The morning sun over the Grand Line was gentle, casting a warm, golden haze over the deck of the Going Merry. The ocean was calm, a flat sheet of sapphire that stretched endlessly in every direction.
It was one of those rare, perfect days between islands where the world seemed to hold its breath, allowing the crew of the future Pirate King to simply exist.
Ben sat at the small round table on the upper deck, a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea in his hand. He took a sip, savoring the bergamot notes, and leaned back in his chair.
"Peaceful," he noted.
"For now," Nico Robin replied, sitting across from him. She held a book in one hand and her own cup of coffee in the other. She smiled, that enigmatic, knowing smile that usually unnerved lesser men. "Though with this crew, peace is usually just the deep breath before the scream."
Ben chuckled. "You're getting used to the chaos, Ms. Archaeologist."
"I find it... stimulating," Robin turned a page. "It certainly beats the silence of running."
Down on the main grassy deck, the rest of the crew—who had finished their morning workout in the Time Chamber—were engaged in various forms of 'relaxation'.
Zoro was napping against the mast, snoring so loudly it vibrated the wood. Sanji was fawning over Nami's tangerine trees.
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were chasing each other in circles, laughing about something involving a beetle and a piece of ham.
It was a good life.
Robin lowered her book, her blue eyes fixing on Ben. Her gaze was intense, dissecting him as if he were an ancient ruin filled with secrets.
"Ben," she started, her voice dropping to a conversational murmur that cut through the background noise. "I have a question."
"Shoot," Ben said, putting his cup down.
"You said you can peer into the past and future events," Robin said calmly. "It goes beyond human understanding."
She leaned forward slightly. "How far can you see, Ben? Into the future? And how far into the past?"
Ben paused. It was a dangerous question. He couldn't exactly tell her, 'I read your life story in a manga back in my previous world.' That tended to break people's brains.
"The future isn't a straight line, Robin," Ben said, tapping the table with his finger. "It's not a movie reel waiting to be played. It's infinite. Every choice, every action, splits the river into a thousand new tributaries."
"You know the Butterfly Effect?" Ben asked.
Robin nodded. "The theory that a small change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. A butterfly flapping its wings in the South Blue causing a typhoon in the North Blue."
"Exactly," Ben said. "The past... that's fixed. It's stone. We can read it, learn from it, uncover it. But the future? It's fluid. I don't 'see' the future, Robin. I see possibilities. I see paths. I know what could happen if things stay on their current course. But the moment we act, the moment Luffy punches someone he wasn't supposed to, or we save a kingdom that was destined to fall... the path changes."
"So you navigate probabilities," Robin mused. "Like a navigator reads the weather."
"Something like that," Ben agreed. "I know the destination. I know the storms in the way. But how we sail through them? That's up to us."
Robin studied him for a long moment. "And what glimpses do you see for us? For this crew?"
Ben smirked. He leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head. He decided to have a little fun.
"Well," Ben said, putting on a mystical voice. "I see great battles. I see an island of Fishmen. I see a land of Samurai. I see the world turning upside down."
He paused, locking eyes with her. His grin turned teasing.
"And," Ben added casually, "In one very specific, very likely future... I see you and me. Sitting like this, and we have a very cute baby girl joining us."
Robin froze.
Her eyes, usually so calm and composed, went wide. Her cup stopped halfway to her mouth. A rare flush of pink dusted her cheeks. She blinked, once, twice, processing the sudden shift from metaphysical philosophy to... that.
"A... baby?" Robin stammered, her voice losing its usual cool control.
"Very cute," Ben emphasized, nodding solemnly. "She has your eyes."
Robin opened her mouth to respond, completely flustered, when a sudden weight slammed into Ben's back.
"PAPA!"
Small, wet arms wrapped around Ben's neck. A scent of strawberry shampoo and warm towels filled his nose.
"Comb my hair!" Mini Merry demanded, climbing up Ben's back like a little monkey. "Nami-sis gave me a bath! But now my hair is all knotty! Papa, fix it please!"
