One piece :I open the locks of the heart

After seeing that even with both apprentice rings and Eisah's shadow, Luffy was only managing partial dodges, I realized it would take quite some time before he could truly master Observation Haki. My thoughts shifted toward better equipment that could significantly enhance the understanding of new skills, but for now, we could continue traveling and improving.

"Luffy, we're not just going to stay here and train, are we?" I asked my captain.

Luffy snapped out of his focus and removed one of the apprentice rings, handing it back to Koby.

"No, I've decided we should fully explore East Blue, find more crew members, and also take care of Nami's little problem while we're at it." He grinned at our navigator.

"Nami, do you have to return there regularly?" I asked as she shook her head.

"Usually, I only return once a month. Next time, I need to bring 1 million berries as an annual tribute to continue roaming freely." She explained, and I nodded.

"Luffy, can we make a quick stop back home? I'd like to check on Léa before we head to the next island."

Koby looked surprised, clearly not knowing who I was talking about. He probably thought I was referring to a fiancée or something.

"Fine by me! Besides, we need to restock on food." Luffy said as I opened a portal, motioning for Koby to follow me.

Luffy and Nami went off to visit Makino, leaving me alone with Koby. I placed a hand on his shoulder and led him toward the nursery.

As we approached the door, my pace instinctively slowed, my gaze falling upon a scene both unexpected and strangely comforting.

The elderly woman I had saved from the burning ship was there, sitting in a rocking chair, a gentle smile on her face as she tenderly cradled my little sister in her frail but steady arms.

Koby, standing behind me, stopped in his tracks as if realizing the importance of the moment.

When the old woman looked up and saw me, her smile widened. With infinite gentleness, she extended Léa toward me. My little sister opened her sparkling eyes briefly before nestling against me the moment I took her into my arms.

I rocked her softly, the comforting weight of her small frame reminding me why I fought so hard. Then, I sat beside the elderly woman, allowing a moment of peace to settle around us.

Koby remained at the doorway, hesitant to enter, as if afraid of disrupting the fragile tranquility of the room.

After a while, the old woman spoke.

"Hello, Jordan. I wanted to thank you… for saving me from the flames."

I looked up at her, surprised by the softness of her voice, filled with gratitude.

"It was nothing," I replied sincerely. "I couldn't just let someone like you perish that way."

A silence followed before, curious, I asked:

"May I know your name?"

She looked at me with a smile tinged with melancholy.

"I don't really have one. I was nothing more than an object, a commodity passed from hand to hand… My last role was managing the bookkeeping over there."

Her words pierced my heart, and I instinctively held Léa a little tighter against me.

"No matter what they did to you, you're not a commodity to me," I said with conviction. "You have a pure heart, and that's all that matters."

At those words, silent tears began streaming down her wrinkled cheeks.

Koby, still standing near the door, no longer hesitated. With quick steps, he approached and wrapped the old woman in a sincere and warm embrace.

She flinched slightly, surprised by the contact, then let out a small muffled sob, as if she had just realized that, for the first time in a long time… someone truly saw her.

I watched the scene with tenderness before murmuring:

"If you want… you can take my last name and Léa's, and truly become my grandmother."

She lifted her head, her eyes shining with emotion.

Léa chose that exact moment to open her bright, innocent eyes, before gripping my jacket and flashing a wide smile.

Amused, I leaned in closer and gave her an Eskimo kiss, rubbing my nose against hers.

She burst into laughter, trying to grab at my hair with her tiny hand waving in the air.

That simple sound, that pure and innocent laughter, seemed to brighten the entire room.

The old woman brought a trembling hand to her mouth, overwhelmed with emotion.

Then, she nodded, a tender and sincere smile on her face.

"Yes… I accept."

Her words, filled with warmth and relief, echoed like a promise.

From now on, she was no longer alone.

From now on, she was one of us.

Finalizing the addition of Granny Heartless to our family, I glanced at Koby.

