Krieg fought the urge to clutch his head at this completely unforeseen report. His mind raced, cataloging the risks and rewards of Fisher Tiger's survival.
In the original timeline, Tiger was the catalyst for almost every major Fishman-related event. If he lived, Krieg's "future knowledge" might become useless—or worse, the world could spiral in an even darker direction.
First, there was Arlong. In the original story, the sawtooth shark fishman—furious over his hero being "ambushed" by the Marines—attacked a Marine unit and was subsequently captured by Borsalino (then a Vice Admiral).
Then there was Jinbe. After Tiger's death, Jinbe took command of the Sun Pirates and joined the Seven Warlords of the Sea (Oka Shichibukai). As a condition of his enlistment, he secured a pardon for Arlong. Once released, Arlong left the Sun Pirates for the East Blue, where he established a reign of terror over the Conomi Islands.
That tyranny led to the murder of Belle-mere. It forced Nami to serve Arlong with her cartography skills, eventually leading her to join Luffy's crew after Arlong's defeat.
While Tiger's survival offered a powerful combat asset and his prestige as a liberator was unmatched, the "benefits" were few compared to the structural collapse of history. If Arlong never went to the East Blue, the tragedy of Cocoyasi Village would be averted—but it was also highly likely that Jinbe would never become a Warlord, and Nami would never join the Straw Hat Pirates.
Furthermore, a living Fisher Tiger was a massive target for the World Government. Strategically, it was better for the world to believe he was dead. Fortunately, Krieg saw a way.
『Krieg? You still there?』 Tesoro's voice pulled him back to reality.
"Right. My plan is set. First, what is Tiger's current status? And how far has the news of his survival spread?"
『He's stable for now, though he hasn't regained consciousness. As for his survival, only myself, Maria Napole, and the Fishmen here know. I figured it was best to wait for your orders before letting a word out.』
"Good. Is there a man named Arlong there?"
『Hang on... Yeah. He looks ready to go on a suicidal rampage against the Marines who attacked Tiger.』
"Keep him contained. Now, is there a man named Jinbe there? If so, put him on."
Krieg decided to talk to the one man who valued reason: Jinbe.
『...This is Jinbe. Who might you be?』
"It's better if you don't know my name for now. Just call me 'Bear'."
『"Bear"... a pseudonym, then?』
"I have a request regarding Fisher Tiger."
『...If you mean to harm the Boss, then you'll have to deal with—』
"Stay calm. I have no intention of harming him. On the contrary, for the sake of the future, shouldn't we let the world believe he is dead?"
Krieg laid out his proposal to Jinbe, keeping his cards close to his chest but being firm on the logic.
『Believed dead? ...What exactly would that achieve?』
"There are risks and rewards, but..." Krieg explained only what was necessary for the present situation.
『I see... It is true that if the world knows the Boss survived, the Marines will never stop hunting us. If we declare him dead as a result of this incident, the heat dies down. I understand the logic, but...』
"Please. I have no desire to hurt a hero like Fisher Tiger. We will provide him with full protection. I know it's hard to trust a voice on a wire, but I'm asking you to take this leap."
『...Very well. I sense no falsehood in your words. I will propose this to the others.』
Krieg waited in anxious silence for a few minutes until Jinbe returned to the line.
『The matter is settled. One of our brothers took some convincing, but we have a pact: the Boss's survival remains a secret. To the world, he died today.』
"Thank you. I'm currently far away, but we will meet face-to-face soon. I'll give you my thanks properly then. Put Tesoro back on."
Krieg finalized the instructions with Tesoro, ensuring the Sun Pirates would be moved to a secure location.
The immediate crisis was averted, but Krieg knew he had to return to the Grand Line as soon as possible. Fortunately, his business with Pearl and Belle-mere was concluded. His only regret was not being able to check on the other future Straw Hats in the East Blue.
Wait... he thought suddenly. Shanks hasn't already lost his arm yet, has he?
The Original Deviation: Rear Admiral Krieg
Determined to witness the very beginning—the foundational bond between Shanks and Luffy—the Beatrice slipped into the waters of the Goa Kingdom and anchored near Foosha Village.
Krieg went ashore alone under the cover of night, but the Red Force was nowhere to be seen. Did I miss them? he wondered. He decided to wait, keeping the ship hidden behind the island's cliffs while he observed from afar.
During his stakeout, he spotted a young boy showing off his ability to stretch like rubber. Luffy had already eaten the fruit, but notably, he wasn't wearing the iconic straw hat. I'm early, Krieg realized with a start. The legendary scene hasn't happened yet.