Ben laughed, reaching back to scoop the small android girl up. He swung her around and placed her on his lap. Mini Merry was wearing a new, frilly yellow sundress that Ben had created for her using his Momo Yaoyorozu Creation template. Her hair, now soft and real thanks to the Human-Human Fruit, was indeed a wet, tangled mess.
Ben looked at the shocked Robin, then at the child-like android on his lap. He gestured to Merry.
"See?" Ben grinned shamelessly. "The future I predicted has already come true. Cute baby girl, right here."
Robin stared at them. She looked at Ben's teasing grin, then at Mini Merry, who was happily swinging her legs and waiting for her hair to be groomed.
The flush on Robin's cheeks deepened, but her shock melted into a small, amused smile. She shook her head, picking up her tea again.
"You represent a dangerous variable, Magician-san," Robin chuckled softly. "Smooth save."
"I try," Ben winked.
He summoned a fine-toothed comb from his inventory and began to gently detangle Merry's hair. "Did you like the bath, Merry?"
"It was super wet!" Merry reported happily, splashing her legs a bit. "The water was nice and warm! And Nami-sis used the super bubbly soap! She said I owe her money now, but she was laughing, so maybe it's free? Or maybe not. Nami-sis is scary with money!"
"Definitely scary," Ben advised. "Hide your allowance."
"Okay! I'll put it in my secret tummy compartment!"
As Ben worked through the knots, enjoying the domestic quiet, the sound of thundering footsteps approached.
"BEN!"
"BEN! BEN! BEN!"
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper skidded to a halt in front of the table. Their eyes were shining with a desperate, burning intensity that usually meant they wanted food or robots.
"What?" Ben asked, not stopping his combing.
"THE SUITS!" Luffy shouted, slamming his hands on the table. "You promised! We're on the open sea! Can we fly now?! Please?!"
"Yeah, Ben!" Usopp pleaded, clasping his hands together. "We only used the Iron Man armors once! And that was just to pick up trash from the bottom of the ocean! It was boring work! We didn't even get to fly fast!"
"Yeah!" Luffy complained. "Salvage is boring! I want to zoom! I want to be a fighter jet!"
"I want to be a rocket reindeer!" Chopper jumped up and down. "Last time I just held a flashlight underwater! That wasn't fun at all!"
"Please, Ben!" Usopp gave him the puppy-dog eyes. "Just a quick flight! We'll go straight up! We won't hit anything! We just want to feel the wind!"
"Please!" Chopper added his own teary-eyed gaze.
"Please, Papa!" Merry looked up from Ben's lap, joining the peer pressure with big, sparkling eyes. "Can they fly? It looks super fun! Can I see the robots? Please?"
Ben looked at the four faces staring at him. He looked at Robin, who was hiding a smile behind her teacup.
"Fine," Ben groaned, defeated. "But if you crash into the ship, I'm taking the repair costs out of your food budget."
"YAY!" The trio cheered.
Ben tapped Merry on the shoulder. "Alright, Merry. Can you open the toy box for them?"
Merry giggled. "Okay! Opening the toy box!"
HISSSS-CLANK.
On the main deck, three concealed hatches flipped open. Steam vented out as three metallic platforms rose up. Standing on them were three sleek, humanoid suits of armor—scaled down and customized.
Luffy's suit was red and gold (classic), slightly bulkier to accommodate his fighting style.
Usopp's suit was olive green and silver, featuring extra targeting sensors and a sniper configuration.
Chopper's suit was blue and pink, customized to fit his Heavy Point form.
"SUUUUUGEEEEEE!" Luffy screamed, drooling.
"Iron Pirate! Docking!" Usopp yelled.
The three of them ran to the platforms. The armors opened up—the front plates splitting apart to allow entry.
Step. Clank. Hiss.
They stepped in. The suits closed around them, sealing with a satisfying mechanical lock. The eyes of the helmets glowed white. The Arc Reactors in the chest pieces hummed to life.
"System Online," Merry announced from the suits' speakers.
"I FEEL POWERFUL!" Luffy's amplified voice boomed. He flexed his metal fingers.
