One piece :I open the locks of the heart

After leaving the town discreetly through the shadows, I maintained my Sora appearance and took flight toward the next island in the Orgao Archipelago. The ocean breeze whipped against my face as I soared over the shimmering waters, scanning the horizon for the next keyhole location.

First Island – The Lush Jungle

I quickly spotted my destination: an island covered in dense, lush vegetation. A true tropical jungle stretched as far as the eye could see, filled with towering palm trees, thick vines, and the distant calls of unseen animals echoing in the air. Serpentine rivers shimmered under the sunlight, winding through the dense foliage.

Slipping between the trees, I sensed the keyhole's presence deep within the forest, hidden beneath the massive roots of an ancient tree. With precise movement, I plunged my Keyblade into the keyhole, releasing a wave of dark energy. Immediately, creatures emerged within the jungle. Mighty Primates, large and muscular, leaped from the trees with aggressive growls, while Mischievous Primates, smaller and more cunning, scurried about, curiously exploring their new surroundings.

"I hope they won't cause too much trouble for the locals…" I thought as I straightened up.

I swiftly departed the island before the newcomers could take too much interest in me, once again taking flight toward the next destination.

Second Island – The Bear's Cavern

This island was more mountainous, covered in steep cliffs and dark caves that opened like gaping mouths in the rock. The air was cooler, and the crashing sound of waves against the cliffs below resonated heavily.

I quickly found a large opening leading into a cavern of unknown depths. A strange aura emanated from within, and it didn't take long for me to sense the keyhole hidden somewhere inside. But there was a problem.

A gigantic bear, over four meters tall, stood at the back of the cave, its glowing eyes peering from the darkness. Its thick, dark fur rippled under the sea breeze flowing into the cavern, and a deep growl rumbled through the walls as I took a step forward.

"Alright, you're not really my problem… but I need access to that keyhole." I sighed.

Rather than fighting, I chose a smarter approach. Utilizing the Shadow Gorilla Devil Fruit power from the Governor, my body transformed, taking on a more ape-like appearance. My arms thickened, and my muscles expanded to resemble those of a massive primate.

The bear growled in confusion, sensing an imposing yet terrifyingly animalistic presence. I let out a primal roar, asserting slight dominance over the space. The bear hesitated. Seeing that I posed no immediate threat, it cautiously stepped aside, allowing me to reach the keyhole without conflict.

With a fluid motion, I plunged the Keyblade into the ground, activating the keyhole.

A dark shadow spread throughout the cave, and Heartless began emerging from the void. Just like in Orange Town, I recognized Shadows, Soldiers, and Large Bodies, spreading out across the rocky island.

Unlike my presence, the bear seemed completely indifferent to the Heartless wandering around it.

Wasting no time, I left the cavern before the newcomers could turn their attention to me, reverting to my normal appearance and taking flight toward the final island of the archipelago.

Third Island – The Sunken Reef

The last island was not much of an island at all. It was a collection of rocks barely emerging from the water, battered by waves. The few landmasses that peeked above the surface were barren, covered only in scattered algae and the screeches of seagulls.

"This isn't making my job any easier…" I muttered as I scanned the area.

But I quickly spotted the keyhole—it was underwater, wedged against a submerged reef.

Without hesitation, I dove in, my clothes rippling in the current. Beneath the surface, the ocean was crystal clear, revealing a vibrant ecosystem of colorful fish and brilliant corals. I swam toward the keyhole, plunging my Keyblade into the marine rock.

Immediately, a dark energy surged out, and the aquatic Heartless emerged from the abyss. Screw Divers, humanoid and mechanical, began swimming around me, while Giant Marine Neons briefly illuminated the dark waters with their eerie bioluminescence. Further away, massive Aquatanks floated lazily, their imposing silhouettes casting ominous shadows over the reefs.

Not wanting to linger underwater for too long, I propelled myself swiftly to the surface, soaring above the rocky island.

You have unlocked 8 keyholes. You have now gained access to the Deep Jungle Dungeon – Easy Mode.

"Mission accomplished…" I murmured, glancing back at the three islands now inhabited by the Heartless.

