Amarillo's Pirate Adventure (One Piece SI)

[DragonField]

Chapter 1– The Next Journey.

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[You Have Died. Pick Up To Five Traits For Your New Life.]

What the fuck is this. I move my hands to try and push this weird blue screen out of my way, but then I realise I don't have hands. So where is my body, and why am I so calm right now when I should be freaking out like an average person would be? And I am dead. How can that be when I don't even remember dying?

[You Are Now Dead, You Are Now Being Prepared For A New Life. It Has Been Decided That You No Longer Need Your Emotions And Connections To That Life Since It Is Now Over. Therefore, The Growth Of New Emotion And Feeling Has Been Put On Hold Till Your Next Life Begins. This Will Help The Facilitation Of New Feelings, New Emotions And New Connections In The Next Life With No Past Attachments. You Do Not Remember Your Death Because, In Some Cases, The Trauma Carries Over, Into The Next Life. This Is Unpreffered. Choose Up To 5 Traits.]

While I may not feel any emotion or feelings at the moment, I still have my memories for the most part and from that, I know and remember what kind of reaction I would have to such a situation. I would not like it one bit, so I decided to boycott this mysterious screen to see what would happen, and if I could be offered some other alternatives, as I no longer have a body that can die, I could stay like this infinitely. So I remain still and look around at the black void that covers everything around me, and the only light source in this place is the blue screen.

Time moves forward (or does it?) as I just stay still and look at the screen in front of me without doing anything, and the weird screen doesn't say anything else, letting me do whatever I want. So time passes, and I can't tell if it has been minutes or millenniums, but what is clear is that the screen does not care about my abstaining.

So eventually, I decided to just move forward. Having grown bored of this dark void, I may not have emotions at the moment. However, I can still feel boredom and the need to experience anything other than this monotony. As if hearing my thoughts, the screen shows all the possible traits available to me.

[ Adrenaline Junkie:
You are someone who enjoys intense and thrilling activities that generate an adrenaline rush. "Moves faster when highly panicked."

Athletic:
You are a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina. "Can run faster and longer without tiring."

Brave:
You have the mental and moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty. You possess the potential to be as courageous as a brave soldier in a war. "Less prone to becoming panicked."

Cat's Eyes:
You have the eyes of a wild cat, eyes that are evolved to help hunt down its prey and have the most incredible vision, even at night. "Better vision, including at night."

Dextrous:
You are someone who is graceful and skilful in physical movements, a person who is especially good with their hands. "Handles objects and items quickly and effectively."

Eagle-Eyed:
You have the eyes of an eagle. You see everything carefully and notice everything there is to notice. "Has a faster visibility fade and a higher visibility arc."

Fast Healer:
Healing takes a lot of time for everyone else, but for you, you heal faster than them, so much so that you wonder if you were even hurt in the first place. "Recovers faster from injury and illness."

Fast Learner:
Learning takes a lot of time for everyone else, but for you, you learn faster than them, so much so that you can become adequate and understand something in only a few minutes. "Learns and understands faster."

Fast Reader:
An average person pushed to the limits can read at around a rate of 400-700 words per minute while sacrificing comprehension. You can read so much more and understand every single word. "Takes less time to read books or any other such things."

Fit:
You are naturally in good shape, and your physique defies common sense as you hardly have to work to maintain it. "In good physical shape."

Graceful:
Everything you do is beautiful, well-formed and done with ease. You are as elegant and graceful as a ballet dancer having grace in movement, shape, or proportion. "Makes less noise when moving and can move with unnatural prowess."

Inconspicuous:
The word comes from the Latin word inconspicuous, or 'not visible'. The original meaning of inconspicuous was 'invisible'. You do not attract attention to yourself in any way as you blend in without being prominent or attracting attention. "Less likely to be spotted by anyone."

Iron Gut:
You can drink or eat whatever you want with no worries about how it will affect your stomach. You will never have food poisoning or food-induced puke thanks to your Iron Gut. "Less chance to have food illness."

Keen Hearing:
You have a powerful ability to listen, overhear, understand and comprehend anything being said. "Larger perception radius."

Light Eater:
You don't have to eat that much to stay fighting fit. You could fight off a herd of horses, having only eaten a single apple. "Needs to eat less regularly."

Low Thirst:
Ordinary people can go a couple of weeks without eating but only a little under a week without water. You can go without water for much longer. "Needs to drink water less regularly."

Lucky:
Luck is success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions. Your luck is more attuned to success than failure. "Sometimes things just go your way."

Organised:
You are very meticulous and neat, you do things in a particular way, and you abide by the rules of order and organisation. Some would say to the point it's unhealthy. "Increased organisation capacity."

Outdoorsman:
You are someone who spends too much time outdoors or in outdoor activities. You know the lay of the land and how to forage through it and suckle on mother nature's teat for sustenance. "Not affected by harsh weather conditions and comfortable in the woods."

Resilient:
You can handle anything. You will bear the pain and soldier on through the hardship no matter the cost. "Less prone to disease. A slower rate of decay."

Speed Demon:
You love the speed and exhilaration you get from going fast. Some might mistake you for a furry blue hedgehog with white gloves and red boots who loves chilli dogs. "Speed is increased beyond measure."

Stout:
You stand your ground when people try to take you away from it. When the world comes and tries to move you, you say, 'no, you move'. "Diminished knockback from melee weapons and increased carry weight. Doubles with Strong"

Strong:
You stand your ground when people try to take you away from it. When the world comes and tries to move you, you say, 'no, you move'. "Diminished knockback from melee weapons and increased carry weight. Doubles with Stout"

Thick Skinned:
Not the resilience to insults and words directed at you. This is the literal thickness of the skin, which provides better protection and durability. "Less chance of lacerations or cuts breaking through the skin."

Wakeful:
When pushed to the maximum, ordinary people can only survive less than a week without sleep. You can survive double that and even more when pushed to the max. "Needs less sleep."]

Okay, well, first of all, I don't really need any of the traits that have physical effects since all of that can be cultivated and trained with time if the new world I go to even needs such physical skills. I doubt I'll need the traits that have other random effects since any world I go to will probably be civilised, and if it is not, the people I am born to will help to make me prepared for the world. Hence, it is better to get traits with more mental aspects as they can then be applied to all other aspects of life and improve them.

Also, the descriptions themselves are pretty confusing, as there is a short description under each skill. Then after the report is a brief note on the trait, so it is a bit confusing. Still, I think that the description is just some flowery words to trick people, and the quick note afterwards is the actual effect which would make most of the skills in the list look a lot different. Still, all of them have a flowery description, so if I choose based on the brief notes, then the result will most likely be much better. Or not. Who knows how this thing works.

I will pick Brave as being brave can apply to facing off against significant threats against yourself or simply facing a daunting situation, so that is a definite plus. Fast Learner, as learning things fast and adapting and comprehending at a quicker rate is crucial to survival and, more importantly, flourishing. Lucky as luck can play a big part in everyone's life, and if I am more lucky than unlucky, then indeed, that is better.

Believing that that is enough traits for the mental aspect of my future self, I then decide to at least invest in some passive physical attributes in case I do end up going to a harsher world, and the last two traits will complement my other characteristics as well. Therefore I decide on Fast Healer, as healing faster will always be helpful, and less time being ill means more time doing more important stuff.

Finally, I choose Adrenaline Junkie as this will genuinely be crucial if I am born into a much harsher world, and it will help me to survive any dangerous situations I may come across in the new world. Of course, I can always build my body up and get stronger, but this will help my survivability and allow me to be faster if I need to fight or run away.

[You Have Chosen Adrenaline Junkie, Brave, Fast Healer, Fast Learner and Lucky. These Traits Are Now Locked In. Now Assigning You 5 Random Negative Traits To Balance Out You're New Life.]

Wait, what? I wasn't told about any negative traits. If I knew about that, then I wouldn't have risked it and not picked any of the characteristics as it said I could pick up to five, which means I can pick zero as well. It is too late now, though, my traits are locked in, and all I can do now is hope for the best.

[You Have Been Assigned Claustrophobic, Clumsy, Conspicuous, Sleepy Head and Smoker.

Claustrophobic:
Claustrophobia is the irrational fear of confined spaces, and there are different severities, but avoiding these places may reinforce that fear. Some people with claustrophobia can experience mild anxiety when in a confined space. In contrast, other people will have severe anxiety or a panic attack, and the most common experience is a feeling or fear of losing control. "Gets panicked when in tightly confined spaces. Reactions can be variable."

Clumsy:
Dropping things, tripping a lot, and stumbling are all examples of clumsiness. Clumsy people usually aren't too good at sports or anything requiring accuracy, and you most certainly will not be a surgeon in your lifetime. "Not at all graceful and makes more noise when moving."

Conspicuous:
You are clearly visible, obvious and showy, attracting attention because of a unique quality or feature or even your actions. "More likely to be spotted by everyone around you, has striking features or fashion."

Sleepy Head:
You are a sleepy and absent-minded person that is prone to tiredness and sleeping for much too long. If something is not stimulating enough, you can very easily fall asleep due to boredom. "Needs more sleep."

Smoker:
You smoke substances regularly, having become addicted to them, everything becomes so much better and more manageable when you begin to smoke, and you relax and calm down when you smoke, but you can't go too long without a cloud of smoke, or you will fall and burn. "Stress and unhappiness decrease after smoking tobacco. Unhappiness rises when tobacco is not smoked."]

Overall out of the many possible negative traits I can think of, I don't think I pulled the worst shortest straw. Still, I also didn't pull the longest because some of these, while manageable, can also become a real headache in the future. Conspicuous and Smoker, while slightly annoying, don't actually have much of an impact as they are just striking looks and clothes as well as smoking some cigarettes every day, with the last one probably only kicking in when I am mature, and that may only be stressful when I no longer have anything to smoke. Still, the other three can actually give me quite a headache.

First of all, Sleepy Head will be really obstructive because I will work less efficiently if I don't get enough sleep, and I am also liable to just fall asleep if whatever happening is not stimulating enough. Being clumsy will also be very inconvenient as I will be stumbling and messing things up, not to mention that if the world is indeed a dangerous place, then being Clumsy will make life infinitely more difficult for me.

Finally, Claustrophobic is the worst of them all as it can range anywhere from mild discomfort to severe anxiety, which means that either way, I will find it challenging to remain in closed-off tight spaces, and since those are pretty much everywhere, I am pretty screwed.

[With All Of Your Traits now Chosen, You May Move On To Your Next Life, Your Memories Will Be Erased, And Your Soul Will Be Sent Off To Begin Its New Journey. Alternatively, You Can Choose The Option To Keep Your Memories Without Any Of The Emotional Connect, And Your Emotions Will Be Resumed In Your Next Life. If You Choose This Option, You Must Spin The Wheel Of Conditions.]

So I can either have my soul sent off to begin a new life without my memories, but does that even constitute it as still being me? Alternatively, I can keep all of my memories without the emotional connections and attachments, but to do that, I need to spin something called The Wheel Of Conditions. I want to choose the second option, but I need to figure out what The Wheel Of Conditions is. It must be some kind of cost that needs to be paid in order to keep my memories and intellectual knowledge.

