One Piece: New Luffy

On the deck of the Sunny.

The gentle sound of the waves clashed with the tension in the air.

Luffy held Ace's Vivre Card between his fingers. The once vibrant piece of paper was now no bigger than a fingernail—nearly lifeless.

"...You should've listened to me, Ace," Luffy muttered, his eyes dark, his voice thick with emotion.

---

Grand Line – a random autumn island.

It was a small city, yet well known among bounty hunters and information brokers. Always bustling, filled with whispers about bounties and pirate secrets.

But that day, it was dead.

Empty streets.

Abandoned shops.

Sails hoisted in a rush.

The city fled… from the impossible.

In the distance, sailors and civilians who had escaped looked back, terrified.

A massive sea of flames engulfed half the island.

As if a second sun had risen there—only to be brutally snuffed out.

On the other side, what was once autumn had become an eternal winter. A frozen wasteland had suddenly formed. Snow fell relentlessly, and the intense cold froze even the sea's surface.

"The sun... has set..." an old bounty hunter murmured, eyes wide. "Does that mean it's over?"

"Who won? That fight lasted for days!" asked another, voice trembling.

"I heard it was Admiral Aokiji... versus Portgas D. Ace! The Whitebeard's Second Division Commander!"

---

Center of the battlefield.

The ground sizzled—part scorched, part coated in ice crystals.

Ace collapsed to his knees, his body covered in frostburns. Drained. Powerless. The fist that always burned now trembled—empty.

Aokiji walked toward him, his Marine coat torn, breathing heavily.

"Uff... You're one tough kid..." he said, pulling a Den Den Mushi from his pocket. "Give you ten more years... and maybe I wouldn't have won."

Purupuru... purupuru... click.

"Hello, this is Aokiji."

"Aokiji? Report."

"As requested... mission accomplished."

"Excellent work."

"...I'd like to request a—"

"No time. Bring him straight to HQ. Akainu and Kizaru are being recalled as well. Prepare yourself."

"Prepare for... what?"

"A war. Against Whitebeard."

Click.

The call ended unceremoniously.

Aokiji stood still for a moment, staring up at the gray sky. He scratched his head, exhausted.

"...Going to war with Whitebeard... Tch. Who said being an Admiral was easy?"

---

Three days later.

The Sunny glided smoothly across the calm waters of the Sabaody Archipelago.

On deck, Vivi looked up as a news bird dropped a newspaper.

She picked it up, a bad feeling churning in her gut.

"Huh? Free?" Nami frowned. "Every time it's a major scoop, they give it out for free..."

Vivi unfolded the paper. Nami leaned in. Both froze.

The headline tore through the world like a blade.

"Execution Notice: Portgas D. Ace, 'Fire Fist'!"

The photo was clear: Ace in Kairoseki cuffs, surrounded by Marines.

Robin, passing by, stopped in her tracks at the sight of the front page.

"...Portgas D. Ace? Isn't he... Luffy's brother?"

"LUFFY!!!" Vivi screamed in shock.

---

On the Ark Maxim.

Zoro punched a wax wall molded by Galdino, his knuckles bloody. He trained relentlessly, honing his Armament Haki, day and night, without rest.

Vivi's scream pierced the skies.

Luffy leapt from the top of the Ark, landing gracefully.

"What happened?!"

Vivi, speechless, simply handed him the newspaper.

Luffy looked.

Silence.

His eyes narrowed.

He already knew.

He knew what that piece of paper signified:

War had begun.

And he... wouldn't stand still.

Luffy flipped through the paper with a serious expression. The words confirmed it—Ace had truly been captured.

"Hmm...?" he murmured, frowning as he reread a passage.

(Aokiji...? Not Blackbeard?)

The gears in his mind began to turn. He knew the Marines wouldn't lie about an Admiral just to boost a headline. If Aokiji was mentioned, then it was truly him.

(So... where the hell is Blackbeard in all of this...?) he muttered, closing the paper slowly.

Nami approached, eyes full of worry. "Luffy, the news says he's going to be executed publicly... in a month! What are we going to do? He's your brother, right?"

The other girls stood tense, their eyes fixed on Luffy.

But the Straw Hat Captain didn't lose his composure.

He looked up at the sky for a moment, then gave a slight smile—a smile that didn't hide the resolve behind it.

"If they're giving it a month, it's because they need time to gather the entire Marine force. They also want to see how Whitebeard reacts." He handed the paper back to Vivi. "We'll prepare too."

"What's the plan?" Robin asked, arms crossed.

"We're heading to the Capital of the Seven Seas. Water 7."

---

New World – Whole Cake Island

"Mamamamama!!"

Big Mom laughed loudly from her golden throne, surrounded by living sweets and her children.

"They caught the Whitebeard brat? This is gonna be quite the show!"

Charlotte Katakuri stood before her, serious.

"Whitebeard won't stay quiet. If he moves, the Marine HQ will move too. A war seems inevitable."

"Mamamama... he's already old," Big Mom waved her hand dismissively. "Maybe this is the world's chance to finally get rid of him."

"Shall we act, Mama?"

"Not yet. We'll watch. And see who bleeds first."

---

Wano Country

Kaido chuckled lowly, seated atop his fortress.

"The old man's gonna move. I know that fool."

Behind him, a man with dark wings bowed.

"Lord Kaido. Shall we monitor his movements?"

"Yes. Jin, fly high. I want to know every step Whitebeard takes."

"Should I mobilize the Tobiroppo to take his territories?"

Kaido burst into laughter.

"Ohohoho... let's wait for the first shot. But be ready. If the old man bleeds, the New World becomes our playground!"

---

On the deck of the Moby Dick

The air was heavy. The smiles of the crew were gone.

Marco leaned against the mast, fists clenched.

"Damn… I should've stopped Ace. He went alone, and now..."

Other commanders murmured, worried.

"Gurararara!!"

Whitebeard's laughter echoed, followed by the sound of a barrel smashing against the deck.

"Sengoku... you want war?" he said, raising his weapon. "Then war it is! That boy is my son!! READY THE SHIP!! WE SAIL NOW!!"

"AYE, CAPTAIN!!!"

The response was thunderous. The crew's roar shook the sea.

---

Dressrosa

At Doflamingo's palace, the throne was filled with a sadistic grin.

"Fufufufufu... so it begins. The world's about to burn."

Before him, Vice Admiral Dalmatian stood firm.

"Doflamingo. A meeting of the Shichibukai has been called. We expect your presence."

Doflamingo's grin widened.

"Finally, some fun. This island's construction was starting to bore me."

"By the way... that Straw Hat Luffy... will he be there?"

Dalmatian hesitated.

"We're not sure. But according to our intel, his route leads straight to Water 7."

"Fufufu... good. Let's see if the kid lives up to the hype."

---

Water 7

The Straw Hats' ship docked forcefully. The impact caught the entire city's attention.

"Whoa! A flying ship?!"

"Look! It's the Thousand Sunny! It's the Straw Hat crew!"

Residents came out of their homes to watch, but no one seemed alarmed.

"These people... aren't afraid of pirates?" Usopp asked, puzzled by the cheerful crowd.

Zoro was already throwing down the anchor and leaping to the pier. "Let's disembark. We need to get ready."

Luffy followed, eyes locked on the city ahead.

"One month..." he muttered, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

---

(End of Chapter)

"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."