It was time to rejoin Luffy and the others.

I opened a portal and slipped through it. As I stepped out, the cool forest air near Orange Town greeted me. After a quick check to ensure no one had seen my arrival, I reverted to my usual appearance and made my way toward the town.

A sigh escaped me as soon as I saw Luffy getting his hand bitten by Chouchou, screaming in both pain and indignation.

"AAAAH! WHY?!" Luffy yelled, wildly shaking his hand as the small dog clamped onto his skin. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

Nami and Koby had already taken a few steps back, watching the scene with a mix of amusement and mild concern.

"He actually managed to make an enemy out of a dog…" Nami muttered, crossing her arms with a smirk.

Koby scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. "It's Luffy… this was bound to happen at some point."

Unable to hold back my laughter, I stepped forward and gently pried Chouchou off of Luffy's hand. As soon as I set the little dog down, he immediately recognized me. His fierce gaze softened, and he leaped at me, eagerly licking my face.

"Hey, hey, take it easy, Chouchou!" I chuckled, stroking his fur affectionately.

Luffy looked at us, utterly offended. "THAT'S NOT FAIR!! Why does he like you and bite me?!"

Nami, bursting into laughter, placed a hand on her hip. "Because, unlike you, Jordan doesn't mess with things that don't belong to him!"

Luffy puffed up his cheeks. "I DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING, I SWEAR!"

Attracted by the commotion, the mayor of the town hurried over, looking concerned. "What's going on now?! Is Chouchou alright?!" he asked, scanning the situation.

I smiled and stood up, patting the dog gently. "No worries, Mayor. Luffy and Chouchou… are just getting to know each other."

The mayor sighed in relief and knelt beside his loyal companion. "You stubborn dog… You still haven't lost your guarding instincts." He then turned his gaze to me. "Thank you again for what you did here, young man. You protected our town from Baggy and… despite your status as a pirate, you saved us."

I nodded with a small smile. "We helped, just like the swordsman did. But it was Sora who made Baggy flee. Don't worry about pirates and bounties."

I placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder and turned to the mayor. "His grandfather and a dumb prank are the only reasons why we even have such high bounties at our age." I spoke loudly, knowing we were being watched.

After one last farewell to Chouchou, Luffy and I headed toward the port, soon joined by Nami and Koby.

At the dock, I noticed that Nami had already bought all the necessary supplies. She gave me a smug look, crossing her arms.

"Alright, I did all the shopping for us… and since you guys are absolutely incapable of managing a budget, I handled everything myself." she announced confidently.

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "So that means you used OUR money… or YOURS?"

Nami flashed a dazzling smile, holding out her hand. "Of course, it was yours! Now, hand over 500,000 Berries."

Koby nearly choked. "F-FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND?!"

Luffy grimaced. "Nami… that's way too much!"

"No, it's a perfectly reasonable amount!" she declared with an impressive level of confidence.

Shaking my head with a chuckle, I handed her the money, knowing full well that resisting Nami's bargaining skills was a lost cause.

"Honestly… with a talent like yours, you should be a Warlord." I teased.

She playfully punched my shoulder. "Hey! You don't scam your own friends, you know!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Because I'm pretty sure that's exactly what you just did."

She quickly looked away, whistling innocently.

Koby, still a bit stunned by the amount, murmured, "…We could've bought a small boat with that."Luffy, however, burst into laughter. "Bah! As long as we have food, I don't care!"

The sea stretched endlessly before us as our ship sailed towards the Geppo Archipelago. Taking advantage of the journey, I turned to Luffy and Koby with a mischievous grin.

"By the way, I unlocked a new dungeon, but before tackling it, I think we should first complete the hard mode of Wonderland." I said while stretching.

Luffy, sitting cross-legged on the deck, perked up with a wide grin. "Ooooh! That means even more action!"

Nami, who was carefully cleaning a purse full of berries (probably extorted without my knowledge), raised an eyebrow. "That also means more risk…" She set down the purse and crossed her arms. "I just hope we actually get something useful this time."

