Punching my way through One Piece

Chapter 1: Enter Noboru – A Fist for the Grand Line

The sun beat down mercilessly on the Grand Line, its heat casting shimmering waves off the surface of the vast ocean. For any normal sailor, it would have been an oppressive day, the kind of day that left men sunburned and exhausted. But Noboru wasn't like most men. He stood tall in the small rowboat, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes scanning the endless blue horizon with an expression that barely registered the discomfort. 

His white hair, wild and untamed, fluttered lazily in the salty wind. Muscles rippled beneath his loose, tattered shirt, scars running along his forearms as silent testaments to the countless battles he had fought and won. The sword strapped to his back gleamed under the sunlight, though it had remained untouched for months now. He didn't need it. 

He didn't need much of anything. He was Noboru—Haki prodigy, fist of the Grand Line, and, to most who had heard of him, a ghost. Stories of his overwhelming strength had started to circulate, but the world had not yet come to know his full might. That was how he liked it. 

He sighed, glancing down at the crumpled piece of paper in his hand. On it was a crude sketch of a smiling boy wearing a straw hat, the name "Monkey D. Luffy" scrawled beneath it.

"So, you want to be Pirate King," Noboru muttered, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smirk. He admired that kind of ambition, reckless and bold. It was the same fire that burned in his own heart. Still, Luffy was a nobody compared to the monsters lurking in the seas. At least, that's what Noboru thought before he had started hearing rumors of Luffy's exploits. Defeating a Warlord of the Sea? Wreaking havoc in Enies Lobby and escaping a buster call? It piqued Noboru's interest.

The Straw Hat was making waves, but so far, the ocean hadn't thrown anything truly dangerous his way. The Grand Line was teeming with pirates like him, all with dreams of grandeur. But dreams only mattered if you had the power to back them up.

"Time to see if you're as tough as they say, Straw Hat," Noboru wasn't keen on chasing Luffy and his crew, but he indeed was interested in this pirate with the crazy family tree. It's not everyday that the son of the Navy Hero becomes the most feared criminal and his son wants to become the king of pirates.

Suddenly, Noboru's brow furrowed. He could feel it—a ripple in the air, a presence approaching. It was subtle, the faintest touch of bloodlust carried by the wind. He didn't need to see them to know pirates were drawing closer. His Observation Haki was sharper than any blade, sensitive enough to pick up the intent of those miles away. His fist clenched lazily at his side, cracking his knuckles out of habit.

A large galleon loomed over the horizon, its sails tattered and bearing the flag of some lowlife pirate crew. Noboru barely paid it any mind, but the malicious intent radiating from the ship was like the buzz of an irritating fly. He couldn't help but smirk.

"They're wasting their time."

As the galleon came into view, the pirates spotted the lone figure sitting calmly in a tiny rowboat. They laughed and jeered, shouting to each other as they altered their course. Noboru heard their captain's booming voice, commanding them to prepare for an easy raid. He sighed. Typical.

The ship closed the distance quickly, cutting through the waves like a predator zeroing in on its prey. Noboru didn't move. He stood calmly, arms still crossed, watching as the galleon's crew assembled at the deck's edge, peering down at him with greedy eyes.

A man with a hulking frame and a jagged scar across his face stood at the bow, barking orders to his crew. His armor clinked as he raised a massive cutlass, pointing it at Noboru's tiny boat. 

"Oi, you! What kind of idiot sails the Grand Line alone in a rowboat?" the captain shouted, his voice thick with arrogance. "Must be your unlucky day! We'll be taking whatever you've got—unless you wanna offer it willingly!"

Noboru said nothing, merely tilting his head as his dark eyes settled on the captain. The man was powerful enough, probably a half-decent pirate, but nowhere near a challenge. His Conqueror's Haki was weak—faint and flickering, barely a whisper compared to Noboru's. 

"You can leave," Noboru said, his voice carrying across the water with a casual finality. "Before things get ugly."

The captain's face twisted in rage. His crew laughed even harder, clearly used to this kind of confrontation ending in their favor.

"Oi, brat! Do you have any idea who I am? I am Captain Kork" the captain snarled, waving his cutlass. "I've sunk a hundred ships bigger than yours! You're just a speck on my path!"

Noboru sighed, uncrossing his arms. "A hundred, huh? Sounds impressive. Too bad you won't be making it to a hundred and one."

Before the captain could bark out another insult, Noboru's aura exploded outward. The air itself seemed to crackle, and an invisible force slammed into the pirate ship like a hurricane. The laughter stopped instantly. 

Noboru's Conqueror's Haki hit them all at once, a suffocating wave of raw power that sent the weaker men crashing to the deck, unconscious before they even knew what had happened. The stronger members of the crew staggered, their knees buckling under the sheer pressure. Fear twisted their faces as they realized they were standing in the presence of something far beyond their comprehension.

The captain himself wavered, his eyes wide as sweat dripped down his forehead. His cutlass trembled in his grip, but he tried to hold on to his bravado. "Y-you bastard… what kind of monster are you?"

Noboru didn't answer. He stepped forward, his form a blur as he leapt from his rowboat and landed effortlessly on the deck of the galleon. The ship groaned under the weight of his presence. His eyes glinted with a dangerous light.

"I gave you a chance," Noboru said, his tone almost bored. "But you wasted it."

The captain roared in desperation, charging at him with his cutlass raised high. Noboru didn't move until the last second. Then, with a speed that defied belief, he delivered a single punch to the man's stomach.

The shockwave from the blow shattered the air, and the captain's body crumpled instantly, folding around Noboru's fist as if he were made of paper. The force of the impact ripped through the ship, splintering the wood and sending cracks racing across the deck. The captain's crew screamed in terror, jumping overboard in a frantic attempt to escape.

Noboru didn't chase them. He simply watched as the galleon began to sink, the captain's unconscious body lying broken on the deck. "Should've listened," Noboru muttered.

As the last of the crew vanished into the sea, Noboru turned his attention back to the horizon. He hopped into his rowboat, resuming his journey. The seas were growing more dangerous, but Noboru was ready. He would punch his way through the world, one obstacle at a time. 

And if Straw Hat Luffy stood in his path, so be it.