Hua Country had finally unified Flower Country completely. Chen Yu had accomplished his first goal since coming to this world.
Hua Country rose above the sea like a blazing sun, its light sending tremors through the Four Seas wherever it reached. Yet beyond the bustle of Zichen Hall in Chang'an and the press of official business, a name from the distant East Blue lingered in Chen Yu's mind-the child of destiny who, along the original course of fate, would unleash the great waves of an era: "Straw Hat."
That day, Chen Yu dismissed his attendants and stood alone in the hall. Arceus's primordial power of creation flowed faintly around him, and the empty space before him rippled like water, slowly opening into a gate of light that spanned the boundless seas. Beyond it lay the tranquil East Blue, Goa Kingdom, Foosha Village.
The setting sun stretched the shadows of the trees long.
Chen Yu took one step and silently appeared beneath the shelter of a towering tree on the mountain behind Foosha Village. His presence blended with nature; even someone standing right beside him would not have noticed him. His gaze passed through the warm afternoon glow and settled on a boy desperately striking a boulder in a forest clearing.
The boy was Monkey D. Luffy, only thirteen years old. He wore that unmistakable straw hat, and sweat soaked his thin shirt. Again and again, he shouted and charged at the enormous rock with his fists, only to be flung back by the recoil and land in a dusty heap. Yet his eyes shone astonishingly bright, burning with an unyielding fire and an almost obstinate resolve.
"Gum-Gum... Damn it! Still no good!"
Thirteen-year-old Luffy was sent flying by his own limp fist once again, the back of his head striking