One Piece: Shiro Oni

"Man, I'm so hungry~," complains Luffy, hanging over the railing of their ship. Seen off with a salute by the Marines...what other pirates could say that they'd ever experienced such a thing.

"When the hell are we gonna reach land?" Zoro wonders.

"As long as we don't lose the wind and tide," begins Maki, sighing softly. "Should just be a few hours. At least that's what Rika's mother said, anyway."

"Damn bastard, the food supply that should've lasted two to three days is gone in less than an hour," muttered Noir, smoking a cigarette as he contemplated whether joining Luffy out of curiosity for the latter's ultimate dream was the biggest mistake he had ever made.

For the first time, he regretted not drowning this damn rubber bastard when he was just a kid. 'First Luffy, now Zoro. Who's next?' Noir thought as he exhaled smoke. When he was a child, he was normal—energetic and full of life. Back then, he had many friends, two of whom oddly reminded him of Luffy and Zoro. One was an adventurer obsessed with treasure hunts, inspired by movies, comics, and novels. The other was the heir to his grandfather's kendo dojo, training like a lunatic every single day.

But that was the past. Life had shaped Noir into the man he was today. Although he acted mature now, he sometimes wondered if he would return to being the carefree kid he once was.

'Right now, though, I want to see something,' he mused, glancing toward Luffy. A translucent status panel suddenly appeared before him, displaying Luffy's stats.

[Name: Monkey D. Luffy]

[Age: 17]

[Title: -]

[Race: Human]

[Devil Fruit: Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika]

[Potential: SSS] [Awakened]

[Strength: SR]

[Endurance: SR+]

[Durability: SR]

[Speed: SR]

[Intelligence: B]

[Luck: SS]

'Hmm? Didn't he say his Devil Fruit was the Gomu Gomu no Mi?' Noir thought, puzzled by the inconsistency. It could've been its original name before it changed, or maybe it was intentionally concealed. After all, hiding critical information wasn't uncommon.

Noir couldn't help but marvel at Luffy's absurdly high Luck stat—higher than his own—and the fact that Luffy's Potential matched his own, though Noir had no idea how it translated to raw points. Rank SSS Potential was the peak, but Noir wondered if it could somehow be quantified, not even factoring in his Reverse Eyes ability.

After examining Luffy, Noir shifted his attention to Zoro's stats.

[Name: Roronoa Zoro]

[Age: 19]

[Title: Pirate Hunter]

[Race: Human]

[Devil Fruit: -]

[Potential: SS+] [Awakened]

[Strength: SR]

[Endurance: SR+]

[Durability: SR]

[Speed: SSS+]

[Intelligence: B]

[Luck: S+]

'Hmm, so his speed is his weakest stat,' Noir noted, focusing on Zoro's speed. The difference in ranks between SR and SSS might not seem much on paper, but the gap in power was significant. Even when comparing someone like Morgan, who was just one rank lower, the disparity was evident.

Both Luffy and Zoro were awakened, much like Noir himself. In his case, awakening occurred during a life-or-death battle. For them, it was probably the result of grueling training. Noir had learned that awakening didn't necessarily boost physical strength massively; rather, it often evolved their skills.

"Oi, Noir, are you alright?" Zoro asked, glancing at Noir, who sat at the edge of the ship, smoking. His white shirt had been patched up by Fubuki, but the bandages around his body were still visible.

"Hmm? Ah, of course. I'll be good in a few days or a week," Noir replied, rubbing his torso, where his severe injuries had yet to fully heal.

"You're seriously not normal. Even a blade couldn't cut through your bones," Zoro commented, recalling how Morgan's axe had stopped halfway through Noir's arm, unable to break the bone as if it struck steel.

"Yeah, he's just as insane as Luffy," Ihwa added, wiping the sweat off her brow, her jacket discarded after an intense training session. Nearby, the rest of the crew continued their physical training, pushing themselves to their limits.

