"Wait, I'm the one who's going to be the Pirate King!"
"Hey! Don't just heat things up and run off on your own!"
As Luffy and Zoro, both looking annoyed, clenched their fists and drew their swords, Roman put away his massive shield and stretched his wrist.
"Come on, isn't fighting the least of our worries right now? We still haven't found several of our crew members!"
"Oh yeah,"
Luffy snapped back to reality and turned to point at Roman.
"Roman, hurry up and use your unbeatable Paper-Paper Fruit to find the others!"
*Clap!* As Roman clapped his hands, a surge of paper swirled around, forming a massive paper airplane in the middle of the ruined Fish-Man Island plaza.
"Let's go. I'll take you there."
—
"What about me…"
The little tanuki, abandoned by Red Earl, lowered his head, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Uh… What should I do now?"
"What do you want to do?"
Hearing Luffy's question, the tanuki looked up with a pitiful expression.
Swoosh!
"If you can't figure it out, take your time,"
Robin gently picked up the little tanuki, smiling warmly.
"Until then, why don't you stay with us for now?"
"Yeah! Little Pato is so cute~~"
As Nami and Robin played with the tiny creature, making him giggle through his tears, Roman rubbed his chin.
Fluffy little animals really are a hit with women… Wait! Even men—
Roman glanced at Carrot, who blinked in confusion. Pretending nothing happened, he gave a small nod.
Cute things attract people, no matter who they are.
—
"So, in the end, you're coming with us~~"
Hearing Usopp's casual remark, the little tanuki puffed up in frustration.
"What do you mean 'so'?! I got abandoned by my boss because I spoke up for you guys!"
"Yeah, yeah, but first, get off Robin's chest!"
Even Franky couldn't stand it anymore. Roman, usually indifferent, raised an eyebrow—was this big guy really picking a fight with a tanuki? Anyone who didn't know better would think Sanji's spirit had possessed him…
"Pato, what exactly is your relationship with 'the boss'?"
Enjoying Robin's gentle pats, the little tanuki answered without a hint of hesitation.
"A long time ago, I set out to sea with the boss~~"
"Then, I don't know who, but someone locked me up in this dark, cramped place…"
"I don't know how long I was trapped, but then the boss saved me! After that, we became pirates together!"
Remembering the fun times he had with his boss, the little tanuki got so excited he stood up. But then he thought about how he was just heartlessly abandoned—
"Hey, why don't you join us, Pato?"
Carrot gave the sad little tanuki a comforting pat, making Pedro sigh beside her.
"Carrot, did you forget who the captain of this ship is?"
"Huh? Eh?"
Not me? Oh, then never mind!
"It's his decision to make."
Hearing Luffy's words, the little tanuki looked conflicted. Logically, since his boss had thrown him away, joining the Straw Hat Crew shouldn't be a problem. But…
Whoosh!
"Where is this?"
As the massive paper airplane left Fish-Man Island's waters, the colorful undersea scenery instantly transformed into a vast, snowy white landscape! Thick snowstorms swirled around, and towering, giant columns stood in the distance.
"It's Drum Island, which means—"
"It's Chopper's hometown! Hahaha, I'll have him treat my wounds later."
Usopp, who had been lying flat, suddenly sat up excitedly. "Such a huge snowstorm! I can already smell adventure!!"
"Roman, open the plane! Let me jump down—"
Go ahead, go ahead. There weren't any real strong fighters in the Drum Kingdom anyway. No matter how much Wapol had strengthened himself, there was no way he could stand against any member of the Straw Hat Crew now.
"Hehehe~~~"
As Roman opened the hatch, Luffy let out a laugh and leaped out, plummeting at high speed. When someone reaches a certain level of strength, so-called 'dangerous moves' just turn into fun stunts.
And even when running—
"I'll go ahead first!"
Using his rubber powers to slingshot himself forward, Luffy bounced at such a crazy speed that he was actually moving faster than the paper airplane. He shot ahead, leaping toward the biggest column in sight.
Luckily, there weren't too many people like Luffy. Otherwise, Roman would have a major headache trying to keep track of them.
