West Blue—
On a small island.
Two little boys were chasing each other and playing by the roadside.
"Ha ha ha, Bepo, you're too slow!" The boy in front turned back and laughed smugly.
"Damn it, stop right there!" the boy called Bepo shouted breathlessly.
The boy sped up and dashed into the clinic at the street corner.
"Hey! Rosin, how many times have I told you not to run around in the clinic?" A brown-haired girl emerged from the back room carrying a tray.
The tray was piled with bloodstained bandages and cloth.
Hearing that, Rosin hurriedly slammed on the brakes and stopped, sticking out his tongue sheepishly.
Just then, Bepo chased in after him, his little face flushed bright red from running.
"I already made it to the pirate base. I win!" Rosin immediately turned around and declared his victory to Bepo.
"No fair, I'm the hero!" Bepo stomped his feet in frustration. "Even in an enemy base, a hero has to cause a huge commotion."
"Take this!"
The nurse wanted to stop them, but the two children had already started chasing each other through the clinic.
Rosin panicked as Bepo pursued him.
Instinctively, he ran deeper into the clinic, toward the room for critically ill patients.
Bang!
A door suddenly swung open.
Rosin was knocked flat onto his backside.
"Hee hee, I caught the pirate." The boy chasing after him pounced on him and smugly waved his fists.
"I, Hero Garp, win!"
However, his cheer came to an abrupt halt.
The two boys froze in place, staring dumbfoundedly at the figure who stepped out of the critical care room.
His entire body was wrapped in clean white bandages, and his exposed brown eyes looked down at them.
Aside from his short white hair, the most striking thing was the pair of strange-textured black wings folded behind his back.
At that moment, Lin Nuo looked down at his body in slight confusion.
Then he spread his arms, and his black feathered wings fully unfurled.
Rustle!
The bandages restraining his body instantly burst apart.
"Kids, I won this revival match."
Bepo stared wide-eyed at the man, who was taller than the doorway.
Lin Nuo's gaze swept between the two boys before finally stopping on Bepo.
"Did you just shout Garp's name?"
Lin Nuo raised his head and examined the unfamiliar surroundings, the confusion in his eyes deepening.
Lowering his voice, he quietly asked, "Where is this?"
"Have you seen Rocks, Roger, or the others?"
Rossini Archipelago, main island.
The streets of White Shell Town were crowded with people.
Lin Nuo dragged his weary feet down the street.
Over the course of the morning, he had visited every place in town where information circulated.
Bars, bulletin halls, and all sorts of other places... yet he had found nothing.
There was no news whatsoever about Rocks or Roger's whereabouts. Only some of their achievements and legends were being passed around.
He found a shady spot, sat down on the ground, and let out a soft sigh.
It seemed a lot had changed while he was unconscious...
But at least one thing was certain: Kuma had used the Paw-Paw Fruit's power to send him away from God Valley.
But why had he not gone to Kuma's homeland, the Sorbet Kingdom, and instead ended up in West Blue?
Could Imu's Haki have affected the bubble, causing it to burst and ending the ability early?
Still, if even an unconscious him had managed to leave safely, then Rocks and the others should have been fine as well.
It was just that the sea was vast.
Without a Vivre Card, finding them would be easier said than done.
"Hey, Lin Nuo! Wait for us!"
Two childish voices came closer and closer.
Without even looking up, Lin Nuo knew it was Rosin and Bepo, the two little guys he had met first after waking up.
"Why are you two following me around?"
Lin Nuo raised his eyelids and looked at the two boys who had run up before him, panting heavily.
"Let me make this clear first: I'm not interested in men."
As he spoke, he tucked his wings in a little tighter.
"What do you mean, not interested in men?" Bepo wiped away his sweat, his little face completely serious. "Sister Mira told us to keep an eye on you. You're a patient and just got out of bed."
"To stop anything from happening to you, or someone targeting you."
"Things have been pretty chaotic in town lately."
Rosin put his hands on his hips. "And another thing! While you were unconscious these past few days, everyone at our clinic took care of you and used a lot of medicine!"
"Don't tell me you want to skip out without paying your medical bills?"
"Oh... medical bills." Lin Nuo suddenly understood.
After waking up, his mind had been entirely focused on what was outside, and he had forgotten all about that.
Even the pants he was wearing were patient clothes.
"Don't worry," Lin Nuo said sincerely. "I'm not going to skip out. Once I have money, I'll definitely pay it back."
Just then, a loud cry rang out from the street.
"Newspapers! Newspapers! Exclusive reports from the World Economy News Paper!"
"The Navy's latest developments, updated bounties for great pirates of the New World! Don't miss out!"
Newspaper?
Lin Nuo's eyes lit up. He immediately stood and strode toward the vendor.
"Sir... one newspaper, please." Lin Nuo's eyes were already glued to the front-page headline.
"Coming right up. One hundred and twenty Beli." The newspaper seller handed him a fresh paper with a broad smile.
Lin Nuo reached out to take it, but his hand stopped midway.
His wallet was cleaner than Chopper's head right now.
For a moment, the atmosphere became awkward.
Then a small hand reached out from beside him and slapped several coins into the vendor's hand.
"Here. We'll take one."
"Thanks, little boss." The vendor accepted the money, quickly handed over the change, and moved on.
Bepo did not say much. He stuffed the newspaper into Lin Nuo's hands.
"Thanks, Bepo." Lin Nuo took the newspaper. "I'll definitely pay you back later."
"It's fine." Bepo waved his hand.
"After following you around all morning, I can tell you came from far away. You're not from our island."
"You're in such a hurry to gather information. Are you trying to find separated family or companions?"
He puffed out his chest and said boldly, "Consider this newspaper a gift from me!"
"I'm going to become a hero. Heroes help people in trouble."
