One Piece: The Shogun Chapter 1 New World

[ [Date: 10/1/1493 → M/D/Y] 

[Location: New World—Wano] 

X

It was late and he was alone, not that he minded much—he needed the escape. 

“There isn’t much time before he attacks,” the teenager sighed, brushing back a stray strand of

black hair that had escaped his ponytail. 

He ran his hands down the kimono he wore, straightening it out as he sheathed his sword. He hoped that his little late-night training session hadn’t ruffled his outfit too much. He would be meeting a guest soon, so it was best to look presentable, lest he sully his teacher’s reputation.

[MC’s look]

And true to what his haki told him, a second later, a man poofed into existence in front of him. Although the messenger wore a mask, it wasn’t hard for the sword-wielding teenager to note he was gasping for breath. 

Few things eluded his observation, not since he had mastered the color of sight.

After a pregnant pause, the black-haired teen motioned for the messenger to speak.

"Master Hikaru, the Daimyo is looking for you," he whispered. 

Hikaru raised a brow, wondering what the Daimyo of Ringo needed of him at this time. “I’ll go meet him now—you should rest.”

X

It had been just over 16 years since Hikaru was reborn into the world of One Piece, and yet even in all that time, he failed to get accustomed to the sheer scale of the world.

Everything here—at least in Wano—seemed hundreds of times bigger than what he remembered in his 21 years' worth of memories of Earth. 

Not that Hikaru was complaining. The sights were beautiful, to say the least. Not to mention, Kaido had yet to take over, so there were no civilians struggling to find meals to eat.

But Hikaru knew that the peace he so enjoyed right now would not last forever. Not by a long shot. Not when a monster like Kaido was bound for Wano.

The black-haired teen sighed again. Kaido’s imminent ‘visit’ to Wano was the main motivating factor in beginning his training. Well, that, and his lineage. 

He was born a member of the Amatsuki family. And a quick lesson on Wano’s history would tell you all that you needed to know of them: they were betrayed by the Kurozumi family, who assassinated their Family’s Leader. After which, the entirety of the clan, save for Hikaru himself, was wiped out.

As such, Hikaru had thrown himself into his training with reckless abandon. The raven-haired boy thought he had known pain before—breaking an arm while training, falling off a massive cliff. But he was wrong. So, very, very wrong. 

His master had taught him a whole new lesson on pain—a very personal, hands-on lesson. 

Although he supposed he couldn’t complain. The training had borne fruit in the form of strength. Strength that would allow him to live comfortably even if his identity as the heir to a band of traitors managed to get leaked.

And this was all without mentioning the protection he had from his master. He was the sole heir and student to Shimotsuki Ushimaru, the current Daimyo of Ringo, a direct descendant of the sword god Ryuma, and a man even the Shogun wouldn’t oppose. 

In other words: one badass motherfucker.

X

Hikaru stepped into the office, foregoing announcing his presence—his master had mastered observation haki to an even greater degree than him; such a thing was useless.

His eyes landed on his master, as he made what he considered quite an astute observation: Shimotsuki Ushimaru did not look like a very badass motherfucker right now. Not one bit.

His head rested on his desk, weighed down by a seemingly endless pile of paperwork, and his eyes were filled with enough grief to make Hikaru feel a pang of pity. One that he quickly quashed, knowing that giving way to any sympathy for his master would result in the workload being passed onto him.

Hikaru settled himself into the chair across from the blue-haired man and waited for his teacher to address him.

Ushimaru didn’t acknowledge him, merely glancing up for a moment before moping again. He stayed like that for a few more minutes, hoping Hikaru would show some semblance of compassion for his cause. Alas, when it was clear his student had no such remorse, the man let out a deep sigh.

“Help me?” he questioned.

Chuckling at his reaction, Hikaru shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t. I’m going to be gone soon. How will you deal with all this then?” 

Ushimaru seemed downcast at that, swiveling out of his chair and taking two large strides which brought him to his open window. He peered out at the sight, remaining silent.

Hikaru closed his own eyes, reminiscing about sights from a life long past. Workers monotonously making their way to work, trying to navigate their way through crowded subway stations. 

The workplaces were no different, lines of cubicles filled with workers hunched over desks. Eyes were bleary from stress and too little sleep. The only things keeping them awake were the pale glow of their computer screen, which illuminated their face, and the excess coffee they had every morning. 

