Chapter 62: The Thorn of the Holy Land — The Ivory Hunter
The screen's blinding white light didn't just fade; it sharpened. The scene opened on a high-altitude training terrace in Mary Geoise, where the air was thin and the wind cut like a blade.
A young Shepherd Sommers, roughly twenty years old, stood centered on the marble. He lacked the soft, bloated features of the typical Celestial Dragon. His hair was a pale, metallic silver, and his eyes were as cold as a winter morning in the North Blue. He wore a high-collared white uniform, unbuttoned at the top to reveal a tattoo of a black briar vine wrapping around his neck.
In his hand was the Ivory Star, a bow that seemed less like a weapon and more like a limb. He wasn't using Haki arrows yet—he was testing the limits of his Paramecia: the Iba Iba no Mi (Thorn-Thorn Fruit).
A group of escaped slaves and traitorous CP9 trainees were sprinting across a distant bridge, nearly two miles away. Sommers didn't move. He didn't even notch an arrow.
"The world is a garden," Sommers whispered, his voice carrying clearly through the screen. "And weeds must be pruned at the root."
He pulled the string of the Ivory Star. Suddenly, dozens of black, metallic thorns sprouted directly from his forearms, merging with the bow. When he released the string, the thorns didn't fly through the air—they warped.
Snap.
In a split second, the thorns erupted from the shadows of the targets themselves. The bridge wasn't destroyed; it was turned into a thicket of black steel. The targets were pinned instantly, the thorns wrapping around their limbs with surgical precision, draining their movement.
The chat, which usually spiraled into chaos, now felt like a meeting of old veterans. The reaction wasn't one of pure terror, but of professional recognition.
> [Rocks D. Xebec]: "VOHAHARARA! Look at that little brat! Sommers... I remember when you were just a snot-nosed kid hiding behind the Gorosei's robes at God Valley. You've gotten faster, but your thorns still look like toothpicks to me!"
> [Silvers Rayleigh]: "Ah, the Thorn-Thorn fruit. I still have a scar on my shoulder from one of your 'pruning' sessions, Sommers. Roger used to joke that you were the only Celestial Dragon who actually knew how to break a sweat."
> [Scopper Gaban]: "Remember, Rayleigh? Every time we tried to move young Shanks to a safer spot, this kid would try to pin us down from three islands away. He was a nuisance then, and he's a nuisance now."
> [Whitebeard]: "Gurarara... The Holy Knights. You bastards always did like to play 'God' from the safety of the clouds. Sommers, your bow is impressive, but don't think for a second that a few thorns can stop a tremor."
> [Kaido]: "WORORORO! A 'Warrior God'? Don't make me laugh! If he descends from that mountain, I'll show him what a real monster looks like. Thorns can't pierce dragon scales!"
>
On the Marineford, Sengoku (39) adjusted his glasses, his eyes sharp. He wasn't afraid—he was calculating.
> [Sengoku ]: "The Iba Iba no Mi allows him to manifest thorns anywhere his Haki can reach. It's a logistical nightmare for a Fleet Admiral, but not an unbeatable one. Garp, quit laughing!"
> [Monkey D. Garp]: "BWAHAHA! I can't help it, Sengoku! I remember punching this kid into a fountain when he tried to stop me from eating the Holy Land's private crackers! He's got spirit, I'll give him that, but he needs to eat more meat if he wants to be Rank 44!"
> [Akainu]: "The Holy Knights are a necessary evil. If the Marines cannot reach a target, Sommers ensures they never see the sun again. His methods are... efficient. I respect the lack of hesitation."
>
In the clearing, the Straw Hats were watching the legends talk over their heads. The realization that their "heroes" and "villains" had been fighting these "Gods" for decades was a heavy weight.
"They're... they're talking to him like he's an old neighbor," Nami stammered. "Even Whitebeard and Roger's crew... they aren't scared? But those thorns just appeared out of nowhere!"
Zoro grinned, his hand resting on Shusui. "That's the difference, Nami. The old guys have already seen the peak. To them, he's just another guy with a strong fruit. To us... he's a wall. I want to see if my blades can cut through those steel thorns."
Luffy, still stumbling from the curse, looked at the screen and pouted. "His power is boring! Thorns? I'm made of rubber! Thorns just poke me. Hey, Silver-guy! I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates! Come down here and I'll kick your butt!"
> [Donquixote Doflamingo]: "Fuffuffuffu! Listen to the rubber boy! He has no idea. Sommers doesn't just poke you, Straw Hat. He binds your very soul. You should listen to Rayleigh... the Holy Knights aren't just 'strong.' They are the foundation of the world you're trying to break."
>
The screen show a glimpse of current Sommers who turn his head toward the "camera." He don't look angry at the insults from Xebec or Garp. He looked... patient.
"The old era speaks of scars," Sommers said softly. "But the new era will speak only of silence. I am not a 'nuisance' anymore, Rayleigh. I am the boundary."
He drew the string of the Ivory Star back to its limit. This time, the thorns didn't sprout from his arms—they sprouted from the air around him, coiling into a massive, jagged arrow of black iron.
📝 Author's Note:
I hope after i updated this chapter it's feels more like the One Piece world! The legends of the sea don't bow to anyone, even a 'Saint.' Xebec and Whitebeard mocking him while Sengoku and Garp remember him as a kid really puts the power scale in perspective. He's Rank 44—powerful enough to be an Admiral's peer, but still a 'brat' to the guys who once ruled the world. And to my readers, thanks for sticking with me. Rimon in my football book is dealing with his own 'thorns' right now, but like Luffy, he's just going to headbutt his way through!