Prepparing to Set Sail

Ten years later, in the year 1510 of the Sea Circle Calendar, on Sky Fang Island.

Alva stood atop a boulder in the plunge pool beneath the largest waterfall, deep in the jungle. He took deep, controlled breaths, focusing his mind. His concentration peaked. Alva hurled a knife at the rope tied to a nearby tree. Immediately, dozens of logs, each larger than a grown man, tumbled over the edge, plummeting toward him. With swift punches, kicks, and precise slashes of his sword, he defended his position, careful not to slip on the slick boulder. He ensured that none of the logs or debris broke the surface tension of the pool below.

Alva returned his sword to its sheath and removed his blindfold.

"It's time," he thought.

A ship docked in Briss port, and the captain yelled for his crew to throw off a young stowaway they had discovered while inspecting the cargo hold.

"Get the hell out of here, punk!" the old captain shouted.

"Geez, I get it; you don't have to be so rough," the young man retorted. "You should be grateful the great swordsman Revy sailed on your ship!" he added defiantly.

"Shoot, they found me before we even made it to the Grand Line," Revy muttered.

GRRR His stomach growled.

"Oh man, I'm hungry," Revy said as he headed into town in search of a meal.

Alva concluded his business in Briss with the sale of the Drake family estate. After Francis was reported missing in action three years ago, all of his property was transferred to his son. Alva decided to sell everything to purchase a ship and set out to sea. He had a mission to accomplish and hoped to find his missing father along the way.

Alva reached the shipyard and quickly located the head shipwright.

"Hey boss, you've got a customer," a worker called out to a man holding blueprints.

"Hello, my name is Alva D. Drake. I'm looking to buy a ship," Alva said.

"My name is Harding. Look, kid, we don't have any fishing boats for sale. You'll have to wait," Harding replied.

"You misunderstand me; I need a ship, not some boat," Alva insisted. He tossed the bag he was holding in front of Harding, and it landed with a heavy thud. Stacks of ten thousand Belly bills spilled from the open bag.

Harding's eyes widened in surprise.

"Even if you have the money, we have to fill a large order of ships for the king. All of these here are for him," Harding explained.

"You don't have a single seaworthy vessel for sale?" Alva questioned, doubtful.

After a pause, Harding sighed. "Well, I do have one you could buy, but it'll cost you a premium. I hadn't planned on selling it."

"Show it to me," Alva said, smiling.

At the far end of the shipyard sat a covered dock, separated from the others. Harding opened the bay doors.

"Well, here she is, The Misty," Harding said.

Fweet-woo Alva whistled as he looked up at the ship, impressed.

"The Misty is a cutting-edge cruiser-class brig-sloop; she was built with speed in mind," Harding explained. "Armed with two six-pound bow guns and sixteen thirty-two-pound main guns, she still packs a punch."

After touring the ship, Alva made up his mind. It was the only ship available, and while he was eager to set out, The Misty was perfect.

"How much for it?" Alva asked excitedly.

"Four hundred million," Harding said.

"WHAT!? That's more than every other ship this size!" Alva couldn't believe the price.

"Like I said, I had no plans on selling The Misty. If my shipyard wasn't hurting for money, I wouldn't do it. This ship was designed and built by my late friend Oberon. He died before its completion, but it is revolutionary. Out of respect for him, I can't sell it for less," Harding said.

Alva composed himself; he had to have this ship—he had fallen in love with it.

"I love it too much to let it go; you've got a deal!" Alva said, smiling at Harding.

Although apprehensive about selling The Misty—his friend's legacy—Harding felt relieved that he had found a way to meet the king's demands and wouldn't be forced to close the shipyard for failing to do so. It was the greatest crisis the shipyard had faced since Harding and Oberon founded it together years ago. Harding could see how much Alva valued The Misty, and it warmed his heart to know that someone appreciated his friend's work. Harding smiled back, and the two men shook hands.

Sitting in Harding's office, Alva sorted out the details of the transaction.

