A while earlier...
He was Marshall D. Teach.
A cautious, patient, intelligent man... even paranoid.
He was someone capable of spending an entire decade wearing a fake smile aboard Whitebeard's crew while waiting for his moment.
He was a powerful man capable of leaving a scar on Emperor Shanks' face, yet cautious enough to fight only battles he knew he could win.
He was a pirate some would call a coward, never realizing that this "coward" had been planning a scheme that would shake the very foundations of the world.
That man was Blackbeard.
"Captain, I can see Mock Town!" shouted a massive man wearing a wrestler's mask.
This was Champion Jesus Burgess, the muscle of Teach's crew, though not exactly blessed with intelligence.
"Shut up! We all have eyes!" Teach growled.
Teach and his newly formed crew still didn't have a proper ship, so they sailed aboard a giant raft.
Their destination?
Jaya Island, specifically the lawless town of Mock Town.
At this point, it was no secret which route Allen was taking, so anyone who wanted to find him knew he would arrive in Jaya after leaving Alabasta.
"Captain... hic... are you sure we can take him?" asked a sickly-looking man riding an equally sick and exhausted horse.
This was Doc Q, a man who would soon become feared as the Death God.
"I suggest we avoid a confrontation and let me take a clean shot."
The speaker was a refined-looking man with an analytical gaze, inseparable from his rifle and wearing a monocle over one eye.
This man was Van Augur, someone with the potential to become the deadliest sniper in the world, whose name would soon become famous as well.
"No. I also need to test my new powers," Teach said.
He had gone through hell to obtain the Dark-Dark Fruit. He had even murdered one of his own crewmates and had been on the run ever since, leaving him with little practical experience using it.
Of course, with Teach's personality, challenging an experienced pirate would be too risky, but against a rookie like Allen, this could be the perfect opportunity.
"Besides... we need his Devil Fruit," Teach said with a malicious grin.
He didn't know what Devil Fruit Allen possessed. He didn't know whether it was a Mythical Zoan with divine abilities or a Paramecia no one had ever heard of. However, Allen's ability to replicate other Devil Fruits was so incredible that even Teach compared it to his own Dark-Dark Fruit.
"Captain," Laffitte said with slight concern. He was the most levelheaded member of the crew. "Have you considered the possibility that Allen Walker might be too much for us?"
Teach remained silent before laughing.
"Zehahahaha! If that kid had this kind of strength through Haki alone, I wouldn't fight him even if I were crazy! BUT his power, his abilities—they all come from a Devil Fruit! And my Yami Yami no Mi is the counter to every Devil Fruit!"
His absolute confidence filled everyone with renewed faith.
These men weren't gathered together because of friendship. They were ambitious people chasing the dream Teach had shown them—the dream of conquering the world.
Each of them followed him because they believed this man would become the wildcard capable of carving a path all the way to the top of the world.
The gang arrived at the deserted harbor and couldn't help but stare at the Black Pearl.
"Captain! Can we keep this ship later?!" Burgess shouted.
"Of course! Zehahaha!" Teach laughed.
That black ship suited him perfectly. It almost felt like fate itself, because he was Blackbeard.
Blackbeard had no code and no principles. He wasn't afraid to cheat, stab someone in the back, or use cowardly methods to achieve his goals. He was practically the complete opposite of a pirate with a code like Allen.
He could have stolen the Black Pearl and fled without the slightest hesitation, but at this moment his target was Allen, not the ship, so he left it where it was and continued onward.
Blackbeard walked through the lawless town, quickly noticing how empty the streets had become. It was common for famous and powerful pirates to empty a town simply by arriving.
Teach and his crew continued forward until it inevitably happened.
They found the "boy" they had been looking for. But... they were wrong.
Allen was casually walking down the street with several girls beside and behind him, smiling and chatting.
...!!!
The reaction was unanimous.
Burgess' muscles tensed as though he had encountered a predator.
Doc Q had to calm his horse after it suddenly neighed.
Laffitte instinctively stepped back while holding onto his hat.
Van Augur felt chills run down his spine and was about to raise his rifle and fire, but Teach placed a hand on it, stopping him.
"Nobody move!" Teach ordered.
Soon, Allen's group walked right past them without paying them any attention.