Even though it was unlikely that the Red the Aloof would pull another 'fake Straw Hat Crew' trick, as a strategist, it was Roman's job to always consider the worst-case scenario and stay cautious.
And sure enough, just seconds later—
"?! What is it, Roman?"
"Luffy ran into 'trouble.'"
"Wapol?"
Nami looked puzzled. With their current strength, any one of them could take down Wapol with no effort at all.
"No,"
Roman looked toward the largest column in the distance. Even without his doves, he could clearly see the ominous black aura rising into the sky.
"This is...!"
The others had also noticed the building on top of the column and the eerie presence in front of the palace.
"It's Blackbeard—Teach!"
—
"Y-You... Stay away from me!!"
Wapol, who had just been effortlessly beaten by Chopper in a one-on-one fight, was now cowering on the ground, curling up in fear.
Behind him stood a burly, rough-looking man with missing teeth, dark skin, and a rugged appearance.
He wore a captain's coat, his fingers covered in rings, with two thick gold chains hanging around his neck. His chest, covered in thick hair, was exposed, and a belt around his waist held three flintlock pistols. He had the unmistakable wild look of a pirate captain.
"Zehahahaha!!"
"Well, well, look who it is—the cowardly little king who ran away with his tail between his legs!"
"N-No... Whatever! Just—"
"Somebody help! Save me!!"
Even though both of them were clones created by the Red the Aloof, some things could never be changed—like their personalities.
"If anyone saves me, I'll give them a noble title and a medal!"
"I'll even give away half the kingdom—"
"Shut up, you piece of trash!"
With one heavy stomp, Blackbeard activated his Dark-Dark Fruit powers, instantly canceling out Wapol's abilities. And when it came to the difference in their strength...
Boom!
With a single step, Blackbeard crushed Wapol into nothing, making him vanish in a puff of smoke. Even the leaves beneath his feet were ground into the dirt. Then, he looked up at the two people standing before him—Chopper and Luffy.
"Now that the eyesore is gone... Long time no see, Straw Hat—"
"Teach!"
Luffy's face turned serious.
Blackbeard spread his arms wide.
"I saw it all back then... Ace, taking a fist straight through his chest to protect Pops' honor. That was enough to bring a man to tears."
"You bastard—!"
One sentence was all it took to ignite Luffy's rage!
"There's nothing to dwell on. Ace was doomed from the start, and you were meant to survive. That's all there is to it. You have nothing to regret, right?"
Blackbeard's words were harsh, but… the Summit War was always a death trap for Ace! It wasn't just about him—it was about the Marine's and the World Government's reputation and rule. Even if all Four Emperors had shown up, they wouldn't have been able to save him. If they had, the World Government would've joined the fight in full force… maybe even Imu would've been alerted.
"I have nothing to say to you! Chopper, step back."
Luffy took a fighting stance, his eyes locked on Blackbeard. In response, Teach raised both hands—one shrouded in thick, black smoke, the other glowing with blinding white light.
"Oh? And here I was, trying to comfort you as politely as I could."
"But since you want to die so badly—"
"I'll send you to rest beside your brother right now!"
As Teach declared battle, Luffy stopped wasting words and went straight into action.
"Gear Fourth!!"
———
By the time Roman and the others arrived, they were met with the sight of Gear Fourth Luffy battling Blackbeard…
Well, actually, Luffy was completely overpowering him!
With advanced Armament Haki, Future Sight Observation Haki, and Gear Fourth activated, Luffy was easily the strongest below the level of an Emperor.
On the other hand, Blackbeard was strong—but he was still fighting like his "two years ago" version. Even with two Devil Fruits, his lack of Haki was a major weakness. His defense relied entirely on the Dark-Dark Fruit, and his offense depended on the Quake-Quake Fruit. It was just enough to barely keep up with Luffy.
"Dark Water!"
A deep, pitch-black glow spread across Teach's palms, forming two thick, swirling vortexes of darkness. Finally, in a clash, he found an opening and grabbed Luffy's fist! The black energy wrapped around Luffy's arm, spinning like bottomless whirlpools, instantly suppressing his rubber powers!
