Night on the Grand Line was a heavy, suffocating blanket of darkness, broken only by the rhythmic splashing of the waves against the Going Merry. The crew slept—Luffy snoring with a meat bone in his hand, Zoro napping with one eye open, Nami clutching her pillow like a moneybag.
But Ben was wide awake.
He sat at the desk, the magical lantern casting long, dancing shadows against the wood. In front of him sat the Bomu Bomu no Mi.
"Sorry, Mr. 5," Ben whispered, tapping the fruit. "But your sacrifice will pave the road to the Pirate King."
He opened the System Interface. It hovered before him, a translucent blue screen in the candlelight.
[SYSTEM ACCESS]
[Trade Offering Detected: Paramecia Type - Bomu Bomu no Mi]
[Exchange for 1 Template Roll? Y/N]
Ben didn't hesitate. He pressed 'Y'.
The Devil Fruit on the desk dissolved into particles of golden light, which were sucked into the screen. The interface whirred, the digital slots spinning so fast they blurred into a rainbow of potential power.
Please be good, Ben thought. I need utility. I need power. I need—
DING!
[Template Unlocked: Brandish μ (Fairy Tail)]
[Class: Nation Destroyer]
[Magic: Command T (Mass Manipulation)]
[Starting Integration: 0%]
Ben stared at the screen. His breath hitched.
"Brandish?"
He sat back, a slow, terrifying grin spreading across his face. He hadn't just rolled a wizard; he had rolled a catastrophe. Brandish μ. One of the Spriggan 12. A mage capable of shrinking an island to the size of a pebble or enlarging a pebble to crush a city.
"Dumbledore gives me the finesse... the theory... the soul of magic," Ben murmured, looking at his hands. "But Brandish... she gives me the raw, undeniable control over matter."
He wasted no time. He slipped quietly out of the room and headed for the training hall.
For the next hour, the silence of the ship was broken by soft, strange sounds.
VWOOM.
The training dummy shrank to the size of an action figure.
VWOOM.
It grew to the size of a giant, pressing against the ceiling.
Ben practised, sweating, focusing not on spells, but on the concept of size. With Dumbledore's intellect accelerating his learning, he grasped the basics quickly. He wasn't just shrinking things; he was compressing their space.
[Template Integration: 10%]
"Perfect," Ben panted, wiping his brow.
---
The next morning, the Merry was a hive of activity. Sanji was preparing breakfast, Nami was checking the Log Pose, and Luffy was fishing.
Ben, however, was locked in his workshop.
He was surrounded by raw materials: wood, steel, cloth, and gold. He was humming a jaunty tune, his wand moving in a blur.
"A little Piertotum Locomotor for movement..." he muttered, tapping a wooden joint. "A dash of Protego Horribilis for indestructibility."
"Oh, this..." Ben laughed, a sound that would have terrified his crew if they could hear it. "...this is going to be fun."
By evening, he was ready.
"MEETING!" Ben's voice, amplified by a Sonorus charm, boomed across the ship. "EVERYONE TO THE TRAINING HALL! MANDATORY ATTENDANCE!"
The crew shuffled in. Even Robin, leaning against the back wall with a book, looked curious. She had grown accustomed to the madness of this ship in a remarkably short time.
Ben stood in the center of the room. Behind him was a long table covered in a sheet.
"We are heading to Little Garden," Ben announced. "And then Alabasta. The enemies we face will only get stronger. Crocodile is a Warlord. His agents are numerous. If we want to win... we need to level up."
Luffy pumped his fist. "I'm gonna get stronger! I'm gonna be the King of Pirates!"
"Good spirit," Ben said. "But spirit doesn't block a sand blade. Training does."
He whipped the sheet off the table.
Revealed were several small, unassuming dolls.
"I have created... Specialized Training Partners."
He picked up the first one. It was a simple, round, wooden doll with a straw hat painted on it.
"Luffy. Step forward."
Luffy bounced up. "Can I eat it?"
"It's a punching bag that punches back," Ben said. He tossed the doll onto the floor. He pointed his finger. "Command T: Expand."
POOF!
The tiny doll exploded in size. It grew until it was a hulking, seven-foot-tall human golem of dense, enchanted wood. It cracked its knuckles—a sound like tree branches snapping.
"This is the Brawler," Ben explained. "It is enchanted, making it indestructible. It is also enchanted with a learning. The more you hit it, the more it learns your rhythm. If you want to beat it, you have to be faster, stronger, and more unpredictable than you were five seconds ago."
Luffy's eyes turned into stars. "SO COOL! HEY, BIG GUY! FIGHT ME!"
The golem raised its fists. Luffy didn't wait. "Gomu Gomu no... PISTOL!"
He punched the doll. The doll didn't budge. Instead, it countered with a hook that sent Luffy flying into the wall.
