The rain over Loguetown carried the scent of salt and coal — the smell of a city that never truly slept. Steam hissed from the vents of shipyards, and the clang of metal echoed through narrow alleys.
Amid the noise, a man in a trench coat walked quietly, his beetle-shaped helm glinting under the lamplight. To most, he was simply another traveler. But whispers followed him — a craftsman, a strange inventor, a man known by a dozen names.
Only one name mattered now.
> "They call me the Beetleforger," Tessal had once said.
"A maker of machines... and of hope."
---
Since leaving Cocoyashi, Tessal had kept to the edges of the world's chaos. His workshop on the Atlas remained hidden in the docks beyond the city's mist, its engines running low to avoid detection.
Yet, even as he built his army, he did something unexpected — he helped.
Across the city, small mechanical insects — his Helper Drones — buzzed between markets and homes. Some patched holes in rooftops after a storm, others hauled nets for tired fishermen or lifted debris after an accident. Children pointed and laughed as the little beetles carried fruit baskets and mail.
One morning, an old shipwright named Bran found Tessal repairing his broken prosthetic arm. The man had lost it years ago to pirates, and couldn't afford a replacement.
> "You don't even know me, lad," Bran muttered.
Tessal adjusted the wiring gently. "Doesn't matter. You needed help."
When he was done, the shipwright flexed his new metal fingers — smoother, lighter than before. His eyes welled with disbelief.
> "What do I owe you?"
Tessal shook his head. "Just build someone else up, when they're broken."
That became his quiet rule — help those who can't help themselves.
---
Within weeks, rumors of the Masked Handyman spread through Loguetown. He fixed broken ships for Marines, reinforced hulls for pirate smugglers, repaired streetlights, mended children's toys — all without discrimination.
When a Marine patrol captain thanked him for restoring a damaged radar post, Tessal only smiled under his helm.
> "If it keeps people safe, I'll fix it. Don't mistake kindness for loyalty."
The Marines laughed at first, thinking him eccentric. They didn't realize that, beneath that kindness, Tessal was gathering information. Every repair, every patrol ship, every piece of confiscated tech — it all revealed how much control the World Government really held.
And he was taking notes.
---
Back on the Atlas, progress had continued.
Drakarion now soared through the mist, patrolling skies above Loguetown like a guardian spirit.
Siren patrolled beneath the docks, scanning for underwater movement or spies.
The Tide Carrier, still incomplete, rested in the ship's lower bay — the framework of its shell glowing with energy lines as Tessal tested new systems.
But every night, Tessal looked out over the city and wondered what his father was doing now.
Albert, the Marine scientist who had once dreamed of peaceful innovation.
> "Still chained to their rules," Tessal whispered. "Still pretending science serves justice."
He clenched a gauntleted fist. "Then I'll build a justice that doesn't need their chains."
---
Days passed. Tessal continued his quiet life in Loguetown — part inventor, part ghost.
He started a small workshop on the edge of town called The Beetle's Forge, where people could request repairs or inventions.
He charged what they could afford — often accepting food, information, or spare parts instead of coin.
Even pirates came in disguise.
A woman with a bounty of 15 million Berries asked for armor plating for her ship's mast.
A Marine recruit requested reinforcement for his prosthetic knee.
To Tessal, they were both simply people in need.
Sometimes, he sent out a few of his smaller helper mechas — Honeybees and Ant Haulers — to work across the city, keeping streets clear, carrying food to hospitals, even warning the poor when Marine crackdowns approached.
> "Machines don't choose sides," Tessal said to a child who asked why he helped pirates.
"They do what they're made for. And I was made to build — not destroy."
---
But everything changed one stormy evening.
While Tessal worked on Siren's hydro-sonar, the earwig communicator on his desk came alive.
Luffy's voice, distorted but cheerful, came through the static.
> "Oi, Tessal! We made it to Loguetown!"
He paused. "Zoro says there's a sword shop here with some crazy blades!"
Usopp's voice followed, "And I got new ammo ideas! Can we test them later?"
Tessal froze for a moment, then smiled beneath his helm. "So, they've arrived…"
Outside, lightning flashed — and for the first time in weeks, the Atlas' engines hummed at full power.
---
The next day, Loguetown was alive with gossip again.
The Straw Hats had entered port — the crew that took down Arlong.
And somewhere in the mist, the Beetleforger was said to be preparing something new.
In his forge, Tessal tightened the final bolt on Drakarion's new flight stabilizer, the sparks reflecting in his visor.
> "They're here," he said softly. "Time to see what our new era can do."
As he turned toward the open hatch, the swarm awakened — hundreds of eyes lighting up in synchronized red. The Atlas' decks shook slightly as mechanical wings unfolded in the distance.
Outside, the rain fell heavier, masking the hum of engines beneath the storm.
Loguetown had no idea what was coming.