One Piece Law Light Novel

Early in the morning, when the sparrows start to sing, an old man appears on the beach who has come to do a little exercise. He begins by stretching the muscles in his upper body, continues with those of the lower part, then rolls up and unrolls the shoulders before performing a few short jumps.

Movements that he must perform conscientiously every morning to then move and carry out without too much difficulty the many daily tasks that await him.

Every morning the old man gets up at a fixed time and prepares his breakfast of eggs and ham. Then, after doing some outdoor activity, he walks to the greenhouse where he grows vegetables to see if they are growing properly. When he finished, he took charge of his laboratory where he worked hard on his inventions until sunset.

While he continues to design new machines, he also works regularly to improve older ones. This is for example the case of "Super cleaner No. 13" which he touched up about a year ago, allowing him today not to sacrifice any more of his precious time in the household. Just turn on the "No. 13" and it will clean the whole house thoroughly without leaving the slightest trace of dust. The old man struggles to hide his satisfaction at this invention worthy of the greatest geniuses.

Back home, he prepares his dinner which he eats alone at his table. If the people of the city have already advised him to take a cat to overcome his loneliness, the main person is playing deaf ears. In his eyes, dining alone and in peace is far from lacking in charm. After washing the dishes and taking his bath, he goes to his bedroom, turns off the light and falls asleep.

Once a week, he goes to town to stock up on food and parts necessary for his work as an inventor. He is appreciated by everyone there, to such an extent that it happens from time to time that a small crowd is created around him. And although many inhabitants offer him to come and live among them, he persists in refusing.

The old man is living peaceful days. However, to say that he never feels alone would be a lie. Because his dining table used to be a pretty bustling place. It was noisy, tumultuous, but we ate there in a warm atmosphere.

Since that time, many changes have taken place, those operating on the physical plane being certainly the most obvious, he sometimes has back pain. So much so that he can no longer do without his stretching at the start and end of the day. Despite this, he never complains and does not let out unnecessary sighs. He knows very well that he would be the beloved of the "others" if they saw him give up for so little.

When he finished his morning exercises, as he struggled to get home, he saw a man approaching on a bicycle. Holding in his hand a wad of leaves that he waves, the latter calls out to the old man with a certain excitement.

- He Wolf! It's incredible!

- What is it, Rad? You make a racket of it in the morning.

- Shut up and look at this instead! The newspaper and the research notices that go with it! "They" are on the front page!

- Hmm ...

The old man retrieves the newspaper from the hands of his friend who is struggling to catch his breath. The expression on his face remains the same, but he gestures swiftly with his hands. He puts his glasses back on his nose and fixes his gaze on the photo in the newspaper.

Aah, it's "them" in the picture.

In the article, the events are described as follows: for some years now, a gang of pirates have been weaning on North Blue who kidnapped young people and children with the aim of selling them as slaves. Their untimely changes of lair made it difficult for the Navy to get their hands on them, not forgetting the fact that they were battle-hardened and doc difficult to defeat. But the previous week, a crew of pirates by the name of "Heart" had suddenly appeared at the bandits' lair before crushing them without them being able to offer the slightest resistance. The prisoners were released unharmed and then all returned to their families. "I acted on a whim!" These were the only words the captain of the crew of the "Heart" had uttered before resuming the sea aboard his submarine.

In the newspaper, a photo immortalizing the two crews is printed in bulk. It was reportedly taken by one of the prisoners with a camera placed within reach.

We can see a young man covered in a fur hat, sporting a large tattoo on the chest, displaying a terrifying face and raising his saber in the direction of the enemy. On reading the article, the photo alone is enough to capture the power that emanates from this man. Another shot represents those who can be considered to be the other members of the crew. Some dressed in headgear, women and men with massive build, as well as among others a strange polar bear. Surrounded by a multitude of enemies, none of them seem to be afraid, and all give the impression of fighting with prodigious valor.

- It is beautiful, this photo, right? We see immediately that the Pirates of the "Heart" have been remarkably successful.

Ah ah ah, when I think that it is our little kids who have become so strong, it makes me feel good ...

- It's not over soon, right?! You are not going to start whining!

- From ... Sorry ... But, Wolf, it must still make you happy to see that "they" are all well, eh?