[The Wheel Of Knowledge Is A Wheel That, When Spun, Will Land On A Condition/Law That Will Be Enforced On You For The Rest Of Your Next Life. It Could Be Something Simple Such As Shouting 'Tequila' After Every Expel Of Gas You Do Or Something Much More Complicated Like Cutting Off A Part Of Your Body Every Time Something Enters Your Anus. Make A Decision.]

So I can move on to my next life without my memories, or I can take my memories. Still, in return, I have to abide by a specific condition that will be enforced upon me for the rest of my life. Still, this condition can be anything from very mild to very serious. I also have to consider if the theme in the next world without my memories will really be me since they have none of the memories that I have, and for that matter, am I even really who I was before without my old emotions and connections.

If the person I become in the next world isn't even me, then what is the point of choosing all of these traits if I will never get to experience all of them myself and I have just selected the base plate for the person my soul will go on into, wouldn't it be worth it to spin the wheel and keep my memories to at least somewhat experience the next world for myself even if I do have to abide by some random condition.

[You Have Ten Seconds Before You Are Sent On To The Next World, Make Your Decision.]

[10.]

[9.]

[8.]

[7.]

Okay, okay. I choose to keep my memories and spin The Wheel Of Conditions.

[Spinning The Wheel Of Conditions]

Okay, I expected to have some kind of mystical wheel show up, and I would have to spin it. But instead, the screen is just saying it's turning the wheel, and it is probably going to rely on some sort of random number generator to pick the condition that is random, so it doesn't matter.

[Condition Selected. Condition Is Imprinted

Imprinted:
A female in your new world will be chosen upon your birth, and they will be selected as the person you imprint on. of course, you can go your whole life without meeting them, or they can die before you meet them, which will nullify the condition. You can't control when it happens or to who, and it can happen at any age. Imprinting on someone means when you see her, everything will change. You will listen to her every word and not be able to refuse her regardless of how you feel on the inside. You will not be able to harm her, you will have to listen to her every command, and there is nothing you can do about it. Of course, nothing is impossible.]

What the hell. I have just agreed to become a slave of a random woman in my next world. I would rather lose my memories than live as someone's servant. Before I can contemplate this any further, the blue screen plinks out of existence, taking me by surprise, and all I am left with is the deep dark void around me, but even that doesn't last. The opening begins to twist and turn on itself as if it was a black hole, and it happens so fast that I can't even react as space folds in on itself. I am sucked into the deep crevice of existence.

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My name is Amarillo Toro, and I have lived in the town of Shokuyasi Village since I can remember. Though apparently, I was born in Gosa Village, but my mother died in childbirth, so I was immediately taken to the only orphanage that exists on the Conomi Islands. This orphanage is in Shokuyasi Village, and it is run by two people who are called Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee.

Mummy Mee is a fair-skinned woman with a long face, long eyelashes, and a pointed chin. She has puffed-up purple hair and wears red lipstick and gold earrings. She also wears a fancy purple coat with a fluffy, white fur collar and a yellow-orange button-up shirt with a red dress underneath.

Daddy Dee is a tan-skinned man with brown hair and a thin, two-piece moustache. He wears a blue and white striped top hat, a blue double-breasted suit, and a pair of circular glasses. He also wears a brown scarf underneath his suit.

I have never fit in with the other children at the orphanage because I am too different to them, and I just think differently. However, since I was born, there have always been these memories in my mind, and I know that they come from the man that I used to be since we both have the same soul.

Still, he has lived for decades, and I am not even ten years old yet, so while I know that the memories are mine, I also know that they don't belong to me and belong to the man I used to be before all the emotions and feelings were cut from the memories, either way, these memories are mine and have helped me in many ways as they helped me skip a few embarrassing moments that people must go through when growing.

However, the language in the memories does not exist in this new world as there is a different primary language here which I had to learn, and due to learning and thinking in English, it was more challenging to get the hang of though I still managed to understand it before the other children around my age.

That is actually one of the reasons that the orphanage children and I don't get along. It is because I am much more clever than the other children in the orphanage, even the ones older than me. They definitely don't like that because when they do things that they think are fantastic, I know that it is actually idiotic due to my inherited common sense.

When they try to involve me, I make my opinion clear, which they don't like. Regardless I have grown up pretty isolated in my village, with only Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee to properly converse with. Aside from that, I have been trying to make use of all of the traits that the past me chose. Thank you for your choices past me.

Currently, I have not felt the effect of Smoker or Claustrophobic apart from those that I have experienced the rest of my in some way or another. The trait I have experienced the most would be clumsy as I am constantly tripping and falling over things though thankfully, that is the only way that this trait shows itself.

I am not clumsy with my hands though I do get a few injuries with my clumsiness. Thankfully, they heal quickly thanks to Fast Healer though I have had a few close calls where I have fallen in very dangerous places.

For instance, Daddy Dee was once taking us kids on a walk through the island to see the sights. When we were walking along a cliff edge, I ended up stumbling and falling over the edge of the cliff, only to have my leg get tangled up in some roots growing from the side. Daddy Dee managed to pull me back up, and I can't help but think that that was my Lucky trait coming into effect as it saved me from my negative trait, clumsy, so I can at least be assured that Clumsy is being nullified somewhat by Lucky.

I have made use of my Fast Learner trait by comprehending and absorbing things much faster than others, such as in the classes that Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee have for us and thanks to my memories, I pretty much knew most of the things already or at least something similar which is where my next trait Sleepy Head came into effect as I started to fall asleep in all of the classes which were dull. However, I am thankful that this trait just means I sleep more than other people, and I will fall asleep if I am seriously bored.

Finally, my trait Brave was used whenever I stood up to the groups of kids in the orphanage who didn't like me since there were quite a lot of them. Still, I stood my ground nonetheless, which brought my final trait Adrenaline Junkie into effect as my adrenaline shot up when I began to fight with the other kids. Then I got addicted to the feeling of the thrill when I was fighting due to my trait. At this point, both Adrenaline Junkie and Brave fed off of each other to get me into fights which I began to enjoy. Maybe in hindsight, it was not clever to pair these two traits together.

When those fights began to happen, I was always on the losing end, usually ending up beaten and crying until Mommy Mee or Daddy Dee found me and then patched me up and helped my Fast Healer trait to work faster, but even though I would not tell them they would work out who it was that was fighting me, and they would punish them which only made those kids madder at me which made more and more fights occur but unexpectedly I began to enjoy the meetings of fists and the sting of punches.

I got better and better at fighting, and I believe it was because of my traits Brave, Adrenaline Junkie, Clumsy and Lucky which all fed into each other to help me out with Adrenaline Junkie providing me with a much-needed boost in battle, Brave helping me to not shy away from giving and receiving hits. I was wrong about Lucky nullifying Clumsy as it ultimately depended on the situation and whether being Clumsy would be beneficial to me in a single moment.

Luck fed into Clumsy making me stumble or trip out of the way of punches or unexpectedly into someone's guard, allowing me to get a body shot in. Realising this, I began to take advantage of it and focus on using it in my fights, and since I was aware of it, my trait Fast Learner came into effect.

I began to develop a style which was kind of similar to the drunken fist. Still, instead of pretending to be drunk and getting into that mindset, I was just feeding into my clumsiness and manipulating it to suit my needs which meant using lurching, random movements and falling have been incorporated into my style, which gave me the edge against the other kids in the orphanage.

Just recently, I have become undefeated with none of the kids in the orphanage being able to put up a fight against me which didn't get my blood flowing. So I began to stupidly fall asleep during the battle due to the trait Sleepy Head and that allows them to sometimes get a good wallop in and get my blood flowing.

However, it ultimately isn't enough as I still easily beat them, it has gotten to the point that I don't even bother talking to them anymore as there is no point in conversing with them, but this seems to annoy them more. They still come at me, prolonging this long chain of battles that is no longer fun for me.

Today I am 7 years old, and I have just been called into Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee's office to discuss something first thing in the morning. I knock on the door, and when I get a reply, I enter, closing the door behind me before looking t them both.

They are dressed in their good clothes like usual, as are all of us in the orphanage, which is not what I expected, but I guess it doesn't matter and expecting them to have called me here to tell me happy birthday, I go to greet them both but stop because instead of the both of them looking glad they both instead look severe.

"Please, take a seat, Toro. We have something we need to discuss with you, something serious."

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 2– Alone Again.

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"Something serious, huh? Just what exactly is this about?" I ask, concerned, never having heard this tone of voice from Mummy Mee in my entire life, having only heard kindness and sometimes her stern voice, but right now, she is all business. There is no emotion to be seen on her face, Daddy Dee is trying to emulate her but can't quite manage it as he looks a little sad but resigned next to her, and they both look at one another as if to confirm something before they turn their gazes back to me.

"I am sorry, Detoro, but you can no longer live in the orphanage. There are too many issues caused by your continued presence here, the other children are afraid of you, and they are scared to leave their rooms in fear of running into you, so for the sake of all the other children within this building, we have to remove you from it." I remain absolutely motionless, shocked and in disbelief at the words that leave her mouth, and I don't know how to react in this situation. this is just so unbelievably unfair.

First of all, those other kids started picking on me and beating me up, and when the situation changed, I was beating them up in return, but I only ever fought with people who started the fight with me. Otherwise, I would just ignore them. of course, I became a bit antagonistic to goad them into fights as I got a little battle manic, but they could have easily restrained themselves and not acted as they already knew they would be beaten up. Still, they decided to do so and then started coming at me with even more significant numbers, so they can only blame themselves.

"B-But I- Where, where am I going to go? You can't just kick me out. how will I feed and clothe myself?" I nearly voice my frustration at the situation and the unfairness of it all. Still, I am mature enough to know that they already know the ins and outs of the case and what is actually going on, but even so, they have to think about the majority and me being the problem in an issue that can't be solved.

The easiest solution is to just remove the problematic piece from the equation to get things working again. I understand that, and so I don't complain, knowing it would be a waste of breath. I will be leaving this place for sure, but all I need to do now is find out precisely what happens after that and how I am expected to survive.

"We are an orphanage that is funded by the World Government Detoro. for every child that resides here, we are given a certain amount of berries to provide that child with everything they need, such as food, water, clothes and any other sort of expenses that they need to survive and live healthy lives. So while you may be leaving the building, we will still regard you as one of the children that live at the orphanage." I nod my head, not voicing my dissatisfaction with the situation.

"When the World Government delivers the funds every month, we will take the amount of one child and give it to you as a stipend, this should be enough to buy yourself anything you may need, but unfortunately, we can't have you living at anybody else's house in the village as that would make your orphan status null which would stop your stipend and everybody in the village only has enough for themselves until the harvest comes. So they won't be able to accept another person in their home." Mummy Mee says with a stoic expression.

