The atmosphere during the meal grew tense and uneasy after some curious students, thought about a sensitive subject, keeping their worries to themselves—until the swordsman finally chose to speak up and end the silence.
"Well... Talk. What's got you like this?" he asked, arms crossed.
"We were wondering... um..." Uraraka nervously fiddled with her fingers.
"Luffy-san... Why did he become a pirate?" Deku asked, noticing how difficult it was for his friend to bring up the question.
The sudden curiosity piqued the interest of the heroes, who had simply decided to travel with the pirates without ever considering their motives.
"Shishishi, is that what's been bothering you?" Luffy asked, rubbing his nose playfully.
"I want to find the One Piece."
"We know your goal is to become the King of the Pirates and find the One Piece... but what inspired you to pursue that dream?"
"Isn't it obvious? He wants to be famous," Aoyama replied, striking a diva pose.
"I'm not interested in becoming someone important..." he said with a huge grin, leaving everyone blank-faced and confused by his thinking, considering he wanted to be a king.
"It's just that... the person with the most freedom on the seas must be the King of the Pirates."
"Freedom? What kind of freedom can a globally wanted criminal have?!" Iida protested.
"Shishishishi"
Luffy couldn't help but laugh. He placed his hand on his hat and smiled warmly.
"When I was a kid, Shanks and his crew would come to my village and share their adventures... The freedom they had while sailing and the incredible world they spoke of... I didn't just want to hear about it—I wanted to experience it myself. But no matter how hard I begged Shanks to take me with them, he always said no."
"How old were you, Luffy-san?" Deku asked, curiosity shining in his eyes.
"Seven."
"THAT'S WHY THEY DIDN'T WANT HIM!"
"HE'S DEFINITELY AN IDIOT!"
"He was a child, Bakugo..."
"A pretty stupid one." Mineta joined in.
"The day before he left for good, I swore I would get my own crew, find the One Piece, and become the King of the Pirates... That's when we made a promise..."
Luffy tilted his head a bit, taking his hat in his hands and looking at it fondly.
"I'll take care of his hat and return it when I become a great pirate... This is my treasure, and I must protect it until we meet again."
Everyone was moved by the captain... Specially Kirishima and Franky who bursted into tears.
"That's so manly!"
"Shishishi"
"But you could've been free as an adventurer or a sailor, right, kero?"
"Even adventurers have to follow rules," Aizawa pointed out, cutting off any protests.
"Just for the sake of freedom... venturing into an uncertain future and risking everything for a goal..." Shoto said seriously.
"THAT'S WHAT LIVING AN ADVENTURE IS!" Mic cheered, joined by Kirishima, Kaminari, Mina, and Ojiro.
"Luffy's idea of piracy is just living in freedom... What Yue said about his crimes must be some kind of misunderstanding," Midoriya thought aloud, sighing with relief.
"And what do your parents think about all this?" Ochako asked.
"I didn't know them... My grandpa left me in the mountains to be raised by bandits."
"WHAT AN IRRESPONSIBLE GRANDFATHER!"
"No wonder you turned into a criminal, being raised by bandits!" Nemuri blurted out before covering her mouth regreting her words.
"There's the motivation," Iida concluded, clapping his hands to close the topic.
"His grandfather sounds like one of those selfish and irresponsible relatives who do nothing with their lives but drink themselves into a hole and leave the kids to fend for themselves," Sato said irritated.
"What kind of person was your grandfather?" Todoroki asked, concerned about the rubber boy's childhood.
"His grandfather is a Vice Admiral of the navy..." Robin mentioned, enjoying the heroes' expressions as they learned the so-called irresponsible old man held a rank equivalent to one of their own.
"He's considered a hero of the navy, one of the strongest warriors of our time, and one of the few who could stand against Gol D. Roger."
"Yeah... He wanted to train me from a young age to become a great marine like him, but it didn't work out. Shishishi."
"Training at what age?"
"Six..."
"What kind of training can he give to a six-year-old child?" Todoroki tilted his head, curious, feeling a connection to the idea of an authority figure trying to shape a child future following the same path.
"Let's see..." said the rubber boy, counting on his fingers.
"He made me fight a gang of monkeys and gorillas, threw me into a bottomless ravine, abandoned me in the jungle at night, and once even tied me to some balloons and sent me flying through the sky."
"..."
"MONSTER! YOUR GRANDFATHER IS A MONSTER!" they all shouted, shocked by the old man's irresponsibility.
"I DON'T KNOW THOSE MOUNTAIN BANDITS, BUT I HAVE A FEELING HE WAS SAFER WITH THEM THAN WITH HIS GRANDFATHER." Yagi wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Luffy-san... have you ever heard of child protective services?" Momo asked, worried about the pirate childhood, noticing how her question only confused him. "I suppose those didn't exist in your time."
"Even if he's a hero... that's considered child abuse!" Iida scolded.
The students were visibly worried about the environment the captain grew up in, which erased any doubts about why he might have strayed from the right path, framing it instead as an innocent childhood dream... but that only raised other questions—specifically: nine more.
"Zoro-kun," Tokoyami called to the swordsman, who had a smile on his face, enjoying the heroes disturbed expressions .
"What made you decide to live a pirate life?"
Tokoyami's question immediately caught the attention of Kaminari, Kirishima, Sero, Shoji, Ojiro, Sato, and Bakugo, who pretended to be disinterested, though his body language betrayed the opposite.
"Actually, being a pirate was never in my plans." Zoro finished without giving further details, staying silent and disappointing the impatient boys.
"AND THEN WHAT?!" they demanded, causing Zoro to exhale in boredom.
"I made a living as a bounty hunter, just to afford food and shelter while I searched for a certain swordsman... But one day, I arrived at an island ruled by a ruthless captain and his stupid son."
"And you were captured because bounty hunting is frowned upon?" Toru asked, intrigued.
"No."
"The captain's son was walking through town with his pet wolf, who would've attacked a little girl if I hadn't stepped in... So I killed it."
"YOU KILLED HIS SON?!" Denki exclaimed, horrified.
"THE WOLF, YOU IDIOT!"
"My actions were taken as a crime, and they promised to drop the charges if I could endure a month without food or water, tied to a post."
"That's really cruel."
"Well, he killed an animal that wasn't to blame... It's just its wild nature. The owner was the one at fault." Koda defended.
"So, did you endure the month?" Ochako asked.
"Actually, they planned to execute him after a week," Luffy confessed while stealing the leftovers from other plates.
"HUH?!"
"You knew?!" Tokoyami asked with wide open eyes, as Zoro just sighed, scratching his neck, showing his weariness.
"No... Luffy was the one who overheard the cleft-chinned guy talking about my execution and freed me in exchange for becoming a pirate under his flag."
"Execution for saving a little girl..." They murmured, letting out a breath.
"Basically, Luffy cornered you into becoming a pirate if you wanted to live..." Froppy summarized, as she placed her finger on her lower lip.
"Doesn't it bother you to live like a criminal?" Deku asked.
"I don't care whether my reputation is good or bad. The only thing I fight for is to reach my goal—and to help him become the King of the Pirates," the swordsman said tiredly, nodding toward his captain.
"ZORO ANIKI!" Kirishima and Denki cried out with tears streaming down them eyes, while Bakugo and Tokoyami simply smirked.
"Zoro Aniki is a man of honor who keeps his word," Kirishima thought, clenching his fists as he wiped his tears.
"Zoro-kun became a criminal out of necessity... I wonder, if he hadn't been caught, would he have taken a different path?"
"What's got you so pensive, Izuku?" Sanji asked, to which the boy just tried to dodge the question by waving his hands frantically, while Ochako blushed seeing how focused he was on trying to understand the criminals.
The young ones turned excitedly to their next victim for questions, as the cook stood up to gather the plates, only to be pulled back by his sleeve by Nemuri, who sat him back down.
"You're not going anywhere~" she said playfully, to which the cook immediately agreed, sitting obediently.
"Aye-Aye! Nerumi-chwaaaan!"
"I apologize for his behavior," Nami said, embarrassed by the pirate who wouldn't stop making weird laughs next to the heroine.
