On the vast and endless sea, a small boat was tossed about in the midst of a raging storm.
The wind roared like a starving beast, the waves lifting the tiny vessel as if ready to swallow it at any moment.
On that boat, two people struggled to stay balanced.
The first was a young man with black hair, clutching his straw hat tightly so the wind wouldn't snatch it away.
The second was a pink-haired boy, his body trembling in fear as the storm showed no mercy.
"L-Luffy! W-What do we do!? The storm is too strong!" the boy—Coby—shouted, his shaking voice nearly lost in the raging wind. "We just escaped from Alvida, too…!"
But the young man—Monkey D. Luffy—just laughed.
A carefree, warm, fearless laugh, even as the world seemed to fall apart around him.
"Shishishi~ Don't worry, we're not sinking, Coby!" he said brightly, as if the storm was nothing more than light rain.
"H-How can you be so calm, Luffy-san!?" Coby clung desperately to the sail.
"Hahahaha! This is adventure, Coby! A storm like this is just a tiny obstacle! If you're scared of something like this, how are you gonna become great?!" Luffy said, standing at the bow, holding his straw hat to keep it from flying off.
"Reef the sail, Coby!" The voice wasn't shouted—but firm.
"O-Okay!"
They worked together, folding the wind-torn sail. The boat still drifted wildly, but at least they stayed afloat.
Yet the storm did not calm.
"Luffy-san… are we going to sink…? The sea was calm before… why did it suddenly—"
KRAAAACK!!
Lightning struck the sea right in front of them. Water erupted like a shining pillar. Coby screamed, but Luffy's eyes suddenly sharpened.
At the spot where the lightning hit the water…
There was something.
A silver-black pendant, floating atop the sea as if the ocean itself refused to let it sink.
"What… is that?" Coby whispered, trembling.
Luffy didn't answer. He simply pulled back his arm as it stretched—
"Gomu Gomu no…!"
—snatching the pendant.
"Luffy-san! I-Is that treasure!?"
"No idea." Luffy examined the object with a grin. "But it just showed up out of nowhere. Cool."
"Luffy-san! J-Just throw it away! T-There's no way that thing is normal! What if it's cursed and caused this storm!?" Coby cried, grabbing Luffy's arm.
"Shishishi~ The weirder it is, the more interesting it is!" Luffy replied lightly.
But then—
The pendant trembled.
Cracked.
And—
BOOM.
A small explosion burst in Luffy's hand. Blood trickled from the scraped skin.
"Ou." Luffy muttered casually.
"LUFFY-SAN!! You're hurt!" Coby immediately wrapped the wound with a torn piece of his shirt. "I told you! It has to be—"
"Hahahaha~ A small cut like this is nothing." Luffy smiled wide, unfazed.
But the blood fell into the sea.
One drop.
Only one.
And the ocean… responded.
BRUUUUUMMMMM—
White-gold light erupted from the water. A massive circular pattern formed like a giant seal. The storm split apart. The clouds opened right above them, as if the sky itself acknowledged something approaching.
The light descended toward Luffy.
The wind stopped.
The sea fell silent.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
"L-Luffy-san… w-w-what's happening…?" Coby clung to Luffy's waist, trembling, his face pale.
As if they had touched something far beyond the logic of this world.
And something was answering the call.
—Something not from this world.
The light spun above the sea, forming a magic circle glowing like the fingerprint of the heavens pressed onto the ocean. Complex patterns shimmered, as if the sea itself had become an altar calling to something distant… too distant to be from this world.
Luffy stared at it without fear.
But then—
WUSSH
His body felt light. As if something was being drawn out from within him. His vision wavered. His legs weakened.
"Luffy-san!? What's wrong!?" Coby grabbed his shoulder, panicked.
Luffy held his head.
There was a pulse inside him… something foreign… something that wasn't his.
"Ugh… my head…" he groaned.
The pain came like a sudden storm—piercing, then fading.
But within his chest, something new stirred… like a cold wind that did not belong to this sea.
"I-It's okay, Coby." Luffy forced a smile, taking a deep breath. "Just… a little dizzy."
But Coby could see his body trembling.
"Luffy-san… is this a curse!?" Coby's voice nearly broke.
Luffy shook his head. Slow, but certain.
"This isn't a curse…"
He looked back at the glowing circle, his eyes full of pure curiosity.
"It's just a small pain, Coby."
Coby bit his lip.
He didn't know whether to be scared or amazed.
"Instead of worrying about me…" Luffy smiled—honest, simple, brave.
"Coby, do you know what that circle is?"
Coby shook his head quickly.
"I don't, Luffy-san. But… I'm sure… that circle is the cause of all this."
"Shishishi~" Luffy chuckled softly. "This is really interesting."
But before Coby could respond—
The circle trembled.
Softly.
Then stronger.
BRUUUMMMM—
Light stretched upward, like a colossal gate slowly opening. A wind not from this world blew—cold, regal, majestic.
A voice… like distant singing with no language.
The sea went silent.
Even the waves did not dare touch the boat.
The sky fell still.
And from the center of the circle—
someone descended.
Like a shadow taking form.
Black and royal blue draped her figure.
A long gown etched with mystical patterns, radiating a dominating presence.
Pale silver hair flowed like moonlight, partially veiled by a thin black veil hanging from a crown resembling dark blue crystal thorns.
She did not walk.
The sea moved for her.
She stood atop the water as if the ocean were her servant.
Her gaze was sharp.
Calm.
Cold.
But not hateful—rather, noble.
She looked around briefly, expressionless.
This world was clearly not the one she came from.
Her eyes then stopped on Luffy.
And the world… held its breath again.
She stepped forward once—
and the water did not dare ripple beneath her.
"…No magical foundation."
Her voice was soft, yet heavy, like a whisper that could shake castles.
"No spiritual core. This world… is barren."
She tilted her head slightly.
"But…"
Her eyes locked with Luffy's.
"…there is freedom."
A soft wind blew across a sea that should have been raging.
Luffy looked at her with no fear—only curiosity and sincerity.
She stared into his eyes longer.
What she saw there was not power, not the destiny of kings, not glory.
What she saw was:
A soul that never lies to itself.
A soul that does not bow.
A soul that only wants to live as it chooses.
She closed her eyes briefly, as if listening to something unheard.
"…You." she said, slow, gentle, yet full of meaning.
Coby trembled.
Luffy simply nodded lightly.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy."
Simple. Honest. True.
She opened her eyes.
Not a smile.
But acknowledgment.
"A fitting name for one who refuses to be caged by the world."
The sea moved again—but only as a gentle breeze.
And she stood directly before Luffy.
Close enough for the world itself to begin to change.
The Faerie Queen, Morgan le Fay, had arrived upon the sea.