'Setting Sail! The First Test of Reo's Crew!'
Flare, crouched low with his fur singed slightly, growls as he watches the bar in flames. He had just been pushed away by the two men minutes before the blast, saving him.
His nose twitches.
His eyes narrow.
Inside that fire were Saya. And Momo.
Without hesitation, Flare dashes toward the flames.
We now cut inside. The screen distorts with heat.
Saya's voice coughs faintly.
She's buried under fallen timber and furniture, smoke filling her lungs. Her ninja outfit is torn, but her spirit still stubbornly burns.
"Ugh... What... the hell was that...?!"
She grits her teeth, trying to wiggle free. Her hands tremble.
"Dang it... I can't get out!"
On the other side of the wreckage, we see Momo, singed but standing.
Dust clouds swirl as he lifts a collapsed beam off his shoulder.
"Yeah... I had a feeling hitting a lighter with a spoon wasn't a good idea..."
He limps forward, eyes darting across the smoke-filled room.
"Hey, Saya! You alright? SAYAAAA!!"
A faint cough responds.
Suddenly, a faint but distinct bark sounds from outside.
Flare, leaping into the flames.
And Amongst the wreckage and chaos…
Jinto, face scraped and clothes singed, lies in the debris.
His eyes are narrowed into slits, watching silently as Flare charges in and Momo begins moving rubble.
His body remains limp, his breathing is steady but controlled.
"That idiot really hit it… and it worked. I didn't even have to do anything. This chaos… This is what Captain wanted. Heh."
A flicker of a smile, barely visible under the dust.
"Now let's see how far you can go before burning out."
Kairo groans as he stands up, his body bruised, his shark fin-like hair slightly scorched.
"Damn it. That little bitch. She'll pay for making a fool out of me. But I suppose that doesn't matter now. The plan worked."
His eyes stop at the exit. "If Jinto and the girl died in the explosion, fine by me."
Meanwhile, aboard the Fangtooth Pirates' ship, Ganzu stood at the helm, his sharp eyes locked on the horizon. The fire rising from the bar was unmistakable, casting an orange hue into the sky.
He smirked beneath his scaly scarf.
"Heh... looks like the plan worked after all."
Without hesitation, Ganzu reached for a flare gun, aimed it high into the sky, and fired.
A bright red flare exploded above the ship. its glow illuminating the sky like a blood moon
The shockwave from the explosion shakes the building, rattling the windows and walls.
Dust falls from the ceiling.
Dirk Fegan stands a few feet away, laughing maniacally.
His iron dentures glint in the light.
"KYAHAHAHAHA! That BOOM? That's the signal, boy. That right there… is the sound of MY NAME echoing across East Blue!"
Reo, now fully pissed, clenches his fists.
"Your name? What the hell is happening?! What did you DO!?"
"Simple. My crew set the bar on fire. First rule of becoming famous. make the biggest mess you can. That's what the World Government remembers."
"The bar… You mean… That's where we were planning to-"
He freezes.
Eyes wide.
Saya. Momo. Flare.
"You PSYCHOPATH. My friends might be in there!"
"Then I guess you better hurry, 'Captain.' Assuming there's anything left to save!" "Very soon," he said, arms wide, "chaos will reign in this pathetic little sanctuary."
He raised a hand toward the window, pointing as if the heavens themselves would bear witness.
"My men are waiting on that ship," he continued, referring to Ganzu and the rest of his crew still aboard, "and once that flare goes up," he chuckled, "This little pilgrim town gets the honor of being the first to fall before the future King of the Pirates!"
He laughed again, louder this time, lost in the rhythm of his delusions.
But he didn't notice.
Reo eyes obscured by his hat. And unmoving.
"Move."
The floor trembles beneath him slightly as juice begins to swirl faintly around his hand.
"All this press, all this attention, finally, people will know the name Dirk Fegan! Not some, Nobo-"
"FRUIT PU~UNCH!!!"
Dirk turned, only catching a glimpse of Reo's frozen red fist flying at him. Reo had lowered the temperature of his arm to zero degrees in an instant. The punch landed dead center in Dirk's stomach.
CRACK!
Blood burst from Dirk's mouth as the power of the strike sent him flying backward. He crashed through the wall of the inn like a cannonball, chunks of wood and dust blasting outward.
He didn't stop until he rolled into the street outside, leaving a long skid trail behind.
Reo stood still in the now quiet room, exhaling deeply, steam rising faintly from his knuckles as frost scattered off them.
"...Dumbass should've stopped talking."
Cut to the trio just outside the now burning bar. Saya, coughing from the smoke and clutching her side, was still trying to understand what the hell just happened. The sudden explosion had thrown her off completely.
"Momo, What the heck is going on?!" she shouted, eyes darting around at the growing fire.
Momo, who had minor burns on his sleeve, stood firm. He glanced at the smoldering building and then at Saya.
"It must... It must have been all a setup," he said, voice serious.
Saya blinked. "A setup?"
"Yeah. That guy Jinto i think... he snuck into the back room during your little contest. I followed him, thought he was shady. He had some kind of ignition device surrounded by gunpowder. I tried to stop him, but... I may have kinda… hit it."
Saya gave him a long stare.
"You what?"
"I thought it would break!" he defended, holding up his slightly scorched spoon. "But apparently, it ignited instead. I didn't mean to,"
She facepalmed, groaning.
"So basically... this was a terrorist act and you accidentally helped them?"
Momo rubbed the back of his head. "...Pretty much."
Saya looked up at the flare in the sky, now realizing what was coming.
"Oh crap." she whispered. "I think i get it. This isn't just about the bar..."
She turned to Flare, who had returned to their side, growling lowly and fur on edge.
"They're going to burn the whole island."
"N-No way! So they really were pirates! My gut feeling was right after all," Momo said, eyes wide.
"Why here of all places? Wasn't this known as a non-violent island!?" Saya asked, brushing dust off her shoulder.
"Are they taking advantage of that?" she added, narrowing her eyes at the rising smoke.
Momo furrowed his brow. "It's strange… that guy at the bar said he'd been working here for twenty years."
"You're lucky this place doesn't mind pirates. Been here 20 years and never seen a single one cause a ruckus."
"Why now? What made them suddenly invade?" Momo asked, trying to piece it together.
Before either of them could make another guess, a sudden loud bang echoed from the wrecked remains of the bar, bullets flying.
The bartender emerged from the fire, injured and limping, but very much alive, holding a small pistol in one hand and a bloodied cloth in the other. He was shooting back at someone.
"You kids okay?!" he shouted, still backing away toward cover.
Saya's eyes widened. "You're still alive?!"
He coughed and shouted again. "I've seen pirates in my time... but never one crazy enough to torch this place. This ain't just random. They're here to make a statement!"
Momo's expression darkened. "A statement…?"
Ganzu chuckled to himself, arms crossed as he watched the flames grow in the distance.
"Go on, boys. Paint the town red... or fish-scale blue. Either way, make it loud."
His boots thudded against the wooden plank as he stepped forward, joining the march inland with a smug grin. "Let's make history."
"Wait, what about Reo?! We're getting caught up in all this while he sleeps!?!" Saya shouted, looking around frantically.
Momo's eyes widened. "Crap, I totally forgot! He was still at the inn, wasn't he?!"
Saya clenched her fists. "Someone needs to go check on him! But first—!"
Suddenly, the crowd of panicked citizens shrieked as dozens of strange figures began flooding the area—pirates in fish-themed costumes, each one holding crude weapons, clubs, and torches. Some of them had fake gills, oversized fins, or even helmets shaped like anglerfish. Their roars echoed through the square as they began scaring the people off and smashing what was left of the fair.
"Aw, come on!!" Saya groaned. "We've got fish freaks now too?!"
Flare, who had remained silent this whole time, gave a sharp fox-like snort and tapped his paw against the ground. Then, with a serious glint in his eyes, he pointed his snout toward the direction of the inn, letting out a soft bark.
"...You'll go find him?" Momo asked, raising an eyebrow.
Flare nodded once, firm and proud, before dashing off into the smoke-filled streets with agility and purpose.
"Good boy," Saya said under her breath, watching him go.
"Alright," Momo muttered as he pulled out his trusty spoon. "Guess that leaves us to babysit the town."
