The sea behind Egghead shimmered under the open sky.
The Thousand Sunny raced forward, its lion figurehead cutting through the waves as laughter echoed across the deck. Plates clattered, mugs collided, and sake flowed freely. The Straw Hat Pirates were alive with noise—arguing, celebrating, teasing one another like they always did after surviving another impossible battle.
Nearby, the giants of Elbaph stood tall aboard their massive ship sailing alongside them, roaring with laughter that shook the sea itself.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"This voyage will be legendary!"
"Elbaph awaits!"
At the very front of the Thousand Sunny, Monkey D. Luffy sat cross-legged on the edge, legs swinging freely above the water. His straw hat tilted back as he laughed louder than anyone else.
"We escaped again!" Luffy shouted. "Next stop—Elbaph!"
The wind carried his joy across the waves.
For this moment, there was no war.No enemies.No chains.
Only freedom.
But the sea is vast.
And somewhere beyond laughter, fate was shifting.
Nami stood near the navigation room, her expression slowly tightening as a Den Den Mushi crackled in her hands. The cheerful transponder snail wore a grim face, mirroring the voice speaking through it.
"…repeat, this is confirmed intelligence."
Robin stood beside her, hands folded calmly, eyes sharp as she read additional intercepted reports. Her expression darkened with every word.
Nami swallowed hard.
"Robin…" she whispered. "Please tell me this is fake."
Robin shook her head slowly. "It's real."
Nami's fingers trembled. "Monkey D. Garp… has been captured."
The wind seemed to stop.
Robin continued, her voice quiet but heavy. "Blackbeard Pirates. Pirate Island. Public execution planned."
A mug slipped from Usopp's hand and shattered on the deck.
"What… did you just say?" Franky asked, his usual grin gone.
Luffy turned around. "Huh?" he said casually, still smiling. "Who's captured?"
Nami forced herself to look at him. "Luffy…"
She took a deep breath.
"Your grandfather."
For a second, nothing changed.
Then Luffy laughed.
"Haha! That's stupid," he said, scratching his head. "Gramps doesn't get captured. He's crazy strong!"
Some of the crew exhaled, hoping—desperately—that he was right.
Robin stepped forward. "Luffy… the report includes eyewitness accounts. Marines defeated. Garp was ambushed while protecting others."
Luffy's grin slowly stiffened.
"Even so," he said. "He can break out. He always does."
But his voice lacked conviction.
Nami watched his hands. They were shaking.
Then it happened.
A memory burned through Luffy's mind.
Chains.
Fire.
A fist through his chest.
Ace smiling through blood.
"Don't worry, Luffy… I'll be fine."
The world tilted.
Luffy's breath caught in his throat. His mouth opened—but no sound came out.
Ace had said the same thing.
Ace was strong.
Ace still died.
Luffy turned away abruptly and walked toward the edge of the ship, gripping the railing so tightly the wood creaked beneath his fingers.
The sea stretched endlessly before him, but all he could see was red.
The crew gathered behind him in silence.
Usopp swallowed. "This feels just like before…"
Chopper's eyes welled up. "Marineford… no one was there…"
Sanji clenched his cigarette between his teeth. "That war broke him."
Zoro's expression hardened. "And he's not letting it happen again."
Jimbei folded his arms. "Blood ties are the strongest chains of all."
The giants nearby fell silent, listening.
One of them slammed a massive mug down. "Blackbeard chained the Hero of the Marines?"
Another snarled. "That coward uses darkness and tricks!"
They raised their sake again—not in joy, but in fury.
"If Straw Hat goes to war," the giant roared, "Elbaph will not turn away!"
Sake splashed onto the deck like a promise of blood.
Nami stepped closer to Luffy. "We're going," she said softly.
Usopp nodded hard. "Yeah! No way we sit this out!"
Robin placed her hand gently on Luffy's shoulder. "You are not alone."
Luffy didn't turn.
"No," he said quietly. "I'm going alone."
The words struck harder than any punch.
"What?" Sanji snapped.
Zoro stepped forward. "Say that again."
Luffy faced them, eyes dark, jaw clenched. "Blackbeard's power is different. He stole Whitebeard's strength. He erased Ace's flames like they were nothing."
His fists tightened.
"If I bring you there… you might die."
Silence.
Then Zoro spoke.
"Captain," he said coldly, "don't insult us."
Sanji stepped beside him. "We didn't survive this long to watch you suffer alone."
Franky crossed his arms. "We're built for impossible fights!"
Jimbei nodded solemnly. "This crew chose its path long ago."
Luffy's voice cracked. "If even one of you dies…"
He stopped.
Then laughed—a sharp, broken laugh.
"…I won't be able to live peacefully."
He looked at them all.
"So if we go—"
His grin returned. Wild. Unbreakable.
"—we live together… or die together."
The Straw Hats smiled.
Far away, in the shadows of the world—
Dragon stood frozen as the report ended.
"…Garp captured."
His fist slammed into the table.
"Prepare the fleet," Dragon ordered. "We sail to Pirate Island."
The revolutionaries stiffened.
"For my father," Dragon continued. "And for every slave chained by Blackbeard."
At Marine Headquarters—
"Do not interfere."
The order echoed coldly.
Sengoku rose slowly.
"…No."
"I will not abandon him."
Koby stepped forward, eyes blazing. "I'll follow you, sir!"
Sengoku nodded. "Then let justice move."
The Thousand Sunny turned.
Luffy stood at the helm, straw hat shadowing his eyes.
"Blackbeard," he whispered.
The sea trembled.
"You took my brother."
The wind screamed.
"And now you touched my family."
The ship surged forward—straight toward Pirate Island.
To be continued…