Chapter 103: The World’s Worst Criminal

The town in the East Blue was also known as the "Town of Beginnings and Ends."

Loguetown.

The place where the legendary King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger, was born… and where he died.

"My treasure? If you want it, you can have it—go find it! I left everything this world has to offer there!"

With those words, the Great Pirate Era began. Pirates from every corner of the world set sail for the Grand Line, chasing the "One Piece"—the ultimate treasure.

And so, this town—Loguetown—became the closest port to the Grand Line. A gateway. A magnet for pirates.

"Yaaay! A triple-decker ice cream!!"

"Mine’s a five-stacker~!"

"Hey now, if you run, you’ll drop it!"

Yet the town stayed peaceful.

"Ah—"

And for good reason. The Marines here weren’t local grunts. They were elites—transferred in from Headquarters.

Right now, one of those elites was heading toward the square after receiving reports of pirates—only to have a little girl slam into him, ice cream first.

She stained his pants.

But the Marine didn’t scold her. He crouched down, placed a hand on the heads of the two teary-eyed girls, and pulled out some coins.

"...My bad. My pants ate your ice cream. Here—go buy a five-stacker and a ten-stacker this time."

A man who apologized to kids, despite the sharpness in his eyes. Behind that iron face was real kindness.

But the moment passed. His expression turned to stone as he barked at his subordinate.

"Smoker!! Sorry I’m late!!"

"Tashigi!!! The hell were you doing, dragging your feet?!"

The woman, sword on her back, was also from HQ—a Petty Officer.

But even she outclassed most Marines from the branches. Outside the Grand Line, there was a steep gap in power.

A Captain from a local branch? Barely a Lieutenant at HQ. A Lieutenant Junior Grade at HQ? Might as well be a Major in the branches.

So, of course, they stood out in the East Blue.

Especially the man—a Logia-type Devil Fruit user. Not a single pirate had escaped him since he arrived.

Marine Headquarters Captain: "White Chase" Smoker
Marine Headquarters Petty Officer: Tashigi

"Move out. The square’s already in chaos!"

"Yes, sir!"

The townspeople watched with relief as the Marines marched off.

Even the parent and child from before—

"Daddy!! I got money!"

"Hahaha, well then, let’s go back to the ice cream shop. —Hey, your friend over there, wanna come along too?"

"Let’s go together!"

The father smiled as his blonde-haired daughter cheered, then turned to the black-haired girl she’d befriended on the way.

The girl had been watching the Marines walk off. But at the invitation, she turned and smiled.

"...Mhm! Let’s go to the ice cream shop!!"

The red-eyed girl, still in a child’s body, happily took the other girl’s hand and skipped along.

After buying a five-stacker, she glanced at the sky. Then turned.

"Oh, I gotta go soon."

"Ehh?! You’re leaving already?!"

"Thanks for playing with my daughter."

"Yeah! See you later~♪ Thanks, mister!!"

"Let’s play again!"

With a wave, she darted into an alleyway.

Watching her disappear, the father chuckled.

"...So mature for her age… You could learn a thing or two."

"Ehh! No way! She was an older sister!"

"Huh? Really? Well, like the Captain, I guess you can’t judge by appearances…"

He tilted his head. But figured the girl was maybe a year or two older—and let it go.

---

"From this moment forth, we shall publicly execute him—IN A GRAND SPECTACLE!!!!"

Loguetown’s central square was a major tourist spot.

The execution platform remained—a relic of history, maintained under the World Government’s eye.

Perched on a rooftop above the square, I licked my five-stacker ice cream and watched it unfold.

"...This town hasn’t changed a bit."

My second time here.

The first was twenty-two years ago. The day Roger died.

Back then, I sat on a rooftop like this, watching the end of a man… and the beginning of an era.

"Got any last words? Plenty of spectators, after all."

"…………"

"Eh, doesn’t matter. Whether you say something or not, nobody’s gonna care anyway—"

"—I AM!!!!"

Now—

"THE MAN WHO’LL BECOME THE KING OF THE PIRATES!!!!"

"!!!?"

Another fool stood in that same spot, facing death with fire in his eyes.

