One Piece: Reborn in God's Valley

"Tesla? Hmph. I don't care who you are or why you're here, if you've hurt my crew, you're not walking away without consequences."

Ashen narrowed his eyes. The name "Tesla" had caught him slightly off guard, but in a world as vast as this, there was no telling what names one might come across.

Still, no matter the reason, if someone had harmed his crew, a price had to be paid.

"My apologies. I got overly excited. I saw a ship moving freely through the Calm Belt… I couldn't contain my curiosity and wanted to study it.

It's my fault for not making myself clear, which caused a misunderstanding and led to the fight. I never intended to destroy your ship. I'm truly sorry."

Tesla bowed his head sincerely, finally realizing how rash he'd been. He turned to Parnell and the others with genuine remorse.

"Captain, maybe we should just let it go? We're not really hurt, just a few bruises," Parnell said, brushing it off. He didn't bear a grudge, he'd simply lost to someone stronger.

Besides, Tesla had only said he wanted to study the ship in the first place. It had been his own misunderstanding that led to the scuffle.

"…Alright. We'll let the fight slide. But you still owe us a drink. Since Parnell couldn't win with his fists, he'd better win at the table."

Ashen glanced over the crew. Their expressions made it clear, they weren't really angry, and in truth, his own side had misunderstood Tesla. 

But Tesla had already taken the blame upon himself, so Ashen played along and turned to face him.

"What do you say?"

"Hahaha. Of course. It's been ages since I had a proper drink."

…

Aboard the Blackthorn, the crew sat gathered on deck, surrounded by a feast. Plates of food covered the space between them, the scent of spices and roasted meats filling the air.

Tesla was being toasted repeatedly by Parnell, Salles, and the others. They weren't just trying to outdrink him, they actually liked the guy. His personality had won them over quickly.

Tesla, for his part, hadn't eaten this well or enjoyed such lively company in a long time. He didn't turn anyone down, downing bottle after bottle with a wide smile.

"Tesla, this must be yours, right? It's clearly quite old… you must have been keeping it for a reason."

Ashen, his cheeks slightly flushed, reached into his coat and pulled out a worn booklet they had found in the cave. He handed it to Tesla.

"Oh. Thank you. I didn't think anyone would find that place. This notebook was left behind by my ancestor.

It contains his research… and his diary from just before he set sail. It's incredibly important to me. I came out to sea to look for traces of him.

He disappeared over 180 years ago and never returned."

Tesla accepted the diary with the utmost care. Seeing the curiosity on everyone's faces, he offered an explanation.

"Oh? What was your ancestor's name?" Ashen asked, suddenly recalling something. The surname had triggered a faint memory.

"His name was Nikola Tesla. He was a renowned physicist from the South Blue and I am also named after him."

Tesla's chest puffed with pride as he spoke, and he took another long drink.

"Wait a minute… You don't mean from the Briss Kingdom in the South Blue? Did your ancestor set sail on the St.Briss?"

The moment Ashen finished speaking, Tesla leapt forward like a man possessed, grabbing Ashen by the collar.

"Ashen. Do you know something about him? Please, tell me. My family has been searching for him for over a century."

His eyes welled up. He looked like a man clinging to the edge of hope.

"Hey…. You trying to shake the life out of our captain? Let him breathe so he can talk." Walton barked, trying to pull him off.

"Tesla, calm down," Salles said, gently placing a hand on Tesla's shoulder and steadying him.

Ashen waited until Tesla's breathing eased, then spoke.

"Your ancestor entered the Grand Line… and was likely caught in the Knock-Up Stream near Jaya Island. It launched his ship ten thousand meters into the sky.

He must have landed on Skypiea, or some other sky island.

For some unknown reason, the Skyfolk exiled him into the White Sea, where he drifted for over a century. Everyone aboard that ship is long dead. Their bones have turned to dust."

"Whoa…. Captain, there are islands in the sky?"

Everyone's eyes went wide with astonishment.

"So that's why… No wonder our family never found him after all these years," Tesla muttered, staring at the diary as though trying to read the skies from its pages.

"Captain. Can we go to the sky island one day? There must be so many strange and wonderful things up there." Lafitte asked, stars shining in his eyes.

"Of course we will. In the ruins of the Golden City, Shandora, there is gold everywhere you look.

And… rumor has it, the angels there are beautiful," Ashen added with a mischievous grin, delighting in teasing his crew.

"Let's go right now, Captain."

Thud…

Amid all the dreaming and laughter, Tesla suddenly fell to his knees before Ashen.

"Ashen. I beg you, let me join your crew. I also want to see the place where my old man died and honor the legacy of such a great physicist by giving him a proper burial. 

Please, I'm begging you."

"Oh? Tesla, is that all your life is? Just chasing after your ancestor's legacy? Just basking in the light of a dead man's name?

If that's truly all there is to you, then I have misjudged you.

Let me make something clear, aboard the Helgrave Pirates, we allow the weak, we allow failure… but we do not accept cowards who cling to the past and hide in others' glory."

Ashen's voice was thunder, his expression fierce.

But Tesla's eyes lit up, as if he'd finally found someone who understood him.

"No. Finding my old man's remains has always been my family's hope, but it's not about inheritance or honor.

Before I left, I swore to continue his path… to finish what he couldn't. I want to become a physicist who changes the world."

Tesla threw his arms wide and shouted toward the sky, as if hoping his old man in the sky would hear him.

"Haha... Good. Then welcome aboard the Blackthorn, Great Physicist."

Ashen held out his right hand.

Clap…

Tesla grabbed it tightly.

"Everyone. More drinks. We're not stopping until the barrels are dry."

"Aye, Captain."

…

Time shifted back to several days ago.

Across the world, a piece of news had shaken every corner of power.

"Kaido-sama. Oden has joined the Roger Pirates again."

In the Wano Country, Orochi burst in, panic written all over his face.

"…I see."

Kaido's eyes gleamed, but he said nothing more.

…

Holy Land Mary Geoise.

"Hmph. To think Whitebeard allowed Oden to rejoin Roger's crew… Pathetic."

The bald Gorosei pounded the table in fury.

"This isn't some minor incident," said the one with the black hat. 

"Oden is from that country, and Roger already got a Road Poneglyph from Big Mom."

"Another D…"

The word lingered in the air.

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