Translator: PapaSmurf0700
Uninhabited Island on the Grand Line
The island's stillness shattered with the sharp crack of stone breaking. A massive boulder split cleanly in two, and from its shadow emerged a lone figure.
The man's movements were stiff, his steps uneven. His right arm and leg moved awkwardly, as though they didn't entirely belong to him. He paused, reaching into his coat with a deliberate motion, and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.
A wanted poster.
The figure's eyes lingered on the image of a white-haired man printed on it, a smirk slowly creeping across his face. "Causing more trouble by the day, aren't you?"
He traced the name and bounty on the poster with his thumb before folding it back. "It seems we're overdue for a reunion," he mused, his smirk deepening. "After all, I owe you my gratitude. Without your reminder, I'd still be stuck in the past."
With that, he turned toward the dense jungle, heading for the shoreline. Docked in the distance was a warship, its silhouette cutting sharply against the horizon.
As he disappeared into the underbrush, the wanted poster slipped from his grip, fluttering to the ground. The bold text glinted faintly under the sun:
"The mysterious deputy captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, self-proclaimed Daoist master capable of manipulating elemental power. Known as the mastermind behind many of the crew's strategic victories."
"Priest Bai Ye: A bounty of 660 million berries!"
-----
On an island ravaged by pirates, its ruins littered with the scars of plunder, a shirtless man with a cowboy hat lounged in a dilapidated tavern. The atmosphere was heavy, the faint scent of burnt wood and spilled alcohol lingering in the air.
In his hand, he held a crisp, newly printed wanted poster. His freckled face broke into a wide grin, his fiery eyes gleaming as he studied the image of his younger brother.
"It looks like you've finally surpassed me, Luffy," Ace murmured, a trace of pride in his voice. He folded the poster with care before turning his gaze to the trembling bar owner behind the counter.
"Don't worry, old man. I'll pay for the sake," Ace said lightly, though his next words carried a weight that stilled the air.
"And just now… I think I heard you mention a name—Blackbeard, right?" Ace's freckled smile remained, but his eyes sharpened, the friendly warmth replaced with a cold intensity.
Not far from the island Ace had landed on, a rickety wooden sailboat creaked and groaned as it fought against the waves. Its hull was scarred with leaks and patches, a testament to the rough life of its captain.
At the helm stood Blackbeard, his massive frame cloaked in shadow under the moonlight. A crumpled wanted poster fluttered in his hand, the edges worn from his iron grip.
Staring at the picture of Luffy, Blackbeard's signature grin stretched wider as he stared at Luffy's image, his jagged teeth gleaming ominously. His voice echoed across the still sea as he laughed uproariously:
"Ze ha ha ha ha! I knew that brat wasn't ordinary the moment I laid eyes on him! But this bounty—this is even better than I imagined!"
Raising the poster high, he bellowed, his voice tinged with glee:
"Fate brought us together back then! Straw Hat Luffy—Ze ha ha ha ha! We're bound to cross paths again… at the very summit of this world!"
As Blackbeard's laughter filled the night, his free hand began to seep with a dark, swirling mist. The shadowy tendrils coiled and danced around the poster, as if trying to devour it whole, dragging it into the abyss.
The bold text beneath Luffy's grinning photo seemed to defy the darkness, its words radiating with a quiet defiance:
"A pirate from the East Blue, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates. A heinous criminal disrupting the peace of the world step by step!"
"Straw Hat Luffy: A bounty of 666 million berries!"
Blackbeard's laughter reverberated like a sinister omen, a chilling prelude to the chaos looming on the horizon.
-----
As the News Coo of the World Economic Journal soared across the seas, its satchel filled with freshly printed bounty posters, the world was once again thrown into chaos by the shocking numbers tied to the Straw Hat Pirates.
A crew of only ten members—yet their total combined bounty had skyrocketed to an astonishing 2.436 billion berries!
This marked the first time in the era of the Great Pirate Age that a group of pirates had amassed such a staggering bounty even before reaching Fish-Man Island.