Daddy Dee then cuts in. "Of course, we would not leave you without a place to sleep or a roof over your head. Myself and Daddy Dee are both technically employed by the World Government, so we are paid a good amount for our work, and with a portion of our money, we have managed to procure a small home for you, which is next to the beach. So with that, you should have everything you need." Daddy Dee finishes, and I once again find myself speechless, but this time it is due to the kindness shown by both Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee.

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Shokuyasi Village is a coastal village that resides by the sea and is quite a while away from the other towns that are in close contact with each other, and that is because between Shokuyasi Village. The other village is a massive rice field which is the main harvest on the island. This means we are pretty cut off from the other towns due to the significant difference, but that also means that everyone in the village is pretty familiar with each other. Not a lot of people are moving into the town, and so there are exactly the amount of houses in the town for the population of the village.

However, right here on the beach is my new house which is basically just a small wooden shack (small for an adult, big enough for a child). There are actually no other houses on the beach near it for some reason, even though it seems like quite a good location, but I don't question my good luck as this will make for quite the private home where I can be myself and have fun.

"Okay, Detoro, this is now your new home. From here on, you are responsible for your own home and well-being, use your stipend wisely, and if you want any more furniture or luxuries or you have to make repairs to your home, you will have to take care of those yourself. So look after yourself, Detoro. if you ever need any help, just ask but keep in mind that we are not miracle makers, and we have a full orphanage of children to look after." Mummy Mee says with a professional tone and face with Daddy Dee by her side, who nods along with her words.

They both go to leave, but suddenly Mummy Mee stops taking me by surprise as she suddenly turns around and lunges to pull me into a quick, powerful hug. All I can do is stare at Daddy Dee, who just shrugs helplessly at me, and then she lets go and turns around before walking off back to the orphanage with Daddy Dee following her coattails.

I watch them go into the distance, and I keep observing as they move farther and farther away and slowly fade out of sight, and then they are gone. So I watch for a little longer just to make sure and affirm that they will not be coming back for me, I wait a good ten minutes, and they are not back, which means I am now officially on my own.

I pull out the key given to me by Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee and unlock the front door of my house and enter to lay sight on the inside, which is surprisingly sparse, having only a bed in the left corner with a bedside drawer, a small wardrobe near the end of the bed, a kitchen in the front right corner with a wooden stool placed in front of the counter which finishes of the meagre inside of my tiny house.

However, I suppose it is enough for a kid that lives on his own. With the door now unlocked, I go back outside to collect my luggage which Daddy Dee carried here for me. It is just a minor case which holds my clothes and a few of the items I was able to scramble together in my time at the orphanage.

Dragging the bag inside, I kick the door closed behind me with my foot and then lug the bag on top of the bed before unzipping it and beginning to place the contents in their new locations in the house. as I am doing so, I decided to look at the silver lining which is this nifty little house that is secluded and seems to be very well made. This house is actually a steal. It's a wonder why no one ever bought it before Mummy Mee did for me. I really lucked out, didn't I?

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Drip. Drip. Drip.

Water was leaking through the roof, and I had to place some of my cups, plates and bowls in strategic places to capture the water drops, which also meant that I had to move my bed into the very centre of the room where no water dropped. Also, it was freezing, and I only had one duvet for myself, which wasn't enough to keep me warm.

I am sure that when Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee looked at this property, they didn't see any problems with it, and that would be very true as it hadn't rained for nearly a week, which meant the signs of slight water damage were not that obvious. However, since we had hot sun all week, it was hot as well, so I can't blame them for accidentally buying a less-than-ideal house for me. I can't even complain since they had no obligation to do it and did so out of the kindness of their own hearts, which means that I am going to have to stick with this place.

Not being able to sleep, I get out of bed and light the lanterns in the room. As I pass by the front door while doing so, I reach out a hand and pull the handle just to check that it is locked. When it is, I give a sigh of relief, being scared that I had forgotten to lock it on the first night alone in a new place and afraid that someone might come in during the night, having lit up the room and having nothing better to do I begin to properly inspect my new home and discover all the other defects that have been hidden.

After a long inspection, I had found a lot of things about the room, all of which assured me that the former owner of this house was a dick. They must have gotten fortunate to have been blessed with good weather, and then when they heard that someone was looking for a home, they quickly went and hid all of the bad things in the house in a desperate bid to see it, and unluckily the orphanage owners fell for the ploy.

I had discovered that the entire floor had been painted to cover up the water damage, they had hung a mesh kind of material across the top of the room to hide the roof, under my mattress, most of the wooden supports were broken as well as the springs in the matters also being broken, and the worst thing I had discovered was that when I moved the wardrobe out of the way there was a big child-sized hole in the wall and that's why the room is so cold. The bastard former owner just covered it up with the wardrobe.

Even so, I can't call them out on it because if I do, then that means he will be exposed in front of the village, and while that is good. But ultimately, it won't mean that my housing situation will be resolved as the contracts are already signed, and the house has been sold. But, still, most importantly, if I do expose him, then Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee are going to find out, and they will be mortified they gave me such a decrepit and shoddy home, and I don't want them to experience the guilt they will feel as they are good decent people.

Resolving myself, I decide that I will deal with all of this stuff tomorrow and get set out on making a plan to fix this place and turn this house into a home, feeling that I should at least get some sleep in preparation for tomorrow I go and blow out all of the candles and walk back to the bed and- OH CRAP!! Who the hell left that pot on the floor, and why is my arm now so cold now, looking up I am face to face with a wooden wall, and when I look down, I can see my arm going through it, and it is getting incredibly wet and cold, so I pull it back in, but now I am left with the new problem.

Deciding to take a leaf out of the former owner's handbook, I walk over and drag the bedside table over in front of the new hole and then climb back into bed. I huddle up inside my duvet and curl in on myself, hoping that tomorrow will be a better day than today.

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I am currently in one of the only bookstores in Shokuyasi village, and I am staring at a carpentry book for idiots which costs ฿400, and I am thinking. Still, whether to buy it or not since I could just find some planks of wood and nail them onto the walls to cover the holes, which would make shoddy repairs. I also have to think about my money situation, yesterday Mummy Mee gave me my stipend for this month, which was ฿10,000, which I thought was a lot of money, but that was only because I had never had to buy things for myself.

After a bit of exploration today, I discovered that things are not as easy as I thought they were. After visiting all the shops and finding everything I would need to live through the month, I made a few calculations in my head and discovered that I would not have much extra money left over at the end of the month. The things I would need to buy are a loaf of bread for breakfast, some apples or other fruit for lunch, some meat and flavourings for dinner, and I would also need to purchase water for all my meals as well as I can't drink seawater. Finally, I would buy some new things for the house.

A loaf of bread costs ฿100, and it would last about a week, which means I need to buy four loaves for the month. A bunch of apples or fruit costs ฿60, and I would be eating a bunch a day, meaning 7 bunches a week which is ฿420. I would be buying some fresh meat along with seasoning every day to eat so I grow up big and strong with the proper nutrients so that would mean ฿250 for a day and ฿1,750 for a week. Finally, I would need to buy some water for the week, which is thankfully cheap at ฿155 since we are literally surrounded by the stuff.

All in all, when considering the costs and then stretching out the calculations to cover an entire month, it would result in ฿400 a month for the loaves of bread, ฿1,680 for the fruits a month, ฿7,000 a month for the meat and seasoning and finally ฿620 for enough water to last the month which all adds up to a sum of ฿9,700 which leaves just ฿300 for my own personal use but right now I need ฿400 just to buy the beginners guide to carpentry so that I can start to fix up my home which I will be living in for the foreseeable future.

I guess while I do need all the food I can get to grow up big and strong, I can just buy fewer bunches of fruits as the bread and meat will provide most of my sustenance. The fruit was just to be healthy, and I could use the extra money to buy the other things I needed. If I eat just 3 fruits a day instead of 4, I can cut down my monthly cost of fruit by ฿420, which would make my outcome a month ฿9,280 and leave me ฿720 for my own spending, which means I can buy this book and then still have ฿320 left over to buy some other stuff.

"You have been staring pretty hard at the book in your hands for quite some time, young'un. Why would a child like you be thinking about learning carpentry?" An old man wearing glasses and generic nice old guy clothes appears out of nowhere with a bushy moustache and a kind smile on his face. as he looks down at me and as I look back at him, the word 'Flanders' flashes through my mind, which must be from my previous life and this guy, and his atmosphere just reminds me of a Flanders whatever the hell one of those things are.

"Ah, I just wanted to try fixing some stuff at my home. There are a few broken things, and I want to fix them and to fix them I need this book so that I can figure out how to fix them. Still, I just wondered if I had enough money as it is quite expensive for a child like me," I say to him while looking down at the book and resolving myself to buy this book and start learning about this stuff so I can turn this shoddy little wooden house by the beach into a great home. Maybe if I turn out good at this, I can make a career out of this and renovate and flip houses in the future since the world might change, but appearance, greed, and profit do not.

"Oh ho, and here I thought all the kids in this village were more bothered about playing pirates and marines and goofing around. To think there would actually be a diligent and thoughtful child in this village brings an old man joy. Because of that, I am willing to sell that book to you at a discounted price of 75%, and then in a few years, there will be a new carpenter around to come make new shelves for my books and fix things around my home, at least I hope so." He says, and I am quick to respond with a yes as this 75% price means it will cost only ฿300, which is the exact amount of money I had leftover in my first calculation.

But even so, I will stick to the new estimates as I may need to buy more stuff in the future. So I go to reach into my pockets for the money before I realise that I don't have any on me and I can tell the old man realises that as well by the look on my face but I quickly pass him the book and tell him to hold it for me as I am going to run back home to get my money.

I run through the village all the way to the outskirts and then through the open fields till I get to my home and quickly fish out the key from my pocket and unlock the door before closing and locking it behind me and then reaching under my bed that is still in the middle of the room and removing one of the wooden planks and fishing out my money, making some quick calculations of what I need I take ฿1,120 which should pay for all my food for the week and my meat for the day as well as that book that I desperately need.

Quickly hiding my stash of money under the wooden planks again and locking the house up, I run back through the village with my money safely stored inside my pants pocket and avoiding people as much as possible scared that I may bump into them and the money will fall out, or someone will swipe the money from my pocket, and I finally make it back to the bookstore which I enter with excitement and spot the old man sitting behind the counter.

"I am back. Here is the ฿300 for the book. I can't wait to read it and then get to fixing the house. Just watch. I am going to make it into a mansion." I blurt out excitedly as I dig into my pocket and whip out the bundle of cash before counting out ฿300 and handing it over to the man, and then pushing the rest of the money back into my pocket and waiting for the old man to hand over the book to me.

"Ha, you sure are excited, aren't ya? A mansion, ya say? I'll wait till I see it. That's also a lot of money you got there. Do you want to buy more than one book? Because if so, I have a lot of good books that I think will serve a good lad like you well." He says, taking the money from me, pulling out the book from inside his desk, and putting it into a bag before handing it over to me. I get a bit worried when he questions the amount of money I have in my possession, but then I remember that this man gave me a discount and he was also helpful, so he is a good person.

