One Piece: Yujiro Hanma

Foosha Village.

The warm light of the sunset slid over the rooftops, stretching the shadows of the old windmill and trembling the air with the scent rising from the small dock.

The day, which until then had passed in tranquility, suddenly tore apart when a keel grazed the dock and was moored.

Tiberion was the first to disembark. His dark red hair was slicked back over a sharply defined face, while his black shirt stretched tightly over his torso.

A column of water rose behind the ship and revealed the colossal silhouette of Shirahoshi. Over ten meters tall, the princess emerged gently, her eyes lighting up with innocence as she looked around.

As soon as she saw the neat little houses, the clean streets, and the distant laughter of children playing nearby, she began spinning around Tiberion with barely contained excitement.

She made several rapid comments about how clean everything was, the warmth of the colors, and above all, the sense of safety that contrasted with the still-fresh memories of Sabaody.

She finished by calling him "husband" with such naturalness that it disarmed any suspicion.

Behind her, the dozen pirates disembarked after unloading chests filled with gold, silver, and gems. Before the town's residents, they stood tall, puffing out their chests and furrowing their brows to intimidate. However, when their eyes met Tiberion's, their expressions paled and they began to walk on tiptoe.

The villagers gathered at a cautious distance.

The wind carried the whisper of a child asking if they were the pirates that appeared in the newspaper posters.

An old woman brought her hands to her mouth upon recognizing the creature accompanying the outsider: a legendary mermaid from the Grand Line.

But seeing such a delicate being alongside a man whose mere gaze seemed capable of crushing them left everyone paralyzed.

Amid the expectant silence, Tiberion, with his hands buried up to the knuckles in his pants pockets, turned to Shirahoshi, and an unusually sweet smile appeared on his face.

"Here we are, Shirahoshi… Foosha Village, the place where dreams begin."

But abruptly, his tone shifted, suddenly harsher, laced with contempt that reached everyone present:

"But even so, everyone here is pathetically weak."

"Ha, ha, ha… HAHAHA!" His laughter shook the very souls of the villagers.

With a careless gesture, he tilted his chin slightly and raised his voice so all could hear:

"Hey, you all! Don't be scared! I, Tiberion Hanma, am only here for a drink."

The name struck like thunder.

Everyone instinctively huddled together: 'Tiberion… Hanma?'

"Five… five billion berries…" Someone, with a trembling voice, repeated aloud the number they had seen in the newspaper.

Until that moment, most had not recognized him: reality often feels less real than paper when it materializes.

Now, in front of the giant with dark red hair whose mere presence shrank the whole place, everyone understood that the apparent calm could vanish with a snap.

It mattered little that his stance seemed relaxed; each person took a step back, hypnotized by the reddish gleam dancing in his eyes.

To the side, Shirahoshi clearly sensed the wave of fear. Her huge pupils welled up, and though she held back her tears, the sadness showed in the slight trembling of her shoulders.

To her, Tiberion was her perfect knight: attentive, protective, able to turn violence into a shield—it was incomprehensible to her that people would receive him with fear.

Then she prepared to explain that her husband was kind, that there was no need to be afraid—but the chance vanished when he spoke again.

"We've arrived. Shirahoshi, mind your head."

Shirahoshi's smile returned, one that bloomed from the clear well of her heart.

"Heehee! Yes, husband!"

In front of them stood the façade of Partys Bar.

It wasn't a fancy tavern, yet the doorframe was minuscule for the princess, so Tiberion had to make a few adjustments and signaled the pirates behind them to move barrels and tables, clearing a space where Shirahoshi could slide in without trouble.

A long creak marked the moment she lowered her head and tucked her tail to pass through the entrance.

"..."

The interior, warm and fragrant, was brimming with life—but all the bustle froze the instant Tiberion's figure appeared.

Tension took over immediately. No one even noticed Shirahoshi's overwhelming beauty: everything about her was eclipsed by the sheer weight of the aura radiating from Tiberion.

It was an invisible force field that pressed against everyone's chest and squeezed their breath into a thin, uncomfortable thread.

Silence became absolute; only the sound of swallowed saliva echoed from dozens of dry throats.

Then, the silence broke when Tiberion, uninterested in such weaklings, let his gaze wander over their heads and headed straight for the bar—no one dared get in his way.

The three men sitting on the stools slid to the side without a word.

Tiberion took the empty spot. The stool creaked under the pressure of his legs, but still, it did not break, and he let his elbows drop onto the wooden counter.

