This was my favorite chapter to write thus far. We finally get to see Lucian sail on his journey and meet interesting people along the way. This is the first of Lucian`s training arc; the second one comes soon. This is the longest chapter by far, and the following ones will be longer. I know longer doesn`t mean better, but I have a lot of content to discuss, so I hope you enjoy it.
Lucian, now age 12, is sailing with Rayleigh across the blues after leaving Aragonia to become more powerful and discover the secrets of the world. I wanted to make this chapter as action-packed as possible while progressing the storyline. The stakes only get higher from now on.
Hope you all enjoy the chapter, and let me know what you think :)
Chapter 5: A New Adventure Begins: To the Grand Line!
The next couple of months were… confusing.
Rayleigh barely trained Lucian, which disappointed him extremely. All he did was give Lucian book after book, and for once in his life, he did something amazing: he studied.
They sailed from island to island. And they all ended the same. With Lucian dragging his drunk master back to the ship after a night out. But he cannot lie. Looking at the world was amazing.
They traveled up north to a couple of the Trakovian Islands to explore for 'gems' that Rayleigh thought would make him rich. When that failed, they saw a couple of pirate crews, and they typically ignored a child and an old man, but other times, Rayleigh had to dispatch them.
But the scenery of almost every island made him feel free. It was amazing, but you know what wasn`t amazing?
His training.
He confronted Rayleigh about it on their way to enter the West Blue. He had heard stories about West Blue; it was a very dangerous territory. Rayleigh told him this sea had the most underworld activity, fueled by Capone Bege, their leader. It had the highest crime rate out of the four blues. Fun, he thought.
Rayleigh, during the nighttime time, would usually give Lucian advice. Despite not properly training yet.
"Hey, old man, you promised to make me strong. Why haven`t I started training yet?"
Rayleigh was dazed. "But you have kid. It started the second we left Aragonia. Just because you haven`t fought anyone doesn`t mean anything. Oh, you`ll have fights, but learn to observe the world around you. Expand your senses. Because your Haki potential is impeccable, but that means nothing if you are not patient."
Haki.
Rayleigh explained to him that Haki is the power of your will or energy that resides in every living organism. Anyone can learn it with enough effort. However, certain individuals had fewer limitations. Rayleigh took one quick look at Lucian and decided he was worthy of being trained. Was his Haki potential that great?
There are three types of Haki. Rayleigh made him remember them.
Observation Haki allowed the user to have a sixth sense. The stronger your observation, the more you can expand your senses. Observation also allows you to feel the emotions of others and their intentions. You can figuratively read their minds, which was so cool. It also acts as an extra pair of eyes.
Armament Haki allows the user to use their aura to attack and defend. It also bypasses devil fruit powers, essentially negating them. Haki works best on Logia devil fruit users.
Logia is the most powerful form of devil fruit; it is an elemental fruit that can only be stopped by using Haki or another type of devil fruit. But Armament is the most useful form of Haki, he thought.
It allowed the user to enhance their aura onto their bodies, weapons, or even objects. The Marines' hero, Monkey D. Garp, was stated to have Armament Haki so strong it could split a continent in half.
Now, everyone can learn these types of Haki, but the third one cannot be learned.
It was called the Conqueror`s Spirit/Haki, and it was the most powerful subform of Haki.
Rayleigh said only one in a million inherits this gift, which allows the user to overwhelm and unleash their willpower over others. Those with a weak will who cannot handle it could pass out or even die.
Rayleigh assured Lucian he had the Conqueror`s spirit. He didn`t know how, but Lucian was happy to hear that.
They were sailing through the West Blue confidently now, but over the last couple of months, they never really ran into real trouble, usually low-life Pirates that wanted to raid their ship, but they never succeeded. Until then, it was back to book studying or whatever Rayleigh wanted him to do.
If you were interested in Lucian's studies, they focused on combat situations and the history of the grand line. Rayleigh wanted him to understand what he was going to learn and how he was going to master it.
"Most pirates, marines, or individuals don`t understand their powers on a deep surface level. They focus only on their strengths and never leave time to improve their weaknesses," Rayleigh always said.
That was the main gist of it, but as boring as it was, he understood it was very important to learn about how he was going to use his power. Lucian then had a question for Rayleigh.
"Hey Uncle," which was his new undercover term for Rayleigh.
Lucian`s curiosity got the better of him, "Haki or Devil fruits which wins"
Rayleigh pondered, "A vague question, kid, but Haki is the ultimate power of this world. The devil fruit has many amazing aspects depending on if it`s a logia, paramecia, or zoan. A good devil fruit combined with good Haki is impressive. But ultimate mastery of Haki trumps even the strongest devil fruit users. If you ever stumble across a devil fruit and decide it`s worth eating, be my guest. Just remember you`ll never be able to swim again. For me personally, not worth the curse."
