After the chaos in Marineford died down the world was still in upheaval, with Whitebeard now defeated there was now a gap of power that needed to be filled, Whitebeard's territory was now under heavy seizure by various pirate factions leaving the Whitebeard Pirates with a lot to handle. The Marines were stretched thin as pirate activity surged, and at the center of the storm stood Straw Hat Luffy — the boy who had broken into and out of Impel Down, stood beside Whitebeard, and nearly succeeded in freeing Ace back from the Marines. His name had become a flare in the night: reckless, impossible, unforgettable. In the wake of Marineford, Garp retired from his position as vice admiral, Sengoku stepped down as fleet admiral, Aokiji resigned after losing to Akainu, and Akainu rose to fleet admiral. The Whitebeard Pirates bled losses in the Payback War against Teach; Blackbeard carved Whitebeard's domain into his own. Meanwhile, during the two years of silence of the Straw Hat pirates, Lucas spent his time at Green Haven with Lilian.
But now the time for the crew to gather once more had arrived. Lucas sat on the edge of the bed, fingers tracing the rim of a chipped mug. Lili moved with the easy intimacy of two people who had learned each other's rhythms: she tucked a stray curl behind his ear, thumb lingering at his jaw.
Lucas: "I'll be back as soon as I can." His voice was steady but soft.
Lili: "Be safe. Visit whenever you can. Don't make me wait too long." Her smile was brave; her hand stayed on his for a beat longer than necessary.
They kissed once, a small, private thing that made the world outside feel distant.
Lucas stepped out into the morning light and the crew of Green Haven turned, eyes catching on the new silhouette. He wore a brown-and-white three-piece suit cut close to the body, the vest buttoned over a crisp white shirt. A long brown coat draped his shoulders like a cape, the collar turned up against the breeze. On each forearm gleamed Biomnitrix gauntlets, sleek and mechanical, their surfaces etched with faint, pulsing circuitry. The coat's shoulder rested on a single rod, giving him the look of a man who could be both gentleman and weapon.
Lucas raised his left arm. Beneath the cuff, the Biomnitrix gauntlet unfolded a thin seam of light and a holographic interface bloomed, green and translucent, projected from under his sleeve. Icons spun, data scrolled in a language of light.
He muttered, half to himself, "The Omnitrix I got after transmigration was perfect, but I wanted to switch things up. I built the Biomnitrix from scratch. Although I synchronised it with my original watch to keeps all the functions and data of the old Omnitrix. This is merely for aesthetic." His voice carried a quiet thrill. He tapped a sequence and the interface pulsed in acknowledgment.
He added, softer, "I want to see what those future forms feel like. For now, I'll lean on that feature."
Lucas's body elongated, skin shifting into the slick, aerodynamic form of Jetray. The Biomnitrix layered Omni Kix armor across the alien frame — segmented plates that snapped into place with a chorus of clicks and a windlike hiss. The armor's navigation HUD painted the sky with waypoints and vectors. He felt the rush of speed in his bones, the taste of ozone on his tongue.
He launched. The deck fell away beneath him in a blur. The shore behind him faded as the Omni Kix thrusters flared, the world opened into a ribbon of blue. He cut through the air with the precision of a bullet, the armor's systems displaying course corrections as he threaded between ships and the ocean's surface.
Back at the Thousand Sunny, the crew's rhythms were settling into a familiar, comfortable chaos. Chopper and Usopp tumbled aboard, breathless and wide-eyed after finally arriving back to the Sunny. Franky stood on the deck, chest puffed, new modifications gleaming; Usopp and Chopper practically vibrated with admiration. Nami returned from shopping, arms full of trinkets and new charts, and greeted Robin with a soft smile. The five of them fell into easy banter; the ship felt like a living thing, breathing with them.
Rayleigh and Shakki arrived shortly after. Rayleigh's voice was low and amused as he explained the mix-up: the Marines had mistaken a band of fake Straw Hats for the real crew and were preparing to capture them. That meant trouble — the real Straw Hats were at Sabaody, and the Marines were closing in on the wrong targets.
Shakki added, clipped and efficient, "Brook is still performing at the Den Den Mushi stadium. He'll join later."
Franky, with a theatrical sigh, said, "So he's letting go of his life as the Soul King, huh." The remark landed like a joke and a question at once.
Rayleigh took a moment to teach Nami how to direct a vessel coated with the special bubbles.
Usopp, unable to keep the worry from his voice, asked about Luffy. Rayleigh's expression softened; he told them not to worry, as he assured them that their captain had also arrived.
Then a shadow crossed the sun.
They looked up in unison. A red-and-black mechanical silhouette cut across the sky, wings beating with a metallic thrum. Chopper and Usopp squealed in delight and disbelief.
The machine descended, landing with a controlled stomp on the Sunny's deck. The air vibrated with the aftershock. Nami's hand went to her staff; Franky's fingers twitched toward a hidden panel.
Lucas swiped his right arm. The Omni Kix armor dissolved in a faint green light, folding into the Biomnitrix gauntlet with a soft, electronic sigh. He stepped forward, grin wide and easy, Lucas as he turned back to his human form.
Chopper and Usopp: "Hey!!! It's Lucas!" They rushed him, questions tumbling over one another about the mech and whether he could make one for them.