Kapitel 3: A Fiery Debut.

There is a discord for this fic. It has Live Updates about chapter progress and when they are completed, pictures for characters, lots of tidbits about the story, among other things. I'm also very active there and am likely to respond to any message sent there. Join at discord.gg/aWZ9qX9mAW

Glory to my chief Proofreader: Solare. For he is the one who points out mistakes and acts as my favourite wall to bounce ideas off of.

Word Count: 4123.

First real fight of this fic is in this chapter, let's hope it's a good one shall we?

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Adam wrapped his fingers around the handles of his tankard, the Ale within it fizzed pleasantly, he casually took it up to his mouth and took a deep sip, enjoying the flavour and not paying the old man in front of him any mind.

"S-Surely y-you can't be serious?! Burning down the World Government?! Isn't that a bit much?!" Raoul exclaimed, feeling sweat pouring down his neck at the mere mention of such a wild Dream,

"I am serious, the World Government deserves to be reduced to ash for their Sins. If it takes turning this miserable World upside down to achieve that goal, then so be it."

Old Man Raoul felt goosebumps run down his body at those words, he could almost hear Roger's voice echoing the same sentiment many years ago. It was almost like seeing a Ghost of Roger sitting right beside Adam, and yet…

'No… He isn't like Roger at all! At its core, Roger's Dream was pure. He simply wanted to become the freest man alive, Adam however… He is different, 'Becoming An Immortal Legend', huh…?' Raoul thought, working through his observations in order to try and rationalise what he was feeling.

The two of them stood in silence while Raoul absentmindedly cleaned a glass while watching Adam finish his food and stand up, he set the bowl on the table before turning around. Adam then took a few steps away to exit the Bar, stopping half way when he remembered he hadn't paid yet.

He tilted his head slightly while looking around at the unconscious bar Patrons before speaking, "You can pay yourself from the pocket of any one of these Mongrels, Old Man."

"I.. Don't worry about it, Adam. The meal's on the house…" Raoul muttered, suddenly feeling tired and drained as he sat down at the counter with a sigh.

Adam simply laughed at this response, continuing through the bar to exit. He swung the front door open and placed a hand on the doorframe but before he left, he turned back to say a few words.

"One last question before I leave."

"...What is it?" The old barkeep asked, already thinking of what Adam could possibly want now.

Adam just grinned and said, "Would you care to point me in the direction of this island's Marine Base?"

"...Should I even ask why you want to know?"

"I am just going to.. Go for a Walk…"

Old Man Raoul simply sighed with resignation evident in his voice before tiredly pointing a thumb to the right. Adam grinned at this, bursting out into laughter and walking out of the bar while shouting his last words.

"Keep an eye out on the news, Old Man!"

"Hah~... For some reason I don't think that's gonna be the last I hear of him…"

Adam walked down the main street of Loguetown, immediately his enhanced eyesight spotted the Marine Base of the island standing proud in the distance. Dozens of Navy Marines walked up and down the street, patrolling it heavily to squash any potential pirate uprising.

A smile formed on the Winged Man's face as a Reddish Orange fire burst into a blaze at his back, drawing the attention of everyone on the street. The Marines eyed him with suspicion from the odd sight as a few of them decided to approach him to see what his deal was.

They were all stopped in their tracks however as a Golidsh wave of pressure began leaking from Adam's body, his Conqueror's Haki immediately sending everyone around him to their knees. Adam simply continued walking down the street with a grin on his face as he slowly began ramping up the force of his Haki.

All the civilians and most of the Marines fell to the ground unconscious, their will being completely dominated by a fraction of Adam's. Some of the braver Marines tried to shoot or attack Adam to stop him but they were all unable to do anything to him, their only option was Obey.

Adam ignored the falling bodies of the Marines around him, simply looking towards the Marine base before him with a grin. He raised his right hand upwards, a spark of flames forming around it before coalescing into an orb of crimson hellfire.

"Kuhahaha~! Let's give these Mongrels a day to remember shall we?!"

With an uproarious laugh that echoed throughout the city, Adam aimed his flame-wreathed hand forwards as a blast of fire shot from it. The flame crashed into the front side of the Marine base, immediately obliterating it and sending fiery cracks throughout its entire foundation.

He stood back and basked in the glory of his flames, watching as the building began melting and falling apart at the seams. A few seconds later, a few dozen Marines escaped from the building and locked eyes with him.

It didn't take a genius to see the dozens of unconscious bodies behind him, as well as the blaze of flames on his back, and know that he was the cause of the explosion. They rushed at him with a practised march, the close distance combatants taking the charge while the long ranged Marines covered them.

Surely, against any rookie pirate that belonged to the East Blue, which was commonly known as the weakest Blue, this formation would have suppressed and slaughtered them with ease.

This same rule does not apply to Adam D. Valentine.

"I suppose killing some time by playing with you Monkeys could be fun. I do like to play rough though, so you'll have to forgive me in advance…" Adam stated, rolling his shoulder casually as he was set upon by two Marines.

They both swung their blades at him, one at his neck and another at his chest. Adam made no move to dodge, simply staring at them with a shiteating grin as the blades stopped at his skin.

The duo of marines couldn't make any sounds of surprise however as all breath immediately exited their lungs, courtesy of Adam's fists digging into their abdomen and rearranging their guts.

