"Where am I?"
His head was groggy, body trembling, and the sound of waves crashing against a deck echoed faintly in his ears.
Iggy struggled to open his eyes. Above him was a wooden ceiling.
Looking around, he realized he had awoken on a simple bed. The room was small, but had all the basic necessities.
"This is…"
His gaze landed on something atop the bedside table, and his heart trembled.
On a one-meter-high wooden cabinet sat a worn rectangular photo frame, standing quietly.
Inside the frame was a slightly faded photograph—four children grinning with all their teeth.
It was the only photo of the four brothers: Iggy, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy.
As he stared at the picture, memories surged through Iggy's mind like boiling water.
Six years ago, he had escaped from the Holy Land for the first time. He drifted to a deserted island, was rescued by Garp, and placed under the care of the mountain bandits.
Witnessing his mother's death had filled young Iggy with hatred, leaving his heart hollow—like a walking corpse.
That was until he met three other kids who accepted him as their partner. The deep bond they shared reignited a spark of hope in his lifeless heart.
After months of growing up together, fighting side by side, and surviving wild beasts, the four became sworn brothers, albeit after strong persuasion.
One day, Dadan stumbled across an old, dusty camera and insisted on taking a photo of them.
A flash of white light—and that moment was preserved in time. It was the only photo Iggy ever took in this world.
Shortly after, Sabo was taken away by his father. Refusing to live in chains, he ran away to the sea—only to be killed by the Celestial Dragons.
From that moment on, Iggy lost all hope. Emotion died in him, and revenge became his only reason to live.
"Haha, you're finally awake!"
A familiar—yet distant—voice interrupted his thoughts and pulled him back to reality.
A lean teenager around his age burst through the door, clearly overjoyed to see him awake.
He tipped up his cowboy hat, revealing a freckled face, his eyes trembling with emotion.
"Ace! Ahh—!"
Iggy's shock was so intense that he completely forgot the fatigue wracking his body and sat up quickly.
But as he moved, he touched the wound on his right shoulder—his missing arm—and a sharp pain made him wince.
"It's really you, Iggy! Don't move—you're hurt badly."
Eyes wide with surprise and joy, Ace rushed to Iggy's side and gently helped him lie down again.
He knew how stubborn Iggy was. The pain must be unimaginable—especially with an arm gone.
"This is incredible, Ace… How did you find me?"
Iggy lay back down, suppressing the joy welling up in his chest. When he'd seen the photo, he'd suspected something—but the reality still overwhelmed him.
Come to think of it, they were the same age. Both seventeen. In the manga, Ace set out to sea at seventeen.
It seemed Iggy had run into Ace during his first year sailing—what an incredible stroke of fate.
"I passed through a sea area and found you. You must've passed out from blood loss."
Hearing Ace's words, Iggy suddenly remembered. He had completed his assassination in the Holy Land and used Tekkai (Iron Body) before jumping into the sea.
Even though it was 10,000 meters above sea level, he wouldn't have passed out just from the fall—it was the blood loss.
If only he had absorbed life energy before leaving the Holy Land, he might've healed his arm and survived the plunge more easily.
"You know, Iggy… After Sabo died six years ago, we eventually found out it was you who avenged him. But… we could never find you again."
Ace's voice softened as he recalled their painful childhood and the loss of their brother.
As he spoke about Sabo and Iggy's disappearance, tears fell silently from his eyes.
Iggy saw the tears, and his own eyes stung. His throat tightened.
"I'm sorry… I didn't want to drag you all into my mess."
After a long silence, Iggy confessed, pushing down his emotions.
"Don't be stupid. We're partners—brothers."
Ace, who hadn't cried since setting out to sea, now couldn't hold back. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he spoke.
Time had passed. Remembering what happened to Sabo and now seeing Iggy again, Ace was overwhelmed.
Iggy listened quietly to his sobs. He was touched—but the fire of revenge still burned deep within, unmoved.
Wanting to shift the mood, Iggy changed the subject casually.
"How are you doing now?"
Ace sniffed, wiping his face with the back of his hand. His expression brightened.
"Have you heard of Whitebeard?"
He'd wanted to build up the surprise, but seeing his brother again made him too excited to hold back.
"I joined the Whitebeard Pirates… Because I have a new dream—to make Dad the King of the Pirates!"
Ace's voice shook with pride and excitement. He looked to Iggy, expecting shock.
But instead, Iggy just smiled.
Surprised by the reaction, Ace suddenly understood—Iggy knew. Of course he did. He always understood.
And he was right. As someone familiar with the entire One Piece story, Iggy knew exactly how Ace felt at this moment.
But beyond empathy, a new idea took root in Iggy's heart.
He wasn't born to dream—he was born to fight, to grow stronger, and to gather comrades who shared his path.
A plan was already forming in his mind. With a smile still on his face, Iggy spoke words that caught Ace completely off guard.
"Ace… I want to meet Whitebeard too."
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Well since y'all said the name 'Iggy' isn't good.
I was wondering if I should change it.
Y'all can vote.
1.Yes,Change it.
2.No,Don't !
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If you agree to me changing it, you can drop names recommendation or I'd use "Xenthros".