But—
"Ugh—Get lost!!"
*Boom!*
A surge of Armament Haki erupted from Luffy's fist, crackling with fierce black lightning! The sudden burst broke Blackbeard's grip and stabilized Luffy, preventing him from losing his Gear Fourth state.
"Skyquake!"
Blackbeard swung his fist, sending Luffy flying with a chaotic shockwave. Then he burst into laughter.
"Zehahaha! Not bad, kid! You've got great Haki control!"
"But too bad… this is my era!"
"If I can just stall you—"
*Thud, thud, thud!*
Three figures landed nearby, and Blackbeard's arrogant grin instantly stiffened.
Roman, Zoro, and Jinbe!
Two of them weren't Devil Fruit users, so they weren't affected by the Dark-Dark Fruit's ability. As for Roman—
"The best way to deal with this guy is ranged attacks! I'll slice him up from a distance!"
"Zehaha… haha… If only I had Haki—"
"Shut up! Crooks like you deserve to be wiped out!"
Unlike some brawlers who relied on fists no matter what, Roman wasn't about to fight Blackbeard up close. Instead, he conjured a storm of swords behind him, each infused with different powers.
With a sweeping gesture, he unleashed them like a certain "streetlamp king."
"No need to fight fair against him! Everyone, attack together!"
"Paper Dance: Three-Sigh Sword Bone!"
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Fists, flying swords, flashing blades, and crashing waves—every fighter here was at least a second-tier powerhouse in this world! Every strike sent shockwaves tearing through the battlefield, creating massive explosions that ravaged the area without end.
And Blackbeard?
The poor guy didn't even have time to complain—he didn't even last half a minute before—
*Boom!*
He was utterly demolished on the spot.
"Hmph, so this is all a 'Four Emperor' can do?"
A cold voice from above made everyone look up.
Standing on the rooftop was the Red the Aloof.
The small tanuki, Pat, turned in surprise and was about to call out, "Ol—"
But before he could finish, the Red the Aloof, carrying his own version of "Pato," turned away—
*Swish!*
And disappeared without a trace.
"…Luffy."
The abandoned little tanuki turned back, looking pitiful.
"…Hey… Can I still be your crewmate?"
"I've thought about it. Even now, I still want to help the boss. But…"
"If my clone can do everything instead, I think maybe that's fine too… Pato! So, can I join you…?"
Facing the little tanuki's forced smile, Luffy pressed down on his straw hat.
"I refuse!"
"…?! Why? Didn't you say it was my choice?"
This time, Luffy turned his back completely.
"I'm not taking you in as a crewmate."
Hearing Luffy's firm words, even Nami couldn't stand by silently.
"Wait, Luffy…"
Before she could say more, Roman grabbed her hand. When she turned to look, she saw him shaking his head slightly.
"One tanuki is enough."
Hearing Zoro's words, Chopper immediately flared up.
"I'm not a tanuki!!"
But… why?
Chopper frowned. Back then, when he refused to join the Straw Hat Crew, Luffy kept pestering him. But now, when Pado is offering to join on his own…
"Pato."
Chopper walked over and patted the little tanuki's shoulder as he was on the verge of tears.
"Don't worry. As long as you truly want to be our crewmate, Luffy will definitely agree."
"…Truly want to be a crewmate…"
"Roman?"
"That's the key. Our crew doesn't take in half-hearted members."
Hearing Nami's confusion, Roman lowered his voice.
Pato's heart was still tied to his boss, Red the Aloof, even after being clearly abandoned.
That's why Luffy wouldn't accept him—because Luffy never 'steals' someone else's crewmate!
"By the way, why are you called Pato?"
As a doctor, Chopper tried to shift the little tanuki's focus through conversation.
"My boss gave me this name, but I don't really know what it means…"
"My name was given to me by Doctor Hiriluk. It means he hoped I'd grow horns strong enough to chop down trees with ease…"
As the two small animals chatted, Pato gradually calmed down.
And once again, the Straw Hat Crew set out on their journey to gather more crewmates!
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