"Don't worry... hehe, I think it's adorable," she replied, blushing as she combed the blond's hair.
"Well, as long as it doesn't bother you."
"Nami-san?" Momo called her mentor.
"Hmm?"
"How did someone as talented as you end up with...?" she asked disappointed, glancing at the captain, who had just stuck two chopsticks up his nose to stretch his face ridiculously.
The navigator simply looked fondly at Luffy, recalling how meeting him had changed her life, the lives of her loved ones, and had given her purpose. She became lost in thought for a sec, while a nostalgic smile spreaded across her face.
"MISS NAMI, ARE YOU OKAY?"
The orange-haired relaxed her body and turned her gaze to the group of heroes.
"I've been a pirate since I was a child..."
The group hadn't expected that confession. How could someone be considered a pirate at such a young age, when the same label was denied to their own young captain?
"My village was taken over by pirates who demanded a hundred thousand berries per adult, and fifty thousand per child each month in exchange for our lives... My mother couldn't even pay the fifty thousand needed for my sister and me..."
"No..." Jiro thought in despair, covering her mouth.
"She sold you?" Koda whispered, horrified by the unjust world they lived in.
"We tried to hide, but Bell-mère feared for our lives if we were discovered... so she sacrificed her life to protect us..."
Hearing the resolve of such a brave woman, Momo, Tsuyu, Koda, Deku, Ochako, and even Nemuri couldn't stop their tears from falling...
"They took her from us right in front of our eyes... Then gave us just one month before they returned to collect again. We needed a new source of income to survive."
"If it's not too invasive, Nami... how old were you both?" Shoto asked.
"My sister was nine. I had just turned seven."
"NOT EVEN TEN..." All Might could feel his heart shrink as the story went on.
"WHERE WERE THE AUTHORITIES?!" he said through clenched teeth, unable to raise his voice in anger.
"How did your sister and you manage to get that kind of money?"
"My sister sold tangerines. I, on the other hand..." she let out a loud sigh.
"Arlong, the captain who invaded us, saw my talent for cartography. He kidnapped me and offered to let me live if I became one of them," she said, rubbing the spot where the Jolly Roger tattoo used to be on her arm.
"I became hated by the villagers but gained Arlong's trust... Eventually, he told me I could buy our freedom for a hundred million berries. That promise gave me hope to save my island... but earning that much through honest work was impossible..."
"That's way too much responsibility for someone so young... You shouldn't have carry all that." Deku said, visibly shaken and unable to control his emotions.
"I shouldn't have, but I felt like it was something I could accomplish... So, when I was twelve, I left my village and began a new life as a thief, stealing from pirates... One of them was Luffy—I stole his ship and treasure, eventually managing to collect the hundred million berries..."
"I guess stealing from pirates isn't so bad... especially if it's to save an entire village," Mina commented.
"But stealing is still wrong..." Mic added.
"Is that how you won your freedom, Nami-chan?" Denki asked.
"No... Arlong had a deal with the Navy. When they found out about my treasure, the Marines confiscated everything... I had to start from scratch."
"You've got to be fucking kidding me, again with the Marines?!"
"Damn those Marines... They're despicable. What kind of justice were they enforcing?" the teens growled, enraged at the role played by those supposed protectors.
"Not all of them are the same... Bell-mère, my mother, was actually a Marine soldier. She rescued my sister and me from the ruins of a destroyed village and raised us as her daughters... She gave up that life to take care of us."
"She gave up her duty and sacrificed her life for a family she wasn't even bound to by blood..." Todoroki reflected, brushing a hand over his gray eye, watching distantly as he felt the growing dampness on his fingertips.
The air had left their lungs. A lump in their throats made it hard to ask more questions as their bodies grew warmer and heavier.
Franky was the first to burst into tears upon hearing his nakama's story, soon joined by Kirishima, Deku, Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, Denki, and Tsuyu.
"I'm terribly sorry, Nami-san," Jinbei said with deep regret, while tears welled down his eyes and remorse appeared in his voice.
"I already told you, Jinbei... It's the past now."
"Why are you apologizing, Jinbei-san?" asked Mic.
"Arlong was under my command... I didn't stop him from doing as he pleased in the East Blue."
"Under your command?"
"Arlong... was he human?"
"All of Arlong's pirates were fish-men," Sanji answered, offering a handkerchief to Nemuri.
The kids shivered at the revelation. After having faced fish-men themselves, they now understood how powerful they were. The fact that civilians had endured their attacks gave them an idea of the might an experienced fish-man crew possessed.
"Then... did you got the money?" Bakugo asked serious.
"No... My village knew the sacrifice I made all those years and refused to let me bear the weight on my own again, so they stood up preparing to fight... But... But Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp—rather than getting revenge for my stealing from them—they took care of my enemies," she said with her cheeks and nose flushed pink, as she gazed at her nakamas with affection.
"They appeared just when I needed them the most... I owe them my life." Her final words were barely a whisper, only heard by the most attentive of the heroes.
"That's how I joined the crew."
"Aside from her past... just like Zoro-kun, she's indebted," thought Izuku, taking mental notes.
"But why didn't you take the chance to be free once your village was liberated? Was it because you felt indebt?" Mineta asked.
"No. To create a map of the world, I have to witness it myself! And what better way to do that than by sailing alongside my nakamas and the future King of the Pirates?" she replied with a beaming smile.
"Shishishi~"
"Usopp? What about you?" Ojiro asked.
"My dad is a great pirate, and I wanted to be one too."
"That was fast!" they all shouted.
"But why follow in your father's footsteps?" Nemuri questioned.
"If he's a pirate, does that mean... he abandoned you?" Tsuyu asked.
"Do you want to go find him?"
"Well... he left my mom and me when I was little. We always knew he couldn't stay with us because it could be dangerous... When my mom passed away, I had nothing left but to follow in my father's footsteps... A famous pirate and brave warrior. For years I dreamed of adventures, but I was too much of a coward to set sail... I know that one day I'll be like him... No! Even better!"
"He's just chasing a dream for lack of paternal approval..." Todoroki thought.
"And how did you join?"
"Let me tell you the grand feats of Captain Usoppu..."
"Yeah yeah, just get to the point..."
"HOW RUDE!"
"Well... turns out the butler of the beautiful missy from my village was actually a manipulative pirate who wanted her fortune after killing her... I tried to warn my neighbors that pirates were going to invade... but no one believed me." He narrated dramatically, raising a fist and lowering his head in defeat.
"Couldn't that be because you told too many lies?" Zoro teased the long-nosed storyteller.
"YOU ALREADY HAD YOUR STORY, LET ME TELL MINE!"
"As I was saying... we found out they were going to attack at dawn, so we set a trap to stop them."
"But he gave us the wrong port..."
"NAMI!"
"We spent the whole night preparing the wrong place."
"STOOOOP!"
"They won't let me finish my story..." he grumbled, irritated.
"After going to the RIGHT PORT... Luffy, Zoro, and Nami helped me defeat them... It wasn't much, but..."
"WE BASICALLY DID EVERYTHING!"
The heroes relaxed with Usopp's tale and the complaints from his nakamas, easing their hearts after hearing the navigator's painful past; who even after narrating it, she looked happy.
"After saving my village, the beautiful Miss Kaya gifted us the Going Merry Go, our first ship, which..." Usopp's words became choked as his voice broke mentioning their old caravel.
"Which couldn't complete our journey." he finished, tearing while some of his crewmates joined in, crying.
"The Going Merry Go seems to be very important to the Straw Hats," Midoriya thought, instinctively glancing at Bakugo, hoping he wouldn't say anything inappropriate to upset the grieving pirates—but he seemed to understand the seriousness of the moment.
"Meeeeerryy..." the little reindeer whimpered, his eyes full of tears.
"Why are you crying? It's just—" All Might quickly covered Mic's mouth before he could finish that sentence.
"IT MUST HAVE BEEN LIKE A NAKAMA TO YOU..."
"Merry was our nakama... It took us to places you wouldn't believe existed..."
"He saved us when we needed it the most..." they said, with teary eyes.
A heavy silence fell among the pirates, as if they had all recalled a painful memory, and the sadness radiated from most of them.