"Ah, this money isn't for more books. It is for all my groceries for this week. I need to buy a lot of food to last the week, which is why I am glad that you gave me a discounted price. Otherwise, I would not have been able to buy the book. Thanks, Oji-San." I say to him with a happy smile on my face as I take the bag with the book inside. This book is the key to starting fixing up my house and turning the home that Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee bought for me into something magnificent.

"Haha, is that so? Then feel free to come around often, and you can sit around and read some books. I could do with some company as this old shop can get quite lonely sometimes. But you will have to buy any books you want to take back home. see ya later, young'un." Saying so, he waves me goodbye as I walk out of the door and go on my way to buy my groceries for the day and source some fresh meat to cook for dinner when I get home.

And then, after eating, I can start reading my book. One thing for sure is that I am gonna take that old man up on his offer and begin reading books at his shop because I don't really have much else to do all day, and I can learn even more instead of buying loads of books. Right now, though, I am going to have to start shopping for food and then, after that, carry it all home. So it isn't that hard to live by yourself.

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Right now, I am at home in bed and reading my newly bought book in my bed after a long day of shopping and cooking my dinner, which was just some beef that I managed to procure from one of the farmers and which I burned quite a bit on my oven which I am grateful for working considering that I forget to check that and if it didn't I would have just had some raw meat and been able to do nothing with it.

Buying the seasonings was a great call because even if I burnt the food so much so that it basically tasted like charcoal, I was able to season and flavour it, which made the taste much better in my mouth. However, it still wasn't as good as what was served at the orphanage.

After that, I went and explored the surroundings of my house for a while, but there were only some woods close by. So the rest of it was pretty deserted, which was just great for me as it meant that I could easily bathe myself in the sea instead of looking at other possibly expensive options. This way, all I had to do was make sure I stayed in the shallow waters and kept a watch out for any fish or dangerous aquatic creatures. Then when it was getting dark, I decided to go to bed early and read my book by candlelight.

Still, I realised that I had made a mistake when I was freezing in my bed, having forgotten how cold my home was. So it was a blessing that it was not raining right now, which I comforted myself with as I huddled up under the duvet and resolved to learn everything in this book so that I could sleep well at night.

I am really learning a lot from this book, and I am feeling very optimistic about the future and just how many repairs I am going to make on this structure starting tomorrow. I am going to use a hammer and some wood to start fixing up those holes and nailing some wood in.

I am going to use a saw to cut some wood exactly to create some new skirting boards to put around the room to protect the bottom of the wall, as I am liable to kick it in with my occasional bouts of clumsiness. I am going to replace all the wood in the structure little by little and get rid of the rotting wood, I am gonna make new drawers and cupboards for all the excellent possessions I am going to have in the future, and I am going to use a ham-

I don't have a hammer, I don't have any equipment, and I don't have any material or nails either. I don't have anything I need to repair this building, and I most likely don't have enough money to buy it with my current stipend. I can't get equipment or material to improve my home without money. I only get ฿10,000 a month which primarily covers my food leaving only a little left for other things, which means to make any sort of improvement on this home, I am going to have to figure out how to get more money.

Then it is settled. I am going to go to sleep, and then tomorrow morning, I am going to try and figure out a way to acquire more money so that I can fix up my home and no longer be so cold at night. I am going to make something out of this shoddy house. I won't give up, no matter how difficult it might seem.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 3– A Ship Arrives.

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I am currently walking through the village while keeping my eyes open for any opportunities that might make my life easier. Still, in a small town like this, there aren't so many of those, so I have just ended up mindlessly wandering through the village and observing the townspeople, who are all very friendly and neighbourly since this village is a tight nit community.

I am ashamed to say that quite a few people in this village actually know my name and who I am. In contrast, I don't remember theirs because I never really paid attention to any of them and mainly just fought with the kids at the orphanage and interacted with the townspeople a few times. Still, I never really paid them anytime as opposed to those who seem to have remembered me, and they shout out friendly greetings as I pass them by.

Eventually, I make it to the docks at the beach, which is a different beach than the one I live at since Shokuyasi Village is a coastal town that is at the very end of the Conomi Islands with it being surrounded on three of its sides by the seas and the other path being the one that leads to the other villages on the island.

Shokuyasi Village itself is more concentrated to the right of that piece of the island, having the sea close by on the north and east, and there is a long old path to the beach to the west, which is where I currently live. So it is pretty isolated from the village and different from the other two beaches, which are heavily populated, with the north beach having the docks of the town.

Walking along the docks, I look at the various buildings where workers are constantly coming in and out of with multiple things and out at the boats where fishermen are standing around on ships that are coming in and out of the harbour with varying shipments on board. Still, mainly they are carrying in fish that they have caught fishing out and seas, and I catch sight of one particular fishing boat pushing out of the harbour.

My eyes trail it as it drifts off into the sea, and I watch it become smaller and smaller, becoming a dot before I can no longer see it. I am just staring out at sea with the sun high up in the sky, shining down and reflecting off of the luminescent waves. I can't believe just how beautiful the ocean looks right now because the sea back in my previous life would not be able to compare to this at all with how polluted it was.

Amazed by the sight, I walk to the end of a dock and sit down, letting my legs dangle off of the side. My toes tip down into the water as I watch the mesmerising wonder in front of me and calmly watch it while feeling a sense of peace that I have never felt before. I can't help but wonder just what other amazing sights there are out there that I haven't seen yet because this world, unlike my last one, is not adequately explored, or at least it is not documented for everyone since in my previous life, everything was pretty much studied. It was all recorded on the internet, but there is nothing like that here in this world.

Of course, I have read a few of the World Economy Newspapers. Still, I was more focused on getting stronger and fighting the other kids at the orphanage, so I didn't pay much attention to any other things that were going on but from the classes at the orphanage. These rumours spread among the children, and I have a pretty basic understanding of this world from some of the newspapers I read.

This world is split up into four different seas called the North Blue, the Sout Blue, the West Blue and the East Blue, which is where I live. Apart from that, a big red cliff separates the East and South blues from the North and West blues. Then even those seas are split up as well because of this big ocean that cuts through the planet, which is somehow perpendicular to the big red wall and then even that sea, which is called the Grand Line, is further separated from the other blues by two strips on either side which is called the Calm Belts which for some reason stop boats going through (It was never really explained, we were just told too never go into the calm belt).

The only sources of information about the rest of the world come from the World Economy Newspapers, and they mainly talk about the significant events and are very focused on the battles between great pirates and marines, which were quite fun to read about and apart from that you only get newspapers that are local on islands, and that is it for information which makes me very curious about what is actually out there to be explored because this world for me is full of mystery just because of the weird set up of the ocean and that is not to mention all of the rumours I have heard.

Rumours about massive creatures in the sea called Seakings, the immensely powered people that exist that can destroy mountains with a punch, the different humanoid species out there, with the most interesting being the mermaids and those people with wings, the apparently magical abilities that can be gained from eating some funky Devil Fruits.

By far the most exciting thing I've heard, which obviously has some truth to it, is the existence of the Pirate King Gold Roger, who has the greatest treasure in the world, the One Piece, which is the cause of the uprise of pirates in the world and the most confusing since people are fighting over something they only know the name of or maybe they are fighting over the title of Pirate King which only belongs to the person who has possession of the One Piece.

I think about all this and more while sitting there looking out at the seas as the sun slowly sets. I daydream and wonder about all the fantastic things out there that are not being put in the newspapers and that the World Government and the Marines are keeping hidden. I can't help but wonder what mysteries and amazing things are out there, just waiting to be found. I can't see myself staying on this island forever since it seems kind of boring, and I want to go out there and see if all those rumours are actually true and if there are actual mermaids out there and if I can find one called Ariel to help me live out my own Disney story.

I continue to look out at the sea, and I finally notice that the sun is actually setting and the day is turning into night. And I have wasted my whole day just sitting here when I should have been improving my situation, so I go to get up and leave. Still, before I do, I spot a dot in the distance directly in front of the sea that slowly gets bigger in my eyes and thinking that it is the fishing boat that went out earlier, I stay sat to watch it so that I have at least gone full circle.

As it pulls in closer and closer, I realise it is much too big to be a fishing boat and the fact that it is blue and white sails and a pale green body with a brown strip. It also has a dog's face on the front that has a bone in its mouth, and did I mention that the World Government symbol is on the front of one of the sails and behind that sail is another that says MARINE.

I sit and watch as the marine ship draws closer and closer and find myself oddly excited because this is the first time I am seeing the law enforcement of this world. If any of those rumours are true, then obviously, some of the people on board that ship should be proof of them since they are tasked with protecting the innocents of the world and should have mighty power to fight off all the pirate scum that terrorise villagers and innocents everywhere, the marine ship has finally drawn close enough that I can see all of it correctly.

I can see that it is a ship made for battle. Still, it also has its quirks, as its crow nests resemble a dog house while the figurehead resembles a dog head with a bone in its mouth and this ship has a lot of sails on it, and the masts are shaped like bones with dog paws with all of this clearly stating the overall theme of this vessel is dogs.

The marine ship is now pulling into the harbour and wanting to get a closer look at all the marines that will no doubt be disembarking (ha, barking, like the ship) the ship and flooding into town to do whatever it is that they have come to do here. So I jump up from my spot at the end of one of the docks and quickly book it over to the dock where the marines have anchored. I slide to a stop as they lay down the plank with a slap of wood meeting wood. I stand awed as marines pour out of the ship and down the plank in neat single-file order, and then they line up on either side of the dock and hoist their guns to the sky against their shoulders as they stand to attention, and I am inspired by the discipline and machismo.

All the marines that came down just now were regular human beings. Still, they were impressive none the less but what I saw next truly broke open the boundaries of my mind because I saw a tall, tanned, broad-chested, muscular old man with a grey beard and a scar over his left eye, blue eyes, and grey hair walk down the plank and then along the dock. Of course, all the marines saluted and shouted at sir when he stepped foot onto the dock. Still, what genuinely shocked me was this man's height as, from a glance, he seemed to be around 9'5", and by comparison, I didn't even make it to the size of his knees, and I was actually pretty tall for my age.

This man was very clearly the boss of this ship as he wore a completely white ensemble having white leather shoes, white pants, a blue shirt with a green tie that strained against his broad chest, over that he wore a white suit coat which was one of those weird ones that had one side wrapped over the others kinda like when you wrap a towel around yourself. It had six gold buttons on the coat, keeping it close, with there being two lines of three which are parallel to each other. His cufflinks are gold too.

Overall, he wears a majestic long white coat that has golden and blue shoulder pads that look kinda regal. But, by far, the weirdest thing about this guy is the bloody dog mask that he wears, which is basically just the cut-off head of a big yellow dog with brown marks and stripes on it, and its eyes have a light yellow fabric on it.

By far, the most maniacal thing is that the dog mask still has all of the sharp teeth in place. So this crazy old man's head is inside the mouth with those dangerous pointy teeth looking dangerously close to his eyes and chin, but he doesn't seem to care as he walks down the dock towards me while munching on some crackers or something.

