"In other words… why do these beasts look so strange? Could it be that this is the Island of Rare Beasts?"
Ha Shiro stood on the uneven, grassy shore, gazing around the small island before him. The place wasn't large—perhaps just a few acres of forest and sand—but what caught his eye were several old, empty boxes scattered across the area. They looked oddly familiar.
This looks just like the Rare Beast Island from the story… he thought, his brow furrowing.
"Hey, who are you?"
The sudden voice startled him.
"Who's talking?" Ha Shiro glanced around quickly, but no one was in sight.
"Look down."
Ha Shiro tilted his head and found, to his surprise, a scruffy-looking wild man hiding inside one of the boxes at his feet.
Wait… is this that treasure chest old man? he thought, staring at the bizarre sight. What kind of material is that box even made of? It's been here for years, but it's still intact. Have they… merged together?
Despite his curiosity, Ha Shiro's real concern was something else entirely — whether the Straw Hat Pirates had been here yet.
If they hadn't, then he'd simply wait. This island was as good a place as any to bide his time.
"Hello," Ha Shiro greeted politely, "I ended up here by accident after a shipwreck. Have you seen any of my companions?"
The wild man squinted at him suspiciously. "Companions? Hah, except for me, no one's been here in ages. You don't look like a shipwreck survivor either…"
Before the man could continue rambling, Ha Shiro cut him off. "So you're saying no one has come here recently? Other than you?"
The wild man scratched his head. "That's right. For years, it's been just me… and them."
He gestured toward a group of strange animals nearby before sighing and wandering off, surrounded by his beasts.
Ha Shiro, however, had already turned his focus elsewhere. He walked down to the beach, sat by the shore, and began fishing.
"I'm starving," he muttered, adjusting his fishing line. "Since the Straw Hats aren't here yet, I might as well get something to eat first."
He wasn't about to harm those rare beasts—the old man would probably attack him if he did. Fishing was the safer choice.
To pass the time and keep a lookout for incoming ships, Ha Shiro built a small log cabin on the edge of the island.
Days passed.
The wild man visited him several times, but Ha Shiro ignored him each time. Helping others wasn't his problem—he'd leave that sort of thing to Luffy.
In between fishing and resting, Ha Shiro spent the days training, trying to awaken his Armament Haki. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break past the bottleneck.
Then, one evening, his patience was rewarded.
The familiar silhouette of a small boat appeared on the horizon — and on it, the figures he had been waiting for.
"Look, there's an island! Let's go check it out!" came a cheerful voice.
It was unmistakable — Monkey D. Luffy.
The Straw Hats had finally arrived.
On the small boat were three people: Luffy, Zoro, and Nami.
"They finally came," Ha Shiro murmured with relief. "But they landed on the other side of the island. Fine, let them rest for the night. I'll go find them tomorrow."
As he grilled a few large fish over the campfire, Ha Shiro thought about how he might approach them. He needed a convincing reason to join their crew.
But before he could finish that thought—
"Whoa! Grilled fish! I'm digging in!"
Luffy's voice shouted behind him, startling Ha Shiro.
Before he could react, the rubber man had already grabbed an entire fish the size of a basin and started devouring it without hesitation.
"Hey! Who the hell are you? I haven't even eaten yet! Leave some for me!" Ha Shiro protested, glaring.
But it was too late — Luffy had already eaten most of it.
And thus, an impromptu food war began.
Moments later, Nami appeared at the edge of the clearing. "Luffy, what are you doing here? Who is that?"
"It's grilled fish, Nami! It's so good! Huh? Wait, who is this guy?" Luffy said mid-bite, finally realizing he wasn't alone.
Ha Shiro sighed. "Forget it. My name's Ha Shiro. I'm a barber. I was shipwrecked here a few days ago."
He was tempted to smack the carefree idiot, but Nami's presence stopped him. First impressions mattered, after all.
"Ohh, a barber? There's such a profession at sea?" Luffy grinned. "I'm Luffy! The man who's gonna be King of the Pirates!"
He's never even heard of barbers? Unbelievable… Ha Shiro thought, rolling his eyes.
Before Luffy could react further, Ha Shiro's hands moved with lightning speed.
Click, click, click!
In less than thirty seconds, he'd already trimmed Luffy's messy hair into a short, layered dragon-style cut.
A soft ding echoed in Ha Shiro's mind.
"First haircut for the protagonist: Stamina increased by 561 points."
He smirked. "Not bad. Worthy of being the protagonist."
Putting away his scissors, Ha Shiro said casually, "That'll be 10,000 Berries. Cash only."
"Whoa! This looks awesome!" Nami gasped, looking at Luffy's new style. "You actually look… presentable!"
In the world of pirates, barbers were a rarity. Most didn't trust strangers enough to let them near with sharp tools. A bad haircut might even end with someone getting killed.
So pirates usually cut their own hair—or left it to whoever had good swordsmanship.
"Wow, Ha Shiro! You're amazing!" Luffy exclaimed, still admiring his reflection in the fish grill. "You should join our crew!"
Luffy hadn't even seen the man's hands move, but he knew one thing for sure—Ha Shiro was strong. And more importantly, he didn't seem dangerous.
Ha Shiro chuckled. "Is this lovely lady also part of your crew?" He gestured toward Nami.
"That's right!" Luffy nodded enthusiastically. "She's our navigator!"
"Then I'll join."
Ha Shiro nodded decisively.
He stood up, moved a wooden stool near Nami, and smiled warmly. "Nami, may I call you that?"
His voice carried a soft, magnetic tone.
Standing nearly six feet tall, Ha Shiro had an athletic build, refined features, and a calm, confident demeanor. With practiced ease, he offered Nami a freshly grilled fish.
"This is a special meal set for new experiences. Please enjoy it," he said with a smile. Not to mention, she's even prettier up close.
Nami blinked, taken aback. "Th-thank you…" she murmured, cheeks slightly pink.
She hadn't expected Luffy to recruit someone so capable with just a few words. Ha Shiro's clear eyes and calm aura were so unlike most pirates—it made her heart skip for a moment.
"Luffy, who's this?"
The voice came from behind.
Zoro finally arrived, looking slightly annoyed—and a bit lost.
"Ah, he's Ha Shiro, the barber!" Luffy said proudly. "He's joining our crew!"
Ha Shiro gave a polite nod. "Nice to meet you."
Zoro narrowed his eyes. "Hmph. You didn't even look at me. You think you're too good, huh? Let's see your strength!"
Ha Shiro tilted his head slightly. "You want to test me? Fine… let's practice a bit."
Nami's curious gaze lingered on him, and Ha Shiro couldn't resist showing off a little. He'd been itching to test his limits anyway.