"What about you, Sanji-kun?" Nemuri asked, playing with the cook's beard, though he couldn't even respond under the teasing of the flirty heroine.
"Sanji!" the others called, snapping him out of his trance.
"Ah... Luffy invited me to the crew after he wrecked part of the restaurant where my pops worked." He said, pointing at his captain.
"LUFFY!" the heroes scolded.
"It was an accident..." Luffy replied, picking his nose.
"Then some pirates came planning to take it, and they finished destroying part of it... Still, we managed to defend it with Luffy's help."
"Take a restaurant?"
"Oh, I forgot to say... the Baratie is actually a floating restaurant—made just right for feeding hungry folks out at sea."
"So you joined to thank them?" Shoji asked.
"I hadn't exactly planned on joining them... But Luffy was only the second person who didn't laugh at my dream. The old man, Zeff, told me I should go. The only way to find it was by traveling the world... and, well, these idiots were in desperate need of a cook."
"OI!"
"My goal has always been to find the All Blue... Our captain and I share what people call stupid and impossible dreams... But if I can make it happen with him... I'll risk my life for it."
"Congrats, Mugi-san! You're hiring only top quality staff!" Mina cheered, licking her finger clean of sauce.
"Couldn't you achieve it without joining a pirate crew?"
"I took the opportunity... and Nami-chan was in trouble."
"Basically joined because of Nami..."
Iida didn't seem convinced by the cook's words, looking a bit uneasy about something he heard.
"How did your father allow you to travel with pirates so easily?"
"Zeff is the closest thing I've ever had to a father... That old man saved me from a shipwreck. We were stranded on an island for months—he even ate his own leg so I could have all the food he gathered..."
"He—he ate his leg?"
"He used to be a well-known pirate... Red-Leg Zeff... He got that name because his boots were always soaked in his enemies' blood... After losing his leg because of me, he couldn't keep living that life."
"He also believes the All Blue exists... But gave up after sailing the Grand Line for a year."
"Did he teach you how to fight, Sanji-san?" Midoriya asked.
"That old man taught me almost everything I know about manners, fighting, and cooking," he said with a gentle and nostalgic smile. His soft gaze made the girls blush at the evident love Sanji felt for his mentor.
Todoroki got lost in the way the cook spoke, especially remembering what he said during his fight with Midoriya... His words seemed sincere, but didn't match the tenderness he now showed when speaking of Zeff.
"Sanji-san... If Mr. Zeff adopted you... then what about your biological father?"
"That scum doesn't even deserve to be called a father."
"Sanji, a little respect... He did give you life," Sato chimed in, unable to accept someone speaking that way about their family.
"To him, I was nothing but a defective lab rat... As far as I'm concerned... Zeff is the only father I have." he said angrily, getting up from Nemuri's side and starting to gather plates.
"He's mad..." the heroes thought, intimidated by this rare behavior from the cook.
Shoto's eyes followed the blond as he quietly stepped away from the table, the weight of his words about his father still rang in his ears... It struck a chord deep within him. He understood that kind of fury—and, without meaning to, felt it too. With a heavy breath, Shoto rose to his feet, gathering the plates left behind, and silently made his way after Sanji.
The atmosphere had grown a bit tense after the cook's departure; leaving those present unsure whether they should keep prying into the crew's past. Yet, curiosity about the rest of the members still lingered—especially regarding how the only archaeologist capable of reading the Poneglyphs had ended up joining a crew with such a childish captain.
"Is Sanji-kun okay?" asked Nemuri, puzzled at how the flirtatious pirate walked away without hesitation.
"Yeah... It's just that anything about his family is a touchy subject," the reindeer replied.
"Chopper-san," called Tsuyu to her first aid mentor, "How did someone as skilled as you end up joining a pirate crew?"
"Especially when your dream is to find a cure for all diseases... Wouldn't it be better to work in a research center?" added Koda.
"On the contrary... The research and medicinal plants used in different lands and cultures are key pieces I'd never have access to if I stayed locked away."
"That makes sense... But why not travel with researchers?"
The reindeer nervously tapped his hooves together, making a light clinking sound.
"It's complicated. Since I was young, I was rejected by both my herd and humans..."
"But how? You're so gentle," Tsuyu said.
"And let's not ignore how adorable you are!" Mina chimed in.
"Because of my blue nose... My herd, even my own parents, rejected me because of this 'defect'... One day, I ate the Hito Hito no Mi, and with it, I could change my form to something closer to a human. I hoped it would make them accept me—but they only saw me as a monster," he said with pain, causing the girls to quickly empathize with the little doctor.
"The only one who ever tried to connect with me was a doctor who adopted me, despite being seriously ill... He encouraged me to study and become a great doctor. But he died trying to save my island from a king who wanted to force all the doctors onto his ship—hunting down anyone who refused."
"Everyone seems to be adopted..." analyzed Midoriya, starting to notice a pattern in the pirates' origins.
"Why would he want to take all the doctors?" asked Tsuyu, intrigued.
"To privatize medical care," Iida answered, clearly angry.
"How despicable!"
"A king should care for the well-being of his people!" Jiro protested.
"Drum Kingdom was once known for its skilled doctors... But they all ended up under King Wapol's rule, who fled the island after a pirate attack... He came back later to reclaim his castle and rule again by taking advantage of his citizens... That went directly against Dr. Hiriluk's wishes—what he fought to prevent," Chopper confessed, sadness in his voice.
"The day Wapol returned was the same day Luffy and the others arrived to get medical help for Nami. They took care of Wapol, driving him out, and then Luffy asked me to join them... Heh, he just wouldn't stop insisting," he finished with a smile, tugging on his hat's ears.
"Assaulting royalty... Even if the king is a tyrant, he's still a monarch..." The list of crimes they had been given was starting to make sense—but not in the way they expected. The crimes mentioned could very well be seen as heroic acts by the people, though not by those in power.
"When everyone saw me as a monster... they saw me as a doctor. They accepted me for who I am... That's why I chose to travel with them and become strong—so I could be of help."
"Chopper, you're already a great help without needing to fight... Thanks to you and your care, we're all still alive," said Robin, gently resting her hand on the reindeer's hat.
"Don't think that makes me happy, jejeje~" the reindeer huffed, dancing adorably atop the table. "Idiot~"
"Fufufu..."
The young heroes couldn't help but smile at the sudden shift in mood and the reindeer's cute little dance. But Deku couldn't stop analyzing his story.
"When he couldn't fit in his own environment, he had no choice but to seek those who would accept him for who he is... Even if it meant joining a criminal group..."
The creaking of the kitchen door anounced Sanji's return accompanied by Shoto carrying trays of drinks and digestifs, which they distributed among the guests who, due to the tension in their throats, weren't exactly in the mood for dessert.
Shoji couldn't help but stare at the enigmatic archaeologist who always offered her crewmates a warm and thankful smile.
"Robin-sensei..."
Toshinori's body tensed at Tentacole's call to the raven-haired. He had a vague idea of her past, and after her reaction that day, he wasn't sure if reliving it would be the best thing for her well-being.
"MISS ROBIN, IF YOU DON'T WISH TO SHARE—"
"It's alright, Mr. All Might," she replied calmly, smiling with her eyes—making the hero swallow nervously.
The perceptive woman, who had listened carefully to every question and comment from the heroes, understood why they were so interested in their pasts. So she didn't hesitate to expose the world she came from.
"My home... Ohara, was a land over five thousand years old. A cradle of scholars, a haven for academics and archaeologists from around the world... We dedicated our lives to studying history, and secretly—since it was forbidden by the government—the Poneglyphs."
"Wait, Robin-san, didn't you mention you were the only one who could read them?" Momo asked confused.
"Oh no..." muttered Mic, beginning to sweat coldly as he recalled the cook's whispered words that day: "All the others who could read them were wiped out."
Robin stayed silent for a moment, then spoke two words that would remain etched in their memories forever:
"Buster Call."
"Buster Call?" The heroes tilted their heads, puzzled by the new term.
"IT'S AN ASSAULT CARRIED OUT BY THE NAVY..." answered Yagi, serious and visibly displeased, leaving the students and their partners confused, thinking it was just a large-scale arrest.
