Location: Marine Headquarters – Mariejois
Far above the sea, beyond the clouds and above the red stone throne of the world, the five most powerful men in the government—the Gorōsei—sat in silent tension.
A single sheet of parchment lay on the table between them.
At its center, sketched in detail by a Cipher Pol informant, was a face. Young. Sharp-eyed. Hair tied back with string. Beneath the sketch, two words burned in ink:
"Toni – Associated with the Roger Pirates."
One of the elders, a bald man with a sword resting by his side, narrowed his eyes. "That aura... Observation Haki at that level in a child? Impossible."
The one with long white hair spoke, voice like frost. "It's not just haki. Cipher Pol reported his fighting stance matches the descriptions of a forbidden sword style."
"Mythblade Flow," another whispered. "We purged those bloodlines during the Void Century…"
The final elder, eyes shadowed beneath his hat, stood slowly.
"If Gol D. Roger has found one of the Mythborn, the world must not be allowed to know."
Location: Open Sea – New World
The Oro Jackson danced across the waves like a beast unleashed. The morning sky was clear, but the wind carried an omen.
Roger stood at the helm, frowning for once.
"We've got a tail."
Rayleigh looked up from the map. "How many?"
"One ship. Fast. Flying no colors."
Shanks ran up, excitement in his eyes. "You think it's Marines?"
"No," Roger said. "Worse."
An hour later – Combat Deck
The enemy ship was in sight.
Black sails. Sleek hull. On its bow, a carved figurehead in the shape of a weeping mask.
Roger grinned. "Now there's a ship I haven't seen in years…"
Rayleigh's brow furrowed. "Wait. Is that—?"
BOOM!
A cannonball screamed through the air—but before it could hit, a blur of movement cut through the deck.
Toni.
Sword drawn. Eyes calm. The cannonball split clean in half and dropped harmlessly into the sea.
The crew stared in disbelief.
"Did… he just cut a cannonball?" Buggy gasped.
Toni exhaled. "The steel was trembling. It feared what I'd do to it."
Enemy Ship – Deck
A man stood at the front of the black-flagged vessel. Towering, cloaked in ash-colored robes, with a mask of white bone.
His name was Baron Dreadmoore—a mercenary once hired by the World Government to eliminate remnants of the Mythblade clan.
He raised a jagged saber and pointed across the waves.
"My blade remembers your scent, child. Myth runs in your blood… and I will end it."
The Battle Begins
"Brace the sails!" Roger barked. "We fight them here!"
As the black ship drew close, its crew leapt across in shadowed robes—silent assassins with curved blades and ghostly movements.
Toni stepped forward, sword in hand. "They aren't pirates."
"No," Rayleigh confirmed. "They're hunters. Government-hired exterminators."
Shanks drew his saber. "Let's show 'em they picked the wrong ship!"
Combat exploded across the deck. Steel rang against steel. Shanks clashed with two assassins at once, while Buggy flailed wildly, dodging blades with sheer luck.
Rayleigh cut down foes with clean, precise strokes. Scopper Gaban twirled dual axes like a storm.
But Toni?
He stood still.
Eyes closed.
Haki surged from him like ripples on water, and in that moment, the assassins froze.
One stepped forward—and before his foot touched the deck, Toni had already moved.
A blur.
A hum of air.
One slash.
The attacker collapsed.
Three more moved in unison. Toni danced between their strikes, wooden blade glowing faintly blue as it cracked ribs and snapped joints.
Shanks could hardly follow his movements. "He's… like wind."
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed. "No. He's like memory. He's recalling battles no one taught him."
Upper Deck – Roger vs Dreadmoore
Roger and Dreadmoore clashed like titans. Dreadmoore's blade screeched with cursed energy, but Roger's sword met it with a grin and brute force.
"You've got no place chasing children, Baron," Roger spat.
"Children? That thing's a walking weapon. Just like the last Mythblade I killed!"
Roger's expression darkened. "You won't touch this one."
Lower Deck – Toni's Awakening
Toni now stood before the last assassin—one larger than the rest, wielding twin blades. Fast. Deadly.
Their swords collided—
CLANG.
Toni was pushed back. Blood trickled from his lip.
But then—his grip changed.
His stance shifted slightly. As if…
As if someone else stood behind him, guiding his hands.
A distant voice whispered again:
"Form Two – The Skyfall Stroke."
He moved once. A step. A flick.
The twin blades shattered.
The enemy fell, unconscious before hitting the wood.
Aftermath
The enemy ship burned. The assassins were defeated. Baron Dreadmoore vanished in the smoke, wounded and vowing revenge.
As the crew patched wounds and secured the deck, Roger clapped a hand on Toni's shoulder.
"You've got something real in you, kid. And the world's gonna fear it."
Toni looked down at his hands.
"I don't want to be feared."
Roger smiled. "Then be remembered."