Teach was tall, but even looking down at Allen, he felt overwhelming pressure.
'What is this brat?! Wasn't he supposed to have just entered the Grand Line?! Wasn't he supposed to have barely survived against Garp?! Wasn't he supposed to rely entirely on his Devil Fruit?!'
Teach gritted his teeth, feeling as though fate had cheated him. Everything he knew about Allen was wrong. This brat was already a monster, and he had nearly challenged him.
Marshall D. Teach stood frozen, clenching his teeth.
His very first battle as Blackbeard had ended in defeat before it had even begun...
And it was humiliating.
Just as Allen was about to walk away, he glanced sideways at the group they had passed.
For a moment, he thought they were looking for trouble, but since they didn't make a move, he ignored them.
Although the group clearly had ill intentions, as long as they didn't act, Allen wouldn't kill them. He wasn't so insane that he murdered people over the slightest provocation.
This encounter ended as nothing more than a coincidence.
But if fate brought them together once again...
Perhaps the outcome would be different.
....
The Straw Hats...
Allen's existence had dramatically altered the original protagonists' journey.
Without Nami, they had been forced to find another navigator, who ended up being Nami's former friend, Carina.
Without Vivi, Luffy never had to travel to Alabasta to confront Crocodile. However, after Carina fell ill, they traveled to the Drum Kingdom, where they met Tony Tony Chopper, just as they were meant to.
The fall of Wapol, Drum's corrupt king, became public knowledge, making it appear to the world that Luffy had overthrown a king affiliated with the World Government. As a result, his bounty rose to one hundred million Berries.
In Alabasta, Luffy reunited with his brother Ace and clashed with Smoker, only for Ace to stop the fight.
After that, they headed for Jaya.
By skipping the time they would have spent in Alabasta, Luffy was progressing through the Grand Line considerably faster than he had in the original timeline.
And because of that...
He arrived just in time to witness something absurd.
A clash between the young man he considered a rival...
And one of the greatest military powers in the world.
An Admiral.
....
Present time...
The clash that erupted in Mock Town was devastating.
Allen's arm wasn't broken.
And there was no pause.
Aokiji's body became covered in frost.
"Ice Time..."
The ice spread across the ground at an astonishing speed, covering the surrounding rubble. But it didn't stop there.
It continued advancing, freezing buildings and even pirates trying to escape.
Aokiji didn't care about the casualties in this place.
After all, everyone here was either a pirate, a criminal, or someone indirectly involved in crime.
Allen's shoulder became covered in frost.
This wasn't merely ice.
It was death.
Allen reacted immediately, clenching his fist.
It burst into blazing flames, which he swung toward Aokiji.
"Hiken!"
Aokiji watched the flames race toward him and transformed his body into ice before they could evaporate him.
The intense heat also halted the ice's advance while raising the surrounding temperature, which had already dropped below freezing.
"Arara..."
Aokiji emerged from the frozen ground, creating another body of ice.
The elemental nature of Logia users made them practically immortal unless they were affected by seawater, struck by Haki, or countered by an opposing element, such as water against Crocodile's sand.
"It's not that easy," Aokiji said in his ice form.
Three ice spears appeared around him.
"Ice Block: Partisan!"
Allen narrowed his eyes, sensing that they were infused with Haki.
Haki could affect Devil Fruit users, bypass their defenses, and even repel attacks, but it didn't negate the power of Devil Fruits themselves.
"Quick Silver..."
Aokiji's spears suddenly slowed before reaching Allen.
Taking advantage of the opening, Allen raised his hand and fired four beams of light.
Three destroyed the spears.
The fourth pierced straight through Aokiji's abdomen.
Or at least it appeared to.
In reality, Aokiji had simply allowed the laser to pass harmlessly through his body.
He wasn't stupid.
He knew that attack had been imbued with Haki.
Aokiji no longer looked at Allen as a troublesome child with potential.
He looked at him as an opponent.
He didn't question who had taught Allen Haki well enough to infuse it into his attacks.
He didn't ask how Allen could use the powers of multiple Devil Fruits.
He didn't even question his relationship with Robin.
He understood only one thing.
Allen was dangerous...
And he could not be allowed to grow any further.