"It's a direct order from the higher-ups under the belief in absolute justice... The so-called Buster is considered the ultimate weapon—an attack launched by ten warships under the command of five vice admirals," explained the fish-man.
Robin nodded gratefully at her crewmate's description before addressing the heroes again.
"There were once many of us who could read the Poneglyphs... But when the government learned of our desire to uncover history, they ordered a Buster Call on Ohara... They destroyed my home, executed my friends, and wiped out everyone who lived in the country—it didn't matter if they were innocent, elderly, pregnant, or children... They used a ship to rescue survivors, only to sink it moments later with a direct attack from the rest of the fleet. No one was meant to leave the island alive. With help of a friend and his final wish, I managed to escape... becoming the sole survivor."
"THAT'S BULLSHIT!"
"Bakugo!" his classmates shouted.
"HOW DID THEY EVEN COME TO THAT CONCLUSION?!" he shouted furiously, refusing to accept the government's actions.
"IF THEY COMMITTED A CRIME, WHY WEREN'T THEY JUST ARRESTED?!"
The ash-haired boy's voice shifted from rage to anguish, and his usually aggressive face took on an unusual desperated expression.
"They already told us about the genocide of their—" Sero tried to say, scared by the explosive reaction.
"YES, BUT IT WAS DONE DIRECTLY BY THE GOVERNMENT AND NO ONE DID ANYTHING!"
"Why would they take such an inhumane measure?" Koda asked through tears, his voice breaking.
"Inhumane..." That word erased all of Ochako's focus. She drifted into her thoughts, the voices around her sounding distorted as she remembered the mockery of the white-haired.
"Humanity... It means to feel affection, compassion, or solidarity toward others... But the best way to describe a human is by their lack of those values... Don't you think?"
"Those in power are the ones who lack humanity..." Ochako said shakily, not realizing she had spoken aloud.
"Ochako, what are you saying? That was the past... Things have changed!" Sato tried to make her reconsider her words.
"The past?..." she muttered, still lost in thought.
The girl clenched her fists and slammed both hands on the table, using the motion to rise from her seat. She was furious, unable to stop the tears falling from her brown eyes.
"THEN WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO CAN CURRENTLY DECIPHER THE PONEGLYPHS?! WHAT ABOUT THE MINKS AND FISH-MEN WHO'VE GONE MISSING?! NEZU HAD TO DELETE THE FOOTAGE TO PROTECT US! THAT SAME ABSOLUTE JUSTICE STILL LURKS IN THE SHADOWS!"
The girl's furious screams startled the captain, popping his saliva bubble as he awoke, confused by the sudden drama.
"Huh? Nezu?" Luffy asked, feigning interest.
"The mouse," Robin answered.
"Oh, the rat."
"What could history be hiding to justify such sadistic measures?" Tokoyami questioned, absorbed.
"They feared we'd uncover the ancient writings from the Void Century... Just as they fear the truth of the Void Millennium will be revealed."
The heroes couldn't believe the extreme lengths both past and present societies had taken just to keep history buried.
They understood the government didn't want the truth about the great racial war to be known, but the real mystery was: what exactly they were trying to hide by preventing contact with other species—especially if those species were willing to cooperate.
"Robin..." Todoroki called.
"Being the only survivor of that attack... she must have been hunted by the government ever since. Her life... it must have been incredibly difficult..."
"It was... At age ten, they put a bounty on my head, and I had to join criminal organizations just to survive while hiding from the government."
"AT TEN YEARS OLD?!" everyone shouted, shocked by how harsh her life had been at such a young age.
"Robin-san had it rough... Being labeled a criminal that young just for reading ancient texts... Forced to hide among people who could betray or harm her at any moment."
Rage filled the heroes' bodies. They were so furious they couldn't even swallow saliva, unable to believe the actions of their leaders. Justice itself had turned against society. There seemed to be nothing that could ease the horrid, nauseating feeling of betrayal and anger within them... Until they saw the archaeologist smiling gently while removing food from the captain's hair, and it helped them catch their breath just a bit.
"Robin-san! How did you end up joining Luffy?" Toru asked, a bit excited.
The pirates' pasts were so chaotic and disastrous that the only thing lifting the heroes' spirits was hearing how their lives changed after joining the Straw Hats.
The excited teens gathered like children around a storyteller, eager to hear the moment that would mark a before and after in the archaeologist's life.
"Fufufufu..."
"Before joining Luffy, I worked for a criminal organization led by a Shichibukai who wanted to take over a kingdom in search of a weapon."
"Luffy and the others tried to stop the war 'he' was planning as a distraction to kidnap the king and find the ancient texts that led to the weapon. When we found them, I refused to reveal their message, but he knew I was lying... so he tried to kill me. I was tired of running. I had accepted my fate: to die buried in front of the very stone that sealed my life... But Luffy saved me against my will, giving me a second chance I never asked for. With nowhere else to go, I decided he should face the consequences of saving me—and take me on his journey... A journey where I found something I never thought I'd regain... My passion for uncovering history."
"Robin..."
"So... bringing Robin along didn't cause you any trouble? I mean... She's been wanted since she was ten, and—"
"SHUT UP, KAMINARI. WE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY." Mic reprimanded him.
"Sorry, Miss Robin," Eraserhead apologized as he restrained the blond boy with his scarf, keeping him twisted and gagged.
"Actually... it didn't take long for my past to catch up to me and put them in danger... So I decided to turn myself in to protect them."
The woman's noble act left everyone breathless.
"WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?!" they demanded, pounding the table.
"We declared war on the government and the world," Sanji replied.
"YOU DECLARED WAR ON THE WORLD?! FOR ONE PERSON?!"
"Our nakama," the captain added, suddenly serious at what he considered a foolish question.
"A declaration of war..." The words rang like alarms in Izuku's mind, leaving him stunned.
"Wouldn't you fight for your nakamas?" Luffy asked, arms crossed and head tilted like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Of course we would fight for our friends!" Mina shouted, her voice slowly fading.
"But... if it's illegal... if they do something illegal... we couldn't..."
"What kind of heroes are you...?" the rubber boy muttered.
"Luffy, as heroes, they have to follow certain rules," Nami explained.
"I don't care about rules," he replied with a disgusted look.
"Robin was prepared to lay down her life for our sake... but we couldn't allow it. If she truly wished to die, then it would only once free."
"WAAAAAAAAAH, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!" the cyborg cried loudly, while Robin smiled at her crewmates' heartfelt defense.
Everyone was moved by the story—how, even if she hadn't gained freedom, she found something more important: a family.
Even Aizawa and Todoroki, who weren't usually expressive, felt their breathing slow.
"All my life, I heard the same thing... 'Your very existence is a curse. You shouldn't be alive.' When I had nothing left to live for, they came to save me. They fought my enemies and declared war on the world to protect me. They showed me something I'd never had before... A home. That's why... I'm willing to give my life for them."
Though she told her story with a smile, her gaze challenged everyone not to mess with her nakamas. The same woman who once nearly killed All Might was now sending them a clear message; making Zoro chuckle as he saw how tense the heroes had become.
"I have a question!" Iida raised his hand like he was in class.
"What is he doing?" Usopp asked Mineta.
"That's just how he is. Just answer him..."
"HOW DO YOU DECLARE WAR ON THE WORLD?!"
"What do you expect us to say? With a letter?" the long-nosed sniper mocked. "To my very not esteemed World Government..." he began narrating dramatically, only to be cut off by Zoro.
"We stormed the judicial island, attacked all their agents, destroyed the Tower of Justice, and burned the flag representing the union of nations," he explained as casually as if recounting a trip to the park.
"Apparently, some folks weren't too thrilled about us casually crashing their justice island... so they threw a full-on Buster Call tantrum and blew it up," Sanji shrugged.
"And blamed us for it too..." Chopper concluded.
Deku couldn't breathe. He began mentally listing all the crimes they'd just mentioned—plus all the ones the government had covered up by blaming the pirates.
"Assault on the government, declaration of war, kidnapping, attempted murder, possibly murder, arson, property damage, destruction of historic monuments, treason..."