He was smiling sincerely, but I could see a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. A mix of happiness and uncertainty.

Not giving him the time to overthink, I stealthily approached before trapping his head under my arm, ruffling his hair vigorously in an improvised shampoo.

"Don't worry, if you want, you can be my little brother too."

I laughed as I let him go, giving him a slight push forward to encourage him to approach Léa.

The little one had opened her big curious eyes, staring at Koby's pink hair with fascination.

Then, with a delighted coo, she reached out her tiny chubby hands toward him, clearly intrigued by a color she had never seen before.

Koby, a little hesitant, gently took her in his arms, making sure to support her properly.

But before he even realized what was happening, Léa had grabbed a strand of his hair and brought it to her mouth, clearly trying to chew on it.

Koby's panicked expression was absolutely hilarious, and both Grandma and I burst into laughter at his completely overwhelmed look.

"Heeey! Not my hair!" he whined, trying to gently retrieve his strand from the baby's grip.

I came to his rescue, leaning toward Léa with a smile.

"Hey, little glutton, that's not for eating!"

She looked at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes, as if she knew she was being playful, before finally letting go of the strand with a tiny baby giggle.

Koby let out a sigh of relief, adjusting his hair with a mock-indignant expression, which only made me laugh even more.

We then walked together through the town, simply enjoying the calm and serenity in the air.

Despite my bounty being posted at 80 million berries, no one showed even the slightest sign of fear or hostility toward me.

On the contrary.

Children ran joyfully through the streets, playing not with figurines, but with the real Sans-cœur with blue eyes, who moved calmly among them.

The small Ombres, far from the aggressive creatures I had encountered elsewhere, danced and hopped around the children, sometimes merely mimicking their movements, almost like pets.

Some kids were chasing after them, trying to catch them in an improvised game of tag.

The Sans-cœur soldiers, meanwhile, patrolled silently through the town, ensuring the population's safety.

A group of children had even formed a single-file line behind one of them, imitating its marching step as if they were playing little soldiers.

The adults, on the other hand, conversed peacefully, their expressions relaxed, some politely greeting a Rondouillard passing by in the street.

This place was the perfect example of what I wanted for the civilians of this world.No corrupt Marines, no pillaging, no murder—just peace.

And seeing this scene filled me with a deep sense of satisfaction.

Maybe I had truly changed something here.

After Luffy and Nami greeted Léa, who happily cooed as she grabbed the brim of Luffy's straw hat, we set sail once again.

Our next destination?

The Orgao Archipelago.

A cluster of four islands, located on the opposite side of Shell Town.

After a day at sea—where I had sped up our journey by swimming ahead of the ship, using the effort to train my endurance—we finally arrived within sight of a bustling port.

The place was bustling with activity, with trading ships regularly docking, merchants calling out to passersby, and a colorful crowd moving energetically through the streets.

Seeing the commotion, we decided to avoid the main port and dock in a more discreet cove to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

I climbed back aboard, wringing out my hair as I observed the island.

"Luffy, try not to terrify the locals," I said while slipping on a black mask to conceal my identity. "I'm going to explore this island and see where the lock is."

Luffy gave me a big carefree grin, placing his hands on his hips.

"Don't worry, Jordan! I'm just going to find some meat and eat peacefully!"

Nami, who was fastening a pouch to her belt, shook her head with a sigh.

"Yeah, and you'll probably end up in the middle of a fight or making some dumb announcement about your dream in front of everyone..."

"No way!" protested Luffy, puffing out his cheeks, pretending to be offended.

Koby, adjusting his outfit, spoke up enthusiastically.

"I'll come with you, Jordan! I'd like to see how you find the lock. It could be useful if I ever need to do it myself."

Nami raised a hand.

"I'm going to explore the market! There must be some interesting deals to make in a port this lively..."

She tapped her pouch with a mischievous smile.

I nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright. Nami, just try not to scam the wrong people. Koby, stay close to me—this is going to be a stealthy exploration."