Noir had assigned them physical training for now, as their small ship lacked the space for proper martial arts practice. Still, seeing Noir in action inspired them to improve their combat skills. Ihwa, in particular, intrigued him—he had a hunch she had a knack for imitation.

"You're no better. You've gone days without food or water and are still alive," Noir shot back at Zoro, only to wince as pain flared up in his shoulder. The wounds he had sustained from Morgan's attacks were severe, and fighting as usual could worsen his condition. For now, he'd have to rely on his Aikido, a skill that had improved significantly after the fight with Morgan.

"Tch. You really don't know when to quit, do you?" Noir grumbled as Ihwa casually plopped onto his lap, resting against his injured shoulder. She clearly had no intention of moving despite his protests.

"Hah, turns out you're just a pervert," Zoro teased, looking away in mild embarrassment at the sight.

"Big talk for a guy who's always lost," Noir retorted, smirking as Ihwa burst out laughing, leaving Zoro visibly annoyed, his face slightly red. Recently, Zoro had shared stories of his wanderings, how his sense of direction often got him stranded, forcing him to hunt pirates for bounties just to survive. Yuki had called him a "directionless fool," while Fubuki dubbed him a "broken compass."

"I think I'll need a staff or spear soon," Maki said, swinging a wooden stick she had picked up. She wore training clothes provided by Noi and seemed eager to try her hand at polearms.

"I'll find you a proper naginata later. For now, just keep training with that," Noir replied before getting whacked on the head with the stick. He glanced at Maki, who smirked at him from the side of the ship.

After some time, as they sailed, Luffy suddenly looked up. "Oi, I think I see a bird," he said, catching Noir and Zoro's attention. They followed his gaze and spotted a massive bird in the sky.

"How about we eat that?" Luffy grinned wide, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Hmm, it's too far to reach. Even Fubuki's abilities can't hit something that high," Yuki commented, shading her eyes from the sun as she looked up.

"How do we even cook that bird on a tiny ship like this?" Maki asked, rubbing her eyes as the sunlight hit her face. She surveyed the state of their ship—the one used by the women was in terrible condition, while the men's ship was in better shape, but still small.

"Unless we tie it up and bring it to the nearest island, I don't think we can," Ihwa suggested, standing up from Noir's lap and stepping onto the women's ship.

"So how do we catch it? That bird is out of my range, and we don't have any firearms," Fubuki added, wiping the sweat off her brow. She was no longer wearing her usual outfit but had switched to black leggings, a black sports bra, and Noir's white jacket, which she left partially unzipped. She completed the look with white sneakers.

"Leave it to me!" Luffy said with his signature confident grin.

"How exactly are you planning to do that?" Zoro asked, glancing at the giant bird far off in the distance. Without responding, Luffy stretched his arm, grabbing hold of the ship's mast.

"Gomu Gomu no… Rocket!" Luffy shouted as he launched himself at the bird at high speed. But, as Noir had expected, instead of solving the problem, Luffy created a bigger one by getting his head caught in the bird's mouth.

'Looks like my Luck stat is useless after all,' Noir thought, shaking his head in disbelief at the mess they were in.

"Ahhhh!!! Somebody save me!!!" Luffy's voice echoed as the bird flew away with him in its beak.

"You idiot!!!" Zoro roared in frustration. For a moment, he had thought Luffy was being clever with his Devil Fruit ability, but it had only added to their troubles.

"Noir, hold on tight!" Zoro yelled as he grabbed the oars.

"By the way, you four, think of this as training," Noir said casually, just as Zoro started rowing with all his might, propelling their ship forward at an incredible speed.

"That's cheating, Noir-kun!!" Yuki shouted from the women's ship, rowing alongside Ihwa. Having just finished a physical workout ten minutes earlier, this additional strain felt unbearable. Fubuki and Maki also joined in, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't match Zoro's pace.

