The two boats drifted side by side as the afternoon sun warmed the deck. The wind was gentle, the waves calm, and for a moment, it felt almost peaceful.
Luffy sprawled across the front of his boat, dangling his arm into the water and humming tunelessly. Zoro sat with his back against the mast, arms crossed, eyes closed—though Shiro could sense he wasn't actually sleeping. Just resting with one part of his mind always alert.
Nami sat beside Shiro in the other boat, studying her stolen Grand Line map with intense focus. Her fingers traced routes, her lips moving silently as she calculated distances and currents.
Shiro pulled out a small bag of dried fruit and tossed a piece toward Luffy. It arced perfectly through the air and landed in Luffy's open mouth.
"MMPH!" Luffy sat up, chewing happily. "Thanks, Shiro!"
Nami glanced over. "How did you throw that so accurately without even looking?"
Shiro smiled, tapping the side of his head. "Spatial awareness. I always know where things are relative to me."
Nami's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "That's part of your telekinesis?"
"Partly," Shiro confirmed. "But it's also Observation Haki. The two work together. My psychic abilities let me feel the physical space. Haki lets me feel the living presences within that space."
Zoro opened one eye. "So you're never actually blind to an attack."
Shiro shrugged. "I can still be overwhelmed if there are too many threats at once. Or if someone's fast enough that I can't react even if I sense them coming. Speed and power still matter."
Luffy leaned over the edge of his boat, his face serious—or as serious as Luffy ever got. "Oi, Shiro! Teach us something cool!"
Shiro raised an eyebrow. "Something cool?"
Luffy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! Like… stuff about the world! You know a lot of things!"
Zoro grunted, though his interest was clearly piqued. "Not a bad idea. If we're heading to the Grand Line, we should know what we're walking into."
Nami looked up from her map. "I wouldn't mind learning more either. The Grand Line's mostly myths and legends to people in East Blue. Real information is hard to find."
Shiro leaned back, his expression thoughtful. "Alright. What do you want to know first?"
Luffy's hand shot up like a student. "Devil Fruits! Tell us about Devil Fruits!"
Shiro nodded. "Alright. Devil Fruits. Let's start with the basics. There are three types: Paramecia, Zoan, and Logia."
Nami tilted her head. "Three types?"
Shiro held up one finger. "Paramecia—the most common type. These fruits give you a unique ability that doesn't fit into the other two categories. Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Mi is a Paramecia. It turned his body into rubber."
Luffy stretched his cheek out proudly. "Yep! Best fruit ever!"
Shiro held up a second finger. "Zoan—these fruits let you transform into an animal, or a hybrid between human and animal. They're rare, but not as rare as the third type."
Zoro's eyes sharpened. "And the third type?"
Shiro's expression grew more serious. "Logia—the rarest and most dangerous type. Logia users can turn their entire body into a natural element. Fire, smoke, ice, lightning, light itself. Physical attacks pass right through them unless you use Haki."
Nami's face went pale. "You're saying there are people who can't be hurt by normal attacks?"
Shiro nodded. "In East Blue, you probably won't encounter a Logia user. But in the Grand Line? They're more common. Admirals, some Warlords, high-ranking pirates—many of them are Logia users."
Zoro's jaw tightened. "Then Armament Haki is the only way to fight them."
"Exactly," Shiro confirmed. "That's why mastering Haki isn't optional if you want to survive out there."
Luffy frowned, his expression unusually serious. "So even if I punch really hard, it won't work?"
Shiro shook his head. "Not against a Logia user. Your fist would pass right through them like air. But once you learn Armament Haki, you'll be able to hit them just fine."
Luffy's grin returned. "Then I just gotta learn Haki!"
Shiro smiled. "You're already learning. You've got the foundation for Observation. Armament will come with time."
Nami scribbled notes on a scrap of paper. "What else should we know? About the Grand Line, I mean."
Shiro's expression grew more thoughtful. "The biggest danger isn't the pirates. It's the environment. The Grand Line's weather is unpredictable and deadly. Storms appear out of nowhere. Islands can have completely different climates within a few kilometers of each other. You could sail from a summer island to a winter island in an hour."
Nami's eyes widened. "That's impossible. Weather patterns don't work like that."
Shiro met her gaze evenly. "In East Blue, they don't. But the Grand Line operates on different rules. The magnetic fields are chaotic. Normal compasses don't work. You'll need something called a Log Pose—a special compass that locks onto the magnetic field of the next island."
Nami stared at her map, then at the compass on her wrist. "So… this is useless in the Grand Line?"
Shiro nodded. "Once we cross Reverse Mountain, yes. But don't worry. We'll get a Log Pose before we enter."
Zoro leaned forward slightly, his interest clear. "You mentioned something called the Calm Belt before. What is it?"
Shiro's expression darkened. "The Calm Belt is a strip of ocean on either side of the Grand Line. No wind. No currents. Completely still water."
Nami frowned. "That doesn't sound so bad."
Shiro's smile was humorless. "It's the breeding ground for Sea Kings—massive sea creatures, some as large as islands. They inhabit the Calm Belt in massive numbers. Sailing through it is suicide unless you have a way to avoid them."
Luffy's eyes lit up. "GIANT MONSTERS?! I wanna see!"
