The small village was quiet and peaceful, surrounded by green fields and simple wooden houses. Children ran through the dirt paths, laughing, while the sound of the sea still echoed faintly in the distance. Ren walked a few steps behind Luffy, still trying to process the fact that this world was no longer fiction.
"Oi, Makino!" Luffy shouted as he pushed open the door to a small wooden building that looked like a bar. "I found someone washed up on the beach!"
Ren hesitated at the entrance before stepping in. The warm scent of wood, bread, and a hint of wine filled the air. A young woman with soft green-brown hair approached, smiling kindly.
"Oh?" she said, looking at Ren. "What happened to him?"
"He got hit by the sea or something," Luffy replied casually, already grabbing an apple from the counter. "But he doesn't seem like a bad guy."
Ren gave a polite nod. "Thank you for letting me stay. I'm just… lost."
Makino smiled. "If you can walk on your own, that's a good sign. Sit down. You need food."
Ren nodded and took a seat across from Luffy. Just then, his watch gave off a soft pulse, barely noticeable, but enough to make Ren glance down. A faint light flickered, shifting from blue to gold, then fading.
It reacted again, he thought. But this time… inside the building?
His gaze shifted to Makino, who was calmly pouring a glass of water. Nothing seemed unusual about her, and yet there was something in the air, an unseen pressure, subtle and steady. Not overwhelming, but... present. Like a quiet strength.
Is this Haki? Or something else…?
"You got a name?" Makino asked as she set down a plate of simple food.
"Ren," he replied softly. "Just call me Ren."
Makino smiled again. "Ren, huh? This world's a big place. If you want to survive, don't go trusting people too easily, even the ones who smile."
Ren gave her a small nod, then glanced at his watch, now completely still. There's so much I don't understand… and time might not be on my side.
After finishing the simple but warm meal, Ren leaned back slightly in his chair, letting the calm atmosphere of the bar settle over him. The scent of aged wood, fruit wine, and the faint breeze from the open windows gave the place a strangely comforting feel, too peaceful, almost surreal for someone who had just been flung into another world.
Makino moved about quietly behind the counter, cleaning glasses with calm precision. Luffy had already wandered off to who-knows-where, probably in search of more food or trouble. For the first time since waking up on the shore, Ren found himself alone with his thoughts.
He stood up and began to casually explore the room.
The bar was small but cozy, lined with shelves of bottles and hand-carved decorations. A few faded posters hung on the walls, most of them about old bounties or local events. He paused at one of them: an old wanted poster, yellowed and creased. The name and face weren't familiar, but the symbol in the corner caught his eye, the Marine emblem.
"Interested in pirates already?" Makino asked gently from behind the counter.
Ren turned, not startled, but cautious. "Just looking."
She gave a knowing smile. "Most strangers who come through here are. Not that we get many."
He stepped closer to the counter, fingers resting near his watch. "Has this place ever had trouble? With pirates or Marines?"
Makino looked thoughtful. "Not really. It's a quiet village. Though… sometimes we get the odd visitor who feels larger than life. Like they're meant for more than this place."
Ren didn't reply, but her words lingered. He walked toward the far corner, where a stack of old books lay beside a half-broken compass and a dusty logbook. The watch on his wrist gave the faintest pulse again as his hand passed near the items. He paused.
Again… that feeling. What is this watch responding to? Energy? Presence?
He knelt beside the compass, touching it gently. It didn't move normally, its needle shook slightly, twitching in odd directions before going still. The logbook, worn and scribbled in half-faded ink, had entries about fishing schedules and supply runs... until one line caught his attention.
"Storms growing stronger, strange light seen out at sea near Dawn Island. Locals avoid that area. Feels… wrong."
The page was dated nearly a year ago.
Ren frowned. Strange light? Was that related to how I ended up here?
Before he could turn the next page, the door creaked open.
Footsteps. Heavy ones.
A tall figure entered, casting a long shadow across the wooden floor. Makino looked up, surprised but not alarmed.
"Oh, you're back already."
Ren stood slowly, closing the logbook, his eyes meeting the newcomer.