With two coughs of blood, they were sent flying into the ranks of their comrades right behind them just as the ranged gunmen shot bullets at their enemy. Again, Adam made no moves to dodge and simply allowed the bullets to crash into his skin, doing zero damage as he expected.

Adam blurred ahead into their ranks, meeting each one of their bodies with one hit of his own. He grabbed one of the Marines in his path and used him to block a shotgun blast from one of his comrades before throwing him at the shooter.

Both of them fell to the ground just in time to avoid a blast of flames that burned the marines behind them into charred corpses, not a single one was spared.

Eventually Adam found himself getting bored, standing still with arms crossed while looking around at the cowering Marines around him. From the corner of his eyes, he spotted some civilians watching the battle from their homes.

And then he curiously spotted what looked to be a white haired child in a chore boy Marine uniform, he had an expression of fear and most interestingly, determination.

His focus on the child took his attention from the Marines behind him, one of those Marines staggered forwards from his place. He took extra care to remain as silent as possible, readying a giant Axe with both hands.

"DIE, PIRATE!" The Marine cried out, swinging the Axe at Adam's open neck.

But before it could reach its target, Adam swerved around and blocked the Axe's blade with his hand. The Marine made a sound of strangled surprise as he watched his Axe leave only a white mark on the Pirate's skin.

"Some advice, Mongrel."

The Marine was backhanded across the face, the force of slap knocking out 2 of his teeth in the process as Adam wrenched the Axe from his hands. And then he swung it down with a cruel smirk, sending an arm flying into the air as a gut wrenching scream of Agony sounded out a moment later.

Adam watched as the disarmed Marine fell to the ground while holding the stump where his arm was with disdain obvious in his eyes before chastising him, "Don't shout before you attack if you have the element of surprise, that's basic battle 101."

The Marine felt a vice grip wrap around his neck, it nearly strangled him as he was lifted up into the air with ease. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to breath, looking hazily into the fiery crimson eyes of the Demon that held them.

He nearly gasped when they met his own, the only thing visible within them was Madness and Cruel, Brash Ambition.

"Now… Where is 'Iron Gale' Goro? Do I have to start slaughtering you Mongrels for him to finally show himself?" Adam questioned, his lazy tone betraying a hint of undeniable Cruelty.

"T-The Rear A-Admiral.. Hah.. won't let y-you get away with this! Y-You'll be e-executed… hah.. J-Just like R-Roger!" The Marine managed to cough out defiantly even as his throat began being crushed.

A demented grin covered Adam's face before he spoke, "See though; that's where you Mongrels are all wrong. As much as I despise the very thought, it seems that Monkey King and I share one common quality. We both won't Die when our Hearts stop."

Adam's second hand moved upwards, flames licking at his fingertips as they began charging a blast of flames. The Marine shut his eyes closed harshly, gritting his teeth with resignation as he awaited certain Death.

"That's enough."

Turning to face the voice, Adam stopped himself from firing the blast of flames. A chuckle escaped his mouth before he clenched his flame-wreathed hand, dispelling the fire since he had found his real target.

Rear Admiral Goro stood there sternly, smoke curling from the cigarette clenched between his teeth. His white Marine coat, draped over his shoulders, framed a sharp grey suit with a bold blue-and-white striped waistcoat beneath. He had slicked-back blond hair and blue eyes framed by glasses, while his gloved hand rested at his side.

"Your battle is with me, Pirate. Leave the young man out of this, he has done you no wrong." The Rear Admiral said, reaching up to his face and removing his glasses in preparation for the battle.

To that Adam simply smiled, bringing his hand back before throwing it forwards and with it the Marine in his hands. He flew through the air before being caught gently by Goro, the Rear Admiral set him to the ground and quickly wrapped a tourniquet around his arm stump.

"Rest easy, Petty Officer Morgan. I'll take it from here." He whispered as he stood up to face the Pirate who had assaulted and maybe even slaughtered most of his men.

Adam himself didn't seem to care in the slightest as he simply ran a hand through his pure White hair before commenting, "I heard a lot of chatter about you from the Mongrels, You better not disappoint. My debut as a Pirate has to be a memorable one after all."

"...You Pirates and your insatiable ego, does nothing matter for you heathens but your petty wants?!" Goro called out, a righteous rage filling his voice.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, does nothing matter for you Mutts other than serving your Masters?" Adam replied while raising his hands into a shrug, his tone was in the middle ground between mockery and seriousness.

"What?" The Rear Admiral asked in reflex, genuinely taken aback by the Pirate's words.

"You make it out to be that Pirates are all pure evil while placing you Marines as pure good, but surely you can't be that conceited to really think that as the truth? You're all nothing but filthy guard dogs for the World Government and the Lard Lizards you call 'Celestial Dragons', and yet… You all seem so adorably Proud of yourself."

Adam shook his head in disappointment as Goro and the rest of the Marines were taken aback, his words making them stand back for a moment to think, even the child to the side seemed engaged in their speech. Seeing his men's falling morale, Goro knew he had to step forwards and take charge again.

"That's completely different! The World Government and the Celestial Dragons are necessary evils for the World's Balance and the Greater Good-" He shouted, trying to refute him but was cut off by Adam.

"Save me your blustering and justifications. I'm not interested in your Bullshit. Just come at me before I start slaughtering your men." Adam stated, crossing his arms in boredom.

"Fine!" Goro said between gritted teeth before his feet went into a practised position, a low chant escaping his mouth a moment later.