The fish-dressed pirates charged forward, some growling and laughing like maniacs.
Saya cracked her knuckles and smirked. "Let's clean this place up a little, Momo!"
"Try not to rely on me TOO much, okay?" Momo told.
Through the smoke, fire, and stampede of terrified civilians... one figure darted unhindered.
Flare.
The red fox weaved through alleyways, sprinting across rooftops and leaping over debris with practiced grace. His fur reflected the flickering orange blaze around him, but his golden eyes remained locked forward—sharp and determined.
As Flare ran, the sound dulled... and we slipped into a silent flashback:
A small baby fox, drenched from head to paw, shivered underneath a tree during a thunderstorm. Lightning cracked, revealing the little one curled into a trembling ball, eyes wide and lost.
Cut to earlier a brief image of a mother fox turning her back, vanishing into the woods, leaving the tiny kit behind with a silent whimper.
Back to the storm. The kit tried to run, slipping in the mud, desperately calling out into the rain.
Then—
A soft light from a nearby lantern. Footsteps approached.
A blond boy maybe 9 or 10 years old stared at the fox with wide, concerned eyes. Despite the storm, he didn't hesitate. He crouched, arms open.
"Hey… You okay?" the boy asked softly, smile gentle but sad.
The little fox hesitated, then limped toward the boy, collapsing into his arms.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Flare growled quietly, focus sharpening. He picked up his pace, pushing himself faster.
He had to find Reo. His best friend.
His family.
Back at the INN.
Ash and bits of scorched wood fluttered through the air like dying snowflakes. The walls were cracked open where Dirk Fegan had been sent flying, and the flames from the distant bar painted everything in a hellish glow.
Amidst the rubble, the woman from the inn began to stir. Her fingers twitched, then slowly curled into the floor as she fought to push herself up.
"Ughh…" she croaked, her voice paper-thin. Her body trembled as she weakly crawled forward, inching toward the center of the room. Her hand reached out toward Reo.
He turned to her, eyes widening in realization.
"You're awake…!" he said. "Wait hold on, you're hurt bad."
He knelt beside her, his usual carefree tone gone. "That guy... he did this to you, didn't he?"
She gave a faint nod, her expression twisted in pain. A faint line of blood still traced her neck.
Reo clenched his jaw, his hands glowing faintly with a reddish-golden hue.
"It's not exactly a cure... but it should do the job," he said.
He pointed a finger toward her and took a deep breath.
"Vitamin Boost: Citrus Aid!" he called out.
A concentrated stream of citrus pulp, enhanced and glowing faintly with energy, shot directly into her mouth. She gagged for a second but managed to swallow it.
At first, nothing happened.
Then... her eyes fluttered wide. A warm sensation spread through her throat and neck. The pain dulled rapidly like a cooling balm and her breathing eased.
She blinked in surprise, slowly lifting her hand to her neck. "...What... was that?"
"Just a little citrus pulp," Reo smirked. "Supercharged vitamin C. Guess it's good for more than just colds, huh?"
The woman gave a weak chuckle, the tension fading from her face.
Then, Reo stood up, cracking his knuckles. "Now sit tight... I got a fish freak to finish."
CRACK!
A sharp snap echoed through the scorched air as Reo jumped off the hole he had accidentally created in the INN wall. The floorboards splintered slightly beneath his boots as he landed, his eyes burning not with flames, but fury. His arms still pulsed with faint juice trails as his body dripped with hints of glowing pulp from his last move.
He took a breath, steady and sharp. His crewmates were somewhere in this mess.
Back near the central plaza, a group of citizens attempted to form a bucket chain to slow the spread of the fire. A teenage boy barked orders while others rushed from the nearby well, their faces drenched in soot and sweat.
But just as they were making progress—
BOOM!
Another explosion shook the ground, this one from a building behind them—likely triggered by a secondary charge left by the pirates. The shockwave sent several civilians flying and shattered nearby windows. Screams erupted again.
We get a shot of a young couple, one helping the other limp away, whispering words of encouragement through the chaos. Just behind them, a dog barked loudly, its leash caught on a smoking bench.
The peaceful dream of Cedaport had officially turned into a nightmare.
Back with Flare, the fox darted over burning planks and ducked through alleys, weaving around terrified civilians and pirates alike.
A pirate lunged from behind—
"Ninjutsu: Thousand Rice Paper Swarm!" Saya shouted, flinging a flurry of glowing paper shuriken that sliced through the air and sent the attacker tumbling.
Another pirate tried to grab her from the side, but she twisted mid-air, landing a direct spinning heel kick to his face.
"Ninjutsu: Kunoichi Sky Drop!"
He crashed into a fruit stand, unconscious before he hit the crates.
Momo, meanwhile, let out a sigh as another wave of fish-masked pirates charged them.
"Why do you guys all look like knockoff aquarium mascots?" he muttered.
One swung a sword CLANG! met instantly with Momo's trusty steel kitchen spoon.
"Chef-Style: Meal Prep Mayhem!" he said, swinging with a single, heavy blow that knocked three pirates off their feet in one wide arc.
They kept coming.
Another wave. Another counter. Another block.
Spoon, punch, parry.
Paper, kick, sweep.
By now, the pile of defeated pirates had reached the edge of the alley. At least a hundred bodies lay groaning, unconscious, or simply knocked out cold.
"...We're really doing this, huh?" Saya said between huffs, hands on her knees.
"I'm not even a fighter. I'm a chef!" Momo grunted, swinging one last pirate into a barrel. "But apparently chefs don't get breaks."
They looked at each other, covered in dust, smoke, and bruises but still standing.
Then, from down the street, the sound of more marching.
"...You're kidding me." Saya squinted.
Another wave. Bigger this time.
They both groaned in sync.
"This is gonna be a long day."
A pirate wearing a ridiculous octopus mask leapt out from behind a fruit cart.
"RAAARGH—!"
"Outta my way," Reo muttered.
With one clean swing, his strawberry-red fist smashed the pirate into a pile of barrels, splinters flying everywhere.
Another charged him from behind.
Reo pivoted without looking, elbowing the guy in the gut, then firing a quick burst of pulpy lemon juice to the eyes.
"Aaaugh! My eyes! It stings!"
"Yeah. That's citrus for ya."
He kept running—smoke clouding his path, people screaming in the distance, pirates throwing torches into buildings like it was a festival gone mad. The peaceful island had turned into pure bedlam.
And all of it... while he had been taking a nap.
"Tch... seriously? The one time I try to get rest like a normal guy, this happens."
He skidded to a stop and looked around a square—wrecked. Merchants' stalls overturned, flames licking at rooftops, more of those ridiculous sea-creature pirates running amok. He sighed and cracked his knuckles.
"Where the hell did these guys come from? East Blue doesn't usually see maniacs like this... not unless someone's trying to make a name for themselves."
He looked down at his hand. A little juice propulsion could probably help him move faster across the island—rocket-style bursts from his feet or back using high-pressure pulp.
But...
"Still not smooth enough with it. Don't need to crash into another wall today..." he muttered, remembering a not-so-graceful test flight a week ago.
Either way, he had to find Saya and Momo. If this many pirates were here... it meant Dirk's crew wasn't messing around.
"...Speaking of," Reo muttered, eyes scanning the rooftops.
"That Dirk guy went flying hard. Where'd he even land?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, brows furrowed.
"Ugh. What a mess."
He took a deep breath, then clenched his fists, eyes sharp with purpose.
"Alright... back to work."
Ganzo ran confidently down the cobbled streets of Cedaport, his boots crunching over broken glass and fallen debris. The smell of smoke filled the air, and the orange glow of fire reflected off his shark-toothed pauldrons. Pirates under his command stormed buildings, looted stores, and sent civilians scattering like ants.
"Heh... We're really doin' it," he said, grinning like a maniac. "Didn't even need to lift a damn finger."
From where he stood, he could see the skyline—rooftops crumbling, banners burning, and the heart of the "safest island" in East Blue turning into ash.
"Captain's gonna be so proud."
He turned a corner, expecting to see more destruction—or maybe even Dirk himself at the head of it all, laughing like he always did. But instead, Ganzo froze.