"That jerk… I'll drain him dry when we catch up," Fubuki grumbled angrily, glaring at Noir's retreating figure. Her words sent chills down the spines of the others, though they continued rowing with unwavering determination.

"Or maybe you'll be the one knocked unconscious," Maki teased, causing Fubuki's face to flush bright red before she quickly averted her gaze. The trio laughed at her reaction, their laughter not slowing their pace in the slightest.

*************

"Hey! You there! Stop the boat!" several men shouted. Zoro and Noir turned, startled to see three men floating adrift in the open sea.

"Stranded people, at a time like this?" Zoro grumbled.

"We can't just leave them behind," Noir said. "Oi! We're not stopping, so grab on as we pass! Pull yourselves up!" Thankfully, the trio managed to grip the edge of the boat and haul themselves aboard.

"Phew, I didn't think they'd make it."

"Hahaha, they are really good at climbing," said Noir, amazed at how fast the three of them climbed onto the fast-moving ship.

"Wow, thank God, I almost died"

"Is he crazy? Instead of stopping when someone in the middle of the sea asked for help, he just went faster."

"You want to kill us, huh?!" the three of them shouted at the same time, after all, they had almost been hit by their ship.

"You bastards!" one of the men growled, drawing a sword. "Stop the boat right now! We're members of Buggy the Clown's crew! This ship is ours now!"

"Hah…?!"

***************

Bruised, battered, and utterly defeated, two of the three men now sat quietly, nursing their wounds and avoiding the deadly glares of the green-haired swordsman across from them. Noir sat at the boat's edge, smoking a cigarette as he gazed at the horizon. "Don't slack off," Zoro barked at them. "If you idiots mess around, we'll lose our friend. So row unless you want to swim to shore!"

"But why were you stranded in the middle of the sea?" Noir asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke. He was genuinely curious; there were no signs of a wrecked boat or debris nearby.

"It's all because of her!" one of the men snapped. He had lightly tanned skin, orange sideburns, and a puff of orange hair shaped like an oblong. He wore a yellow-and-purple striped sleeveless shirt, a turquoise sash, and dark gray baggy pants.

"Yeah, that conniving woman tricked us!" the pale-skinned man with sharp cheekbones and a black beanie added, frustration evident in his voice. He wore a deep-V orange shirt with purple accents, a green sash, and maroon shorts.

"But she was incredibly beautiful," the third man, chubby and dark-skinned with a crescent-shaped unibrow and beard, murmured wistfully. He wore an open black vest, an army green sash, and white baggy pants. Around his neck hung an anchor-shaped pendant.

The three explained how they'd been fooled by a woman pretending to be sick and carrying a treasure chest aboard her ship. When they opened the chest, it was empty, and when they turned back, their ship was gone. To make matters worse, a storm had wrecked their small vessel, leaving them stranded at sea.

"Talk about bad luck," Noir muttered, stifling a laugh. Though he found their gullibility amusing, he couldn't deny that Luffy had caused his fair share of headaches as well.

"But that woman was amazing," Zoro remarked, impressed. "She could predict the weather perfectly. Maybe we should ask her to be our navigator."

"That's highly unlikely. Besides, we're pirates," Noir replied matter-of-factly. Zoro nodded in agreement but then turned to Noir with a curious expression.

"By the way, do you think they're alright?" Zoro gestured toward the women struggling to keep up.

"Ah, they'll be fine… probably," Noir said nonchalantly, blowing out a puff of smoke as he glanced skyward. The men rowing beside him were slightly slower than Zoro, so the women would likely catch up soon enough.

"Speaking of which, you three mentioned being part of Buggy's crew," Zoro said, recalling their earlier claim.

"He's our captain! Haven't you heard of Buggy the Clown Pirates?" the middle man asked, surprised by their lack of recognition. "He's eaten a Devil Fruit and is incredibly strong!"

"A Devil Fruit user, huh? Sounds fun," Noir said with a smirk, flicking his cigarette butt into the sea. So far, he'd only encountered two Devil Fruit users—Fubuki and his captain, Luffy.