He shouted his dream to the world. But no one believed him. Not yet.

"Th-the… Pirate King…!?"

"...Of all places, in this town…"

"How audacious…"

"So… those are your last words, you shitty rubber bastard!!!!"

"...Gh!! G-Guh…!!!"

He was cornered. Completely.

The blade aimed at his neck was wielded by a man who had once sailed under Roger himself.

His crew tried to reach him, but they were blocked—too many enemies.

"GYAHAHAHAHAHA!! Get a good look, you bastards!!! Yer captain’s story ENDS HERE!!!!"

There was no escape. Anyone could see it.

Even him.

"Zoro!! Sanji!! Usopp!! Nami!!"

He smiled.

"Sorry, guys… I’m dead."

He wasn’t laughing because he saw the future. Or because he knew he’d live.

He just accepted it.

Even now—he laughed.

"!!!"

A roar split the sky. Rain poured down.

Lightning struck.

The blade meant to kill him… never landed.

"—Ahah♪"

The platform shattered. A straw hat fluttered down.

"Nahahaha!! Told ya I wasn’t dyin’. What a steal!"

He grabbed it and ran, grinning like a fool.

As he and his crew fled westward, I tossed the last of my ice cream into my mouth.

"...Ahahahahahaha!!!!"

I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing.

That man—Monkey D. Luffy.

"Ahahahaha… Haah… Man, that was hilarious."

Yeah. This really was the start of something.

Anyone watching would know—this kid’s got something.

From where I stand, he’s still just a rookie. I could crush him anytime.

But I’m not going to.

That’s how I know—he’s got destiny on his side.

"...Well then."

I stood, turned away from the square, and headed west.

Sightseeing was over. I’d seen what I came for.

"Now, it’s time for my fun. ♡"

Battle-lust stirred inside me. Finally—something exciting.

A real fight. One worth savoring.

---

"──『White Blow』!!!"

"『Gum-Gum Pistol』!!!"

The Marines had cut off the path to the western port. Among the Straw Hats, Nami and Usopp had already prepared their ship, the Going Merry, for departure, while Zoro successfully held Tashigi at bay.

But standing in their way was Marine Headquarters Captain "White Hunter" Smoker. Sanji was sent flying, and upon seeing this, Luffy stretched out his arm, slamming his fist into Smoker’s body.

Yet… his punch passed right through him.

"Huh?"

White smoke swirled in the air—then coalesced behind Luffy, reforming into Smoker’s figure.

"So you’re the 30 million berry man?"

"!?"

──The Logia-type Devil Fruit, "Moku Moku no Mi": the Smoke Human.

Even in this world, hailed as one of the strongest, its power seemed invincible across the four seas and the first half of the Grand Line. Before it, even "Straw Hat Luffy", who had crushed every major pirate in East Blue, was effortlessly captured.

"Hmph. Your luck’s run out."

Completely nullifying physical attacks, Smoker pinned Luffy to the ground with his own body, reaching for the jutte on his back to deliver the finishing blow.

But then—

"Doesn’t look that way to me…!?"

"!!"

Someone grabbed Smoker’s jutte from behind, restraining it. At the voice and action, Smoker turned—and his eyes widened in shock.

"You…!!!!"

There stood a hooded man. Though his coat covered most of his body, Smoker, as a Marine, couldn’t possibly mistake the man’s tattooed face. Ignoring Luffy—who was still pinned, unable to move his head—Smoker addressed the man.

"The government wants your head."

"The world awaits our answer…!!!"

The man smirked defiantly. And then, right after—

"GALE FORCE!!!!"

"!!?"

A violent gust of wind erupted, sweeping away pirates and Marines alike—as if intent on obliterating everything in its path. Smoker lost his footing, and Luffy was sent flying toward his crew.

The only one left standing was the tattooed man.

Watching as Luffy and his crew fled toward the port and the sea, he laughed amidst the storm.

"Heh… Go on!!! If that’s your way!!!"

"Why help him?! D… RA… GON…!!!"

"──What reason is there to hinder a man’s departure?"