"Soru!"

Adam's eyes widened as the Rear Admiral blurred forwards from his position faster than he had anticipated, he still managed to react in time and block a punch meant for his face at the last possible second.

"Huh.. You're fast for a Monkey."

"Don't you mock me!"

Goro tried to push through the hand blocking his fist to no avail as Adam simply gripped his fist tighter before throwing a punch of his own. The fist barely missed his gut by a hair's as Goro twisted his body and crashed his leg into Adam's neck.

The kick seemed to do nothing more than cause Adam to move his head to the side slightly, the Winged Man grinned at this before bringing back his own arm. Goro saw this as panic shot down his spine like lightning, immediately shouting out a chant.

"TEKKAI!"

Adam fist's crashed into the Rear Admiral's gut, doing surprisingly little damage other than causing him to flinch in pain. Not allowing his opponent even a second to breathe easy, Adam simply threw another haymaker directly into Goro's face, the impact of which sent him flying backwards into the Marine Base building.

'Odd…' Adam thought as he raised his fist to eye level and inspected it, 'When I punched his gut, it felt like punching solid steel. But the hit to the head felt fine otherwise, what was the difference between them?'

As Adam casually thought through and dissected his opponent's odd durability, he noticed from the corner of his eye as Goro climbed out of the rubble of the building. Blood dripped from his head as he walked forwards, the sight of which caused the nearby Marines to clench their fists in helplessness.

"Even if we want to help, we can't! That Monster would just kill us and we can't even hurt him…" One of the Marines hissed in frustration, describing their situation perfectly.

This was further proven when Adam laughed mockingly and called out, "Kuhahaha~! That's some look on you, 'Rear Admiral'~!"

Goro grit his teeth in rage as he noticed the plummeting morale of his men, he could even see some civilians watching the whole altercation from their houses. This crisis would not end even if he won the battle, this was a great disaster to the East Blue's stability.

Adam kept a keen eye on the Rear Admiral, taking in every muscle twitch from his body and watched as he seemed to kick the ground repeatedly. The force of that action sent him flying towards the Pirate, Goro looked to twist mid air, entering an odd pose.

The air around him seemed to coil, forming small streams of pressurised air around his arm and throwing it forwards in a viscous haymaker. Adam could tell the immense momentum behind that punch, leaning into the punch to throw his opponent off before swerving to avoid it at the last possible second.

His hands shot forward like vipers, wrapping around goro's leg before pulling him backwards. Adam slammed him onto the ground, causing blood to seep through the Marine's clenched teeth as he activated Tekkai again.

Lifting him up, Adam proceeded to use him as a battering ram to smash through a nearby wall. He turned around before throwing back into the same wall a few inches away from the first hole. Goro couldn't even take a moment to breath before Adam's fist crashed into his face and sent him tumbling back onto the street.

"Hm.. I see. I understand it now." Adam muttered as the flames on his back went out, signalling his switch into 'Speed Mode'.

He walked out of the building casually, watching as Goro dragged himself to his feet. He took particular notice in the damage he undertook, the most of it was in peripheral spots with the most major parts being on his head.

"It's quite simple now that I see it." The Pirate said with a bored tone.

"What are you-?" Goro muttered tiredly, his eyes shooting wide open a moment later as Adam was upon him with an arm cocked back faster than he could even blink.

"Tekkai!"

The Rear Admiral barely managed to block the fist and yet despite applying his Technique, he was still forced to cough up bile from Adam's punch. Forcing himself to work through the pain, he threw a brutal haymaker across the Pirate's face.

It shockingly connected and managed to force Adam to turn his face to the side, not wanting to lose his desperately gained momentum Goro pushed forwards. His other arm shot forwards with immense speeds and dug into Adam's abdomen, pushing him backwards.

Despite getting damaged for the first time in the fight, the Pirate simply smiled through each hit. His hand shot forwards and parried the Rear Admiral's third hit before swerving around and back handing him across the face.

Goro was forced to step backwards as Adam raised his leg and tensed it heavily before shooting it forwards, it crashed against the Rear Admiral's iron-like body once again.

Adam smiled despite this and chuckled in satisfaction before commenting smugly, "How predictable."

Before Goro could even comprehend what was happening, the air was knocked out of him as a blast of flames emerged from Adam's leg. His body was burned severely as the sheer force of the minor explosion sent him careening backwards into a nearby fence, crashing through and barely stopping himself.

On the other hand, Adam simply put his leg back down onto the ground, a satisfied grin strewn across his face. He crossed his arms self assuredly and looked down at the still smouldering form of his enemy with amusement, a small chuckle escaping his lips a moment later.

"Kuhaha~! I'm still not quite sure how you're gaining this durability, but I've ascertained that it most likely comes from wherever you have muscles. When I hit you in the gut, it felt like punching steel and your arms were like iron but your head was as supple as a child's."

The Rear Admiral gritted his teeth and pulled himself up to one knee, hearing his opponent's self assured analysis of his technique. He ignored the burns that ached away at his skin while breathing heavily, simply looking up with a hateful, determined glare at the Lunarian who seemed to take joy in his expression.

"I'm certain a weak Monkey such as yourself couldn't have unlocked any form of Haki, meaning this must be either the effect of a Devil Fruit or some kind of secret art taught to you by the Marines." Adam explained, cracking his neck casually while keeping an eye on Goro's expression.

"So whatever this durability is, it can't protect you from high temperatures."

