Amarillo's Pirate Adventure (One Piece SI)

Chapter 15– Should I Become a Marine?

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*Yawn*

I let out a yawn as I finally returned to the land of the living, and I blearily opened my eyes while shading them, fully expecting to see the bright sun shining down at me and not wanting to go blind from the might of the sun. Except, there is no sun, just a shoddy half, broken wood roof. There is no sand against my back. Instead, my back feels the springs jotting out of my ratty mattress. There is no loud snoring accompanying my rise, only the soft creaking of my home, so fragile that even the wind threatens to blow it away.

I move my arm away since it is unnecessary, with no sun shining down on me, and I lie there for a moment in thought, just staring up blankly at the wooden roof. It is just such a sudden difference, and I have yet to get used to it, and I am feeling pretty purposeless. Finally, I sit up and swing around to let my legs hang off of the bed before hopping off, my bare feet landing on the coarse wood that constitutes the floor of my home.

I am no longer on the sunny beaches of Troga, training from morning to midnight. Instead, I am home, back in my run-down shack on this isolated beach on the outskirts of Shokuyasi Village, which is part of the Conami Islands. We had only gotten back yesterday, and straight away, Garp had left on urgent business, some guy named Shanks with red hair having stolen a devil fruit, which just happens actually to fricking exist, and the entire population of an island being murdered.

The revelation that Devil Fruits exist, mystical fruits you can eat that grant you bizarre and weird powers that some people say are demonic, which I believe since it is literally in the name, it blows my mind. But I can worry about that mystical mumbo jumbo later because right now, my mind is heavily preoccupied with the fact every single living person on Minion Island was just killed, and the Marines couldn't do anything to protect it.

All of the newspapers I read while trying to gather information and figure out this world I now live life in, they never showed such a black mark on the Marine's records in all the time I was reading, making me think this world is actually pretty safe even if there are some legends about the Pirate King and One Piece floating about. I thought the Marines were strong and that they were the end all be all, protecting islands all over the world.

Every single island usually has a marine base in town ready to smack the shit out of any would-be pirates, and if it weren't possible to have one on the land itself, they would sometimes spread out and make a base on the water or some nearby empty island. Suffice it to say the Marines are very prepared for any incoming pirates, with constant eyes on the sea, but that didn't matter in this instance.

An entire island was massacred, the population wholly eradicated, and the Marines couldn't do a thing, and either way I think about it, that scares me. Either the people that did it were so stealthy and sneaky that they snuck right by the Marines, and they massacred the island with no one being alerted, which is horrifying to think about.

And the other alternative is just as equally terrifying because they might have actually been seen by the Marines or reported, and yet they still massacred the island proving the Marines were no match for them. And the worst-case scenario I can think of is perhaps the Marines had a base near the island and were alerted. Still, by the time they arrived, everyone was already dead, the people responsible having killed them in such a short period of time and left.

*Slap*

"STOP BEING AN IDIOT, DETORO!!" I clap my hands hard against my cheeks to bring me a shock and jolt me out of this fugue I had found myself in so that I could stop thinking about that messed-up incident. There is no point in dwelling on such a thing. No matter how or why it happened, the fact remains that it does. And if it could happen to Minion Island, then it could happen to the Conami Islands, which is something I won't let happen. And if there is one thing that is clear from the fact that this incident came to pass, it is that the Marines are not as reliable as reported in the newspapers.

Sure, there are marines like Garp out there, there must be, and they are incredibly powerful. But Garp himself just spent months slacking off and wasting his time, so much so that he was even willing to train a random kid like me so that he didn't have to go back to work. If all the other strong marines are like him, and they are just as wacky and weird, then I cannot rely on them at all, and the regular marines are all pretty much just cannon fodder.

The faces of all those villagers run through my mind, the nagging lady that wanted the secrets to my tan, the friendly fisherman calling out to me, the old man at the bookstore who gave me a discount on that book, even all those kids that tried to bully me because they couldn't understand me. Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee. They could all just as quickly be culled like those people on Minion Island. No, I can't trust the Marines to protect this island. I can only trust my own two fists.

"YOSHAAAA!" I slap my hands against my cheeks again and let out a yell, hyping myself up. I promptly ran straight and barged right out of the door, startling George, who was sleeping on the sand outside. He jumps and begins to scoot backwards, scraping his back against the sand beneath him, frightened by my sudden entrance.

"GEORGE, THIS IS NO TIME FOR LAZING ABOUT. I AM ALL FIRED UP, SO LET'S GET TO TRAINING!!" I roar, unable to contain my sheer enthusiasm that seems to baffle George.

"Gebu?" George mumbles, confused.

"Huh. You thought we were going to relax now that Garp was gone? NO WAY, WE ARE GOING TO TRAIN EVEN HARDER NOW BECAUSE HE IS GONE. WE ARE GOING TO KICK IT UP A NOTCH, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, RAIN OR SHINE!!" I shout, keeping my energy going and refuting George's claim. He thought that since Garp was gone, we weren't going to be doing any more training and to be honest, I was going to relax on that, but then I found out about Devil Fruits and Minion Island and realised I couldn't afford to relax.

"G-Gah!?" George stutters, pulling another reason not to start training right now, having just woken up.

"Breakfast? Forget about that. I will go and collect all that money I have built up at Mummy Mee's and treat ourselves to a meal. I will buy you yours and bring it back for you to eat, so shut up already and LET'S PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT!!" I won't slack off like Garp, not now that I know what is out there. Strange mystical fruits that can apparently grant any power you can imagine up, capabilities that make no sense, and people out there capable of slaughtering entire islands. I am ramping up my training to another level, and I need to prepare for all that.

"Now, get ready, George. Because we are going to do all the same stuff we did on the island, and there is no one around to bother us. And we are going to go way further than we ever did on Troga, and we are not going to stop till I physically can't get up anymore." I should have saved up quite a bit with Mummy Mee while I was away. I can just keep using that and the amount I get every month to provide for myself and keep training every day.

"Geh..." George mutters forlornly, resigned to his fate.

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My body is aching and sore all over, and right now, that is the best feeling I can ask for since it means that my body is getting stronger. And right now, I am on the way to the orphanage to pick up all the money that has been stacking up with Mummy Mee while I was away and use some of it to treat myself to a nice meaty meal and buy some food for George as well, maybe some exotic fruits. He deserves it, after all.

Since Garp was a big part of my training, with him gone, I needed someone to fill in his position, and Geroge was the only one on hand, and I don't really have anybody else. And George certainly does deserve a reward. I would say he worked up quite a sweat helping me, and he is just as tired as me.

I followed the exact order of training Garp usually had me follow, which meant, first, it was a good deal of dodge training. Of course, I did not have Garp pelting those rolled-up cracker packets at me this time, so I decided to go all in, and I told George to throw stones at me instead. I did my utmost best to dodge, utterly afraid of just how much the rocks would hurt because just those empty cracker packets really hurt.

Which is why I am surprised by just how much the stone didn't hurt when it finally hit me, and I realised that somehow Garp's throws hurt more, and these stones are not going to do the same damage. And that is a problem because if it doesn't do as much damage, then I won't be as motivated to dodge, so I told George to throw the stones with all his might, and I had to block any that would hit my head.

We then go on to the next exercise, which is pretty similar as it still relies on Geroge throwing stones at me, which is the one where I have to stay in a circle and dodge the rocks. For this one, I drew out a deep line in the sand to make a circle to stand in, and it was smaller than the one I would use on Troga. After that, George started to pelt the rocks at me in all sorts of sporadic directions, forcing me to contort and move my body to dodge. I accumulated a few injuries on this one.

And finally, we did the last stone-throwing exercise, and this one was by far the most dangerous since I would just be staying still and letting Geroge hit me with the stones. Of course, I didn't want him to overdo it, so we started off with a low level of strength and slowly increased it until we reached the same intensity that Garp was throwing the cracker packets at me and maintained that strength. In an exercise as dangerous as this one, I was not willing to risk messing up, and so I just continued to do what Garp said and focused on tensing up my whole body to resist the attacks.

Then we did the strength training, and I had George source a wide variety of different-sized boulders from the beach and forests. First, of course, I had to entice him with food, and so I peeled some of the fruits we still had from Troga while he did so. And then I had a large number of weights to choose from, and I decided on a boulder slightly bigger than the one Garp had me training with, and George held it loosely above me and let me hold it up, Geroge staying there to just spot me if it proved too much.

After that, we played games of tag, with George coming at me with his all since I promised to peel a fruit every time he caught me, and by that, I mean punched me. The giant gorilla was motivated to catch me as soon as possible to get those fruits, and I said if he managed to do it five times in a row, then I would finish this exercise and move on to the next one, which would be much less tiring for him.

The reason Geroge wanted to move on to the next exercise so much is that this one needed absolutely no input from him, and he could take a break. In fact, he was done for the day since I could do the rest of the exercises myself. This one was the kicking training, where I tried to kick as much as possible in the blink of an eye, like kicking multiple times in the span of time it would regularly take to do one.

And I was doing it on the sand as well, which took an extra measure of control and precision, but this was what I was doing on Troga, and I wanted to step it up a notch. And so I fetched as many stones as I possibly could and put them all inside two different small bags, which I knotted tightly and then secured to my legs, making them heavier. It certainly made it harder for me to kick as fast and as precisely as I was before, which means I can improve.

And then it was on to the final training of the day, and the one that hurt the most, but since Garp told me to do it, then I am going to do it, and I am pretty sure it is this training that made his fingers strong enough to shoot right through trees and leave a whole in them. So I definitely wanted to get this down pat because that is an awesome move. Just imagine using all the fingers to shoot forward and make eight different holes in something. Maybe I can take it a step further and make it ten using the thumbs as well.

For this exercise, I continually battered my hands against the trees of the forest, and I was at the part of the process where I was using the area between the second joint in my fingers and the tips of my fingers, where the nail on my fingers was. Of course, I couldn't just go straight into that, so I warmed up by first using the area between my knuckle and the first joint of my finger, and then I used the space between the first and second joints before I finally transitioned onto the last one. And it truly hurt like hell, but this is what Garp told me to do, so I stuck at it, only stopping when blood started to leak out from under my fingernails.

When all was said and done, the sun had passed its peak in the skies and was starting to make its descent, and my body was bruised and sore all over. I found it hard to lift my body at all, my legs feeling like heavy concrete and my arms feeling like wet noodles, and all I want to do is get back inside my house and go to sleep. But, alas, I made a promise to Geroge to go pick him up some fresh fruits from town, and I was pretty hungry as well, and I was not about to start cooking for myself.

And so I resignedly picked myself up from where I was spread out on the sand and started my trek to the orphanage where I would pick up my built-up money and go to the village to get a meal for myself and something for George.

Just one step at a time, all the way into the village, and up the hill, to the orphanage, that is all. Well, no pain, no gain. I can only get stronger.

