- Justin POV:
It didn't take me long to get ready; I had already prepared everything I needed the day before. The anxiety of the day ahead made my movements quick and purposeful. As I approached my house, I saw my mother waiting at the doorstep, her face alight with an excited smile. The sight of her joy was infectious, and I found myself grinning lightly in response.
"Justin, quick, quick, we don't want to waste any time," she said excitedly, grabbing my hand and practically pulling me toward the ship that would take us to Sabaody.
"Alright, alright, just take it easy," I chuckled lightly. "The ship isn't going anywhere, you know."
"But the sooner we get there, the sooner we'll arrive at Sabaody," she said, her voice taking on a playful, whiny tone.
Mother had been eagerly anticipating this trip for quite some time. From the moment Father mentioned it three months ago, she had been brimming with excitement about our family vacation to the island of bubbles.
"It's not exactly a vacation," Father had said tiredly. But Mother completely ignored him, launching into a spirited tangent about all the things we would do once we arrived.
As we walked together toward the port, I was reminded once again of the island's true purpose, which contrasted sharply with its picturesque facade. Seeing the heavy machinery hauling and constructing battleship parts, amid the buzz of industrious noise, really underscored the duality of this island, a bustling hub of naval activity disguised as a serene living town.
"Ah, you've arrived," I heard my father say, his voice carrying down from where he leaned over the ship's railing. "Hurry up and come aboard; we're setting sail soon."
Boarding the ship felt almost surreal, almost as if I were stepping through a portal to a past life. For nearly two years after I awoke here, I lived confined within the dark, cramped quarters of a slave ship, never once setting foot on solid ground. The memory of those days was still vivid, a stark contrast to the freedom I felt now. This was the first time I was stepping onto a ship since the day my father rescued me, and the emotions swirling within me were a tangled mix of apprehension and a strange sense of nostalgia.
"Attention, men," my father commanded, his voice carrying across the deck to the marines who were busy preparing the ship for sail.
"Our navigator has just come aboard," he declared, his voice filled with pride as he flashed a broad smile. "From this moment forward, treat any command from Justin concerning the ship's control as if it were my own."
"Wait, what!? Hold on a second, me? The navigator? On the Grand Line? Has the old man lost his mind?"
"Aye, Captain!" the marines replied in unison, as if it were the most natural response.
"Scratch my earlier question. Has everyone gone insane? Sure, I learned navigation from my father, covering both the Blue Seas and the Grand Line, even touching a bit on the New World. But for my first navigation gig to be on a fully armed battleship? Isn't that a bit much?"
"Father, are you certain about this?" I asked, my voice laced with uncertainty and a hint of worry.
"Relax, I know what you're capable of. I taught you, after all," he said, chuckling lightly as he gave my back a reassuring pat.
And so began my inaugural journey as a navigator. At first, nerves fluttered through me, fueled by concern that the crew might not respect my authority. However, as soon as we hoisted the anchor and I issued my first orders, everyone complied seamlessly, without a single complaint or remark.
I knew they all respected my father, but it was only in that moment that I fully grasped the depth of their respect for him. Their blind faith in his judgment truly illustrated the esteem in which he was held.
It took less than 30 minutes for the island to vanish behind us. I was amazed at how swiftly the battleship moved, especially knowing that the armory was fully stocked with gunpowder, cannonballs, and various weapons, given that this voyage was a mission for my father and his crew.
"Alright, everyone, listen up!" I called out from the helm. "The water currents and air flow are on our side today. If they stay this way, we'll reach Sabaody before sunset." I continued, closely monitoring our speed and the remaining distance to our destination.
"Aye, sir!" they responded, saluting me before returning to their posts.
I glanced over my shoulder as I heard my father's voice. "You're doing well," he said, approaching me with a newspaper tucked under his arm.
"I had a great teacher," I replied casually, though my focus quickly shifted to the newspaper in his hand. My brow furrowed as I caught sight of the headline, curiosity piqued.
The front page of the newspaper was dominated by bold, ominous headlines:
"Rebels Threaten World Government Stability. Revolutionary Army Declared Outlaws!"
According to the article, a rising force calling themselves the Revolutionary Army had begun challenging the authority of the World Government, instigating wars, toppling regimes, and throwing entire nations into chaos. Their actions were deemed a direct threat to the carefully maintained peace, and in response, the Reverie had officially branded them as outlaws.
At the center of it all stood one man, "The Revolutionary" Monkey D. Dragon, the elusive and enigmatic leader of the organization. His influence had grown to unprecedented levels, shaking the very foundation of global order. The World Government, recognizing the severity of his threat, had issued an astronomical bounty of 3,568,000,000 beri on his head, one of the highest ever recorded.
I couldn't help but stare at the page, the sheer magnitude of what I was reading sinking in. The Revolutionary Army finally gets called out. One of the first big shifts coming to the world had started.
Noticing my focused gaze, my father turned the newspaper to the front page, his expression darkening.