Lightning illuminated the town as the man called Dragon raised his hand again. The moment Smoker grimaced and tried to stop him—

"──If you’re done here, how about facing me next?"

"!!"

"!?"

Another voice rang out—this time from behind Smoker, right in front of Dragon.

And it was a young woman’s voice. Her appearance, too, seemed utterly out of place here.

Yet the sight of her made both men’s expressions shift dramatically.

Black hair, red eyes… a petite girl with unusual red-and-blue feathered wings.

At a glance, she might seem like nothing more than a cute, ordinary girl—but the long trident in her hand and the eerie presence of her wings marked her as something far more unsettling.

And this girl, too, was infamous—on par with Dragon himself.

"You…!!!!"

"──I’ve got no business with small fry."

"!!? Ugh!!!"

──And her strength… was overwhelmingly superior.

"Ca… Captain Smoker!!?"

"Were you blown here by the wind too, Captain?!"

"Guh… Hah… Damn it… To think… even smoke could… be hit…!!"

As if kicking aside a pebble, she lightly tapped Smoker’s body with her foot—sending him flying over a hundred meters. Coughing up blood, he was caught by nearby Marines.

But the girl didn’t even glance at him. He was beneath her notice. Her eyes were locked solely on Dragon.

"…To think a monster like you would be in these seas—Phantom beast Nue."

"You’re one to talk—World’s Worst Criminal~♡"

"We’re nothing like you calamities, spreading destruction wherever you go…"

"Ahaha, come on~ The government doesn’t care about civilian casualties. To them, you’re the real 'worst'—sorry, not sorry!!"

"…Can’t argue with that."

Even Dragon, who had worn a fearless expression until now, turned grim at the sight of the girl called Nue.

To the World’s Worst Criminal—the Supreme Commander of the Revolutionary Army—this girl was a genuine threat.

"Still, I’m so glad we finally met~♪ I’ve been searching for you guys for years, but you’re so hard to find. Your counterintelligence is impressive. I’ll give you that~♡"

"…We knew you were looking. But we have no business with you—and you’re dangerous. We took extra precautions."

"Mhm~♪ You’d have to, going up against the World Government!! But──running into you here? That wasn’t part of the plan, was it?"

"…………No. It wasn’t."

Dragon kept his composure, but his mind raced.

Had they been exposed? Was this mere coincidence? Or had she gotten intel from somewhere? If so, where? A spy in their ranks? Who?

Countless possibilities flashed through his mind. For a man opposing the World Government, intel security was paramount. Their enemy was the world itself—clashing with Cipher Pol operatives was routine, but leaks were unacceptable. If their location was compromised, they’d be at a severe disadvantage.

Yet somehow, even if not by the government’s hand, their position had been exposed. If so, they had to act fast—before it happened again.

He needed to regroup, trace the leak (if there was one), and reinforce their defenses—even if this was just bad luck.

But first—he had to escape. From this place… from this unfathomable foe.

"Mmm~… Seeing you up close is even better. You’ve got such presence~♡"

"…And seeing you up close only makes you more unsettling. By looks alone, no one would guess you were the mastermind behind that incident 13 years ago…"

"Ahaha, so you do know~? But I’m cuter than my bounty poster, right?♡ You’re welcome—for meeting me… and for slaughtering those Celestial Dragons you hate so much~♡"

Casually admitting to the truth behind the 13-year-old incident, Nue winked as if it were nothing.

True to her reputation, she felt no remorse for killing—if anything, she enjoyed it. The contrast with her appearance only made her more dangerous.

"…What do you want?"

"I just wanna play with the infamous Revolutionary Army~♪"

"! Are you trying to start a war?!"

"Hmm~ Today’s just one-on-one… but someday, when we ignite the Great World War… we might end up fighting you for supremacy too~ Wouldn’t that be fun?♡"

"…Our enemy is the Celestial Dragons—not the Marines, nor pirates."

Dragon, Supreme Commander of the Revolutionaries, and Nue, Vice-Captain of the Beasts Pirates. A clash between figures of their stature could spark all-out war.

Precisely because he knew this, Dragon avoided unnecessary battles. The Revolutionaries’ true foe was the Celestial Dragons—the ones who ruled the world and oppressed the innocent.

