One Piece: SSS-Rank Haki at Age Seventeen

Shakky's Rip-Off Bar

"Damn, I forgot something!"

Shakky suddenly exclaimed, pressing slender fingers against her temple as ash drifted from her cigarette onto the counter.

Across from her, Rayleigh—who had quietly been polishing glasses—looked up.

"According to the latest intelligence I received this morning,"

Shakky said quickly, speaking faster than usual,

"the Marines already detected Little Monkey and the others landing on Sabaody."

"The news has probably reached Marineford by now."

"You mean that?"

Rayleigh let out an amused laugh.

Setting his glass down with a calm clink against the wooden counter, he shook his head.

"Whether they know or not doesn't really matter anymore."

"After those three months of training…"

he said slowly, certainty filling his voice,

"every one of them has undergone a complete transformation."

"And besides…"

Rayleigh turned around and leaned against the window frame, his silhouette firm beneath the backlight.

"They're a Yonko crew now."

"Even Marine Headquarters has to think carefully before making a move against them."

"The Straw Hat Pirates aren't some weaklings anyone can crush anymore."

He walked over to the counter and poured himself a glass of rum, amber liquid swirling gently.

"And now there's also the matter of Golden Lion."

Rayleigh took a sip, his eyes sharp.

"The Marines' biggest headache right now is that old legend returning to the stage."

"You worrying about them?"

"That's just unnecessary concern."

Shakky froze.

Her cigarette remained suspended in midair while ash grew dangerously long.

"…Is that so?"

she murmured softly.

"The ships of the new era no longer need the lighthouses of the old era guiding them every moment."

Rayleigh's voice was calm yet unwavering.

"They have to cross the storms themselves and discover their own course."

"And all we can do…"

"…is believe in them."

At last, Shakky smiled.

She flicked away the ash and regained her usual relaxed composure.

"Looks like I really am getting old."

"I've started worrying like some mother watching her children leave home."

"Worrying every now and then isn't bad."

Rayleigh raised his glass and took another sip.

"It means we still haven't completely detached ourselves from this world."

Sentomaru's footsteps echoed heavily across the mangrove-root roads of Sabaody Archipelago.

Each step landed like a war drum.

Resting across his shoulder was his massive double-bladed axe, the metal gleaming coldly beneath the midday sun.

It wasn't merely the shine of steel—

it was the sharpness of resolve.

Three Pacifistas marched silently behind him, their enormous bodies blocking sunlight from one side of the street while mechanical joints emitted deep rhythmic hums.

Red lights flickered within their eyes.

"Stop! Sentomaru, stop right there!"

A Marine officer rushed out from a side street and spread his arms to block the special unit.

His chest rose and fell heavily from running, sweat already forming across his forehead.

Sentomaru frowned but didn't stop walking.

"Move."

"We have direct orders from above!"

Bell-mère's voice echoed through the empty street with undeniable authority.

"Until Admiral Kizaru arrives at Sabaody, we are forbidden from engaging the Yonko directly!"

At last, Sentomaru stopped.

Slowly turning around, the usually straightforward-looking man now wore an expressionless face.

"Wait?"

"Wait for Old Man Kizaru to arrive—"

His voice dropped lower, every word squeezed out through clenched teeth.

"By then, the Straw Hats will already be sailing deep into the New World!"

"They'll disappear into waters even the Marines can't fully control!"

"They're still here at Sabaody right now."

"This is our best chance."

"And possibly our last."

The officer wanted to continue arguing—

but Sentomaru had already moved.

There was no heated debate.

No drawn-out argument.

The man known as possessing the "World's Strongest Defense" merely extended his left hand and lightly pushed.

The motion looked casual.

Yet it contained unimaginable force.

"Pacifistas. Advance."

The brief command transmitted through an internal communication system directly into the war machines' core processors.

BZZZZT—

The red glow in the Pacifistas' eyes intensified simultaneously.

Their massive feet shattered stone pavement as they resumed marching toward the harbor.

Sentomaru adjusted the giant axe on his shoulder and followed after them.

Under the scattered shadows cast by the mangroves, his back looked incredibly resolute—

or perhaps simply stubborn.

Leaning weakly against a tree, the Marine officer watched the one man and three machines gradually disappear into the distance.

In the end, all he could do was shake his head.

The sigh that escaped him felt painfully heavy.

Filled with helplessness.

Worry.

And deep powerlessness.

"That's…"

he muttered quietly enough that only he could hear it.

"That's an Emperor of the Sea…"

"A man standing at the very summit of the world."

Sea breeze swept across Sabaody's harbor, carrying both the sweet scent of mangroves and the salty smell of distant waters.

