One Piece: Reborn in God's Valley

Morning, the bustling commercial district of Kano.

It was the same restaurant as yesterday. Ashen was enjoying breakfast, calmly listening to the chatter of the other diners around him.

The noisy surroundings didn't bother him at all, if anything, they made the food taste better.

After training alone for ten years on a deserted island, Ashen had learned to enjoy solitude. But deep down, he still preferred the liveliness of crowds.

"Hey, did you hear? The battle between Chinjao and Garp finally ended. Chinjao's drill head got smashed by Garp's punch."

"These Marines are too damn arrogant, taking our heavenly tribute and beating up our people."

One diner was ranting loudly, full of resentment toward the Navy's actions.

"Bullshit! Vice Admiral Garp is a hero of the Marines. Of course he's strong."

The guy at the next table clearly wasn't from Kano. He immediately countered, "It was a fair duel. If Chinjao lost, that's on him. He wasn't strong enough, plain and simple."

"I always thought that drill-head was cracked in the brain. Why else would he challenge Garp? Got nothing better to do?"

"You're the one talking bullshit and insulting our leader."

"You think I'm scared of you?"

Ashen could tell a fight was about to break out. Having just finished his meal, he figured there was no need to stick around. He left the restaurant and wandered the streets.

Suddenly, a furious roar echoed from behind.

"Garp, you bastard. You ruined everything I had, and now you dare show your face in front of me? I'll kill you."

"Huh?"

Ashen, who had been leisurely strolling, instantly sensed a fast-approaching force through his Observation Haki.

He shifted to the side just in time to dodge the incoming attack.

Boom!

The stone-paved street was shattered, leaving a crater in the ground. At the center, a man was lodged headfirst like a javelin.

"Hey... You lunatic. What's your problem? I'm not Garp. If you want revenge, go to Marine Headquarters. Don't come bothering me." 

Ashen shouted in anger as he recognized the attacker.

Honestly, it wasn't entirely Chinjao's fault for mistaking him. Today, Ashen was wearing a purple shirt with a tie.

Combined with his broad, powerful build, he did vaguely resemble Garp.

"Garp... It's you. Trying to run away now? You destroyed my drill head. Because of you, I can't retrieve my beloved treasure! I've got nothing left! I'm taking you down with me."

Chinjao yanked himself from the crater, eyes bloodshot as he roared. Clearly, he hadn't heard a word Ashen said.

Not only that, he immediately hardened his fists with Armament Haki and charged straight at Ashen.

"You idiot. Looks like Garp punched your brains out. I'm way better looking than that old bastard.

Are you blind or just stupid? Want me to knock some sense into you?" Ashen roared back, swinging his fist to meet the attack head-on.

"Captain! That's not Garp. You've got the wrong guy…" one of Chinjao's subordinates shouted, finally realizing the mistake.

Crack!

Their fists collided in midair, shattering the space between them with a thunderous snap. The pressure was so intense it felt like the very atmosphere was being torn apart.

After a few seconds of stalemate, one figure was blasted backward, crashing through several buildings before finally skidding to a halt.

"Hmph! You want to fight with me without your drill?" Ashen retracted his fist and turned away with disdain, ready to leave.

To be fair, Chinjao wasn't weak. But without his signature drill, his power had clearly diminished. 

Add in the fact that he was still recovering from a serious injury, he wasn't anywhere near Ashen's level.

So, it wasn't surprising that a single clash sent him flying.

Ten years of relentless training wasn't for nothing.

"What the hell? He's still coming?"

Ashen had just turned to leave when his Observation Haki sensed Chinjao charging in again, bald head gleaming, flying straight at him like a missile. He dodged once more.

Boom!

Another crater was blasted into the stone street.

"I'm not done yet. I haven't lost."

This time, Chinjao didn't yell Garp's name. Ashen's punch had sobered him up a bit.

But it was rare to find such a powerful opponent, Chinjao's fighting spirit was now burning fiercely.

"Take this."

Chinjao leapt into the air. His head, now covered in Armament Haki, plummeted toward Ashen like a wrecking ball.

"Damn, that move looks too damn familiar…Fine! I'll play the part of Luffy for now, let's go."

Ashen got serious. His body was fully coated in Armament Haki. He raised his fist and charged upward to meet the falling Chinjao.

Just like the Colosseum in Dressrosa 28 years later, time seemed to freeze for a moment before erupting in a massive shockwave. 

The blast instantly cleared out everything nearby, people, stalls, debris, all gone.

As the dust settled, the ground had sunk into an even larger crater.

At the bottom was Chinjao, his drill head miraculously restored to its original shape, lodged in the earth like an anchor. He was completely unconscious.

"Hmph! No need to thank me. I hope you pull yourself together and keep being the kind of pirate you are.

Guys like you, pure, stubborn, and damn interesting, aren't easy to find in this sea."

Ashen stood at the edge of the crater, clapped the dust from his hands, and turned to leave without looking back.

"Captain, are you alright?"

A full minute passed before Chinjao's subordinates dared to approach the crater once Ashen had gone.

"No need to check, get the Captain out of there. He's passed out. We need to get him treated, fast."

Another subordinate added, "And we have to notify his majesty about this immediately."

Ashen didn't care about what happened next, nor did he want to.

Restoring Chinjao's drill wasn't some act of kindness. He just saw Chinjao as a pure, straightforward pirate.

Someone who loved treasure, took pride in his power, yet knew the difference between right and wrong. He repaid debts, held grudges, and honored both.

Twenty-eight years later, in Dressrosa, when he saw Luffy, Chinjao didn't hide a thing, he charged in to take revenge.

But later, inside the Birdcage, he dropped the grudge and repaid Luffy's kindness.

Chinjao was that kind of person whom Ashen couldn't help but respect.

With the street wrecked and needing days to repair, Ashen found a small tavern nearby and quietly sipped his drink.

"Kano is a nice place, but it's about time I made my next move. Supplies are ready. The remaining 200 million berries should be enough to buy a good ship."

Ashen took another drink, thinking over his plans.

On his second day in Kano, Ashen had already exchanged the gold he found in God Valley, worth roughly 210 million berries.

Now that he had the money, all that was left was to find a skilled shipwright… and build the very first pirate ship that would truly be his own.