There, in the alleyway behind a scorched building... was Dirk Fegan—his Captain, his boss, the so-called Future King of the Pirates—leaning heavily against a wall.
"C-Captain Dirk!?" Ganzo's proud smirk dropped in an instant.
Dirk slowly opened one eye, his jaw trembling with anger.
"That... damn brat," he hissed through clenched iron teeth. "He hit me. Hard."
Ganzo rushed over, stunned. "You mean... someone actually landed a hit on you?! Who!?"
Dirk gripped the wall, groaning.
"Some blond kid from the inn...He's a Devil Fruit user like me. Logia i think... something fruit related or some nonsense..."
Ganzo blinked. "Fruit!?"
"I don't care what it is," Dirk growled, standing up straighter with effort. "That punch... he was no weakling."
He cracked his knuckles, a dangerous fire returning to his eyes.
"But no matter. I'm still standing. And he just made it personal."
Later on, the sound of running footsteps echoed through a narrow alleyway as Jinto and Kairo finally regrouped with their captain and Ganzo.
The sight before them made them stop in their tracks.
"Captain...?" Kairo muttered, eyes wide. "What the hell happened to you?"
Jinto, still panting from his earlier encounter, stiffened. "You got jumped too!?"
Dirk shot both of them a sharp glare, the bruising on his torso dark and ugly beneath his torn shirt.
"I'm fine," he growled. "Just a little... hiccup."
Ganzo glanced between them, arms crossed. "He got walloped by some blond kid."
Kairo's brow furrowed. "A blond kid? Captain, how did a kid manage to send it so far? Was he some kind of pirate?"
Dirk stepped forward, cracking his neck with a menacing snap.
"No clue. But it doesn't matter what kind of powers he has. I'm not gonna let this slide."
Jinto hesitated. "So... what now? What's the next step of the plan?"
Dirk turned his back to them and looked toward the heart of the burning town, his fish-themed cloak fluttering in the wind.
"You three... go wild. Tear this city apart. Burn whatever's left. Make sure everyone knows the Fangtooth Pirates were here."
He clenched his fists, his iron teeth clacking together with a dangerous grin.
"I've got business with that brat."
Ganzo smirked. "Got it."
Kairo cracked his neck. "Tch. Time to blow off some steam."
Jinto nervously nodded. "Y-Yeah. Let's wreck the place…"
And with that, Dirk walked off on his own.
Gunfire rattled through the smoke-filled air as the bartender, bloodied but standing, fired round after round at the fish-dressed pirates. He shouted between shots, voice raw with defiance.
"You picked the wrong island, scumbags!!"
Beside him, Saya spun and flipped through the chaos, launching a dozen paper shuriken in a fan-shaped arc.
"Ninjutsu: Thousand Rice Paper Swarm!"
The blades of folded paper slapped hard against the faces of two pirates, blinding them just long enough for Momo to charge forward.
"Outta the way!"
He swung his spoon like a war hammer, sending a fish-helmeted thug flying into the burning wall of the bar. The creaking timber groaned behind them, ready to collapse.
"They just keep coming!" Saya huffed, ducking behind an overturned table.
"Then we keep swinging," Momo said, already winding up another attack. "I never thought our first fight as pirates would be so tiring."
"Took the words out of my mouth."
Meanwhile, Jinto and Kairo darted down different alleys.
"This place is a freakin' maze," Kairo muttered.
"Just look for anything not burning," Jinto replied, spotting a bakery that was still untouched. "That'll do."
A moment later, glass shattered and screams rang out as they stormed in.
On another street, Reo skidded to a stop near a collapsed building, eyes squinting through the thick black smoke. He glanced at the fire swallowing a small home and stretched out his arm.
"Alright... let's see if this works."
"FRESH PULP!"
He focused, transforming his limb into pulp—cool, juicy coconut pulp, dense and hydrating. He hurled a clump at the base of the flames. With a loud hiss, steam burst into the air as the fire began to die down.
Reo's eyes lit up.
"It works...! I can put it out!"
He grinned for a brief moment—until a distant explosion reminded him that this was far from over.
Elsewhere, in a quieter part of town, Ganzu marched like a juggernaut through the streets. Every scream was followed by a crack—an arm, a leg, a rib. He didn't care who they were.
"C'mon! Run! It's more fun that way!" he bellowed.
But then... he stopped.
Standing at the end of the street was a fox. Red fur, eyes locked on him like burning coals. Not a hint of fear in its gaze.
"…You're not running?" Ganzu said, raising a brow. "You have a foxy spirit. But you better get out before I decide to break your bones too!"
The fox lowered its stance, muscles rippling as it tensed. Flare then made huge muscles appear on one of his paws. This surprised Ganzu.
"W-What the-!?"
"Rrrrrrr!" He then made an expression with his arm basically saying 'Come on, I'll Solo You!'
"Who gave the little animal a devil fruit?"
Ganzu then cracked his knuckles, the grin spreading across his face.
"Well well... Didn't expect to get a warm-up round with a mutt."
Ganzu's grin twisted into something monstrous as his arms began to swell, his muscles bulging unnaturally.
"Stretch-Arm Cannon!"
With a violent snap, his limbs shot forward like rubber, aimed straight for Flare.
But Flare was ready.
The little red fox roared—though to others, it was just a series of sharp growls and yips. Despite the lack of words, his body grew, muscles ballooning and fur spiking outward. In a flash, he met Ganzu's fists mid-air with his own.
CLAAANG!
A shockwave erupted from the impact, sending nearby dust and ash spiraling into the air. Sparks danced between their colliding blows, neither gaining an inch. Then—boom—they both flew backward, skidding across the broken cobblestone streets.
Flare flipped mid-air, claws digging into the dirt as he stopped himself. He let out a challenging bark, tail swishing like a whip.
Ganzu stood, cracking his neck.
"Okay, you little beast... this might actually be fun."
"Somebody help! My baby—!"
A mother screamed as a flaming support beam collapsed overhead. Her arms shielded the small child tucked beneath her—but the impact never came.
FWUMP.
A soft but firm mass hit the beam mid-air, knocking it off course and splattering a juicy residue across the ground.
The woman blinked.
Standing between her and the fallen timber was Reo, arm extended and dripping with thick pulp.
"You're alright now," he said, offering a small smile as the pulp on his arm retracted.
The child looked up at him in awe.
"...That was awesome," they whispered.
Reo glanced around at the destruction, at the pirates terrorizing the streets and the fire rising higher in the sky. His fists clenched.
"No more victims today..." he muttered, voice low and serious.
"Citrus Wall!"
A curved wall of orange pulp splashed up just in time to protect an old man from a collapsing lamp post.
"Mango Fiber Net!"
He swung a strand of thick, sticky mango fibers to grab a child from falling into a burning ditch.
He didn't stop. He couldn't.
Not until this place was safe.
Meanwhile, back near the remains of the flaming bar…
"Take this, ya fish-freaks!" Saya shouted, flipping into a spinning kick that knocked two pirates to the ground.
"Ninjutsu: Kunoichi Sky Drop!"
Beside her, Momo crushed another pirate's weapon with his spoon.
"I really don't get paid enough for this," he muttered as he swung clean through another mask-wearing pirate, sending him tumbling into three others.
Suddenly—
CRASH!
A section of wall exploded outward, stone and dust flying everywhere.
Two figures emerged from the cloud.
Kairo and Jinto.
Kairo narrowed his eyes at Saya.
Jinto locked onto Momo.
They both paused when they saw the dozens of unconscious pirates surrounding them.
"…You've gotta be kidding me," Kairo muttered.
"These guys beat all of them?" Jinto added, almost nervous.
Saya stepped forward, cracking her knuckles...Again.
"So, you're back. What was it last time, something fish extinction?"
Kairo grit his teeth.
"Dunkleosteus Slash. Remember it well. It'll be the last thing you hear."
Momo stepped beside her and pointed his spoon at Jinto.
"You still trying to burn things, skinny?"
Jinto pulled out a new set of darts, now dripping with a strange liquid.
"I've… improved."
The tension in the air thickened.
It was rematch time.