"So what`s the strongest devil fruit then," Lucian asked.
"The Logia is the strongest, and this includes elemental powers such as fire and ice. Paramecia are the most common type of devil fruit; they grant the user superhuman abilities such as strength or speed.
Lastly, we have zoan fruits. These allow the user to turn into any animal. But the mythical zoan fruits are the rarest in the sea. Their powers are immensely powerful and unpredictable."
Good descriptions, but he didn`t know if he wanted to eat a devil fruit. Traveling the seas without being able to swim seemed like a death sentence.
"Uncle Rayleigh, I am ready. I want to learn Haki."
"You`ve been ready ever since the day I met you; I felt it within you after the invasion." Lucian stood there confused. Rayleigh continued to explain.
"Haki is tricky to teach because anyone can learn it, but only a few can truly master it. You not only have the talent but immense willpower.
Sometimes, trauma can draw out your aura; in your case, it did. Your body and spirit are connected, and that event unknowingly unleashed your aura, so once that is done, you can focus on building it up from there. You already started your journey, kid. Now tell me, are you willing to do what it takes to become the best?"
Lucian finally understood what Rayleigh had been doing for him all this time. He had been training him since the moment they left home without him even noticing.
1 year later...
Over the next year, Rayleigh finally began incorporating physical training for Lucian.
He began training in the fundamentals, such as refining his basic combat abilities. He had to fight Rayleigh every day for hours with only his hands and feet.
Rayleigh started to teach him techniques that would help Lucian overpower opponents with just skill.
You couldn`t tell by looking at him, but Uncle Rayleigh was seriously skilled in martial arts.
Every day, he woke up on the ship and trained with Rayleigh. No matter how tired he was, he kept pushing; he didn`t want to disappoint the old man.
He learned a bunch of different forms of martial arts from Rayleigh. Lucian forgot the name. It was complicated, but it focused primarily on hand-to-hand combat. Rayleigh always emphasized that Haki means nothing if you don`t know how to throw a punch or how to take one. From each island they landed on, Lucian would always take the opportunity to get training whether it was running, weight training, or practicing his martial arts, he knew it was only getting more dangerous from now on, so he had to be ready.
In a short amount of time, he became unrecognizable in his fighting techniques. Rayleigh prioritized speed over anything, so this forced Lucian to become faster in his movements. He had to learn to let his reflexes do the work for him instead of his mind. Most pirates are heavy hitters, so you need to make sure you can be faster than them.
Yet, Rayleigh never took it easy on him.
90% of the time, he ended up getting hit multiple times and getting seriously hurt. The old man is quicker than he looks. But throughout it all, Lucian kept a smile on his face. This is what he wanted: the pain, the fatigue. He loved it because it meant he was doing a good job.
He also felt his speed and strength increase, but the best part was that he felt his senses start to improve. Rayleigh hasn`t even started the Haki-specific portion of the training yet, but he could feel that his observation haki was gradually getting better with more time.
Despite his training, every island they stopped alongside felt the same. They`d just go into town to get supplies and avoid the pirates they saw along the way. Lucian hated that; he felt as if he was ready to fight some pirates to test his training. Rayleigh must have known that his pupil wanted to fight. But as always, it was like Rayleigh read his mind.
"Don`t rush. You`ll get your chance to prove yourself," he said.
"I know I won`t disappoint you, just sit back and watch me kick ass," Lucian said.
"Overconfidence is never good, but humility carries you a long way," There goes the old man spitting wisdom once again.
Pirates always looked badly at them walking by as if they were weak prey. Only if they knew they were messing with Dark King Rayleigh, they`d piss their pants. The closer they got to the Grand Line, the more dangerous the waters became.
"Hey, kid, come here."
Lucian was downstairs in his bunk, reading a newspaper. He ran up the stairs to the deck, where Rayleigh was manning the helm. The sun hit his face, and the sea salt breeze always had that intoxicating aroma that he loved.
"We`re approaching Loguetown," said the old man.
"About time been about a year since we left home," Lucian replied.
Loguetown, the island where Gol D. Roger was executed.
Over the last year, they ran into a couple of low-life pirates, and he and the old man dispatched them real quick, but Lucian wanted a challenge. He gained so much strength from his short time with Rayleigh. Imagine what he could have done in a couple of years if he had kept up the pace. He adjusted the sail to the direction Rayleigh needed it in, and he knew the ship like the back of his hand now.
