One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

It was the same tavern, the same fiery liquor, the same drunken fool, and the same boisterous crowd of drinkers...

Wright was once again plastered, and this time it was worse than ever. It seemed like the entire Orange Town now knew about Wright, the "ultra-skilled doctor." People came to the tavern in droves to toast him—after all, the town had never had a decent doctor since its founding.

To make matters worse, that bastard Shanks had declared that if anyone managed to drink Wright under the table, he would foot the entire bill. Was Shanks robbing someone recently? Where did he get that much money?

That scoundrel had realized Wright had no intention of setting sail anytime soon, much less becoming a pirate. Now, it seemed like Shanks was dead set on making Wright his drinking buddy—after all, you don't have to be on the same ship or a pirate to share a drink together, right?

Dragged into the tavern by Shanks, who had drained him of his Holy Light powers, Wright managed to cast a few cleansing spells to stave off the worst of the alcohol's effects. Yet, the relentless waves of toasts eventually drowned him. He ended up buried beneath a mountain of drunken bodies. How tragic.

Before succumbing to this collective assault, Wright had desperately managed to outdrink Shanks, leaving the man sprawled beneath a collapsed table. Of course, Shanks had also been swallowed up by the wave of revelers, table and all. The scene was a complete disaster.

"Ugh, my head… I can't breathe..."

Wright groggily cast a cleansing spell to clear his mind. He immediately noticed that the crushing weight of drunken bodies pressing down on him was about to make him vomit blood. With sheer physical strength, he crawled out of the tavern, only to see Shanks still sprawled beneath the wreckage of a broken table, drooling.

Sighing, Wright trudged back into the tavern to drag him out.

A cleansing spell later, Shanks groggily opened his eyes and quickly snapped awake. "Wright… your ability is incredible. You could dominate the world in drinking competitions… I'm so jealous!"

"My stomach lining isn't going to dominate anything," Wright shot back irritably. His steps were still unsteady, and he had to lean on his sword for support. "Forget that—how are you planning to pay the tab? That was an entire crowd drinking, and yesterday alone probably wiped out the tavern's monthly supply!"

"Hahaha, don't worry, Wright. It's touching that the first thing you thought of was the bill," Shanks said with a hearty laugh. "I've been in this town a few days longer than you, and I've been racking up a tab at that tavern. I'll just use the money I've made recently to cover it. Shanks never skips out on a drinking tab!"

"Wright, I'm preparing to leave," Shanks said, adjusting his straw hat and stretching with a wide yawn under Wright's skeptical gaze. "I'm serious about forming a pirate crew. I recently heard about a sharpshooter on a nearby island and went to recruit him, but he turned me down with the excuse that he 'hasn't experienced marriage yet.'"

"Pfft! Hahaha!" Wright burst out laughing. "That guy sounds like a real character. You're talking about Yasopp, aren't you? What a bizarre excuse!"

"So, did you give up after that?" Wright asked, still chuckling.

"Of course not! I told him I'd come back to recruit him before officially setting sail. Then I came to Orange Town to gather information since the merchant ships here carry plenty of news. I finally found someone who could've been both a ship doctor and a swordsman, but… well, you turned me down."

"Aw, now I'm heartbroken," Shanks said, feigning a tragic expression. "What a crushing blow."

"If you're crushed by that, I'll eat my sword," Wright retorted flatly.

"...Guess you won't have to eat it after all. Hahaha…"

The two eventually found a restaurant—not a tavern this time—to fill their empty stomachs. In no time, two towering stacks of empty plates piled up on their table.

"I'll be heading out soon too, traveling across the East Blue," Wright said between bites. "I've barely explored the world before—it's such a shame. This time, I left the mountain to hone my craft, and the first town I visit, I run into someone as young and powerful as you, Shanks. If anyone calls the East Blue the 'weakest sea' again, I'll spit in their face!"

Wright's heartfelt declaration drew a chuckle from Shanks, who paused to scratch his red hair. "I'm actually from the West Blue. I'm just traveling through the East Blue for now. But you're a true native, Wright. That 'weakest sea' label? It's about the pirates here, not the people."

Shanks swatted Wright's hand away as he reached for a plate near him, quickly dumping its contents into his mouth. "Mmm… gulp… whew. That was close." After washing it down with a mug of ale, Shanks continued, "In reality, the East Blue is a symbol of peace, with the Marines maintaining tighter control here compared to the other seas. Plenty of big names have come from this region."

"Even the Pirate King himself was from the East Blue," Shanks added, his voice tinged with a fleeting sadness before he smiled again. "And let's not forget the most powerful figure from the East Blue still active today: Vice Admiral Garp, the Marine Hero!"

"Word is Vice Admiral Garp visits the East Blue occasionally to see his family. He's definitely the strongest presence here. If wandering pirates ever cross paths with him… well, it's bound to be entertaining. Hahaha!"

Wright rolled his eyes. "Everyone in the East Blue knows Garp's name. Don't tell me you've run into him while roaming around here, Shanks. Did the Vice Admiral 'educate' you?"

Caught off guard, Shanks choked on his drink and coughed violently. Desperate to change the subject, he asked, "What about you? What's your plan? If you're not going to be a pirate, why not join the Marines? With your strength, the Marines would definitely groom you for greatness."

"Maybe I'll be a bounty hunter," Wright replied after swallowing a mouthful of food. "The Marines have too many rules. Maybe I'll consider it when I'm stronger, but for now, joining them feels too restrictive." Turning to the kitchen, he called out, "Boss! Ten more servings!"

"Doctor, eat as much as you like! It's on the house!" the cheerful restaurant owner replied from the back.

"…"

"Hahaha! You're quite the celebrity, Wright!" Shanks laughed, gnawing on an unidentified roasted leg. "Who knows? Maybe we'll meet again someday. By then, I might regret it—your Armament Haki awakening feels just around the corner. Your abilities… they're so versatile, even for developing Haki."

"Just thinking about fighting you when that happens gives me a headache… hahaha!"

"Hmph! When that day comes, I'll make you look like a pig!" Wright retorted confidently.

"Hahaha! Don't do that—I didn't make you look like a pig last night, did I?"

Thus ended Wright's first fateful meeting with the future Emperor, Shanks. He turned down the invitation to join Shanks' crew, only to become an unexpected drinking buddy. And somehow, they ended up swearing to beat each other senseless in the future. Fate truly works in mysterious ways.

Leaving Orange Town, Wright boarded a small sailboat similar to his previous one, stocked with supplies, and set off to explore the East Blue.

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

If you want to support me and read advance chapters, please visit:

patreon.com / juanpiece