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*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

"Yes, come in." I hear after knocking on the door, the same door I knocked on all those months ago before I was suddenly told to leave the orphanage. I had just walked all the way to the orphanage, and I just simply walked in through the front doors, no one really paying me any attention, and I walked straight up to Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee's office. However, it is really Mummy Mee's office since she takes care of most of the organisation and managerial tasks while Daddy Dee spends most of his time taking care of the children.

I gently opened the door and walked inside slowly, careful not to make any exaggerated movements which would make my body burn even more from stress. Looking inside, I can see Mummy Mee sitting behind her desk, writing on some papers, presumably doing some paperwork. She is so focused on her work that she doesn't even look up or talk to whoever just entered the room, instead waiting for me to start the chatting.

"Mummy Mee, I am back," I say, walking further into the room, leaving the door open behind me since I plan to do this quickly and get my money quickly before walking back out to go get some food since my stomach is rumbling. At my words, her head shoots up, and her eyes lock on to me, and then as fast as the wind, she bolts up and zips around her desk, kicking up the papers on her desk, to close in on me and pull me into a tight hug that hurts a lot.

Seemingly realising her own actions, which do not suit her normal behaviour, usually behaving as the tough persona while Daddy Dee was the affectionate one, she pulled back out of the hug. She straightens out her outfit before pinning me with an intense glare, making me awkwardly shift under her restricting stare.

"You silly boy, where have you been? You said you were only going to be gone a couple of weeks, but it has been months. I was sick to death, fearing the worst." Her harsh words ring out, a starch difference from her last act. The affectionate woman that just held me a moment ago was nowhere to be seen, but I could sense a hint of her care in her words. She tries to act like a strict woman for the sake of all the children, but she is genuinely kind and cares for each of them, including me.

"Sorry, Mummy, but there was nothing I could do about it. The ship I was on had some problems collecting the merchandise to sell from their suppliers, so I had to spend quite a lot of time on a few islands. I would have told you if I could, but I have no idea how to." So I say, easily ignoring having to call her mummy. It was weird at first since we were all orphans here, and the two people looking after us both had their first names as mummy and daddy, but I got used to it. It was their name; after all, I am not actually calling her my mother.

"Fine then, I suppose there is nothing you could do about it. But next time, prepare properly instead of just shooting off one morning. Well, I am glad to see you, Detoro-Kun, but I am quite busy right now. The marine captain from the nearby base is coming to check up on behalf of the World Government, which is the sponsor of this orphanage. So is there something that you need? Otherwise, I have a lot of paperwork to do, and you will have to leave before the marine captain arrives." So she says, and she must be really harried if she is trying to get rid of me. She would not usually o this, so this upcoming meeting must be important.

"Ah, well, you know how my job was unpaid work so that I could get work experience on a ship. Well, I have just returned yesterday, and I have no money. So I just came by to pick up the monthly stipends that you have been saving up for me while I was gone." So I say, awkwardly scratching the back of my head since it seems like I was just coming up here to get my money and nothing else, which I was. Quite a lot should have stacked up by now, considering the time I was gone, at least ฿20,000.

"Of course, Detoro-Kun. Here you are, ฿30,000. You were gone for nine weeks, and the new month just started." She says, walking back around to her desk and opening her desk drawer before bringing out a big fat stack of cash. My ฿30,000, which she goes to hand over, and I quickly reach out to take it, my hands grasping the money and-

"My my, that is a large amount of money to be giving to a child, Mummy Mee. How much did you say it was, thirty thousand? That is quite a lot, chi chi chi." Then, I hear a high-pitched annoying voice call out behind me, and I turn around to see just who has such an annoying laugh. My hand pulls the cash from Mummy Mee's frozen hand as I turn around, and I am confused by the person I see.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask, my polite tone completely disappearing since I am no longer talking to Mummy Mee, someone I actually like. Instead, I am now talking to a slim, dark-haired man with a solid mouse-like appearance. His eyes are narrowed, which I think is just how his eyes are, while his facial hair consists of a thin goatee and six long, wire-like whiskers on his upper lip, like a mouse. Just looking at him, I am rubbed the wrong way. I don't get a good feeling from this man.

Surprisingly the man appears o be a marine though his Marine uniform is heavily customised and different from all the others I have seen. Even Garp's wasn't this customised, and I am sure Garp is way higher than whatever rank this mouse guy is. He has clearly gone for a theme here and has gone way overboard on it. He wears the standard cap converted into a mouse-eared cowl, connected to a buttoned-up greatcoat that reaches to his feet, accessorised with a belt and blue epaulettes, and his coat carries a blueish-grey colour.

"Have some respect, brat. You are talking to Captain Nezumi, the captain of the 16th branch of the East Blue. Now explain what is going on here. I was just coming here for our meeting Mummy Mee, but I cannot overlook you handing over such a large amount of money to a child." The calm persona he had disappears for one second at my words, and he barks back before becoming quiet again and questioning Mummy Mee. I really don't like this guy. All the Marines I have met so far have been just great. Even when I shouted, swore and made fun of them, they didn't get bothered by it, but this guy got angry over a few words.

"Ah, Captain Nezumi, you are early. Well, Detoro-Kun here was away for a few weeks working for free on a ship, and I have been saving up his monthly stipend for him while he was gone. So I am just giving it to him now." Mummy Mee quickly says, and I am shocked to see that the strong woman I usually see has suddenly become a bit subdued.

"A stipend? Chi chi chi. Why would a child living under your care need a stipend? It would be best if you were using the money to provide all he needs. Chi chi chi." Captain Nezumi asks, and I defer to letting Mummy Mee handle this. I don't think he is the type of person to listen to a kid, even if my reasoning is sound.

"Ah, well, Detoro-Kun no longer lives at the orphanage. And he needs the-"

"If the boy does not live at the orphanage anymore, then he no longer gets the money given by the World Government, chi chi chi. So from now on, all the money sent for this boy, you will no longer give to him. Instead, I will come to collect it and give it to the people that it should actually be going to, chi chi chi. Including this!" Captain Nezumi suddenly lunges forward and rips the cash in my hand from my grasp, too quick for me to react. I clearly see him coming, his speed slows in comparison to the things Garp used to throw at me, but my body is so beat up and tired that I can do nothing to evade him.

"HEY! THAT IS MINE, YOU STUPID MOUS- UAGGGH!!" I immediately lunged for my cash, staving off the pain, but again I was too tired to react as Captain Nezumi slammed his foot into my stomach, forcing me to my hands and knees. Again, the attack wasn't anything I hadn't experienced way harder before, but my whole body was a big bruise, and the pain was too much.

"You have been taking advantage of The World Government, Mummy Mee, taking money that could be used elsewhere for someone The World Government is not responsible for, chi chi chi. If I were ever to see anything like this again, then I would have this orphanage shut down. Now, have a good day, chi chi chi." Saying so, the asshole turns around and walks out of the room with my cash in his hand. I look up to Mummy Mee, who simply looks resigned, and I am suddenly struck with the realisation that Garp and his crew are not the standards of the Marines. They are outliers.

I want to get up and go after that piece of shit, but with that last threat he made, I can't. If I do, he will shut down the orphanage, and Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee love this orphanage. I never before thought a marine could be so insidious, incompetent, yes, but not so evil.

I- I don't think I will ever be a marine if these are the types of people I would be forced to work with.

Fuck being a marine.

 

Chapter 16– Times Are Changing.

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"D-Detoro-Kun, are you okay? That must have hurt. Let's go get you checked out by the nurse," Mummy Mee says after she leaves her state of shock at the actions of Marine Captain Nezumi, quickly running over to help me to my feet. She obviously thinks that I am still on the floor because of his weak kick, but his kick was way too soft to actually hurt me. All it could do was move me back.

And because my body was weary from the hardcore training I had been doing all day, his weak little kick managed to make me fall onto my hands and knees. And such exaggerated movements from my already battered body made me scream in pain from the sudden pressure placed on my already strained body.

"It is fine, Mummy Mee. Plus, I don't think you should help me like that. Captain Nezumi might not like it." So I say as I let her help me to my feet, needing the aid since my muscles burned and slightly spasmed. However, I refused her offer to take me to the nurse since she is employed and paid using the funds given by the World Government and receiving aid from her would be going against the new rules enforced upon the orphanage by Nezumi.

Captain Nezumi is a weak man for definite, but he is still in a position of authority. An authority that can place this orphanage in jeopardy, so as much as I might want to go after him and kick his ass, I can't. Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee love this orphanage and all the children here, they put their all into it, and I can't be the reason for them closing down all so I can get some brief satisfaction.

"Detoro-Kun... I am sorry. I really don't want to, but I need to think about all of the children here. They have no place to go, and we are the only home they have ever known. They need us, and-" She tries to explain, and I can see her eyes fighting off tears as she does so. She is clearly in a challenging position and only left with a single option, and I don't blame her.

"I said it is fine, didn't I? Don't worry about me, Mummy. I learnt quite a lot on my journey, and I can fend for myself easily. I can forage, I can cook, I can work, and I can work hard. So I will be fine, trust me." I cut her off, trying to ease her worries. Because it is true, I lived fine on Troga with no money whatsoever, and while admittedly, Garp was there, that island was perilous. In comparison, this island is easy mode. I can easily hunt the weak animals here and cook them, there are fruits in the trees, and I can cut down the trees myself to use them for repairs.

"Detoro... you really are special, aren't you?" Mummy Mee suddenly kneels down and grabs me by my shoulder, and turns me to look at her. Her eyes are full of sincerity and warmth, as well as an amazement that I am surprised to see, finding myself lost for words.

"You have always been different, Detoro. If this were any of the other kids in your situation, then I would be very scared and worried. But you have always been clever, Detoro, you are very clever. You learn to walk before the others, to talk. You have always been ahead of the curved and very advanced for your age. I know you will be fine, Detoro. You are strong." She says, expressing her belief in me. Her faith is that I can handle this and that I am more than capable of besting the situation.

She is right. I am different from the others. I remember my previous life, after all. Of course, I don't have any of the emotions or feelings attached to those memories, but even so, I have that knowledge. I have those memories, but they were put to the side and forgotten about when I realised that I was in a peaceful village. My life was pleasant, easy and fun. Even training with Garp was a decision I made myself, and nothing was forced upon me. Nobody was harsh or malicious to me.

But that has changed, and now I realise this world is not as nice as I first thought it was, what with all the genocide and corrupt marines. I no longer have time to enjoy myself as a carefree young child. I need to grow up and start living seriously. I can handle being alone, providing for myself and building my own house.

"I will not be coming back to this orphanage, ever. But, if you ever need to find me, for whatever reason, you know where I will be. Goodbye, Mummy Mee. Tell Daddy Dee I said goodbye as well." And so, leaving her with those parting words, I leave her office without looking back. I will not be coming back here, this is my past, and I am moving into the future.

I don't need money to survive, and it is a nice thing to have, sure. But more important than money is actual strength. With strength, you don't have to worry about money. So going into the future, I will be focusing still on my training and becoming even stronger.

With my new resolution in place, I slowly make my way back home to my isolated house on the beach to find George sitting outside of my home, looking at me expectantly. I wondered why for a moment before remembering that I promised to bring him some unique fruits to eat as well as food for myself. My stomach rumbles to remind me of my hunger, having forgotten about it after my run-in with Nezumi.