Each second there felt like a lifetime wasted. The end of the shift seemed to get further and further away, yet deadlines managed to creep closer with every passing tick of the clock.

With body and spirit drained, workers would return home. If lucky, some were greeted with warm homes, ones filled with laughter that managed to rejuvenate their crumbling spirit like a refreshing tonic. 

Others, however, stepped into cold, empty apartments. Apartments that echoed only the sounds of their own footsteps, nothing more. No laughter, no joy, only the distant rumbling of traffic passing by. And if they were lucky, they might pick up on a conversation between some passerby.

Hikaru felt his chest tightening as he remembered those soulless days. It was a cycle that seemed so cruelly inescapable—perhaps it was. After all, his reprieve from it came in the form of death.

Yet in this world, all that was different. Even with the looming threat of Kaido, his days were still filled with more joy than they had ever been in his old life.

From every drop of sweat that he shed, from every bone that he broke, from every ounce of pain that he felt, there was a tangible gain of his very own. It was no promotion tied to a company that could let him go at any moment—no, it was an increase in strength attributed solely to himself. No one could take his gain away from him. 

He loved it. He loved this world. 

This world made him feel alive in a way he never did before. His life had meaning, far more than he ever thought it could. Perhaps he was filled with angst regarding his previous life, but that was fine; here he had found something more.

And truthfully, much of that joy was thanks to the man before him: his teacher, and his surrogate father, Shimotsuki Ushimaru.

He had given him lessons in swordsmanship and haki, but he had also done so much more. He had helped him find strength he thought was not possible. He had molded him into who he was right now.

Hikaru opened his eyes, silently regarding his teacher who stood still in front of the window. The moonlight outlined his form; he looked every part the invincible samurai. 

But tonight, Hikaru saw something else. He saw cracks of vulnerability—be it in the form of sparks of exhaustion or the slight slouch in his shoulders. 

At that moment, Hikaru felt something bubbling within his chest. The same bubbling feeling he often felt when his thoughts drifted to Kaido’s imminent tyranny over the land he called home. 

It had taken him time to piece together what the feeling was, but he had. And it was that very day he managed to use the color of the conqueror. It was also the day he knew what it was that he wished to do with his new life.

That bubbling feeling: it was resolve. Resolve to ensure that the people who had given him the ability to live this second life were protected, free from the terror that the King of the Beasts would bring about.

He had discovered what it meant to be alive here, and he would be damned if he let anyone take that opportunity away from the people of this land.

He owed it to the people, to Ushimaru, to ensure that much.

“I suppose the time has come, hasn’t it?” he said, and though his eyes held grief, his voice betrayed nothing. “These years have done you good.” 

Ushimaru’s head turned, his eyes locking with Hikaru’s own. “When I took you in, I knew that you had some level of talent, but this,” he gestured to the katana at Hikaru’s hip, and the calluses on his hand. “You’ve certainly exceeded all the expectations I had.”

He gave a wry smile, touched yet uncomfortable at the sudden praise. “I’ve had good guidance.”

The Daimyo’s eyes softened as he shook his head. “I’ve had nothing to do with the so-called ‘Second Coming of Oden’. Remember, carry your strength with pride—you’ve earned it through your own resolve, not because of anyone else.”

Hikaru chuckled slightly at the title. Over the years, he had challenged and triumphed over countless swordsmen. Every new bout becoming nothing more than a tally in a rapidly increasing win streak. Because of that, many believed he would soon become another Oden.

Although Hikaru knew those tales were incredibly far-fetched. Not out of humility either, but rather the man in question had proved it by wiping the floor with him in all three of their spars.

He let out a small, ironic laugh. “‘Second Coming of Oden’? I’m far from it if my spars with the man are anything to go by,” he paused, smile thinning. “Not to mention, I’d rather not be compared to…him.”

Ushimaru’s own smile thinned. “That’s why you’re heading off, isn’t it?”

Hikaru’s chuckle faded. “A part of it, I suppose,” he shrugged, unsure of how to explain that a monster none of them had any hope of beating would soon set his sights on this very land.

Hikaru exhaled slightly, his gaze landing on the floor below as he tried to find the words needed to help his teacher understand his position.

As much as he would love to, he couldn’t quite say: “I come from another world, and you’re all a piece of fiction, so I know what’s going to happen!”