- Pah! I never worried about them! I remind you that I shaped them. What would worry me would be to learn that they are behind their pirate colleagues. I also remind you that "piracy" is synonymous with "risking your life". So if they die, it will be knowingly.

- Phew, I find you a little harsh, anyway .... Although, it looks quite like you ...

- What you can annoy me when you do, Rad. If that's all you had to tell me, I invite you to get back to work. I may not look like it, but I have my work cut out for me.

- OK, I understand. Don't forget to come and say hello to me at the station the next time you're in town.

With these words, the man gets back on his bike and takes the road to the city.

The old man, meanwhile, once again stares at the newspaper in front of him. Unlike earlier, excitement seems to run through his eyes. He then examines the wanted notices that the man has read. A boy - no, a young man rather - whose face is familiar to him, has a daring smile on one of the notices.

Time has passed since that time.

Aware that water has flowed under the bridges, he could not however say exactly how many years have passed. The only thing he can be sure of is that this lively life he was leading now belongs to a distant past.

He remembers everything.

The discovery of the boy in the cave, his return home in the company of a polar bear, the day he took two young runaways under his wing, the time when he himself had an accident and where these young people had him saves life, the surprise attack they led together aboard the same ship against pirates, their voctory at the risk of their lives, when the boy prevented him from killing his own son. Everything, he remembers everything. His memory remains intact and each of these memories comes back to him in its most vivid colors.

As he glances through the other wanted notices, snow begins to fall. The old man is dazzled by the gorged flakes of sunlight. He walks towards the shore and looks far towards the horizon line, beyond which he discerns the silhouette of young people.

He sees them, aboard their yellow submarine, traverse the vastness of the oceans. A perilous journey during which the slightest mistake can prove fatal. This does not prevent them from smiling, however.

At this thought, he felt warmth invade him and courage born in him. The ardor to carry on the rest of his life runs through his veins and oozes from every pore of his skin. There is no question of losing against "them". He still has work to do, great inventions to build. But it's strange, all the same. This body which seemed so heavy to him a few moments ago is now filled with vitality, incredibly light, as if it had just found a second youth.

His loneliness has simply evaporated. The old man is able to imagine them again.

He sees the young man with tattoos courageously healing a wounded man.

He sees the one in the cap humming while cutting the hair of his comrade wearing a hat with the word "Penguin" inscribed on it.

He also notices a large polar bear whose face indicates that it is maneuvering their ship headlong into the storm.

Aah, that's more than enough for him.

As long as "they" lead the life "they" were made for, the old man asks for nothing more. Nevertheless...

- You hear me?!

He howls with all his might towards the sea.

- Here, everything is fine! I have busy hours and I have happy days! What about your rating ?! Do you have a smile on your lips? Are you living the bomb chest ?! Are you getting closer ... to "true freedom" ?!

Despite the lack of response to his calls, an expression of contentment seems to animate the old man.

Because he is convinced that one fine day, when his "friends" will have found this "true freedom" to which they aspire, they will return, their faces resplendent with joy, to surround the table in his dining room.

- Hmm ... I'm not sentimental enough for that, he murmurs as he walks back home with a nimble and joyful step, letting a soft warm smile appear on his face.

***

A yellow ship floats in the waters of North Blue.

A banquet takes place on the bridge where many people are agitated and make a great noise.

Among them, the young man in the fur hat, the one in the cap, another in the hat with "Penguin" written on it and the talking polar bear are all four gathered in a corner, devouring a gigantic piece of meat. A meat that comes from a crocodile over twenty meters long hunting on the island where they stopped over a few hours before. The fight against this wild beast that would have crushed any human normally constituted had been for them a mere formality.

Right in the middle of the banquet, a flight of swallows suddenly crosses the sky. At the same time, the four accomplices discern like a voice.

- Say, guys, didn't you hear something? asks the young man in the fur hat.

- You too, Captain? I had the impression that it came from the other side of the ocean.

This response from the boy in the cap does not fail to titillate the curiosity of the polar bear who hastens to grab his telescope to take a look into the distance.

- I do not perceive any enemy in the surroundings ... But I am like you, I also heard a voice, adds the polar bear without ceasing to scan the horizon.

