The sun had risen and fallen over the prehistoric canopy of Little Garden seven hundred and thirty times. For Haon, time wasn't measured in days, but in the density of his knuckles and the speed of his shadow.
Two years ago, he was a survivor clinging to a broken wooden stick. Today, he stood at the edge of a volcanic ridge. His physique was carved from stone, built for the explosive pivots he had visualized every night. Below, a ship with a white sheep's head, the Going Merry, docked. Haon watched them. He didn't move yet. He wanted to see what kind of noise these newcomers would bring to his forge.
The Meeting at the Camp
Haon descended the ridge and headed toward Dorry's camp. As he approached, a thunderous voice ripped through the jungle.
"GABABABA!" Brogy's shout boomed from the other side of the island. "Dorry! I found some tiny guests! Bring yours over and meet Haon!"
Haon stepped into the clearing. Luffy, Nami, Vivi, and Usopp looked up, startled. Haon wasn't wearing a shirt, just a dark, tattered vest that showed every cord of muscle earned from two years of brutal evolution. He sat down near the fire, his movements quiet and controlled.
"Whoa! You look strong!" Luffy said, tilting his head. "Are you a pirate?"
"No," Haon said.
"He's been our student!" Dorry said, patting the ground with a massive hand. "Two years of hitting rocks and climbing mountains. He's got the spirit of Elbaf in a human body!"
The crew introduced themselves, though Zoro and Sanji were still deep in the woods on their hunting bet. Nami, however, looked pale, leaning against a rock as a sudden fever from the island's prehistoric climate began to take hold.
The Secret Flashback: The Counter-Trap
As the volcano erupted, signaling the 100-year duel, Haon didn't just stand by. Moments before the giants reached the clearing to begin the fight, Haon had appeared between them.
Dorry paused, his hand hovering over a barrel of ale. "What is this, Haon? It is a gift from the little humans. Don't tell me you're hungry."
Haon stepped forward, his eyes cold. "Brogy, Dorry... don't drink it. It's a trap."
Brogy growled. "A trap? During our sacred duel? Who would dare?"
"There's a rat in the shadows," Haon said. "A bomb is inside that barrel. If you drink it, your stomach becomes a firework. If you fight normally, they'll wait until you're tired and jump you like cowards. But you both are the strongest warriors I know. Let them think they won. Dorry, act like the bomb got you. Brogy, act like you're devastated. I want the 'Artist' to crawl out of his hole so I can show him what a real masterpiece looks like."
The giants clashed. To the Straw Hats watching, it was a tragedy. Dorry fell, an explosion rocking the air. Brogy let out a mournful roar and collapsed in "grief." Seeing the attack, Luffy and the others charged into the jungle to find the culprit but were quickly separated in the thick fog.
Viewpoint: The Swordsman's Cage
Zoro moved through the thicket. He had lost Sanji's trail ten minutes ago. "That damn cook must have taken a wrong turn," he muttered, completely unaware he was walking in a circle. He stepped into a clearing and saw a girl on a picnic blanket.
"What's a sassy lost child doing here?" Zoro asked, stepping closer.
Before he could draw, Miss Goldenweek flicked her brush. A splash of yellow paint hit Zoro—the "Laughter" symbol. Zoro froze, his face twisting into a forced, hysterical grin. He couldn't stop laughing long enough to grip his swords.
Suddenly, the ground turned into white sludge. Mr. 3 appeared, grinning as wax rose with impossible speed. Zoro was knocked out by the sheer volume of wax. When he woke up, he was trapped in a giant candle castle alongside Nami and Vivi. Because of the "Laughter" paint still on his chest, he was stuck in a ridiculous, grinning pose even as he faced certain death.
Viewpoint: The Sniper's Redemption
Usopp was shaking behind a tree. He saw Luffy pinned under a massive boulder, staring blankly at a blue "Calm" symbol.
"Luffy! Get up!" Usopp hissed.
"I just want to be a rock, Usopp," Luffy replied. "Rocks just... exist."
Suddenly, Mr. 5 stepped out, aiming his revolver. "Enough talk. I'll blow that rubber head right off."
Usopp's legs were playing a drum solo, but he reached for his slingshot. "I am Usopp, the Great Warrior of the Sea! I need a color!" He grabbed flammable oil and a fire star.
"Take this! Usopp Fire Bird Star!"
The flaming projectile hit the "Calm" symbol on Luffy's chest, burning the paint away. Luffy's eyes snapped back to normal. "WHO SET ME ON FIRE?!"
"I DID! NOW GET THAT ROCK OFF YOU!" Usopp screamed.
Luffy roared, shattering the boulder. He lunged forward, grabbing Mr. 5's face. "Gomu Gomu no... PISTOL!" While Luffy handled the explosive man, Usopp charged Miss Goldenweek, managing to tackle her and disrupt her paints, knocking her out of the fight.
Sanji and the "Mr. 0" Call
Sanji had found a hidden wax house. Inside, a Transponder Snail began to ring. Gacha.
"This is Mr. 0," a deep voice came through.
Sanji leaned back, lighting a cigarette. "Oh, hello there, Boss. This is Mr. 3. Everything is going great. I've turned the giants into candles and the Straw Hats are basically lawn ornaments now."
"Excellent," Crocodile replied. "Bring me the head of the Princess."
"Sure thing, Boss. I'll just finish my tea first," Sanji smirked. "By the way... you can call me Mr. Prince. And your 'artists' are about to get a very rude awakening." He smashed the snail.
The Rat Gets Cooked
Mr. 3 stood on his wax pedestal, viewing his "masterpiece." He thought he had absolute control. "I am the strongest! Look at my art! The giants are broken, the swordsman is a candle, and the Captain is—"
Haon stepped out of the treeline, his hand in his pocket. "Dorry, Brogy. The rat is out of the hole."
