The morning sun reflected off the calm waters of the Grand Line, casting a warm glow through the expansive windows of the Thousand Sunny's dining hall.
The crew was gathered around the large oak table, digging into a massive breakfast spread prepared by Sanji. The mood was relaxed and cheerful, the lingering tension of the past few days finally washing away with the ocean breeze.
As the last plates were cleared, Ace pushed his chair back and stood up, wiping his mouth with a napkin. He adjusted his orange hat and looked around the table at the crew, his gaze finally resting on Luffy.
"Well, guys," Ace said, a genuine smile on his face. "This has been one hell of a ride. But I think it's time I head back to the New World."
Luffy stopped chewing a piece of toast. "Eh? You're leaving already, Ace?"
"Yeah," Ace nodded. "I set out to stop Teach. Between the beating he took from me, and the fact that he went for a swim in the ocean, it's safe to say that threat is handled for now. I need to get back to the Moby Dick and deliver the news to Pops. My division has been without its commander for too long."
"We're going to miss you, Big Brother Ace!" Merry chimed from her seat.
"Take care of yourself, Fire Fist," Zoro grunted, raising his mug of morning ale.
"If you ever need a decent meal, you know whose ship to find," Sanji added, lighting a cigarette.
"Thanks, everyone," Ace smiled, adjusting his hat. "Thanks for taking care of me. And do me a favor... watch over Luffy so he doesn't do anything stupid."
"I never do stupid things!" Luffy laughed, a piece of meat still in his hand.
Ben stood up from the table and gestured for Ace to follow him out to the grassy main deck.
"Since you're heading straight for the New World, you'll need a fast way to get there," Ben said as they stepped out into the sunlight. "Your old striker boat was left on Banaro Island. So, I made you a replacement."
Ben reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, metallic silver capsule, no larger than a coin. He tossed it onto the open ocean water beside the Sunny.
As soon as the capsule hit the water, it expanded, unfolding and shifting until a sleek, silver, single-person vessel floated on the waves. It had a reinforced glass canopy and a streamlined hull designed to cut through rough seas with minimal resistance.
"I used spatial compression to shrink it down for storage," Ben explained. "It doesn't require wind or sails. It runs entirely on a clean, self-sustaining energy core housed in the back. It's fast and fully enclosed, so you won't have to worry about the unpredictable weather of the New World."
Ace whistled, looking down at the sleek vessel. "This is amazing, Ben. You really think of everything."
Ace hopped over the railing, landing smoothly in the cockpit of the new ship. The glass canopy slid shut over him. He fired up the engine, a quiet blue glow emitting from the rear thruster.
"See you around, Luffy!" Ace waved through the glass. "Next time we meet, we'll see who's closer to the top!"
"Count on it!" Luffy cheered, waving wildly.
With a surge of energy, Ace's new ship shot across the water, rapidly becoming a small silver speck on the horizon as he headed back to the second half of the Grand Line.
Once Ace was gone, Ben turned back to the crew.
"I need to step out for a bit," Ben told them, checking his watch. "I have a loose end to tie up. I should be back in an hour or two."
"Going somewhere?" Robin asked.
"Just a quick meeting," Ben smiled. "Keep the ship steady."
Ben closed his eyes, focusing on the specific magical marker he had subtly placed on Gecko Moria right before he punched the Warlord in the castle.
CRACK.
With the sharp sound of displaced air, Ben vanished from the deck.
The Florian Triangle - An Unmarked Ship
Thick fog surrounded a small, heavily damaged ship drifting aimlessly through the Florian Triangle.
On the deck, Gecko Moria sat heavily on a crate, his massive, onion-shaped body wrapped in bandages. He was gritting his teeth, his face a mask of frustration. Beside him, Dr. Hogback was nervously wringing his hands, while Perona floated nearby, her parasol resting on her shoulder.
"Curse those Marines!" Moria growled, punching the deck. "And curse those Straw Hat Pirates! My entire castle, my zombie army... everything is ruined! I had to abandon Thriller Bark just to escape the crossfire!"
"It was a disaster, Master," Hogback agreed, sweating profusely. "To think they brought three Admirals..."
CRACK.
Ben materialized directly in the center of the deck, his hands resting casually in his pockets.
"GYAAAAH!" Perona shrieked, dropping her parasol and retreating instantly behind Moria's massive arm.
Ben sighed. He raised his hand, tapping briefly into his Creation. A high-quality, custom-made gothic plushie bear materialized in his palm. He tossed it lightly to the floating ghost girl.
"Here," Ben said calmly as she caught it. "Keep quiet while the adults talk."