"It was a familiar voice, tinged with a hint of nostalgia," the boy in the "Penguin" hat said in turn, letting out a slight sneer.

The same mischievous smile then crosses the face of the young man in the fur hat that the others call "Captain", as if the latter had not needed to speak to understand the meaning of the words made by his friend.

- Yes, I agree with you.

Listening to the twittering of the swallows, the young man remembers past events.

He has come a long way, both geographically and temporally, since he chose the path of piracy and now leads a life of adventure. Impossible for him to return regularly to his past, he does not have time. As Captain of a pirate crew, he must pull his comrades forward and take a front line position when the time comes for battle. He saw every moment thoroughly, as if it were the last.

Now that the name of the crew is known and recognized, the heads of a large part of the members are being put at a price. What constitutes in the eyes of the young man a certain pride. In the future, he will continue his journey alongside his friends while exposing himself to danger on a daily basis. Carelessness no longer has its place.

But there are still memories that he should not forget.

The memory of the benefactor who saved his life and then taught him what love was. Then this old man with whom, by a happy combination of circumstances, he became friends.

The hours he spent by their side will forever remain in his heart like the warmest memories.

If he thinks of the old man, it may be because he heard the song of the swallows. Does he lead a quiet life? Is he not behaving like an irresponsible person? Is he immersed in his inventions to the point of forgetting to eat? Does he maintain good relations with the inhabitants of the city? The reasons to be concerned are almost endless.

"Aah, what I would like to see him again," he whispers in his heart. He no longer counts the times he has thought of visiting his old friend since he went to sea. What a pleasure it would be to take the road to this island with his fellow pirates to organize a gigantic banquet in the company of the old man. Sometimes he gave in to this kind of reverie.

But unfortunately this is not possible. He cannot go back to this warm, so sweet past, because the, "now", he has things to accomplish. Enemies to beat countries to save, an immense sea on which to travel with his crew. He must keep moving forward, his eyes on the future. Today, that is what matters most.

Moreover, he still has not discovered what "true freedom" is. And he knows that the old man would give him hell if he ever dared to reappear in front of him without knowing what was going on.

- But hey, if I hang around too much, I run the risk that the old man will end up breaking his pipe, he whispers for himself alone.

- Mh, did you say something, Captain?

- Tell me, Bepo, do you trust your skills as a navigator?

- Uh, well ... uh, yes! Of course! I've been studying storms and heavy swells for so long that they no longer hold any secrets for me!

- Very well. Then the time is right.

- Pou ... For what?

Without answering the question, the young man gets up and walks towards the bow. All the crew members notice it and stop drinking.

- Hey, all of you! he shouts at them.

-I have decided what will be our next destination.

A great clamor arose among the crew. On the faces of each and everyone, the anguish of landing in a perilous place mingles with the excitement of living a new adventure.

- So, Captain, what direction do we take? asks the boy in the cap.

What the young man answers:

- That of Grand Line.

That's it, he did it. He said that name.

- Koaaaaa ?!

The whole crew is literally astonished. Nothing surprising about this, because they are all perfectly aware that the Grand Line is designed to be the route of all dangers. However, the shock quickly wears off to give way to resignation.

- Let's go!

- Yeah! I can't wait to give my all!

- I decided a long time ago to follow you wherever you go, Captain! So it's not now that I'm going to panic!

In turn, each member of the crew gives voice with enthusiasm.

- Do you hear, Cora? What you see there is my ... no, our crew!

- Hoist the sails! Point the road to follow! Crew of the "Heart", forward!

- Woooh !!

Charged with the dreams of all crew members, the yellow-colored ship is advancing in strong winds on the ocean.

Standing on the bridge, the young man stares at the blue expanse stretching out before his eyes, a slight smile on his lips.

He imagines. He imagines the harsh battles that lie ahead, as well as the joy that always accompanies them. He also thinks of all that remains for him to accomplish in order to reward his benefactors.

He is convinced of it. Convinced that once this time passes he will find somewhere, at a given moment, "true freedom".

- Take a good look, Cora. I promise to make your dearest wish come true!

This promise vanishes in the sound of the waves.

The culmination of the dream that the young man cherishes is still a long way off.