Luffy raised his right hand, dark red lightning crackling around his fist until his entire arm was enveloped in its glow. "Bring it on!" he shouted, his face alight with anticipation. With a sharp swish, Sephiroth launched himself forward, his movements as precise as an arrow released from a bow. Luffy met him head-on. "Gum-Gum: Black Mamba!"
In an instant, a barrage of dark red fists surged toward Sephiroth from every angle. But Sephiroth was ready. His feet danced across the ground, his body weaving through the onslaught until he was right in front of Luffy. His right fist shot out, aiming straight for Luffy's abdomen. At the same time, Luffy's Armament Haki-coated fist slammed into Sephiroth's temple. The impact was deafening. Boom! Boom! Boom!
Luffy was sent flying backward, white smoke pouring from his mouth as he exited Gear Fourth. He crashed through over a dozen trees before finally collapsing to the ground. Sephiroth, meanwhile, stood firm, shaking his head slightly to dispel the lingering ache. "Not bad," he murmured. "Your attack actually landed."
"Cough! Cough!" Luffy struggled to push himself up, his limbs trembling as he fought to suppress the turmoil in his body. Sephiroth's strike had shattered his Armament Haki defense, forcing him out of Gear Fourth. The sheer power behind that single blow sent a chill down his spine.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from the dense forest. "Seems like things are heating up here. Mind filling me in?" Sephiroth turned to see a blonde young man dressed in a black coat and blue suit, a top hat perched atop his head and a burn scar marking his face. Sabo. "Just teaching a certain idiot a final lesson," Sephiroth replied with a smile. "And you? What brings you here?"
Sabo tipped his hat. "Tomorrow's Luffy's birthday—and the day he sets sail. I wanted to see him, catch up..." "Thoughtful of you," Sephiroth said dryly.
As they spoke, Luffy had already regained his breath and sprinted back to Sephiroth. Sabo looked at his younger brother, whom he hadn't seen in over a decade, and smiled warmly. "Luffy, my dear brother, do you still recognize me?"
Luffy tilted his head, his face scrunched in thought. "Huh? You look... familiar..." The image of the blonde young man before him began to overlap with a memory from long ago. Five seconds of stunned silence passed before Luffy suddenly lunged forward, wrapping Sabo in a tight embrace. "Sa... Sabo!!!" he cried, tears streaming down his face. "You're alive! I thought you were dead... boohoohoo!"
Sabo laughed heartily, returning the embrace. "You finally remember me!"
Sephiroth, not wanting to intrude on their reunion, cleared his throat. "I won't see you off tomorrow when you set sail. Wouldn't want your grandpa Garp blaming me for encouraging your pirate ambitions." With that, he opened a spatial door and disappeared from Mount Colubo.
The next morning, atop Angel Island, Sephiroth stood in the kitchen of his mountaintop villa, preparing breakfast with Monet's assistance. Blurp! Blurp! Blurp! His personal den den mushi rang insistently. After plating a dish of seafood fried noodles, he answered the call.
"Boss," came Nico Robin's voice, tinged with amusement. "News just came in—he's set sail."
"Is that so?" Sephiroth replied, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Then let's arrange some exciting adventures for him. I've already given you the script, haven't I?"
"Mhm," Robin confirmed. "I understand."
"Boss, you're downright wicked," Nico Robin teased, a sly smile playing on her lips. "The poor guy hasn't even set sail as a pirate yet, and you're already plotting all sorts of adventures for him."
Sephiroth let out a dark chuckle, his tone tinged with melancholy. "Well..."
"Anyway," he continued, his voice smooth and deliberate, "that guy's just playing a game of Pirates. What's the harm in arranging a few adventures for him?"