"It won't be worse than ethers, I promise." I replied with a teasing smirk, knowing full well that was exactly what she didn't want to hear.

Her expression darkened immediately. "If I get another one of those useless things…"

Sensing an incoming hit, I cautiously stepped back. But I had other plans for now.

I turned to Luffy and Koby. "In the meantime… training!"

Luffy and Koby exchanged uncertain looks.

"Luffy, take off your hat. Koby, come here." I said, grabbing a rope.

"Oooooh, this feels like a bad idea…" Koby groaned.

"It's gonna be fun, you'll see!" I tied them both to a rope secured to the ship, and before they could protest…

Splash!

I tossed them overboard.

"WAAAH!" Koby screamed as he disappeared underwater.

"AAAAH!" Luffy yelled before resurfacing, instinctively clinging to the rope to avoid sinking completely.

"Don't worry, it's part of your training!" I shouted enthusiastically.

From the deck, Nami stared at me with wide, incredulous eyes. "You're not serious, are you?!"

"Completely!" I replied before diving into the water myself, holding a large rock from my inventory.

My goal was simple: swim using only my legs to build endurance, while forcing Koby to keep up and helping Luffy improve his resistance to seawater.

Koby struggled to keep up with the ship, panting but determined not to give up.

Luffy clung to the rope, his face tense with effort. "I can… hold on… I can… hold on…!"

"Hang in there, Luffy!" I encouraged. "This will help you on the Grand Line!"

After an hour of intense effort, we finally climbed back on board, exhausted but satisfied.

Luffy, however, had swollen up like a water balloon, his elastic skin having absorbed an absurd amount of liquid.

"He's… huge." Koby commented, eyes wide.

Without hesitation, I pressed Luffy's stomach with all my strength.

"BLUUUUUUURGH!!!"

Luffy spewed out an insane amount of water, forming a waterfall that drenched the entire deck.

Nami jumped back with a disgusted expression. "THAT'S SO GROSS!!!"

Luffy immediately caught his breath. "Ahhh… much better!"

Koby, soaking wet but laughing softly, said, "That was… intense. But worth it!"

Nami, on the other hand, shook her head. "I swear I'm traveling with a bunch of idiots…"

Orange Town - A Hidden Bar

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit bar in Orange Town, a rumor was spreading.

A man with an unremarkable appearance settled onto a barstool, signaling for a drink with a nod. The bartender, a man with sharp eyes and methodical movements, poured him a glass of rum without a word.

"You're not gonna believe what I just heard, boss." The man murmured, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

The bartender raised an eyebrow, calmly continuing to wipe a glass. "Something interesting, besides our new 'citizens'?" He asked, throwing a subtle glance at one of the Soldier-type Heartless, who was dutifully cleaning a glass like a model employee.

The man leaned in, lowering his voice. "It's about the two biggest bounties in East Blue… Heartless D. Jordan and Monkey D. Luffy."

The bartender stopped wiping the glass for a moment, intrigued. "Hm. Go on."

The man glanced around, ensuring no one was listening. "I heard it straight from Jordan himself… that his bounty was just a joke played by Luffy's grandfather… but I don't even know who his grandfather is."

The bartender's lips curled into a faint smile as he set the glass down on the counter.

"A joke from his grandfather, you say?" His smile grew slightly. "Interesting."

Casually, he slid a pouch filled with coins across the counter.

"Here, as usual… you don't remember anything you just told me."

The man's greedy eyes flickered toward the money before he took it with a small nod. Without another word, he got up and walked out of the bar, "accidentally" forgetting everything he had just said.

Once alone, the bartender pulled out a Den Den Mushi, bringing it slowly to his lips.

Bliiiip… Bliiiip…

After a few seconds, a deep voice answered. "Yeah, what is it, Orange?"

The bartender spun a glass between his fingers, his amused smile widening.

"You might be interested in an easy 110 million berries, Mirks."

A brief silence followed before the voice on the other end spoke again, intrigued.

"Go on…"

(Author's Note: Introducing a new plot thread, but we'll get to that later ^^ I'll be posting the new designs for the Torpilotes and Neon Marins in the comments, so check them out!)