"Oi kid, you are blocking the way. Move aside. you know where I can find a restaurant or something to eat some food since these buffoons behind me didn't pack enough supplies for our trip, and I have been starving." First, I look up from his knees, which my head barely reaches.

Then, I move my gaze upwards to see this giant old man having his cookies in one hand and having the pinkie of his other hand digging around inside his nose, looking for something, which he finds eventually as he pulls his finger free with a look of triumph on his face. Still, that look quickly switches to frustration pretty easily as he continues to try and flick the booger out into the sea, but no matter what he does, it stays attached to the end of his finger.

"WHAT THE HELL, IT WAS OUR FAULT!? IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT, WE STOCKED UP ON MORE THAN ENOUGH, BUT YOU ATE IT ALL BEFORE WE EVEN LEFT THE EAST BLUE!!" All the marines that were orderly lined up a second ago suddenly lose all decorum and shout at what I assume to be their captain while chopping their hands down. Still, the man in front of me acts like there's nothing but air and just focuses on trying to remove the booger from the tip of his finger.

At this point, another man comes off of the ship and to my surprise, this man actually turns out to be half a head taller than the man currently standing in front of me. He has short blonde hair and wears a marine coat which is draped over his shoulders, underneath which he wears a matching beige suit and hat, with the hat covering his eyes in a dark shadow.

The man has a katana on his left hip which is attached to his belt with a brown strap, and it has a grey-wrapped hilt, a golden rounded-cross-shaped tsuba and a deep green sheath. The man himself seems to wear an apparently perpetual scowl on his face due to the corners of his mouth always pointing downwards, which emphasises his air of seriousness, and this man is currently walking down the docks towards us.

"HAH" The man in front of me suddenly switches from his dopey face and lazy stance to a severe expression and posture. As he does, I feel him exude an immense pressure into his surroundings which presses down onto me from all sides and makes me feel like the most insignificant thing to have ever existed. Then the burly old man flicks his hand backwards, and he finally succeeds and flicks the booger away, and I can feel the air literally whoosh as the booger flies like a cannonball behind the old man and it is heading straight for the man in the brown suit at an insane speed.

Either that man has incredible reflexes, or he is so light and the booger so fast because as the booger blasts towards him, the man floats to the side and literally flutters around the booger as if a paper bag carried by the wind and the booger continues on past him to splatter against the side of one of the marines faces. The impact is such that the poor man lets out a piercing scream as he is literally blasted off of the docks and out to sea for about 50 meters before he loses momentum and miraculously stays there in the air for a moment before gravity kicks back in. Then, finally, the man falls into the ocean with a large splash.

"Garp-san. Look." The man in the brown suit says as he nods to me, completely ignoring the situation behind him as some of the marines, as if used to the situation, begin to get into a rowboat in preparation to go get the stranded marine as the rest of them laugh at the misfortune of their comrade, the man apparently called Garp directs his serious face down following the man in brown's direction and as his eyes set on me I can feel myself literally wanting to crawl into my self at the pressure emitting from his eyes.

I can feel the sweat pouring down my body and dripping at Garp's intense gaze. Then, I feel myself stumble and nearly drop to my ass when Garp's face returns to its dopey look, and he starts munching on crackers again, with all that intense pressure disappearing like mist.

"Hm, ahh, my bad. Sorry boy, I forgot you were here. you should stop being so short, as no one will be able to see you like that." So you're saying this is my fault, you stupid, disgusting old man, when I am a child, and it's not my decision to be this short, you idiot. Still, while I think this in my head, I don't have the guts to say it out loud, having just felt this man's unbelievable strength and knowing that he could crush my head with his little pinky, which just flung a booger like a cannonball.

At the man's apology, I ended up just nodding and agreeing with what he said, not knowing what else to do in this situation. Still, underneath all of this nervousness and fear, I can feel my blood pumping and my lungs burning at the thought that these feats of strength are actually real and achievable and now that the idea is in my head and festers and balloons up in my head crushing all my other emotions underneath it. Finally, I can't contain my excitement any longer.

"C-Can I do that as well? What you just did?" I blurt out without control, and this takes both Garp and the man in brown by surprise, but while the man in brown maintains his stoic expression Garp tilts his head at me for a second and then looks me up and down before-

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA"

-letting loose a guttural full belly laugh while holding his stomach and leaning back so that his face is looking at the sky. I can see tears begin to sprinkle out of his eyes as he point blankly laughs at my question, and I can feel tears start to leak out of my own eyes as this man who is supposed to be a law-upholding righteous man ridicules me with his savage cackle.

"W-Why, why are you laughing? I-I can do that too. why... wouldn't I be able to do it..?" I stutter out as I wipe my tears away with the sleeve of my arm. I shouldn't be crying like a baby when I still have memories of a time when I was once an adult, but no matter what I do, I can't stop the flow of water from my eyes.

I rub my eyes raw, trying to do so to the point that the skin around my eyes is literally burning as I try to stem my eyeballs and stop this pathetic showing. Still, nothing stops the avalanche of salty water pouring from my eyes. Who does this man think he is to be able to laugh at me like this, make fun of me like this, belittle me like this and ridicule my existence in such a way my anger builds. The more I watch this demented grandpa laugh himself silly, the more my rage festers and builds, and before I know it, I have pulled back my arm, clenched my fist and jumped forward to strike this old man down.

"AAAGGGGHHHHH!! AMARRIILLLOOOO PUUUUNCH!!!"

My fist flies forward faster than I ever thought possible with a roar, and I feel as if lightning itself is coursing through my veins. As my muscles tense and my fist drives forward to deliver a critical blow to this old fart, my punch lands with a deafening crack, and the impact is such that all other sounds cease to be as my fist implants itself against Garp's right knee and he immediately stops laughing, he is obviously in such crippling pain that he hasn't even registered the pain and the momentum and chock hasn't yet carried through so that he can feel his broken kneecap and drop on to his ass and he is-

"Hmm."

-tilting his head to the side again and looking down at me with a pitying look on his face which doesn't make sense since I literally just shattered his right kneecap into pieces, so why the hell is this old fart looking down on me again and giving me such a pitying look when he should be crying his eyes out and regretting that he ever crossed my path and disrespected me.

It is probably just a delayed reaction like in those shows in my past life, and it is going to take a while for the pain to register, so I draw my fist back and look down at Garp's right knee. However, to my surprise, there's no blood or anything as his pants are still a stainless white, and they don't even look crumpled in the least, which doesn't make sense as I just dropped a haymaker on it, confused I move my hand to clasp my chin and...

"AAAGGGGHHHHH!!"

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"Tch, who told you to punch me, you dumb brat. It's your own fault that you are in this situation. you should show some respect to your elders, shrimp." I am currently sitting on one of the crates lined up along the docks as one of the doctors aboard the marine ship is trying to fix my hand and is now putting some bandages on my ruined fist, which completely ruptured when I tried to break Garp's leg and the pain was so intense that I hadn't even realised what happened until I saw my own fist after which the pain pierced me like a needle straight into the brain. I let out an anguished scream and cradled my deformed hand as I dropped to my knees in horror and passed out from the pain.

When I woke up a short time later, this doctor was already mending my hand as I lay on a crate. He must have given me some pain-reducing drugs or something because I no longer felt that excruciating pain anymore, right now Garp was sitting across from me on another crate munching on crackers and behind him stood the man dressed in brown, who I have learned is Garp's right-hand man and his name is Bogard. He stays silent as he watches the proceedings, which I much prefer to Garp taking the opportunity to ridicule me.

"Haaah? I tried to punch you because you were laughing at me. Tell me, why should I show respect to an old man who ridicules little kids? All I asked was a question, why were you laughing so much?" I try to defend myself as I now know that it was pretty dumb to punch a full-grown man and expect some kind of result, not to mention that this man was the leader or captain or whatever of a massive marine ship.

However, this guy should not have been laughing in the face of a young kid like me. What would he do if this encounter scarred me and I grew up hating the marines and became a marine serial killer that trawled the seas, killing every marine I found until I found this old man that laughed at me as a child.

"Haha, sorry, sorry, it was just too funny. Please, Mr Marine, can you tell me if I can do what you just did? Of course, I am going to laugh, especially when I hear such ridiculous words. You wanted to learn to flick boogers like cannonballs. what kind of idiot wants to flick their boogers as a method of fighting, haha!" Garp begins to laugh again while clenching his stomach, and when he phrases it like that, I can see why he would start laughing and that it wasn't malicious.

However, it still really hurt to be laughed at like that when I just excitedly asked an innocent question. I didn't even mean that as I meant to ask if it would be possible for me to perform such feats and not that I wanted to use my boogers as lethal projectiles to blow people's heads off from miles away with a flick of my fingers.

"That isn't at all what I meant. that would be so stupid. I was just asking if I could perform such feats of strength like you and such power that you can send a booger flying and have it shoot someone off into the distance. that was all." I say to which Garp quietens down and wipes the tears from his face. He looks me dead in the eyes and speaks.

"No way, there is no way you could perform such things. I can do such things because I am strong. You can't because you are weak-" The hope in my heart to be as strong as this man begins to die. I can feel myself on the verge of breaking down, am I destined to live yet another life full of mediocrity and condemned to stay within this small village and live a lacklustre life that is the same as every other idiot on this planet.

What is the point of living if I can't be as strong as this man "-right now. In the future, if you work hard and train, you can be strong like me, and then you can join the marines and help me protect the good people of this world and lock away all the scummy pirates. if you eat right, train properly and get taught by a good mentor, then there is no reason why you can't be as strong as me." He flashes a thumbs up at me, and his grin widens to insane proportions as he lets loose a guttural laugh, but this time it is not as grating to my ears as I can feel my hope returning, and now knowing that it is possible I can feel a new determination within me start to grow to one day reach such a level and even surpass it.

I start smirking at the old man as I know he won't be able to refuse my subsequent request because he is a good (and a bit dumb) man who takes his job seriously. He is a good marine, and from what I know of him, there is no way that he is gonna let a debt he owes go unpaid. "You owe me, old man. I broke my hand and smashed it into smithereens because of you. To repay your debt, you can become my mentor and train me to become a strong person. It is the least you can do."

"HAAAH!?"

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 4– Garp.

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

Holding the mop in both my hands, I continue to swish it back and forth along the upper deck of Marine Vice-Admiral Garp's ship. I make sure to clean up every spot in my sight before dipping the mop back into the bucket, twirling it around to get it clean, and pulling it back out to continue the process. Marines are lounging around the ship, just talking or drinking while wiping down their blades and checking the gunpowder in their guns.

All the while, I am here alone, working myself along the length of the ship and cleaning every single inch of this enormous ship. Some of the marines are looking at me in pity. Still, I ignore them and continue with my work. I asked for this after all, so I don't need their sympathy, and I certainly don't need their help, but for the life of me, I still don't understand why I am cleaning up this goddamn ship.

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

"HAAAH!?"