"AWESOME!" Luffy screamed.
Ben turned to Zoro.
"Zoro. The iron golems are too slow for you. You need technique. You need... complexity."
He picked up the second doll. This one was intricate. It had long, black hair with red tips, dressed in a purple kimono. But the most disturbing feature was its arms. It had six of them. Each holding a sword.
"This," Ben said, his voice dropping an octave, "is the Demon Swordsman. It is modeled after a legendary warrior I once read about. Six arms. Six blades. It doesn't just slash; it weaves a net of steel."
Usopp gulped. "Six arms? Is he a Devil Fruit user? Like Hatchan?"
Ben shook his head. "No. Just... pure skill. A complexity far beyond normal human limits. Can your three swords keep up with six, Zoro?"
He tossed the doll. VWOOM. It grew into a terrifying, six-armed samurai tower. It drew its six blades with a sound like hissing snakes.
Zoro's eye twitched. A feral, bloodthirsty grin spread across his face. He tied his bandana.
"Six swords, huh? Finally. A dance partner that won't break. Let's see if you can keep up."
Ben moved down the line. He stopped in front of Sanji.
Sanji was smoking, looking bored. "And for me? A beautiful automated waitress doll? A lovely cooking assistant?"
Ben picked up the third doll.
It was... hideous.
It was wearing a mesh tank top, a tutu, and had heavy, garish makeup. It had stubble. It was a caricature of an Okama.
Sanji froze. The cigarette fell from his mouth.
"W-what... is... that?"
"This," Ben said, fighting back a laugh, "is Candy. She's your training partner."
"HELL NO!" Sanji screamed, backing away. "GET THAT THING AWAY FROM ME! I WILL NOT TRAIN WITH THAT... THAT ABOMINATION!"
The crew erupted in laughter. Even Robin let out a small, elegant chuckle.
"Come on, Sanji," Ben said, his face a mask of innocent helpfulness. "I didn't know how to motivate you. You don't care about strength for strength's sake. But you do care about... personal space."
Ben grinned. It was sinister.
"Here's how it works. Candy will chase you. All you have to do is escape. Use your legs. Just... don't get caught."
"And if I get caught?" Sanji whispered, trembling.
Ben leaned in close. "If you get caught... there's a surprise waiting for you. A very... affectionate surprise."
Sanji turned pale. "You... you wouldn't."
"Oh, I would," Ben said, his grin, "I really would."
"I WON'T DO IT!" Sanji roared. "I REFUSE!"
"Coward," Zoro muttered from the side. "Scared of a doll, curly-brow?"
Sanji snapped. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SCARED, MOSS-HEAD?! I'll kick that thing into sawdust!"
"Whatever," Zoro smirked. "Just try not to get kissed."
"I WILL KILL YOU!" Sanji screamed. He turned to Ben. "FINE! ACTIVATE THE THING! I'LL SHOW YOU SPEED! I'LL RUN SO FAST I'LL BREAK THE SOUND BARRIER!"
Ben tossed the doll. POOF.
A seven-foot-tall, muscular Okama appeared. It saw Sanji. It blew a kiss.
"SANJI-BOOOOOOY!" it boomed in a deep, gravelly voice.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAH!" Sanji shrieked, already sprinting up the wall, his legs a blur of terrified motion. "STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY FROM MEEEEE!"
"Good luck catching up to Zoro," Ben called after him.
Ben then turned to Usopp.
"Usopp. For you."
He held up a golden ball. It was the size of a walnut.
"Command T: Expand."
It grew to the size of a basketball. Then, two majestic, golden wings sprouted from its sides. It began to hover, humming angrily.
"This is the Snitch-Ball," Ben said. "Your job is to shoot it. Simple."
"Shoot the ball? I can do that!" Usopp boasted, raising his slingshot. "The Great Captain Usopp never misses!"
"If you hit it perfectly," Ben continued, "it will shrink. And it will get faster. The goal is to hit it when it's the size of a walnut, moving at the speed of a bullet."
"Okay... tough, but doable."
"However," Ben added, "if you miss..."
The ball suddenly flew right up to Usopp's nose. A mouth appeared on its golden surface.
"NICE SHOT, LONG-NOSE!" the ball screamed in a high-pitched, screechy voice. "MY GRANDMOTHER SHOOTS BETTER THAN YOU! AND SHE'S A SPHERE! YOU CALL YOURSELF A SNIPER? YOU COULDN'T HIT THE OCEAN IF YOU FELL OUT OF A BOAT!"
Usopp recoiled. "IT TALKS?!"
"It trash-talks," Ben corrected. "It creates psychological pressure. You have to maintain focus while being relentlessly insulted. Good luck."