The inn woman sat quietly on the edge of the bed, wrapping a cloth around her neck with shaky hands. The pain had dulled, but the memory of Dirk's iron bite was still fresh. She winced slightly as she adjusted the bandage, letting out a small sigh. Her eyes drifted over to the massive hole in the wall—the one Reo had made when he launched Dirk through it.
Through the opening, she caught a glimpse of the chaos outside. Smoke and flames rose like angry shadows dancing across the city. Screams echoed through the streets, and the sky had darkened with ash.
But then, through the fire and the fear, she saw him.
Far off in the distance, running between buildings and over rooftops, was that same blond boy who'd been napping just a little while ago. Reo D. Vance.
Reo was doing everything he could to put out the flames. Bright, fruity streams burst from his hands like fire hoses, dousing fires in wild, looping arcs. Each movement was fast, instinctive. He was clearly not a pro at this yet—but it didn't matter. He wasn't standing still. He wasn't running away.
"...He's...really trying to save the city," she whispered to herself, stunned. "That kid..."
The bartender peeked from behind the remnants of a collapsed window frame, gripping his injured side, breath shallow. Smoke drifted lazily through the street, and the crackling of fire was drowned by the tension between the four fighters locked in a silent standoff.
Momo's eyes narrowed behind his usual calm. He took a solid stance and turned slightly.
"Hey, old man. Might wanna duck behind that wall."
The bartender blinked, then saw the fire in Momo's otherwise soft gaze. He didn't argue.
"Y-Yeah. Got it."
He limped back toward the shelter of a crumbling building wall, disappearing from the line of fire.
Back on the street, the tension snapped like a rubber band.
With a wild burst of movement, Jinto and Kairo surged forward, blades drawn and eyes burning with malicious intent.
Clang!
Metal met metal. Momo, with spoon raised, blocked Jinto's dagger swipe with shocking precision. The force pushed him back a step, but he didn't falter.
On the other side, Saya spun midair, meeting Kairo's dual-cutlass slash head-on with a strike of her own.
"Ninjutsu: Kunoichi Sky Drop!"
Her foot slammed down, locking with Kairo's blades mid-motion, creating a sudden pressure clash that cracked the ground beneath them.
Ganzu's long, whip-like arms snapped forward with terrifying speed, striking walls, splitting wood, cracking the earth—but Flare was just as relentless. The muscular red fox leapt, spun, and countered with powerful swipes and kicks that echoed like war drums. Every punch between them collided with a shockwave, shaking windows and sending dust flying through the air.
"You're holding back, fox!" Ganzu shouted with a grin. "Let's see what those muscles can really do!"
Flare growled, his fur bristling, his paws slamming the ground and sending cobblestones flying as he launched himself forward again.
Reo had both hands forward, waves of thick citrus pulp spraying in wide arcs as he smothered the surrounding flames with as much control as he could muster. The pulpy waves hissed as they met fire, turning to steam and smoke.
"Damn… there's still so much left…" he muttered, breathless but focused. "Gotta keep pushing…"
But then—
FWOOOM!!
A sound—no, a feeling—rushed toward him. A sudden force from the sky, like a missile cutting through the wind.
His senses kicked in too late.
CRASH!!!
Whatever it was phased through his torso, splashing harmlessly through the juice-like body of his Logia form. Reo spun around just in time to see a body hurtle into a half-destroyed house with enough force to collapse it entirely.
Wood splinters. Dust. Silence.
Then, from the rubble, a broken laugh.
"Hhhha… ha… haaaa..."
From the cracked remains of a support beam, Dirk Fegan stood up slowly, his mouth leaking blood, one eye bruised shut—but his smile wide and wild.
"I'm not done yet, Juice Boy..." he wheezed. "You're strong... But I am Dirk Fegan... and this story ain't ending without me."
"You just flew through three houses," he said. "How the hell are you still standing?"
Dirk wiped the blood from his mouth and cracked his iron dentures into place with a metallic clack.
"Because pain means nothing when you're chasing greatness!" he roared. "The path to becoming Pirate King is paved in scars!"
He dashed forward with surprising speed, launching off a tilted streetlamp, his mouth wide open—fangs bared—aiming straight for Reo's throat like a rabid animal.
Reo's eyes widened. "This guy's really aiming to bite me again?!"
"Not happening!" Reo shouted.
He dipped to the side, letting Dirk phase partially through him again, but this time he countered. His fist morphed mid-swing into a dense, sticky pulp, now colored grapefruit orange—sharp, acidic, and volatile.
"CITRUS CRUSH!!" he shouted, slamming his fist into Dirk's back and sending the man skidding across the cobbled street in a burst of sour mist and gravel.
Dirk groaned, arching his back, but kept his footing with a pained laugh.
Flare's claws scraped against the cobblestone as he lunged at Ganzu again.
Ganzu grinned, shifting his stance as his arms expanded into massive, tendon-like cords.
"You're strong... but let's see how strong you are when I stretch you apart!"
Flare's growl deepened. His body shimmered as muscle mass swelled slightly, his chest rising as he prepared a new move.
He launched off a broken rooftop, and this time the collision wasn't just a clash—it was an explosion of force.
BOOOOM!
The street cracked beneath them.
Jinto fired poison darts from his sleeves while Momo blocked them with comically precise swats from his kitchen spoon, which now had cracks in it from overuse.
"You're kinda slippery for a fat guy," Jinto muttered.
Momo narrowed his eyes.
"Thanks. You're kinda weak for an assassin."
"W-what?" Jinto blinked, taken aback just long enough for Momo to vanish from his vision.
CLANG!
A metallic bop echoed as Momo struck the side of Jinto's head, spinning the skinny pirate like a top.
Meanwhile—
Kairo's double cutlasses clashed with Saya's kunai in a blur of silver and steel. She cartwheeled backward, tossing a handful of paper shuriken with a shout:
"Ninjutsu: Thousand Rice Paper Swarm!"
Kairo slashed through the projectiles with ease but couldn't dodge the flash bomb hidden among them.
A pop! of white light exploded—blinding him momentarily.
"Gah—!!"
He stumbled, only to receive a spinning heel kick directly to the jaw.
"Ninjutsu: Kunoichi Sky Drop!" Saya shouted triumphantly, landing in a crouch.
The injured woman watched everything unfolding through the hole in the wall. Her eyes were wide with awe.
Dirk growled, cracking his neck with a sickening pop.
"I'll admit it—you pack a punch. But if you think that was enough to put down Dirk Fegan, you're dead wrong!"
Reo narrowed his eyes.
"You're talkin' a lot for someone who flew through a wall," he said, cracking his knuckles. His body shifts slightly into a half-pulp state, the veins in his arms glowing faintly with citrus energy.
Dirk's body twitched unnaturally. The wounds across his torso began to bubble, and his muscles expanded.
"You ever heard of the Saw-Saw Fruit? Turns me into a full-blown sawfish hybrid. My flesh? Serrated. My bite? Carnivorous. And now? You've made me hungry!"
He lunges.
With a monstrous yell, Dirk shoots forward like a torpedo, his iron jaws snapping, leaving deep cracks in the street where he lands. But Reo doesn't flinch. He sidesteps, dragging his leg and releasing a stream of pulp like a tripwire.
Dirk stumbles. Reo clenches his fist.
"Vitamin C-annon!"
His fist slams into Dirk's chest, enhanced by a rapid absorption of citrus pulp from the air, sending the pirate skidding back with blood flying from his mouth.
Dirk roars and slams his fists into the ground.
"I'M GONNA CHEW YOU INTO SMOOTHIE, YOU BRAT!!"
Saya flips backward, avoiding Kairo's furious double cutlass barrage.
"Ninjutsu: Thousand Rice Paper Swarm!" she shouts, unleashing a storm of blinding paper shuriken.
Kairo blocks most, but his cheek gets sliced.
"You paper freak!" he shouts.
"You're more annoying than cooking sea lice!"
Meanwhile, Momo dodges a dart from Jinto.
The fat man spins his spoon in one hand like a baton.
"You're getting real close to bein' soup, buddy," Momo said.
"Stew Stirrer Strike!"
With a flick of the wrist, he smacks Jinto's forehead, making him stumble with a goofy expression.
Ganzu throws a heavy right hook, his arm stretching unnaturally, but Flare ducks under it and flexes, his muscles bulging comically.