'Looks like my Luck stat is working just fine after all,' Noir mused, rubbing his still-healing left shoulder, the pain dulled by one of his skills.

***************

Orange Town, East Blue.

A young girl was sprinting down a road, clutching a rolled-up piece of paper that resembled a treasure map. She was a slim young woman of average height with short orange hair and brown eyes. She wore her signature orange miniskirt, which had two white rings on each side filled with orange or brown in the center, paired with a white and blue striped short-sleeve shirt.

Chasing after her were three pirates, shouting angrily, "Stop, thief! Hand over that map!"

One of them was a dark-skinned man with black hair parted to either side of his head. He wore a large circular earring, a dark yellow button-up shirt, brown pants, and a light brown belt. The second was bald and pale, with two horizontal scars circling the upper part of his head. He was dressed in a reddish-brown shirt with writing on it, a white sash, and dark-colored pants. The last pirate had tanned skin, red hair, and makeup around his eyes and lips. He wore a black-and-white checkered bandana, a green V-neck shirt, a brown sash, and black pants.

Above them, a massive bird flew in the sky. Perched on its back was Luffy.

Out of nowhere, a gunshot rang through the air, echoing loudly. The bullet struck the bird, causing it to cry out in pain as it plummeted to the ground, severely injured. Luffy, who was riding on its back, fell along with it, landing directly in front of the orange-haired girl and the three pirates.

"Damn it! Who just shot at me?" Luffy yelled as he slowly got up, brushing off the dust that had kicked up from his fall. "Well, at least I finally landed," he added with a grin, as the dust began to clear, revealing his figure.

All four of them—Nami and the three pirates—stared at him in shock. After a brief moment, the orange-haired girl's expression shifted, an idea suddenly lighting up her face. "Oh, boss! You're finally here! Please save me!" she exclaimed, her tone full of desperation. She quickly stepped behind Luffy, using him as a shield, before taking off in the opposite direction.

"Ha! If the boss is here, there's no point in chasing the lackey when we can take down the leader instead!" one of the pirates said with a sinister grin. Without hesitation, the bald one stepped forward and swung his fist at Luffy's head. However, his punch had absolutely no effect, simply bouncing off harmlessly. Unfortunately for him, the force of the punch knocked Luffy's straw hat off his head.

"Ah?!" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes narrowing as he reached for his fallen hat. A wave of anger surged through him as he carefully picked it up. His voice was low but furious as he spoke, "Don't you dare touch my most precious treasure!"

With a single punch, Luffy sent the bald pirate flying, leaving him unconscious on the ground.

Seeing their companion defeated so easily, the other two pirates lunged at Luffy, shouting in rage. But their fates were no different; in a matter of seconds, they were both knocked out cold, sprawled next to the bald one.

Up above, perched on the balcony of a nearby building, the orange-haired girl watched the scene unfold. She crossed her legs and smirked as she called out, "Wow, you're really strong! You took them down with just your bare hands."

"Who are you?" Luffy asked, looking up at her in confusion. His memory of falling from the sky and landing in front of her was already fuzzy, as if it had slipped from his mind.

The girl grinned mischievously, raising her hand and forming a circle with her thumb and index finger—a universal gesture for money. "I'm a pirate treasure thief! My name's Nami. How about you join me?"

"Pirate treasure thief?" Luffy repeated, tilting his head in curiosity.

*************

The women's boat rocked slightly as the four strained at the oars, their breaths heavy and faces glistening with sweat. The effort was monumental—rowing at full strength so soon after a grueling workout session was borderline torture. The sun bore down on them mercilessly, and the salty sea breeze did little to ease their discomfort.

"I swear, Noir is the worst!" Fubuki huffed, her brow furrowed in frustration. She leaned into each stroke of the oar, her movements slightly exaggerated as though trying to vent her anger through sheer physical effort. "How could he just leave us like this?! After all the hard work we did for his stupid training program, he just—just rows away?!"