But the moment the Straw Hats rushed up the gangplank toward their ship—

everyone froze.

The first thing they saw was the hull itself.

The Thousand Sunny's original orange-and-white coloring now shimmered like polished pearl beneath the sunlight, reflecting rainbow hues whenever the angle shifted.

The lion figurehead at the bow remained as majestic as ever, but its eyes had been embedded with pale golden gemstones that sparkled with lifelike brilliance.

At the center of the grassy deck stood the Sunny's iconic tangerine tree.

But now the trunk was thicker, its leaves lush and flourishing like a great canopy.

Around the roots circled a carefully polished wooden bench engraved with each crewmember's symbol:

A straw hat.

Three swords.

An orange and windmill.

A slingshot.

Cherry blossoms.

A book.

A wrench.

A skull.

A sun.

Fried rice.

A kanabo.

And a microphone.

"WHOOAAAH—!!!"

Luffy's shout shattered the silence.

He practically dove onto the lawn, his rubber body bouncing twice across the soft grass before spreading out in a giant starfish pose.

"It got soooo much cooler!!!"

His eyes widened as he stared upward.

Even the Sunny's mast system had been upgraded.

The three giant sails weren't fully raised yet, but the silver-gray canvas appeared to be made from some special material, their edges embroidered with golden wave patterns.

The rope systems had become cleaner and more efficient, while pulleys softly spun in the breeze with pleasant clicking sounds.

Usopp's hands trembled as he touched the newly installed artillery platform along the ship's side.

It was no longer just a basic fixed cannon setup.

Now it was a fully rotational 360-degree linked firing system.

The barrels were engraved with Sogeking's symbol, while a sophisticated ammunition selection panel sat beside them.

"T-This…"

His voice choked with emotion.

"SUUUUPERRR——!!!"

Franky suddenly struck his trademark pose while tears burst from beneath his sunglasses.

"THIS is a man's romance!!"

"This is a complete upgrade built upon Vegapunk's original design concepts!"

"Look at these energy core output lines! Look at this cola-conversion efficiency—!!"

He sprinted toward the ship's entrance.

The formerly ordinary cabin door had become a dual-layer airtight structure, glowing with flowing blue light patterns.

Chopper happily rolled around across the grass, his tiny hooves sinking into the soft turf.

"It's so comfy!!"

"And it smells like sunshine and grass!"

Robin had already wandered over toward the library area.

The moment she stepped inside, she paused slightly.

Sunlight filtered through crystal windows onto rows upon rows of bookshelves.

The old library had been completely expanded.

Elegant wooden ladders connected the towering shelves, while comfortable reading chairs sat near the windows.

There was even a special preservation section built with humidity-control technology.

Robin gently brushed her fingers across the spines of the books.

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"It's beautiful…"

she whispered softly.

Meanwhile, Sanji had already entered the kitchen.

And immediately froze.

"…What the hell is this paradise?"

His cigarette nearly fell from his mouth.

The kitchen had transformed into a dream worthy of the greatest chef in the world.

The countertops were forged from heat-resistant marine steel.

Storage systems rotated automatically.

A multi-layer refrigeration unit emitted soft white mist.

Rows of polished knives gleamed beneath warm lighting.

At the center stood a massive stove system shaped like a burning sun.

Even the ingredient storage rooms had been separated according to climate and freshness requirements.

Sanji stood there silently for several seconds.

Then he suddenly covered his eyes dramatically.

"I'm in love…"

Nami climbed toward the navigation room.

The moment she opened the door, her breathing stopped briefly.

The room had become larger.

Far larger.

An enormous world map covered the central table, while holographic weather projection systems floated nearby.

Multiple Log Pose calibration devices lined the walls.

The ceiling itself projected dynamic star charts.

And beside the window—

sat a carefully preserved tangerine branch in crystal glass.

Nami slowly walked over and gently touched it.

Warm sunlight spilled across her orange hair.

"…This really feels like home."

Luffy finally sat up from the grass and looked around at his crew.

Everyone wore different expressions:

Excitement.

Shock.

Joy.

Emotion.

But every single face carried the same feeling.

This ship…

had truly become their home.

Their partner.

Their kingdom upon the sea.

Luffy grinned brightly beneath his straw hat.

"Alright then!"

He leapt to his feet and pointed toward the endless ocean ahead.

"Set sail!!"

The Thousand Sunny slowly departed from Sabaody Harbor beneath the golden dawn.

Its upgraded hull gleamed brilliantly beneath the sunlight—

like a newborn sun crossing the sea.

And its destination…

was the East Blue.

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