The sky over Musutafu was clear—until it wasn't.
A crack ripped across the atmosphere, invisible at first, like a splinter through reality itself. Birds screeched and scattered as the rupture widened above the dense forest that bordered the city. Then, with a burst of heat and blinding orange light, something—or someone—was hurled through.
Sabo crashed through the treetops like a meteor, leaves igniting in his wake. He slammed into the ground with a heavy thud, bouncing once, twice, then finally skidding to a stop as smoke and dust rose around him. The impact left a wide groove in the earth behind him.
Groaning, Sabo rolled onto his side. His gloved hand clutched the earth beneath him. He breathed heavily as the pain in his ribs faded—faster than it should have, thanks to his strong body and the latent heat still burning within him.
His blue Revolutionary Army coat was torn. His top hat was missing. But his pipe weapon was still strapped to his back, and most importantly—he could still feel it: the Mera Mera no Mi. The power of fire. It surged through his veins like magma.
"What… was that?" he muttered, pushing himself up on one knee.
He scanned his surroundings. Tall trees. Paved roads in the distance. Buildings—massive ones—towering like metal giants beyond the treeline. Neon lights blinked on distant billboards. And people—so many people—walking casually, unaware of the chaos that had just occurred on the forest's edge.
This wasn't Baltigo. This wasn't anywhere near the Grand Line.
Sabo stood slowly, eyes narrowed. "This... isn't my world."
A shrill alarm suddenly echoed from deeper in the city.
BOOM!
A shockwave rattled the ground, and a column of black smoke twisted into the sky just a few blocks away.
Sabo turned his head. Screams followed. Cries for help. And then—more explosions.
He didn't hesitate. "Trouble's the same in every world, huh?"
Without another word, he sprinted toward the chaos, flames igniting beneath his feet.
---
Musutafu's citizens scattered in terror. A villain wielding a quirk that allowed him to manipulate steel like liquid metal was on a rampage. Cars were bent and flung into buildings. Power lines sparked. Flames licked the corners of an office building, trapping people on the upper floors.
Several Pro Heroes were already on the scene. A bulky hero with rock-like skin tried to pin the villain down, but he was swatted aside like a toy. Another hero, agile and fast, attempted to strike from above, only to be blocked by a wall of morphing iron.
"Get back!" a hero shouted to civilians. "We can't contain him!"
In the crowd, Izuku Midoriya gritted his teeth. "I have to help!"
He surged forward, green lightning crackling across his body as he prepared to activate One For All. But just as he launched into a run—
A wave of heat rushed over the street.
Everyone paused.
From above, a blur of orange flame shot through the smoke-filled sky and landed between the villain and the people like a comet. The pavement cracked under the force of the impact. Flames spiraled outward, scorching the ground without touching a single civilian.
In the center stood a young man—blonde, lean, eyes sharp like steel. A long black coat flicked behind him in the breeze. He twirled a metal pipe casually in his right hand.
"You look like trouble," he said to the villain, voice calm and almost amused. "Let's see if fire melts steel."
The villain growled. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?! Some kind of cosplay reject?"
Sabo's lips curled into a half-smile. "Something like that."
Then he vanished.
Flash step.
A burst of flame. The next moment, Sabo was in the air, pipe raised. It slammed into the villain's arm, engulfed in white-hot fire. The villain screamed as his metal skin began to glow, melting and cracking under the heat.
Sabo spun mid-air, delivering a flaming roundhouse kick to the side of the villain's face. Another explosion of fire. The villain flew backward, crashing into a car and collapsing, unconscious.
Smoke curled around Sabo as he landed softly, barely winded.
The street went silent.
Even the Pro Heroes could only stare.
Izuku stood frozen, mouth slightly open. "Wh… who is that guy?"
Sabo turned toward them. His expression was calm, but his eyes scanned the crowd sharply, warily. He took a few steps forward, raising one hand in a loose, non-threatening wave.
"Name's Sabo," he said. "I'm looking for answers."