The tension burst into a stampede: most seized the moment and darted out the door.

"Mother of mercy, what a nightmare!"

Outside, people had gathered at the bar's entrance in anticipation, but not a single one dared to cross the threshold.

"Falcon," called Mayor Woop Slap, resting a hand on the shoulder of the young man who had just come out, "You were inside. What's going on in there?"

Falcon, a little over twenty, with an unkempt beard, swallowed hard as his legs trembled uncontrollably.

"M-Mayor…" he stammered, "Help me… I can't stop shaking…"

His voice cracked. He had never felt such an aggressive presence—every fiber of that monster screamed violence. The very memory hit his temple with more force than the strongest rum ever served.

Woop held Falcon by the elbow to keep him from falling and repeated:

"What's going on inside? And Makino?! She hasn't come out yet!"

"I don't know…" Falcon took a deep breath. "They seem to just want a drink, but they radiate terror. I'm worried about Makino—so young, so kind… a man like that won't just let her go, don't you think?"

!

The mayor felt his chest tighten at those words. The thought of Makino trapped beside that monster tied a knot in his stomach. And yet, his feet were rooted to the ground—he was fully aware of the brutal reality that was Tiberion Hanma.

There, inside the bar, stood a pirate with five billion berries on his head, and he, a mere official from a coastal village, was far from being any kind of hero.

…

Inside the bar, she appeared behind the counter:

A woman with a slender waist, long and well-shaped legs, and yet surprisingly, a generous bust that stood out with a natural balance of warmth and sensuality. Under the light, the orange tone of her fitted blouse traced a diamond pattern over her chest, while the black sleeves, rolled up to the elbows, revealed delicate forearms.

A checkered orange handkerchief held back her dark emerald green hair, framing a face with soft cheekbones, large dark eyes, and a smile that—though trembling—radiated hospitality.

"..."

With just one glance from Tiberion, the pirates who had remained on edge understood the unspoken order.

Two of them stepped forward and placed a chest overflowing with coins, gems, and necklaces directly on the bar.

Gulp…

Makino swallowed hard. The invisible pressure radiating from the red-haired man crushed her chest, yet even so, she took a deep breath, raised her chin, and offered the professional smile that had made her famous.

"What would you gentlemen like to drink?"

The answer was silence. Tiberion stared at her deeply, gauging the kind of courage it took for this woman to hold his gaze.

"…Aren't you afraid of me?" he finally asked, with a faint but fierce glint in his eyes.

She felt a tingling spark of electricity run down her back, but she didn't pull away. She simply tensed the corner of her mouth in a timid gesture.

"At first… yes. When you came in, I admit you scared me a little," she confessed, and the blush rising up her neck contrasted with the firmness in her tone. "But the more I watch you, the more I think you're not a bad person. You seem rough, that's true… yet there's something attentive in the way you look. Maybe, you're even a kind man."

As she spoke, she glanced sideways at the giant mermaid settling in beside him, trying not to knock everything over with the movement of her tail.

The logic was simple: how could a true monster be cruel if that innocent mermaid followed him so trustingly?

Shirahoshi felt the spark of that remark and her face lit up; her large eyes reflected genuine gratitude:

"Yes! Sweet sister, you're amazing!" she exclaimed happily. "Everyone is scared of my husband and thinks he's a bad person… they're so unfair to him!"

Makino froze for a second.

Husband?

The word echoed in her mind. This man who radiated more intimidation than Shanks himself… the husband of such a tender mermaid?

The world was far more surprising than she had ever imagined.

Snapping out of her brief stupor, she tucked her green bangs behind her ear and let a smile soften her face.

"They're just scared, that's all," she explained. "Deep down, they're all really kind people."

Shirahoshi nodded, her tail continuously knocking things over.

"Yes, yes, I understand!" she replied, fascinated by Makino's calm confidence.

Recovering her professional tone, Makino leaned her elbows on the varnished wood and looked at them in turn.

"So… what can I get you? Any special dish?"

Tiberion replied calmly.

"I want the strongest whiskey you have."

"All right, sir. Coming right up." Makino nodded politely, turning to grab a dust-covered bottle and a crystal glass.

Without missing a beat, she tilted her head toward the mermaid and lowered her voice slightly, just as she would when talking to an excited child.

"And you, miss? Would you like something to drink or maybe try a dish?"

"Pretty lady!" Shirahoshi clasped her hands with excitement. "My husband brought me here especially; I'm sure you must have lots of delicious things. I've never tasted surface food before, and this is my first time on the surface!"