"Stealthy? With Luffy running loose?" Nami crossed her arms, skeptical.

We all turned our heads toward our captain, who was already staring at the port with stars in his eyes, his stomach growling loudly.

"I smell meat..." he murmured before joyfully jumping off the boat.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Alright, let the exploration begin..."

After we split up, I slowed my pace and turned to Koby, who was walking beside me, looking determined but still a little tense.

I placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

— "Koby, the lock can only be found by me. I have a special ability that allows me to sense it, but that's not the only reason I let you come with me."

Koby furrowed his brows, listening intently.

"Then why?"

I smiled slightly.

"Because I want you to perfect your infiltration skills. I'm going to move without being seen, and you… you're going to try to follow me without getting noticed by anyone."

Before he could respond, I sank into the ground, becoming an indistinct shadow, gliding through the city like a Shadow Heartless.

I advanced, following the trace of the lock, which guided me to a small shop in the heart of the port. In front of the store, a tiny dog sat with a grumpy expression on its face.

I quickly analyzed the situation.

The lock was inside.

Silently, I slipped into the shadow of the adjacent building, evaluating the best approach to enter without alerting anyone.

But just as I passed through the last stretch of shadow to reach the entrance…

"WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"

The dog sprang to its feet, its fur bristling, barking furiously in my direction as if it could see me perfectly despite my camouflage.

I froze, surprised.

Normally, no one could see me in this state… so why was this damn dog staring straight into my eyes?

I cautiously retreated, adjusting my infiltration angle, circling around to the back of the shop.

I slowly approached an open window, my body fused with the shadow of the wall.

The moment I tried to peek inside…

"Grrrr… WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!"

The dog rushed toward the window, growling and yapping with the fury of a royal guard.

I cursed internally, pulling back and returning to my starting point.

Alright… time for another approach.

I slid into the shadow of a crate, then under a cart, looking for a way to sneak in from beneath the building.

Just as I reached the doorstep…

"WOOF WOOF WOOF!!!"

The dog barked even louder, jumping to its feet and sniffing the air suspiciously.

I let out a low growl of frustration.

"What is this monster?!"

This damn dog was clearly able to see me, making any attempt at infiltration impossible.

I straightened slightly, glancing at Koby, who was still searching for my position, completely lost since I had vanished into the shadows.

Taking a deep breath, I thought carefully.

This dog was a problem.

But why could it perceive me when no one else could?

I narrowed my eyes, locking onto its sharp gaze, its impeccably groomed fur, and its posture—far too alert for a simple pet…

"Oh shit, it's Chouchou," I grumbled internally, just as a deafening commotion erupted.

As I pondered the best way to enter the shop without alerting the little dog, which was eyeing me like a predator on the hunt, a thunderous uproar rang through the town.

Panicked screams rose from all directions.

— "RUN! PIRATES ARE ATTACKING!" a merchant yelled, overturning his cart in his desperate escape.

Another man, sweat dripping from his forehead, sprinted past me, shouting, "TWO HUGE BOUNTIES!"

Further away, a woman, tears streaming down her face, dragged her child behind her, screaming, "THEY'RE DESTROYING EVERYTHING! THESE LUNATICS ARE GOING TO RAZE THE TOWN!"

An old man stumbled in front of me, gasping, as other passersby helped him up. "BAGGY AND A KID WITH A STRAW HAT ARE FIGHTING! THE TOWN IS DOOMED!"

My heart skipped a beat.

Luffy.

— "Shit…" I cursed under my breath before leaping out of the shadows.

My body lifted effortlessly off the ground, carried by an invisible force, floating as if gravity itself had ceased to exist for me. I shot across the rooftops at high speed, dodging chimneys and the ropes strung between buildings like a silent specter.

The air whistled around me as I accelerated, following the panicked screams and the sounds of destruction tearing through the town.

(Author's note: Hihihi, and there you have it—a cliffhanger! Mwahahaha!)