"Most of the crimes had been committed in order to save Robin. They had sacrificed their freedom for the one person who had become a direct target of the entire world."
Aizawa focused all his attention on the grinning boy... the leader of a world infamous crew who was willing to fight the entire world for his freedom and that of his friends, no matter how many crimes he committed along the way. He was a new kind of villain Aizawa had never faced before... a threat that would act recklessly and unpredictably under pressure.
The stories about how the young captain reacted when defending what he saw as a danger to himself or his nakamas only added to his concern. If something happened to them in Japan, his childish and stubborn behavior could create a problem in a society filled with rules.
"Becoming the enemy of the world for a friend..." Tsuyu couldn't believe the extremism the pirates had reached.
"In a world that turns its back on you... they can only rely on each other..." said Midoriya aloud.
"That's what Yue meant..."
"What do you mean, Deku-kun?"
"When individuals are raised in environments that fail to nurture or guide them, they develop a deep need for connection—often seeking out those who reflect their own pain or confusion. This search isn't just about comfort; it's a survival mechanism. And crucially, the person or group that steps in to offer support, whether for better or worse, becomes a formative influence—shaping their beliefs, identity, and ultimately, the path they follow."
"How many lives are led astray just because they followed the wrong person... All For One twisted Shigaraki into what he is now. But what if someone had reached him first? What if he'd been shown a different path before AFO took hold of him...? Maybe... maybe he didn't have to become our enemy." Deku's hands trembled as they gripped his pants.
"Are you okay, Midoriya?"
"Uhm... Yes, thank you Iida-kun."
"They must've had incredibly deep bonds to sacrifice their freedom like that..." said Jiro, visibly moved.
"How long had they been traveling together?" Tsuyu asked Robin.
"Like two weeks?" Nami guessed.
"Two weeks, tops."
"That same day," Franky joined in.
"THEY RISKED THEIR LIVES FOR SOMEONE THEY'D KNOWN FOR TWO WEEKS?!"
"And who used to be our enemy," Usopp said, poniting with a finger, to the sky.
"WHY?!"
"She's our nakama."
"Did you even know what you were getting into when you accepted her?"
"Does it matter?"
"WE WOULD NEVER ALLOW A CREW MEMBER TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES FOR US!" the captain shouted in anger.
"Ow, we'd risk our lives for anyone in the crew," Franky grinned, clashing his arms in celebration.
The crew's determination and camaraderie left everyone in thoughtful silence... that mindset, directed toward a greater good, could've made them exemplary heroes.
But if the archaeologist had only been with them for two weeks, it raised another question: how long had they actually been together?
"Until the attack on Enies Lobby, how long had you been traveling together?"
Shoji's question made six pirates lean back and place their hands on their chins.
"Hmmmm?"
"Since East Blue... I think four months," Nami answered.
"One month," added Chopper, holding up his hoof.
"THEY DID ALL THAT IN JUST FOUR MONTHS OF PIRATING?!" the group shouted in shock.
"THAT'S WAY TOO FAST!"
"MORE THAN EXPERIENCED CRIMINALS HAVE DONE IN YEARS!"
"AND THEY DO EVERYTHING ON THE FLY!"
The pirates burst into laughter, mocking the varied reactions of their guests.
"WE GOT A FULL-BLOWN PROBLEM PARTY OVER HERE!" Mic shouted, striking poses like he was announcing the end of the world—and loving every second of it.
"HOW LONG HAS YOUR CREW BEEN ACTIVE?" All Might asked, intrigued.
"Well... we were inactive for two years after separating... so we've actually been active for... eleven months," Nami explained with a thoughtful look.
"ALL THAT IN LESS THAN A YEAR?!" Uraraka and Iida shouted in unison, confusing the pirates and classmates who had no idea what "all that" meant—especially since the list wasn't even finished.
"Then all the crimes she mentioned would have to be doubled... That's... a lot..." Midoriya muttered, glancing at his equally concerned classmates.
Momo looked at the carpenter, a bit unsettled.
"What about you, Mr. Franky?"
"I didn't have much of a choice... They stole my thong," he said mockingly, waving his arms in a cheerful dance while pointing at the captain.
"JUST LIKE THAT?!"
"And then Robin went and squeezed his oranges," Luffy blurted, cheerfully pointing at the archaeologist—right before Sanji rocketed him across the room with a kick so fast it had its own sound barrier. The heroes all choked and spat their drinks in perfect unison, like a synchronized fountain of pure shock and secondhand embarrassment.
"WHAT?!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Fufufufu..."
"Please... Tell us that's not true..." Aizawa asked, not expecting that from such a serious woman.
"It's true."
Everyone stared blankly at the sensual archaeologist, who couldn't stop laughing at their expressions.
"Wajajaja, actually... I got involved in Robin's rescue, and they put a bounty on my head. Plus, I had the blueprints of an ancient weapon of mass destruction the government wanted... So I had no choice but to leave the city to protect the FRRRRRRRRRanky Family. SUUUUUPER!"
"Ooooh... So Franky had the blueprints to a weapon of mass destruction..." they said quietly, with goofy smiles. "A WHAT?!"
"WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE THAT?!" Bakugo snapped.
"AND THE BLUEPRINTS?"
"I burned them in front of the government." He gave a thumbs-up.
"EL MACHO!" the boys cheered, led by an overly excited Kirishima.
"Why did you even have the blueprints to an ancient weapon?" Eraserhead asked, worried about the cyborg they hadn't seen fight yet. Hearing he could build something so dangerous made him even more alert.
"They belonged to my master... Passed down through generations of master carpenters to keep them from falling into the wrong hands."
"If they didn't want them in the wrong hands..." Shoto's voice was cut off by Bakugo's shouting.
"If they didn't want them in the wrong hands, WHY GIVE THEM TO YOU?!"
"Listen here, you little chihuahua..."
"CHIHUAHUA?!"
"You bark at everything... Not suuuper..."
"I'M GONNA—!" He was quickly restrained by Aizawa's scarf, wriggling like a worm far from the group.
"Please, go on Mr. Franky."
"Uhhh sure..." Franky replied, feeling a bit sorry for the growling student.
"My master Tom left them to me and my partner after the government took him out thinking he had them... We were to decide whether to keep or destroy them as needed."
"But why didn't you destroy them earlier?" Todoroki asked, making the pirates go silent for a moment.
"The weapon, Pluton, still exists somewhere hidden in the world... It's one of the three ancient weapons capable of ending wars and destroying kingdoms with a single attack," Robin explained, taking over the story.
"The blueprints were passed on to trusted carpenters in case Pluton was ever found and had to be fought... But the government wanted them to build their own ships and gain more control and military power."
"I don't even want to imagine what they'd do with them... They destroyed Robin's home without it..." Denki said, intimidated.
"THESE ANCIENT WEAPONS YOU MENTION..."
"They're the most dangerous weapons of mass destruction in the world. Built during the Void Century, and part of the reason reading Poneglyphs is forbidden."
"So the Poneglyphs have the locations of these weapons?" Todoroki was the most engaged now, asking more questions than his peers, clearly intrigued by the hidden messages.
"That's right... Information and location... But they also hold the history of a lost society that was erased by the World Government."
"History is written by the victors..." Shoto muttered, understanding now why the past had been erased—twice.
"That explains why they take such extreme measures," Mineta said.
"IT'S STILL WRONG!"
"And what happened to them?" Kirishima asked, curious.
"Idiot, no one knows... The history was eraserd," Denki scolded him.
"But Franky had the blueprints and Robin knows—"
"Pluton is a battleship of mass destruction, and Poseidon can control sea kings."
"Poseidon, like the god?"
"No... That's the name of the weapon," Chopper corrected him.
"Actually, it's a mermaid who appears every hundred years."
"And the third?" Aizawa asked.
"We still don't know what Uranus is or where it's located."
"I know where it is," Mineta said perversely.
"Mineta, just keep your gross thoughts to yourself," Jiro snapped.
"WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO WITH THAT INFORMATION?"
"Nothing... Robin wants to learn the world's history, and we need the red stone to find the One Piece," the captain answered with a smile, calming the heroes.