"Finally!" Usopp yelled. "No dragging rusty metal! Just pure speed!"
"Mecha!" Chopper cheered.
"Merry," Ben called out. "You have remote override. If their heart rates spike or they approach a thundercloud, bring them home. Take them wherever they want, but safety first."
"Okay Papa!" Merry chirped. "Go have fun, big brothers!"
FWOOOM!
Repulsors fired. But instead of a coordinated launch, it was pure chaos.
"I'M GONNA GO THAT WAY!" Luffy shouted, blasting off at a hard 45-degree angle toward the east, spinning wildly.
"WAIT! MY STABILIZERS!" Usopp screamed as he shot backwards, doing backflips toward the west.
"WAAAAH! I'M GOING SIDEWAYS!" Chopper zoomed north, flailing his metal arms.
They flew off in completely random directions, leaving zig-zagging trails of vapor in the blue sky, screaming in delight and terror.
Just then, a frantic "Quack! Quack!" sounded from the lower deck.
Caroo, the Spot-Billed Duck, ran up the stairs, flapping his wings frantically. He looked at the flying robots disappearing into the distance, then at Ben. He pointed a wing at himself, then at the sky, looking utterly heartbroken.
"Ah," Ben winced. "I forgot."
Caroo slumped, a dark cloud forming over his head. Last time, he had been left out because there wasn't a suit that fit a duck. Ben had promised to fix that.
"Don't cry, Caroo!" Ben said quickly. "I didn't forget! I promised, didn't I?"
Caroo looked up, hope returning to his eyes. "Quack?"
"Merry," Ben commanded. "Give Caroo his toy!"
"Okay!" Merry beamed.
A fourth hatch opened. This one was different. It wasn't a humanoid suit. It was... well, it looked like a high-tech, armored exoskeleton designed specifically for a giant duck. It had jet boosters on the sides, a helmet with a tactical visor, and reinforced leg hydraulics.
Caroo gasped. He saluted Ben.
He ran into the suit. The armor clamped onto his feathers. The visor slid down over his beak.
VROOOM.
The jet boosters on his sides flared blue.
"QUACK!" (I AM IRON DUCK!)
Caroo launched himself into the air, spiraling upwards in a corkscrew motion, chasing after the specks of his friends who were currently playing tag across the entire horizon.
"Look!" Luffy's voice crackled over the radio. "Caroo is here! Let's race to that cloud over there!"
"Which cloud?!" Usopp yelled. "There are a million clouds!"
"THE FLUFFY ONE!"
On the deck, Ben watched them go, finishing the last tangle in Merry's hair.
"They're all over the place," Robin noted, shielding her eyes as Luffy ricocheted off a cloud bank. "Aren't you afraid they'll get lost? Or start some trouble?"
Ben shrugged, putting the comb away. "Knowing Luffy, it is bound to happen. He'll probably find a lost island or punch a Sea King by accident. But what can we do? Just go with the flow. If they fall, Merry will catch them."
"That is a very reckless parenting style," Robin chuckled, sipping her tea.
"They're resilient," Ben smiled. He patted Merry's head. "All done, princess. Smooth as silk."
Merry reached up and touched her hair. "Thank you, Papa!"
She hopped off his lap, her dress fluttering. "I'm thirsty! SANJI-SAN! JUICE! ORANGE! NO PULP!"
She ran off toward the kitchen, her footsteps sounding like a real child running on wood.
"AS YOU WISH, MY LITTLE LADY!" Sanji's voice echoed from the galley.
Ben watched her go, a contented smile on his face. He stood up and stretched his arms.
"Well," Ben turned to Robin. "Break time is over. I'm going to hit the training room. Will you join me?"
Robin finished her tea and set the cup down gracefully. She stood up, smoothing her skirt.
"Why not?" she smiled. "Perhaps I can test this... 'future' you speak of."
"Lead the way," Ben gestured.
They walked together toward the training room, leaving the chaos of the flying mechas far above them, ready for whatever the Grand Line had to throw at them next.