The bounties, combined with the secretive whispers from the Revolutionary Army and deliberate propaganda from the World Government, catapulted the Straw Hat Pirates into the limelight. Their name spread like wildfire, becoming a topic that dominated conversations across oceans.
In taverns, ports, and even noble courts, the casual greeting of "Have you eaten?" had been replaced by an eager, almost conspiratorial question:
"Have you heard about the Straw Hats?"
And amidst the fervor, one name stood out above all others—the captain himself, Monkey D. Luffy.
Despite his seemingly ordinary appearance, his bounty alone towered above the rest, making people everywhere wonder:
What kind of man is this?
-----
On the moon's surface, Nami's voice rang out, filled with frustration. "You're such an idiot, Luffy! We just got here, and you're already acting like a spoiled brat!"
Luffy flinched slightly but still retorted, his lips pouting. "But… but this is just so boring! Didn't they say the moon was the Fairy Vearth? Another world? Shouldn't there be massive ruins or something exciting to explore?"
His complaints weren't entirely unreasonable. After all, Luffy had dreamed of this legendary place for ages. But the barren reality fell far short of his expectations. The moon's surface was nothing but an endless expanse of dust, craters, and lifeless rocks. No greenery, no ruins—just barren wasteland as far as the eye could see.
After peeking into several craters and finding nothing, Luffy's disappointment grew.
Robin, standing beside Bai Ye, asked with uncertainty, "Were we wrong? Could the Fairy Vearth be somewhere else entirely?"
Bai Ye shook his head calmly. "The moon may seem lifeless, but it's vast. If what we're looking for is here, we might need to search a wider area." He paused before adding, "And…"
BOOM!
A loud explosion shook the ground, scattering dust and debris into the air. The crew instinctively braced themselves, startled by the sudden noise.
When faced with the unknown, Usopp couldn't help his nervous nature from taking over. "H-Hey, you guys don't think that noise came from some kind of… monster, do you?"
To his dismay, Luffy's reaction was the exact opposite. His eyes lit up like fireworks as he exclaimed, "Monster?! That's awesome!" Without waiting for a single reply, Luffy turned toward the direction of the explosion and dashed off.
"Let's go find the monster, everyone!" he shouted excitedly, already sprinting ahead. Of course, his enthusiasm got the better of him, and before anyone could stop him, he tripped and fell into one of the moon's massive craters.
Sanji sighed, lighting a cigarette with practiced ease. "Relax, it was just an ordinary explosion. Monsters don't show up that easily."
Still, his calm assessment didn't stop him from glancing in the explosion's direction. "But… it does mean someone, or something, is definitely here."
Zoro cracked his knuckles, a faint grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "If it's an enemy, let's hope it's one that can handle a blade."
Franky's booming voice cut through the chatter as he struck a dynamic pose. "Aww yeah! This is the perfect time to break out the Soldier Dock System! Merry!"
Catching onto his excitement, Merry instantly responded. "Understood! Deploying Black Rhino and Brachiosaurus!"
With mechanical precision, the Sunshine Merry opened two hatches, and within moments, two gleaming off-road vehicles rolled out onto the moon's surface.
Usopp and Merry bounced with excitement, their eyes gleaming like starlight. "Whoa, these are amazing!" Usopp gushed, running his hands along the vehicles. "They're so cool!"
Nami, however, wasn't as impressed. Crossing her arms, she raised an eyebrow and said, "Hey, are you seriously planning to just charge in without thinking? This isn't the sea, you know. Who knows what we could run into out there?"
Robin, who had been quietly observing, finally chimed in with a thoughtful tone. "If this really is the homeland of those who built the forgotten kingdom, there should be treasures left behind."
The word treasures caused an immediate and drastic shift in Nami's mood. Her eyes practically turned into berry symbols as she threw her hands into the air and shouted, "Treasures?! What are we waiting for?! Let's go on an adventure!"