"Pluton, Neptune, and Uranus..." Tokoyami muttered thoughtfully, holding his beak and closing his eyes.
"What's up, crow?" Zoro asked his curious fan.
"The three are names of celestial bodies and also Gods... In Roman mythology, Pluto was the god of the underworld, in Greek mythology, Poseidon ruled the oceans, and Uranus the skies... It would make sense for Neptune to be the weapon of the sea. Pluto could represent the underworld due to its destructive potential—or maybe for another reason entirely—but only someone from the underworld could reveal that to us..." he added, turning to the empty hammock up high.
"That would leave Uranus as a weapon of the skies..." Robin added to the stundent theory.
"Thank you so much, Crow-san... I'll have to read more mythology from your time to understand it better, but you've been a great help," She said with a beautiful smile that sent shivers through Sanji, Mineta, Kaminari, and Yamada.
"T-Tokoyami... Miss Robin..." he corrected, with sweat running down his feathers.
"I can't believe weapons like that could even exist..." murmured Nemuri nervously.
"We don't know... They might still exist. Yohohohoho!"
Brook's words sent a chill down the heroes' spines. None of them had considered the possibility that these weapons could still be around—something that might explain why history had been hidden.
Jiro looked at her musical companion calmly pouring tea, while it felt like her classmates' souls were leaving their bodies. Trying to break the tension of this unsettling possibility, she asked:
"Uhm... Mr. Brook... What's your story?"
The musician froze, cup in hand, like one of those skeletons in science class.
"Fifty years ago, before the great pirate era... I joined a musical pirate crew, hoping to see the world and spread music everywhere... But we died in an enemy attack..."
"YOU DIED?!" Mina, Denki, and Sero screamed in horror.
"HE'S A SKELETON, DUMBASSES!" someone shouted.
"My soul took years to find my body, which had become just bones... I wandered for decades, aimlessly, on a ship with no rudder... When I finally came across life again, my shadow was stolen, and I was forced to live in darkness, since sunlight would kill me."
"Like a vampire!" the girls squealed.
"Brutal," Tokoyami said impressed.
"Precisely."
"And how did you—?!" The excited kids, eyes sparkling with curiosity, were cut off by the skeleton's booming laughter.
"Yohohohohoho! I knew you'd ask."
"I was trapped in the Florian Triangle... an area where ships can't escape. That's where Luffy-san climbed aboard and asked me to join."
"Just like that?!"
"He's a talking skeleton," Luffy said, offering no further justification, as if that explained everything.
"He also asked if I pooped."
"Oh, well..."
"Yeah, that doesn't surprise us."
"Took him long enough."
"I told him I couldn't join because of my shadow problem... So I srefused... and they went off to defeat the Warlord who stole it. The end~" Brook finished with a loud slurp of his tea.
"WAIT—A WARLORD?!" Yamada shrieked.
"They faced a Sea Warlord just like that, without even knowing him?!"
"Well... they also had their shadows stolen," Usopp admitted, pointing to Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and Robin—shocking the students even more, since the victims were the strongest of the crew.
"By the way, Crow-san... about what happened at the party," Robin said with interest. "Your shadow completely separated from your body and formed a doppelganger... That ability appears to be a variant of the Kage Kage no Mi fruit, which belonged to the Warlord Moria."
"Kage Kage no Mi?... I read about that in the Quirk logbook we found in the cave... So my ability is more than just Dark Shadow?"
"Your awakened ability could create a doppelganger, steal others' shadows, and place them into other beings, living or dead—granting them the original owner's abilities." Robin's words left the hero stunned, unsure how to react, glancing at Dark Shadow, who emerged from his back looking just as confused as he was.
"You knew about that?" Tokoyami asked his shadow, who just shook his head and shrugged.
"He had a zombie army," added the swordsman, returning to the conversation, ignoring his crewmate's explanation towards Tokoyami.
"ZOMBIES?!"
"I don't know why you all act so surprised," Zoro pointed at Yagi, making a vein pop out on the old hero's forehead.
"OI!"
"When I had lost everything, Luffy-san saved my life and... He will be the man who changes the world."
The heroes smiled at the skeleton's words—not just because of the captain's selfless act of facing off against one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea to help a stranger, but because of his words.
They knew... That impulsive young man one day will become the King of the Pirates.
"He's right about that," Mic joked, laughing, and the students joined in, realizing that silencing the teacher would only make him look suspicious.
"WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING AT?!" barked the rubber boy.
"ARE YOU MOCKING US?!" Usopp backed up his captain.
"It's nothing important... So you defeated a Shichibukai..." Eraserhead said calmly.
"Are they strong?" Kirishima and Mina asked, clenching their fists with excitement.
"Which one? Moria?" Luffy asked, tilting his head.
"What do you mean 'which one'? You've taken down more?!" Denki asked with wide eyes.
"Moria, Crocodile, and Doflamingo," Luffy said, counting on his fingers—surprising the kids both by the number and the fact that he could count.
"Great... More problems with the government," Sero commented sarcastically, followed by a round of laughter that turned into full-blown cackling, as if such a thing mattered to this rebellious bunch.
"Who cares! They already hate us enough!"
"HAHAHAHA!" Luffy joined in the laughter, lightening the mood of the gathering.
"So the Shichibukai that Robin-san used to work for... You actually beat him?" Tsuyu asked curiously.
"Fufufu... Crocodile. He was the first one," the archaeologist replied, turning to glance at her captain. "Though he beat him on his third try."
"That's right. Just because you have good intentions doesn't mean you're going to win. You need perseverance, learn from your losses, and never give up," the sniper lectured, puffing out his chest.
"Says the guy who used to run from every fight..." Sanji muttered, to Usopp's dismay, who immediately started arguing with him— argument the students ignored.
"Hey Jinbei-san... You used to be a Shichibukai... Why did you accept the title in the first place, or why did you leave it?" Denki asked informally.
"By accepting the position, I was able to relinquish my life as a pirate and ensure the safety of my people by avoiding pursuit, allowing them to live in peace. However, I was stripped of the title after I refused to participate in the war against Whitebeard."
"WHITEBEARD?! The original owner of the naginata!" Tokoyami accidentally shouted, momentarily breaking from his usual calm demeanor.
"The monster?"
"He wasn't a monster..." muttered the helmsman, while a bead of sweat trailed down his thick neck.
"So they took your title because you refused?" Aizawa questioned.
"Actually, I was imprisoned."
"Did you serve your sentence?"
"No... I broke him out," Luffy said, picking his nose and flicking a booger into Mineta's face.
"EW, GROSS!"
"YOU WERE IMPRISONED TOO?!"
"No."
"He snuck in."
"They had my brother. I wanted to rescue him... But I only managed to free a bunch of criminals instead," Luffy said nonchalantly.
"The mass breakout of two hundred inmates..."
"I still don't understand how Ruffy-kun managed to get in."
"He must've dressed as a guard," Denki joked, elbowing Kirishima.
"No, you don't understand… Impel Down is a maximum-security prison that houses the world's most dangerous criminals. The facility is a tower located in the middle of the sea, surrounded by Sea Kings, and consists of six submerged levels—each designed for a different, torturous punishment, essentially six layers of hell. Since its establishment, there have only ever been two escapes: one by the Golden Lion Shiki, and the other—a mass breakout—led by Ruffy-kun."
"THIS IDIOT LED A MASS ESCAPE FROM A MAX SECURITY PRISON?!" Bakugo yelled still bound, exploding to propel himself forward.
"I was just clearing the path running upward, and they followed me," Luffy answered.
"Yeah... That tracks," Sero said, making a dumb face.
"And what happened after the escape? Did you all travel together?"
"We joined the war," Jinbei replied.
"THE WAR?! So young?" Ojiro asked, shocked.
"EXCUSE ME, YOUNG LUFFY. HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU GOT INVOLVED IN THE WAR?" asked the worried teacher, who could easily mistake the boy for one of his own students.
"Seventeen."
"OUR AGE?!"
Some of them covered their mouths, tearing up at the thought that while they struggled to control their quirks, this young pirate had already saved entire nations and played key roles in historic events.