He stopped speaking and smirked a moment later when he caught a surprised, grim look on Goro's face, "And guessing by that look on your face, I'd wager I'm right on the money aren't I?"

Goro was quiet for a few seconds as he processed the situation in his head, a tired sigh escaping his lips as he shakily got back up to his own feet. Looking into the crimson fiery eye of the Winged Demon before him with renewed determination as well as grim resignation.

"…You're not taking any of this seriously, are you? You were holding back from the very beginning." He said a moment later as all the pieces finally came together for him in his mind.

"Pfft.. Kuhaha~! What gave you that impression, Mongrel?" Adam laughed while placing a hand at his hip covering his face with a hand, his voice dripping with sarcasm and amusement; it was obvious that this entire ordeal was a joke to him.

"I might not be your opponent but I can tell that your fighting style reeks of arrogance! Ego infects your every breath and you think you're entitled to Greatness. Calling people 'Monkeys' and 'Mongrels' as if you're better than us, your very existence is an affront in the face of Justice!" Goro proclaimed resolutely.

"Even if I were to fall today, my Comrades will be sure to avenge me and bring your tale to an end! Your arrogance shall be your downfall, Pirate!" The Rear Admiral shouted as he got back into a battle stance, resolute in his will that even if he were to die, another would carry on his mission.

"...Is that supposed to be Insulting? You say I'm Arrogant, I say you're Damn Right! That's Pride. Pride in the Lunarian I am." Adam declared while hitting his own chest, his Conqueror's Haki beginning to leak from his body, sending the nearest Marines to their knees from the pressure before they began losing consciousness.

"Because I alone stand at The Pinnacle of Creation, it is my Burden as the Last Lunarian Alive! You think I call you Humans 'Monkeys' because of your Colour or Race?! IT'S BECAUSE COMPARED TO WHAT I AM, ALL OF YOU ARE MERE PRIMITIVE APES IN COMPARISON!"

With that declaration, Adam's entire body tensed before he shot forwards at the Rear Admiral. The ground beneath him cracked as he pulled back an arm, lighting ablaze with brilliant flames. Goro simply gritted his teeth through it all, pulling back his own fist in preparation for the final exchange.

'I'm sorry, Admiral Kurohebi. I won't be able to witness your 'Dark Justice' fix this broken world…' Goro thought before throwing his punch forwards, a gust of wind amplifying its powers as the Marine Coat on his back fluttered wildly.

Just before the impact, the flames upon Adam's back lit up into a brilliant inferno allowing him to take Goro's fist without issue. The Rear Admiral's body shook through his Tekkai enhanced abdomen, he seemed to struggle against something for a second before a spurt of blood shot from his mouth.

His pain didn't end there as a second later, the justice symbol on his Marine coat seemed to sizzle and smoulder before a pillar of flames burst out from Goro's back. The orange flames shot upwards towards the sky, drawing the attention of everyone watching as its implications haunted their minds.

Said implications were confirmed a second later as the Rear Admiral's body simply shook for a moment before falling backwards, Dead.

Adam D. Valentine paid no mind to the burned corpse of his prey, looking upwards from his body and at the Marine base still standing before him. He walked forwards, stepping on Goro's chest and cracking his ribs as he made his way towards the building.

"That building is an eyesore…"

He raised a hand and pointed at the Marine base lazily with a half clenched fist, a moment later streams of flames seemed to form from the very air around him and flowed into the palm of his cupped hand. They formed into a small orb of hellfire, it compressed against itself multiple times over in order to incorporate more firepower.

Adam then clenched his right hand into a fist, seeming to crush the orb of flames within it and pulled it to the left side of his chest. The hand began smouldering, sparks forming around it as the atmosphere surrounding Adam began heating up even further.

"Vermillion Nova."

With that final chant, Adam swiped his arm to the side and released a small fireball that flew at the Marine Base. Its infantasmeal size ballooned severely into a gigantic orb of flames resembling a sun before crashing into the Marine base.

A blast of heat followed by gusts of smouldering wind caused Adam's hair to flutter backwards as the entire building was swallowed by an earth shattering explosion. The Pirate simply smiled, satisfied with his work.

Rear Admiral 'Iron Gale' Goro and the Marine Base of Loguetown had both been completely and utterly annihilated by Adam D. Valentine.

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Author's Note:

It seems Adam will be opening up his brand new Donut factory soon lol

Anyways, please tell me what you thought of the battle, all criticism is welcome!

And I know, the choice in MC personality is odd, but please trust me and let me cook! I got plans for his character development eventually!

…

Please Upvote/Like the story and Comment if you can! It really helps me a lot and I'd Greatly Appreciate it!

Next Chapter Title: The Grandline.

…

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next chapter

Kapitel 4: The Grandline.

Glory to my chief Proofreader: Solare. For he is the one who points out mistakes and acts as my favourite wall to bounce ideas off of.

Word Count: 4448.

Chapter 4 is here, so I just wanted to say one thing before we start.

Ah-Ahem…

THE AGENDA PIECE! THE AGENDA PIECE IS REAAAL!!!

Please write your favourite One Piece Agendas in the comments, I'll start.

Garp would have slaughtered Akainu if they fought at Marineford, Low to Mid Diff.

Fuck you, fight me!

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Adam crossed his arms and nodded with obvious satisfaction, he watched the once tall and proud Marine Base building begin to crumble down. Within mere seconds, it was reduced to a smouldering heap in the middle of Loguetown with smoke reaching up to the skies.