Garp's mouth opens wide as he lets out his confusion, and Bogard in the back remains stoic, calmly smoking the cigarette between his lips. The medic who was attending to my broken hand has finally finished bandaging my hand and has put a cast around it, and he sees that this situation is going to get a lot more complicated in a few seconds. So he quickly packs away his tools and makes a tactical retreat towards his comrades on the ship, taking advantage of the fact that Garp is still stunned. Bogard just doesn't seem to really care.

The sound has stopped escaping from Garp's mouth, and his mouth is now closed as he looks me up and down again. Still, I ignore him for the moment and instead look down at my right hand, which is now fully covered by my new cast. I am not feeling much pain from the thing right now compared to earlier. Still, I am sure that is because the doctor gave me something to numb the pain for now, and the pain is not as sudden and piercing as it was when I discovered it.

"Hmm, okay. How old are you, kid?" Garp exits his musing and directs this question at me. I am not about to get told that I am too young and that I will have to wait until I am like twelve until I can receive his training, am I?

"I am 7 years old, but that doesn't mean anything. I am ready to train hard, and I am willing to give it my all, rain or shine, no matter the pain or discomfort. I want to be strong, as strong as you are." So I say with conviction in my voice, I want this man to understand that I am willing to go the distance, and I am going to break records while doing so. Garp crosses his arms and puts on a stern face. Then, out of nowhere, his upper body suddenly bows down by 90 degrees, and his legs remain straight as he shoves his face directly into mine and looks me dead in the eye.

The situation is made even more daunting when I can see his eyes only peeking out from underneath his dog hat, and my mind seems to be playing tricks on me as I can hear his hat begin to growl at me and see it bare its fangs at me. "And why is that, hmm? Why do you seek such strength? What reason could a small boy on a peaceful island like this possibly have to want to gain such power? With such strength, strength as great as mine, what would you plan to do?"

I find myself shaking under his burning gaze. My knees are knocking together as it takes all of my strength to remain standing under this older man's insanely powerful pressure that he is exerting. I gulp hard. I can feel myself close to passing out from the sheer intensity pouring from this man, and I can feel my eyes begin to roll into the back of my head.

My legs lose their footing as I fall back towards the ground, but as I go down. My eyes are moving into my skull. Then, finally, I catch a glimpse of the older adult's face again. From this angle, I can see the grin hidden within the shadows of his mask, but it is fast disappearing, and I can see his eyes slowly filling with disappointment.

My leg moves backwards and skids against the ground to stop my momentum. I clench my fists hard as I move myself back forward and scream with all my might. "I WANT TO EXPLORE THIS WORLD AND SEE WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER! I WANT TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE WORLD AND MEET ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE AND LEARN ABOUT THEIR CULTURES! I WANT TO BECOME SOMEONE WHO IS WORTH A DAMN!! I WANT TO BECOME THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD!!!"

"BWAHAHA. The strongest man in the world, you say? BWAHAHAHA. You are surely going to have your work cut out for you. after all, to be the strongest man in the world, you have to be capable of destroying the whole world." Garp lets loose a loud laugh at my words, and I completely forget about how I felt a minute ago because I now feel indignant that this man is laughing at my goals again.

Still, when he mentions destroying the world, I get worried that he will get the wrong impression of me and not train me." So I-I only said, I just want to be the strongest man in the world. I never said anything about destroying the world. I would never want to do that, putting aside how impossible it is to do that. It is impossible... It, it is impossible, right?"

Garp stops his laughing and looks down at me once more with a blank expression on his face, and I don't know if I am imagining it or not. Still, I see the corners of his lips begin to tilt up to form a slight, nearly imperceptible smile, but there is no way right. This man either bellows his enjoyment or picks his nose with a lazy expression on his face, and as far as I have seen, there is no in-between.

Then, before I can pay any more attention to his face, he spins around. He walks back to his men who are by the ship, he walks along with Bogard, quickly falling into line behind him, and I quickly begin to walk after them, but they are so big and their legs so long that I have to jog to keep pace with them. "Oi, you guys. One of you idiots, quickly throw me a broomstick."

In reply to his words, a barrage of broomsticks begins to fly off of the ship, all heading straight towards us on the dock. Hundreds of broomsticks that might as well be harpoons speed through the air towards us at intense speed, and I quickly crouch down and put my arms over my head to protect myself. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spot Bogard still calmly standing there with a newly lit cigarette burning in his mouth.

Next to him, Garp is standing still with his hand in his pockets. His dog mask covers his face ignoring the broomsticks that are launching in the air towards us. I know I should be scared as all those broomsticks are definitely going to do some severe damage to the little seven-year-old boy that is me, but seeming both of them stood there as cool as ice, I can't help but feel safe as if there is no need to panic.

"I thought I only asked for one of you dumbasses to throw me a broomstick, so then why-" Out of nowhere, Garp's right leg moves as if fully independent from his body and swings up through the air with his hands still inside his pockets. "- ARE ALL OF YOU THROWING A BROOMSTICK!? YOU IDIOTS, IT SEEMS THAT ALL OF YOU NEED MORE TRAINING!!" An immeasurable gust of wind erupts as Garp's right leg sweeps from right to left through the air, and all of the broomstick's momentum stops in mid-air, and they just stay there for a moment before they begin to move again.

Only this time, they begin to go back from whence they came. It is like time has reversed as the broomsticks don't even change their position and begin to move backwards, following the trajectory that they were launched at and with even more force than they were thrown. I weather the wind blowing against my face and raise an arm to block some of the gusts to watch the spectacular sight of the broomsticks arcing back through the air going back along their exact path, and finally diving back down onto the ship and out of my sight.

"Aggh"

"My finger!"

"My head!"

"AGGH, MY ASS!! HOW DID IT EVEN GET THROUGH MY PANTS!!?"

"Hm, serves them right. These stupid fledglings, how hard is it to follow orders?" Garp is standing ramrod straight with his left leg like a tree trunk rooted into the ground and his body perfectly perpendicular to the ground with his hands still in his pocket. Yet, his right leg is high in the sky above his own head, and it remains there but does not affect his balance in the least.

After a moment, he brings it back down to the ground, but as he does so, I realise something that was staring me in the eyes this whole time, his knee is not bent at all, and it, in fact, never bent even when he kicked out at the air, he simply moved his leg up into the air and now he is moving it back down, he must have an absurd amount of strength and control over his own body to perform such a feat.

"Garp, I don't think you have any right to say that. We are supposed to be at Marine Headquarters by now, but we have not even left the East Blue." Bogard deadpans while breathing out the smoke from his cigarette. he then breathes in another puff and- Wait, what? His cigarette is still lit, but I am standing right next to him.

Those intense winds hit us both, so how hasn't his cigarette blown out when we were both buffeted by the side effect of Garp's overwhelming kick? Bogard's hands are still in his pocket as well, so he can't have put his hands around it to protect the cigarette, as I would have noticed that. So how?

"That is different, Bogard. These idiots tried to fulfil orders and messed it up while I have received orders and completely ignored them, completely different. Those stupid old fogies think they can just call me, and I will come running, fat chance. They tried to limit my time with my cute little grandson. Did you see him, Bogard? He will grow to be a strong Marine and join his grandpa in the Marines and take over my position so that I can retire and enjoy life and eat all the crackers I want and drink as much as I want." Aren't marines supposed to be upstanding and moral? Why is this guy the complete opposite?

"I was only able to raise him till he was six, and now I have to go back because of those bastards. Even worse, I had to leave him in a bar. I know Makino is a good girl and the only one in the village who will be able to handle him, but a bar is not a suitable environment for a child. So I am going to annoy Sengoku for this." But, unfortunately, Garp gets lost in his rant about his higher-ups and his grandson, who I pity for having to be raised by this ham-handed beast of a man. If that kid is anything like his grandfather, then I don't want to meet him. Just the image of a little hyper-energetic Garp running around all over the place is terrifying.

Bogard lets out a slight cough which breaks Garp out of his rant and brings him back to reality. Still, I can tell his mood is soured thinking about his old fogy bosses and the fact that he had to leave his six-year-old grandson on whatever island he came from. Suffice to say that I really don't want to rock the boat at this moment with that irritated expression on the old man's face. So I am confused when Garp suddenly stretches his arm up above his head and opens his hand to the sky as if waiting to receive something.

So I look up to the sky to see what that may be, but the blue sky is too bright, and the sun is burning too hot, so I have to shield my eyes from the sky, but I can't see anything. I think I can see a bird or something, but it is so high in the sky that it just looks like a dot. Wait, is it getting big- "SWOOSH!! WHACK!!" I am blown backwards by a gust of wind and fall back ass overhead to the wooden floor of the dock, which actually hurts my knees and elbows quite a bit. Pushing my hands against the ground, I raise myself up, still on my hands on knees and elevate my head to see what the hell just blew me away.

Looking up, I can see that Garp's hand that was reaching towards the sky is now holding a broomstick which must've been the thing that fell from the sky, but for it to fall with such force means that it must have been insanely high up in the air so much so that I only registered it as a dot when I looked up, not to mention the fact that I must only have felt a fraction of the power in Garp's kick if it launched the broomstick that high into the sky and that's not even taking into account the precision needed to kick at the exact moment in order to send all the other broomsticks back onto the ship and launch this singular broom upwards into the sky so that he could catch it later.

I watch as he brings his clasped hand down in front of his chest, and then he looks towards me. This is it. This must be one of the strongest people in the world. If I can learn from him, then indeed, I will become strong. He is absurdly strong. He is the pinnacle of pow-"

"CRACK!"

"Ah, it broke."

"GIVE ME BACK MY AWE, YOU SHITTY OLD MAN. THAT WAS PROBABLY JUST LUCK!!" I scream when the broomstick snaps into two and clatters to the ground with the old man just standing there with a dumb look on his face and absolutely nothing in his hand, which is now clasping air. This guy might be strong, but he is an idiot. He was most definitely born a monster, and there is no way an idiot like this would be able to teach others. This guy has put all his stat points into STR and ignored INT, this min-maxing motherfu- "Oh, that's it. I forgot to use-"

"That is right, Garp. You forgot to use-"

"Yes, yes, Bogard, I know. But look at this. The broomstick is broken now. I need another one. OI, YOU GUYS, THROW ME ANOTHER BROOMSTICK!" Garp shouts once more to the men on his ship, and I can't help but worry that the men on board the vessel are as dumb as their captains, and they are about to throw another barrage of broomsticks even though they just got rebuked for it.

Thankfully though, it seems like the men on the ship are much more developed in the head than their captain, as a singular marine with a particularly big bump on his head runs off the boat and down the plank with a broomstick in his hand, which he promptly hands over to Garp. "Here you are, Vice Admiral Garp. One broomstick, just one."

"Ahaha, that is good. Good job, soldier, good job. Thank you, you can go back to the ship now. Ah, but before you go-" Garp takes the broomstick from the Marine and then tells him that he can go.