Though they fought the World Government and Marines as extensions of that power, their ultimate target was the ruling class.

Their enemy was vast. They had no room to spare—least of all against Emperors of the sea.

So Dragon resolved to flee—until he realized the malice in her words.

"Oh, running away? …But if you do… things’ll get really bad, okay?"

"……! What are you planning?"

Nue grinned, her lips curving into a bow-shaped smile as she glanced toward the western port and the town beyond.

"Ahaha!! Well~ I came all this way to have some fun, and it’d be a shame if I didn’t get to wreck something. So I’ll just have those pirates who ran away earlier… and this whole town pay the debt for me~♡"

"!! You…!!"

Dragon’s face twisted in fury as he glared at her. His gaze carried the weight of his Haki—a pressure meant to crush her will. Sensing it, Nue only laughed harder, her delight growing.

"I love that look!! Ahaha!! C’mon, c’mon, if you wanna run, then run~!! I’ll just stay here and have my fun until I’m bored!!!"

"……!!"

"Or hey—check the papers tomorrow! You’ll get to see all about cute little me putting on a guerrilla show in East Blue… and the results~!!!"

"…………"

Hearing that, Dragon moved.

His black coat melded with the storm, his form blurring into the rain and wind as he repositioned himself diagonally above Nue.

"It seems I won’t be leaving just yet…!!!"

"!"

Dragon vanished—replaced by a gale fiercer than any natural wind, surging toward Nue. She leapt skyward, but in the same instant, Dragon rematerialized before her, his hand contorting into an unnatural shape.

"Dragon Claw Fist…—Dragon’s—"

"! Ahah~♡"

His fingers aligned—pinky and ring, middle and index—forming a claw reminiscent of a dragon’s. Armament Haki surged into the strike as he lashed out, while Nue met it with her trident, its tip sheathed in the same blackened aura.

"—Talon Hook!!!"

"!!!"

An instant—a shockwave like black lightning erupted.

The collision of Haki. But this was no ordinary clash.

"…Ahahahaha!! I knew you had it too!!!"

"Tch…!! A direct contest of strength is unfavorable…!!"

——The collision of Conqueror’s Haki.

A battle between those with the qualities of a king—one in millions—had erupted in this town of beginnings and ends.

"This is gonna be so much fun!!!"

---

A sudden, massive storm had engulfed Loguetown, forcing residents to rush indoors for shelter. Strangely, both Marines and pirates were scrambling to set sail into the raging sea.

"Amazin’… amazin’… that was amazin’!!!"

Amid the storm, one man stood in awe, too moved to seek shelter immediately.

"That pirate earlier…!! His name was Monkey D. Luffy, right…?!"

His mind replayed the scene from the plaza—the face of the man who had miraculously survived a deadly lightning strike.

"A miracle from the heavens…!! Could he be… a god?! No—maybe he’s really the one born to become the Pirate King!!"

He was the boss of the local underworld, a man feared throughout the town’s 150 districts. But now, he realized how insignificant that was. He was stunned, overwhelmed.

That kind of thing… I could never do it.

And that was exactly why he admired him. Yes—admiration. A feeling he had never known before. The first person he had ever truly respected.

Shaken by the miracle he had witnessed, the man stood unfazed by the storm, replaying the scene in his mind again and again.

"I saw somethin’ incredible…!! A pirate… Wonder if he’s got a bounty poster? Gotta check as soon as I get back—"

But because he had lingered too long… he found himself facing unexpected danger.

"!!!"

A massive piece of debris—no, something had come flying, crashing into a building and reducing it to rubble.

By sheer misfortune, the man was struck by whatever had come hurtling toward him at terrifying speed. The force was easily enough to kill a person. But he—

"Whoa… that was close!!!"

—was unharmed.

Not a scratch on him, not even blown back. Somehow, he had withstood the full force of the impact.

"This storm’s insane… Gotta get outta here before things get worse. I wanna savor this feelin’… but I’ll save it for later!!"

Sensing the growing danger, the man quickly fled the scene.

Unbeknownst to him, that decision was the smartest thing he could have done right then.