The man had a large frame, a marine coat slung over his shoulders like a cape, and a face Ren had seen once, in the background of a memory, from a scene in the anime he never thought he'd live through.
Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp.
Ren's muscles tensed the moment he saw the man step into the bar. Towering, broad-chested, and wearing a white Marine coat draped like a cape, the newcomer gave off a heavy presence without even trying. His grin was wide and carefree, but there was something about the way his eyes scanned the room that told Ren this was not someone to underestimate.
"Smells like meat," the man said with a hearty chuckle, sniffing the air. "And trouble."
Makino sighed, but smiled politely. "You just missed Luffy. He was here a minute ago."
"Figures. That rascal always runs off the second he hears my voice," the man laughed again, then turned toward Ren. "And who's this kid?"
Ren straightened his posture, keeping his tone neutral. "Just a traveler. Shipwrecked, I think."
The man studied him for a long moment, longer than was comfortable. Ren felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, not from fear, but instinct. His watch flickered faintly, a soft red pulse, like a warning.
He's dangerous. More than he lets on.
"Shipwrecked, huh?" the man echoed, crossing his arms. "Funny… I've been patrolling these waters for weeks. Haven't heard of any storms, let alone a wreck."
Ren stayed calm. "Maybe you missed one."
The man chuckled again, amused by the answer more than annoyed. "Maybe."
Makino spoke up gently. "This is Vice Admiral Garp, Ren. He's… well, one of the strongest men in the Marines."
Ren offered a polite nod. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise," Garp replied, eyes narrowing slightly. "You've got a strange look in your eye, kid. Like you've seen something the rest of us haven't."
Ren didn't respond.
Garp grinned wider. "You planning on causing trouble?"
"No," Ren said firmly.
"Good," Garp said, and turned his back, walking to the counter. "Because this village has enough idiots already."
Makino handed him a cup of tea, and Garp accepted it with a grunt of thanks. Ren exhaled quietly, his fingers brushing the surface of the watch, still pulsing faintly. He backed away toward the corner, mentally noting every detail.
So even someone like Garp gives off that presence… almost overwhelming. Is that Haki? Or something else entirely?
Garp sipped his tea, not looking at him, but speaking casually. "Don't go poking around things you don't understand, boy. This world doesn't like strangers who think too much."
Ren kept his expression neutral. But in his mind, a single word echoed.
He knows.
Before Ren could respond to Garp's cryptic warning, the door burst open again with a loud bang, nearly flying off its hinges.
"I SMELLED MEAT!" Luffy shouted as he stumbled in, a piece of bread already in his mouth, his cheeks stuffed like a squirrel.
Garp didn't flinch. "There you are, brat."
Luffy froze mid-bite, his eyes locking onto Garp's massive frame by the counter. "Ah, uh, hi, Gramps!"
"You ran off again before training," Garp said flatly, taking another sip of tea.
Luffy laughed nervously. "I was just, uh, helping someone! Yeah! Helping this guy!" He pointed dramatically at Ren, as if trying to use him as a shield.
Ren blinked. "...Thanks?"
Garp raised an eyebrow. "Helping him, huh? Funny. I thought you were stealing meat from the mayor's kitchen again."
Luffy scratched the back of his head, sheepish. "Ehehe… Maybe both?"
Makino sighed, placing a fresh plate of food in front of Luffy. "Eat before your grandfather throws you through the wall."
"Oh, good idea!" Luffy grinned, immediately digging in with both hands.
Ren sat back down slowly, glancing at Garp. The admiral didn't press him further, at least, not for now. But Ren could still feel the man's presence in the room like a weight pressing against his skin. Even Luffy seemed to unintentionally shift the air around him when he got excited, like his emotions carried energy that Ren's watch could detect.
They both have something inside them, Ren thought. And my watch… it's drawn to it. Not just strength, but will.
He looked at Luffy again. For someone so carefree, the kid had a fire in him, untamed, wild, and strangely inspiring. He has no idea what he's going to become, Ren realized. But the world's already pulling him toward it.
"Hey," Luffy said suddenly, mouth full. "You gonna stay here for a while?"
Ren hesitated. "...Maybe."