Dorry opened one eye and grinned. Brogy stood up like a mountain, shaking the earth. Mr. 3's jaw hit the floor. "What?! You were faking?! That's cap! I saw the explosion!"
Haon turned to Mr. 3 with pure disgust. "You talk a lot for someone who's about to become a map."
"Don't mock my art!" Mr. 3 screamed. He slammed his hands together. "Candle Champion!" A massive suit of hardened wax armor encased him, turning him into a wax titan. He swung a massive fist at Haon.
Haon didn't flinch. He used a slight pivot, the wax fist whistling past his ear. He stepped into Mr. 3's guard and delivered a series of rapid-fire body blows. Thud-thud-thud. Each hit echoed like a hammer on an anvil.
"Is that all?" Haon asked.
Mr. 3 growled, firing Wax Daggers from his palms. Haon moved like a shadow, weaving through the projectiles. He lunged forward, catching one dagger mid-air and snapping it with his bare hand.
"My turn," Haon whispered.
He jumped, twisting his body in mid-air. "Elbaf Style: Crushing Peak!" He brought his heel down on the shoulder of the wax suit. The armor groaned and cracked, but Mr. 3 reinforced it instantly.
"You can't break it! My wax is harder than steel!" Mr. 3 yelled, firing a wave of liquid wax at Haon's feet.
Haon used the momentum of the crack to propel himself upward. He used a tree branch to swing back around. This time, he didn't use a flashy move. He landed on the wax titan's chest and began a relentless barrage of short, brutal elbows. Crack. Crack. CRACK. The armor finally gave way. Haon reached through the hole and grabbed Mr. 3 by the collar, pulling him out of the suit like a snail from a shell.
"One hand," Haon muttered, his left hand still tucked firmly in his pocket.
Miss Valentine dropped from the sky. "10,000 KILOS!" Haon snapped his leg upward, catching her in the shoulder. The force redirected her weight, driving her into the dirt like a tent stake.
"Green Hair, stay still."
"The name's Zoro, you bastard!" Zoro yelled from the wax tower. "And hurry up, this pose is embarrassing!"
Haon lunged at the tower with a spinning heel kick. BOOM. The structure exploded. Nami, Vivi, and Zoro fell to the ground. Zoro looked disappointed. "Tch. I was just getting to the good part of the pose."
"SHUT UP, ZORO!" Nami yelled.
Haon walked back to the dazed Mr. 3. He grabbed him by his "3" hair and delivered one final, bone-shattering elbow to the ribs. "I don't have a dream," Haon said, his voice cold. "Because I will make it reality. I'm going to become the monster at the top of the food chain. You? You're just a snack."
He finished with a spinning kick that sent Mr. 3 flying through the forest.
The clearing was silent. Sanji and Usopp finally ran into the clearing, panting. Sanji looked at the wreckage of the wax armor, the unconscious Miss Valentine, and finally at the shirtless man standing over the debris.
"Who's the muscle?" Sanji asked, lighting a cigarette as he looked at Haon.
"That's Haon," Usopp said, still catching his breath. "He... he just dismantled them with one hand in his pocket."
"Is that so?" Sanji blew out a cloud of smoke, eyeing Haon's tattered vest. "Nice style. Though you're underdressed for a dinner party."
Luffy finally walked over, grinning ear to ear. "He's awesome, right? He's coming with us!"
Haon looked at the giants. They were nodding, grinning through the pain.
"The island is getting small," Haon said, finally taking his hand out of his pocket. "Let's go see if the rest of the world has more than just rats."
The Farewell: The Spirit of Elbaf
The Going Merry was prepped. Haon stood on the shore before the two titans. Dorry reached down, resting a finger on Haon's shoulder. "GABABABA! So, the little bird finally found his wings, eh? Go break the world."
Brogy chuckled. "You carry the pride of Elbaf in those knuckles now."
Haon struck his fist against his chest. "I didn't just learn how to fight here. I learned how to stand. I won't forget this home."
"GABABABA! Enough of that!" Dorry roared. "Go! The sea is calling!"
As the Merry pulled away, a gargantuan eye broke the surface, the Island Eater. "The giant goldfish!" Vivi gasped.
The massive beast opened a maw that looked like a gateway to another world, ready to swallow the tiny ship whole. But before the crew could even draw their weapons, two voices roared from the shore, cutting through the sound of the crashing waves.
"GABABABA! You think you can take our student's ride?!"
"GEGYAGYAGYA! Not on our watch!"
Dorry and Brogy stood at the very edge of the coast, their feet sinking into the sand. They moved in perfect synchronization, a harmony born of a hundred years of combat. Dorry raised his scarred sword, and Brogy hoisted his massive axe. The air around them began to vibrate with pure, concentrated pressure.
"ELBAF NO YARI: HAKOKU!" (Sovereign of the Sea!)
They swung. A massive, cylindrical blast of sheer force tore through the air, screaming across the water like a physical god. It hit the Goldfish with the power of a falling moon. The beast didn't even have time to scream; the pressure bored a hole straight through its titanic body, exploding out the other side in a spray of salt and gore.
The shockwave hit the Merry, surging it forward like it had been shot from a cannon.
Haon stood at the railing, the wind whipping his vest as the golden scales of the dead beast rained down around the ship. He looked back one last time. Through the mist of the explosion, he saw the two giants silhouetted against the sun, their weapons held high in a final salute.
"They really are monsters," Zoro muttered, finally sheathing his swords with a look of begrudging respect.
"The best kind," Haon replied quietly.
He watched the giants shrink into the distance until they were just two mountain-like peaks on the horizon. He tucked his hand back into his pocket, his gaze turning toward the vast, unpredictable blue ahead.
The student was gone. The monster had begun his hunt.