One Piece: Reborn in God's Valley

Calm Belt.

Pulled steadily forward by a Sea King, the Blackthorn slowly approached two islands.

From the deck, the crew finally got a clear view of their shapes.

The islands were both nearly circular, one large, one small, nestled closely together. A narrow trench of sea ran between them like a seam.

Fifteen minutes later, under Ashen's instructions, the Blackthorn anchored beside the larger of the two. The Sea King that had pulled them this far was released back into the ocean.

"Abbas, scout the island. See what we're dealing with."

Upon hearing Ashen's order, Abbas leapt high into the air. His body morphed into that of a massive sea eagle, wings stretching wide as he soared above the island, scanning every detail from the sky.

Meanwhile, the crew on the ship began gathering supplies for disembarkation.

After about ten minutes, Abbas returned to the Blackthorn, landing with a gust of wind.

"Captain, most of the island is dense, untouched forest. I saw no signs of human presence."

"Then what are we waiting for? Captain, let's go explore. What if there's treasure?" Walton burst out excitedly, barely able to contain himself.

"Idiot. What treasure would you find in a jungle? And besides, this is the Calm Belt. Who would even come here?" 

Parnell, Walton's ever-sarcastic companion, wasted no time cutting him down.

"Enough. Doesn't matter what we think is here, since we've arrived, we might as well go have a look.

Parnell, you and Salles stay behind on the Blackthorn and keep watch. Just in case."

Though it was unlikely they'd encounter anyone in the Calm Belt, Ashen still took precautions by leaving a few men behind to guard the ship.

…

On the island, Ashen led Walton and the others through thick forest, heading toward the center.

Thanks to the Calm Belt's constant sunlight and humidity, the island's trees towered high, nearly as massive as those on the Sabaody Archipelago.

And it wasn't just the plant life. The island's wildlife was equally fierce. Ferocious beasts roamed the underbrush, some so bizarre they defied recognition.

"Captain. These creatures are terrifying. If you guys weren't here, I'd be their lunch by now," Lafitte muttered as he stared at the unconscious beasts taken down by Ashen and Abbas.

"Haha…. And this is just daytime. There'll be even more at night. But don't worry, we'll be back on the ship before sunset."

Two hours later, the group arrived near a cliff deep in the island's interior.

"Be alert. Something powerful might be nearby," Ashen warned.

His Observation Haki had picked up on something. Ever since they'd entered this part of the forest, the once persistent beasts had retreated. As if this place was forbidden even to them.

"Captain, there's a cave up there," Abbas called out, his eyes spotting the opening with ease.

The crew followed him through the dense jungle, arriving at a clearing at the base of the cliff. Scattered across the ground were piles of animal bones. A dying campfire smoldered nearby.

Ten meters up the cliff face was a cave entrance, clearly man-made. The stone excavated had been carefully shaped into steps leading up to the opening.

"Stay behind me," Ashen ordered, then began the ascent with the others in tow.

…

Back on the Blackthorn, Parnell and Salles, along with two regular crew members, were passing the time playing cards inside the cabin.

"Hey. Look. What the hell is that?" a crewman on deck suddenly shouted.

…

"What the hell is this crap? I can't understand a single thing." Walton stared at the cave wall, bewildered by the series of charcoal drawings and diagrams.

"These look like schematics… some kind of mechanical design," Lafitte offered.

Ashen, meanwhile, was flipping through a tattered notebook he'd found.

The front half was filled with technical sketches and complex theories that even he struggled to grasp.

The final pages, however, were written in the same handwriting, but were diary entries, most dated to Year 1312.

"January 7, Clear Skies. My head aches again. It's certain now, the family illness is beginning to show in me."

…

"March 14. Today is a day worth remembering. I finally have a child. The ship I'm building is nearly complete."

…

"September 20. I'll be setting sail in a few days. I'm sorry, my beautiful wife. My time is short.

Since I can't continue my research, I'll use what time I have left to see the world. I don't want to die quietly, fading in front of you. I want to leave behind a legend, as a hero…"

There was no signature. But Ashen could feel the desperation and quiet courage behind the words.

Puru… Puru… 

Just as he was studying the designs again, the Den Den Mushi on his belt rang.

"Ahhh. Captain, you need to come back quickly. Some lunatic's trying to tear apart the Blackthorn. Parnell can't hold him off much longer."

Before Ashen could even ask for more details, the call cut out.

"Abbas. Get us back to the Blackthorn, now."

Time was of the essence. Ashen didn't hesitate, he and the others mounted Abbas and rushed back.

…

Just over ten minutes later, thanks to Abbas's speed, they arrived above the ship.

Ashen jumped down to the beach. Two crew members were tending to Parnell and Salles's wounds, while the rest of the men sat groaning on the sand, clearly battered.

"What happened? Is everyone okay? Salles, where's that lunatic you mentioned?"

Seeing that no one was seriously injured, Ashen let out a breath of relief.

"Captain… that guy jumped into the sea. Said he wanted to study how the Blackthorn works," Salles muttered, still nursing a bruise on his head.

"I thought he was trying to destroy the ship?" Ashen asked.

"At first, yeah," Parnell said. 

"He kept saying he had to dismantle it to figure out how it sails through the Calm Belt. We obviously said no. Then we fought. 

He gave us a thrashing, looked over the ship, found nothing interesting… and just dove into the sea."

"I see. I'll go meet him myself, see what kind of man he really is."

Ashen stepped up to the shore and thrust both hands into the ocean.

Ghost Aura.

Crack….

With the activation of his Devil Fruit power, the sea around the Blackthorn rapidly began to freeze. Within seconds, black ice spread across the water like a creeping shadow.

Ashen stared silently at the frozen surface, waiting.

Crack…

Moments later, the ice shattered with a loud pop. A disheveled man leapt onto the shore, shouting excitedly while holding a piece of seastone in his hand.

"Hahahaha. So that's how it works. Brilliant. Why didn't I think of this before?"

Ashen examined the stranger, tall and lean, around thirty years old, and even taller than himself.

"Hey. Who came up with this? Which one of you?"

The man's eyes finally landed on Ashen, and seeing how everyone looked to him, he grinned.

"Before asking questions, shouldn't you introduce yourself first?" Ashen said coolly.

"Ah. Right, right. Sorry about that. I'm William Tesla."