One piece :I open the locks of the heart

I quickly changed into my usual look, inspired by Sora, before discreetly flying toward Fuchsia. My goal was simple: to calm the villagers before panic set in. I landed softly in an alleyway, hidden from sight, just as the first Sans-cœur began to appear on the horizon. A few Soldat Sans-cœur were making noise while patrolling, and I hurried to stop them before they woke up the poor villagers.

I wasn't worried about them turning into Sans-cœur, as I had already scanned the inhabitants. Their hearts were clear, a reassuring white or blue. Nothing indicated that they would be targeted.

I stood in the middle of the village square, watching the ombre and soldat patrol peacefully, their blue eyes glowing softly in the darkness. Occasionally, they would pause to observe a curious dog or cat passing nearby, but as on the small island, they did no harm. The animals seemed barely disturbed by the presence of the Sans-cœur, simply watching them with curiosity.

Two hours passed in this strange calm. Then, I saw the first artisans begin to emerge from their homes. Terry, the village butcher, José, the tailor, and Bob, the boatman, stepped out with cautious looks, observing the small dark creatures moving around the square. I hurried to calm them before panic spread.

"Don't worry," I said with a reassuring smile as I approached them. "These little creatures aren't dangerous. They don't attack good people."

Terry, the first to approach me, squinted as he watched one of the soldat Sans-cœur pass near him. "Those things? What are they? They look like weird toys."

I chuckled softly. "Yeah, you could say that. Watch." I lightly kicked one of the soldats as it walked by my feet, and the creature didn't react, simply continuing its patrol as if nothing had happened. "They're harmless as long as you've got nothing to feel guilty about."

José, the tailor, cautiously stepped closer, eyeing the Shadows with curiosity. "You're sure they're not dangerous? They look a little... sinister."

I nodded confidently. "Trust me, I've been watching them all night. They won't do anything as long as you're good people."

Bob, the boatman, watched as a Shadow stood right next to him, its blue eyes glowing. After a moment of hesitation, he bent down and gently picked up the small creature. "Weirdly enough, it's almost cute..." he said, patting the Shadow on the head as if it were a puppy. "A bit cold to the touch, but, well... it's fine."

To my surprise, Terry also bent down and picked up a Soldier-type Sans-cœur. "Well, it's like a little kid," he said, gently tapping the Soldier's head. "They're not mean, huh?"

"No, not at all," I replied, amused by the scene.

José grabbed another soldat and started petting it as if it were a dog. "Well, damn… It's actually kind of nice. It's like… I don't know, they just want to be here, chilling."

Bob, meanwhile, patted a Soldier's back like he was petting a cat. "Maybe we were worried for nothing. Look at this thing, it doesn't move. It just sits there like an old stuffed toy."

I couldn't hold back my laughter at the unexpected sight. Watching these men, who were terrified just minutes earlier, treating these dark creatures like pets was so absurd that I burst out laughing. "Hahahaha!" My laughter echoed through the square, drawing the attention of other villagers who started opening their shutters.

Terry, José, and Bob turned to me, surprised by my outburst. "What's so funny, kid?" Terry asked with a smirk.

I shook my head, trying to regain my composure. "Sorry, it's just that… I didn't expect you to be so… friendly with these creatures." I glanced at them, still amused. "I think you just woke up the whole village with this scene."

The three men exchanged glances before shrugging. "Eh, if these little critters aren't a problem, then why panic?" Bob said, setting the Shadow back on the ground.

I nodded, still smiling. "You're right. There's really no reason to worry."

"What's all this racket?!" an old, raspy voice shouted as the door of a house swung open. Mayor Hoop Slap appeared on the doorstep, rubbing his tired eyes. But he froze as soon as he spotted three blue-eyed Shadows staring at him. A flicker of panic crossed his face, and he stepped back, his mouth hanging open.

Terry, José, and Bob, who were standing beside me, burst into laughter at the sight of the old mayor's reaction, still cuddling the Sans-cœur in their arms like simple pets.

"Looks like the mayor's scared," Terry teased with a grin. He turned to me and nodded. "Go explain things to him, Jordan. We're gonna get to work."