I did not get the money like I planned to buy the food, and while I do have some still hidden in my house, that is for emergencies only and for supplies that I cannot source myself. So I apologise to George, who seems to realise that something must have happened, and I peel the leftover fruits we have from Troga for the both of us to eat.

And then, with my stomach full, I go to bed, resolved to start providing for myself tomorrow. My training can be put on hold or minimised until I am self-sufficient and taking proper care of myself.

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The following day I got out of bed feeling a lot better, my body had healed quite a lot during the night, and the bruises that were dark purple yesterday were now a light purple that was beginning to fade. Of course, my body still hurt, but now it was manageable, and it would not keep me from performing any of the tasks I intended to do today.

Immediately setting about my day after I get ready, taking a quick dip in the ocean, cleaning myself up and putting on my clothes, I walk out of my house. I ignore George, who is slumbering away underneath the shade of a tree, and I walk straight past him into the forest. I scramble around for twigs and branches that have fallen from the trees, collecting all that I can and then bringing them home, but after looking through them, I realise that none were optimal for what I wanted, neither straight nor rigid enough.

I go back into the forest, and instead of foraging around this time, I leap up towards a tree and wrap my hands around one of the thin branches and rip it away before landing back on the ground. With that done, I go back to the beach and start to look around the rocky area, and after finding a particularly sharp-edged rock, I walk back to my home.

Sitting down, I grab my sharp rock and my thin branch and start to shave away the wood, slowly but surely whittling it down and starting to give it shape. Then, working away until I had sharpened it down to a very dangerous point and crafting myself a wooden spear which I would use henceforth to feed myself.

At first, I had planned to hunt for animals on the island, hoping to catch some big game since my appetite has since gone up after training on Troga, but I realised that was unrealistic. This is a peaceful island, and never once had I heard of any animals attacking the villages or generally being a nuisance. Obviously, there would be none of the big meaty animals I was looking for, or they would be fenced up and adequately farmed. So instead, I would probably only find small animals and the like, which would not be able to fill my belly.

This is why I turned to the other veritable source of food that was nearby and which was coincidentally right next to my house. Taking off my clothes, I strip down to just some underwear before walking into the shallow depths of the ocean, my spear at the ready to pierce anything I see swimming around. I wade through the shallows keeping my eyes peeled for any fish, but all I see are itty bitty little things that won't fill me in the slightest.

I look out at the ocean, and I want to dive in there and find the bigger, more filling fish, but I find myself faltering at my first step. When I look out at that big expansive blue sea, I remember all the things lurking beneath its surface, just waiting to snap up and eat me. Those giant Seakings that numbered in the hundreds and they were the size of literal islands, and if you weren't paddling fast enough, then you would be attacked because there was no air for the sails to-

Right, there was no wind there. It was completely calm and silent, the sea itself without the slightest ripple. But here, there is wind. It is an entirely different place, and I saw a few different Seakings on my journey before reaching the windless zone, and they were all relatively small in comparison to those behemoths. They were around the size of a small boat, which was still quite big, but I felt like I would be able to fend them off. Plus, I saw all of those near the deep ocean; there are probably none this close to an island.

Feeling emboldened, I jump hands first into the ocean and begin to swim out into the more bottomless sea, keeping an eye out just in case. Diving down underneath the surface of the water, I open my eyes to look out into the depths, and I see numerous aquatic creatures floating all around me, some looking quite normal and some looking bizarre as all hell. I think I will avoid the more weird things, not wanting to eat anything that might have an ill effect, and also because they look a bit gross and not really tasty.

Spotting a big regular-looking fish, I thrust my wooden spear forward, impaled it through its side, and quickly made my way back to the beach, wanting to reap my rewards immediately. Getting back onto the beach, I realise pretty quickly that I can't eat the fish raw and I need to cook it, so I plant my spear down and dig it into the stand, allowing it to stand up with the fish stuck to the end.

I source some rocks and quickly set them in a circle on the beach, really digging them into the sand before gathering some of the twigs and wood I found earlier to use as kindling for the fire and placing them in the stone circle. Remembering how Garp used to get fires started on Troga, I ended up giving it a try myself, thinking it was not that difficult. First, I pick up two rocks in each of my hands, and then I just start to slam them together continuously, clashing them together again and again, constantly creating sparks that litter down onto the twigs.

None of them caught light, but I wasn't expecting them to do so straight away. I remember when Garp did this, his hands were a blur, and it looked like there was fire raining down from his hands with how quick he did it. Even if I am not as efficient as him, the method itself still works, and I continue to smash the rocks together, producing sparks that continually pour down onto the kindling, until finally, after dozens of clashes, it finally works, and I have a campfire.

Grabbing my spear, I heft it over the fire and start to cook my fish, it won't be the tastiest thing in existence, but it will suffice. This is how I will be eating for the foreseeable future. George mainly eats fruits and vegetables, so he will also be fine. We can just pluck them from the surrounding trees, though he does have a nasty habit of eating all sorts of little bugs and creepy crawlies.

Yeah, he will be fine, as will I.

-----------------------------------

"Listen, George, stop trying to come inside the house. It isn't big enough for you to stay here. I made you a little place, didn't I? That is your place, and I don't come barging into it, do I?" I try to get George to back down as he tries to force his way inside of the house, his big head trying to fit through the doorway. I managed to keep pushing against his head and stop him from getting in because my home would not survive him.

It has been a while now since my run-in with Captain Nezumi, and I have adapted quite admirably to the situation, if I do say so myself. I resumed my training though I don't always go all out since I need to fend for myself, and I can't risk being wiped out. My hunger is taken care of by the sea beside me, sometimes catching big bounties and occasionally coming home with only small fish. But I do not falter. On the contrary, I appreciate everything the ocean delivers to me, being grateful that it continually provides for me.

I source fruits for myself and George from the forests that surround my home, though I make sure to not take too many at a time and ration them out so we will not suddenly lose that resource altogether from overeating. George is obviously not happy with the situation since he wants to gorge himself on the fruits, and there isn't much I can do to stop him from going into the forests to get his own supply though he tends to struggle with that sometimes.

Overall, life has been just fine, it isn't a bad life, but it could definitely be better. One night it rained pretty heavily, a significant departure from the usually sunny and tropical vibe of the island, and it was that night that George came and barged through the front door while I was sleeping, breaking the front door. Needless to say, I had to let George sleep inside the house with me after I blocked the front door. It was not a good night for me.

After that, I immediately set out to the village and used the money I had hidden under my floorboards to buy some nails and other supplies. Then, I quickly crafted some new tools just like I did back on Troga, and I cut down some tries, and I fixed my door and boarded up the holes in my house. I also went and attached a little porch covering to the side of my house so George can sleep under it and not get wet, though he still doesn't like it.

"GET OUT!!" I grunt as I push with all my strength, and I manage to actually thrust him back outside, George not expecting my sudden burst of power. He stumbles backwards and away from my house, thankfully not breaking anything on the way though he does seem quite miffed at my actions.

"Greh..." Geroge spits out before turning around and walking towards the forest, probably going to go and get some of those delicious orange tangerines. I don't know where he gets them from since the fruit in the woods is entirely different, but I don't have time to focus on that. Instead, I am more caught up in what George just said, running outside of the house to catch up with him.

"Huh? What did you just say? That you didn't want to stay in this shithole anyway? How can you say that? Just look at this... place..." I point towards the house, trying to show it to him in all its glory, but my words fall off at the sight of it, George ignoring me to continue his walk away. I can't be bothered to stop him as I look at my house and the absolute state that it is in.

The shoddy makeshift door at the front barely covers the gap, and the porch to the side is standing up wonkily, looking like it will topple at any moment. There are multiple boards of wood nailed in all over the place, and the building as a whole generally looks weathered and broken down. So this is the place I have been living in? I didn't even realise it crumbling down around me, slowly falling into disgrace. As I look at it, I can't help but feel some physical pain as I am reminded of the vow that I made.

I remember clear as day looking at this place after I had discovered that it was a broken down place that the previous owner ticked Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee into buying. But the orphanage owners' spirit and feelings were true, and they purchased this thinking it was a good home for me to live in, and I vowed to make it into a fricking palace, which is why I went and bought that book.

But now that I stand here and look at this home which is in a worse state than ever, I can't help but feel angry at myself. I made a promise to improve and fix this place up, and I just forgot about it because I stopped having money given to me? Like a spoiled brat?

That is no reason to give up like a little scaredy cat, giving up at the first obstacle. If I am no longer having money given to me for absolutely nothing, then I will have to go out there and make some money in the village. I will find some jobs, multiple jobs, as many jobs as it takes, and I will start earning. Earning so that I can immediately begin to spend the money on equipment, tools and resources so I can start fixing this place up.

And if there is any left money over, then I suppose I can splurge on getting myself and George some good food. So, with my goal in mind, I skip morning fishing and training and head into town, adamant about ridding myself of my unemployed status.

-----------------------------------

"Hey Detoro-Kun, how was business this afternoon?" Avaganda, the friendly old man that owns the bookstore, asks, walking in through the front door. I look up from the book I am reading about carpentry and give him a smile from my seat behind my desk.

"As usual, just some people coming in to read and some mothers buying some books for their children. Oh, though, that guy with the pinwheel in his hat came by again to pick up some books on navigation to add it to his village's bookstore." That guy was seriously peculiar. He would come by every once in a while saying that the books were stolen, and he came back to buy more. But instead of repurchasing the same books, he would get different ones each time. Strange, but I don't judge paying customers.

"Good, good. Well, here you are. Good work today, Detoro. I am sorry I can't pay you more, but we barely get by as-"

"It is fine. After all, you are letting me read all the books I want and even letting me borrow a couple to take home with me free of charge. See ya later, Jiji." I cut him off, running out of the store with a couple of books tucked away in my satchel, hurrying to my next job.

-----------------------------------

"ORRAA, BRAT! FETCH ME SOME TWO BY FOURS AND A COUPLE EIGHT BY TENS. WE NEED TO GET THIS FINISHED RIGHT NOW, OR WE ONLY GET PAID HALF FOR IT!!" Bob yells out from his workstation, his tone rough and unfriendly. I don't mind it, though. That is just how he is. I quickly run over to pick up the planks of wood and run them over to him, we need to get this order finished quick, or it sells for half, which means I will be getting paid less as well.

"GOOD. NOW YOU GO AND WORK ON FINISHING THOSE DOORS. WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH THOSE, GO HELP SCOOP AND ROLEY." The boss of this little woodworking workshop orders, unable to control the level of his voice. It is just how he is, and that is fine.

I quickly run to my own workstation and pick up my tools to get to work, ready to use my skills to build these doors.

-----------------------------------

"Alright, Detoro-Kun. Make sure to keep striking the piece of metal as hard as you can but maintain control all the while. We are shaping the metal at the same time as we are making it stronger. The heat from the forge allows us to mould the metal into what we want," Pietri, the guy in charge of this blacksmith, instructs as I stand over the sweltering piece of metal that is blasting me with waves of intense heat.