"Ice Ag—"
Aokiji was about to freeze the entire island—and perhaps even the surrounding sea for dozens of miles—but Allen had already anticipated it and attacked before Aokiji could unleash his technique.
His fist, coated in Haki and empowered by the Gura Gura no Mi, smashed into the air, creating cracks far larger than ever before.
"Brat!" Aokiji shouted before his body was shattered apart.
The town trembled.
The coastline trembled.
The sky trembled.
Destruction followed.
The devastating attack began tearing apart the entire lawless town.
...
Some time later...
Aokiji emerged from the frozen ground and returned to normal.
He stood silently for a moment before rubbing his head.
"Arara... he got away...?"
Allen was nowhere to be seen.
Only ruined buildings and widespread destruction remained.
Puru puru puru...
Hearing the Den Den Mushi ring, Aokiji sighed lazily.
He already knew he was about to be scolded.
"Hello..."
"Kuzan! What happened?!"
On the other end, Sengoku's voice sounded tense.
"Something wrong, Sengoku-san?"
Aokiji had been searching for Allen but had never reported finding him.
Besides, this was a lawless town. Gathering reliable information here wasn't exactly easy.
"I see... he escaped again," Sengoku said without sounding surprised.
'Just as expected... the old man already anticipated this outcome,' Sengoku thought.
He was a brilliant strategist and had predicted the encounter between Allen and Aokiji.
However, even with all his intelligence, he had been unable to foresee the true extent of Allen's abilities.
If Allen had possessed only the strength he had when he fought Garp, his chances of surviving against Aokiji would have been less than one percent.
"Aokiji... come back," Sengoku said before hanging up.
"Arara..."
Aokiji suddenly felt like forgetting everything and going to sleep.
....
When Allen appeared back on the ship's deck, the girls weren't surprised.
Just as he had done against Garp, he had chosen to fight alone so they could escape before slipping away himself.
No one in the world would think Allen was a coward.
He had been forced to confront some of the strongest people alive almost immediately after entering the Grand Line.
No matter how you looked at it, it was simply unfair.
"We have to go!" Nami shouted as she spun the helm.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Nojiko exclaimed as she unfurled the sails.
"Everyone, calm down," Allen said with a smile. "That guy won't chase us immediately."
His previous attack had been dangerous even for an Admiral.
Of course, it hadn't defeated Aokiji, but he wouldn't come after them right away.
There was a fundamental difference between dealing with a pirate who was no more than an insect before an Admiral...
And dealing with one who could actually wound him.
Of course, Allen was bluffing.
He wasn't anywhere near strong enough to defeat an Admiral.
But Aokiji didn't know that.
That uncertainty was exactly what they could exploit to escape.
The Black Pearl sailed away from Mock Town—or rather, what remained of its ruins.
Unexpectedly, they encountered a ship with a sheep figurehead.
It was the Going Merry.
With his enhanced vision, Allen could clearly make out Luffy, the idiot who wanted to become the Pirate King; Zoro, who still owed him money; Sanji, who had a "toxic" sister; Usopp, the terrible liar; Carina, who apparently was someone Nami hated; and a strange raccoon wearing a hat.
Allen casually waved at the Straw Hat crew.
There wasn't any time for greetings, however.
Aokiji would soon be chasing after them.
It looked like Sanji and Usopp were shouting insults at Allen, but he ignored them and continued on his way.
....
A few hours later, Allen's Log Pose pointed straight toward the sky, toward the island floating above the clouds known as Skypiea.
Although there was a safe route to Skypiea, ordinary people and pirates had to rely on other methods.
The most common was the Knock Up Stream, a massive upward current born from the sea that launched an enormous column of water into the sky.
Using it was practically suicide.
Most people would have found themselves trapped in a dead end.
If the Log Pose pointed to the sky, they had to reach it to reset its magnetic field before continuing their journey.
'Lenalee.'
[Understood.]
Lenalee immediately got to work.
The Black Pearl's structure began to transform.
[Slot 2: Land Navigation > Sky Navigation]
Allen smiled.
"It's ready. Nami, move out!"
The girl laughed, knowing something absurd was about to happen.
Suddenly, the Black Pearl left the sea.
It actually began sailing through the air.
It was utterly absurd!
"Not even Admirals and legends could stop us, so of course the sky won't stop us either!" Allen declared confidently.
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