All the little details and how to operate it came naturally. The old man pointed to the outline of an island. Lucian squinted to see. There it was… Loguetown. He was pumped. To see the legendary birthplace and execution of the King of the Pirates was amazing.
"Now, kid, I know your training has gone well recently, but I still need you to be careful. You never know who could be roaming these parts. After Loguetown, we enter the Grand Line, and everything becomes more difficult. You got that."
Lucian nodded. He was itching for a challenge, but he had learned early on to heed Rayleigh`s advice and not fight anyone who didn`t deserve it.
Entering the port, Lucian couldn`t contain his excitement. The town looked very traditional. The architecture was similar to his town in Aragonia, with the houses being shaped the same and the large buildings having a similar style. Well, that`s the best way he could describe it; he was no architect.
Eventually, he got off the port with Rayleigh, "Be careful. The pirates here are more dangerous than ever before."
Lucian nodded in agreement.
"Before we enter the Grand Line, I need to talk to an old friend. He can help us charter an actual pirate ship and not this junk we`ve riding around in," Rayleigh said
"Oh, cool," Lucian responded.
Rayleigh reached into his pocket. "Here, buy some supplies. Oh, and try not to cause trouble."
He then started to explain to Lucian what he needed.
"Meet up back here before sundown," They then both went their separate ways.
He began to explore Loguetown. He saw a lot of diversity in the crowd. People from all over the seas came to Loguetown as it was an entrance near the Grand Line. He lay low and even left his sparring sword back on the ship. He saw a lot of pirates, but they were mainly drunk. He even saw some Marines patrolling the area. So I guess some Pirates and Marines are buddies, then?
He saw some stores and began to purchase food and ship supplies. These trade merchants noticed he was young, so they tried to swindle him. Lucian began negotiating on every price. He didn`t want to be outsmarted by some jackass. After buying the supplies, he stuffed them into his bag. He swung the backpack onto his back. But for some reason, as always, Lucian bumped into someone.
Why did this always happen? He looked up.
It was a fishman.
Lucian had never seen a Fishman before. He was tall and muscular, with a fin on his back, webbed hands and feet, and a tattoo on his left pec of a sun. He looked displeased with Lucian`s presence. He put his hand on Lucian`s head and moved him out of the way.
"Hey, at least apologize, fish guy," Lucian yelled.
The Fishman looked back and scoffed, "Shut up, brat, if you know what`s good for you."
Lucian stood there stunned. For some reason, he would not take this level of disrespect. He had to toughen up. This wasn`t Aragonia anymore. If he couldn`t stand up for himself, he`d be food for pirates.
Lucian pointed at the Fishman, "Hey, I`m not a brat; don`t disrespect me." The Fishman looked back, "Those are fighting words; you want to fight."
Lucian's anger continued to rise. "Oh really, fishy boy, I can fight. Don`t let looks deceive you." Lucian rolled up his sleeves.
His training took him to a whole new level; he wasn`t scared of this guy. But before the Fishman could make a move, he saw a whole crew of pirates flock to him.
"Heyyyyy, Konzaru," said the fat man, slurring his words.
He wore a button-up shirt that barely fit him, a holster on his side, and sunglasses. He looked like a slob. Followed by him were their lackeys. They were all dressed around the same, with grey clothing and long pants. They all had their hands on their holsters, looking for some action.
"Came here to spy on me again, Fontello," the Fishman said.
The fat man grinned. He pulled out his gun and started rolling it around his pinky.
"We told you. You need to be close by. You`re not pulling any stunts on us this time." The Fishman sighed; he didn`t look defeated but rather annoyed. One of the fat man's lackeys pointed his gun at Lucian.
"Who`s the little brat?" said one of the pirates.
The Fishman looked back and raised his right hand, dismissing the question.
"No one, just some kid I accidentally bumped into," Lucian was shocked.
Why was this Fishman covering for him? They were about to come to blows a minute ago.
"Fontello, let`s go back". The Fishman and the crew started to walk away, but the Fatman stayed there staring at Lucian.
He then began to laugh. "I know when you lie, Konzaru. Tell me, did this boy bother you?". Konzaru turned around and said, "No."
The fat man got even more angry. "Listen, Konzaru, Captain Akino was generous enough to take you with us to the Grand Line, but if you let a little kid boss you around, then you`re even more pathetic than we thought."
Everyone on the crew, except Konzaru, began to laugh; they were all mocking Konzaru.