"Holy shit, he actually did it!" "That's fucking Goro, Goro's finally dead?!" "That's what he gets for fucking with my friend and getting him locked up!" "That fire power looked crazy strong, that's gotta be a Devil Fruit, right?"

"Hm?" Adam hummed in confusion when he heard cheers and celebrations behind him.

Turning to see what it was, he saw a couple dozen or so men standing behind him. If one were to guess, they would probably be Pirates if you considered their attire and the fact that some were kicking the unconscious Marines on the ground with grins.

"O-Oh god…" "This can't be real!" "He beat them all by himself?!" "Honey, get the kids! We might have to move out of this island."

Adam spotted multiple civilians cowering within their homes or from further in the city, the sight of the Marines being crushed and slaughtered this easily on their own home turf had shaken them to their core.

'I don't particularly care if the Monkeys love me or hate me, they're all worthless in the end.' Adam thought impassively, entirely unmoved by the looks of fear sent his way.

To his surprise however, he saw one of the pirates separate from his group of friends and walk up to him. He seemed to deliberate for a moment as if considering what he was about to say before speaking up nervously.

"U-Um.. Sorry to bother you, but could you please tell us what's your name?" The Pirate named Finley asked respectfully, behind him were a few of his friends who were waiting for a response after making him go up to Adam alone.

"...I'll only say it once so you better not Forget. It is Adam, Adam D. Valentine."

"Well, Adam my guy-!"

"That's Sir Valentine to you, Mongrel."

"Y-Yes! I'm very sorry, S-Sir Valentine!"

The pirate rubbed the back of his neck nervously, an awkward laugh escaping him as Adam looked him up and down. Finley felt almost as if he was being sized up to be worth slaughtering or not, the very idea sent shivers down his spine.

"I.. I just wanted to say that we were all really impressed with your strength and appreciate you crushing the Marines like you did! They were suppressing all of us for the past week, even before Roger was executed! So thank you, really!" Finley said with a grin, the men behind him.

"It really isn't anything impressive to kill off a bunch of Monkeys. Any old hillbilly with a shotgun could have done that at the Zoo." Adam dismissed with a dry tone as he cracked his neck.

"Oh that is so cool!"

The Lunarian found himself taken completely aback when he heard one of the pirates begin praising him for his mocking. He was even more confused when it seemed the rest of his mates seemed to share that sentiment.

'What the hell is wrong with these Mongrels? Well whatever, I'd kill them but I could use them going around and telling people of my work here, so I guess they can live… For now at least…' Adam thought with some annoyance, his attention was taken by a call to him from another pirate.

"Yo! Sir Valentine!"

"Hm?"

Turning to face the source of the voice, he found one of the Pirates waving over to him with the white haired child he saw before held up in his hands by his collar.

"What should we do with the scrawny twerp, he saw everything didn't he?" The pirate named Jarek asked as the child he was holding began struggling to escape his hold.

"I say we beat up the little shit and throw him with the rest of his dogs since he's wearing a Marine uniform!" One of the other pirates said with a sleazy grin.

He reached forwards to the child who flinched away, but before he could get any closer, a blast of flames exploded on his hand. He immediately fell to the ground while screaming in agony, patting his hand clean of flames and showing the multiple severe 3rd degree burns covering it.

Jarek immediately dropped the white haired child from his grasp and stepped backwards in fear, the rest of his mates followed his actions as well since none of them wanted a taste of Adam's flames. They all quickly turned to look at Adam with obvious shock, the white haired child included.

"Even Monkeys should know that some things are beyond the line. If you can't comprehend that children are off limits, then perhaps it's best if I just slaughter the entire species like I wanted to at first." Adam growled coldly, there were lines that he refused to cross, even against Monkeys.

There was a cold tension for a few moments as all the pirates took in the Lunarian's words, sweat pouring down their bodies before one of them spoke up.

"...Oh my god, he is so cool!"

That seemed to break the tension in the area as all of the pirates began gushing and murmuring together with the same sentiment, leaving Adam and the white haired child confused beyond words.

Adam considered killing them for a moment before shaking his head and deciding against it, he turned away from the group and began to walk away.

"WAIT!"

'Oh for fuck sake, what is it now with these Mongrels. Can't they see I have better things to do?'

Looking back at the source of the call, he found the most unlikely option to be the one to call out to him. It was the white haired child, looking up at him with a confused yet determined expression. He seemed nervous for a moment before speaking up.

"...W-Why did you help me?"

"Don't make me repeat myself Brat, I just explained why. Children don't deserve to suffer, even Monkey children." Adam explained dismissively.

The child shook his head at that and persisted, "But even in the fight you actively avoided sending your weird pressure power in my direction! You even took the fight further away from me to keep me safe! You're a pirate, you're supposed to be evil! So... Why did you help me?"

"...The World isn't nearly as black and white as that, Brat. Just because I'm a Pirate it doesn't mean I'm evil and just because the one I killed was a Marine, it doesn't mean they're good." Adam answered after a second of consideration, continuing on a moment later.

"And most of all, despite what they might tell you, the World Government is bigger scum than the Pirates they hunt. It will always fall back to yourself to find your own meaning of 'Right' and 'Wrong', and my interpretation demands they all Burn for their Sins."

