A young marine soldier ran through the burning forest, clutching two infants tightly against his chest. Their soft breaths brushed against his uniform, still stained with the blood of the woman who had begged him to save them—just moments before dying in his arms.
He hadn't even known her name, but her desperate eyes had carved themselves into his mind. Maybe it was guilt, or maybe it was his need to do something right for once. Whatever it was, that was enough for him.
The soldier's name was Monkey D. Dragon, son of the man who would one day be hailed as a hero of the Marines, future leader of the Revolutionary Army, and father of one of the next generation's Emperors, Monkey D. Luffy. But for now, Dragon was just a young recruit, burdened with ideals too big for the world he served.
He had helped organize the Celestial Dragons' "entertainment" on this island, unaware at first of the horror it would bring to the innocent villagers. When the truth came crashing down, when he saw the cages, the chains, and the lifeless bodies of those who refused to perform, his stomach turned. It wasn't duty anymore. It was guilt—sharp, suffocating guilt.
Now, running through the smoke-filled night, Dragon sought redemption in the only way he could think of—by saving these two lives.
"It's a miracle neither of you are crying," he whispered, glancing down. The babies stared up at him with innocent smiles, blissfully unaware of the chaos surrounding them. "You really don't know how much depends on you right now…"
His boots splashed through puddles of blood and seawater as he searched for any surviving marine ships. "Where are the navy transports?" he muttered. "Don't tell me pirates landed too…" His eyes darted through the darkness, realizing the island had turned into a warzone—Marines, Celestial Dragons, and pirates all clashing at once.
So focused was he on escaping that he didn't sense the presence behind him. A faint rustle, then a soft voice spoke into a Den-Den Mushi.
"Yeah, I found the marine kidnapper. Two little bundles in his arms."
The speaker stepped into the clearing—a tall woman draped in ornate robes, her smile polished but cold. St. Maffey of the Satchels family, one of the Knights of God and a Celestial Dragon.
A light began forming in her mouth, glowing brighter until a beam of energy shot toward Dragon. The blast struck his shoulder, sending pain searing through his body. He fell, and both infants slipped from his grasp, tumbling onto the dirt. One rolled dangerously close to Maffey's feet.
Maffey bent down, lifting the child with an almost delicate touch. "I've secured one," she said into the Den-Den Mushi, her tone calm and composed. Then she began walking toward the second child, every step deliberate, while Dragon struggled to move his numb limbs.
"Good work, Maffey. Garling would've had my head if something happened to them," replied a voice from the snail, casual and familiar.
"Garling… having a child. Who would've thought?" Maffey exhaled a laugh, pulling a cigar from her pocket. She lit it, the flame reflecting off her eyes. "Almost as strange as our little kidnapper here." She looked down at Dragon, who despite his wounds was crawling toward the children, his face twisted in pain and determination.
'Those kids… they're my only chance to make things right,' he thought.
Maffey inhaled deeply, then flicked the burnt cigar aside. She unsheathed her blade, raising it toward Dragon's chest. "It was nice meeting you, young man."
Before the sword could strike, a blinding flash tore through the forest. The ground split apart, trees shattered, and Maffey was thrown backward by the shockwave. The attack had missed Dragon entirely, leaving him stunned but alive.
"What—what was that!?" Maffey gasped, losing her grip on the child. The baby bounced across the dirt, rolling back toward Dragon, who immediately gathered both infants into his arms.
Then, heavy footsteps echoed through the trees. Three towering figures burst from the smoke—Edward Newgate, Kaido, and Charlotte Linlin, all fleeing from someone behind them.
'Those pirates… they're massive,' Dragon thought, eyes wide. Linlin shouted something at Newgate, clearly blaming him for whatever destruction had just occurred.
Linlin raised her hand, summoning a living flame infused with a soul. It roared forward, slamming into the pursuing figure. But instead of stopping, the figure only laughed—a laugh that carried power.
"This isn't even hot enough to cook a prime rib, Linlin!"
The voice sent a chill down Dragon's spine. When the smoke cleared, he saw the pursuer's face—and his heart nearly stopped.
"Dad?" Dragon whispered.
Monkey D. Garp stood there, grinning, with a battle-crazed gleam in his eyes.
Garp turned his head, noticing his son—bloodied, cradling two infants. Before he could react, Maffey, still alive and furious, aimed another beam straight at Dragon. Garp's smile vanished. His entire body tensed, and in an instant, his fist glowed with unstoppable force.
"GALAXY IMPACT!"
The air itself cracked as Garp's punch connected. The impact tore through the forest, hurling Maffey hundreds of meters away, her body crashing through trees that splintered like matchsticks.
Dragon didn't hesitate. He tightened his grip on the babies and ran, pushing his battered body forward. He knew that if anyone discovered Garp had attacked a Celestial Dragon, both their lives—and the lives of these two children—would be in danger.
Garp watched his son disappear into the treeline and smiled faintly. He didn't know the full story, only that Dragon was protecting innocents. That was enough to make him proud.
"THERE'S THE PRIME FISHING SPOT!" Garp roared suddenly, his grin returning as he turned back toward the pirates. He snatched up boulders, trees, and anything within reach, hurling them after Newgate, Kaido, and Linlin, who screamed as they scattered through the forest.
Behind them, the island burned brighter than ever, and in the distance, a young Marine named Dragon carried the weight of his sins—and the faint hope of redemption—in his arms.
--------------------
Meanwhile, one of the babies that Dragon had just picked up—the one that St. Maffey briefly held before being forced to release it—slowly opened its eyes again.
The child had fainted when it fell earlier, but now its small body stirred, its breathing steady.
Beside it, the twin brother also began regaining consciousness, blinking weakly as their faint cries broke the heavy silence that followed the battle.
Seeing both of them awake, Dragon felt a wave of relief wash over him. For all the chaos and pain that surrounded them, at least the two infants seemed unharmed.
He let out a shaky breath, adjusting his hold on the children as he continued running through the dim forest.
To him, the only thing that mattered at that moment was getting them to safety. What Dragon did not and could not know, however, was that one of the babies he carried no longer possessed the same soul as before.
Inside that small body, another consciousness had taken root—one that did not belong to this world, nor to this time.
The baby's faintly opened eyes reflected confusion as the new soul tried to make sense of its surroundings.
Everything felt unfamiliar: the distant roars, the smell of ash in the air, and the rhythmic thudding sound that came from Dragon's hurried steps.
The person whose soul had just arrived was, only moments ago, in an entirely different world.
He had been sitting at his desk, reading the latest chapter of One Piece, catching up on the story that had fascinated him for years. One blink, and suddenly, everything changed.
He tried to move, to lift his arms, or even to speak, but his tiny body refused to obey. Panic crept in for a moment, but then his gaze shifted upward, catching sight of a familiar face—Dragon, still in his Marine uniform, still young, and still in the middle of the God Valley incident.
The realization struck like lightning. His thoughts raced, though his mouth could only make faint sounds. Did I just… transmigrate? he wondered, the disbelief echoing in his mind. No way… Did I actually become Shanks?
The new soul could only stare in shock, caught between awe and confusion, as Dragon, unaware of the change that had just taken place in his arms, kept running through the burning forest—carrying not only two infants but also a fate that had just been rewritten.