Damn, why were these assholes laughing at him? He admitted he didn`t like Konzaru at first. But the guy stuck up for him and for no reason at all. He seems as if he doesn`t like to be a part of their crew. Plus, the fatman was really getting on his nerves, and Lucian decided he hated him more.
Lucian clenched his fists. "Leave Konzaru alone, Fatman. We were about to fight."
Right away, it went from laughter to dead silence. The fat man's face looked like he was going to pop a vein.
He grabbed his gun from his holster. "Ok, brat, if you want a fight, I`ll give you one. My name is Fontello, first mate of the Daredevil Pirates. I have a bounty of 23 million berries. You should fear me."
Lucian then remembered that name, and Uncle Rayleigh reminded him of some pirate crews to watch out for.
The Daredevil Pirates from the East Blue were one of them.
They were cunning pirates, and their captain, Gren Akino, was a ruthless man. He raided villages and was a money-obsessed psychopath. They wreaked havoc on the East Blue, decimating poor villages and islands for sport; he knows he just met Konzaru. But the Fishman didn`t seem like the type of person to be on this crew. He found himself protecting a man he was once about to fight just a couple of minutes ago, but he hated this fat man, and Konzaru stuck up for him. How fast opinions change.
The gun still pointed at him, Lucian didn`t flinch.
"Guns aren`t meant for threats; they're meant for action," Lucian overconfidently said.
A saying Rayleigh often drunkenly uttered.
The fat man looked surprised. He pulled the handload of the gun and heard a click. Now, he was smiling devilishly.
"Fontello, leave the damn kid alone. We have more important matters to tend to," Konzaru said.
The Fatman looked back, and his lackeys looked disgusted at Konzaru. "When we took you in, you made a deal with our captain. And we will make sure you honor it, okay? Other than that, shut your mouth."
Konzaru began walking towards the fatman. "I will, but not if you hurt the child."
Konzaru put his hands on the gun and put it down.
The fat man was disappointed. "Fine, Konzaru, but next time, I won`t be so lenient."
The fat man and the lackeys started to walk away.
Konzaru stood alone in front of Lucian, "Sorry about that kid."
"Why did you help me? After the way I treated you," Lucian asked. Konzaru's expression remained the same.
"Sometimes kids act out. So what doesn`t mean you deserve to die?"
"So, tell me, Konzaru. What deal did you have with your captain that made the Fatman angry?"
This time, Konzaru looked annoyed. "No offense, kid, but don`t stick your nose where it doesn`t belong; go home."
He then stepped away and walked back to his crew. Lucian stood there astonished. He never knew the Daredevil pirates were that dangerous. The sun began to set, and he returned to the ship, where he saw Rayleigh speaking to a well-dressed man.
"Hey, nephew," Rayleigh said.
Lucian walked onto the ship and laid out the supplies. After Rayleigh finished his conversation with the man, he walked back on board.
Lucian began to cook dinner. He was no chef, but he knew a recipe or two that his mother taught him. If he messed up her pasta recipe, then that was just sad. Tonight`s specialty was Alfredo pasta, which was Rayleigh`s favorite. Rayleigh took a seat and took in the aroma of the food.
"Nice cooking, kid; I love your Alfredo. So tell me, how was your day."
Lucian knew he couldn`t lie to Rayleigh. He had mastery of all Haki, and he could use his observation of Haki to decipher Lucian`s emotions. So, he skewed the truth so as not to worry him.
"I ran into some pirates, but they gave me no trouble."
Lucian was good at reading expressions, but not Rayleigh`s. "So you ran into pirates, huh? I assume you had some level of self-control and didn`t anger them as you do with everyone else." Lucian`s cheeks turned red. "Sure, you could say that," he lied.
Lucian finished cooking and handed Rayleigh a plate. "Delicious," he said. As they ate in silence, Rayleigh broke the silence to some interesting news.
"Hey, kid, we need to get to Water 7."
Water 7, woah that was the legendary water city with the best shipwrights in the world.
Rayleigh continued to explain, "I need to meet my friend Iceberg; it`s important."
Lucian jumped out of his seat. "So tell me, is that where the famous Oro Jackson was built."
Rayleigh nodded in agreement. "But don`t get it twisted, kid. You still have a lot more training you need to do before you can survive in the Grand Line."
"So I`m assuming you're going to make my training more difficult," Lucian excitedly said.
"To a whole new level," Rayleigh responded. Lucian smiled. He cleaned up the table. He was excited. Getting stronger with Uncle Rayleigh was all he wanted. He promised Ilir and Mikasa he would get super strong, and he had to honor that no matter what!
The next day, Lucian awoke and began to explore Loguetown again, this time just for fun.