The child was silent for a bit at that, he spoke a few seconds later and said, "...Despite that, I still want to be a Marine! I'm gonna get big and strong then come find you, and then I'm gonna tell you my own meaning of 'Right' and 'Wrong'!"

Despite himself, Adam found himself smiling with intrigue at the child's determined words. He turned to face the tiny kid with an interested stare that dissected him from head to toe, speaking a moment later.

"Oh~? Is that right?"

"Yeah! I'm gonna become super strong, Stronger than you!"

"...Kuhahahaha~!" The Lunarian couldn't hold back his amused laughter, finally turning completely to the child and getting down on knee to look him in the eyes. Orangish Crimson orbs of hellfire met with a cool black pair of youthful eyes.

"Alright Brat, I'll only accept that declaration if you can overcome a small test for me."

The child seemed to only get more determined at that as he then said, "I'll take it and win, whatever it is!"

Adam grinned and ordered, "Good. Now all you have to do is endure."

He raised a finger which began smouldering with a light flame, he then took to forwards and poked the child on his left cheek with it. As expected, the child flinched from the pain but then defying his expectations, he gritted his teeth with a determined glare and leaned into the finger.

Shock filled Adam's eyes for a moment before an even bigger grin covered his face, feeling his flames eat more at the child's skin. He moved it away a few moments later, revealing a small circle shaped superficial burn that was sure to leave a scar.

At that Adam couldn't help but laugh slightly, "Kuhaha! I admit, I'm impressed, Brat! What's your name?"

"My name is Smoker! I don't have a second name since my parents abandoned me at the orphanage when I was a baby, that's why I joined the marines." Smoker introduced himself as he sat down, rubbing the spot where he was burned.

Smoker leaned against a crumbling wall, his spiky silver hair messy and unkempt. A bandage sat on his forehead, and bruises covered his arms beneath a torn, dirt-streaked white tank top. He wore loose brown shorts and scuffed black sneakers with goggles hanging from his neck.

[Image (In Discord)]

Adam stood up from his place in front of Smoker, turning away and taking a few steps forwards before stopping and turning his head slightly to speak.

"I will remember your name, Brat. I will await you in the Grandline, don't disappoint me."

"Right!"

The Lunarian simply laughed at the child's determination, flapping his wings powerfully and flying off into the distance. He left behind Smoker to look at his fading back with a determination like no other, one thing was for certain, he would not forget his promise to Adam D. Valentine.

The pirate group was left standing there speechless while they were completely ignored, they simply looked at the child and where Adam flew off to before one of them spoke.

"Bad! Ass!"

…

30 Minutes Later…

The Lunarian cut through the quiet skies of the Calm Belt, he was passively looking down at his hand where a Log Pose was strapped for ease of use. However, oddly enough, it seemed like the handle of the Log Pose was currently pointing to the left of where he was heading.

"Well, I'm already in the area so I might as well since I'm here. This way I don't have to double back later on…" He muttered under his breath, spotting the Red Line in the distance which brought a grin to his face. He nodded with satisfaction and sped himself up even further.

The Red Line is a vast ring-like continent which wraps around the entire world. It serves as a border separating the East and South Blues from the North and West Blues on both sides, as well as separating the two halves of the Grand Line.

It is mostly uninhabited, with the major exception of being home to the World Government's capital Mary Geoise. It was also considered to be practically indestructible as no creature in Recorded History has ever been able to put a dent in it.

'Well, I might be able to do so eventually, who knows?' Adam thought before shrugging and deciding to leave it for the future to decide.

He reached close to the Red Line before flying forwards, hugging its edge in order to guide himself to his destination. Eventually, he saw an island creep into view at the edge of the horizon. Deciding that he really doesn't have anything better to do, he flew over to it to investigate out of pure curiosity.

Within a minute he was already flying above the island, stopping in its middle and scanning it for anything of interest. A small clump of black caught his eye a few seconds later, prompting him to drop down to the ground to see what it was closer.

When he reached the object, he found it to be the skeleton of a sailor, likely that of a pirate considering his clothing which was heavily damaged from wear and tear. Adam then spotted something it was holding with a great grip, looking closer it appeared to be a locked treasure chest.

Adam leaned down and grabbed the chest from the pirate's corpse, inspecting it he found a lock on it which was damaged, presumably by the pirate to try and open the lock. A small but powerful flame fired up at his fingertip, melting through the lock in mere seconds and allowing him to look inside.

"Huh… A Devil Fruit…"

The fruit was shaped like a jagged, icy-blue pear with a surface that sparkles as though frosted with a thin layer of ice. Its skin is cold to the touch and covered in sharp, crystalline ridges that resemble frozen waves. Swirling white patterns decorate the fruit's glossy surface. The short stem is frosty and brittle, resembling a shard of ice.

At the bottom of the chest held a note reading, "The Paramecia 'Frost-Frost Fruit'. Sacred treasure of Drum Island."

[Image (In Discord)]

Despite finding such a powerful Devil Fruit that countless people would doubtlessly kill for even a chance to obtain, Adam's face only held immense disgust. He closed the treasure chest and welded it shut again before throwing it over his back dismissively.

"Why would I borrow these Lesser Powers, when I'm already at the Peak of Existence? Leave it for the Mongrels to rely on, I don't need anything but myself."

With that, the Lunarian took off into the sky again and flew towards his destination. Eventually, he felt wind resistance pick up again and slow him down, signalling his exit out of the Calm Belt and his entrance into the Grandline.