Perona blinked, her terrified expression melting as she hugged the plushie. "It's so cute!"
Hogback stumbled backward, tripping over a rope and landing on his back. "The Magician!"
Moria froze. He recognized the man who had laid him out with a single punch. The Warlord slowly raised his massive hands, expecting a fight.
"Relax," Ben said, holding up a hand. "I'm not here to harm you."
With a simple wave of his arm, Ben used his magic to conjure a sturdy wooden table and two large chairs directly onto the deck. He took a seat in one and gestured to the other.
"Take a seat, Moria," Ben offered. "We have something to talk about."
Moria stared at the conjured furniture, unnerved by the casual display of power. Realizing he had no real choice, the Warlord slowly sat down in the oversized chair opposite Ben.
"What do you want?" Moria asked suspiciously.
Ben leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "I have a question for you. Did you grow up in Wano?"
Moria's eyes widened in shock. Hogback gasped from the floor.
"How..." Moria stammered, his lazy demeanor dropping. "How could you possibly know that? No one knows that. The only people who knew were the citizens of Ringo who took care of me when I was a child."
"I saw a grave in Wano," Ben stated flatly. "It had the name 'Kozuki Moria' carved into the stone. If we interchange the letters of Kozuki, we get Gecko. So, I made a conclusion that you might be from Wano."
Moria let out a long, heavy sigh. The tension seemed to leave his massive frame. He slumped in his chair, looking out at the thick fog.
"Yes," Moria admitted, his voice quiet. "I was born in the West Blue. But when I was a kid, my ship sank. I washed up on the shores of Wano. The people of Ringo... they took me in. They fed me, clothed me, and raised me. They were good people."
"Is that why you fought Kaido all those years ago in Wano?" Ben asked. "To protect the people who raised you?"
Moria nodded slowly, a bitter memory flashing in his eyes. "Yes. Kaido invaded. I wanted to help the people of Wano. I wanted to liberate those who took care of me since I was a child. I gathered my crew and we fought him."
Moria clenched his massive fists. "We lost. My entire crew was slaughtered. After my loss against Kaido, those people in Ringo must have thought I died with the rest of my men. They must have made a grave in my honor."
"And you," Ben deduced, "lost your will after that fight. You couldn't liberate the people who saved you. You relied on zombies because they couldn't die, and because of that defeat, your Haki faded away. Your spirit broke."
Moria didn't argue. He simply sighed again, staring at the wooden table. "Yes. I lost my will."
Ben nodded, understanding the tragedy behind the shadow-stealing Warlord. He leaned back in his chair.
"Here is my proposal," Ben said. "In the future, a Straw Hat Grand Fleet will be formed. It might take some time, but it will form for sure. If you join us, in return, we will liberate Wano from Kaido."
Moria looked up at Ben. For a moment, there was silence. Then, Moria threw his head back and laughed.
"Kishishishi! You must be joking!" Moria scoffed. "Your crew? Take on Kaido of the Beasts? He is a Yonko! You rookies would be crushed!"
Ben let him finish his laugh.
"Moria," Ben said evenly. "Let's review the facts. Two days ago, our crew took on three Admirals, three Vice Admirals, three CP0 agents, twenty Pacifistas, and six Marine galleons full of infantry. We defeated the government's elite, destroyed their fleet, and walked away without a single casualty."
Ben locked eyes with the Warlord. "Why don't you do your math again. I am telling you, in two years, Wano will be liberated. If it is done, will you join our fleet in the future?"
Moria stared at Ben. The mockery faded from his face. He thought about the destruction he had witnessed on Thriller Bark and the rookies who had casually bypassed an entire Marine blockade.
These weren't ordinary pirates. They were a dangerous anomaly. In two years... they might actually be strong enough to do the impossible. And if it meant the liberation of the people of Wano, he was willing to take the gamble.
"I accept," Moria said firmly. "I will join the Grand Fleet. But only after you defeat Kaido."
Ben smirked. "When Wano is liberated and it will, you officially fly our flag. Until then, I have an interim condition for you."
"What condition?"
"While we prepare for Kaido, you aren't just going to sit here in the fog," Ben instructed. "You have deep ties to the Underworld. You will act as our intelligence gatherer. Keep your ear to the ground and report to me—specifically regarding the movements of rare Devil Fruits. Find them before the World Government does."
Moria grunted, realizing he had been outplayed, but he gave a curt nod of agreement.
"Done," Ben agreed. He stood up, dispelling the table and chairs with a wave of his hand. "The Marines have already left Thriller Bark. Shall we go then?"
"Go where?" Hogback asked nervously.