The citizens of this town seemed happy, though he knew it was a passageway for Marines to cross into the Grand Line. As he walked he began to understand the town more, the Marines had complete authority but the Pirates were also not bothered by the Marines so how did that work? He realized by traveling that some Marine/Pirate interactions were friendly. Not all Pirates were considered enemies in Loguetown. Some did favors for each other, and that meant a truce was allowed. He learned that it`s not just two sides that will do anything to defeat one another, but sometimes they work together.
Rayleigh explained the warlord system to him as well.
There are seven warlords of the sea, all extremely powerful pirates who are allied with the World Government. They were still allowed to be Pirates but had to help out the World Government wherever they were called upon, which also meant that they had no Marines on their tail trying to capture them.
Lucian decided he would never ally himself with the Marines, and he`d rather die than do that. He was walking around the town center and stumbled across where Gol D. Roger was executed.
Even after all those years, they kept the execution platform in place just to remind all Pirates that could be their fate if they didn`t choose the path of righteousness.
As he continued to walk around, he saw a young mother and her daughter buying ice cream. But he also realized some Pirates amongst the crowd. His Observation Haki did get better and it was starting to show because he felt irregularities in the emotions of those near him.
As Lucian kept walking, he saw Konzaru alone. Lucian smiled and ran in his direction. Initially, he disliked Konzaru, but after what he had done for him yesterday, he started to warm up to him. But before he could get Konzaru's attention, the young girl screamed. Lucian stopped dead in his tracks.
"Mommy, there`s a fishman here. HE`S GOING TO HURT US," she wailed.
This got the crowd`s attention. Konzaru looked unfazed, but the young girl started to stir the crowd up. The crowd looked in Konzaru`s direction.
"Hey, what`s a dirty Fishman doing here," said one commoner.
"Yeah, don`t scare that poor girl, you monster. Crawl back to the depths you came from," said another.
Lucian was shocked. Why did they hate Konzaru so much?
The ripple effect became too much at one point. They were all shouting obscenities at Konzaru. But instead of retaliating back, Konzaru hung his head in shame. The crowd began to throw food and rocks at Konzaru. One rock clipped his head, and he started to bleed. Lucian`s anger was becoming increasingly more and more dangerous. Why were they bothering Konzaru, is it because he`s a Fishman? Why wasn`t he doing anything about it?
The crowd kept on yelling and raging towards Konzaru as if he had done something wrong. Lucian ran towards the crowd and pushed away the people. He reached the middle where Konzaru was.
This surprised the crowd a bit, "HEYYYY EVERYONE," Lucian yelled.
He began to pant, and the crowd was silenced for a second. "HAVE YOU NO SHAME, LEAVE HIM ALONE," Lucian screamed to the sky.
The crowd looked surprised. Yet, Konzaru stood still, not moving at all, with his head still hung.
Konzaru then spoke up, "It`s fine, boy; this is how relations with humans and Fishman have always been."
Lucian's anger never simmered down. "I don`t care; I won`t let someone treat another person like that."
Someone from the crowd decided to speak up. "Hey kid, are you stupid or something? Fishman are the scum of the sea. Let them perish for all I care." The crowd roared in agreement, and their disdain and hatred for Konzaru began to intensify until…
The crowd just stopped—dead silence. They all looked back, and there stood a muscular man at least 10 feet tall with a beard and a tan skin tone. He was wearing long pants but no shirt and had the Fatman and his lackeys by his side. The crowd started to run from the oncoming Pirates.
"The Daredevil Pirates, no way," someone said in fear.
Lucian looked at the large man in the eye. "So you must be the brat that Konzaru is so fond of," said the large man.
Lucian didn`t speak, not because of fear but because he noticed this was their captain, Gren Akino. He had to be careful.
Konzaru began to walk towards his crew.
The fat man laughed. "It looked like you deserved that, Konzaru, you worthless idiot," Everyone started to laugh.
Lucian had enough. No one deserved this treatment. The Daredevil Pirates really lived up to their reputation. Why did Konzaru tolerate such a nasty crew?
"I know what you're thinking, kid, to defend Konzaru as if he were your friend. But truth be told, the only reason this Fishman garbage is on our crew is because he is an amazing navigator. He`ll lead us to Grand Line," said a crewmember.
Looking over at Konzaru he still never managed to rebuttal in his defense.
Lucian's anger continued to rise, "No, you're the garbage around here. YOU AND YOUR ENTIRE CREW, oh, and especially that fat slob over there," Lucian pointed to the fatman.
The fat man looked offended; he ran up to Lucian angrily, "I had enough of you, kid; I should've killed you yesterday."