"Cool!" Luffy said, grinning. "Then you can watch me train! I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates someday!"
Ren smirked slightly. "Is that so?"
"Yup!" Luffy raised a fist to the ceiling. "You'll see. I'm gonna be super strong! Stronger than anyone!"
Garp snorted. "Not if you keep skipping your push-ups, and didn't i tell you to give up on that idea, you'll only become a great marine like me!" garp hit luffy's head while giving him a lecture
"Argh...that's hurt, Gramps! why is your punch always hurt!" Luffy rubbed his head which was hit by Garp.
Makino chuckled, wiping a glass. "Looks like things are getting lively again."
As the sun dipped lower outside and the warm orange light filtered into the bar, Ren allowed himself a rare moment of peace. He was still a stranger in this world. Still lost. But maybe just maybe this strange village, with its strange people, was exactly where he needed to be.
At least for now.
The next morning
The morning sun filtered gently through the canopy of trees behind Makino's bar, casting dappled shadows on the ground. The village was still quiet, only the faint cries of seabirds echoing in the distance. In a secluded clearing just beyond the treeline, Ren stood with his eyes closed, breathing slowly.
His muscles ached from workout but he welcomed the pain. It grounded him.
Opening his eyes, he raised his left wrist. The elemental watch shimmered faintly, its crystal core beginning to glow.
"Time to test it… properly," he murmured.
He stepped back and shifted into a wide stance, left hand forward, palm open.
"Hydro Veil," he said calmly.
A sphere of condensed mist erupted around him, thin and swirling like vapor caught in motion. He swept his hand outward, and the mist spun into a sharp whip of water that lashed at a nearby tree.
Crack!
The bark split clean, a shallow gash left across its trunk. Ren narrowed his eyes, not enough force.
He took a step forward.
"Wind Step."
The air around his feet spiraled, and his body surged forward in a burst of speed, almost vanishing from sight. In the blink of an eye, he appeared ten meters ahead, landing smoothly.
Not bad but the strain was real. His breath quickened slightly, but he wasn't done.
He raised both arms, and the watch glowed yellow.
"Volt Lance."
A small bolt of electricity gathered at his palm and extended into a shimmering spear of lightning. He threw it toward a boulder near the treeline.
BOOM.
The impact was sharp, a spark of light and smoke bursting out from the strike. The stone cracked, heat distorting the air around it.
Ren lowered his arms, exhaling hard. The glow of the watch dimmed slightly cooldown time, it seemed.
Still inconsistent, he thought. It reacts better here, but I can't hold forms for long.
Then came a voice casual, amused, almost lazy.
"Whoa. That was awesome."
Ren turned, startled, to find Luffy standing nearby, barefoot and grinning, arms behind his head.
"How long were you there?" Ren asked, panting slightly.
"Since you made the water spin thing," Luffy said cheerfully.
Ren blinked. "...What?"
Luffy just laughed and walked over. Without another word, he dropped into a set of push-ups on the grass.
Ren watched him for a moment, unsure whether to feel alarmed or... at ease. But there was no judgment in Luffy's tone only genuine excitement.
He returned to training, slower now, alternating footwork drills with short bursts of elemental control calling water to his palm in waves, refining the Hydro Veil into a protective spiral, adjusting the angle of Wind Step to redirect mid-motion. Luffy occasionally glanced over while throwing punches at a tree or practicing weird stretches that seemed more like play than training.
At one point, Luffy landed a solid blow into the trunk of a tree, cracking it down the middle with a laugh. "Still not strong enough!"
Ren raised an eyebrow. "You keep saying that, but I don't see the tree arguing."
"I'll find a bigger one," Luffy said with a grin.
For a moment, they stood in silence. sweating, breathing hard, grounded in motion. Two completely different energies, syncing in the quiet rhythm of morning effort.
As the sun climbed higher, casting long shadows behind them, Luffy stretched with a yawn. "Same time tomorrow?"
Ren wiped his face with the back of his hand. "Yeah."
And just like that, they walk back together to makino's bar. No questions asked. No origins revealed. Just two warriors in the making, unknowingly preparing for storms neither of them could yet imagine.