"GrrrrrrRRRRAAAAH!!" Flare roars, throwing a punch that explodes on impact.
Dirk bites down into the pavement and launches it toward Reo like a wave of rock.
Reo leaps over it, his legs transforming into orange juice streams for midair propulsion.
"You picked the wrong guy to mess with!" he shouts.
His arms swell with different juices: citrus in one, berry pulp in the other.
"Strawberry Slap!"
The sticky berry pulp stretches like elastic, slamming Dirk in the face and gluing him to the wall.
Dirk screams, trying to rip it off.
"That's it!! I'LL TURN YOU INTO A DAMNED DAIQUIRI!!"
Reo smirks.
"You first."
Saya and Kairo were locked in a fierce battle, the air around them thick with tension and smoke. Their blades clashed over and over again, sparks flying with each strike.
"This is getting ridiculous," Saya said, exhaling sharply. "I'm tired, you're annoying, and I'm running out of patience."
Kairo narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying..." she flicked out several paper-wrapped spheres from her belt, "...let's stop dancing around and actually fight."
Momo, still blocking Jinto's desperate strikes nearby, turned his head slightly. "Honestly, I was wondering when you'd say that."
Even Jinto, anxious and twitching, nodded. "Y-Yeah... o-okay..."
Saya tossed the smoke bombs in the air. "Time for some real ninjutsu!"
Kairo, gripping his blade tightly, grinned. "Fine by me. Prepare to be sliced in two!"
The paper bombs burst mid-air, releasing thick clouds of pale lavender smoke that quickly engulfed the battlefield.
From within the mist, Saya's voice echoed, sharp and focused:
"Ninjutsu: Mistveil Mirage!"
A shadow darted through the fog. Kairo didn't hesitate.
"Extinct Slash: Bluefin Cleaver!"
With a roar, he swung his blade, releasing a crescent-shaped wave of slicing energy that tore straight through the center of the smoke—clean, precise, and deadly.
The attack struck Saya dead on.
"Not so tough now, huh?"
Or so he thought.
Kairo smirked as the figure collapsed… only to watch it dissolve like mist in the wind.
"What—!?"
From behind him, Saya's voice rang out, a playful tone in her voice:
"Wow, I was way too close for comfort there. Good thing you fall for illusions, fish boy."
"This is just the beginning, you know?" Saya said, her voice bouncing from every direction.
She threw a cluster of smaller bombs at the ground, each releasing a thick plume of dense, silvery mist that crept low and expanded outward in every direction.
"Ninjutsu: Hidden Mist Shroud!"
Within seconds, the area around Saya and Kairo was swallowed whole. The fog coiled around their feet, then rose to eye level. Momo and Jinto could no longer see them—only their vague outlines moving like ghosts in a blizzard.
Momo blinked, squinting toward the fight.
"Uh... where'd they go?"
Jinto took a step back, uneasy. "Tch. That mist… I can't see anything."
"Is this the thing she was working on?" Momo muttered, glancing toward the mist-covered battlefield where Saya had vanished.
He reached into his coat and rustled through his pockets.
"Anyway... I can't just stay here and do nothing."
He pulled out a handful of questionable food items: moldy dumplings, hardened takoyaki, a wrapped sardine snack that had definitely expired.
"Not the good type," he sighed. "Perfect."
Jinto eyed him with suspicion.
"You're seriously gonna eat during a fight?"
Momo just smiled.
"Oh no. You are."
Jinto raised an eyebrow. "What?"
That was all Momo needed.
He darted in low, keeping his spoon tight in one hand while the other readied the food. He blocked a sloppy jab from Jinto and ducked under a follow-up strike.
"Come on... just one little opening..." he whispered.
Jinto growled. "Hold still!"
Then, in frustration, Jinto opened his mouth to shout—
"JUST FIGHT AL-"
"SNEAK SNAC!!" Momo yelled as he launched a smelly takoyaki straight into Jinto's mouth with his spoon like a baseball pitch.
"MMRRGHHH!!?" Jinto stumbled back, gagging, trying to spit the disgusting snack out.
"That one's been in my pocket since last week," Momo said with a grin. "Hope you like aged seafood!"
"What is this… My tongue is burning!!" Jinto cried, staggering back as his face twisted in horror.
Momo's eyes gleamed with mischievous glee as he raised his trusty spoon into the air.
"Specialty Attack: Gut-Buster Slam!!" he announced, slamming the flat of the spoon right onto Jinto's head, forcing the rest of the rotten food down his throat in one painful gulp.
GUUUUUUURGLE…
Jinto's stomach growled violently like an angry sea king as he fell to his knees, then backward, clutching his stomach in sheer agony.
"W-What's inside… that food…? What kind of chef are you…?" Jinto groaned, sweat pouring from his forehead.
Momo cracked his neck and twirled his spoon like a blade.
"The kind your stomach doesn't forget." he said coolly.
Jinto let out one last tortured yell as his legs kicked in the air before flopping flat, completely unconscious.
???
Kairo blinked. Again. And again.
"What…?" he muttered, his voice tense. The world around him had changed.
Gone were the streets of Cedaport. Instead, he stood in a shifting, swirling field of dense mist — an eerie silence accompanying every wisp that curled past his face. He turned, sword raised. But there was nothing. Nothing he could see clearly.
Then—
"You're in my domain now, fishy-fishy."
Her voice echoed from the fog, soft and playful… and everywhere.
Kairo spun toward it. But instead of Saya, he saw only a silhouette, briefly walking through the haze. Then another. And another,
One sitting. One stretching. One doing a handstand.
"Tch... illusions?" he growled, his grip tightening.
"Not just illusions," her voice said again.
"This took months to perfect. Mist this thick messes with your senses. You won't know what's real. Where I am. What's fake. And with enough focus,"
He turned and slashed at another shadow, only for it to vanish like steam.
",I can even make you feel things that aren't there. Smell things. Hear sounds that don't exist.
Kairo snarled, trying to steady his breath.
"You think this trick'll stop me?! I'll cut down every shadow!" he shouted.
He dashed forward, cutting through mist after misty illusion, each one just out of reach, just intangible enough to mess with his head.
Somewhere in the mist, Saya smirked and whispered under her breath:
"That's what I'm counting on., big guy"
"Come out and fight me for real!!" he roared, launching a wide, feral arc of his blade that blew mist outward like a typhoon.
Dozens of Saya silhouettes rushed him from all directions.
Left. Right. Overhead. Behind.
His instincts screamed danger, but it was too many—
He slashed again in desperation, releasing his signature wide-range move—
"Extinct Style: Mackerel Tempest Slash!!"
The fog twisted and swirled violently, all clones vanishing in a sharp gust.
Then… a whisper.
"Now."
From behind, just as the arc finished, the real Saya appeared. Eyes calm. Kunai in hand.
Her feet barely touched the ground. She launched forward in one clean strike. The mist parted just slightly around her, as if recognizing its master.
Ninjutsu: Kasumigiri!!
A gleam of steel.
A blur of movement.
Kairo barely managed to turn around—
SLASH.
A crimson streak bloomed across his chest.
Saya spun gracefully mid-air, landing a second, reverse-slash before flipping back into her original stance several meters away. Her kunai still smoking from the mist.
Two slashes. One breath. No wasted movement.
Kairo stumbled backward, eyes wide.
"W-When did you—?"
He dropped to a knee, stunned by the speed.
Saya adjusted her wristbands and cracked a smirk.
"Don't underestimate a Kunoichi, daughter of ninjas from Wano!"
Kairo stood trembling, trying to steady his breath. Blood trickled down from the clean diagonal slash across his chest, steam rising from the heat of impact.
"Ngh… damn it..." he growled.
But his body was already shutting down.
His sword slipped from his fingers, clattering to the ground with a dull clang.
He took one step forward…
Then fell forward, face-first into the dirt.
THUD.
Silence.
The mist around him slowly began to fade… revealing Saya standing tall over him, breathing heavily but with victory in her eyes.
The streets were a mess of fire and debris, buildings half-collapsed and the cries of civilians echoing in the background. But in one particularly shattered avenue, the world felt like it had narrowed down to just two figures.