The fat man ran towards Lucian with his pistol and sword out. "FONTELLO NO!" Konzaru yelled.
Lucian's laugh cut through the tension like a blade. He could feel his power surging through his veins, every muscle primed and ready. "Soru," he muttered, and in an instant, he vanished.
To the fat man, it was as if Lucian disappeared into thin air—just a blur, a shadow darting across his vision.
Then, Lucian reappeared at his left, his body a blur of motion, and before the fat man could even react, Lucian's fist was already driving forward. The force of the left hook connected squarely with the man's jaw like a hammer striking an anvil.
The impact was devastating—a sonic boom followed as the fat man's face distorted under the blow, and his body lifted off the ground like a ragdoll. He hurtled backward with terrifying speed, crashing into the side of a building with an explosion of debris, leaving a spiderweb of cracks in the stone. He slumped to the ground, unconscious, the remnants of the wall crumbling around him.
The crew gasped in shock. "So fast, he was so fast it looked like he disappeared," the crew astonishingly said. Lucian began to crack his knuckles.
"I hated that guy, so tell me, Captain Akino, you have what it takes to square off with me. Scum like you disgust me."
Gren Akino stepped forward. "I`ll fight you, kid, but it won`t be much of a fight, more like a massacre."
There and then, Gren, Akino, and Lucian stood ready for one to make the first move. He wanted a challenge, and he got one.
"You want to fight for fishman scum. What do you think that makes you? A hero," Gren Akino said.
Konzaru looked surprised, as if he hadn`t expected Lucian to impress him. Then, out of nowhere, as Gren Akino was walking, chains magically were summoned. He had a devil fruit. Lucian had never fought someone with a devil fruit before.
"I ate the Jara-Jara no mi, also known as the chain-chain fruit; I can manipulate chains to my will. Thanks to this fruit, it earned me the bounty of 55 million berries. No one has beaten me yet."
Lucian felt his blood run cold, the intensity of the moment sinking in. He couldn't afford a single mistake; this was no sparring match but a fight for survival. Akino's confidence radiated like poison, every move exuding arrogance and a sense of superiority—an edge Lucian knew he could exploit.
Akino moved first, snapping his fingers, and a chain shot out like a spear toward Lucian, cutting through the air with deadly speed. Lucian's body reacted on instinct, barely dodging as it whizzed past his face. Another chain followed, then another—dozens of them, like a torrent of steel seeking blood. Each time, Lucian narrowly evaded, rolling, twisting, and sidestepping, the tips of the chains grazing his skin by mere inches.
Akino's speed was shocking for a man of his size, and his chains were relentless, whipping through the air and cornering Lucian at every turn. But as Lucian ducked and dodged, a single thought raced through his mind: he needed to get close—to get inside those chains and deliver a decisive blow.
Then, a single misstep—a miscalculation—and Lucian felt cold metal wrap around his ankle. The chain tightened instantly, yanking him off his feet. Before he could even react, more chains coiled around him like constricting pythons, binding his arms and legs, tightening until he was immobilized. Akino's laughter boomed through the town square, triumph dripping from every word.
"Weaklings. I hate 'em."
Lucian thrashed against the chains, but they were like iron—unyielding, suffocating. He was pulled face-to-face with Akino, the man's breath reeking of alcohol and rot.
"You got too cocky, brat," Akino said, his grin stretching wickedly. "I'll do you a favor and give you a quick death."
Lucian's eyes narrowed, and he forced a smile. "Dude, your breath smells like shit."
The words hung in the air for a second before Konzaru let out a slight chuckle. Akino's grin twisted into a snarl. "You think that's funny?"
Akino growled, snapping his head toward Konzaru.
"Let's see if you're laughing when I rip him to pieces!"
Lucian took a slow breath. He needed Akino angry—angrier than he already was. Rage makes you sloppy. Lucian tested the chains, feeling how they held his upper body tight but left his legs free. The hint of an idea formed in his mind.
"You know, Akino," Lucian said, his voice loud and mocking, "for a guy with chains, you're pretty weak."
He channeled whatever Haki he had left, focusing it on his feet. He hadn't mastered Armament Haki, and his Observation was shaky, but right now, any edge would do.
He needed to escape.
Akino's face twisted in fury. "You piece of—!" He threw a punch toward Lucian's face, a blow that would break a bone.
That was the opening. Lucian activated Soru(Shave), using the chains wrapped around him like a catapult, launching himself straight up, the world blurring around him as he appeared in front of Akino's face. With all the strength in his legs, he delivered a brutal kick to Akino's jaw, snapping his head back with a sickening crack. The move was so fast that Akino barely registered the blow before he stumbled backward, stunned. Lucian hit the ground and tore the chains off, the links falling away like dead weight.