My black leather safety-clad hand smashes my tough hammer onto the metal, strengthening it and giving it shape, following the instructions of my boss. I had to work quite hard for this opportunity to finally gain the trust needed to let me begin learning about blacksmithing.

-----------------------------------

"Alright, boy, you got everything you need? Remember to pack some extra clothes as well, for when you get seasick?" One of the guys I will be joining on the ship asks condescendingly, smirking down at me because of my smaller size and age.

I ignore him as I walk up onto the fishing boat to join the rest of the guys here that will all be working together to capture a whole lot of fish to sell wholesale, and I should be getting a good payday for my assistance.

-----------------------------------


*BOOM* *BOOM*

"GET BACK HERE!!" I hear someone scream from the depths of the forest after those two gunshots, so I quickly stop my training exercises to look in that direction and prepare myself for whatever is heading my way, taking a stance and facing the forest's ominous depths.

Which is why I am so surprised when George suddenly jumps out of the tree line, looking like he has just run a mile and looking insanely panicked. But his eyes light up when he sees me, and He quickly sprints towards me and then skids to a spot behind me, peeking over my shoulder and watching the forest warily.

Seeing him act in such an out-of-the-ordinary way, I quickly focus my gaze ahead, readying myself to face whatever it was that has George so spooked. And again, my expectations are overturned when a woman steps out of the darkness, toting a shotgun and smoking a cigarette, glaring in my direction, or more accurately, at George, who is hiding behind me.

She wears a short-sleeved green checkered shirt that has MACE written across the chest of it in dark green letters, dark blue jeans and some brown sandals with a thick platform. She is light-skinned with blue eyes, but the thing that sticks out the most by far is her hairstyle. Her pale pink/red/maroon hair is shaved on the sides, leaving some fuzz. However, there is a thin strip across the top of her head connecting the bangs sitting atop her forehead and the three ponytails on the back of her head. Completing the look are two thick strands of hair growing just atop the sides of her face.

"Oi, brat. Is that your gorilla?" She questions, holding the shotgun over her shoulder and pinning me with her stare.

"I suppose it is. So why are you chasing after it?" I question stepping out of my stance since she isn't pointing the gun at us. Though I keep a keen eye on her, ready to move at the slightest act by her.

"This dumbass Gorilla has been sneaking onto my property and stealing the tangerines from my trees. Mine and my girls' livelihood depend on the sales of those fruits, and your gorilla has been robbing them from us." I chance a look behind me to see George clutching a single juicy-looking tangerine in his hand, which makes me grit my teeth in a grimace. I was wondering where he was getting these things, and unfortunately, I too, have been eating and enjoying them.

"I see... What is your name?" I ask, snatching the tangerine from George's grasp despite his protests and chucking it across the way to the woman who catches it with her free hand.

"... It's Bellemere." She says as I turn around and begin to walk into my still under construction house.

"Bellemere-San, I am Amarillo Detoro. I apologise for George. Now, how much do I owe you?" Unfortunately, my renovations will have to be put on hold for a while, just enough so that I can reimburse this woman for all the trouble myself and George have caused her.

And I was so close to getting done with the gutters and the drainage system.

 

Chapter 17– Times Have Changed.

-----------------------------------

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

I blearily open my eyes and reach out beside me, hitting the button embedded in the wall next to my bed that turns off the infernal beeping that I wish I had never implemented in the first place. Sadly, it is actually helpful and wakes me up at the break of dawn. I lay in bed for another minute, almost sinking back into blissful sleep before I control myself and sit up, dragging my comfortable duvet off of me.

I turn and step onto the smooth wooden floor, immediately turning around and sorting out my bed and making it, taking extra care with my fantastic duvet and pillows that even now beckon me back to their loving folds. Then, turning away from the temptation, I walk over to my wardrobe and grasp the double doors and fling them open. Two compartments near my feet slide out, one holding my various shoes and sandals and the other fitting socks, hats, glasses and any other sorts of accessories.

Attached to the inside of the wardrobe doors is an elastic fibre that stretches when pulled and connects to the back of the wardrobe, and hanging on the left one are all of my pants, and on the right one are all my shirts and tops. I am pretty proud of this piece of furniture, it took me quite a while to figure out how to make an expanding area for my clothes to hang upon, but I did it. So when the wardrobe opens, everything comes out easy for me to pick and choose, and when I close it, everything is tucked away nicely and neatly, compacted not to take up much space.

Reaching into my wardrobe, I pick some yellow sandals, beige cargo pants that come to my shins, a light blue tank top and some oversized black shades with a bright red frame. Taking my chosen items, I lay them out nearby and then pull off the pants I am wearing, the only thing I wore to bed, toss them into a nearby basket and enter the bathroom. It is a simple room with tiles placed on top of the wooden floors and walls so that the water won't rot any of the wood.

I made sure that the floor was not even and tilted slightly so that any water on the floor would run down to the drain in the corner of the room. Where it would then go through a series of pipes underneath the ground and exit into the sea a good few miles away from me, all the water I expend goes to the same place. It was a lot of work, but I made sure to do it. I didn't want to go swimming and fishing in my own wastewater after all, and I am going to ignore the fact that others might not be as considerate as me and continue to live in my blissful world.

After a quick use of the toilet and flushing away the contents, I wash my hands in the sink. It is a bit unnecessary since I am about to shower, but that is just how things are done, and it is ingrained in me that you go to the toilet and wash your hands afterwards. Walking over to the shower section of the room, I reach out to a jutting-out wooden outcrop in the wall and grasp the handle upon it. Dragging it out of the wall, it comes out in segmented sections that fit together as I pull it out and walls this section of the room off from the rest.

With my shower section set, I turn to the side and pull the lever and prepare myself for the water to come down. After about a second, when the clunking and metal sounds finish, the cold water sprinkles down out of the ceiling and onto my body. Hmm, it should have come out straight away. I will have to check up n that and perform some Maintenance, probably replacing some of the parts.

Ignoring that for now, I start to wash myself in the cold water as quickly as possible, not wanting to waste any time that could be spent more productively. I could have splurged and worked in some hot water for the shower, but there was no point. I was used to the cold water, and it helped wake me up in the morning and prepared me for a day full of work. I could have also had a bath, but that would have been a waste of water, and it takes quite a lot of time to collect rainwater and seawater and filter it to make it clean for use.

After finishing my morning rituals, I get changed into my already laid-out clothes and walk to my kitchen. Opening my refrigerator, which takes up quite a lot of the power, I reach in and grab some fruits and a bottle of milk which I then eat at my lovely round wooden table. I don't need anything bigger since I don't really have any visitors, and having a bigger table just so it can be primarily empty seems kind of sad.

After finishing my meal, I get up and walk to the front of my house, opening the nicely designed wooden door and walking out onto the lovely green grass of my front garden. It was a pain to clear out the sand from the front of my house and replace it with good soil, but looking at my vibrant garden with beautiful flowers and a little fountain, it was well worth it. I go and take a seat on the wooden bench standing on a black metal frame in front of the fountain and try to see what I am going to be doing today.

Let's see, going by my schedule and by what day it is, I should be... doing nothing today. Today is my rest day, and I totally forgot. I didn't even have to wake up so early today. Damn you, you infernal alarm.

Sighing, I lean back on the bench and stare at my house, the product of four years of hard work. It is a big difference from the shoddy, broken-down shack that it once was. I had spent every day these last few years working on it and improving it where I could, at least when I wasn't consumed by my work or other tasks.

I have been quite the little task rabbit these past few years, doing whatever jobs I could find to the best of my ability, no matter what it was or how hard it was. It was pretty fulfilling, as well as I learned numerous trades and crafts, which helped me to build my home. And while I don't claim to be a master in any of them, I certainly get by.

I learned sewing and embroidery at the local tailors, where I helped around whenever they needed me, and I used those skills to make my heavenly pillows and duvet as well as all sorts of other stuff. My work at the carpenters, the blacksmiths, the book store and the docks also helped me, and a whole host of other jobs supplemented my skillset and aided me in making this masterpiece before me.

Not only that but all the money that I made from the various jobs I stored up and used to buy materials and supplies. I did go and buy a lot of clothes as well. Whenever I saw something that looked good to me, I couldn't control myself, and I would buy it.

I didn't really have to purchase anything besides those things after all since I could just go fishing for any food I needed, though I did buy some when I couldn't be bothered. George was fine taking fruits from the surrounding forests, but he never came home with tangerines ever again after I reprimanded him. It took me quite a while to pay back Bellemere-san for all those tangerines we ate, and that took away from the time I could have been working on my home.

Of course, those tangerines were too tantalising and juicy to not keep having them, but I didn't have the time to go down to Cocoyasi Village to buy them, and I did not trust George to go there and come back with them. Thankfully this ended up being resolved by the weird guy that comes by to buy books every once in a while, who is actually named Genzo.

Genzo, I discovered, is surprisingly the sheriff of Cocoyasi Village, which I did not expect given the brown uniform that made him look like a UPS man and the brown hat with the spinning pinwheel in it for some reason. I learnt that he was coming here to buy books just so that a little girl from his village could steal them and learn more about her passion, navigating. Of course, he could have just tried gifting them to her, but it was not my place to intervene, so I ignored it. However, since he made a trip every month, I asked him for a favour.

And so every month, when Genzo would come up to buy more books, he would come with a sack of tangerines for me, and I would give him the money to give to Bellemere-san for me. This was an end of the month treat for both George and me since these tangerines are really just incredibly scrumptious. I don't know how Bellemere-san is actually having money troubles; these things should have been selling like hotcakes.

Anyway, those were really the only expenditures I made, and the rest of my money was either stored away for future use or used on improving my home, and it was money well spent. So, looking at my house, I take it all in and review my hard work.

The sturdy wooden building has a nice varnished finish and metal structures connecting to the roof to add support. There were multiple windows all over the building, I learned how to make these at the blacksmithing shop and designed my own windows to fit perfectly, and they let in enough natural light into the house without ridding me of my privacy.

The inside of my house was actually pretty basic since I honestly didn't really need much, and I focused more on functionality. The kitchen had a fridge, an oven, a kitchen island and a table to eat at. An open floor plan led to the living area, where I had a comfortable sofa and a table where I liked to relax and read, and there was also a desk nearby for me to do some work if I ever needed to.

Then there was my bedroom that held my bed that I made the frame for myself, though I had to purchase a new mattress, and there was a drawer next to it that contained my books. Finally, there was my wardrobe, a mirror hung on the wall nearby, and the last feature in my room was that stupid alarm. It took a bit of work to set up the mechanism, and I only managed to have it set off 8 hours after I activated it. I am not the best at electronics, and I only learned this subject from books.

There is also the attic, the ladder leading up to it in the corner of my room, and I only used it for storage. It is where I stored all the crap that I had no need for, and as for my tools and supplies, I have a little shed affixed to the side of the house where I keep them all for easy access. I look to the right, where a distance away near the forest is a big wooden pagoda sort of structure.

