetleforger armor, raised his gauntlet.
> "For the Straw Hats. For her freedom."
The army surged forward, a storm of metal descending upon Arlong Park.
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Parallel Conflict: Tessal vs. Nezume
While the Straw Hats clashed with Arlong and his lieutenants, Tessal's gaze turned toward another threat: Nezume, a corrupt Marine officer exploiting villagers with bribes and extortion.
He boarded the Atlas' skiff, deploying Rend and his soldier-class mecha bugs. They moved silently through the shadows, disabling Marine patrols without harming the innocent.
Inside a hidden laboratory, Tessal's optics widened. Blueprints, half-constructed machinery, and prototypes littered the room — innovations only theorized by his father years ago. His father, a brilliant Marine scientist, had chosen to serve the World Government instead of following his own curiosity. Tessal couldn't believe the restraint, the sacrifices of duty over creation.
He gathered:
Evidence of bribery and corruption
Coins and treasures used to subvert justice
Parts and materials for future mecha, including early concepts for water-based bug armies
Every step was calculated. The fight against Nezume mirrored a surgical strike — precise, controlled, effective. Tessal left the lab cleaner than he found it, taking only what he could use and leaving chaos in his wake for the Marines to untangle.
> One day, I will finish what he only dreamed of, Tessal thought, eyes scanning the salvaged components.
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The Battle Intensifies
Back in the village, the Straw Hats fought like living storms:
Luffy smashed Arlong through the floor, fury unleashed
Zoro danced through Hatchan's tentacles, blades slicing precise arcs
Sanji and Chew moved in tandem, each kick and counterstrike amplified by Noctis' blinding wings
Usopp launched Revolver Hopper and Trick Bullet Hoppers, scattering enemy ranks
Above it all, Tessal coordinated his mechanical swarm. Every Bulwark stomped in rhythm with the Dragon Fighters. Carabus clashed with elite lieutenants. Crawler released a wave of ant drones to corral fleeing enemies. And Rend lashed like living steel, keeping paths clear for the Straw Hats' advance.
Finally, the Atlas loomed overhead, a fortress and command center all in one. Tessal's helmet glinted in the sun.
> "Battle armor, activate full frame," he whispered.
The Beetleforger's armor extended and locked, transforming into a mechanical stag beetle shape, helm forming the creature's head. He rose above the battlefield, a shining silhouette against smoke and chaos.
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Victory and Foreshadowing
With coordinated assaults from below and above, Arlong Park fell. Villagers cheered, freed from tyranny. Nami touched her shoulder, trembling but whole. The Iron Cluster and Shield Beetle bowed before her, faithful protectors.
Tessal lowered his armored form. Evidence secured, stolen funds recovered, materials for new inventions in hand, he allowed himself a quiet breath.
> "This battle is over… but there is still work to be done," he murmured.
The camera of his optics lingered on the horizon. He envisioned:
A water-based bug army with a corresponding gerenal
New Dragon Fighter general
Expansion of his naval division
Completing his father's unrealized innovations
The war for freedom was won, but the war for the future — the rise of the Beetleforger's army — was only beginning.
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To Be Continued…
Leave comments on what type of bugs the naval division is going to be based on also what the gerenal will be.
Best one gets used in the story.