The salty sea breeze drifted lazily over Cocoyashi Village, carrying laughter, music, and the faint scent of grilled fish.
Arlong Park lay in ruins—broken walls, shattered pride, and the faint echo of tyranny fading into dust. For the first time in eight long years, the air felt free. Villagers danced, children ran barefoot through the grass, and the sky itself seemed to shimmer brighter.
In the middle of all that chaos, Monkey D. Luffy stood tall—his straw hat tilted back, his grin wide, and his clothes in tatters. "We did it!" he shouted, throwing his fists to the sky. The crowd erupted in cheers, chanting his name and that of his crew.
And there, a little to the side, stood Ben. His blue eyes sparkled as he watched the Straw Hats celebrate.
Luffy's laughter boomed across the park. Then he turned toward Ben with that familiar gleam in his eyes—like a child spotting a new flavor of meat.
"Hey, Ben!" Luffy called, grinning from ear to ear. "Join my crew!"
The suddenness of it made even Zoro blink. Sanji nearly choked on his cigarette. Usopp froze mid-pose, and Nami dropped her drink.
Ben tilted his head. "Join your crew?" he repeated with mild amusement. "That's rather… sudden."
"Yeah!" Luffy said, as if that explained everything. "You've got cool magic! We could use that! You can make food appear, right? Can you make meat? Or float the ship? Or zap bad guys?"
"I can do some of those things," Ben said with a small smile. "Though I prefer not to be used as a portable meat dispenser."
Zoro snorted. "You'd fit right in then."
Nami folded her arms. "Hold on, Luffy. You can't just recruit every person who impresses you."
Luffy turned to her with a serious face. "But Nami, he's got magic! Real, boom-boom, sparkle-sparkle magic!"
Ben sighed in mock despair. "That's… one way to describe it."
Sanji exhaled smoke and smirked. "As long as he can protect the ladies, I've got no objections."
Usopp nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! A wizard in our crew would make us unstoppable! Think about it! The Great Usopp and His Magical Companion!"
Ben looked skyward as if asking for patience from any divine being still listening. "Well," he said at last, "I suppose traveling with you lunatics will be more entertaining than staying here."
Luffy's eyes sparkled like fireworks. "Then it's settled! Welcome to the crew, Ben!"
The villagers cheered again, laughing and clapping their hands. Nojiko smiled proudly from the crowd, and even Nami's lips curled upward despite herself.
But just as the laughter reached its peak, a new sound shattered the calm.
Marching boots.
A cold, officious voice followed: "Everyone, stand where you are!"
The crowd fell silent. Through the broken gates of Arlong Park, a squad of marines marched in, their rifles gleaming. At their head was Colonel Nezumi, his smug ratlike grin as oily as ever.
"I see the celebration is in full swing," Nezumi sneered, adjusting his cap. "How touching. Unfortunately, this party's over."
Luffy frowned. "Who's the rat?"
"The rat is a rat," Ben said dryly.
"I heard that, wizard," Nezumi snapped. "I am Colonel Nezumi of Marine Branch Sixteen. And I hereby declare that the defeat of the Arlong Pirates was the work of the Marines—specifically, me!"
The villagers gasped. "What?!"
Ben rubbed his temples. "You've got to be joking."
Nezumi puffed up his chest. "As per Marine regulation, all pirate treasure and property now belongs to the government. That includes the riches of Arlong Park. My men will confiscate it immediately."
He turned to his troops. "Search the area!"
They started moving, but didn't get far.
Zoro appeared behind Nezumi like a ghost, his hand gripping the back of the colonel's neck. "You've got some nerve showing your face here," Zoro muttered. "After what this village's been through."
Nezumi struggled. "U-unhand me! I'm an officer of the law!"
Zoro pressed his face into the dirt. "Law's been missing around here for a while."
Luffy cracked his knuckles, smiling innocently. "Hey, Zoro, maybe we should help him find it."
"Good idea," Zoro said, grinning.
For the next thirty seconds, the air was filled with very un-marine-like noises: thuds, groans, and high-pitched squeaks that might have been apologies or maybe just pain. By the time they were done, Nezumi's face looked like it had lost a war with a frying pan.
His men tried to rush forward—but Ben flicked his wand lazily and murmured, "Tarantallegra."
Instantly, every marine began to dance. Not well, mind you, but enthusiastically—arms flailing, boots stomping, hips swinging. One even attempted the worm.
Ben leaned on his wand, watching in satisfaction. "There. Now they can contribute to the festivities."
Luffy burst out laughing. "That's awesome! You gotta teach me that!"
"I'd rather not imagine you with a wand, Luffy," Ben said with mock horror.
After a good few minutes of utter humiliation, the Straw Hats and villagers tossed the dizzy marines out of Cocoyashi Village—literally. They were last seen crawling away toward their ship, clutching what little dignity they had left.
Once the ruckus settled, Ben turned serious. With a wave of his hand, he murmured another spell—"Accio gold."