Terry stood up, still holding a Soldier-type Sans-cœur in his arms, and calmly walked back to his house. I watched him for a moment, intrigued by his calmness around these creatures, before seeing him set the Soldier down in front of his six-year-old granddaughter, who was staring wide-eyed. The little girl hesitated for a second, then gave the Sans-cœur a hug. Surprisingly, the Soldier returned the embrace without doing anything else, simply playing gently with the girl like a regular playmate. Terry, arms crossed, stood by the door with a peaceful smile on his face before closing the door behind him.

I couldn't help but smile. Terry was a widower, from what I had learned, and seeing his granddaughter playing with the Soldier-type Sans-cœur probably brought him some comfort. At least now, he had something to watch over her.

As I explained to the rest of the villagers that they had nothing to fear, I saw Luffy approaching with a huge crocodile slung over his shoulder.

"Luffy, you good?" I asked as he looked thoughtful, dragging the animal in front of Terry's shop, who told him to drop it in the back.

"I'll be right there, Jordan," Luffy said as he followed Terry inside while I continued to reassure the villagers by demonstrating how harmless the Sans-cœur were. I placed a Shadow on my head, letting it scan the area with its glowing blue eyes.

I quickly got back to work, explaining the situation to the rest of the villagers who were starting to come out of their homes. They eyed the Shadows and Soldiers warily, but I did my best to calm them down. "There's nothing to worry about, really. Look." I gently picked up a Shadow and set it on my head. It remained still for a moment, scanning the surroundings with its large blue eyes.

I smiled, but then the Shadow, probably just playing, suddenly jumped, pushing me to the ground in one swift motion. I landed on my back, startled, just as a gunshot rang out in the air. A bullet whizzed by, barely missing me, before embedding itself in the wall behind me.

"Who shot at me?!" I shouted, quickly getting to my feet and scanning the area. My eyes locked onto a group of Marines who had just arrived, their weapons trained on me. The officer leading them, a man with a stern face, still had his pistol pointed in my direction. I quickly noticed the hearts floating above their heads. Most of the soldiers had blue, pure hearts, but the officer's heart flickered oddly between blue and gray—a sign of a more questionable nature.

"Are you the one responsible for this chaos?" the officer growled, not even offering an apology for firing at me.

I raised my hands in surrender, taking a step back to try and defuse the situation. "I haven't done anything. These creatures don't attack good people, and I was just warning the village to prevent any panic."

The officer didn't seem convinced. His gaze shifted from me to the creatures, then back to me, a sly smile spreading across his face. "I don't believe you. Maybe a few Berries could change my mind?"

I clenched my teeth, feeling anger rise. Another corrupt official. But before I could respond, Makino suddenly stepped between us.

"He hasn't done anything!" she said firmly. "Don't cause trouble here, this is the village of the…"

I didn't have time to react. Seeing the officer raise his weapon again, this time aiming at Makino, I grabbed her, pulling her into my arms to protect her. The gunshot echoed, and a searing pain shot through my back as the bullet found its mark.

Everything happened so quickly after that. In an instant, the officer's heart turned completely gray, losing all traces of blue. Before I could even react, every Sans-cœur in the village turned on him, charging with unexpected fury. Panicking, the officer quickly retreated behind his men, who began firing blindly at the creatures, with no regard for the villagers.

"Run! Get inside, quickly!" I shouted to the villagers, grimacing in pain as I carried Makino to safety. The situation was becoming more and more chaotic.

That's when Luffy appeared from behind the butcher shop, having heard the gunfire. He saw me injured, holding Makino in my arms, and his face turned bright red with anger.

"Jordan!" he yelled, already preparing to strike.

"Gum-Gum Pistol!" he roared, sending his fist straight into the officer's face. The blow was so powerful that the man was sent flying out of formation, crashing hard to the ground.

In an instant, the Sans-cœur swarmed him, and he was quickly transformed into one of them. I immediately recognized the form of the bandit he had become. It didn't surprise me. After all, he had tried to extort me and shot at a villager for no reason.

The other Sans-cœur immediately stopped their charge, their target gone. The Marines stood frozen, unsure of what to do as they watched their officer transform. The bandit Sans-cœur slowly walked away, joining the other creatures in the shadows.

One of the Marines, visibly shaken, pointed at Luffy. "You… you attacked a Marine officer and caused his death! You will be arrested and imprisoned!" he declared firmly.