He had only a split second. Lucian's eyes darted down to Akino's legs—thick, muscular, a weak point hidden in plain sight. He moved like lightning, ducking low and sweeping his legs beneath Akino's, a direct kick to the kneecaps. Akino buckled, his face twisted in pain as he dropped to one knee. Chains flew out again, but they were sluggish, weaker. Lucian grinned.
That's it. He's hurt.
"Soru!" Lucian shot forward like a bullet, slipping past the slowing chains and delivering a powerful right hook to Akino's chest, followed by a flurry of rapid punches to his face. Each blow landed cleanly, bone meeting bone, and Akino's flesh split open, blood pouring from his nose and mouth.
The crew gasped, disbelief and fear flashing across their faces. Akino, the undefeated monster with chains, was reeling and bleeding, and his guard was completely shattered. Lucian wiped the sweat from his brow, eyes locked on the captain's fallen form.
Akino groaned, trying to lift himself off the ground, his breath ragged and heavy. Lucian turned his back on him—a blatant, deliberate sign of disrespect. Akino's face burned with rage, and he stumbled to his feet, trembling.
"No... I won't lose... to a brat like you," he spat out, coughing up blood.
Roaring in fury, Akino summoned every chain he could muster, launching them wildly toward Lucian, metal slicing through the air like a storm of whips. Lucian stood perfectly still, watching the chaos unfold, waiting. And just as the chains closed in, Lucian whispered, "Soru," and vanished, the chains smashing into buildings and tearing them apart.
Amidst the dust and rubble, Lucian slipped into the storm, reappearing at Akino's side. He drove his left fist deep into Akino's ribs, the force of the blow sounding like a cannon.
Akino's eyes bulged, blood spewing from his mouth as the air was forced from his lungs. The chains shattered into nothingness, dropping lifelessly to the ground. Akino crumpled, gasping, kneeling in agony.
Lucian walked toward him, each step deliberate, slow, and confident. The crew could only watch in stunned silence, their eyes wide with disbelief, their mighty captain reduced to a bleeding mess.
Grabbing Akino by his hair, Lucian lifted his head, forcing him to look up. "A 55-million-berry bounty... for this?" Lucian scoffed, disgusted. "What a joke."
Akino muttered something inaudible, blood and defeat dripping from every word. Lucian's face twisted in disgust. He raised his leg and, with one brutal stomp, smashed Akino's face in as hard as possible.
Akino flew back, crashing into the wall of a nearby building, collapsing into the rubble, unconscious and broken.
The crew was in disbelief, Lucian turned to them "Who wants next" as he wiped off the dust and debris on his clothes.
He thought this was fun. Akino was a tough opponent. The crew ran towards their injured captain, all but Konzaru, who stood still. He, too, was stunned.
"Boy, what a display of power. How old are you, and how are you so powerful." Konzaru said.
Lucian shrugged his shoulders. "Just turned 12 a couple of days ago".
"Amazing, and you're this strong," Konzaru said.
Lucian never thought of himself as powerful. "Yeah, but look on the bright side now, Konzaru, now you don`t need to obey that asshole Akino."
Konzaru looked happy, but then his sadness returned. "No, I need to. I made a deal."
"What deal, come one tell me," Konzaru sighed and began to explain.
"As you know, Fishman are from Fishman Island.
As a kid, I noticed the evils of the world. Especially against my kind. We have been prejudiced against for ages by the celestial dragons.
One of my mentors is Jimbei, Son of the Sea. He taught me the value our kind has, but he also spoke compassionately of certain humans. You see, many of our kind despise your race, which led to aggression and hatred over centuries of fighting. But Jimbei taught me never to judge someone unless you see their character. So, he motivated me to see the world on my own.
I traveled the seas and became amazing at navigation. I picked up the skill to offer myself to nearby merchant ships as payment for room and board. Sometimes, a ship needed a navigator, but because I`m a fishman, they declined. I started to lose hope, but some crews then began to pay for my services. It gave me a glimmer of hope in humanity and maybe a chance for the unification of our races.
Not long ago, I ran into Gren Akino. He pretended to befriend me and made me feel welcome as one of their own. But I quickly became disgusted by their nature. Some humans are just purely evil. Gren Akino and his crew forced me to come along on voyages, where they would raid villages and kill innocents. Once they saw me as an outcast who didn`t enjoy their perverted ways, they began to use me.