Ben just snapped his fingers.
CRACK.
Moria, Perona, and Hogback blinked. The small, drifting ship and the thick fog were gone. They were standing in the main courtyard of Thriller Bark.
Moria looked around, his heart sinking. The island was a disaster zone. The eastern shore was covered in solid ice and hardened rock. The northern wall was scorched, and the main castle was heavily damaged.
"My island..." Moria muttered. "It's completely ruined."
"Relax," Ben said.
Ben raised his hand and waved it across the expanse of the ruined courtyard. He tapped into his restorative magic.
A wave of golden light washed over the island. The shattered cobblestones flew backward, fitting themselves perfectly back into place. The scorched earth healed. The ice melted, and the hardened magma dissolved. The cracked walls of the gothic castle repaired themselves in seconds.
Moria, Perona, and Hogback watched in stunned silence as the destruction of the battle was reversed before their eyes.
"There," Ben said, lowering his hand.
Moria looked around the immaculate courtyard. "My island is fixed... but my zombie army..."
"I restored the stone and the wood," Ben stated firmly, adjusting his glasses. "Not the corpses. Dead men don't liberate countries, Moria. Start building a crew with actual heartbeats. Relying on shadows is what made you weak."
Moria clenched his fists, but he couldn't deny the truth in Ben's words.
Ben then waved his hand one more time. A small spatial rift opened in the air above the courtyard.
Absalom, the lion-faced man, was spat out of the dimensional pocket, landing face-first on the restored cobblestones. He groaned, rubbing his head, looking exhausted but very much alive.
"Have your crew member back," Ben told Moria. "But he doesn't have his Devil Fruit powers anymore. I took the Clear-Clear Fruit as compensation for you calling the Marines on us."
Dr. Hogback dropped to his knees, his eyes wide behind his dark glasses as he checked Absalom's pulse.
"He's alive?!" Hogback gasped, staring up at Ben in shock. "But... you extracted the Devil Fruit! It is biologically impossible to remove a fruit without killing the host! How did you do this?!"
Ben just tapped his glasses. "Magic, Doctor."
Moria looked at Absalom, then at Ben, nodding slowly. After witnessing the display, losing a Devil Fruit seemed like a mild consequence.
"One last thing," Ben warned, his tone turning serious. "Blackbeard has the Dark-Dark fruit. It nullifies Devil Fruit powers upon contact. He's actively hunting strong Devil fruit users. A Warlord sitting alone in the fog with the Shadow-Shadow fruit is a prime target for his crew."
Ben turned to leave. "Reinforce your borders or better relocate, Moria. He is not as weak as you think."
Moria frowned, taking the warning to heart. "I understand. I will be ready."
"Good," Ben said, stepping back. "I'll see you in the New World."
CRACK.
With a final sound of displaced air, Ben teleported back to the Thousand Sunny.
He materialized smoothly on the grassy main deck of his ship. The sun was shining brightly, the ocean breeze was cool, and Ben let out a contented sigh, ready to relax after a successful diplomatic mission.
CRASH.
A wooden barrel flew past Ben's head, shattering against the main mast.
Ben blinked. He looked up.
The deck of the Thousand Sunny had devolved into a chaotic brawl. Luffy, Usopp, and Caroo were tangled in a rolling scuffle over a single piece of mystery meat that Sanji had left on the counter.
"IT'S MINE! I SAW IT FIRST!" Luffy roared, stretching his arm to grab it.
"THE DUCK BIT ME!" Usopp shouted, trying to put Caroo in a headlock.
"QUACK!" Caroo pecked at Luffy's rubber face.
In his frantic stretching, Luffy's rubber arm whipped wildly backward, accidentally smacking Zoro squarely in the face where he was napping on the lawn.
Zoro woke up instantly, glaring in annoyance. He drew Shusui. "Who hit me?!"
Zoro stepped into the fray, swinging his scabbard, which accidentally clipped the edge of Sanji's favorite frying pan sitting on a nearby table.
Sanji stepped out of the kitchen, staring at the scratched pan, his face turning red with anger. "YOU STUPID MARIMO! THAT WAS MY GOOD PAN!"
"BRING IT ON, CURLY-BROWS!"
Within seconds, the three men, the duck, the swordsman, and the cook were all caught in a messy, dust-cloud-generating melee of kicks, scabbards, rubber punches, and quacking.
Ben stood at the edge of the deck, staring at the dust cloud of yelling crewmates.
He didn't yell. He didn't intervene. He didn't even sigh.
He simply turned on his heel and vanished, teleporting directly into the quiet, soundproof safety of his underground research laboratory.