"Alright, four hundred for the ship and another twenty-five for ammunition, food, and all other necessities to set sail," Alva said, pleased.

"We'll have everything ready in three days," Harding replied.

Harding was already busy counting the money as Alva rolled up the contract and placed it in his coat. Suddenly, the door swung open and slammed against the wall.

"What the hell are you doing, Old Man?" A young woman shouted as she burst into the room, glaring at Harding.

Meanwhile, Revy continued down the street, looking for a place to eat. He heard commotion coming from an alley and stopped. A young man with short, spiky pink hair was on the ground, surrounded by three rogue-like men. The three men were beating and kicking the young man.

"Brody, cough up the money you stole!" A bald man demanded, digging his heel into the young man's stomach.

"Yeah! We know you cheated," another chimed in.

"C'mon, you won seven hands and got two royal flushes in a row? Bullshit! Give me back my money!"

"Whoa, guys, chill out. I think he's had enough. Let him go," Revy said calmly. Revy walked up to the men, lazily raising his hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Buzz off!" the biggest of the three shouted, lunging at Revy with a wide punch. Revy calmly sidestepped the punch, extending his leg. The man tripped and stumbled to the ground hard.

Moving forward, Revy lightly twirled around and met the next guy head-on. He drew his katana from his belt with his left hand, blocking the next strike. When the man's hand collided with the sheath, a loud snap rang out.

"Guh, my hand!" The man cried out, leaning back in pain.

Revy slowly raised his right leg, bent at the knee, drawing the man's attention. Then, with lightning speed, he snapped a crane kick, pinning the man's head against the brick wall with his foot.

"This bastard!" the third man shouted, drawing a knife. Meanwhile, the first man, who had recovered, picked up a brick behind Revy.

Tsk Revy clicked his tongue. "Playtime is over." He stomped his foot on the ground, and the geta he wore made a loud sound. As Revy started a long, low whistle, the sound wave produced by his footwear condensed into a ball and spread out. The constant vibrating of the condensed sound waves repeatedly assaulted the men's ears, dropping them to the ground.

"That was a warning," Revy said.

"Oh no, this guy's a power user. Let's get out of here!" The man who could still move grabbed his friends, and they ran away.

"Are you okay?" Revy asked the boy, extending his hand.

"Yeah, thanks. My name is Brody; what's yours?"

"Revy, the greatest swordsman in the South Blue!" Revy proclaimed, pointing his thumb at himself.

"Swordsman, but what was that? Are you a devil fruit user?" Brody asked.

"Yep," Revy said.

"So cool! Revy, can I call you big bro?" Brody had a gleam in his eyes.

"Ehh, that's a little much; how old are you anyway?"

"I'm seventeen this year," Brody replied.

"We're the same age!" Revy was exhausted.

"Just call me Revy," he said. Brody continued to stare at him with puppy dog eyes.

"Whatever, just call me whatever you want." Revy looked away, a wide grin on his face, doing his best to play it cool.

The two walked out of the alley together and went down the street.

"So, Brody, did you actually cheat?" Revy-eyed Brody.

"Yeah, I did!" Brody said, smiling wide as he held up a victory sign with his hand.

"Bwah ha ha ha ha." Revy and Brody burst with laughter together.

"Man, that made my appetite worse. I'm starving," Revy said, rubbing his stomach.

"Bro, let me buy you lunch. I owe you big," Brody said, jumping at the chance to repay his savior.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't a big deal," Revy said as he patted the coin purse tied to his belt. Brody looked admirably at Revy.

Suddenly, a small kid ran into Revy at full speed, bumping into him without stopping. Revy looked at the kid running now, holding his wallet.

"Uh, my money," Revy said in a low tone.

"Hey brat!" Brody was about to chase after the child, but Revy held his hand up, stopping him. Revy calmly shook his head. Revy smiled at the child. He saw holes in her dirty dress; her frail frame could hardly fit in it. He could see the girl's spine showing through the back of her neck.

Still smiling, Revy turned towards Brody. "About that lunch," he said.

"Bwah hahahaha." The pair burst into laughter once more.