Zoro smacked the back of Luffy's head. "Don't be an idiot. If they're that dangerous, we avoid them."
Luffy pouted but didn't argue.
Nami's hand trembled slightly as she wrote. "Anything else we should be terrified of?"
Shiro chuckled. "Plenty. But let's focus on what's useful. The Grand Line is split into two halves. The first half is called Paradise—though it's anything but. The second half is called the New World. That's where the Four Emperors rule."
Zoro's eyes narrowed. "Four Emperors?"
Shiro nodded. "The Yonko. Four pirate captains so powerful that even the World Government can't touch them without risking all-out war. Each one controls vast territories in the New World. Their crews are legendary, and their power is… terrifying."
Luffy's grin widened. "I'm gonna beat all of them!"
Shiro smiled. "You will. But not today. Today, you'd lose in seconds."
Luffy didn't look discouraged. "Then I'll just get stronger!"
Zoro's expression was serious. "If we're going to survive out there, we need to know our limits. Shiro, you said you're at 70 on your scale. Where do these Yonko sit?"
Shiro's gaze grew distant. "At 100. Maybe higher. They've mastered all three types of Haki. Their crews include fighters at 80 or 90. Their ships are fortresses. And their influence stretches across entire seas."
Nami looked sick. "And we're sailing toward that?"
Shiro glanced at her, his expression calm. "We are. But we'll grow along the way. By the time we reach the New World, we'll be ready."
Nami didn't look convinced, but she didn't argue.
Luffy stretched his arms high, grinning. "This is so exciting! I can't wait!"
Zoro smirked. "You're insane."
"That's why it's fun!" Luffy declared.
Shiro pulled out more dried fruit, tossing pieces to each of them. "Eat. We'll reach the next island by evening if the wind holds."
Nami caught her piece, chewing thoughtfully. "You know a lot about the world. Where did you learn all this?"
Shiro paused for a fraction of a second—so brief that only someone watching closely would notice. "I read. A lot. Books, maps, Marine reports. Information is power."
It wasn't entirely a lie. But it also wasn't the whole truth.
Nami studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough."
Zoro leaned back again, closing his eyes. "Wake me when something interesting happens."
Luffy laughed. "You're always sleeping!"
"Resting," Zoro corrected. "There's a difference."
Shiro smiled, settling into a comfortable silence. The boats drifted on, side by side, the ocean stretching endlessly around them.
For a moment, everything felt peaceful.
Then Shiro's awareness spiked.
Something was coming.
Fast.
From above.
His eyes snapped open, his head tilting up toward the sky.
A massive shadow passed over them, blotting out the sun.
"Luffy—" Shiro started.
But Luffy was already moving.
His eyes flickered—Observation Haki kicking in—and he grabbed the bag of food, yanking it out of the way just as enormous talons descended from the sky.
"WHOA!" Luffy yelled.
The talons missed the food—but they didn't miss Luffy.
The bird—a monstrous creature with a wingspan wider than their boats—clamped its claws around Luffy's torso and pulled.
"AHHHHH!" Luffy's voice echoed as he was yanked into the air, his arms flailing wildly.
Zoro's eyes shot open. "WHAT THE—?!"
Nami screamed. "LUFFY!"
Shiro's mind raced. The bird was already twenty meters up and climbing fast. Luffy's Devil Fruit made him weak to seawater—if he fell from that height into the ocean, he'd sink like a stone.
Shiro's telekinesis flared, but the bird was too far, too fast, and Luffy was struggling, making it harder to lock onto him safely.
"Shiro!" Zoro drew his swords. "DO SOMETHING!"
Shiro's jaw tightened. He could try to pull Luffy down with telekinesis—but if he miscalculated, Luffy would drop into the sea before he could catch him.
The bird was already fifty meters away, carrying Luffy toward the horizon.
Shiro made a decision.
"FOLLOW IT!" he shouted, grabbing the oars and rowing hard.
Nami stared at him. "Follow it?! That thing's flying!"
"I can track Luffy with my awareness!" Shiro's eyes glowed faintly purple as his psychic net expanded, locking onto Luffy's distant presence. "As long as I can feel him, I can find him!"
Zoro didn't question it. He grabbed his own oars and started rowing with everything he had. "Which direction?!"
Shiro pointed. "Northeast! It's heading toward land!"
Nami grabbed her oar, her hands shaking but her expression determined. "If Luffy falls into the ocean—"
"He won't," Shiro said firmly. "That bird's carrying him somewhere. We follow, we find him, we get him back."
Zoro's eyes burned. "And then I'm cutting that bird into pieces."
Shiro's smile was sharp and dangerous. "Get in line."
The two boats surged forward, oars cutting through the water, sails catching the wind as Shiro guided them toward the rapidly disappearing bird.
Luffy's presence burned in Shiro's awareness like a beacon—distant but clear.
Shiro's mind raced. This wasn't in the plan. He knew canon events, knew the general flow of the story. But this? This was chaos.
So much for controlling everything, Shiro thought grimly.
But he didn't panic.
He adjusted.
Because if there was one thing Shiro had learned in two years, it was this:
Plans were guidelines.
Chaos was inevitable.
And adaptability was survival.
"Hold on, Luffy," Shiro muttered under his breath, rowing harder. "We're coming."
The bird vanished over the horizon, and the crew surged forward into the unknown.