From the rubble, glittering chests and piles of gold floated up, swirling through the air like a golden river before gently landing before Genzo, the village sheriff.
"This," Ben said quietly, "belongs to Cocoyashi and all the villages Arlong stole from."
Genzo blinked, tears glimmering behind his bandages. "Ben… thank you."
Ben smiled. "Consider it my parting gift."
The next morning, the island awoke to something it hadn't seen in years—joy. Word spread fast: Arlong was gone. The curse of fear was lifted. By afternoon, the entire Conomi Islands had gathered in Cocoyashi for a festival.
For three days and nights, the village came alive.
Lanterns hung from every post. Music filled the air—tambourines, laughter, the clink of mugs. The taverns were overflowing, and someone had painted a giant cartoon of Arlong's broken nose on a banner that read "Freedom Tastes Sweeter Than Takoyaki."
Zoro spent most of the time drinking. Sanji flirted with every woman within a five-mile radius. Usopp retold the battle so many times that by the end of the night, he was apparently the one who "single-handedly took down Arlong using his secret slingshot of destiny."
Nami and Nojiko danced barefoot in the square, their laughter echoing above the music. For the first time, they looked truly at peace.
Ben raised his wand. "Lumos Festivalia!"
A burst of multicolored light exploded overhead, transforming into sparkling tangerines that spun through the sky like tiny suns. They shimmered, twirling above the crowd before bursting into golden butterflies that fluttered down onto the villagers' heads.
"Whoa!!" Luffy shouted, jumping up and trying to catch one in his mouth.
Next, Ben waved his wand again. "Aqua Foamius!"
From the village fountain rose a giant water serpent made entirely of bubbles. It wiggled through the air, harmless and shimmering, before gently wrapping around a group of laughing children.
Nojiko gasped. "It's beautiful!"
The serpent suddenly popped, showering everyone with glittering foam. Nami wiped a bubble off her nose. "...Okay, I admit, that was cool."
Luffy immediately stuck his head into the fountain and blew bubbles at Ben.
The wizard blinked, unimpressed. "Ah yes, the ancient art of aquatic warfare." He flicked his wand and retaliated with a harmless jet of water—right into Luffy's face.
The fight escalated quickly.
Within seconds, Luffy was slinging water like a human cannon, Ben was parrying with spells, Usopp was narrating it like a sports commentator ("AND THE RUBBER BOY DELIVERS A RIGHT HOOK OF WATER!"), and half the villagers were cheering them on.
Sanji muttered around his cigarette, "Children. Every last one of them."
Eventually, Ben conjured a huge gust of warm wind to dry everyone off. The lanterns above flared back to life, glowing even brighter. Fireflies blinked across the trees as if the world itself joined the party.
Then, to everyone's surprise, music filled the air—literally. Notes danced from Ben's wand like glowing ribbons, weaving into a tune that sounded suspiciously like a tavern ballad played by very enthusiastic ghosts.
Sanji's feet started tapping. Nami grabbed Nojiko's hand and pulled her into a dance. Usopp spun with a villager and shouted, before immediately stepping on her foot.
Luffy, naturally, tried to dance while eating. He tripped over his own legs and crashed into Zoro, who in turn head-butted a table. Plates flew. People screamed. Laughter erupted.
And Ben just stood there, wand raised, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Tarantallegra Maxima!"
Instantly, everyone started dancing. The entire square erupted into synchronized chaos: Zoro moon-walking against his will, Genzo performing the can-can, and even Sanji twirling mid-kick like a ballet chef.
"BEN!!" Sanji roared between spins. "TURN—THIS—OFF!"
Ben pretended to think. "Hmm… maybe in five minutes."
Luffy howled with laughter, spinning in circles. "This is the best magic EVER!"
After a full minute of involuntary choreography, Ben finally lifted the spell. Everyone collapsed onto chairs and grass, panting and laughing. The villagers clapped for him again, some begging for encores, others begging for mercy.
As the night deepened, fireworks—actual ones this time—burst over the ocean. The light reflected on the water like a thousand glowing stars.
Nami watched quietly, a soft smile on her lips. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
Ben nodded beside her. "Freedom always is."
She looked at him. "Welcome to the crew."
He smiled gently. "Seems I've been adopted by a rubber-limbed lunatic and his band of merry disasters. Wouldn't want to miss what comes next."
Nami laughed. "You'll fit right in."
Luffy appeared out of nowhere, draping an arm around both of them. "HEY! Stop whispering serious stuff! The party's still on!"
The night stretched on with music and laughter. Ben conjured floating lanterns shaped like phoenixes that circled above the crowd.
Sanji's food disappeared faster than he could cook it. Usopp exaggerated every story until the children begged him for more. Even Zoro smiled between gulps of sake.
By the third day, the village square looked like a battlefield of joy—sleeping villagers under trees, children wearing tiny paper wizard hats, and Luffy snoring with a fish in his arms