"He didn't even slow down!" Yuki added, her tone just as sharp as she yanked at the oars with renewed vigor. "That man has zero sense of chivalry. None! And to think he dared to call this 'training'—this is just punishment!"

"Focus on rowing," Ihwa muttered under her breath, though her arms burned with exertion. Despite her quiet nature, even she couldn't help but feel a tinge of annoyance. She glanced at the other three women, their faces painted with a mix of irritation and determination. "Complaining won't make us catch up any faster."

"Oh, let me complain, Ihwa," Fubuki shot back, her telekinetic abilities activating with a flick of her fingers. Several additional oars began moving in perfect unison alongside their boat, visibly increasing their speed. "If I don't, I might actually explode! That idiot Noir… acting so high and mighty, just because he's strong. Does he think we're not strong too?!"

Yuki laughed, though her breath came out ragged. "Oh, he knows we're strong. He just enjoys seeing us suffer, the sadist."

Maki, the most composed of the group, sighed and shook her head. "Sadist or not, he's focused. We've been trying to distract him for two weeks, and he hasn't flinched once."

Fubuki smirked, though her cheeks were flushed from a mix of exertion and something else. "Well, maybe if someone other than me actually tried something, he wouldn't be so immune! Honestly, what man can resist a gorgeous, sexy woman like me? I've been wearing his jacket for days—days, mind you!—and he hasn't even batted an eye."

As if to emphasize her point, she tugged on Noir's slightly oversized jacket, which she had taken to wearing during training sessions. It was soaked in her sweat from the earlier workout, but that didn't seem to deter her enthusiasm. She lifted the collar slightly, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath of its scent. "It still smells like him, even after all the sweat… ugh, I can't decide whether to strangle him or kiss him."

Yuki groaned. "Fubuki, seriously? You're sniffing his jacket now? That's creepy, even for you."

Fubuki shot her a playful glare. "Oh, please. Like you don't wish you had something of his to sniff! Admit it, Yuki—you'd give anything to spend a night in Noir's bed."

Yuki's face turned beet red, and she nearly lost her grip on the oar. "W-what?! I—I mean, who wouldn't want to? But that doesn't mean I'm sniffing his jacket like some lovesick puppy!"

Maki, who had been quietly rowing, suddenly let out a small chuckle. "You two are hopeless. Noir's not interested in any of us, and you know it. He's too focused on his goals to think about relationships. Honestly, it's kind of impressive."

"Oh, please, Maki," Fubuki retorted, narrowing her eyes. "Don't act like you're above it all. I've seen the way you look at him when he's training shirtless."

Maki's calm demeanor faltered for a split second, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "T-that's just because he's a skilled fighter. I admire his technique, not… not him."

"Sure you do," Fubuki teased, her grin widening. "Keep telling yourself that."

Ihwa, still silent, clenched her jaw as she pushed herself to keep rowing. Deep down, she knew Fubuki was right—each of them, in their own way, was drawn to Noir. it was impossible not to be. But unlike the others, she kept her feelings locked away, refusing to let them interfere with their mission. Noir's lack of interest in romance only made it easier for her to hide.

The boat surged forward as Fubuki's telekinetically controlled oars picked up speed. "At this rate, we'll catch them soon," Ihwa observed, her voice steady despite her fatigue.

"And when we do, Noir-kun is going to regret underestimating us," Fubuki declared, her grin turning mischievous. "I'll make him dry and exhausted—literally and figuratively."

"Keep dreaming, Fubuki," Yuki said, though her own expression was equally determined. "We're all taking our turns."

Maki sighed but couldn't suppress a small smile. "Let's just catch up first."

With renewed energy, the four women rowed on, their banter echoing over the waves as they closed the gap between their boat and Noir's. Whatever awaited them when they finally caught up, one thing was certain: Noir would have his hands full.