Flare—his red fur singed in places, his musclebound frame radiating heat from the tension in his limbs—stood on all fours, growling low and steady.
Across from him, Ganzu, the brute in fish gear, grinned wide as ever. His limbs were unnaturally long, stretching and snapping like ropes of tendon as he twisted his neck and rolled his shoulders.
"You're tougher than I thought, fox," Ganzu sneered. "Guess your Devil Fruit ain't just for show."
Flare responded with a defiant bark and stomped the ground, cracking it beneath him. His muscles bulged even further as he crouched low, eyes locked on Ganzu.
Suddenly—BAM!
The two launched forward at once, colliding mid-air with another cannon-like shockwave, fists meeting and throwing up a gust of dust and rubble.
Ganzu's left arm stretched, winding around Flare's neck like a snake, trying to slam him into the ground but Flare twisted midair, bit down on the arm, and threw Ganzu with a thunderous overhead toss that cracked the road like glass.
Ganzu landed hard, but bounced up quickly, laughing.
"You're not just strong. However, training you is no mere human."
Flare growled lowly.
Ganzu's grin sharpened.
"Fine then... let's see how long your loyalty holds out."
He stomped the ground, causing a shockwave that launched him forward at high speed. But Flare met him halfway again, this time leaping above and twisting midair.
he flexed midair, fur flaring like fire,
He came down hard with a body slam, causing the entire block beneath them to cave slightly inward from the sheer force.
The street rumbled as dust filled the air, debris flying in every direction.
Ganzu lunged forward from the impact crater, his arms pulled back like coiled springs. His eyes blazed.
"Let's end this, fox!"
With a thunderous stomp, he launched a flurry of punches—fast, vicious, and relentless.
"FISHMAN FANG FLURRY!!"
His fists became a blur, tearing through the air like a barrage of cannonballs.
Flare wasn't fazed.
The red-furred fox roared, standing upright and mirroring the assault with his own flurry of punches. His arms were almost glowing from muscle tension.
Fist met fist.
Shockwave met shockwave.
The air around them cracked with invisible force, their impacts sending shockwaves down the ruined streets.
The sheer number of punches made the fight look like a strobe light—sparks, light, and flashes in every direction as fox and man exchanged blow for blow in perfect sync.
And then—it came down to one final strike.
Both fighters lunged forward, screaming with all their might.
"RRRAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!"
BOOM!!
Their fists collided.
But this time it wasn't even.
Ganzu grinned, his strength pushing forward, slowly overpowering Flare. The fox's paws began to slide back, leaving deep claw marks in the cracked ground. Ganzu laughed through gritted teeth.
"You're good, beast... but I'm the one ending this!!"
Flare's body began to bulge, his fur bristling outward as his frame expanded slightly.
His already buff arms grew even more massive, straining with sheer power.
A red aura of pure tension surrounded him.
His muscles exploded with energy as he let out a ground-shaking roar.
Ganzu's grin vanished.
Craaaack...
Tiny fissures began to spider-web across his metal gauntlet.
His eyes widened.
Crack... SNAP!
The gauntlet shattered.
His arm twisted unnaturally as the bones inside cracked loudly, followed by a sickening snap.
"W-WHAT!?"
Flare's punch didn't stop. It continued through, slamming into Ganzu's chest with earth-breaking force.
"GROAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"
BOOOOM!!
Ganzu was sent flying, spinning through the air like a broken comet, crashing into the side of a building, taking half the wall with him.
Smoke rose from the wreckage.
Flare landed on all fours, panting, steam rising off his body as his massive form slowly shrank back to normal size.
The bartender crouched low behind the battered wall, trying to steady his breathing. From where he sat, he could see the collapsed forms of Jinto and Kairo, sprawled out and motionless on the street.
His jaw dropped.
"They… took them down?"
His voice trembled in disbelief. He'd watched the kids fight, but he hadn't expected that. The girl with the smoke bombs and speed. The boy with the spoon and strange food tactics. They'd gone head-to-head with two of the most dangerous pirates he'd ever seen—and won.
He barely had time to process it before a loud whistling sound caught his ear. The air felt heavier.
FWOOOOOSH—BOOOM!
A massive object crashed down just a few feet from him, sending bricks and splinters flying.
The bartender rolled out of the way in pure reflex, coughing from the sudden dust cloud.
"W-What the hell!?"
When the dust cleared, his eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
It was another pirate—but not just any pirate.
A huge, muscled man wearing a shredded fish-themed coat now lay crumpled on the ground, his arm twisted unnaturally, his face swollen and bruised. He was completely unconscious.
The bartender stepped back in shock.
"T-That's… another one?! That guy flew here like a cannonball!"
He looked toward the direction the body had come from, barely able to see through the smoke and fire in the distance.
"...Just how strong are those kids?"
Reo raised both arms. "Pulp Guard!"
A thick mass of citrus pulp rapidly surged to form a hardened shield around him, absorbing the brunt of the punch—but the force still sent him sliding backwards, feet skidding across the dirt.
"You talk big, Dirk," Reo muttered, straightening up as the pulp melted back into his body. "But the only thing I see in your eyes… is desperation."
Dirk growled. "Desperation? I'm on the verge of greatness, brat!"
The ground trembled beneath them again, the firelight casting long shadows across their faces. Citizens screamed in the background. The island was a warzone.
Reo's body shimmered—shifting colors again.
From strawberry red to electric orange.
"Then let's make this quick," he said calmly, steam rising from his palms. "CITRUS STYLE: VITAMIN BURST!"
A surge of brilliant orange light pulsed from his body, a thin aura dancing around him like liquid sunlight. His movements sharpened, the air around him charged with raw energy.
Dirk didn't hesitate.
He lunged forward like a beast, his fist pulled back, crackling with a strange heat—his ignition device sparking faintly on his belt again. "Let's see how many punches that glow-up buys you!"
Reo charged too—lower to the ground this time, sliding on juice beneath his feet for momentum.
Their fists met—
BOOM!
A shockwave burst out as the ground beneath them cracked. Reo's juice splashed outward from the impact, but he held firm this time.
Dirk's eyes twitched.
"What?! You're stronger now—?!"
"I told you." Reo's voice was low. "This ain't just for show."
He twisted, fluid as water, and brought up a sweeping elbow made of pulped mango fibers, crashing it into Dirk's ribs.
CRACK!
Dirk staggered to the side, coughing—again blood splattered from his mouth. His boots scraped the dirt.
"You little…!" Dirk hissed, eyes wild now. "You're starting to piss me off."
"You weren't pissed before?" Reo asked. "Could've fooled me."
Dirk stepped back and unbuckled his coat. It fell off, revealing a tightly strapped ignition pack on his back with multiple flares embedded.
"I'm done playing around!" Dirk shouted, punching his fist into the ignition panel.
FWOOM!
Flames ignited behind him—his entire body launched forward like a fire-powered missile.
Reo narrowed his eyes.
"Let's try something new…"
He reached both hands forward—fruit pulp swirled into ropes, then hardened into cords like vines. TANGERINE LASH!"
"What the-!?"
He whipped the cords out—they caught Dirk mid-air, the pulp singeing slightly from the heat, but holding long enough to sling him down and slam him to the ground hard.
WHAM!
Dirk groaned, twisting from the impact.
Reo panted slightly. The vitamin boost was helping him stay ahead—but it wouldn't last forever.
Dirk slowly stood again, his upper lip curling.
The smoke had thinned out somewhat, but flames still crackled from distant rooftops. The sky above the city glowed orange from the embers still hanging in the air.
Saya stood beside Kairo's unconscious body, quietly catching her breath. Her mist technique had taken a toll, and sweat dripped from her brow.
Momo stood nearby, spoon on his shoulder like a war-trophy, gazing down at the groaning Jinto. He adjusted his goggles, glancing over at his kunoichi friend.
"So," he said casually, "that mist trick… that's what kept you away from school for a month? I had a feeling it wasn't Flu."
Saya grinned, still panting. "Yup. Totally worth it though."
Before Momo could reply, a blur of red and fur streaked down the alley.
"Flare!" Saya shouted. "Sup little guy! Where's tutty fruity?"
The fox skidded to a halt in front of them, muscles flexed and eyes sharp. Flare barked once, urgently, and gestured with his snout toward the city center—toward the direction of the still-raging battle.