"I'm guessing this is the reason I've been assigned to Sabaody," he muttered, a deep frown settling on his face.
"They likely don't want to take any risks," I said, my mind sifting through every detail I could recall from the One Piece story I knew. "The World Government can't afford another Fisher Tiger incident."
The mention of that incident deepened the frown on my father's face. However, I knew his frustration wasn't directed at Fisher Tiger, but at the World Government itself. My father believed in true justice, not the distorted version the World Government enforced under the guise of order.
Letting the subject drop, I turned my attention to the Eternal Pose strapped near the helm, its steady needle pointing unwaveringly toward our destination.
"Shift the mainsail six degrees to the left, let's catch the drift forming ahead," I commanded, my hands firm on the rudder as I made a slight adjustment.
The ship responded instantly, the sails billowing as they captured the shifting wind. I could feel the subtle change in momentum, the vessel gliding forward with increased speed, smoothly riding the current that lay ahead.
The remainder of the journey passed uneventfully, taking just over six hours, nearly two hours ahead of schedule. I couldn't help but relish the impressed and slightly disbelieving looks from the crew. Their silent acknowledgment of my skill made the accomplishment all the more satisfying.
"Pleasure traveling with you, kid," Leasly said with a warm smile, the lieutenant I remembered from that day.
"We'll be sure to call on you whenever we need to get somewhere in record time," he added with a lighthearted laugh, prompting a few nearby seamen to chuckle along with him.
"Alright, it's getting late, everyone," my father announced to the men still aboard. "Make sure to settle in for the night, tomorrow, we're back on duty."
"Alright, you two, let's head to our place for the night," Mother said as she stepped off the ship, motioning for us to grab our luggage and follow her.
After settling in and putting away our essentials, we shared a simple yet satisfying dinner. The day had been long and exhausting, so it wasn't long before we all turned in for the night, eager for some much-needed rest.
By the time I woke up the next morning, my father was already gone. After sharing a light breakfast with my mother, she suggested we go shopping together. With nothing else planned, I agreed, and we set off to explore the bustling streets.
After making our way to the shopping grove, I enjoyed a truly wonderful time with mom. She radiated happiness, clearly cherishing the chance to do this together, and I couldn't deny that I felt the same. It was a rare, peaceful moment, one I found myself deeply appreciating.
After spending most of the day exploring, everything seemed to be going great. Yet, I couldn't shake the unease lingering in my chest, a feeling I couldn't quite place. Then, as we passed a group of people, a single sentence drifted into my ears, one that made my stomach drop.
"Did you hear?" one of them whispered, their voice tinged with both curiosity and unease. "St. Pierce Blakesley and St. Clarissa Blakesley are here in Sabaody today."
Did I just hear that right? Saint. That could only mean one thing, Celestial Dragons were on the archipelago.
A surge of urgency shot through me. Without hesitation, I grabbed mother's hand and bolted, weaving through the crowd as fast as I could. My only thought was to get us back to the grove where our temporary residence was, before it was too late.
"Sweetie!? What's going on all of a sudden?" Mom asked, her voice laced with confusion and concern as she struggled to keep up with my sudden urgency.
"Celestial Dragons are here," I said in a low, urgent voice.
For a brief moment, mother's face went completely still, then, as the weight of my words sank in, her expression shifted into a deep, troubled frown.
Within minutes, we reached our temporary home. Gently setting mom down, I turned to her, my expression serious.
"Stay inside," I said firmly. "I'm going to find dad and warn him."
I barely caught her nod before I was already sprinting through the streets, my pulse pounding in my ears as I searched for father.
The unease that had lingered earlier had now escalated into something suffocating, like a vice gripping my heart, squeezing tighter with every step. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
- General POV
Today was like any other in Sabaody, clear skies, a gentle breeze, and an endless stream of shimmering bubbles drifting through the air. They floated lazily, reflecting the sunlight in iridescent hues, only to burst the moment they ascended beyond the reach of Sabaody's magnetic field.
That was until Groove 24, where the atmosphere shifted.
Twenty men in black suits moved in formation, surrounding two individuals who sat atop human slaves, carried like royalty. Flanking them on either side were two more figures, dressed in pristine white suits, their faces concealed behind featureless masks. Their mere presence sent an unsettling ripple through the crowd.
Everyone present had no choice but to bow, pressing themselves to the ground as the procession passed. A clear path formed before them, not out of respect, but out of fear.
The Celestial Dragons, also known as the World Nobles, were infamous for their cruelty. Even the slightest offense could provoke their wrath, and if they were displeased, they wouldn't hesitate to slaughter everyone in sight without a second thought.
Anyone who dared to look at them would be met with a truly hideous sight. Their grotesque, twisted faces were encased in bulbous glass helmets, eerily resembling those of astronauts. As if their appearance wasn't unsettling enough, they were draped in garish, ostentatious robes, their designs so extravagant yet tasteless that they only served to emphasize the unnatural deformities of their bodies.
