On a bright, cloudless morning, the crisp rhythm of marching boots echoed across the Navy Headquarters' training grounds.If one listened carefully, mixed in with the cadence of the drills was the sharp, bell-like voice of a girl shouting curses—and the thunderous crack of boulders being shattered.
The marines in training had long grown accustomed to this strange soundtrack, though their eyes still couldn't help drifting sideways toward the commotion, some filled with awe, others with disbelief.
"Where's that stinky old man?"
After pulverizing the last boulder—large enough to resemble a small hill—with her bare hands, Amano An brushed the dust off her palms. She accepted a towel from a nearby sergeant (whose name she could never quite remember), wiped her hands, and scowled.
The sergeant, used to this routine, chuckled nervously."Vice Admiral Garp and the Fleet Admiral have some… important matters to discuss."
"Important matters?" she snorted. "You mean stealing scallops again?"
The sergeant smiled but kept his mouth shut.
"Tch. Fine. I'll go find him myself."
Tossing the towel aside, Amano An stormed off in search of that unreliable old man.
As soon as she was out of sight, the whispers among the marines rose like a breeze through the ranks.
"How long do you think Warrant Officer An will last against Vice Admiral Garp's punches this time?" one asked under his breath.
"I'm not guessing anymore," another said. "I lost too much last time. But you know what people are saying? They're comparing her to the two who were once called monsters—Admirals Aokiji and Akainu. Think about it. How old is Warrant Officer An again?"
"Tch… yeah, but have you seen those hands of hers? White, smooth, small—yet when that fist comes down…" The man shuddered, cutting himself off.
His bones wouldn't last a second against that punch.
If she weren't so young, her rank would probably be much higher already.
Of course, Amano An heard every whisper, but she couldn't be bothered to respond. She was too irritated. Right now, all she wanted was to track down Garp—and preferably smash his head in.
What was she angry about?Plenty of things.
First of all, Amano An was not from this world. She was a time traveler.
Before she crossed over, she'd been an orphan. Her life had been ordinary—neither particularly happy nor miserable. She'd worked long hours at a soul-crushing 996 job, her only joy being manga.
Her favorite series? One Piece.
It wasn't just a story to her—it was an emotional rollercoaster. She had laughed, cried, and dreamed alongside Luffy and his crew.
Until one day… a beloved character died.
The first real death in a world that had always found a way to stay light-hearted.
And the worst part? It was her favorite character.
Portgas D. Ace.
She'd never imagined she could feel such heartbreak over a fictional person. For days, she couldn't bring herself to read another chapter.
Later, she'd browse forums every now and then, hoping for news of Ace's resurrection. But all she ever found was disappointment. When she heard about the reappearance of the Flame-Flame Fruit, she knew there was no hope left.
After that, she stopped following One Piece altogether.
Still, like countless fans, she'd often fantasized: If only I could go to that world. If I could meet Ace… maybe something wonderful could happen.
Then, one ordinary night after yet another overtime shift—she died.
When Amano An woke up, there was a soft, buzzing sound in her ears… and a woman's weak, gentle voice saying:
"If it's a girl, name her An… If it's a boy, name him Ace… That was his wish."
The woman's voice trembled, fading fast."This child… is ours. So… Ace and An… won't ever be alone again…"
The moment Amano An heard the name Ace, her entire body froze.
Wait. What?
Then she felt something warm and sticky splash against her face—a woman's blood.
And a man's desperate voice roared beside her ear:"Rouge! Rouge! Stay with me!"
"…"
Amano An's mind went blank.Excuse me, what?!
A girlfriend fan turned into a real sister?!
Are you kidding me?!
Tears welled up as realization sank in.Her favorite man was dead.Her new mother was dying.
And she—she—was his twin sister.
In pure despair, Amano An began to wail.
"Waaah! My beloved Ace is gone! My mother's gone too!"
Eventually, Garp arrived. He took Ace and An away from the dying Rouge and left them in the care of Dadan, a mountain bandit.
Knowing the story's fate, Amano An couldn't stand by and let Ace die again. She craved strength—desperately.
But what power could a newborn possibly have?
Still, like any diehard anime fan, she had her share of chūnibyō delusions.If Roger's blood flowed through her veins, and Ace would one day awaken his Conqueror's Haki, then surely she could too, right?
And as fate—or irony—would have it… she did.
As a baby who mostly ate and slept, she somehow awakened her Conqueror's Haki—and promptly knocked out an entire room full of people.
Dadan was terrified. She had no idea what was happening and immediately reported it to Garp.
The result? Garp took Amano An under his wing.
Eight years flew by in the blink of an eye. Now, at the age of ten, she had grown into a little monster in training—though she still hadn't seen Ace even once.
Because she knew how dangerous it was for Ace to be discovered by the Navy, she didn't dare to seek him out. She could only confirm with Garp, again and again, that Ace knew about her—that he knew he had a sister out there who missed him terribly. She prayed he wouldn't grow up lonely and self-loathing, as he had in the manga.
For now, though, she wasn't strong enough to protect him.So she waited. Trained. Endured.
But today, she found out that Garp had gone on "vacation" ten minutes ago.
That bastard!
Even without remembering the exact time, she knew what that meant—he must have gone to visit Luffy again.
And he didn't even take her with him!
At that very moment, Garp was lounging lazily on his warship, half-asleep, when he suddenly sneezed.
He rubbed his nose and chuckled."Hahaha! Why hasn't that girl An caught up yet? Don't tell me she's still training?"
Standing behind him with arms crossed, Bogard spoke flatly."No one informed Warrant Officer An that you had already departed."
"Ahahahaha! Maybe I forgot!" Garp laughed, pulling out a basket of tea and scallops he had conveniently prepared earlier. His expression made it clear—it wasn't forgetfulness. He'd done it on purpose.
Bogard sighed. "Fleet Admiral Sengoku asked me to remind you that if the warship is damaged again because of fighting, you'll be paying for repairs out of your own pocket."
Garp scratched the back of his head. "Tch. Sengoku's gotten stingier lately."
"You had your ship repaired ten times last month," Bogard replied dryly.
"Really? That girl An's getting more violent every day!" Garp said, laughing heartily.
Bogard said nothing more. He quietly started counting down in his head.Three… two… one…
"That girl's as much trouble as my grandson, hahahaha—"
BOOM!
A cannonball whizzed through the air, exploding right above Garp's head.
A furious voice rang out across the deck.
"Stinky old man! Who are you calling troublesome?!"