“It’s not just about beating Oden.” That was a lie. At least that’s how the words felt coming out of his tongue. Although there was some truth to them—if he could beat Oden, he had a chance at beating Kaido, but as things were right now… well, there was a reason he so desperately needed to leave.

“Wano might be at peace now,” he continued, voice quiet. “Who knows how long that will last? It’s fragile, and it’s going to crumble soon. I want to be powerful enough to uphold this country, powerful enough to ensure that it may remain in peace.”

Ushimaru studied him. “Why do you think that?”

Hikaru’s smile became bitter. “It’s already begun, hasn’t it? More and more pirates from distant lands come closer to our home. Maybe we’re ready for them today. What about tomorrow? The day after? The year after that?” he shook his head. “Just because we act like Wano is an island separate from the rest of the world doesn't mean it’s true.”

“I suppose you’re right.” The Daimyo’s shoulders slumped slightly, sighing as he took a seat across from Hikaru. 

“I will protect them,” Hikaru added, steeling his fingers together. “But this is the only way I know how.”

Ushimaru remained quiet, drumming his finger on the table idly. “I cannot blame you for feeling as you do,” he admitted, leaning back into his seat. “Many of the Daimyo, and the Shogun himself, have all mentioned this problem. Yet what I do not understand is why you feel the need to tackle this by your lonesome?”

Because they would be unable to deal with Kaido. Perhaps it was arrogant, but he was the only one capable of doing so. Oden—all of Wano, for that matter—didn’t seem to take the outside world seriously. 

Hikaru wasn’t sure if the fault lay with the Shogun, the Daimyos, or just the country itself, but they were all so willfully ignorant. Despite isolating themselves, they held no weariness nor curiosity toward the outside world. 

They clearly didn’t care about the political and economic state of the world. And Oden, well, he didn’t care for anything but adventures, and if that came at the cost of millions of lives, well, boohoo, sucks to be them. 

Ushimaru cleared his throat, snapping Hikaru out of his musing. 

He gave a sheepish smile, chastising himself for zoning out. 

“Because this country doesn’t take the threat of the outside world seriously enough. In my time outside, I saw monsters. People who have powers the likes of which Wano cannot possibly contend with, and yet no one seems to take this threat seriously. The Shogun has mentioned the problem, sure, has he done anything about it?” he shook his head.

If there was one idiom to describe the people—especially the leadership within the country—it was undoubtedly: “Out of sight, out of mind.” 

So long as no real threat showed up on Wano’s borders in the immediate future, then the people would have no qualms with staying in their own bubble. For god’s sake, they didn’t even know about the existence of Devil Fruits. 

The Daimyo paused, taking his time to respond, and ultimately settled for a nod. “I cannot find fault with your reasoning,” he admitted before giving a wry smile. “But, it’d be best if you show the Daimyo some more respect.”

Hikaru leaned back into his seat. “I’m not trying to disrespect you or the Shogun, but I just don’t get how you can sit so comfortably when there are so many threats on the outside. You even specially told the Shogun the information I brought back from my first voyage, and he did nothing with it.”

“Centuries have passed, and yet, to date, Wano has not been conquered by anyone. Forget our fighting force; just reaching our shores is practically impossible. I don’t doubt your claim, and being proactive about future problems is always a good thing, but the Shogun believes the walls that have held for so long will not falter now. The rest of the Daiymo are in agreement regarding this matter.”

Hikaru bit back a frustrated groan. It was the same song and dance over and over again. ‘Oh, Hikaru, you’re worrying too much; we’ve never been conquered before.’ Yeah, that was because the last time they had seen a threat like Kaido, they had the fucking sword god. Nowadays, they were stuck with Oden.

Before he got a chance to voice a rebuttal, Ushimaru smoothly cut in. “That, however, does not mean you are wrong in your endeavor. If you are truly of the belief that those monsters you have seen will set their sights on Wano, then I encourage you to go out and gain strength. But, before you do leave, let me test your resolve one last time.”

Hikaru raised a brow. “So a spar?”

Ushimaru smirked. “A test.”

“And if I lose?” 

“Then I’ll tie you up and keep you here until you stop being dramatic.”

X

Started this story because I saw hella Oden glaze, and I was not going to allow that. He’s a fraud and a weirdo.

[Some slander for the Oden agenda]