"Finally back here it seems… My Mother and I had flew out here a few times to gather important things before returning to our home island in the Calm Belt." He muttered under his breath, the real beginning of his journey was close at hand.

About 30 Minutes of flying later, his eyes narrowed as he spotted his target. Within the Red Line was a ginormous crack from which flowed a waterfall that reached up into the heavens, it was Reverse Mountain.

Reverse Mountain is an extremely tall mountain at one of the points where the four Blues meet and is one of the two known entrances to the Grand Line. The only other way to enter the Grandline is through the Calm Belt which was impossible for most, making Reverse Mountain the only option.

"Fuckin' finally…" Adam sighed with some relief at finally reaching his goal, speeding up even faster to close the distance.

Within a few seconds, he spotted a lighthouse built into the side of the Red Line as a small island was connected to it. Flying over quickly, he touched down onto the grassy plains of the island just outside the lighthouse. Adam looked around for a moment with crossed arms as if looking for something.

He turned to the lighthouse as his Conqueror's Haki began leaking from his body, "Get the fuck out here this instant you quack doctor!"

There was silence following his shout as his Haki began flowing through the island in a controlled manner, a few seconds later the door of the lighthouse flew open to reveal a man within. This man was Crocus, the Pirate King's Doctor and the Doctor that diagnosed his mother.

Crocus has a muscular build, wearing an olive-green tank top and white pants with a black sash. He sports a pink polka-dotted bandana, round glasses, and a semi-circular black beard, giving him a sharp, rugged appearance.

[Image (In Discord)]

The doctor looked around alertly at the pressure washing over him before spotting the Lunarian, "It's you Adam! To what do I owe the pleasure? How's your mother?"

"My Mother's Dead."

"Oh… My condolences..."

An awkward silence took over the area as Adam turned away from Crocus, he looked at the sea behind him with a small frown. He raised a hand to the ocean, flames sparking at his fingertips before a blast of flames fired into the ocean.

"I didn't come here for your pity. I'm just here to inform you of what happened, for whatever reason that's far beyond me, my Mother wanted you to know." Adam said, his voice had lost its usual heat and ferocity.

The ocean before him rippled heavily before a ginormous whale named 'Laboon' shot up from the water, it seemed happy at the sight of Adam. The Lunarian gently rubbed the Whale's nose with a small smile, he had gotten to know the whale as a child when he and his Mother came here for her sickness.

Crocus looked like he was about to say he was sorry for not being able to do more, but he swallowed his words. The veteran doctor realised that Adam would want to hear any more about the subject. So he simply coughed into his hand before walking up to stand beside the white haired man.

"Well then.. What's next for you? Do you plan to conquer the Grandline as a Pirate?" He questioned, trying to change the subject.

"Humph.. I'm already a Pirate; and no, I'm not going for your filthy Monkey captain's treasure. I am going to become An Immortal Legend by burning down the World Government!"

Crocus was immediately taken aback by this as he shook his head while laughing under his breath, "I should have expected you to have such a wild Dream! Have you already started or was this your first stop?"

"No, I stopped at Loguetown first about an hour ago. I killed the Rear Admiral there before destroying the Island's Marine Base." Adam stated coldly, as if what he was saying was just a simple matter.

"Pfft… HAHAHA~! That's one hell of a debut! The World Government isn't gonna be happy about that one!" Crocus laughed uproariously, fully grasping the meaning and consequences of such a thing happening so soon after Roger's execution.

It was tantamount to slapping the World Government on its face or pouring salt on the wound that Roger already made with his last words.

To that, Adam had only two words; "Fuck 'em."

Crocus found himself laughing even harder at that, "I'll keep an eye out on the news for you then! You better not get beaten too early, that would be a real shame!"

Adam scoffed at that and said "As if I'd lose to some Monkeys. You're lucky that I won't slaughter you on the spot like the Mongrel you are for that insinuation."

The doctor didn't care in the slightest for the Lunarians provocation, already used to his nigh limitless arrogance. He simply sat down on a beach chair while bringing out a newspaper to read, he shook his head goodnaturedly before speaking again.

"Watch out for Bounty Hunters on Whiskey Peak, they can be sneaky fuckers and will attack in groups if they feel the need to."

"Hah? Why would I be afraid of a bunch of ants trying to suckle on my glory?"

Adam patted Laboon one last time before flying up to the sky, he turned to Crocus one last time and spoke, "You're not allowed to kick the bucket till you can bear witness to my Legend, old man."

Crocus simply sighed with a grin, watching as the Lunarian flew off towards the distance. He turned back down to the newspaper in his hands, on its front page was his captain's face as he died. A mad grin strewn across it without a care in the world, Crocus knew beyond all doubt that his Comrade and Captain had gotten the last Laugh.

And yet, the seasoned New World veteran found himself trembling as a few tears fell down his face.

"I.. I wish you could have met him yourself, Roger! I'm sure you w-would have had quite the Laugh…"

…

Meanwhile…

Marine Headquarters, Paradise, Grandline.

Commodore Elliot Kane sat in his warm office, the room was in complete peaceful silence as the only thing that could be heard was the sound of a pen meeting paper. He was currently working on the paperwork to ready up the release of a new bounty on a rookie pirate named 'Crocodile'.

