Skill Tree Chronicles: One Piece

Water 7, Galley-La Shipyard

At this moment, Shen Yuan was holding a lunch box, calmly eating his food.

"Mm-hmm…"

He took one bite after another, eyes lazily scanning his surroundings.

"Hahahaha! Mr. Loudspeaker, your ship's keel is already being laid down!"

Shen Yuan nodded and set his lunch box down on the wooden platform.

After spending several days here, he'd come to a troubling realization.

"…Where's Rayleigh?"

Shen Yuan blinked. A cloud of question marks practically hovered above his head.

"Rayleigh? Didn't see him yesterday," Tom said, just as confused.

"Never mind, the old man must have slipped off again."

Shen Yuan shrugged it off with a grin.

Just as they were chatting, a thunderous explosion echoed from the port!

"BOOM!"

It was clearly the sound of a cannon shell detonating.

"Pirates! Pirates are attacking!"

"Run! They're here!"

In an instant, the peaceful shipyard dissolved into chaos as civilians scattered in every direction!

Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes, watching the panic unfold with strange nostalgia. Ever since setting out to sea, he had seen such scenes often.

"Wanna go check it out?" he asked Tom casually.

"Of course! I'm not afraid of any pirates!"

With that, the two raced toward the source of the commotion.

---

At the Port of Water 7...

The Navy was already engaged in fierce combat with a pirate crew!

"As expected of Captain Is, recently returned from the New World… A troublesome opponent!" Zephyr barked as he slammed his black-armored fists together, facing the threat head-on.

"Hmph! You decrepit relic, just die already!"

Is snarled. His pirate crew had suffered heavy damage in the New World and came to Water 7 for emergency repairs—only to run into Zefa, former Admiral and elite instructor of Marine Headquarters!

Behind Zefa, his trainee marines gripped their weapons tightly, their nerves at the breaking point.

"My students! Remember, protect yourselves! Don't die needlessly!"

Zefa's roar echoed across the port, shaking even his own troops to their core.

"Was that… Armament Haki? That's the same hardening Zephyr-sensei uses!"

A panicked voice shouted.

Smoker scowled at the blurting recruit. "If you see it, shut up! You trying to help the enemy gain intel?"

Just then—a shadow leapt out, sword in hand.

The blade shimmered with deadly light as it slashed straight toward the terrified trainees!

One of them froze, limbs quaking as blood stained the pier.

"CLANG!"

The strike was intercepted by another blade.

"Tina doesn't like her comrades dying. Really doesn't like it!"

Captain Tina, breath ragged, pressed her blade forward and forced the assailant back.

"You've got guts, girlie! Let's see how much fun you are when we tie you up!"

Their blades clashed again and again, metal ringing out like wild thunder.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuan squatted by the pier munching on popcorn, completely unbothered by the violence.

"Old Tom, what do you think of that girl?" he asked lazily.

Tom squinted toward the battle. "Didn't you see? That boy's the one worth watching."

He was pointing at Smoker, who had just unleashed a flurry of attacks!

Wielding his signature ten-bladed jitte, each blade laced with Armament Haki, Smoker surged across the battlefield, punching pirates into the sea like rag dolls.

"BOOM!"

One pirate slammed into the ocean's surface and disappeared beneath the waves.

"Tina!"

Smoker's body morphed into smoke, and he dove toward her position!

Tina was struggling against the enemy swordsman, her stamina running low.

A blade came for her throat—

"DING!"

Steel clashed again—Smoker intercepted!

Shen Yuan's eyes widened. "A classic rescue moment? Hero saves beauty?"

He hadn't noticed that Tom had devoured most of his popcorn.

"Hey… where's my popcorn?"

"Boy, why aren't you running?" snarled a pirate who had just landed on shore.

Seeing Shen Yuan and Tom calmly chatting, the pirate's forehead twitched in anger.

"We're risking our lives while these clowns are spectating?!"

A moment later, that very pirate dropped dead.

Killed in an instant by Shen Yuan's Finger Gun (Shigan: Compression Type)—a modified Rokushiki technique he'd integrated into his skill tree.

Even in death, the pirate's face looked confused—as if wondering how it ended so fast.

"Nope, too late. And no, you can't spit out my popcorn," Shen Yuan muttered, grabbing Tom by the collar and shaking him violently.

Tom's eyes spun in his skull. "My brain…!"

---

Meanwhile, on the pier—

Smoker's right hand, encased in blackened Haki, struck the enemy full-force in the gut!

"BOOM!"

The pirate was launched ten meters back, crashing into the stone pavement. His skull embedded in the bricks.

Debris scattered. The crowd went silent.

"Tina, you okay?"

"…Tina thanks you."

But she looked at Smoker in disbelief—not because of his rescue, but the Armament Haki he'd just used.

"He disappeared for barely a month and already learned Haki?! Gimme a dozen like him!"

"Tina? Tina?!"

Smoker waved his hand in front of her eyes. Seeing her dazed, he turned and flew toward Zefa with his Smoke-Smoke Fruit (Moku Moku no Mi) ability.

"BOOM!"

With a coordinated strike, Zefa and Smoker blasted Is several meters back!

The pirate staggered, blood trickling from his mouth—but he grinned madly.

"You think this is over?"

He raised both hands.

"Massive Explosion!"

"What?!"

Is's grin widened.

"My Explosion-Explosion Fruit lets me plant explosive aura! I left some on you all during combat! Now you'll be blown sky high!"

He retrieved a strange red pill—likely an Awakened Booster—and prepared to swallow it!

The navy panicked.

This was no bluff—explosive aura was a terrifying advanced use of a Logia Awakening or Paramecia hybrid trait. While not fatal to strong users, it would devastate the trainee marines.

Even Zefa's face tensed. He dashed toward Is using Moon Walk (Geppo).

But it was too late—

"THUD!"

A terrifying force ripped through Is's chest. His aura abruptly collapsed.

A second strike followed, piercing him clean through!

Is didn't even scream—he simply toppled into the sea.

Shen Yuan landed on the marine ship, dusting off his sleeves.

With a smile, he greeted Tina.

"Yo, Tina."

Then turned to shout at Smoker.

"When someone's casting a self-destruct move—kill the caster. Got it?"