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On Saint Madely Island, not far from Marineford, a mountain thick with dense trees rises tall—known as Mount Kentoki. Little is known about this mountain, except that it's a ruthless jungle filled with beasts and secrets. Places like this exist all over the sea-covered world, but nestled on one of its slopes was a small village that constantly suffered from wild animal invasions at its borders.
Eight years ago, a child was banished from that village for reasons that remained hidden. He was only six years old at the time. His name: Sentoumaru. Abandoned in the unforgiving forest with no shelter and no warmth, he didn't die. On the contrary, he grew stronger.
In the heart of the mountain, beneath towering trunks and the chill of perpetual shadow, he learned to defend himself. His small body became his weapon. Over time, his steps grew longer, his arms stronger, his features sharper. It was as if the forest raised him in its own harsh way—gifted with an unusually sturdy frame and sharpened senses honed by nature itself, Sentoumaru survived again and again through the fangs of bears and wolves.
By the time he was 12, he was discovered by Vegapunk and Borsalino during a scientific expedition to Mount Kentoki. Borsalino moved ahead to clear the path from the bothersome bears, only to find, to his surprise, that the threat had already been eliminated. A lone boy had done it all—by himself. Impressed, Borsalino wanted to take the boy as Vegapunk's personal bodyguard and bring him under his wing. But fate had other plans.
Just a year later, Vegapunk escaped and joined the Revolutionary Army—now operating under the protection of Rob, the mysterious creator of the manga that shook the world.
With Vegapunk gone, Borsalino decided to take the boy to Marineford. There, Sentoumaru began his training as a Marine cadet at the Youth Combat Academy.
Now, at 14 years old, he spends his days in training and discipline. But something changed for him a year ago—something that had nothing to do with military routines or combat strategy.
Strange pages of manga began leaking into the hands of soldiers—tales that breathed life into still images, stories that depicted events yet to happen—or perhaps, had already happened… in a different way.
And Sentoumaru… was one of the latest to open that first chapter and see a reflection of his own past—or was it his future? For him, the moment of recognition came many chapters later, when Luffy and his crew arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago for the first time. That event marked the crew's first major defeat—and somehow, Sentoumaru had played a part in it.
At that time, a bittersweet pride welled inside him.
'I helped take down Luffy and his friends… Looks like my future is shining bright,' he had commented back then.
But as he kept reading, and saw how Luffy's crew was scattered—and how Luffy fought desperately just to reach his brother and save him—that pride slowly turned bitter.
'I had a hand in this… Luffy's really suffering… He didn't do anything wrong. He just wants to save his brother…'
'Why do I see a shadow of myself in Luffy…?'
That was Sentoumaru's thought during the Impel Down arc when Luffy was literally risking his life just to move forward.
'Such determination… such willpower… such bonds. Would I have been like him if I had a brother like Ace? Would I have risked my life to save him?'
Watching Luffy race through the battlefield at Marineford, Sentoumaru couldn't help but wonder.
The only face that came to mind was Borsalino's—the only person who had accepted him so far. The second person, Vegapunk, had abandoned him and left…
'Vegapunk… he was truly destined to be my eternal friend. In the manga, I command his inventions on the battlefield and fight in his name. My counterpart in the manga seems immensely proud to be part of the science division… but due to this manga, I can never be part of Vegapunk's history again.'
The 14-year-old boy was painfully aware of that truth.
As days and months passed, a full year went by. During that year, the manga went on hiatus. That time felt empty. Sentoumaru spent most of it training, aiming to graduate as a proud Marine soldier—or perhaps a prestigious hunter in the Holy Knights under the World Government.
And now—he sat on a public bench facing the sea in Marineford, holding the latest leaked manga volume in his hands.
"Here I am again… two years into the manga's timeline. My counterpart says he's grown stronger, but why does he still rely on Vegapunk's junk?"
"Go try beating the Straw Hat with your axe, not a Pacifista…"
"Sigh~ Maybe I'm expecting too much."
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Chapter's Events:
— — — — — — — — — — — —
"Man, that was close!!" Luffy had to leap away after being attacked by a Pacifista, causing his disguise to fall off and reveal his face to the public.
"What was that for?! All my precious food was in that bag, you know!!" He seemed more upset about the near destruction of his huge food bag than anything else.