He exhaled, his fist clenching instinctively. In this timeline, Shanks still had both arms. To let a pirate of that caliber lose his primary limb to a mere local sea king was a strategic waste.
If Krieg could intervene, he could preserve Shanks' full combat power while still ensuring Luffy learned the lessons he needed to become the future King of the Pirates.
He mapped out the necessary conditions:
Eliminate the Mountain Bandits.
Force Red-Haired Shanks to protect Luffy.
Teach Luffy the cruelty of the sea, his own powerlessness, and the true greatness of Shanks.
Number three is going to be the hard part, Krieg grumbled as he returned to the Beatrice to finalize his plan.
A few days later, the report finally came in: the Red Force had returned to Foosha Village. Through his scouts, Krieg confirmed that the mountain bandit leader, Higuma, had already kidnapped Luffy and taken him out to sea. Everything was proceeding according to the "script."
As Higuma's small boat reached open water, the Beatrice surged out from the shadow of the island. Krieg gripped a megaphone.
"Bandit! Heave to immediately, or we will sink you!"
"What!? A red Marine pennant!?" Higuma barked, panicked. "Tch! Hey, Marine! I've got a hostage here! One more step and the brat gets it!"
Negotiation is useless, Krieg thought. He lowered a small boat and began rowing toward them alone, ignoring the bandit's frantic threats.
"I said stay back!! Do you want the kid to die!?"
Krieg ignored him, looking back at his own ship. "Alright. Fire."
『Sir? But the hostage—』
"Do it. The boy is an ability user; if he falls in the water, I'll retrieve him. Fire!"
『Acknowledged!』
The Beatrice's cannons roared in a coordinated volley. The sea around Higuma's boat erupted in pillars of water and fire. Amidst the chaos, the "Lord of the Coast"—the sea king—reared its head, sensing a meal.
"Flying Fist Cannon (Tobikenpo)!" Krieg roared, sending a shockwave through the air that sent the monster reeling back into the depths. I didn't make an entrance for you, move aside.
Within a minute, the cannonade ceased. Where the boat had been, only splintered wood remained. Higuma was nowhere to be seen, likely sent to the bottom, leaving only a small boy splashing desperately in the water. Krieg rowed over and hauled Luffy up by the scruff of his neck.
"You okay, kid?"
"Cough! Hack! ...Hah... hah... thanks, mister..."
The young Luffy thanked him sincerely. Krieg felt a pang of guilt—hurting a child went against his grain—but he had to play the "villain" to make the lesson stick.
"Now then, boy. You survived that bombardment... are you something special?" Krieg asked with theatrical curiosity.
"Eh? I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi! My body is made of rubber!" Luffy pulled his cheek, stretching it wide.
"I see, a fruit user. Tell me, boy... what do you think of pirates?"
Luffy's eyes lit up. "I'm gonna be a pirate when I grow up! It looks so fun!!"
"...I see." Krieg's voice went cold. He removed his gauntlet and hoisted Luffy up by the collar. "You want to be a pirate?"
"Gah... mister, what are you...?"
Forgive me, Luffy! Krieg apologized internally, making sure to support the boy's jaw so he wasn't actually choking him. "As you can see, I am a Marine. A boy who wants to be a pirate—especially an ability user—is someone I cannot let go. Besides, wanting to be a pirate with such pathetic strength... don't make me laugh."
Shanks!! Get here already!
As if on cue, a voice roared from behind him.
"YOU!! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO MY FRIEND!?"
A blade swung down toward Krieg's back. He slipped to the side, letting the strike whistle past.
"Well, well. If it isn't Red-Haired Shanks."
"Krieg!? What the hell are you doing here!?" Shanks snarled, his eyes flashing with fury.
"Just doing my job. I found a suspicious man with this boy; he ignored my orders, so I sank him. Now the boy tells me he wants to be a pirate, so I was giving him a lesson in reality."
Krieg tossed Luffy onto the floor of the boat and drew his Hakubi-kon staff.
"Krieg... you can't be serious," Shanks whispered, his Haki beginning to flare. The sheer pressure made the air tremble, but Krieg held his ground. Luffy needed to see this. He needed to see what a real pirate looked like.
"If you're going to stand in my way, Red-Hair... then I'll just have to go through you!"
Man, why do I have to be the one to do this? Krieg thought, his face hardened into a mask of cold resolve as he raised his staff to intercept Shanks' incoming twin strikes.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: [email protected]/Master_Studios677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.