Scholar of Strawhat Pirates

As Douglas and Zoro made their way to where the Going Merry was docked, Zoro glanced at the mysterious figure beside him and asked:

"How do you know my friends are in good hands? Did you help them already?"

Douglas smiled beneath his mask.

"I'm a scholar at heart. Knowledge has a price, and if you want it... you must give something of equal value," he replied smoothly.

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly do you want?"

"You're a swordsman. I want you to tell me everything you've learned—your techniques, philosophies, principles. In return, I'll tell you what you want to know."

Zoro thought for a second, then nodded. "Alright. Well then..."

He began recounting the core principles Koushirou had taught him over the years—his understanding of swordsmanship, his experiences, and what he had internalized on his journey.

Douglas listened silently, nodding at intervals. Internally, though, he noted that everything Zoro spoke of—while impressive—was knowledge he already understood through the canon lore of One Piece.

Eventually, Zoro finished. "There. I told you everything. Now, your turn."

Douglas responded by taking off his mask and handing it to Zoro.

"Here. Wear this."

Zoro's eyes widened slightly upon seeing Douglas's face. "Huh. You don't look weird or scarred. Why even wear this thing?"

"Put it on. You'll understand."

Reluctantly, Zoro put the mask on—and everything went black.

He blinked, but saw nothing. Total darkness. It was like being blind.

"Oi, I can't see anything in this damn thing," Zoro grumbled as he took the mask off. The sudden flood of light made him wince.

"What's the point of a mask if you can't see through it?"

Douglas took the mask back and put it on once more.

"That's exactly the point," he said. "The mask blocks my sight—forces my other senses to adapt. It was my training method to awaken Observation Haki. By living blind, I was forced to sense the world through instinct, awareness, and emotion. That's how I 'saw' your crew. That's how I knew they were in good hands. I could feel them—with my mentor, a skilled doctor."

Zoro stared at him, intrigued.

"How wide is your range now?"

"The entire island," Douglas answered. "I sensed you the moment you docked. But I felt no hostility—only concern. That's why I didn't act. If you had shown any malice, I would've struck first."

As they walked, they hadn't realized how far they'd come. After over thirty minutes, they finally arrived at the port where the Going Merry sat. Her hull bore the marks of every battle she had endured—from Laboon to the Reverse Mountain, and everything in between.

Douglas paused, examining the ship. "What a magnificent vessel," he said softly.

Zoro didn't respond. Instead, without warning, he drew a single sword and slashed at Douglas.

Douglas ducked and sidestepped, effortlessly avoiding the attack—even while wearing the mask.

Zoro smiled.

He lunged again, testing Douglas with flurries of precise strikes. For the next five minutes, Zoro attacked relentlessly, but Douglas never retaliated—only dodged, fluid and unbothered.

Eventually, Douglas grew bored.

He sidestepped Zoro's latest swing and, with sudden force, delivered a devastating lariat to Zoro's throat.

Zoro collapsed to one knee, choking violently, gasping for air. The impact had nearly crushed his windpipe. Had Douglas intended to kill him, his head might've been torn clean off.

After several deep, painful breaths, Zoro managed to recover.

"What were you thinking, attacking me?" Douglas asked.

"I wanted to see your strength for myself... and I wasn't disappointed," Zoro replied with a smirk. "That was one hell of a move. You really can see the entire island?"

"Yes. I've trained my Observation Haki my whole life. But you can learn it too. Once you grasp the basics, nothing will help you grow faster than battles where your life is on the line."

Douglas then stepped aboard the Going Merry.

As he touched the ship's railing, he felt it—the warmth, the emotion, the will. The ship was alive, infused with the love and loyalty of its crew. He gently ran his hands along the hull, using his Devil Fruit ability to patch holes and reinforce damaged sections, even without wood.

Zoro watched from the dock, still processing everything Douglas had told him—especially the secrets of Observation Haki. Every moment since meeting this man had been full of surprises.

------------------

Meanwhile, back at the castle…

Sanji jolted awake, confused and disoriented in a room he didn't recognize.

The first thing he saw was Luffy, lying unconscious and heavily bandaged in the bed beside him. Panic surged through Sanji as he scanned the room.

No Nami.

He sat up, eyes darting to a figure sitting calmly at Luffy's bedside—a man he didn't recognize, wearing a gentle, almost nostalgic smile.

Before Sanji could say anything, Luffy suddenly bolted upright.

"NAMI!!" he shouted, his voice strained and full of desperation.

Breathing heavily, Luffy looked around wildly—until his eyes landed on the stranger beside him. His expression changed instantly.

His voice softened, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Ace?"

Before the moment could settle, a loud crash and shout echoed through the castle halls.

Ace's expression turned serious. He knew that voice.

Without a word, he dashed toward the noise. Luffy and Sanji immediately followed.

They arrived at the foot of a grand staircase—and found Chopper, buried under a pile of scattered items, groaning in pain.

Ace rushed forward, kneeling beside him.

"Are you okay, Chopper?" he asked as he gently lifted him from the mess.

Chopper winced but nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. She didn't push me—she just surprised me from behind. I got shock and fell."

He pointed toward the top of the stairs.

Standing there was Nami, looking down at Chopper with genuine concern on her face.

Ace turned and gave her a small nod of understanding. "It's alright, he says you didn't push him."

But suddenly—

"AHHHHHH, THE TANUKI TALKED!!" Sanji, Luffy, and Nami all shouted in perfect unison, their eyes bulging.

Chopper's face turned red with frustration. "I'M A REINDEER!!" he shouted back, stomping his little hooves angrily.