In the world of pirates, those with the initial "D" in their names—whether they are Marines, Revolutionaries, or Pirates—are never ordinary.
They are destined to become people of great power, individuals who can shake the world.
This letter, this mysterious "D", never appears without meaning.
And Iggy knew.
He understood that this single letter marked him as something more—something dangerous. It made him no longer just a forgotten child. Maybe... even someone who could stand against the Celestial Dragons.
He had once believed that his father—one of those Celestial Dragons—would save him from the darkness. That he'd be lifted from a decade of suffering to live peacefully with his parents in the safety of Mary Geoise.
But reality was crueler than dreams.
Now, he stood at a crossroads—between a quiet life or diving headfirst into the raging storm that could reshape the world.
Yet the truth was clear:
He had no strength. No skill.
No matter what path he chose, he was powerless to protect himself… or his mother.
Even an ordinary Marine soldier could end his life in a heartbeat.
Iggy clenched his fists, gritting his teeth. For the first time, he hated his own weakness.
Suddenly—
The sharp click of leather boots echoed from the basement entrance.
The stone slab covering the hatch was pried open by a gloved hand.
A masked face peered down into the darkness.
And then—
Gun barrels. Black, cold, and aimed right at him.
"Not good!"
Iggy reacted on instinct—snuffing out the candle and diving into the shadows.
Gunshots exploded in the tight space. The deafening roar rang through the basement, forcing him to cover his ears.
As the ringing in his ears faded, he could hear the dull clinks of bullets hitting the stone floor.
Frantic, Iggy groped for his mother in the darkness—but found only air.
"Desert Saber!"
His mother's voice roared from the shadows—
A slicing gale tore through the ceiling, and the room above collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Iggy was launched into the air by a sudden gust.
In that moment of brief illumination, he saw her.
His mother's lower body had turned to sand. She was using her powers to carry him away from the collapsing basement—
To safety.
Yuni…
She had eaten the Sand-Sand Fruit.
(A/N: In this Fanfic,His mother had the Sand Fruit before Crocodile)
Those bullets earlier—she must've turned to sand to block them. To shield him.
Iggy looked at her, stunned.
The gentle, quiet mother he knew now stood firm, her eyes burning with resolve.
Not a housewife…
A lioness protecting her cub.
In the distance, four masked figures in suits emerged from the ruins.
One of them lay dead, a deep wound splitting his chest.
Clearly, they hadn't expected Yuni to fight back.
"Tch… forgot you were a Devil Fruit user," one muttered coldly, pulling a special bullet from his pocket.
"You can still let my son go," Yuni said, stepping in front of Iggy. "He's innocent."
"You've polluted the sacred bloodline of the Celestial Dragons. Both of you must be erased! Rankyaku!"
One of the masked agents launched forward, kicking a compressed blade of air toward her.
Recognizing the Navy's Rokushiki techniques, Yuni pushed Iggy back and transformed into sand.
The air blade passed harmlessly through her and carved a deep gash into the wall behind.
Another masked man aimed directly at Iggy—
Bang!
The sound of the gunshot echoed.
Yuni, faster than the bullet, threw herself in front of her son.
But then—
She staggered. Her eyes wide with disbelief.
"That… was a Sea Prism Stone bullet…" she whispered.
The round pierced her right chest, nullifying her Devil Fruit powers long enough to injure her.
Even so, the bullet only grazed Iggy's arm—because she had taken the brunt of it.
Blood gushed from her mouth, staining Iggy's face.
Yet she smiled. Still smiling, as she always did—
Warm. Loving.
It was a smile that would forever be carved into Iggy's memory.
"Desert Crescent Slash!"
Pushing past the pain, Yuni lashed out with three crescent-shaped blades of sand—cutting toward the masked attackers.
Then, without hesitation, she turned.
Half of her body dissolved into a swirling sandstorm—
She wrapped Iggy within and soared through the hallway, bursting through the manor's perimeter.
"Damn it! Even with a Sea Prism bullet in her chest, she's still running!"
"She won't make it far. Her lungs are probably destroyed. Let's finish this!"
The remaining CP4 agents destroyed the sand blades with effort and chased after them.
Yuni carried her son deep into the forest.
But the whirlwind was weakening. Her legs reappeared from beneath the sand.
Her time was running out.
Death was near.
But… who would protect Iggy after she was gone?
Finally, her strength gave out. She collapsed into a patch of thick brush, still holding her son close.
"Mom… we made it out…" Iggy whispered, eyes wide with dread.
Yuni could barely lift her head. Her voice was soft.
"Iggy… I can't stay with you… You must live… no matter what…"
Her hand pointed toward the dense woods.
Blood bubbled at her lips, but her eyes—her gentle, beautiful eyes—never left his.
Iggy could barely breathe. He shook his head, tears streaming down his face.
"Mom… please… don't leave me…"
But it was too late.
Her head gently slumped against his shoulder.
No breath.
No heartbeat.
Gone.
That image—the warmth of her blood, her final smile, her fading voice—was forever etched into Iggy's soul.
Even as the world later burned, he never forgot it.
Soaked in his mother's blood, Iggy trembled. But something in his spirit awakened.
He gently laid her body down…
And vanished into the shadows of the forest.
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Send 10 powerstones, I'd drop 2 Bonus Chapters.