---

High above, hidden within the storm’s obscuring winds, a battle raged—unseen by those below.

"…!!"

"Ahahahaha!!! Not bad at all!!!"

The people had no idea.

Had this clash occurred on the ground, the entire town would have been flattened.

"A Logia of nature… the Gale-Gale Fruit’s Wind Human…!! Pretty damn troublesome…!!!"

"Then why don’t you just fall already?"

The Beast Pirates’ Right Hand, "Phantom Beast" Nue, and the Revolutionary Army’s Supreme Commander, Dragon.

Both capable of flight, their battle had taken to the skies—partly because Dragon refused to let the town or its people become collateral damage. Nue, for her part, had no choice but to follow.

"Gale Force!!!"

"!!"

And the weather itself favored Dragon.

The raging storm amplified his power. The Gale-Gale Fruit was already formidable enough to alter the climate around him—but such control wasn’t easily wielded. This tempest, however, was a stroke of luck—allowing him to minimize destruction while enhancing his strength.

In these conditions, few in the world could stand against him.

But… his current opponent was one of those rare exceptions.

"Ahaha!!! Nice, nice!! Then how ‘bout this?!"

"!"

Dodging Dragon’s wind blades, Nue unleashed a barrage.

"Unknown Phenomenon—Hanako of the Toilet!!!"

"!! Tch…!!"

Blue orbs and forking red lasers shot forth—imbued with Haki, allowing them to bypass even a Logia’s intangibility.

In the New World, Haki made even the "invincible" Logias vulnerable. To evade, one needed advanced fluid transformation, precognition via Observation Haki, or other tricks.

Dragon, a master of Haki, could handle this with relative ease…

But his opponent was no ordinary foe.

A monster—the Second-in-Command of the Four Emperors, a "Phantom Beast" whose combat prowess rivaled even her captain’s. Against her, even Dragon couldn’t escape unscathed, sustaining a cut on his cheek as he fought back.

"Dragon’s Roar…!!"

"Whoops!! Thinkin’ my back’s open is a big mistake!!! Unknown Phenomenon—"

Dragon weaved through the rain of projectiles, his body dissolving into wind as he reappeared behind Nue.

Her red and blue wings twitched—but he ignored it, striking with a technique meant to wound.

"Gale Breath!!!"

"Red Cape, Blue Cape!!!"

From Nue’s wings, red and blue spheres of light erupted, morphing into knives mid-flight and slicing into Dragon’s body.

But Dragon’s counterattack landed as well—a Haki-imbued strike capable of internal destruction.

"!!"

Nue’s wings, also coated in Haki, blocked the blow—but the unexpected force still sent her flying.

For a normal person, that strike would have shattered their body to pieces.

"!"

…Hard!!

Dragon felt the impact—but it was dull, ineffective.

He had hit her, but her durability far surpassed steel.

"…Ahahahaha…!!! Not bad at all…!!!"

"! Still a monster, I see…!!"

Nue conjured a UFO mid-air to break her fall, righting herself with a beast-like grin.

"It’s been a while since someone other than Kaidou made me feel pain…!! Lately, there’ve been so few worth fighting—but you? Perfect ♡"

Dragon understood now.

This girl—no, this creature—was a terrifying beast in the guise of a young woman.

Her monstrous nature lurked beneath a cute exterior, deceiving those who saw her. Even those who knew the truth couldn’t help but feel an indescribable dread.

A true phantom beast.

Strength, endurance, physical prowess—all far beyond human limits. Mastery of Haki.

And yet, her abilities remained shrouded in mystery, her actions erratic and unpredictable.

No wonder the World Government feared her.

"Dragon’s Claw…!!!"

Dragon quickly assessed the situation—overpowering her here would be difficult.

The best outcome would be immobilizing her or knocking her unconscious, but even that seemed unlikely.

No choice but to end this when the timing’s right—

With that conclusion, Dragon pressed his assault.

"Ahahahaha!!! That dragon-claw martial arts move of yours is impressive!! Packed quite a punch!!!"

"…!!"

Yet Nue took the hit head-on. It had to hurt—but her grin never wavered, devilish and defiant.