The Marine nods and wipes some sweat off of his forehead before turning around and moving to go back to the ship due to Garp waving him off, but before he can walk off more than two steps, Garp's leg suddenly blurs forward without warning- "DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO THROW IT TO ME, DUMBASS!!" - and strikes the bottom of the Marine's arse (I swear he hit the Marine with the tip of his foot, did it go in his arse?

That is like a thousand years of death all dealt with a single foot) with such force, the Marine blasts off into the sky, clenching his buttcheeks with his legs flailing wildly in pain and arcs back down to crash into the ship with an anguished scream.

"Good grief, what am I going to do with these guys? They can't even follow simple orders, were they dropped on their heads as babies or something?" Oi, oi, are you serious? I am pretty sure that those guys are normal and that it was you that was dropped on your head as a child. That Marine has been scarred for life and will inevitably have trauma for the rest of his life about this incident.

For some reason, I am really regretting asking this guy to train me, and I think even if I do get good training from this guy, I will lose more than I gain. Am I going to get treated like that guy? If so, maybe it would be better if I just left. But is it too late to back out and leave?

"Hey, brat. You wanted me to train you, right, to make you strong? Well then, prepare yourself because you are either going to become a strong man or you are going to die trying. So there is no backing out now. I will train you, and you better become a strong Marine in the future, or I will find you and kick your ass! BWAHAHAHA!!" Garp laughs as he deals me my death sentence, as if he is just talking about the weather. I regret asking him to train me.

But all I thought after I saw his display of strength was that this was a strong man who could make me strong. Still, I didn't stop to think if that was a good idea, to consider if this man who flicks boogers like cannonballs and blasts his own men into the ocean might just end up killing me instead of raising me up to his level.

I might be mature for my age, but I am still a child. He won't be too harsh on me, right? Right? Ah, who am I kidding? This man could not be gentle if his life depended on it. Even flicking a booger away nearly sent his soldier to those pearly white gates in the sky. There was no way he was going to be anything but rough. Why did I come down to the docks to- "Ugh."

The wood slaps against my chest, and I quickly bring my hands up to clasp the wooden broomstick against my stinging body as I look up at Garp, who just lightly threw that at me, but even that really stung my skin. My future does not look bright with this overgrown man-child holding the reins. "Here, shrimp, your training starts now. First, you are going to take that broomstick and sweep the entirety of my ship. After you have finished that, you will mop the whole ship, and then you will wax the deck until it is spotless."

"Huh, wait, what? So you want me to become a chore boy and become one of the cleaners on your ship? I thought that you were supposed to be training me and making me strong like you, not making me an errand boy." So I speak, absolutely frazzled. I know that I was regretting even asking for training and wanted to back out, but I would instead get trained by this man and risk death under his arm than become a menial cleaner on his ship, no way.

I came to this man and asked him to be strong because I didn't want to be a mediocre powerless person like in my past life. That is what I am most afraid of, living another meaningless life and achieving nothing. This old bastard gave me his word that he would be my mentor and train me to be as strong as him, but now he is making me into a bloody janitor?

"Haah, I am training you, you little punk. If you don't like it, you can piss off. If you are staying, then shut up. Also, when did I say you were becoming one of my cleaners? You are going to be the only cleaner on my ship. DO YOU HEAR THAT, YOU GUYS!? NONE OF YOU HAVE CLEANING DUTY ANYMORE. IF I FIND ANY OF YOU CLEANING UP, EVEN IF IT IS AFTER YOURSELF, THEN I AM GONNA SHOW YOU MY FIST OF LOVE! IN FACT, YOU GUYS MAKE AS MUCH OF A MESS AS POSSIBLE. THE MORE, THE BETTER. I WILL GIVE THE MESSIEST PERSON HALF A YEAR OF VACATION TIME, SO TRY YOUR BEST!!" He, I am, what. What the hell is it... What?

"Well, kid, what are you waiting for? Get to work, hop to it."

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

It has now been a week, and I have been working all day every day to keep this goddamn ship sick and span, which is the hardest thing in the world as, while most of the marines just don't clean up after themselves. There are quite a few who go out of the way to make as much mess as possible to get that half a year of vacation to go back home and be with their girls. I have quickly realised that these specific Marines with girls waiting for them back home are the most desperate to get that half a year of vacation, so I am constantly cleaning.

In contrast to those friendly Marines who just don't clean up after themselves in order to follow Garp's orders, those asshole Marines continue to make all sorts of absurd messes. How the hell do you get the ceiling muddy and the fill an entire room up to the brim with water that washes away the next person to open it? Suffice to say, I am not happy with my current situation, but I am hanging in there, hoping that Garp will eventually teach me some stuff though that hope dies a little every day.

It is not even just cleaning that I have to do. I have to also help the chefs in the kitchen and help prepare food for the Marines' breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not only that, but I also had to assist the doctors in the medical room because Garp ended up hurting at least five different Marines to varying degrees by accident. I swear that these must be the most advanced doctors in the world as they are used to Garp's shenanigans and quickly fix up those Marines, but Garp usually hurts more than one at a time, which is why I have been helping out there.

At least for the past week, I have been sleeping on the ship and also having my meals for free with the Marines on board the vessel, which means I don't really have to buy any food or spend any money, so I haven't gone back to my house in a while. However, I did sneak back just yesterday to receive the weekly money from Mommy Mee, which I stashed under the wooden boards of my house. Apart from that, this week has been hell, but I have been enduring it and trying my best not to strangle Garp in the night.

Speaking of the devil, here he comes now, munching on crackers. And spilling crumbs all over the deck, my freshly... cleaned... deck...

"YOU SHITTY OLD MAN!"

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 5– Outburst.

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

"YOU SHITTY OLD MAN!" I HAVE CONTAINED MY RAGE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, BUT I SHALL UNLEASH MY FURY UPON YOU LIKE THE CRASHING OF A THOUSAND WAVES! BEGONE, VILE MAN! BEGONE FROM ME! I CLEAN ALL DAY! I TOIL AWAY FOR HOURS ON END, AND YOU RUIN IT IN A MATTER OF MOMENTS! I AM UNTETHERED, AND MY RAGE KNOWS NO BOUNDS! THIS FORSAKEN BROOMSTICK, I HAVE USED IT FOR SO LONG THAT IT HAS BECOME ANOTHER LIMB FOR ME, AND I HAVE UNLOCKED THE TRUE POWER THAT WAS HIDDEN WITHIN THE WOOD! FEEL THE MIGHT OF MY BROOMSTICK!!!"

I jump forward, feeling an untold amount of power surge throughout my body. Never before seen strength erupts from the centre of my anguished soul, and it travels from the centre of my chest to my shoulders, along my arms and through my hands to shroud my broomstick.

Reaching the precipice of my jump, I begin to fall downwards towards the old fogey, and I use the gravity to boost the power of my blow. I swing my broomstick down upon the head of the man who still continues to munch on his snacks, not having noticed me. Well, maybe you will feel this, you bastard.

"AAGGGHHHH!!!" I scream as I strike the top of the bastard's skull, feeling the impact jar my bones and shake my entire body, causing me to become stationary in the air for a moment.

"SNAP!" I hear the rich sound as the laws of physics kick back in, and I fall back down to my crumb-ridden deck. I land on my feet, but I feel my calves burn, and I nearly fall to the ground, but I clench my broomstick with both hands and steady myself.

"A-Ah, m-my limb..." All I am holding now is a slim piece of wood in my hand, with the end and broom brushes themselves being nowhere to be seen. Where did my limb go-

"AGH, IT HURTS!" Something hits the top of my head, and it follows through and drives me to the ground. I roll around in pain, clutching my head which now sports a big bump. Goddamn, this hurts.

"BWAHAHAHA, STUPID BRAT!- MUNCH!- WHO TOLD YOU TO TRY HITTING ME AGAIN?- MUNCH MUNCH!- DIDN'T YOU LEARN ANYTHING LAST TIME!- MUNCH!- YOUR OWN BROOMSTICK HIT YOU ON THE HEAD, BWAHAHAHA!" I forget about my pain when I hear the old man start to laugh above my head while still eating away at his crackers, I just hurt myself, and this gluttonous guy is laughing at me?

"Shut up! You idiot, old man, my head hurts because of you! Y-You lied to me. I-I thought you were supposed to be training me!" I reach my hands out, work my way to my feet, and then wipe some tears from my eyes. Some dust must have gotten into them.

So this is it. for a week, I had just been working like a mule on this horse and hardly even interacted with this old man when he was supposed to be training me. they took advantage of me and laughed at me as they made me clean their ship for an entire week.

"Hmm, I lied to you? I haven't been training you? So then, what do you think I have been doing this past week?" He questions, stopping his munching for a second to look down at me with a blank expression on his face. It cows me for a second before I remember just how angry I am at him for not fulfilling his commitment and making me work like a horse. I tell him exactly what is on my mind with my bolstered anger.

"YOU HAVE BEEN MAKING ME WORK ALL WEEK, CLEANING THIS STUPID SHIP FROM TOP TO BOTTOM UNTIL IT IS SPOTLESS. I HAVE TO HELP COOK FOOD FOR ALL THOSE MARINES AND CLEAN UP ALL THE MESS THEY MAKE, NOT TO MENTION I HAVE TO HELP PATCH UP ALL THE ONES YOU INJURE JUST BY BEING YOURSELF! I HAVE NOT BEEN TRAINING, I HAVE BEEN MANUAL LABOUR FOR YOU, AND THAT IS IT!!" I shout, having blown my top.

I could have dealt with all this stuff individually, especially if the Marines weren't deliberately making masses for me and the captain of this ship wasn't a miniature giant that smashes everything he touches to pieces. I would have been alright working on this ship, but this absurdity is too much for me.

I stare defiantly at the monstrosity of a man before me, his face is shadowed, and he has lowered his hands to his sides, with his left hand clutching the bag of crackers so tightly that I can hear them cracking.

With each crunch that emits from inside the bag, I can feel my confidence and anger fade away to be replaced by nervousness and unsureness. I watch as he raises his right hand into the air, and then he clenches it into a fist. "You rude little shrimp, I haven't been training you? Boy, it seems like someone needs the Fist of Love."

The Fist of Love? What the hell is that? Is it like respect, like a fist bum-

"BOINK!"

"OWW, IT HURTS!" I crouch down and clutch my head as I feel a new bump sprout out of the one I just got a minute ago. This old man just punched me in the head. That wasn't a Fist of Love. That was a Fist of Pain and suffering. Ah, some more dust got in my eyes from his blow, sending dust everywhere. My eyes are tearing up because of it, because of the dust.

"Hmph, that should have sorted out that stupid head of yours. You little brat, I have been training you all this time. I have been showing you the meaning of hard work. If you don't have the willpower and you aren't willing to work towards it, then there is no way you can get strong like me, and that little outburst just showed me that you aren't ready. If you can't handle something like this, then you aren't ready for my training. Look at you, you're nearly a teenager, and you are crying your eyes out. I can't have a crybaby like you be known as my student."

