The horizon glowed crimson as dusk fell, the air thick with salt and tension. Kaen stood atop his half-repaired ship, hammer in hand, his shirt drenched in sweat. The sea breeze cooled his skin, but his heart still burned with purpose.
Three days had passed since he found the stone tablet — and since then, the sea hadn't been silent. Every night, the waves whispered louder. The power inside him grew stronger, hungrier.
He clenched his fist and looked down at the mark on his hand — a swirling blue crest, shaped like a whirlpool. Whenever he focused, he could feel the ocean's pulse thrum through his veins.
He raised his hand toward the water. "Let's try this again…"
The waves obeyed.
They rose — not violently, but in rhythm, like a heartbeat. They circled his ship, lifting it slightly before setting it back down. Kaen's eyes widened, breath catching in awe.
"Control…" he whispered. "Not just destruction."
The power of the Umi Umi no Mi — the Sea Sea Fruit — was not like other Devil Fruits. It didn't just let him control water; it made him part of it. But there was a price — the more he used it, the more his human body weakened. His legs trembled slightly, and he sank to one knee, panting.
"I'll have to build endurance," he muttered. "The sea tests its own."
He looked up at the repaired mast and smiled faintly. "Then let's begin your first voyage, huh?"
He had decided to name the ship Tidebreaker.
---
As the Tidebreaker glided out of the shallows, Kaen unfurled a simple white sail bearing a hand-drawn symbol — a whirlpool encircling an eye. His own flag.
For now, he sailed alone.
But the world was already shifting.
---
Elsewhere in the World — A Marine Report Reaches the Newspapers
WORLD ECONOMIC TIMES
"Massive Whirlpool Appears Near Former Ohara Waters — Marine Scouts Missing!"
"A mysterious ocean current has destroyed two Marine scouting vessels near the ruins of Ohara. Witnesses claim to have seen a ship rise from the depths, manned by a single figure. The World Government suspects remnants of Ohara's forbidden research may have resurfaced."
"Admiral Kizaru has been dispatched to investigate."
Kaen didn't read this news — not yet. But it had already painted a target on his back.
---
By the fourth night, the sea grew restless. Lightning cracked over the horizon, waves churning as if something massive stirred below. Kaen steered through the storm, gripping the wheel tightly.
A shadow rose in the distance — a pirate ship, its black sails torn and its flag bearing the image of a snake devouring itself.
"Pirates…" Kaen muttered. "Of course."
A cannonball exploded near his stern. He ducked instinctively, shouting, "Oi! I just built that!"
Laughter echoed from the enemy ship.
"Sorry, little guppy!" a voice jeered. "The sea belongs to those who take what they want!"
Kaen's jaw tightened. "Then you're about to drown in your own greed."
He slammed his hand into the water. The waves roared to life. A wall of water rose behind his ship, curling like a serpent before crashing forward. The enemy crew screamed as the sea swallowed their ship whole.
When the waters calmed, nothing remained but drifting debris.
Kaen exhaled heavily, sinking to one knee again. "Still too much power… too little control."
He closed his eyes and whispered, "Sorry, sea. I'll learn your rhythm."
Lightning faded. The stars returned.
---
By morning, the world had changed again. The paper birds — news coops — fluttered across the sea, carrying the next day's headlines.
"Unidentified Pirate Sinks Sea Serpent Crew Near Ohara Waters — Bounty Expected to Be Announced."
"Tensions Rise as Small Pirate Crews Vanish in Mysterious Currents."
"Scholars Debate the Return of the Will of D."
Kaen sat on the deck of the Tidebreaker, sipping water from a flask, staring at the horizon.
The world was starting to notice.
He looked down at the stone tablet beside him — the Ohara relic that started it all.
"Looks like we've stirred the tide," he murmured.
The waves lapped gently against the hull, answering with a whisper only he could hear.
"Then let it rise."
Kaen stood, wind whipping through his hair, his eyes reflecting the endless ocean ahead.
He raised the sail higher, watching as the wind filled it with force.
"From this day forward," he said quietly, "the sea no longer belongs to the World Government."
The tide shifted. The rebellion had begun.
And far, far away, in Marineford — Sengoku frowned as he read the report on his desk.
"Kaen Ohara…" he murmured. "A survivor of that island?"
Beside him, Garp chuckled. "Heh. Another storm's brewin'."
---
And somewhere across the Grand Line, in a tavern lit by laughter, a straw-hatted boy sneezed.
"Eh? Someone talkin' about me?" Luffy grinned, stuffing another piece of meat in his mouth.
Nami sighed. "Probably another idiot trying to make a name for himself."
But far away, the sea whispered — "Not an idiot. A tide."
And that tide was rising.
---
To be continue...