"You're saying that at seventeen, you were involved in a war?!"
"I don't get what's so hard to understand," Zoro scoffed.
"Not just any war... One of the most important. The Paramount War at Marineford. The pirates crew of a Yonko... a living legend who once fought one-on-one with the former Pirate King—invaded the main fortress to battle the elite Marines: admirals, vice-admirals, and Shichibukai... all to rescue his second-in-command," Usopp proudly explained.
"Usopp..." Nami said quietly, pointing to their captain, who had lowered his gaze beneath his hat. "Luffy..."
"I'm fine, Nami," he replied, trying to leave the past behind.
The heroes noticed the sudden shift in his mood and decided not to push the topic further.
"Yonko?" Shoji asked, prompting everyone to tilt their heads in confusion; until Robin explained:
"Four powerful pirate captains that can only be attacked by the navy with a direct order from the World Government, because doing so usually results in heavy casualties."
As the explanation ended, the students felt their very souls leave their bodies and drift into a void, a cold numbness setting in, until silence was shattered by Bakugo's outburst, now freed from Aizawa's bindings.
"Let me get this straight... THIS IDIOT—" he shouted with furrowed brows and rolled-back eyes, pointing at the boy who just stood there looking lost.
"Me?"
"AT OUR AGE —DECLARED WAR ON THE WORLD, SURVIVED A BUSTER CALL, CAUSED A MASS PRISON BREAK, AND GOT INVOLVED IN THAT LEVEL OF WAR?!"
"Yeah... So?" Luffy asked, genuinely confused.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'SO'?!" Bakugo shouted, twisting back with clenched fists and uncontrolled explosions.
"Ka-chan... Don't forget he also freed a kingdom, a few villages, and saved Robin-san," Midoriya added to balance the list.
"And we also kicked a god's ass," Usopp whispered, throwing more fuel on the fire.
"Oh yeah..." Luffy said, like it was no big deal.
"'OH YEAH'?! WHAT THE HELL?!"
"This guy's insane—he just doesn't care!"
"Too much freedom is a disaster waiting to happen! They're completely unhinged!" Mineta blared like a human alarm, twirling around like a malfunctioning sprinkler.
"They've lived through intense stuff together, but... I still don't get one thing. Jinbei... Why become a pirate? I mean, you said you wanted a peaceful life," Aizawa asked exhausted but curious.
"Before becoming a pirate... I was a soldier in King Neptune's army for many years."
"EEEEEEEHHHH?!"
"How does someone like that end up living a criminal life?!"
"Did you betray them?" Jiro asked accusingly.
"Jinbei-san is really humble and righteous. He wouldn't do that," Koda defended, having gotten to know the fish-man on their journey.
"No. I just chose to help an old friend... My former captain, Fisher Tiger, attacked Mary Geoise and became an enemy of the World Government... If he stayed, our island would've become a target. So some of us fish-men joined him."
"Mary Geoise? Isn't that..." Nemuri murmured, trying to remember.
"The land of the nobles, above the Red Line," Jinbei clarified.
"THE NOBLES LIVED THERE?!"
"The Tenryuubito..."
"Those assholes who think they're gods!" Denki added.
"Yeah... They don't even want to breathe the same air as us, that's why they live so high up," Franky explained.
"SONS OF A—" Bakugo's outburst was cut short by Mineta, still puzzled by Jinbei's decision.
"But... pirate?"
"I respected Tiger's will... After freeing all the slaves in Mary Geoise, we had no choice but to flee, and be labeled villain."
"HE WAS CONSIDERED A VILLAIN FOR A NOBLE ACT?!" the heroes growled angrily.
"Once again, those damn nobles enslaving innocent people!" they muttered, furious and helpless.
"Slaves like..." Tokoyami looked around but didn't see the girl who had once been property of Pangea. "Where is she?"
"Hopefully eating," Nami answered.
"WITH A CHILDHOOD LIKE THAT... I'M SURPRISED YUE DIDN'T BECOME A PIRATE TOO."
"How was it?" his student asked sadly.
"I CAN'T TELL YOU... BUT IT WASN'T PRETTY."
"You see? Everyone makes their own path. A tragic past doesn't have to lead to villainy," Mic declared like a know-it-all, applauding the girl to prove his point.
"Don't use me as an example..." came Yue's voice as she approached, drenched and devouring a fish that still twitched with life.
"KILL IT FIRST, YOU PSYCHO!"
"Where'd you get that?" Sanji asked, knowing there were no fish in the tank. She simply pointed at the sea.
"The last thing I need, is my face printed on a wanted poster," she replied, biting off the fish's head and tossing it into the ocean, unnerving the fish-man with her primal eating habits.
"But still, you didn't choose a life of crime or revenge... I mean, you helped us, even though you didn't know us."
"AND NOT JUST US," Yagi added, grateful, hand on the pocket where he kept the meaninful wish-granting gem.
"Yeah... Well, we all make mistakes."
"HELPING OTHERS ISN'T A MISTAKE!" they all shouted, making her growl frustrated as she struggled to tie her now-short hair, grumbling as she walked away.
"What? Why's she mad now?!" Kaminari asked, insulted, pointing both palms at her.
"DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY... SHE FEELS VULNERABLE."
"Why would she?" Mina asked.
"SHE TOLD US HER STORY THINKING OUR PATHS WOULD NEVER CROSS AGAIN."
"Haha, she must be feeling like an idiot," mocked Mineta, loud enough for Yue to hear.
"The other option was to abandon them all and let them starve to death..." Her serious tone only made Usopp gulp, while Chopper grew nervous at the idea.
"You... you were thinking of doing that?"
"No. That's why I wanted to stay there... But nothing went the way I had planned." She replied, resigned and uncomfortable, retreating toward the main mast.
The deep, personal nature of her past connection raised a wave of questions—ones that might help them understand her more—but given her stubbornness, they knew she wouldn't reveal a thing.
Kaminari, on the other hand, was excited by the crew's pasts and failed to grasp the invisible wall the woman had built to keep everyone at arm's length.
"Hey Yue, what about your parents?"
"KAMINARI!" the others scolded in unison.
"Well... when we met her, she had these fancy manners... She must have grown up in arist—"
"AHA! AWKWARD QUESTION, ISN'T IT?!" Usopp pointed out gleefully as the tables turned.
"Dead... Possibly tortured until their final breath..." she continued nonchalantly, climbing the ropes with her fish still in hand, causing everyone to gulp at the coldness of her words.
"Adoptive parents?" Aoyama asked.
"Does it count if a fennec fox tried to feed me to its cubs, but after I ate them first, it just sort of adopted me instead?"
"Uhm... I guess?"
"IT DOESN'T COUNT!" the blond youth protested, forming an "X" with his arms.
"Anyone in your life who kept you company? Someone you trusted?" Mina asked, disheartened, watching the serious woman prepare to leap to the next mast.
"Carve this into your brainpan: trust is just betrayal with a waiting period."
"That's why she's like a rabid monkey with no manners..." Bakugo muttered, overheard by Kirishima who tried to calm his friend.
"All their stories are horrible..." Froppy mentioned, distressed.
"Well, that connects everything... Tragic past equals potential villain," concluded Iida, satisfied with the round of Q&A.
"I'm not trying to justify them, but I think I understand why they took that path..." Uraraka sadly said, while Midoriya remained deep in thought... His classmates could practically hear his thoughts out loud.
"What's wrong, Bush?"
"Just call me Deku..." he corrected the captain.
"Uhh... I was wondering if... you all ever..."
"SPIT IT OUT, DAMN NERD!" Bakugo pushed, impatient.
"...Have you ever kidnapped someone important?"
"MIDORIYA?!"
"What kind of question is that?" everyone on board questioned.
"Important like royalty or like a scientist?" Franky asked.
"THERE ARE OPTIONS?!"
"Why that sudden and specific interrogation?" Usopp asked, suspicious.
"Bakanee must've told them something weird," Nami concluded with a sigh as the four students and two teachers gulped.
"Could he have been referring to Princess Rebecca?" Usopp asked Robin.
"I don't think so. It seems like her reference point was Marineford war..." Chopper commented.