"HEY!" the ball screamed. "ARE YOU CRYING? THERE'S NO CRYING IN SNIPING! YOUR NOSE IS SO BIG IT HAS ITS OWN GRAVITY FIELD AND YOU STILL MISSED!"
"I'LL DESTROY YOU!" Usopp yelled, firing a pellet. He missed.
"PATHETIC!" the ball shrieked, zipping away.
Finally, Ben turned to Nami and Vivi.
"For the ladies. Less... trauma."
He produced two sleek, agile dolls wielding staffs.
"These are modelled after Luffy's agility, but they use polearms. They will help you master the Tempest Tact and basic self-defence. They scale to your level. No explosions, no insults, no Okamas."
"Thank you, Ben," Nami sighed in relief.
"We appreciate it," Vivi nodded, gripping a practice staff.
---
The room dissolved into chaos.
Luffy was laughing as he was punched through a table.
Zoro was a whirlwind of steel, clashing against the six-armed demon.
Sanji was screaming in high-pitched terror as the Okama doll chased him across the ceiling.
Usopp was arguing with a ball. "I AM NOT A FAILURE!" "YES YOU ARE!"
The crew grabbed their respective nightmares and headed to their private training rooms (except Sanji, whose training room was now "Everywhere," as he fled through the ship).
The main hall emptied, leaving only Ben and Nico Robin.
Robin stood near the wall, her arms crossed, watching the madness fade down the corridor. She looked at Ben. Her expression was unreadable, her blue eyes cool and distant.
"So," she said, her voice smooth. "Everyone gets a toy. Except the captive."
Ben began to clean up his table, shrinking the leftover materials back into his pockets. "Sorry," he said, turning to face her. "I didn't have anything prepared for you. To be honest, I wasn't sure if you'd want to train. You strike me as someone who prefers... intellectual pursuits."
"I am a captive on a pirate ship," Robin reminded him. "I didn't think you would prepare anything for me. Weapons are usually not given to prisoners."
Ben smiled. He walked over to her, leaning against the wall beside her. "Prisoner? Is that what you think you are?"
"I am Ms. All Sunday. I am the enemy. The Navigator certainly thinks so."
"Nami worries about money and safety. It's her job," Ben said. "But Luffy? Luffy thinks you're good. And me?"
He looked her in the eye.
"I think you're tired, Robin."
Robin flinched. It was microscopic, a tiny tightening of her jaw, but Ben saw it.
"You've been running for twenty years," Ben said softly. "From the World Government. From organisations. From betrayal. You joined Crocodile because you thought he could lead you to the Poneglyph. To the truth of the Void Century."
Robin's eyes widened. Her calm mask shattered. "Who... who are you?"
"Just a wizard," Ben shrugged. "But I know that Crocodile doesn't care about history. He wants Pluton. He wants power. Once he gets what he wants—or realises he can't get it—he'll dispose of you. You know that."
Robin looked away, staring at the floor. "I have no other option. The world... doesn't want me to exist."
"The world is a big place," Ben said. "And this ship? It's a strange little corner of it."
He gestured to the door, where the sounds of Luffy's laughter and Sanji's screams were still audible.
"You see them? They're idiots. They're loud. They're chaotic. But they are... free. And they protect their own."
Ben pushed off the wall. "You can be a member of our crew, Robin. In the future. After we take down Crocodile. After we save Alabasta. There's a seat at the table for an archaeologist."
Robin let out a bitter, dry chuckle. "You speak with such confidence. 'After we take down Crocodile.' You shouldn't take him so lightly, Mr Wizard. He is a Shichibukai. He wields the Suna Suna no Mi. He is sand itself. Physical attacks don't work. You can't punch a desert. He is invincible in Alabasta."
"No one is invincible," Ben said, his voice dropping, becoming hard and certain. "Logia users are arrogant. They think they are gods because they can't be touched. But they just haven't met the right opponent."
He tapped his temple.
"I know his weakness, Robin. And I know Luffy. When that rubber idiot gets serious... even a desert will crumble."
He started to walk toward the door. He paused and looked back.
"So, how about it? You've seen the crew. You've seen the madness. Think you could get used to it?"
Robin looked at him. For the first time, a genuine, albeit small, smile touched her lips. It wasn't the smile of Miss All Sunday, the assassin. It was the smile of Nico Robin, the woman who just wanted to find the truth.
"We will see," she said mysteriously. "Survive Little Garden first. Then... we will see."
Ben grinned. "Deal."
He exited the room, leaving Robin alone in the quiet. She looked at the door.
"A wizard..." she whispered to herself. "Perhaps... this time... it will be different."
Outside, Sanji ran past the door, screaming.
"NO KISSES! NO KISSES! I AM A MAN OF SCIENCE AND LADIES!"
The Okama doll thundered past a second later. "COME BACK, HONEY-PIE!"
Robin chuckled.
Yes. It would definitely be different.