Thunder rolled across the sky like the growl of a sleeping beast. Rain poured over Loguetown's cobbled streets, washing soot from the rooftops and turning alleys into streams. The city of beginnings and endings — where Gol D. Roger drew his last breath — had never looked more alive.
Inside the Beetle's Forge, Tessal fastened a final bolt onto a reinforced armor plate, his tools glimmering under the forge's pale light.
Outside, people sought shelter from the storm. But inside, the rhythmic hum of machines filled the air — his mechanical orchestra preparing for a symphony of chaos.
Drakarion rested by the observation window, his wings folded tight like blades. Siren's silhouette pulsed beneath the waters of the lower docks, blue light flickering with each sonar sweep. The Tide Carrier's framework sat deep within the Atlas' hangar — dormant, immense, and connected to the ship's spinal core.
> "All systems integrated," Tessal muttered, watching a row of runic-style code scroll across a holographic panel.
"When the Atlas awakens… the Carrier will move with it."
The Atlas Nauticaris wasn't meant to be a separate vessel — not yet. It was fused into the Atlas' lower hull like a cocoon, built to detach when the seas demanded a naval army. Until then, it slept — powered down, conserving energy, hidden beneath the waterline.
---
As dawn broke, the Straw Hats arrived at Loguetown's docks.
Luffy ran ahead, laughing as always. "This is the place! The town where the Pirate King was born and executed!"
Zoro yawned, tightening his swords. "You're way too cheerful about that."
Usopp checked his pouch of Trick Bullet Hoppers, while Sanji lit a cigarette, glancing through the mist.
> "Think Tessal's still around here?" Usopp asked.
"He's around," Sanji said quietly, spotting one of Tessal's smaller Dragonfly scouts zipping through the rain. "He's watching us."
---
At the same time, deep within the Marine Headquarters of Loguetown, Captain Smoker stood in front of a monitor, smoke curling around him.
The screen showed grainy footage of metallic beetles ferrying supplies across the docks, fixing cranes, even pulling wrecked ships to safety.
> "These things started showing up a few weeks ago," Tashigi reported, flipping through a dossier. "No known manufacturer. Locals call their creator the Masked Handyman. But… reports from Cocoyashi match the same technology."
Smoker's eyes narrowed.
> "The Beetleforger."
He slammed his hand against the desk.
> "If he's in this city, I want every Marine on alert. I don't care if he's helping old ladies cross the street — he's connected to Straw Hat Luffy, and that makes him our problem."
---
That afternoon, the storm worsened.
Lightning illuminated the spire above the execution platform — the same place Gol D. Roger smiled before the blade fell.
And in the marketplace below, chaos began to unravel. Marines flooded the streets. Civilians fled. The Straw Hats scattered — Zoro searching for swords, Sanji helping a trapped vendor, Luffy inevitably wandering straight toward trouble.
High above, Tessal watched through the rain, his helm's visor glowing faint red as he patched into the Atlas' network.
> "Smoker's moving," he muttered. "So the storm's finally arrived."
He sent commands through his communicator, and deep beneath the docks, the Atlas stirred.
Steam hissed. Metal shifted.
The Tide Carrier pulsed once, faintly, as if sensing its master's intent.
> "Not yet," Tessal whispered. "Wait for the call."
---
While the Straw Hats tangled with Marines through the city, Tessal moved through the chaos like a shadow.
His mecha units deployed discreetly — Iron Clusters helped trapped civilians, Scarab Loaders reinforced fallen walls, and Ant Drones guided people toward safety.
When a Marine officer cornered a group of orphans for "harboring pirates," Tessal dropped from the rooftops.
His armor unfolded midair — a shimmer of steel, insectoid plates sliding into place.
> "You call this justice?" Tessal's voice thundered through his helm.
The Marine aimed his rifle, trembling. "You—You're the Beetleforger!"
> "And you're pointing a gun at children."
He raised his arm. The Mantis Blade extended with a sharp hiss, but instead of striking, it flashed past — slicing the rifle in half. The officer collapsed in shock as the children ran.
Tessal deactivated the blade and stepped back into the rain. "Tell your captain I'm not his enemy… unless he forces me to be."
---
Meanwhile, Smoker had spotted Luffy.
The chase tore through the city — smoke against straw, chaos against laughter.
As the commotion grew, Tessal opened his comm channel. "Atlas, deploy secondary hull."
Deep beneath the waterline, machinery roared to life. The Tide Carrier separated from the Atlas' belly with a thunderous groan. Steam and seawater erupted around it as massive stabilizer fins unfolded like wings.
Within moments, the Nauticaris rose — a colossal, turtle-beetle hybrid bristling with cannons and launch decks. Its eyes glowed blue as hundreds of Dragon Fighters, Sky Wasps, and Aero Beetles launched into the sky like a metallic storm.
The clouds above flashed crimson from their thruster trails.
Civilians screamed, pointing to the horizon. "A monster! A metal island!"
Smoker's jaw tightened. "He built that thing…"
Tessal landed atop the Carrier, his cloak whipping in the wind.
> "This is Atlas' shadow — the Nauticaris," he said through his comm to the Straw Hats. "Evac route is open. Finish your business and move to sea. I'll hold the line."
---
Down below, Luffy faced the lightning and his fate.
Zoro clashed steel against Marine swords, while Sanji carried wounded civilians to safety.
The Straw Hats moved with determination — united by instinct more than plan.
When lightning struck the execution platform, Tessal's systems flared — he forced his swarm to intercept.
A Shield Beetle Legion rose instantly, forming a barrier above Luffy as energy crackled.
The lightning hit. The shields absorbed it — turning the impact into harmless steam.
Luffy blinked up, wide-eyed. "Heh… guess you really are watching, Tessal."
---
As the storm broke, the Straw Hats fled toward the harbor. Smoker gave chase but stopped when he saw the Nauticaris hovering beyond the mist — half-ship, half-machine, eyes glowing like embers.
A hundred mecha units lined its deck, awaiting orders. Tessal stood at the center, rain streaking across his armor.
> "I'm not your enemy, Smoker," he called out over the comm.
"But if you come for my crew again — remember that I don't just build weapons. I build walls."
The Carrier began to submerge, returning to its place beneath the Atlas. The storm calmed, leaving only the sound of engines fading into the distance.
Smoker stared after it, smoke coiling from his lips.
> "The Beetleforger… huh? He's not like the others."
---
Hours later, the Straw Hats sailed toward Reverse Mountain. The Going Merry cruised steadily, but the vast shadow of the Atlas followed quietly behind — like a guardian beast.
In the workshop bay, Tessal removed his helm, resting it beside Drakarion's now-silent frame.
He looked at his reflection in the metal. "Compassion and steel… I wonder how long I can balance the two."
Outside, lightning flared once more, and the Atlas' engines burned bright — a promise of the battles yet to come.