The wind carries a biting chill as the ship cuts through the darkened waters, a forewarning of the brewing storm overhead. You lean against the ship’s railing, feeling the heavy weight of deception on your shoulders. Blackbeard’s crew moves about the deck, unaware of your true allegiance, blinded by the lie they’ve eagerly accepted: that you left Luffy’s side because you sought a stronger, more ambitious captain, someone who truly had the potential to become the Pirate King.

Blackbeard believed it easily—he’s always drawn to those hungry for power. But Kuzan… he’s been watching you with far sharper eyes.

“You don’t belong here,” his voice cuts through the sound of the sea, low and cold. You glance over your shoulder to find him standing close, his towering frame blending with the gloom of the approaching storm. His eyes, one clear and the other obscured by a patch, lock onto yours, filled with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

“You’re one of Luffy’s, aren’t you?” he asks, the slightest tilt of his head betraying his disbelief. "How did someone like you end up with Blackbeard?"