This is what I built for George, so he could sleep under it, and I did it far enough away so that his snores would not annoy me. I also included some easy handles on every side of the ceiling so that George can pull it down to give the structure walls in case it rained. I can see him now, sleeping in the middle of it, utterly dead to the world.

I sure had done a lot in these past four years since I was dumped back here by Garp before he ran off, and I have not seen him since. I have not seen much of Mummy Mee or Daddy Dee either since I was basically blacklisted from the orphanage and the owners by Captain Nezumi. Well, I wasn't expressly denied seeing them, but I didn't want to risk ruining anything for them, so I have stayed away, and while I do see them sometimes when out and about the village, I keep my distance.

Speaking of the piece of shit himself, He isn't around much. Or, at the very least, I don't see him much, as busy as I am with my various jobs and errands. However, when I do occasionally see that sneaky asshole, he is always walking around with a bunch of swagger and pushing people around. I am told that he also takes advantage of the villagers, abusing his authority.

How I wish I could just smack the shit out of that annoying-faced man, but he has authority and a whole marine base under him. So, needless to say, while I could knock him six ways to Sunday, that would be bad for the entire village and bring down the full force of that marine base on me. For now, at least, you never know what the future will hold, and maybe somewhere down the line, I could get rid of this guy, but how do I know that the next guy in charge won't be even worse or maybe he will have the strength to go along with his position.

Sighing, I shake my head and decide to ignore that for now. It seems for all my strength, there is not much I can do unless I want to rid myself of my peaceful life. Standing up, I decided to head into the village to see if there was anything to do today. I gave myself these rest days because I am pretty much working all week from the minute I get up to the second I go to bed.

I start my walk towards the village, leaving my grassy lawn and stepping onto the cobbled path I have made, going from my property a few tens of meters towards the path to the village. Of course, I could probably run all the way to the town in about a minute flat, max two minutes, but today is supposed to be my rest day. This means no strenuous exercise since I already do enough of that.

If I am not working, eating or sleeping, then I am training. But, of course, I am working a whole lot this day, which makes me want to sleep a lot as well. I am always unbelievably tired and just drop straight into my bed when I am done with work. I just can't help it. The jobs I do are usually pretty strenuous, and my body gets worked out due to that. This is why I typically wake up early and do my training in the morning because I just don't have the energy after work when I arrive home.

I have not been training as much as I did on Troga, where I could focus on it all day and not have to worry about a thing since now I have many other responsibilities. Though I have not been slacking either, I have been doing as much training as time can afford. But honestly, the past four years have been very peaceful, apart from Nezumi throwing his weight around. He is a dog with no bite and all bark who only picks on those weaker than him. So far, he hasn't pushed too far. He is probably afraid of repercussions from his superiors.

Even though I heard about those serious incidents from Garp, those were apparently in different oceans, and the East Blue is actually peaceful since I don't remember us ever having been visited by pirates or anyone. So this island is at peace and not as in danger as I thought, so I ramped the training down to focus on building my home, doing various jobs, and acquiring different crafts.

I was worried over nothing and worked myself up for no reason. With a marine base so close, nobody will attack since, according to the newspapers, the East Blue has the weakest pirates. It is the weakest blue and, therefore, the safest.

"YO DETORO, HOW IS YOUR DAY OFF SO FAR!?" Bob, the owner of the carpentry shop that can't control the level of his voice, calls out. He is sitting outside the front of his shop and smoking a cigarette. It must be a slow day today.

"Same as always, boss. I am bored." I say distractedly, entranced by the waves of smoking coming from the end of his cigarette. I know it is just the trait making me so infatuated with it, but I can't take my eyes off of the grey clouds. Bob just looks so relaxed while smoking, like he has peace of mind.

My traits so far haven't actually been that much of a problem. Instead of being called traits, they would be better described as minor traits. They have their effects, sure, but nothing too serious, and they can mostly be ignored. I picked primarily passive traits for my positive ones, so I don't really notice those, but I do sometimes see my negative ones making an appearance.

My claustrophobia isn't that bad. The only time I have had it really get worked up is when George put a crate on my head as a joke, and I freaked out and started hyperventilating, quickly showing it off my head. So that is the only time it has really acted up, but besides that, I generally feel uncomfortable in enclosed dark spaces, and I prefer the open air and the clouds above my head. It is why I have a skylight above my bed.

My fingers sometimes fumble, and I drop my tools unless I have a firm grip, but I never stumble, so my clumsiness only shows occasionally. I only ever have sleepy head rear its head when I am bored and not motivated, in which cases I might nod off but keep busy, so that doesn't really happen, but when I am tired after a hard day's work, I drop like a log.

As for conspicuous, I don't really think I am. I don't make big shows or flamboyant displays or anything. I usually just talk normally, and yeah, I wear bright colours, but that is just my fashion sense. Who wants to be all dreary all the time. And finally, my smoking trait only ever makes itself known when I am relaxing and not working when I am having a break and feel like I should do something to further it.

"OHO, YOU WANT A CIGGARETTE, BOY!? YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE OLDER, AND I WILL GIVE YOU YOUR FIRST CIGAR. MUCH BETTER THAN THESE LITTLE PIECES OF SHIT, BUT CIGARS ARE EXPENSIVE, SO I HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH THESE." Bob says, having caught where my eyes are looking. I hurriedly look away, feeling like I have been caught doing something that I shouldn't.

"Aha, maybe, See ya later, boss." I quickly make my exit, walking away from him and hearing him shout goodbye behind me. I may have traits, but I am not a slave to them. My fate is not predetermined. I can make a conscious effort to stop doing those things, like with smoking. I know that smoking is bad and will hurt me in the long run, so no matter how bad I might want to smoke, I refuse to, at least not at this point. Maybe when I am older, and even then, only on occasion.

"Hey Detoro-Kun, you want to come read a book in the store?" Agenda-San says, opening the front door of his shop to talk to me. And while I would, I want to continue looking around the village to see if there is anything exciting happening today.

"Sorry, Avaganda-San. I want to continue looking around the village. I will probably be back in a bit." I say, waving hello to him as I walk on by. He smiles back good-naturedly. I probably will stop by, not to read more instructions or informative books but to read some fiction to relax. That book about Montblanc Noland was quite good. Just imagining a city made of gold makes me salivate. It is too bad that the guy was just a liar, and it is fictional, anyway.

"Detoro-Chan, I need your help. The hinge on one of the doors in my house is coming off. Can you help me?" One of the housewives of the village asks, wanting me to come over and do an errand for her. That has actually become a significant part of my days ever since I built up my skills and knowledge. I usually go and help people who need things fixing, a faulty door here, a chair leg that has come off and some rotten floorboards.

"I will be back later to do it, Mrs Ogan. I am a bit busy now, and I don't have my tools." I say, passing her by, to which she smiles and nods her head in agreement, quickly going back to hanging her washing on the washing line. I refused her because today was supposed to be my relaxing day, so I would do it later. Plus, it is inside, so it is not urgent. I don't even need my tools for something like that, my rock finger technique being strong enough to hammer nails in with precision.

I go to continue my walk, wanting to go down by the docks and probably do some fishing. I actually learnt when on those fishing boats, and it is pretty relaxing, and there is a sense of achievement with catching a fish using a fishing rod instead of with your bare hands. Like a testament to my skill, it is quite a fu-

"EVERYBODY, LISTEN TO ME!!" I hear a loud exhausted voice below from behind me, right at the centre of the village, and at the epicentre, everyone in the town hears whoever it is. Slowly people start to come out and pay attention. We have never had someone do such a thing before, so naturally, people are curious, as am I. I turn around, and to my surprise, I spot Genzo standing there with his hands on his knees, panting hard and looking like he just ran a marathon.

"Genzo-San, what is going on? Why are you yelling?" Avaganda-San asks, coming out of his bookstore. He is as familiar with the man as I am, given how often Genzo has come to the bookstore over the last few years. And given the man's disposition and stature in his village as a sheriff, it is indeed worrying for him to be doing something so out of character.

"FI-FISHMEN!! PIRATES!! THEY ARE COMING HERE, AND THEY ARE TOO STRONG!!" Genzo bellows out loud, provoking gasps and whispers from the crowd, who can't seem to believe the news. I myself need clarification on the word Fishmen, men that are like fish? Like Aquaman or something? And what is this about pirates, fish pirates? Are pirates finally attacking our peaceful little island? Did I provoke Murphy's Law?

"EVERYONE, PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!! DO NOT TRY TO RESIST. YOU WILL DIE!!" THEY ARE JUST... T-They are just too strong..."

 

Chapter 18– Pirates Have Attacked?

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"...Genzo-San. Pirates...are here?" Avaganda-San says, stopping in his steps before he catches himself and keeps on moving towards Genzo. Finally, he reaches him and helps to keep the exhausted man standing. Genzo nearly collapsed onto the man, panting and full of sweat. He must have run all the way here.

"...Yes, pirates. And they are too strong, there is no running away... So, you have to prepare, and if you give them what they want... they won't kill you." Genzo manages to get out through all his huffing, finding it incredibly hard to do so but having to do it anyway, the direness of the situation forces him to.

"E-Even if there are p-pirates here, they won't stay long!! And we have a marine base just near here. They will come before long and run them off. So we don't have to be scared!" One of the housewives said, trying to convince herself. But I know for a fact, as does she and everyone else here, that the marines coming to rescue us is less likely to happen than a Seaking flying. Ever since Captain Nezumi become the captain of the marine base, which is on a whole other island a distance away, the marines have decreased their presence here to the point that you are having an odd month if you see a marine.

The only times you will see a marine would be at the time of the month that one of the marines would come over to give the orphanage their funds, and I assume the funds dedicated to a single child would be missing from it, maybe even more. Needless to say, the Marines are not reliable for anything, and to wait for them would be us just showing the pirates our neck where they can cut into it.

"Yeah, the Marines will help us."

"The Marines are going to get those pirates!"

"YEAH, WE DON'T NEED TO BE SCARED!! WE CAN-"

"WE CAN'T RELY ON THEM! THEY WOULDN'T COME TO HELP US!! AND EVEN IF THEY DID, THE PIRATES ARE TOO STRONG, AND THEY WOULD SLAUGHTER THE MARINES. THEY ARE VICIOUS MONSTERS!!" Genzo screams, interrupting the stream of villagers who were also having bouts of delusions. And there is no doubt in my mind that if he didn't interrupt, then that mentality would have spread to the rest as well, and they would all hedge their bets on the marines protecting us, running from reality.

"WHAT IS GOING ON!?" I hear behind me, and I turn my head to see Bob there, finally having come to see what the commotion was about. Quickly people flock to the boisterous man. With Bob being as loud and crude as he is, he has become kind of a reliable man around here, and a lot of people rely on him. They trust him. Quickly, the villagers inform him of the situation.