I stood up, feeling the bullet slowly being pushed out of my body by my healing magic, the wound closing under the astonished gazes of the soldiers and villagers. "Luffy, knock them out. We're leaving earlier than planned."

Luffy nodded, still furious. "Gum-Gum Whip!" he yelled, sweeping the Marine formation with a powerful blow. The soldiers collapsed to the ground, unconscious, their attempt to arrest us completely thwarted.

"Luffy, get some provisions ready! We need to leave quickly to avoid bringing trouble to the village," I shouted before heading off in the other direction, leaving Luffy to rush toward the market.

I quickly made my way to Bob, the village ferryman, who was packing up his gear near the dock. Approaching him, I pulled out a pouch of 50,000 Berries and handed it to him.

"Bob, can you get us a boat for Luffy and me, please?" I asked, my tone slightly rushed.

Bob looked up at me, surprised by the sum. "50,000 Berries? That's more than enough for a boat. I've got just what you need. Give me a minute, I'll get it ready for you."

I nodded in relief and then turned to walk with Mayor Hoop Slap toward Makino's bar. The mayor was still shaken by what had happened, walking in silence beside me.

"Mr. Mayor, I think you should contact the Marines, but don't mention this incident directly. Ask Vice Admiral Garp to come. He's the best person to handle this without causing more trouble," I said, looking him straight in the eye.

Hoop Slap nodded, his face serious. "You're right, Jordan. I'll make the call immediately." He turned on his heel and hurried off to find a transponder snail.

I turned back to Makino, who had remained silent throughout all of this, still in shock from being shot at. I knelt down gently in front of her, trying to meet her eyes.

"Makino, can I ask you for a favor?" She nodded, still a little lost. "The little girl at the clinic, you remember? Her name is Léa. I've decided to adopt her, and her full name will be Heartless D. Léa. Could you take care of her while I'm gone?"

Makino remained quiet for a moment, her eyes widening slightly at hearing my name. "So, this is how I learn your name… just as you're leaving?" she asked softly, a note of sadness in her voice. She leaned toward me and wrapped me in a hug.

"Thank you, Jordan. Take care of yourself and watch over Luffy. I'll take good care of Léa, don't worry," she whispered, holding me a bit tighter before standing up and heading behind the bar.

She prepared a few things and returned with a plain black flag and two large barrels of water. She placed them on the counter with a tender smile.

"Here, take these. The flag… it's blank, but I'm sure you'll know what to do with it. And as for the barrels, you'll need to stay hydrated out there." She smiled slightly, still worried.

I took the two barrels, storing them in my chest, then grabbed the flag with a smile.

"Thank you, Makino. We'll come back to see you. I promise." I gave her a final wave as I left the bar.

Meeting Luffy at the dock, I saw him carrying a mountain of provisions on his back. He stopped when he saw me and, with his usual grin, gave me a curious look.

"Jordan, what's with that chest? How do you fit everything in there?!" he asked, wide-eyed.

I smirked. "Let's just say it's something special. Give me all that." I took the provisions and stored them in the chest right in front of his amazed eyes.

"Woaaah!" Luffy exclaimed in admiration. "You're so cool, Jordan!" He let out his usual laugh before I handed him the black flag.

"Here, Luffy. Here's your flag. We'll raise it as soon as we're on the boat," I said, smiling.

Luffy grabbed the flag with excitement. "A black flag! That means we're officially pirates now, right?!"

I nodded. "Exactly. Pirates, but with our own rules."

We finally arrived at the dock, where Bob was waiting next to a small red and black boat. It had a simple but sturdy design, looking like a miniature pirate ship. Seeing it, I couldn't help but think of a ship from Lord of the Rings, but much smaller.

"It's not the biggest boat, but it's solid. It'll hold up against storms," Bob said, patting the side of the boat.

Luffy immediately jumped aboard, brimming with excitement. "Wow, this boat is perfect! We're gonna have so much fun, Jordan!"

I climbed aboard, casting one last glance at the village. "Alright, let's set sail before the Marines return."

"We're off on an adventure, Jordan!" Luffy shouted, proudly raising the black flag.

I smiled and nodded, ready to embark on the next phase of this wild adventure—though it was almost four months before his official departure.

(Nda: As you might have noticed, I've left a little hint about the nature of the hearts ^^)