The pirate's chosen title on the prototype Bounty poster was 'Desert King' Sir Crocodile with a bounty of 81 Million Berries. The bounty poster was stamped with a red confirmation order of approval, signalling it to be ready to be printed en masse and sent out to the public.

Elliot reached a hand forwards towards a bell he had at the corner of his desk for the sole purpose to summon his assistant. But it seems that wasn't necessary since the door to his office swung open to reveal his green haired assistant at the door breathing heavily and sweating with a panicked expression.

"Huh? Brannew? What's wrong?"

"Commodore! It's bad! Something terrible has happened! A Pirate destroyed Loguetown's Marine Base and killed Rear Admiral Goro in front of the entire town!" Brannew exclaimed with evident horror, causing his superior to gasp.

"WHAT?! ELABORATE THIS INSTANT!"

"The Pirate called himself 'Adam D. Valentine'. He showed capability to use and control Conqueror's Haki, powerful Flame powers with Extreme Durability and immense physical strength!" The assistant explained dutifully, causing Elliot to gape in horror.

The Commodore began to sweat before gulping nervously, "D-Did he have Brown skin, Red eyes, White hair and Black feathered wings with a flame on his back sometimes?"

Brannew seemed befuddled at his superior's words for a moment before nodding, "Yes, he did. How did you know?"

The screeching sound of a chair scraping against the wooden floor of the office echoed in the room as Elliot Kane stood up from his desk, his hands slamming against the table harshly. Sweat dripped down his face like a waterfall, he recognized those tells all too well from his teacher's lessons and classified debriefs.

"A.. A Lunarian with mastered Conqueror's Haki?! And he had the Strength and balls to fight a Rear Admiral in broad daylight, in Loguetown 3 days after Roger's Execution no less?! This... This is a Fucking Nightmare!"

Elliot swiped his desk clean clean of all the things on it, sending the paperwork for Crocodile's Bounty poster flying in the air. He reached into his desk's drawer and pulled out brand new paperwork to start making Adam's Bounty posters as soon as possible.

Elliot then turned up from his paperwork to his assistant before shouting, "Brannew! Did you manage to get a picture of the bastard?! Also, did you send the report to the higher ups?"

"Y-Yes Commodore Kane, I did! The picture is being printed as we speak!"

"Good! We have to get this Bounty out as soon as possible!"

Elliot Kane sat back down on his chair, pulling into the desk and preparing to begin his work in earnest while his assistant Brannew walked to the office's door. They were both halted in their path when a high pitched sound cut through the atmosphere.

"Purururururu~!"

The sound came from a Den Den Mushi which is a snail-like creature with a soft, plump body and a sturdy, spiralled shell, often decorated to match its owner. It has expressive eyes, wiggling antennae, and a small mouth, with mechanical features like dials or microphones attached to its shell for communication.

They are a class of telepathic snail that serves as a means of vocal and/or visual communication across the world. There exists various Den Den Mushi species which specialise in different types of signals, they are the world's main method of communication.

The Commodore picked up the call with a slight curious expression, looking at the snail's eye as it replicated a scar on one of its eyes.

"Who is it?" He questioned, not recognising the sender of the call.

"I am Elias Cane of Cipher Pol 3. You are ordered by high above to hold off on the Bounty Order." The Den Den Mushi said, transmitting the words of Elias Cane in the man's deep gravelly voice.

This caused Elliot to stand up from his chair in shock, slamming his desk again and sending cracks down its form before shouting at the snail.

"What the hell do you mean hold off on the Bounty Order?!"

"Exactly what I said. It's an order straight Mary Geoise from above all of us, some of my teammates on Cipher Pol 3 and I have been ordered to track down the Lunarian and deliver him straight to The Holy Land."

Elliot Kane calmed down at that and was quiet for a second before speaking again, "Holding off on the Bounties must be because you want to keep it as quiet as possible to avoid a panic, right?"

"Yes, CP 7 is already working with the Marines in the East Blue to keep the news as quiet as possible for as long as possible. We will be sure to secure the Lunarian subject ASAP and this all will be swept under the rug as per protocol."

The Commodore sat back down on his chair while processing that information before speaking, "...Understood. Should I ready the Bounties in case you fail to capture him?"

A self-assured smirk covered the Den Den Mushi's lips.

"That won't be necessary but if it helps you sleep at night, then do as you wish."

After that, the line cut and the snail went back into its passive mode, prompting Elliot to sink into chair with a tired sigh. He leaned forwards in his chair and rested his head on his hands while massaging his forehead to relieve an incoming headache.

"Admiral Kurohebi won't be happy when he hears that the new addition to his camp was killed off in the East Blue. Poor Goro, he was just newly promoted and about to receive training in Haki straight from an Admiral after his time in Loguetown. What a shame…" He muttered with obvious pity in his voice.

His train of thought was cut off by his assistant Brannew who coughed to get his attention, Elliot looked up at him. The green haired man seemed nervous for a second before asking him a question.

"...Do you think they can capture the Pirate before he escapes? Who knows where he could be?"

"Hm… To be honest, I'm not sure. Lunarians can be slippery cockroaches if they want to be after all, but I have high hopes. I heard rumours from the grape vine that this Elias Cane was special, they say he is the Strongest member of Cipher Pol 3 in recorded History!"

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

Author's Note:

The Plot thickens…

Also, Garp still No Diffs your favourite character. I don't make the rules here, sorry~

…

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Next Chapter Title: The Isle of Hunters.

…

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