"I'm going to become the King of the Pirates! Hehe!"
The boy on the screen shouted with a bright smile, his straw hat tilted slightly forward as he laughed without a care in the world.In front of the television, Tomo stared at the screen with sparkling eyes.
At that moment, something inside him ignited.
The boy wearing the straw hat was not just an anime character to him. He was someone chasing an impossible dream without hesitation.
And that dream… felt strangely real.Tomo suddenly jumped to his feet.
"I too will become the next King of the Pi—!"
SMACK!
"Shut up, you numskull!"
An elderly man smacked Tomo on the head with surprising strength.
"Kids these days..." the old man grumbled.
"Oww... that hurt, old man!" Tomo rubbed the top of his head with teary eyes.
"Oh? Should I give you another one?" the old man asked, raising his fist threateningly.
Tomo clenched his own fists and took a dramatic fighting stance.
"I don't care if you're old, old man! No one is stopping me from becoming the King of the Pirates!"
The old man burst into laughter.
"Ho! Look at you, saying such nonsense at such a young age."
Then he crouched slightly and looked Tomo straight in the eyes.
"Listen, boy. Pirates are long gone. And no one can be their king."
"You're lying!" Tomo shouted immediately. "Just like when you said Santa doesn't exist! Or the tooth fairy!"
The old man sighed.
"Oh, am I now? Little Tomo, I only said that so you'd grow up and stop believing in meaningless fantasies."
He stood up and suddenly grabbed Tomo, lifting him onto his shoulder like a sack of rice.
"W-Wait! Put me down!"
But the old man ignored him.His gaze drifted toward the window, where the vast sea stretched endlessly beyond the horizon.
For a brief moment… his expression changed.
Quiet. Distant. And Sad.
"Listen, little Tomo," he said softly. "I don't have much time left with you. So grow stronger for me, okay?"
Tomo blinked in confusion.
"You leaving, old man?"
"Kinda."
The old man smiled faintly.
"For a long, long time."
"When are you coming back?" Tomo asked.
The old man remained silent.
Outside the window, waves gently rolled across the sea.
"Sigh... forget what I said," he said before patting Tomo's head.
"Whatever, old man!" Tomo struggled to escape his grip. "I'm gonna go outside and become the King of the Pirates!"
The moment he was released, Tomo dashed out the door like a rocket.
The house fell silent.
The old man stood alone, watching the door slowly close.
Then he chuckled quietly.
"Hah... kids."
His eyes drifted back toward the sea.
--------
Twelve Years Later
Plop.
Plop.
Plop.
Rain fell endlessly from the gray sky.
On the quiet shore of Colombia, waves rolled against the sand as if mourning alongside the people gathered there.
A funeral was taking place.
"We are here today to honor the passing of Sébastien Rojas," a dark-skinned man said solemnly. "A fisherman. A man of the sea. A father… and a grandfather."
A wooden coffin rested near the water.
Inside it lay the body of the man who had once laughed loudly and smacked a stubborn boy on the head.
Only two people had come to the funeral.
One of them was Tomo.
Now older, taller, and quieter.
He stared blankly at the coffin.
Raindrops slid down his face, mixing with the tears he refused to acknowledge.
Be strong for me, little Tomo.
The words echoed in his mind.
They stabbed deeper than any blade.
I knew this day would come…
So why does it hurt this much?
Tomo clenched his fists.
"You knew this would happen..." he muttered weakly.
His voice trembled.
"So why can't I believe you're really gone?"
His vision blurred.
"Please… just tell me you're lying again."
The tears finally broke free, blending with the rain.
"You were the only family I had."
His voice cracked.
"You were like a father to me."
The dark-skinned man approached him quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Tomo," he said gently. "It's time for the farewell."
He looked toward the sea.
"I know it's hard. But this was his wish."
Tomo nodded slowly.
"...Okay, Diego."
Step by step, he walked toward the coffin.
The rain grew heavier.
When he reached it, he placed his hand softly on the wooden lid.
For a moment, he couldn't speak.
Then he forced a small smile.
"Remember when I said I'd become the King of the Pirates?"
He chuckled weakly.
"I still haven't given up on that dream."
His voice softened.
"So don't get mad and whack me for it… okay, old man?"
Taking a deep breath, Tomo pushed the coffin toward the sea.
The raft slowly drifted away with the waves.
Further and further.
Until it became nothing more than a shadow on the horizon.
Tomo turned and began walking away.
The rain continued to fall.
Then—
A familiar laugh echoed faintly in the wind.
"Hah! You want to become the King of the Pirates?"
Tomo froze.
The voice felt so real.
"So go on then…"
The laughter grew distant.
"Find the One Piece if you dare."
A/N: Now let the journey begin...
(*epic mimusic playing*)