The waters of the North Blue stretched endlessly under a calm sky, the deck of the enemy ship stained with blood and littered with broken bodies. A figure with the head of an ox and the body of a human flew through the air, crashing into the cabin of the ship.
Johnny, captain of the Blood Ox Pirate Crew, struggled to his feet. Around him lay his dead crewmates — and beside them, his brother who had died shielding him from a fatal blow. The happy memories of their years at sea flashed in Johnny's bloodshot eyes, and tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. Rage and grief shook him to his core. "You damned demon! What did I ever do to deserve this?!" His roar echoed across the deck.
His sorrow turned to fury, and he lost himself. His body shifted and grew, transforming into a wild ox of three meters tall. Horns curved dangerously, hooves clawed the wood, and snorts of rage shook the air as he charged at Sakazuki.
Sakazuki stood unflinching, pale eyes cold. "Why? Because all of you deserve to die," he said flatly. His right arm glowed blood‑red as magma gathered, hardening yet still pulsing with molten energy. A faint flow of magma pulsed under the surface — a silent warning.
When the wild ox was nearly within range, Sakazuki leapt, legs coiling like springs. He brought his fist down on the ox's head. The moment his fist collided, magma erupted in a violent burst. The ox crashed into the deck beneath a wave of molten rock.
Johnny convulsed, reverting to human form as unconsciousness threatened. But the magma cocoon around him burned. Pain forced him awake — he writhed and gasped, unable to fight back.
Sakazuki strode forward. In one swift motion he grabbed Johnny by the neck and lifted him off the ground. He controlled the magma, letting it slowly creep upward until it completely enveloped Johnny's body. His voice was cold, distant. "Three years, countless villages destroyed. Go to hell and repent. Trash."
The magma hardened, forming a cocoon that sealed Johnny's fate. His screams faded until silence reigned.
Without looking back, Sakazuki turned and walked into the cabin. He gathered treasure from chests and scattered coins into a bag before heading toward his small boat moored nearby. He grabbed an Eternal Pose, hoisted the sail, and set off.
A few minutes later, as he drifted about a hundred meters from the pirate ship, the magma cocoon remained — but within it, something strange happened. The cocoon began to pulse like a beating heart, growing larger and shrinking repeatedly, faster and faster.
Then: a deafening explosion rocked the sea. Magma exploded outward, engulfing the entire pirate ship. The wood cracked, sails burned, masts splintered, and the hull began to collapse. Flames and molten rock consumed the vessel until with a final groan, it sank beneath the waves.
All the evil that ship represented sank into the depths, buried forever.
Sakazuki did not turn to watch. He stayed at the bow of the small boat, arms dangling at his sides, expression calm and unreadable. He took out a stack of bounty posters he had collected over the years. One by one they had been crossed out. He drew a final 'X' over Johnny's face, then casually let the poster drop to the deck.
"They're all gone," he thought quietly. "Time to join the Marines."
He gazed out at the endless sea. Once a scrawny child, transmigrated into this harsh reality, he had become a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to the Devil Fruit power he bore, and years of hard training, at twelve years old he was already larger and stronger than most adults. His red coat billowed in the breeze, his expression resolute, his body tight and muscular. On his back hung a long saber — a trophy from one of his earlier hunts.
For three years he had stayed in Gaya Town. He trained relentlessly, gathered information, and collected bounty posters. Those posters represented real monsters: pirates who massacred villages, destroyed towns, left holes in the world full of grief and suffering. Killing them once was never enough. His resolve only hardened further. In the two years since he set sail, he had wiped many names clean from the world. He had earned a reputation. A name: Demon.
This was not yet the Great Pirate Era. The name Roger had not been spoken yet. But pirates were swarming into the seas. Their numbers grew each year, and one person alone — no matter how powerful — couldn't stop it all.
Sakazuki knew that. He could master his Devil Fruit power easily. But without proper guidance, his self‑taught physical techniques had reached their limit. He knew of the Six Powers, the basics of haki: Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and more. He even knew a trick called Shave — stomping the ground dozens of times in under half a second to launch into explosive, near‑invisible movement. From an enemy's view it looked as if he vanished. But it was only theory — he didn't know the right amount of force or how to control it in real combat.
Mastering haki alone would take years of disciplined training under a master. Figuring it out alone would be slow, inefficient… and sometimes impossible.
So he had decided: first, join the Marines. Then, learn how to truly grow strong. And finally, leave no pirate alive.
Two weeks later the small wooden pier of Fuka Island led to the headquarters of the Marine 194th Branch Recruitment Office.
A clerk called out: "Next!"
Sakazuki stepped forward. The clerk recorded his name, glanced at his youthful face, then raised an eyebrow. "Name?"
"Sakazuki."
"Age?"
"12."
The clerk blinked. Sakazuki looked taller and sturdier than him. His lips twitched with confusion. "Why do you want to join the Marines?" he asked.
A faint killing intent seemed to emanate from Sakazuki. His voice was low, calm — but chilling. "To eradicate all pirates in the world."
The clerk's hand jumped. "Do you have any special skills?"
Sakazuki's voice echoed without warmth. "Logia‑type Devil Fruit user: Magma‑Magma Fruit."
The clerk froze, mouth agape.
That was the moment everything began.