Both Marines and pirates were left stunned—eyes wide in shock.
"It's the face from the wanted poster!!"
"Aghhhh!! That guy's the real Straw Hat Luffy!!!" Realization struck hard. The fake Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp fainted, foam coming out of their mouths.
"Brace yourselves, men!! This is the man we came for!!"
"Yes, sir!!" The Marines tightened their grips on their rifles, ready to risk everything.
"Don't tell me you're getting in my way again. I'm not looking to start trouble—it might delay our departure…" Luffy said, addressing Sentoumaru.
"Departure? Oh, you're going nowhere! I'm not the same man I was two years ago… I'm a full-fledged Marine now! I'm taking you in—right here, right now!!"
"Get him, PX-5!!" Sentoumaru gave the order.
"Too slow…" Luffy easily dodged the high-speed laser attack and commented on its slowness.
"Gear Second." He activated it in just his hand.
"Gomu Gomu no… JET PISTOL!!!" In a flash, Luffy obliterated the Pacifista with a single punch, shocking everyone.
(Haki reinforcement…?!) Sentoumaru was stunned.
(A single punch…!?) So was the crowd.
"Shishishi! Well, see ya! I get the feeling this won't be the last time we meet!" Luffy grabbed his food bag and ran, leaving those words behind.
— — — — — — — — — — — —
Sentoumaru stared in awe at Luffy, who had defeated PX-5 effortlessly and left without even a hint of malice.
"He's smiling…?"
"Does he think we'll meet again?"
"Of course we'll meet again… My counterpart isn't just a regular Marine—he's strong."
Sentoumaru was genuinely proud of his counterpart. Despite the flaws revealed so far, something told him this version of himself carried his own form of justice deep in his heart.
"Maybe that justice will reveal itself someday…"
He stopped his train of thought as his shock grew even more intense—Zoro and Sanji had just destroyed another Pacifista with ease.
"Looks like the Vegapunk in the manga will be furious… unlike the real Vegapunk, who would probably welcome seeing his creations fall apart."
Sentoumaru flipped to the next page.
...
Elsewhere, in the Fleet Admiral's Office, the mood was grim.
"Once again, the Marines are humiliated by just three punks from the Worst Generation."
Sengoku slammed his desk so hard his handprint remained—a common sight after years of accumulated frustration. The desk was made from the legendary Adam Tree wood because Sengoku had broken dozens of others from regular wood before.
"Don't be upset, Sengoku. Sentoumaru was never going to stop Luffy—he defeated Brynndi World even before finishing his training," said Tsuru, attempting to calm him with logic.
"That makes sense. Maybe the new Fleet Admiral should've sent two Admirals to stop Luffy from restarting his journey," added Zephyr.
"And why would we stop him? The current New World is already a mess—no Pirate King in sight, and the Four Emperors hold all the power. Even if Luffy enters that sea, it'll take time, effort, and a lot of luck to earn any territory," said Kuzan, unexpectedly chatty—startling those around him.
"I think the new Fleet Admiral just doesn't see him as a threat…"
It was clear Sakazuki was referring to himself.
Sengoku felt slightly annoyed at that.
"Well, what's done is done. If the Marines had managed to stop Luffy, Rayleigh might've stepped in himself."
That thought gave Sengoku some relief—grateful the Dark King didn't intervene. He already had too much fame from stopping Borsalino back then. Sengoku didn't want him stealing the spotlight again.
...
Ohara:
"My brilliant inventions look like junk compared to those three monsters…"
Vegapunk muttered, referring to Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji.
"Zoro's sword… it's gotten sharper."
Mihawk smiled, sensing the change from just a single scene. He looked forward to his inevitable final duel with Zoro.
"Luffy is still Luffy…"
Clover smiled, watching how Luffy cared more about his food bag than his exposed identity.
"Fufufu~ Looks like the Marines embarrassed themselves again."
Doflamingo laughed at their misfortune.
When Luffy looked at Rayleigh from afar and thanked him, promising to become Pirate King, Issho silently admired the scene. A smile crept onto his face.
"That boy… he really respects his mentor…"
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Upcoming chapter titles (spoilers):
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Chapter 891: Rayleigh! I'm Gonna Become the Pirate King!
Chapter 892: The Crew's Reunion After Two Years!
Chapter 893: Salting Sanji's Wound!
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