"GENZO, IF WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS TRUE... Don't worry. Me and some of the other men in town will grab some weapons, and we will fight them off and free your town." Bob, who is usually so bombastic with his voice roaring uncontrollably, has his tone lowered for the first time ever. He leans down and pats Genzo on the shoulder to comfort him, reassuring him that he, with his buddies, will go help his village. I will go as well. It is time to put my training into practice and use the skills I have been honing for what they were meant for. It will be different fighting other people, but I will adapt.

"YOU ARE NOT LISTENING TO ME. WE CAN'T BEAT THEM. NO HUMAN COULD!! THE PIRATES ARE FISHMEN!!" Genzo roars again as if the fact they are fishmen actually means something. Though I suppose that if they are like Aquaman and they live at the bottom of the sea, then their bodies have to withstand the pressure at the depths of the ocean, so theoretically, they should be super duper strong.

"A FISHMAN? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, BUT ALL OF US CAN BEAT THOSE GUYS OFF!!" Bob returns to his regular pattern of speaking, shouting out his reply. Unfortunately, I also don't really know fully what a Fishman is, and I am only guessing from my previous life memories.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! THEY HAVE SHARK TEETH AND WEBBED HANDS, AND THEY ARE INCREDIBLY STRONG!! INVINCIBLE!! WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO STOP THEM, AND WE LOST PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THAT!! SO DON'T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE. I CAME TO WARN YOU!!!" Genzo belts out in return, silencing Bob and the rest with the sheer desperation in his voice.

"I-I have heard about them... In the newspaper... They are vicious animals that attack people." A nearby villager hesitantly comments, drawing attention from the crowd and also convincing some others to speak up.

"I have also heard about them..."

"The World Government said they are dangerous... and incredibly powerful."

Slowly more and more of the villagers speak up, each corroborating and informing the others of the fishmen. Speaking of the rumours they have heard over the years and what was reported in the newspapers, though, I am sure that those reports stopped a few years ago. If I recall correctly, a few years ago, the newspapers were reporting about a pirate crew, the Sun Pirates. It was apparently a crew made up of vicious fishmen or something, but they were defeated years ago and imprisoned, so it can't be the same pirates.

"RIGHT!! QUIET DOWN!! Genzo-San, what do we do?.. What can we do?" Bob shouts to quiet down the dense crowd and then becomes quiet again to ask this of Genzo-San. I guess he was sufficiently cowed by the murmurs of the group and figured out he was biting off more than he could chew, so he has deferred to the man who knew more about the situation. And I was prepared to go and fight those pirates as well, but I am only a single guy, and I can't fight an entire pirate crew by myself, especially if fishmen are as strong as they are purported to be.

"THEY... They have attacked our island, but they are not just ransacking or pillaging us. They are planning to take over this entire island, and I believe they have the power to do so.." He says, surprising us all. It is so out of the ordinary for pirates to actually make a campaign to take over an island instead of quickly hitting it and taking whatever they can and then running away before the Marines come.

"S-Surely, you can't be serious, Genzo-San... The Marines will eventually get here, even if it takes days or weeks. Why would the fishmen want to stick around and wait for them? It doesn't make sense." Avaganda-San pitches in, interjecting with common sense, which I find most of the people in this world don't subscribe to. The fact that they are actually planning to take the island means that they are either incredibly foolish or the pirates are so assured of their strength that they don't think the Marines will be able to do anything to stop them.

"They are planning on taking over the island, and they are strong enough to do so. Don't you know where fishmen come from? They are from the Grand Line, the most treacherous sea in the world. A dangerous place where ships go to die, and they live there. The blues are much tamer in comparison, and the East Blue is the weakest out of the four blues. Which means we have the weakest marines as well. The Grand Line fishmen will be able to take this island easily." Genzo informs us all, hitting us with information we did not know before. There is only so much that I can gather from newspapers. I guess being a sheriff means he has to have this kind of information and stay up to date.

"So what is our course of action, Genzo-san? Are we going to have to fight?" I speak up, not wanting us to dilly dally any longer and waste precious time. Given the way Genzo ran over here, the pirates have already taken over his village, and they could be showing up here at any moment. We need to figure out what it is we are going to do, and if we are indeed going to fight, then we need to gather weapons and direct the bystanders to a safe place.

"We aren't going to fight, Detoro-Kun. They are just too strong, and we will lose many men. It is not worth it. Arlong and his crew are taking over this island, and they are planning on ruling it for a while. They are charging ฿100,000 per adult and ฿50,000 per child every month, and if you can't pay, then they will kill you. I... I have already seen them do it. So everyone, quickly go and figure out how many berries you have and if you will be able to afford the price for your families." At his words, the villagers quickly get going to figure out their finances and if they can stiff the price. Meanwhile, Avaganda-San directs Genzo to rest and sit down against a nearby building.

I stay as well, and it is just the three of us. Genzo resting against the building, Avaganda sitting next to him, and I am standing there in silence. The pirates are asking for a high price. With the population of this island as big as it is, they will be getting at least ฿10,000,000 a month if they do take this place over. I don't know if everyone on this island will be able to afford such an exorbitant price, and even if they can, they won't be able to maintain it for long without some serious losses and changes in their lifestyles.

"What about you two? Do you have enough money?" Genzo asks after a moment, spurring me from my thoughts.

"Ah, yes. Just about. I was saving up to buy some books from the merchants the next time they passed, maybe get some limited editions. But, Haah... I will have to sell my current rare book stock if these pirates stay for too long. And? What about you, Detoro-Kun?" Avaganda answers and then looks towards me in worry. Damn, I never got around to reading those super rare books of his. Apparently, he even has Noland, the liar's actual journal. Shame, I will probably never get to see it.

"Hm, yeah, I will be fine. I have enough. I have been saving up quite a lot from all the jobs I do around the village. I will be able to pay for myself for the next few months if it comes down to it." So I say, calming their worries. And they have no clue that I am lying because I have nowhere near the amount required to pay for myself. I barely have ฿20,000 left, and that was just because I was saving it to buy myself and George a nice meal.

Every time I was paid, I bought the necessities, and then I immediately went about getting supplies to improve and work on my home, and all my money was sunk into it. I also sometimes splurged on cool clothing for myself whenever merchant ships pass by, and they have some unique items in stock. What is the point of just sitting on money after all? It is there to be spent, and that is what I did. I was spending just as much as I was earning every month so I could make my house even better. Who knew that I would be forced into such a position now, and I have no money to pay for myself.

And I refuse to ask any of the other villagers on this island to pay for me, not when their own lives are dependent on that same money. If they spot me now, what happens if the pirates do end up holding this island for a prolonged period of time. The villagers will need every scrap of money they have to keep themselves safe in the coming months, and I can't leech their very livelihoods off of them, even when I know that they would be very much willing to pay for me. I can't risk it coming to bite them in the back later down the line.

"That is good, Detoro-Kun. Now, let's wait until the rest of the villagers come back, and if anyone has problems meeting the amount, then we can help out." Genzo says, Avaganda-San nodding his head as well. I also shake my head in affirmation because if any of the other people here have money problems, then I will try my best to help them out, and if they are all fine, then... I don't know what I will do.

"Anyway, Genzo-San. If the pirates attacked your village, how were you able to get away and come warn us about this?" I ask because I am a bit confused. He was describing the Fishmen pirates as bloodthirsty, vicious animals, yet he somehow managed to get away and run all the way here to warn us. If the pirates were as strong as he says, then they would have been easily able to prevent him from doing so.

"After we all paid our dues... one way or the other. They left us alone, no longer bothering with us after they got what they wanted. We were beneath their notice. They didn't particularly care what we did since they thought our actions would amount to nothing. They left, saying something about a park. Some of the other villagers set about gathering weapons to go and attack them, I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen. I already witnessed what the Fishmen can do, and I knew attacking them would be useless, but they wouldn't listen to reason, so I ran here to warn everyone." He says, and after that, we stay silent until the villagers return.

Seemingly all at once, the villagers begin to return, and each one confirms that they have enough money and that they are each capable of making that same amount every month. Which is a huge relief, and as everyone begins to mix together and discuss, I quietly start to walk and discreetly leave the crowd, quickly ducking out of view and then making a beeline towards my home, sprinting all the way.

Yes, I could probably scrape together the remaining ฿30,000 from all of the villagers, but then I would still be working for them and getting paid by them, draining even more money from their coffers. So I think it best that I just disappear and leave, for now, making things less complicated and the villagers' lives easier. I will go and try and find a marine base, probably not the one Captain Nezumi commands since he is a big coward and is more likely to roll over than try to stop them.

This will be a one-time cash injection for these pirates because I will sail off, find a reliable marine base, and maybe even find Garp himself to come and free the island. I think Garp lived on an island somewhere in the East Blue with his grandson. Before a month even passes, I will go and get help and come back to liberate this island. The villagers will just be paying this tax just this once to buy some time because the pirates will soon be defeated.

"GEORGE, WAKE UP!! IT IS NO TIME!!!" I shout at George as I spot my home in the distance. Arriving back at my home, I run down my cobbled path and past the bleary George and into my house, quickly making my way to my wardrobe and getting a few sacks before shuffling a bunch of his clothes into one of the sacks. No time to be picky and coordinate or anything. I need to be quick and leave before the fishmen come and demand payment.

I go to my desk drawer and open it up, immediately pushing past all the books to reach the map I have at the bottom, along with a compass since I was practising, wanting to travel myself one day. Then, moving out of my bedroom, I head to my fridge and quickly shove some of the food that will last a while inside, and I also then move the refrigerator out of the way, revealing a hidden compartment behind it where I keep my valuables. Which, right now, is just my ฿20,000, which I take and stuff in my bag full of clothes, stuffing it into the very bottom. With that done, I throw both bags over my shoulder and walk out of my home to see George standing outside and looking around, confused.

"Gebu?" He questions me as I turn around and lock the door of my house, and then I go to pocket the key. But I freeze, knowing that I am again leaving the island and I won't be coming back for a little while, and I don't want to lose my key out there and have to break the door when I come back. I worked really hard on that door. So I guess I have to bury it again, probably in the same place, and I can pick it back up when I return.

"We are leaving, George. I have already put some fruits in the sack for you, so don't worry. We will sail to the nearest island, and from there, we will figure out where the nearest reliable marine base is." So I tell George as I place the key temporarily in my pocket and walk around my house towards the attached shed. Opening it up, I look in to see all of the tools I have procured over the last four years, tools that I bought and tools that I made myself for a specific purpose, and right there at the back is my objective.

"GEEEEH?" I hear George exclaim behind me as I begin to carefully move things around in the shed. I don't want to break any of this stuff since I will have use of it in the future, so I carefully move things about an inch towards the back where my objective lies.

"Why? Because strong pirates have attacked and they are demanding payment, and we don't have enough. So we are leaving before they can kill us, and we are going to get reinforcements as well." So I say, continuing my foraging.

"Geagh?" I hear him question behind me as I move some more of my tools. Would you look at that? The same tools I built for myself on Troga, though they are quite a bit older now and very unusable. They won't do the job anymore, but I kept them for some reason, the sentiment, I guess.