Makino couldn't help but laugh at the mermaid's enthusiasm. It was impossible not to find her adorable, even being over ten meters tall.

"Let's see… We have creamy mashed potatoes, freshly baked cheese bread, garden vegetable salads…"

The simple list was enough to make Shirahoshi audibly swallow, her eyes drifting toward Tiberion, asking for permission.

"Husband…?"

"Mmh." Tiberion nodded.

"Thank you!" she cheered, turning back to Makino. "I want everything, miss!"

"Very well," Makino replied, picking up a clean cloth to mentally note the portions. "Give me a moment and I'll bring you what you ordered."

Before walking away, she extended her kindness to the crew waiting behind the red-haired man.

"And you, gentlemen?"

The pirates looked at each other; the first one swallowed hard, the second muttered something unintelligible. Their throats were dry, and still, none dared speak until they saw Tiberion's expression.

He gave no sign at all—no approval, no disapproval—he simply kept tapping the counter with his finger.

Makino, guided by a strong intuition forged over years, smiled at their discomfort.

"It's decided then: I'll bring you our most popular beer and a bowl of roasted peanuts. It cools the throat and takes the edge off hunger from the trip."

"Th-thank you, ma'am!" the pirates nearly cried with joy. Not only was she beautiful, she was also incredibly perceptive.

After a while, Makino returned carrying a tray. She first served Shirahoshi's dishes and finally placed in front of Tiberion a short, thick crystal glass, chilled with a single perfectly clear ice cube, and a bottle with no label.

He thanked her with a slight nod, took the bottle, and calmly poured exactly two fingers of liquid.

Then, he let the glass rest for a moment so the ice and the whiskey could get acquainted; he tilted his head, inhaled the aroma rising like smoke, and closed his eyes to identify the scents.

With the same delicacy, he lifted the glass, rotated his wrist, and gave it a gentle swirl.

He brought the drink to his lips and took the smallest sip—just enough to bathe the tongue; he held the liquid in his mouth, aerated it with an almost imperceptible breath, and let his taste buds catch the first wave of fire.

A slow exhale escaped through his nose, he opened his eyelids, and in that instant, a glint appeared in his eyes.

"Excellent extraction…" he murmured before letting the whiskey calmly slide down his throat and ignite his chest.

Beside him, Shirahoshi was savoring each spoonful as if she were discovering new continents. She brought the mashed potatoes to her mouth with the tips of her enormous fingers and, after every bite, looked at Tiberion with wild enthusiasm.

"Husband, this is delicious too!" she shouted for the umpteenth time.

Leaning on the bar, Makino was watching them. The contrast was immense: the brutal muscular perfection of that man, next to the overflowing tenderness of the mermaid, formed a poetic image.

But in a moment of carelessness, he looked up and caught her watching him. His red eyes, sharp as blades, traced the curve of her neck up to her dark eyes, and for half a second, they stopped there.

A blush rose on Makino from her neckline to the roots of her hair, and she immediately looked away, biting into her lower lip.

Did he misunderstand me?!

She asked herself without daring to check, noticing how her pulse pounded. It was curiosity, yes—but also an undeniable dizziness: to feel that kind of male attention was like standing at the edge of a cliff and still yearning to look down.

Tiberion smiled when he noticed.

"Miss Makino, come here for a moment."

The request, though worded politely, carried a firmness that could not be disobeyed. She reacted on instinct—stepping around the bar, standing in front of him, forcing her hands together so the trembling wouldn't be so obvious.

"Y-Yes…" she replied in a barely audible whisper.

Tiberion waited until the distant murmuring of the pirates faded. Only then did he ask the question.

"Miss Makino… I'll ask again. You're not afraid of me, are you?"

"..."

She opened her mouth, but the words tangled on her tongue. Looking into those red eyes—filled with restrained savagery carved into every line of his muscular face—she lowered her gaze for a moment, not to the floor, but to the glass where the ice shifted slowly:

"I-I'm not… deep down."

!

Looking up again took all her courage, and when she did, she saw something unexpected: the usual threat blazing in his eyes had softened, replaced by a gleam of satisfaction that bordered on joy.

Tiberion smiled—first with one corner of his mouth, then fully. It was a wide, beastlike smile, but curiously free of malice; it was an unexpected emotion.

"Very well. I acknowledge you."

?

Makino didn't immediately grasp the weight of those words, but a second later…

"Come and bear my child."

________

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