"Daddy! He scowled at me!" whined the fully grown noble, her voice petulant and childish despite her adult frame.
The leading Celestial Dragon shifted his gaze toward her, his grotesque face twisting into a deep frown.
"Which one?" he asked, his tone dripping with impatience and entitlement.
The woman lazily lifted a finger, pointing directly at a small child in the crowd. His mother, trembling, did everything she could to shield him from view, her body a desperate barrier between him and the monsters before them.
"Why must we bow?" the child sobbed, his tear-streaked face filled with confusion and pain. "They killed Dad..."
All the mother could do was tighten her grip on the child, her heart breaking as a single tear slipped down her cheek. Meanwhile, the frown on the noble's face deepened as he watched the scene unfold, his gaze cold and indifferent to the suffering before him.
"You. Kill them." He ordered, his voice cold and commanding as he pointed toward one of the masked men standing behind him. The atmosphere grew heavy with tension, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a death sentence. The masked figure silently stepped forward, a chilling sense of inevitability in his movements.
The man nodded silently, his movements swift and precise as he appeared before the child and mother. The surrounding bystanders quickly stepped aside, clearing a path. Just as he raised his finger, poised to carry out the noble's order, a voice cut through the tense silence.
"Wait, your majesty!" a man in a white coat, the word Justice boldly emblazoned across his back, called out. He immediately dropped to one knee, bowing deeply in front of the Celestial Dragon, his voice laced with urgency and respect.
His intervention halted the man just before he could strike down the innocent mother and child. The crowd stood in stunned silence, unable to believe what they were witnessing, a Marine daring to intervene with a Celestial Dragon.
"They don't deserve the privilege of being killed by someone of your stature," the Marine said smoothly, his tone respectful but persuasive, as though trying to appeal to the Celestial Dragon's pride, manipulating his sense of superiority to stay his hand.
As St. Pierce seemed to ponder the Marine's words, the other masked figure stepped forward, closing the distance between them and the still-bowing man.
"Captain Melvin Vargas," he stated, his voice cold and detached, carrying no trace of emotion as if the words were simply a matter of routine.
Melvin slowly raised his gaze to meet the man's, his expression unreadable.
"This is an order. Do not interfere in noble business," the man said firmly, his voice sharp and commanding. Melvin's expression hardened at the words, the weight of the command sinking in as he considered his next move.
"With all due respect, sir," Melvin said, his tone steady but firm, "the Marines are not required to follow orders from Cypher Pol, unless explicitly authorized by the higher-ups."
He spoke with calculated precision, hoping to buy as much time as possible, praying that the Celestial Dragons would lose interest and move on before the situation escalated any further.
"I see," the man replied flatly, his tone unchanged as he slowly removed his hands from his pockets, his expression unreadable.
On the opposite side of the groove, a figure zipped through the crowd with such speed that no one could even catch a glimpse of him. Justin moved in a blur, his eyes frantically searching every corner, desperate to find his father. In that moment, his greatest regret struck him, he had never taken the time to master Observation Haki.
"A commotion?" he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with stress as he noticed people scrambling to distance themselves from the heart of the town. The fear was palpable, and the urgency in their movements only added to the growing tension in the air.
Without a second thought, he scaled a nearby roof, moving with speed and precision across the buildings, reaching the center of the commotion in mere moments. But as he came to a halt, the world around him seemed to freeze, the colors drained from everything, leaving only stark, painful clarity.
There, standing before him, was his father, his body protecting the child and mother behind him, but his chest pierced through by the shiny black finger of a man in a white suit and face mask. The scene burned into Justin's mind as his father, in his final act, had shielded the innocent from the violence, taking the blow meant for them.
The weight of it all crashed down on him in an instant, a surge of helplessness and rage, the overwhelming emotion threatening to consume him. He saw the shock and fear in the faces of the child and his mother, frozen in terror, but all Justin could focus on was the sight of his father's body. The pain, the betrayal, the injustice, everything flooded him in a wave of burning sorrow.
Just as his mind began to process the scene, everything seemed to reboot in a brutal instant. The masked man slowly withdrew his finger, and in that moment, Justin's father began to fall back, his body collapsing like a lifeless weight. Time seemed to stretch, each second heavy with the weight of what had just occurred.
The sight of his father, the protector, now reduced to a broken figure, filled Justin's heart with an overwhelming surge of grief and fury, leaving him frozen in place, unable to tear his eyes away.
"AGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" His scream, a chaotic blend of sorrow and rage, ripped through the air, echoing across the island like a storm unleashed. The sky trembled as the deafening boom of someone breaking the sound barrier followed, a force so intense it seemed to shake the very earth beneath them. It was the last thing anyone would hear before all hell broke loose in Sabaody, as chaos erupted in every corner of the island.
-End-
Sea Calendar - 3rd of November, Year 1516, the day that would come to mark the beginning of Fimbulwinter, an era of unrelenting cold and chaos that would reshape the world as it was known.