"Then he must've meant the beautiful Vivi-chwaaan!"
"Unless she found out something about Shirahoshi in Mu," Joined Robin.
"HOW MANY HAVE YOU KIDNAPPED?!" they all exclaimed, eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
"YOU ARE VILLAINS!"
"Pirates," the Straw Hats corrected in unison.
"We didn't kidnap them, idiots!" Luffy grumbled.
"That's what the newspapers say," Nami clarified, tired of the misunderstandings.
"They twist everything to make the Navy look innocent and paint us as the bad guys," Usopp grumbled.
"If the Navy takes credit... That means you do good things!" Mina cheered.
"Then you're like heroes!" Nemuri applauded.
"NO!" Zoro and Luffy replied offended.
"Such disgust!"
"Listen! Heroes are awesome, but we're not heroes!" yelled the captain, confusing their guests with his aggressive tone.
"WHAAAAT?!"
"A hero shares their meat with others... A pirate doesn't! A pirate throws a feast! I WANT TO EAT THE MEAT!"
"Not this example again..." Jinbei said, covering his face with a hand.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN SAYING?! I CAN'T WITH THIS GUY!"
"He means that our actions are driven by selfish motives... That saving a nation is merely a byproduct of the decisions we make," the fish-man explained to the clearly bewildered heroes.
"I see..."
The pirates' mindset began to align with their actions, especially considering the respect they had gained in Lemuria. However, it was clear that their code differed greatly from that of heroes.
"Have you ever killed someone? Kero"
"TSUYU!" the heroes cried, stepping back at the question that made the swordsman raise an intrigued eyebrow.
"What difference would it make if you knew?" Zoro asked, irritated.
"It's just... you guys don't seem like villains," Mina said.
"Zoro does," several said, including the teachers.
"With all due respect, Franky too," Shoji added.
"Nah... He looks more like a pervert," said Mineta, earning judgmental stares from everyone.
"The answer is yes," Robin replied.
"All of you?" Aoyama asked.
"Probably."
"What do you mean by probably? Kero"
"It's not like we go back to doublecheck if they're dead," Zoro answered indifferently.
Aizawa couldn't take much more of these revelations. He seemed even more tired, covering his face with both hands and pulling a little at his skin.
"What's wrong, Aizawa-sensei?"
"It's okay... we're nakamas, we won't hurt you. Shishishi"
"Again... Fufufu"
"Unless you try something,"
"Zoro!"
"That's not it... The Straw Hats will take us back to Japan, and with their carefree attitude and our society's rules, they'll inevitably land in trouble," Eraserhead said, already imagining several chaotic scenarios in his mind—each one ending in disaster.
"YOU'RE RIGHT!" Mic shouted in terror, activating his with the scream and deafening the passengers.
"Yes! Shaggy promised to take us to the amusement park!"
"ALL MIGHT!" they all cried out alarmed.
"SORRY... I CAN'T BREAK A PROMISE!"
"Shishishi... We'll behave," Luffy said with an innocent smile.
"Like you behaved at Sabaody?!" Nami snapped, shark-like teeth bared.
"Ahahaha! Sorry!"
"I'm scared to ask, but what happened in Sabaody?" Mic asked, intimidated.
"We had one rule... JUST ONE RULE!" the navigator shouted, pulling Luffy's cheek.
"No matter what happened! No matter if someone died right in front of our own eyes! No one must oppose the Celestial Dragons!"
"Not even if someone dies in front of you?!" the students asked, shocked by the rule, completely ignored by the two pirates.
"But they kidnapped Camie.~"
"Because you didn't keep an eye on her properly!"
"WHAT KIND OF PLACE WAS THAT?!"
"It's the closest area to the Red Line before the Ryugu Kingdom. Since it's near the Celestial Dragons' home, it has slave auction houses and various attractions... Half of the archipelago is lawless, and the other half is controlled by the Navy, because pirates resupply there before entering the New World."
"And what did he do to react like that?" Nemuri asked, curious.
"He probably asked one of those idiot nobles if they pooped," Denki mocked.
"Knowing Luffy-san, he freed one of their slaves," Uraraka said, excited.
"He almost killed a Celestial Dragon with one punch!" Nami answered angrily, leaving everyone speechless.
"Everyone's favorite... attempted regicide!" Deku's mind spiraled from the realization.
"HE'S INSANE!" the students screamed, led by Mic, while the pirates couldn't help but chuckle.
"HE'S INSANE!" Celebrated Kirishima, Denki, and Mina, who actually enjoyed that someone had stood up to those sadistic nobles.
"STOP CHEERING HIS CRIMES!" Eraserhead scolded, catching them with his cloth.
"He hurt my friend," the captain grumbled, annoyed.
"That's what I mean..." Aizawa replied. "The Straw Hat crew becomes uncontrollable when someone hurts those close to them."
His teacher's spot-on conclusion made everyone sweat cold. They felt completely incapable of controlling this unpredictable crew.
"If they're going to be wandering around the city, we'll need to watch over them."
"We can take care of ourselves," the captain grumbled.
"WE'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT YOUR SAFETY!"
"How rude! Yohohohoho!"
"Ahahahaha!"
"Sorry for being a burden."
"Don't apologize, Jinbei... taking care of them hasn't been easy either," the navigator reassured the helmsman.
"How dare you scold us when you're no good role models yourselves?" Usopp argued.
"Yeah! You got in trouble and you're supposed to know how to behave!" Chopper joined in.
"IT WAS TOTALLY DIFFERENT!"
"Enough! Stop arguing... We'll figure out how to keep them out of trouble," Nemuri interrupted, trying to mediate between both sides, though the bickering didn't stop.
Deku took advantage of the noisy exchange to slip away to the provisional room they'd been assigned, desperate to jot down everything they'd just learned before he forgot.
The young hero approached the aquarium for better lighting... His notebook was filled with notes on the different races he had encountered, details about their fighting styles and hereditary traits. He noticed he had very little space left to summarize what he had in mind.
Mentally exhausted and a little hopeless, the boy sat down, wanting to write about the origin of a pirate... What drives someone to become a villain?
His hands shook, unable to write, as his mind replayed the stories over and over. Trying to capture them in the confines of those few lines proved to be overwhelming.
The pen and notebook slipped from his hands, falling to his sides as he wiped at his tear-filled eyes. He struggled to stop the haunting memories of his hosts' suffering from replaying in his mind. How could a crew so joyful and full of warmth have such heartbreaking pasts? And why was the world so blind to the pain of its people?
A sliver of light from outside lit up the boy as his mentor entered the room.
"Why do villains keep appearing?" the green-haired asked, lost in his feelings, nearly devoid of hope.
"A HERO'S DUTY ISN'T JUST TO VANQUISH VILLAINS… IT'S TO GUIDE OTHERS THROUGH THE WEIGHT OF THEIR OWN CHOICES. A LIFE ISN'T ONLY SAVED WHEN IT'S HANGING BY A THREAD—IT CAN BE SAVED LONG BEFORE, IF WE ONLY NOTICE THE QUIET CRIES, THE SUBTLE CRACKS. BUT WE OVERLOOK THEM… OR WE FORGET. IN TRUTH, WE NEED THE HEART OF SOCIETY TO MOVE WITH US, TO CARE AS WE DO. BECAUSE EVEN THE STRONGEST HERO CAN'T CARRY THE WORLD ALONE. WE LEAD BY EXAMPLE, HOPING OTHERS WILL WALK BESIDE US"
"So… where did we go wrong?" Yagi opened his mouth to respond, but the words never came.
"As a society, as people… as mentors, as sons, as families… what are we doing so wrong?" Midoriya's voice trembled, not with anger, but with heartbreak—too many questions and no answers.
All Might, overwhelmed by the weight of it all, said nothing. He simply walked in and sat beside his student, because in that moment, silence was all he could offer.
A/N:
I just wanted to let you all know that I might stop here for a while.
There are still 10 chapters left before the Lost World Arc ends, and Japan Arc begin.
There's still a long way to go with the translation...
Monster King: Thank you for lifting my spirits and encouraging me to keep working on the translation with your ongoing comments.