"Why don't I just go and kick their asses? For several different reasons. First of all, I have only been training for the last four years and have not fought at all, so I am unsure how strong I am in comparison to other people. Secondly, I might be strong, but I have no technique, and the attackers are pirates who have no doubt been in many battles. Thirdly, while I may, in fact, be stronger than them, they are fishmen that are apparently way stronger than humans. Finally, even if I was stronger, there is a whole pirate crew of them, so I won't be able to fight them alone. Otherwise, I would just be walking to my death, and I know if I rallied the villagers to fight, they would just end up dying since they have lived peaceful lives all this while." Finally getting to what I want, I stop talking for a moment and grab hold of it and one other item before dragging them out of the shed and beginning to walk down to the shore.

"There are way more reasons, George, and I can list them all. The best thing to do now is for the villagers to all cough up and pay the toll while I go and find allies, strong ones and a lot of them, so that I can come back and liberate the island. The villagers' lives are worth more than their money, so hopefully, they will continue to pay until I can come back." I finish as I reach the shore, and I push the boat I made into the shallow water. I dump the two sacks in the ship as well as the oar before looking to George, who seems surprisingly thoughtful instead of being his usual lazy, dumb look.

"Now, hop in, George, and I will push us out onto the sea... Come on then, what's taking you so lo- what's wrong?" I continue to push the boat, but when I don't hear him behind me, I look back to find George standing in the same spot and looking at me with a sad face for some reason.

"Geaghh..." He mumbles out quietly, surprising me.

"What? What do you mean you can't go? Why can't you..." I trail off, looking back at the boat and the ocean, and then I understand what he means. It is just like back on Troga, where my ships would continually sink with George on them when we pushed off from shore, and we needed a dock for the boat to rest in so that the force upwards from the ocean would be more than the force downwards from the ship. As we are now, the boat would sink if George were to come with me, and I don't have time to make a dock or find some solution, and George can't swim either.

"Alright, listen. You are going to have to stay here, but don't worry, it will only be for a month at the most. You can't stay at the house or the home I built you since the pirates are bound to come around sooner or later, so I want you to go and live in the forest, for now, live off of the fruits there." I say, having come to a decision. George will just have to stay here. To be honest, I don't even know why I was planning to bring him with me in the first place. I guess George has just been by my side for the last four years, even if he was annoying. I couldn't imagine being without him now, so I automatically thought to bring him with me.

"Gah." George nods his head in confirmation, agreeing with my words. I think for a moment before I reach into my pocket and pull out my key.

"I want you to look after this while I am gone, okay? Keep it safe for me, for when I come back, and we can live at the house again, alright." I hand the key over to George, who holds it between two of his giant fingers and looks at it in wonder. And then he promptly stuffs the key inside his mouth, catching me completely off guard.

"Wha- GEORGE, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! I TOLD YOU TO KEEP IT SAFE, NOT EAT IT!!" I shout at him, but the words just bounce off like they have always done these past few years, in one ear and out the other. I am about to shout even more when George suddenly closes in on me, his mouth opening wide and giving me a close look at his sharp teeth that unnerve me greatly. But then I get a clear look inside and spot my tiny key resting on one side of his teeth, keeping it hidden.

"Haaah... You scared me then, George." He backs off and smiles at me smugly, proud of himself. "Alright, now go to the forest and don't come back out till I come and find you when I return, okay?" He nods and then turns around and bolts off towards the forest. I watch as he goes and disappears into its depths, relieved that he will stay inside there and be safe until my return. With one last look towards the forest and George, my annoying grey gorilla friend, I turn around and push the boat into the sea.

Quickly hopping in, I grab hold of the oar and start to paddle. First things first, I will sail out into open water, and then when I am out in the open ocean, I will consult the map and figure out where to go from them.

Just you wait, you damn pirates. I will be back to kick all your asses soon with a bunch of other guys.

 

Chapter 19– Inevitability.

-----------------------------------

Looking back at my home and island for the last time, I feel a whole host of emotions that I can't quite quantify or put into words. So I look away, determined to be back someday soon to free all the villagers. Then, with resolve burning in my heart, I grab the oar and thrust it down into the water, and I push myself further off into the sea. And then I switch sides and push the boat forward and then the other.

I continue to paddle slowly, but my home behind me still beckons. So I continue to paddle, but I turn around so that I am rowing backwards to look at the island, which I am entirely leaving for the first time in four years, and the first time ever I am doing so alone. Every time I had left the shores of my home, I have always been accompanied, like on the fishing boats where I was joined by other fishermen, and when I went to Troga with Garp.

This is the first time I am setting out on my own, truly alone, and I don't know what is out there. It is a bit scary, but so what? Setting out to sea, isn't this what I always wanted? To have a journey? Though I didn't think it would be in these circumstances. Shaking myself from these thoughts, I focus back on rowing, ready to watch my island slowly sink out of view as I travel out onto the ocean.

Hmm, that is weird. Now that I think about it, I have been rowing all this time, but my rowboat hasn't really moved that much. I was too caught up in my own thoughts to notice, but even though I had been paddling, my boat hadn't gone anywhere and was still relatively close to the shore.

I turn around to see what could be delaying me when I spot a tiny fin poking out of the sea right in front of my boat. Seeing what is causing the problem, I temporarily put down the oar in the boat and move forward towards the small fin. But, unfortunately, it seemed I had rowed out too suddenly, and I had caught a fish of some kind underneath my boat, and I was still too close to the mainland. So the fish is stuck between my boat and the sand beneath the water, keeping my boat from moving no matter how much I paddle.

"Stupid bloody fish..." I mutter out as I move towards it, I was having a real emotional moment right there, and you ruined it. I was hardening my resolve and anything, coming to terms with setting out to see on my own with nothing to depend on except my own body, and you ruined it.

Wanting to just get going as soon as possible, I look down at the fin poking out of the water. It must be a big sucker because I am quite a bit out from the shore, so it has to be big to impede my boat's movement like this. Since it is stuck, then I will just have to free it and stop it from barricading my path.

Reaching down, I grab hold of the meaty bluefin and try to use it to yank it out from underneath the boat, but it doesn't budge in the slightest. What kind of fish is this? It is big and heavy, and it has this weird thick fin thing sticking out the top of its head. Oh well, I have seen more bizarre animals and fish before. With the number of strange things I have seen, this really doesn't phase me.

Since yanking on the fin alone isn't working, then I have to use two hands, and I need another point of leverage. So, tightening my grasp upon the fin with one hand, I reach my other down into to the water and start to feel around for something of the fish to latch onto and use to drag it out and move it away. Fumbling around, my hands brush against scaly skin as I search around for something to grab, and eventually, I feel something long and hard.

Feeling around it is very long and with many prominent ridges, ending in sharp pointy ends. They will definitely cut if I whammed my hand against it, but not if I get a proper grip. So, grabbing hold of the ridge thing attached to the fish, I use it and my hold on the fin to yank the fish out. And it is working, as it starts t rise out of the water. And as it does, the water begins to pour off of it, and I get a good look at it.

Blue rough skin. A black hat-shaped sort of thing covering its head and shadowing its eyes. Surprisingly human-like ears, although they are blue. The thing I am holding onto appears to be its long sawtooth-like nose. And the fin I was holding onto was coming out of its wide neck, though I have let go of the now as the fish seems to have been let free and is rising of its own will. It has a wide mouth with sharp teeth and a long chin.

It wears a green scarf around its robust neck, underneath which there is a black trench coat it wears around its shoulders. Though the coat is left open to show the blue muscled torso, and on the left side of its chest, there seems to be some sort of a tattoo, that is shaped like a... sun.

...Fishes don't have tattoos, right? My thought goes unanswered as this thing rises out of the water to a height where my hand can no longer reach its nose, and I realise I was never pulling on it in the first place. I look down at the water from which it is rising, where I can not even see its legs yet, and it has risen to be much taller than me now. Though what I do see is its arm reaching out to reveal a big blue human-like hand whose fingers are connected by a thin skin. And that webbed hand is resting on the front of my boat, impeding its path and making it completely stationary.

I take a step back and then look back up at whatever this thing is, and then I can properly see its face without it being hidden under a shadow and without all the water. Its eyes are looking down at me, narrowed and angry. But what scares me, even more, is the feeling behind them, the sheer disgust and disdain for me in those eyes that want nothing more than to make me suffer and tear me to shreds.

"Thought you could run from Fishmen into the seas, stupid human?"

"Wha-"

*WHAM*

I am suddenly flying through the air with my old boat underneath, and I don't even know what happened. I wasn't hit or anything. I would have felt that. The boat that I was on was unexpectedly thrown like it didn't weigh anything by whoever it was that I just had the displeasure of meeting, and since I was on it, I was thrown as well.

"AGgh," I grunt as my back collides with the ground, the boat falling on top of me and shattering into multiple pieces, the debris hitting me as well and giving me a few scratches and splinters. Thankfully the boat was old and seemed to have weakened over time, so it broke pretty easily. Still, it hurt, and I mean emotionally as well as physically. That was the first working thing I ever made, and it has just been destroyed on the second time it has ever been used. Shit, now is not the time to be thinking about that.

I quickly get up and scramble to my feet, turning to face the ocean to see the same Fishman that just through me walking up onto the shore out of the sea. I know the attacking pirates were Fishmen, but I didn't think they would be... Fishmen. I was expecting something along the lines of Aquaman, you know? A man with gills, maybe some other fish features but predominantly human looking. Not actual fish people, who are entirely different colours and all fish-looking.

"This island is now under the Arlong pirates, and no one leaves." The Fishman speaks as he walks out of the sea and onto the sand, and I can see some other fishmen rising from the ocean behind him. They are... like the creature pirate things in Pirates of the Caribbean, the members of Davy Jones's crew that had all become part of the ship, and therefore, they all became part of the sea. Except these guys are less disgusting, slimy and weird, though they look to be just as menacing.

"Now, the new rules are fifty thousand for children and one hundred thousand for adults. So... where is your family, kid? They have to cough up or die," The sawtooth who threw me speaks. Obviously, the leader and the others all defer to him.

"I don't have a family, and I don't have the money to pay you," I say as I settle into a stance, my hands by my side, ready to fight though I don't like my odds with the amount of them rising from the sea. But I will give as good as I get and take a few of them down with me if I have to, I wanted to avoid this, but now I will just have to deal with the cards I am dealt.

"Is that so? Hm, well, let's go check if there is anyone willing to pay for you before we get rid of you. Don't want to miss out on fifty thousand. Kurobi, Chew, Hachi, what do you think about this place?" The Fishman just ignores me completely, not even paying attention to my fighting stance and my blatant defiance. He doesn't even have any qualms with killing but is more upset at the idea of losing the fifty thousand I would provide for him.

"Um, Hachi isn't here, Arlong. You told him to bring the girl with us, so he is running here instead of swimming because the girl can't breathe underwater." So a Fishman with massive lips says to the aptly named Arlong. The guy is named Arlong, and the group is called the Arlong Pirates, real original. It seems that they have kidnapped a girl for some reason, which is worrying.