Momo's brows lifted. "He wants us to follow?"
Another bark. A nod.
Saya grabbed her pouch and leapt onto a ledge. "Then let's move! Reo's still out there!"
Momo gave one last glance at the defeated Fangtooth Pirates around them before jogging behind. "Got it!"
Flare sprinted ahead, and the two of them followed close behind, weaving through the chaotic cityscape—leaping over debris, dodging falling embers, vaulting from rooftop to rooftop.
Cut back to Reo vs Dirk.
Dirk was breathing heavily now. His ignition device hissed with steam, starting to overheat. Sparks sputtered from one of the flare tubes on his back.
Reo, fists still glowing with citrus energy, stared him down from across the cracked plaza. Juice flowed around his feet like a glowing tide.
"You're running out of fuel," Reo said calmly.
"And you're running out of time," Dirk barked, slamming his fist into the ignition again.
FWOOSH! He launched once more, this time with both arms blazing.
Reo crossed his arms and called out:
"JUICE COAT!"
A barrier of glowing pulp formed around him like a swirling shell just in time to absorb the blow—CRASH!!
"Tsk," he said with a smirk. "For a guy desperate for attention, you're pretty tough. I'll give you that."
Dirk growled. "Then fall already!"
Reo's face hardened as he cracked his knuckles, pulp energy swirling like a whirlpool around his arms.
"But I've got a legendary treasure to find..." he said, stepping forward.
His body shifted—his left arm turned deep orange, pulsing like citrus magma. His right arm turned bright pink, thick and syrupy with berry pulp.
"...and a man I want to meet."
He looked to the sky, a flicker of reverence in his eyes.
"Whitebeard."
Dirk narrowed his eyes. "What did you say!?"
"I guess I gotta use this to finish you for good, huh?"
Suddenly, Dirk's confident smirk faltered.
From Reo's sides, two new arms erupted artificial limbs of pure juice, one green like kiwi, the other purple like grape, each swirling with concentrated pulp and nutrients. They gleamed with the vibrant glow of a living fruit basket turned weapon.
"Wha—? Four arms?!"
Reo grinned.
"QUAD-RUIT STYLE!"
The swirling storm of pulp energy around Reo pulsed like a heartbeat. His four arms glowed with vibrant power.
Reo took one step forward, the ground beneath his foot cracking like thin ice.
Dirk's eyes darted between the glowing limbs. Sweat poured down his face.
"If I hit you now," Reo said, his tone ice-cold, "you won't be able to get up anymore."
Dirk gritted his teeth. "You talk big, but you're still just a kid—!"
SHOOM!
Reo vanished from sight—a high-speed blur of color and power.
"!?"
Dirk wiped the blood off his chin and laughed.
"Heh... you're really starting to piss me off now. You think some party trick arms are gonna beat me?"
Reo didn't respond. His stance was low, his real arms glowing—one red with Strawberry Pulp, the other orange with Citrus Pulp—while his artificial arms emerged from his sides, swirled with a rich Grape Purple and Kiwi Green glow.
The air pulsed with energy. The pulp on his arms shifted, hardened. Fruit fibers tensed like muscle, swirling with sticky juice, dense and sharp.
Dirk cracked his knuckles. "Fine. You get serious—so do I."
Dirk planted his feet. His skin shimmered strangely—a golden shine faintly pulsing from beneath his jacket.
"Golden Hide: Titanfish Form."
In a flash, Dirk's torso expanded. His skin toughened like steel. Scales—gilded and fishlike—formed around his arms and chest, giving him a near-armored appearance. His teeth grew longer, his pupils thinner.
Reo narrowed his eyes.
"Alright then."
He inhaled, the mist of burning citrus and grape filling the air around him.
Reo's voice rang out like thunder through the burning city.
"It's over now!" he shouted, pulling back all four of his arms—each one glowing and swirling with its unique pulp energy. The wind around him twisted violently, fruit scents mixing in the smoke like a final warning to the enemy.
"QUAD-RUIT..."
Dirk's eyes widened. His golden-scaled fists clenched.
Time slows down and sounds similar to Screenshots are heard.
"PUUUUUUUUUUNCH!!!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
All four fists slammed into Dirk's body at once.
Dirk's mouth opened, but no sound came out. The wind was knocked out of him before he could even scream. His armored skin shattered golden scales flying everywhere like shattered glass.
And then,
he was launched.
FWOOOOSH
His body tore through a nearby tower wall, shot through two buildings, and slammed into a hillside boulder far away where he finally stopped, half-buried in rubble.
Silence.
The flames around Cedaport hissed softly, drowned out by the pulp rain falling from the sky in the aftermath of Reo's strike.
Reo stood there, panting heavily, arms steaming and dripping with juice. His artificial limbs slowly dissolved into the mist.
"...Told ya," he said, shoulders slumping. "You fought the guy who will surpass Whitebeard. There's no way I could lose."
Flashback.
From the ragged hole in the wall of the half-burnt inn, the old innkeeper woman peeked through with wide eyes. Her lips trembled. The flames had stopped. The roar of chaos had dimmed. And then—
CRACK!
A loud, echoing noise rang out across the smoldering town. Something had broken. Something important.
Meanwhile, weaving silently through the fractured walls of buildings, the bartender trailed Saya, Momo, and Flare. He had followed them in secret, unsure what he'd find—but what he witnessed now left him frozen in disbelief.
A boy he had never seen before.
Covered in pulp and burn marks, with two extra arms made of juice and fury.
Reo D. Vance.
This boy had taken down Dirk Fegan, the man responsible for turning Cedaport into a flaming nightmare.
The bartender watched as several of the Fangtooth Pirates—those still conscious—staggered to their feet, their eyes wide in shock.
"No way... Cap'n...?"
"DIRK!!!"
They rushed toward their unconscious leader, now buried halfway through a crumbled building, the faint smell of fruit pulp still in the air.
Elsewhere… Marine Headquarters – Grand Line Region
Tap... tap... tap...
Boots echoed down a cold corridor as a young Marine officer burst into the briefing room, papers in hand, sweat on his brow.
"Vice Admiral! Urgent report from the West Blue!"
The stoic figure behind the desk didn't look up from his paperwork. "What is it now? Another pirate raid?"
The officer swallowed hard. "It's... it's the Cedaport fire, sir. Locals report the culprits Fangtooth Pirates have been defeated."
"...Defeated?"
Smoke curled into the sky like fading memories, and the ground still sizzled with the last embers of a nightmare. Slowly, cautiously, the people of Cedaport emerged from cellars, broken houses, and scorched alleyways.
They stared toward the broken plaza, drawn by the loud crack that echoed just moments before.
There, half-buried in rubble and pulp, lay Dirk Feggan—unmoving.
"...He's down..." one man whispered.
Another dropped to their knees. A child started to cry—not out of fear this time, but relief.
It was over.
Standing in the middle of it all, Reo D. Vance exhaled deeply. His body was scuffed and bruised, stained in juice of every color.
He pulled out a coconut and casually stuck a straw in it, sipping calmly even though he didn't need to drink, thanks to his Devil Fruit.
Just then—
"REO!!!"
A blur of color burst around the corner as Saya, Momo, and Flare charged into view. They had clearly been searching frantically, all of them panting, smoke-streaked, and battle-worn.
"There you are!" Saya shouted. "We've been looking for you for, like, forever!"
"You just vanished on us," Momo added, clutching his slightly bent spoon.
Reo lowered the coconut and grinned.
"Nah. I just stumbled across a captain," he said, jerking a thumb toward the defeated Dirk. "Figured I'd give him a little beating."
Saya blinked. "...Wait, THAT was the captain?"
Reo nodded. "Pretty sure. He screamed like one."
The trio exchanged glances, then all puffed up in pride.
"Well," Saya said, brushing off her arms dramatically, "We also gave a beating... to his subordinates!"
"I made mine eat a special dish from the realm of expiration," Momo said proudly, twirling his spoon.
Flare let out a loud fox-like bark and slammed a muscular paw against the ground with a proud snort.
Saya smiled and scratched behind his ear. "Yeah, yeah, you too, tough guy."