"Too bad for you… I’m used to the real thing…!!!"

—Here it comes…!!

Nue’s aura surged, the pressure of her attacks intensifying. Dragon heightened his vigilance but refused to let up his own offensive.

"—Compared to a real dragon’s claws, that was nothing!!!"

"Tch…!!"

Nue deflected Dragon’s strike mid-swing and activated her ability—just as Dragon retaliated with his own.

"Unknown Phenomenon—Rainbow UFO Onslaught!!!"

"Tempest Blade…!!!"

The storm-lit sky filled with rainbow-hued UFOs—Nue’s signature.

In the Grand Line, particularly the New World, UFO sightings meant one thing: Beast Pirates territory, or Nue’s proximity. The Marines had protocols for such encounters; even the Revolutionaries shared countermeasures. Among pirates, fleeing at the sight of UFOs was common sense. Only fools, the recklessly strong, or the ignorant dared shoot them down—a direct challenge to the Beast Pirates’ might.

Independently, the UFOs were fragile—a few cannon shots could down them. But when Nue controlled them directly—

"…!! I see… A relentless barrage…!!"

Destroying individual UFOs was easy. But their numbers, movements—guided by Nue’s will—and Haki-infused projectiles made evasion a nightmare.

"Windmill!!!"

A whirlwind erupted, scattering UFOs and projectiles alike. Yet Nue didn’t falter.

"C’mon, c’mon!! If you wanna start a revolution, show me some real power!!! You could wipe this town off the map if you tried!!!"

"…!! I’ve no interest in victory bought by sacrificing the weak…!!"

Nue plunged through the storm, thrusting a Haki-laced spear. The winds that felled UFOs couldn’t deter her—not unless Dragon went all-out.

But doing so would annihilate Loguetown.

"You just don’t get it… The weak exist to be devoured!! Their lives are ours to spare or take!! Keep clinging to your ideals, and you’ll never beat us!!!"

"A world built on discarding the weak changes nothing…!! Our goal isn’t to replace the rulers—it’s to dismantle the system itself…!!!"

Dragon’s will hardened into Haki, a force to strike down foes. But Nue’s resolve was unshakable.

In these seas, battles between convictions were never settled with words. Compromise was for those who’d never truly set sail.

Here, ideals—noble or vile—were equal.

—Victors wrote justice.

"Stellar Barrage X!!!"

"!!"

Symbol-shaped projectiles rained down. Dragon weaved through them, barely fending off Nue’s close-range strikes.

The odds were against him. But surrender wasn’t an option.

"…Regardless, the world will change."

"Not ‘change’—we’ll change it!! The Beast Pirates!!!"

Her red and blue wings lanced toward him—force enough to skewer armies. Dragon dodged by a hair’s breadth, closing the gap.

"The tide of revolution cannot be stopped. The time for upheaval is near."

"Ahaha!! Exactly!! The greatest war the world’s ever seen is coming!!! Though I guess you already knew that!!?"

"…Earlier, I said our enemy is the Celestial Dragons—not the Marines or pirates. But—"

"Oh?"

Dragon’s voice was steel.

"If you spread your tyranny, rob people of freedom, and forge a world that crushes the weak—"

To the world awaiting an answer, and to the monster before him, he declared his will.

"I will never forgive you…!!!"

"!"

Unbreakable conviction—Dragon, though no pirate, possessed it in spades.

Nue’s grin widened. This was a worthy foe.

"…Love it!! Then try and stop us!!!"

Killing was only fun when the opponent was strong. Bullying the weak? A mere consolation prize.

"We’ll claim the world—and Kaidou will be King of the Pirates!!!"

"We will change the world…!!!"

Their Haki clashed, splitting the heavens.

Dragon’s fist morphed into a draconic claw; Nue raised her trident.

"Storm Sky…!!!"

"Spear of…!!!"

—At point-blank range, they collided.

"Dragon King!!!!"

"Gungnir!!!!"

—And that day… the skies above Loguetown were sundered in two.

By the time Marines arrived to investigate, both combatants had vanished.

The battle that shook the world—fought unseen between dragon and phantom beast—had reached its end.