"Tch, pathetic humans. Well, what do you two think about building Arlong Park here? Once we get rid of this house." The captain of the Arlong Pirates says, threatening the existence of my home. And for something as stupidly called Arlong Park, again, real original.

"That is my house," I said staunchly. It remains unsaid that I will not let them destroy it. After all the hard work I put into it, I absolutely refuse to let some uppity assholes come in and tear it down for some stupid park.

"Your house. You little BRAT! You said you don't have any money! Do you think lying is going to stop us from getting what we want?" Arlong threatens, walking towards me menacingly, his crew following after him and moving to surround me. I stay in the same spot, adamant about not letting them push me, but things are not looking good for me.

"I spent all my money on materials, so I could build it," I say, trying my hardest to stay calm and project that out as well. I don't want the pirate captain to think I have family or something and drive him to hunt them down because he will likely pinpoint Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee. But, I can't help the trepidation in my heart as these ferocious pirates all train their eyes on me, with sharp teeth and deadly-looking appendages at the ready.

"You built it. SHAHAHAHAHA! LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE A BUNCH OF TALENTED MULES ON THIS ISLAND FOR US TO USE!" He roars with laughter, and his crew join him. I stay still as they all continue to walk further inland because I really don't know what to do, and I am faced with insurmountable odds. If I make a stand now, then I will die facing these nine fishmen and maybe take a couple of them out, but that would leave the rest of the village to the tender mercies of the angry survivors.

"Follow, brat, you work for us now and will be building stuff for us along with the rest of the workers. Now, let's go to the village, men." Arlong says, not paying any attention to my defiance, and I let my hands drop as he walks towards me, not showing any more fight. I am stubborn and maybe even a little prideful, but I am not stupid. This is a bad situation, and nothing will come from me fighting and dying a meaningless death. It is better to live another day than to give it all up now and help no one.

All the villagers have enough to pay for this month, and I have twenty thousand berries at home, and I am sure that the villagers can scrape together the remaining thirty thousand berries to pay my fee for this month no matter how much I don't like the idea of that. So, with us all getting through this day alive and the Fishmen paid for the month, I will wait for the perfect opportunity and strike.

I wait for the right day when they are all spread out and then take them out one by one, assassinating them and killing them off without any risk to the villagers. I dislike the idea of being so sneaky and taking these guys out without even giving them a chance to fight back, but the villagers' lives matter more, and these guys are attacking our way of life.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!! STOP IGNORING ME!!" I am brought out of my thoughts by a big blue hand coming towards me and grabbing roughly onto my shoulder, shaking me. I was so lost in my thoughts and plans that I didn't move out of the way or listen to Arlong, and now he is gripping me.

"A-ah. Okay, I will-" *ROAAAR* I was trying to calm the situation and resolve the problem, but I was interrupted by a piercing roar that suddenly rang out in the clearing. I quickly start to look around, wondering which Fishman let out such a bestial roar. I look left and right, but I don't see anything and even the fishmen look a little confused. But that is when I remembered that they said another Fishman was travelling on land with a hostage, a little girl, and he must have...I quickly turn around to look towards the village, ready to run there as soon as possible to protect the villagers and-

"GRUAAAAGH!" I hear that all-familiar sound behind me, but this time it is so deafening and filled with anger, and I spin back around to-

A spurt of something hits me in the face as something else is thrown high up into the sky, spinning, but I can't quite see with whatever it is that is on my face, so I try to remove it. I hurriedly wipe my face with both hands so that I can get my vision back, did one of these guys spit ink at me or something, like an octopus Fishman?

Finally clearing my eyes, I drag my hands down my face and then look at them to see that they... are red. I stare, shocked for a moment, before lifting my head up to see the end of a black pole pointing towards my face, with sharp broad swords jutting out on one side of the black rod. The handle is like the handle of a katana, and it rests in the hand of Arlong, who wields the monstrosity of a weapon. But the most eye-catching thing about the sword is the red liquid slathering over its blades.

...Did I overestimate myself? That is blood that is on the word, just like there is on my hands and face... Is it mine? Was I cut down just like that, and I haven't even realised it yet? Has he cut my face up, and blood spurted out from there? What is going o-?

Something drops from the sky and lands roughly on the sandy beach, tumbling forwards to rest at my feet. Confused, I look down at it slowly and-

.
.
.
.
.

"...George?" His lifeless eyes stare back up at me, empty. His head resting on the sandy beaches, and I notice his body crumpled on the ground near Arlongs feet.

"GEEEEOOOOOORRGE!!!" I drop to my knees and go to touch him, but then I stop. I can't... I just can't touch him. I want to grab him, hold him and make sure that this is fake, that this is an illusion. But I know if I pick his head up, then I will lift it with ease because it is no longer attached to his body... I can't. I can't stop the tears from coming out.

"SHAHAHAHA!! STUPID ANIMAL!! Did you see that the stupid thing rushed out of the forest and tried to attack me? Shahahah. We fishmen are ten times as strong as humans. So no stupid weak ape is going to even hurt my pinky! SHAHAHAHAH" Arlong laughs, and his crew all laugh with him. Finding George funny...

I feel something rising from the very depths of my soul.

My best friend, who stuck by me all this time even if he didn't do much to help out. But he did. He did so much for me. He was there for me, no matter what. Even when I didn't have much food or money, and people weren't trusting me with any jobs, he stuck with me and didn't run off to live a better life in the forest and steal from Bellemere's orchard. He was lazy, dumb and funny. But he helped me when I needed it. With my jobs, with making my house, with my training, he never said no. He was my best friend.

It is powerful, unstoppable, and, most of all, vengeful.

"HAHAHAHAH!" And these... BASTARDS! ARE LAUGHING AT HIM! MAKING FUN OF HIM!!

It is like pure vitriol running through my veins, along my bones and into every cell of my body. And it wants out, this rage, this anger, it wants to rush out and enforce itself on the world, on these pirates.

"SHAHAHAHA!!" ARLONG!!! THESE FISHERMEN PIRATE PIECES OF SHIT!!! I WILL KILL THEM!! KILL THEM ALL!!!!

It bursts free.

"AGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

-----------------------------------

The sound of sobs wakes me up, the sniffling and cries assaulting my ears. I crack my eyes open, confused and look around to find myself in a room that has only a little light coming in through the window, which is covered by a curtain. My body rested on the rough hardwood floor, so I was not at my house because the floors of my house were smooth and clean. I spent a long time cutting down trees in the surrounding forest, and then George and I carried them... George...He's-

"Y-You..? Y-You're awake?" A quiet voice calls out, and I quickly turn around to find a young girl, around ten years of age, with orange hair.

"...What happened?" I ask, confused about how I came to be here and just what is going on.

"A-A-Arlong came and threw you in here. T-The fishmen were all arguing about you... S-Some of them wanted to kill you..." She reveals, confusing me further though I have worked out who this girl is. She is the one they kidnapped, who was supposed to be with a Fishman called Hachi.

I get up off the floor and start to walk towards the door of the house, determined to find these bastards and figure out how everyone in the village is right now. I am a little confused why they would want to possibly kill me since they were going to force me to work for them earlier, but I don't care about that.

"W-Wait!! Where are you going? Answer me!!" The girl cried behind me, and though I wanted to just ignore her and get on with my only goal right now, I answered her.

"I am going find Arlong and all the other fishmen. And then I am going to kill them." So I say, not stopping my steps as I continue on towards the door. The last thing I remember is seeing... seeing George... And then I felt a rush of feelings that overwhelmed me, rage being the predominant emotion which I still feel even now, and then I shouted, and something burst out of me. And then everything went black, and I awoke here.

But that doesn't change anything. I don't care what happened, or why they would kill me or even why they kidnapped the little girl behind me. I don't care about anything but making them suffer and die, so I am going to find them and kill them all.

"WAIT!! STOP, YOU WILL DIE!!" The girl shouts urgently, and I don't know why, but my feet stall, and I am unable to take another step. For some reason, my body refuses to move. Am I a coward? Does the threat of death cow me into submission so easily? NO. I am not afraid to die, I already have died once before, and I know what comes after, and I do not fear it. The only thing I fear is what comes before death, and that is life, and I will not live a life in fear and pain.

I feel that strange feeling again and that powerful urge deep inside, but not to the point of bursting. And I take a step forward. It hurts, it hurts to move, and I don't know why, and I don't care either. So I take a step forward despite the pain, that feeling deep inside supporting me and lifting me up, making me able to take on anything and keep going.

"PLEASE, STOP!! DON'T LEAVE!! YOU WILL DIE LIKE... like Bellemere..." Her words made me stop again, shocked to hear that familiar name. That crude lady that always sold me and George tangerines, even though George stole a lot from her. Is she dead?

"Who are you? How do you know Bellemere-San?" I say, stopping my path and turning around to look at the girl again. I start to walk towards her, paying more attention this time. She is approximately ten years old, with orange hair and brown eyes, wearing a white dress with thick green outlines and straps that button over her shoulders, along with some brown sandals. There are a few bruises on her, and the skin around her eyes is red and blotchy. She has been crying immensely.

"I-I am Nami. Bellemere was my mother..." So that cranky woman had a kid, I would have never thought it given her less than motherly attitude, but I suppose she was never that friendly to us after the tangerine incident.

"Well, don't worry, Nami. I will avenge Bellemere-San. I am going to kill every last one of those pirates." I tell her, wanting to reassure her. But instead of the reaction I expected, she springs up and starts to shout at me.

"YOU CAN'T. THEY WILL KILL YOU. AND IF YOU DO KILL ONE OF THEM, THEN THEY WILL KILL YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE AS WELL. I HAVE MADE A DEAL WITH ARLONG. IF I CAN GET ONE MILLION BERRIES, THEN HE WILL FREE THE VILLAGE AND LEAVE. SO YOU CAN'T LEAVE, YOU WILL DAMN EVERYONE!!" She roars with determination, nothing like the little girl that was crying in the corner a second ago.

"I will not kill one of them. I will kill all of them. Or I will die trying. They will not harm the villagers because then that would be less money for them. So I would be the only one to die." So I tell her, and then I try to move and leave again, but my body refuses to listen to me. I can't move towards the door no matter what, so I stop trying to walk to the door and just focus on moving, wondering if the fishmen poisoned me or something. But I then move perfectly fine, but the moment I decide to walk towards the door and leave, I freeze and can't walk.

"NO!! NO ONE ELSE HAS TO DIE!! STOP BEING SELFISH!! DON'T TRY TO DIE!! STAY ALIVE!! STAY HERE!!" She shouts, tears leaking from her eyes. And to my shock, my body becomes able to move again, but I know for a fact that my body will stop if I try to leave this room... No... She ordered me, and I listened whether I wanted to or not.

Fuck...

She is the one... The one who I have imprinted on...

The condition has come into effect...

[AN: I can already hear a lot of rage because of this, but this was never wish fulfilment. I want to make this like a proper one-piece origin story. Like Luffy had Foosha village, Bluejam and Sabo. So this is the way it is going, and the imprint thing is not as bad as it may seem, so chill out and wait to see what happens next]