So Akino offered me a deal. He offered to free me once we reached the Grand Line. I took the deal but was very hesitant to believe him. I endured years of torment. Not being able to be free, confined by Gren Akino," Konzaru concluded.
Lucian took a moment to process that Konzaru was also oppressed by celestial dragons. He didn`t want to mention that.
"Well, you`re free now, so don`t worry," Lucian chuckled.
Konzaru managed a grin. "Yes, boy, and all thanks to you," he said. They both laughed.
"Hey, I have an important question for you," Konzaru said, turning his undivided attention to Lucian.
"Will you join my crew one day?" Lucian asked.
"One day"? Konzaru questioned.
"Yeah, I`m building a crew, but I need to train until I get stronger. But Konzaru, I would love to have you as my navigator. Pretty please."
Konzaru took some time to think. "Don`t get me wrong, kid. I think you`re great. But I just met you. Are you sure you know what you're offering?"
Lucian looked disappointed. "I don`t mean now, maybe a couple of years from now, can you please? I`ve never met someone as cool as you. Come on, Konzaru, please, please, please."
Konzaru eventually gave in. "I`ll join your crew, kid, but on one condition."
Lucian was all ears, and. He wanted Konzaru as his navigator. Without bearings at sea, he`d get lost easily. As of now, he already had his first mate, Ilir, and his historian, Mikasa.
So Konzaru would make four.
"What`s the condition?". Lucian asked.
"All I want… is a fair voice in the crew, to be treated as equals amongst all crew members. I know it sounds silly, but from my experience, it is easier said than done," Konzaru said.
Lucian laughed hysterically. "That`s all, Konzaru. I thought you wanted gold or something like that, but of course, you can have a voice on my crew. We`re friends, aren`t we."
Lucian outreached his hand for a handshake, and Konzaru shook Lucian`s hand.
"Welcome to my crew, Konzaru. Well, my future crew that I still have yet to assemble."
Konzaru and Lucian exchanged transponder contact info.
"Here, kid, call me whenever you`re ready. Until then, I`ll sharpen my skills to become the best navigator I can be."
Lucian smiled. "Sound`s like a deal."
They both departed from the town center together before the Marines showed up to arrest Gren Akino. He looked back at him, still out cold. The fat man didn`t look much better. He roughed up the town center badly; he had to leave as soon as possible. He liked Loguetown; it was interesting, but the best part of his journey was meeting Konzaru. What an interesting person. He was glad to have met him.
The aftermath of the fight left the crowd blaming Lucian. He wasn`t as discrete as he thought he was. The Daredevil Pirates were all in Marine Custody, as they had warrants out for their arrest. Rayleigh swung by the ship, "Hey, kid."
Oh shit, he forgot about Rayleigh. "What`s up, old man?".
Rayleigh was holding a piece of paper. "Look at this."
Rayleigh threw the paper at Lucian. He unraveled it and saw it was a wanted poster… of him.
"NO WAY, I GOT MY OWN WANTED POSTER AND THAT QUICK!" Lucian yelled.
Rayleigh laughed. "Yeah kid, defeating the Daredevil Pirates single-handedly, that's impressive I knew you could do it".
Lucian stared at his wanted poster—15 million berries. They got a good picture of him, too. I guess he was just photogenic. "I know you're a happy kid, but we got to book it. You made quite a scene. We have the whole navy looking for you."
"Next stop, the Grand Line '' Lucian yelled.
"Yeah, next time, let me know when you plan on roughing up some pirates."
"Of course, Uncle Rayleigh, no problem. It's just that I got a new crew member."
"Oh really, where is this new member," Lucian recognized the sarcasm in Rayleigh's voice.
"Not now, for the future crew that I`m assembling," Lucian replied.
Rayleigh adjusted the sails, and behind them were the Marines, "And you think he'll honor that agreement."
Lucian pondered whether Konzaru would join his crew one day. Did Konzaru even take him seriously?
"Yeah 100% I know he will, this last year has been amazing Rayleigh, trust me I`m ready to take it to the next level."
Rayleigh smiled. "Once we get to Reverse Mountain, we set sail for Water 7. It's a month or so journey, so prepare."
Lucian roared and started to dance around the ship. Loguetown was interesting, huh?
The place where Gol D. Roger was executed was also the first place Lucian defeated a big-time Pirate and got his first bounty.
Interestingly, Loguetown was once the center of the world. He was happy to have come here; if not, Lucian would've never met Konzaru. Lucian decided he wanted a strong crew to sail the seas, to be free. He looked back on Loguetown fading in the distance as the Marine ships naively lost track of their scent.
The Grand Line was imminent, and he was pumped.