Twin Swallow Island sat on the edge of the Calm Belt in the East Blue. Shaped like two swallows in flight, beaks touching, it earned its name.
There were only two narrow landings—at the beak-like tips—where one could go ashore. The rest of the island was surrounded by towering cliffs, dozens of meters high.
This unique geography meant pirates rarely visited Twin Swallow Island.
Rarely—but not never.
And in the vast seas, if there's one thing you'll never run out of, it's pirates.
Because of the island's proximity to the Calm Belt, traveling there was dangerous. One mistake could overturn a ship and take every soul with it. As a result, not even merchant vessels stopped by often—maybe once every six months.
But when pirates did come, they usually left with a fortune.
Still, for the islanders, the last pirate sighting had been over ten years ago.
---
"Boys! Ahead lies Twin Swallow Island!"
A rough voice barked on a pirate ship bearing a black skull flag, sailing across calm waters.
"Word from Loguetown says no pirates have landed there in a decade. Once we dock—plunder to your heart's content!"
The sails billowed with wind. The ship sliced through the ocean, leaving a trail of white foam in its wake. Seagulls followed close behind, scanning for stunned fish as potential meals.
"┗|｀O′|┛ Hoooo~!"
"Roar!"
"RAHHH!"
As the captain finished speaking, the crew erupted in cheers, raising swords, guns, and clubs in anticipation.
The captain, Gree—a pirate with a 5-million bounty—watched his men with a dark expression. It had been nearly a month since their last raid. That kind of dry spell was a disgrace to a pirate of his stature.
Any longer, and his crew would start jumping ship for other crews. He already knew some had been secretly making contact with rival pirate groups.
Traitors. Damn traitors.
"Cap... Captain! Look—what's that?!"
One crew member shouted, eyes wide with panic.
Gree turned sharply, following the man's gaze. The coastline of Twin Swallow Island was just barely visible in the distance.
But something was wrong. There was no time for excitement—no joy at the thought of plunder.
From the direction of the island, a blinding arc of light—ten meters tall—was cutting across the sea toward their ship at frightening speed.
"What the hell is that? How should I know?!" Gree roared. "Hard turn—NOW!"
He didn't know what it was, but he wasn't about to let it hit them.
The crew scattered in chaos.
All except one.
A pirate named Kadun stood frozen, staring at the incoming arc. His expression was a mix of recognition and horror.
He'd seen this before.
Years ago, on a trip to the Grand Line, he had witnessed something similar. Their ship, large enough for 200 men and armed with 20 cannons, had been effortlessly sliced in half—by a single flying sword strike.
A sword slash. From a great swordsman.
Only Kadun had survived that nightmare.
And now, this slash was almost identical—though narrower in range.
As the crew watched helplessly, the strike landed.
The pirate ship was cleaved clean in two. Pieces of the hull floated on the sea.
Kadun clung desperately to a plank, paddling toward the distant shore of Twin Swallow Island.
He knew the Calm Belt was no place to drift. If he wanted to survive, the island was his only hope.
Driven by desperation, he swam faster, ignoring the cries of his drowning crewmates.
But beneath the waves, a Sea King had noticed the floundering men and drifting wreckage.
Ah, nature's blessing.
Kadun watched in horror as his comrades were swallowed whole. The ship disappeared without a trace.
"Am I... the only one again?" he thought in stunned silence.
---
On Twin Swallow Island, under a coconut tree at one of the beak-like shorelines, a shirtless young man in beach shorts sat on a lounge chair, watching the sea.
When he saw the Sea King swallow the entire pirate ship, his mouth twitched.
Guess there's no need for a second strike.
"Talk about bad luck for those pirates..."
With a sigh, he sheathed his sword and reclined back in his chair. The man stood two meters tall, muscles lean and strong. Sunlight filtered through the palm leaves, casting shadows on his face—sharp features, thick brows, neatly trimmed short hair.
In one word: handsome.
In two: stupidly handsome.
In three: reader-insert material.
His name was Chris Weiss.
Once, he was just a salaryman on Blue Star. One day, while smoking and cleaning a second-floor toilet, he accidentally ignited built-up methane gas. With a loud boom, he blacked out.
When he opened his eyes again, he was a six-year-old child. A new body, a worn-down thatch hut, and a chipped wooden sword.
He knew the concept of reincarnation. But that didn't mean he liked it.
Some bored bastard must've done this to him.
Chris actually liked his old life—9 to 5 job, rented house, rented car, but a comfortable enough life. Nothing to complain about.
When he found out he'd landed in a pirate world, he nearly broke down. In this world, people died by the shipload. A stable, quiet life was a luxury for the lucky.
He prayed to every god he could name. He begged for a cheat skill. When a month passed and he found no Devil Fruits, he cursed the heavens with his chipped sword in hand for an entire day until his throat went hoarse.
Nothing happened.
So he returned to the hut.
If the gods won't help... then he'd help himself.
That was when an old man appeared and asked him:
"Wanna train with me?"
Chris recognized the old man instantly and said yes without hesitation. With nowhere else to go, he followed him—and began training in swordsmanship and martial arts on Twin Swallow Island.
Twelve years passed like that. Chris was now 18.
Once, he asked the old man why he was taught.
The official answer: "You're a once-in-a-generation sword genius."
The real answer: "You cursed the heavens with such flair—I liked your attitude."
From Chris's second year of training, not a single pirate had landed on the island again.
The old man had stuck around the first three years. After that, he only visited once a month.
But last year, after seeing Chris had reached the level of a great swordsman, the old man fell silent for a moment, muttered "pervert," and vanished completely.
Even his Den Den Mushi line was now permanently off.
Today was the day the old man was supposed to show up. But he hadn't come.
Chris had waited a full year. He had stayed because it wasn't quite time to head out. But after today... it was time.
Opening his eyes, he picked up a newspaper.
Probably dead somewhere, he thought.
Scanning the headlines lazily:
"Celestial Dragons Visit Sabaody Recruitment Center in Friendly Tour"
"Yonko Kaido and Big Mom Hold Strategic Talks to Strengthen Relations"
"Alabasta's Hero: Warlord Crocodile"
"What an exciting sea… would be a waste not to explore it," Chris muttered, sitting upright and tossing the paper onto the table.
His gaze drifted to the horizon.
He took a sip of coconut juice. His eyes caught a headline:
"North Blue Beauty Contest Ends: Champion Crowned — Elvia D. Lilia!"
"North Blue it is," he said casually.
"To find someone. To settle something."
Definitely not because of that huge, mysterious "D." in her name!
---
+25 Chapters on Ko-Fi
https:// ko-fi.com/sami27