Reo laughed. "Looks like we're all on the scoreboard, then." "But."
Reo took one last sip of coconut juice, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Its not over yet though," he said, eyes scanning the burning buildings. "First… we gotta clean up all this fire."
He took a step forward, his body beginning to glow and ripple as pulp gathered around his hands, swirling like thick syrup. He was ready to douse the last of the flames.
But then—
A deep growl rumbled beside him.
Flare had stopped in his tracks, ears perked sharply toward the horizon.
"Flare?" Reo turned, puzzled. "What's up?"
The fox let out a sharp grunt and lifted a paw—pointing toward the sea.
Reo followed the direction.
His eyes narrowed.
A Marine ship. No... multiple sails. Fast. Armed. And getting closer.
Reo dropped his coconut and immediately retracted his pulp.
"...Never mind," he muttered. "Someone else can handle the cleanup."
Saya's eyes widened. "Seriously? We just saved this whole place!"
"And now we're the pirates standing in the ashes," Momo muttered. "You know how they write these reports…"
"...Damn it. They're not gonna stay long..."
The bartender suddenly remembered what he meant to say.
Directions.
The world was huge, and this strange little crew deserved a fighting chance.
He reached into his vest pocket, pulled out a crumpled scrap of paper, and started scribbling furiously with a stubby pencil.
"Let's see...… Might be too far… no, this one… they could make it there…"
His hand worked fast. If he hurried, he could still slip it to them before the sails touched the shore.
"LET'S GOOOO!" Reo shouted as he broke into a full sprint, legs pumping across the charred cobblestones.
The rest of the Shadow Pirates took off behind him, dust kicking up with every step as the sound of Marine horns blared from the bay.
"I told you it was a bad idea to drink coconut juice in the middle of a crime scene!" Saya yelled, leaping over a fallen lamp post.
"You didn't say, shit all!" Reo shot back, arms flailing as he dodged debris. "Also, i was hydrating!"
"You literally can't dehydrate!" Momo screamed, spoon clutched tight in one hand, and a half-eaten expired cheese wedge in the other. "Now we're gonna get roasted by the Navy because you needed a juice break!"
Flare barked wildly as he galloped behind them on all fours, his hulking muscles rippling with each leap. The ground shook as he ran—his fox body still cartoonishly swole from earlier.
"Shortcut!" Saya shouted, twisting midair and throwing a smoke bomb ahead of them.
BOOM! A puff of smoke erupted from the street corner.
The crew barreled through the mist and into an alleyway, startling a pair of old ladies who had just come out of hiding.
"Sorry! Pirate emergency!" Reo called back with a salute.
On the hill above town, the Marine ship docked. Boots slammed onto the wooden piers. Dozens of officers rushed forward, barking orders, rifles raised.
"FIRE BRIGADES, MOVE IN! Search for civilians! Check for survivors!"
"Vice Captain, we're too late… the flames are already dying…"
"…And what about the Fangtooth Pirates?"
"…Scattered. Unconscious. Looks like they were taken out."
The Marine officer frowned. "Then who—?"
Back to the Shadow Pirates…
The crew darted through a backstreet, laughter and panic mixing in their breath.
"Do you think the townspeople know we're not the bad guys?" Saya asked between pants.
"They'll figure it out!" Reo said. "...Eventually! Maybe!"
"Maybe in, like, twenty years when we're on wanted posters!" Momo groaned. "Who knows. I suppose its nothing to fret about."
As they reached the edge of town, a small paper suddenly fluttered through the air, landing smack against Reo's face.
"BWAH, what the heck?"
Saya chuckled.
"You shut up, please."
He peeled it off. Handwritten. Directions.
Reo read it quickly, eyes scanning.
"It's a map... someone marked a chain of nearby islands. Says the Marines avoid them. Sailed through 'em before."
Saya glanced over his shoulder. "You think the bartender gave us this?"
"I hope so," Momo said. "Somehow he remembered in the middle of the brawl."
Reo grinned. "Then it's settled."
The crew reached a hilltop just before the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Below them, their little patched-up boat bobbed in the waves, looking comically small compared to the Marine warship across the harbor.
The crew skidded to a stop.
Reo looked down at it, nodded confidently.
"…Think we'll make it?" Momo asked.
"Nope," Reo replied, "but we're doing it anyway."
"BECAUSE WE ARE THE SHADOW PIRATES!!" Saya suddenly interrupted.
"Ugh, it's gonna take sometime to get used to that stupid name."
The white sails of the Marine vessel flapped triumphantly in the coastal breeze. From the docks to the smoking ruins of the town, Marines marched in formation, dousing leftover flames, checking survivors, and—most importantly—rounding up pirates.
Dirk Feggan, the former scourge of Cedaport, lay face-first in the dirt, unconscious, bloodied, and bruised. A metal collar clamped tightly around his neck, neutralizing any Devil Fruit powers he might've had. Heavy seastone chains wrapped around his arms and torso.
Two Marines struggled to drag his hulking body toward the wagon.
"How… is he this heavy?" one groaned.
"Shut up and pull! This guy's worth… one Berri."
...
...
...
...
...
...
The Marine glanced at the bounty paper with a frown. "Wait. One?!"
The other Marine blinked. "That's gotta be a typo."
"Nope. Official bounty. One single Berri."
The pair stood in stunned silence for a moment before shrugging and hauling him away.
Nearby, the rest of the Fangtooth Pirates—Ganzu, Jinto, and Kairo—all lay beaten and groaning in chains, surrounded by a team of armed guards.
Inside the Command Tent
A Marine officer sat at a makeshift desk, reviewing the field reports.
"Fires are mostly contained... civilians rescued by unknown parties... minimal fatalities..."
He raised an eyebrow.
"...Suspects still at large. Descriptions vague. Multiple civilians report 'a guy made of fruit pulp,' a 'ninja girl with smoke bombs,' a 'spoon-wielding freak,' and a 'buff fox.'"
The officer blinked.
"...You're joking, right?"
The ensign shook his head, pale-faced. "Sir, we've got at least five identical witness statements."
The officer sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No names? No bounty records?"
"None. It's like they don't exist."
The Marine exhaled slowly.
"Keep it out of the press. Report the Fangtooth capture. No mention of these unknown figures."
"Understood, sir."
Back at the inn, the woman stood silently in the doorway, arms crossed as she stared at the burnt remains of the street beyond. The sounds of rebuilding had begun—clanging metal, shifting wood, murmuring voices—but her focus remained fixed on the horizon where the small boat had disappeared not long ago.
She placed a hand gently on her neck, now fully healed. Not even a bruise remained.
She sighed.
"…Didn't even get to say thank you."
Out at sea, the Shadow Pirates' small vessel rocked gently against the waves. Wind rushed through the tattered sail, carrying them eastward.
Reo sat at the helm, one leg propped up, a piece of coconut stuck in his mouth like a lazy toothpick. He stared ahead, expression neutral.
Saya lay on her back near the edge of the deck, arms stretched out, feet wiggling in the air.
"Man, Still can't believe we didn't find a single navigator," she muttered.
Momo was rummaging through their dwindling food stash. "We asked everyone! Bartender? Nope. Old lady with one eye? Almost, but nope."
He held up a moldy sandwich and frowned.
"All we can do now is cross our fingers for luck in the future."
Reo turned his head slightly. "You're right. It's not the end of the world."
Saya groaned. "It might be, if we hit a whirlpool! We don't have 4 barrels that we can hide inside for that occasion you know? And it takes time for the Great ninja, Saya to think of a brilliant plan for her friends."
Flare yawned near the mast, his muscles deflating slightly as his power wore off. He flopped onto his side, tail swishing.
Reo leaned back.
"Alright. So we didn't find a navigator. But we did stop a pirate crew, saved a town, made it out alive, got a map, and escaped the Marines. I'd say that's a decent haul."
"…Let's see where the sea takes us."
TO BE CONTINUED.
These two chapters are meant to be introductory chaoters if you're wondering. Next stop will be based on a one piece anime only arc. I might do some kind of Omake in this story before going back to OPM.
Do you guys want to know who is the first xover character to join Reo's crew? I won't say who explicitly BUT all you need to know is that its one of User Redd's from OPM. A certain laidback witch mind you.