Lin Nuo looked at Bepo's serious expression, and his heart warmed slightly.
He nodded, committing the kindness to memory, then eagerly opened the newspaper.
The front-page headline was about the heroic deeds of "Navy Hero" Monkey D. Garp.
The accompanying picture showed his trademark hearty grin and collapsed pirate flags behind him.
Sea Circle Calendar Year 1503...
It was still the same year as the God Valley Incident.
Lin Nuo quickly scanned the dates and contents.
The newspaper was filled with all kinds of information:
A princess's grand wedding, naval technology inventions, unrest in non-member nations, merchant ships caught in storms...
Of course, the greatest number of reports concerned pirates and the Navy.
At last, his gaze stopped on a section of the inner pages.
<Paradise of Pirates? Rumors of Hachinosu Island Changing Hands>
The report was vague and unclear.
It merely mentioned signs that this "Beehive Island," regarded by pirates from all walks of life as a transfer hub and fence for stolen goods,
seemed to have recently fallen under the joint control of several rising pirate crews, along with an exterior picture of the entire island.
Beehive Island... wasn't that Rocks's Base?
Lin Nuo's heart skipped a beat.
Right. If he could not find Rocks himself for now, he could think of the place Rocks was most likely to go.
Having found a direction, Lin Nuo's spirits rose.
But after the excitement came the practical considerations.
Beehive Island lay deep within the New World, remote and hidden.
Without a Log Pose, nautical charts, and a reliable ship, it was impossible to get there.
It seemed that for now, he could only keep searching the Rossini Archipelago and the surrounding peninsulas to see if he could find them.
It would be best if he did. If not... he would make longer-term plans later.
"Hey, Lin Nuo," Rosin suddenly leaned closer and asked curiously.
"Actually, I wanted to ask earlier. Why do your companions... have the same names as those great pirates in the newspaper, Rocks and Roger?"
Curiosity sparkled in the little boy's eyes.
"Ah, well..." Lin Nuo rubbed his chin. "Those names are just what they call themselves."
He laughed it off, glossing over the words he had accidentally let slip after waking up.
After the God Valley Incident, he was probably on Imu and the World Government's hit list as well.
Before mastering high-level Haki, it was best to stay as covert as possible.
Thinking of Haki left him feeling somewhat helpless again.
The point in time he had transmigrated to was indeed far too early. Luffy had not even been born yet.
His original plan had been to grow and train alongside Luffy, then establish contact with Shirahoshi, the Ancient Weapon "Poseidon," on Fish-Man Island.
Then he would find a way to go to Wano Country and contact Pluton, before finally heading to Egghead Island to find Vegapunk.
With two Ancient Weapons as trump cards and the world's greatest scientist, even if he could not awaken Conqueror's Haki, he would still have enough to challenge Imu.
Yet he had been thrown straight into God Valley at the start.
Fortunately, after some maneuvering, he had obtained the power of the Phoenix and met many important people.
How should he make use of these extra thirty-odd years?
That was also a problem.
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?" Bepo waved a hand in front of his eyes.
Lin Nuo came back to himself, rubbed his flat stomach, and gave a bitter smile. "Nothing. I'm just hungry."
"I was thinking about what to have for lunch."
The moment he finished speaking, a loud growl came from his stomach.
It was so loud that several passersby nearby looked over in surprise.
Rosin laughed and patted Lin Nuo's leg. "Ha ha, with a body that big, your appetite must be terrifying."
"Come on, eat at my place. My dad's chef makes amazing food, and there'll definitely be enough."
"Really?" Lin Nuo was a little surprised.
"Of course." Rosin put his hands on his hips, copying Bepo's pose.
"Sister Mira told us to take good care of you. We can't just let Bepo show off by himself."
"Hmph, who's showing off? I'm doing my duty," Bepo shouted unhappily. "But you, Rosin, don't you always say you want to become a pirate?"
"Why are you acting like a hero too? If you want to be a hero, you should join the Navy."
"Who says pirates can't be heroes?" Rosin immediately retorted, his little face turning red. "I'm going to become the kind of pirate hero who helps the weak."
"A pirate is a pirate. What kind of hero is that?"
"What do you know? Didn't Garp say there are bad people in the Navy too?"
"You... you're just twisting logic."
"You are."
The two children shoved each other and began chasing around in a playful scuffle.
Seeing that, Lin Nuo hurriedly folded up the newspaper and ran after them.
At a street corner, a man leaning against the wall watched the two children and Lin Nuo run away.
He casually flicked the cigarette butt to the ground, crushed it beneath his toe, then pulled out a Transponder Snail from his coat.
The Transponder Snail was quickly answered, its face taking on a cold, indifferent expression.
"Mm, it's me," the man said in a low voice.
"There have indeed been quite a few unfamiliar faces on the island lately. Today, I saw several more oddly dressed weirdos—not tourists or merchants."
A response came from the Transponder Snail. "Mm, the higher-ups have noticed too."
"The recent commotion has drawn in plenty of hyenas from the outer seas."
"But they're all just a rabble. The boss has more or less calmed them down already."
"That's good." The man lit another cigarette. "By the way, how's the new Base we set up at the harbor? No trouble, right?"
The Transponder Snail replied, "Everything's going smoothly. Recently, the ships entering and leaving the harbor, along with their personnel lists, have basically all been under our control."
"However... the local officials seem quite dissatisfied. They've said they'll invite the Marines over to restore order."
"The Marines..." The man paused mid-drag. "Do you know who they'll send? Any officers above the rank of warrant officer?"
The Transponder Snail said, "Don't worry. We checked. There aren't any."
"The Marines have been making major moves lately, and all their elites have been reassigned."
"Even if one or two warrant officers do come..."
"We have backup plans. There's no need to fear them."
Before you continue