"I-I'm not a crybaby, and I'm not a teenager. I am only seven years old, you stupid old man. And I know the meaning of hard work. I am an orphan, and I live by myself. I just wanted you to teach me something before you leave, I know you won't stay here forever, and I don't want to waste any time." I spit out while getting back to my feet and starting to wipe at my eyes, trying to eviscerate these pathetic tears coming from my eyes.

So he thought I was nearly a teenager. I only reached just above the knee of this ten-foot giant, and he believed that equates to the height of a teenager, is his expectations that bizarre, or am I tall for my age and just didn't know it.

"What? No, no, you can't be. My six-year-old grandson only reaches about halfway up my calf, and you reach up to my knees. You are near twice his height. There is no way you are only seven years old. That is impossible." Finally, he speaks, stumbling back, shocked at my age. For some reason, he refuses to believe that I am seven, and he continues to deny the fact, which pisses me off. Who knows my age, him or me.

"What? So I am not seven years old. How old am I, then? Are you calling me a liar?" I say, offended that this old fart is questioning my words. I may be many things, but I am not a liar. I haven't actually had the chance to lie about anything, but the point still stands, I have never told a lie in my life. So for this shitty old man to question me over something as simple as my age, it pisses me off.

"N-No, I am not calling you a liar, not at all. I'm just surprised, that is all. I thought you were older. You are clever for your age, more clever than my grandson, so I just thought you were older. S-Stop crying, okay? Grandpa is sorry." He begins to apologise, but that doesn't mean anything to me.

This guy was working me like a mule because he thought I was older than I looked, and that just made me angrier, and now that he is apologising, I am getting more and more confident. So his apologising means I am in the right. And he is in the wrong.

"You aren't my grandpa, you silly old fart. Don't you feel bad? You have been making a tiny child like me do an entire shipful of Marines' work. Aren't Marines supposed to protect and help the innocent, but you are treating me like a sla-" Suddenly, he reaches out and grabs me by the lapel and raises me into the air. He pulls me closer until I am right up against his face.

"Do not say that word. just don't! You disrespectful little brat, I am nothing like them! I thought you were older and you could handle more. I made a mistake! but just because I made a mistake, don't think you can get away with saying stuff, brat!" Garp spits in my face, literally. I can feel the saliva slap across my face and begin to drop down my face.

My confidence starts to diminish little by little, and I can't help but think that maybe I took it too far, but then my eyes peer past his shoulders and seeing what is behind him, my resolve hardens. I started this, so I am gonna finish it, even if it means that I am going to make a bit of a fool of myself and do some questionable things. This old man has pissed me off, and I want to win this little confrontation. No matter the cost, I am willing to give it my all.

"U-UWAAAAAAH! WHY ARE YOU PICKING ON ME!? I AM ONLY SEVEN, BUT YOU MADE ME DO ALL OF THIS WORK. YOU LAUGHED AT ME AND MADE MORE MESS FOR ME AS I WORKED MYSELF TO THE BONE! AND NOW YOU ARE GOING TO HURT ME! I THOUGHT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TRAIN ME! UWAAAAAH!" It pains me to do this and cry. in all my years on this planet, I haven't cried once, but this man has pissed me off, so I am willing to do it even though it shames me.

Not only because I want to best this old fogey that has made me toil for an entire week without teaching me anything, but also because I just damaged my relationship with Garp. This minimises the chance of him training me after this, so I did this to gather public support. He who has the public rules the world.

"What..? YOU SHRIMP, STOP TALKING NONSENSE BEFORE I-"

"Garp-san." Garp freezes in the middle of his tirade before mechanically turning his head around to look behind him, all the while still holding me in the air by my shirt. Behind him stands Bogard, regarding him with a blank look and not really showing anything on his face, but behind him is the crew of the rest of the ship.

They are peeking out of doorways and around corners, trying to hide themselves, but with the sheer amount of them, they can hardly obscure themselves from our sight. But what is synonymous with all of them is that they are all looking at Garp disapprovingly. All of them have some kind of negative emotion on their face, with most of them having disappointment upon their faces and looking as if reality itself has shattered for them.

"W-Wait, no, Bogard! I-It isn't what it looks like, okay! The brat was, I mean, little Detoro was just acting, we were just playing a game and-" Garp suddenly starts to waffle and spew words trying to rectify the situation and defend himself, and so he turns around to state his case and waves his hands around making some bizarre gestures as if they will somehow get his point across, but he forgot one thing-

"UWAAAAAHHHHH-"

I feel so sick and dizzy, everything is a blur, and I feel like I am just stuck in a tornado that is twirling me round and round. I was still gripped within Garp's hand, and so he was just viciously waving me around while trying to convince his crew that he was not a bad guy that bullied children. Needless to say, they could not help but doubt the man that was swinging around a child like a flag- "Ughh."

My shirt ripped, and I hit the floor with a thud. The old man's momentum carried me a few feet until I was laid out against the ground, my eyes were still swirling, and I could hardly tell what was going on except that I was now on the floor.

I was around halfway between Bogard, who was looking down at me with a stoic face and Garp, who was looking at the ripped cloth in his hand in disbelief, only now realising that I was still within his grip until recently.

Quickly understanding the situation, Garp releases the ripped fabric in his hand, letting it float down to the ground and rushes over to me. He crouches down and pulls me up by my shoulders with his hands holding on to my shoulders with such suddenness that I don't even recognise the transition, my feet dangling in the air as he holds me up while still crouched on his knees. "Are you alright, kid? I forgot you were there. I am sorry for throwing you like that. I didn't mean it. Can you just tell these guys that I wasn't doing anything-"

"BLECHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"wrong..." Garp finishes, only just realising that I had just emptied my stomach onto his pristine white leather shoes. I really don't feel good, and even though I just puked up the contents of my stomach, I still feel like I have more to give, but as my eyes regain focus, I see Garp's face looking down at his puke-covered shoes and then back up to me.

I can't help the smirk that appears on my face at his plight and the black expression on his face with his mouth still open from the words he was just saying. I don't want to smirk in this situation as I know my situation might just worsen, but with Bogard and the rest of the Marines to my back and only Garp in front of me, I can't help it.

Only he will see my smirk, and I don't have the proper strength in my mouth muscles to control my lips and stop them from stretching to either side of my face. So the best I can do is keep my pearly whites from showing.

Unfortunately, my restraint doesn't seem to have any effect as I can feel the old man's grip on my shoulders tightens to the point of hurting. Still, I don't voice any complaints as I can see his jaw clench and his teeth begin to grind against each other in frustration.

I know that he is genuinely off pissed now because of my cries which he now knows were deliberately done for the crowd behind me because of my own betraying grin. I see a vein pulsate on the right side of his forehead. The smirk bleeds off of my face at the angered visage on his face.

"Brat... You have pissed me-"

"Garp-san. That is enough. let Detoro go." Bogard says while walking closer and laying his hand on Garp's shoulder, clasping it while talking with the same monotone voice and look on his face.

"But, Bogard. This little shrimp-"

"I know Garp-san, but you have to put him down. The Marines behind us are beginning to doubt you, so put him down and do what I say, okay." Bogard says, making me realise that my faked cries didn't work on him. Maybe he is just that loyal and trusting of his boss, or maybe there is some other reason I don't know.

He moves closer to Garp and slouches over to bring his mouth closer to his ear before whispering into his ears, I want to know what he is saying, but I can't hear anything. I strain my ears, trying to hear something, until Garp suddenly releases his clutches on my shoulders, letting me land on my two feet before standing back to his full height.

"BWAHAHAHAHA, AND THAT YOUNG DETORO IS WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF YOU EVER COME ACROSS A PIRATE! IF YOU EVER DO SO, REMEMBER TO TRY NOT TO MAKE THEM ANGRY AND WAIT FOR HELP FROM THE MARINES! THAT IS, OF COURSE, IF YOU ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO BEAT THEM UP YOURSELF, BWAHAHAHA!" He bellows out while reaching down to ruffle my hair with his face looking up at the sky as he laughs so loud that my eardrums hurt.

It is evident that this guy just made that up, Garp can't lie for anything, and he shouted it so loudly that all the Marines around could hear him, which is overly suspicious. There is no way anybody will be convinced by that performance.

"Oh, of course. Vice-Admiral Garp was just teaching the kid. What a great guy."

"He really is the Marine Hero, taking the time to educate this kid. But, unfortunately, this kid is weak-willed and started crying at the Vice Admirals demonstration, wasting Vice-Admiral Garp's time."

"Hey, you know Mari-Chan, the girl that works at the grocery store. She has a break now. So let's go see her and her friends. She is very close to giving in and letting me take her out for a meal."

"Hey, let's go..."

Slowly the Marines begin to disperse and go about their days, their faith in their leader restored with minimal effort, which makes me question reality. The man was literally waving me at supersonic speeds around and making me puke, he was shouting directly into my face, and maybe it would be believable if he was crying arrrgh or me mateys or something. Still, he was yelling at me and telling me not to disrespect him. There was nothing even pirate-related said.

I go to say something to try and keep them here, but when I open my mouth, nothing comes out except my breath. What can I say? They are fiercely loyal to their leader, and even when they saw him practically terrorising a child, except for a moment of doubt, the flimsiest of excuses brought them back onside.

I can do nothing but watch as all the Marines quickly disappear one after the other, like deers getting spooked and dashing away within the blink of an eye. The ship's halls are now utterly deserted, with no one in sight. I am sure if I was outside, I would hear a cricket chirp right now, but I don't even have that, only total silence in addition to the malevolent presence I can feel looming behind me.

Turning around, I come knee to face with Garp, and when I raise my head, I see Bogard first standing behind Garp with the same nonplussed face and casual stance, and when I lift my head up even further, I come face to face with the grinning visage of Garp who is smiling down at me.

"Hm, what were you saying, brat? You little shrimp, what happened to all those tears in your eyes?" He looks down at me, but though his mouth is smiling, his eyes are not. If anything, I would say that there is a malicious glint in his eyes, and his smile is stretching to a frightening degree.

"A-Ah, I am- Garp-San. I was just frustrated that I wasn't getting trained like I expected. I am only seven, so the sheer amount of work got to me, and I had a little outburst." I stutter out, knowing that I have lost this exchange, though, to be fair, I was not on my home turf, and I did not have the advantage, so I can't be too disappointed in this loss. The odds were against me.

"You were incredibly naughty just now, Detoro-Kun. Naughty children like you need to be disciplined and taught right from wrong. That bad behaviour is like a sickness, and do you know what the best medicine for sickness is?" He speaks with a smile before raising his hand, not holding the packet of crackers, into the air and clenching it into a fist. His smile somehow gets even more expansive, and I feel a shudder course through my body. Oh no, he is going to-

"A FIST OF LOVE!"

"OWW! DAMN IT, THAT HURTS!" His fist came down with an abruptness that it didn't deserve to have. I was expecting his Fist of Love, and yet I was unprepared for the speed with which he stuck, so much so that I was still looking into his eyes before I had a chance to try and defend my head.

But the difference between the last Fist of Love that I received and This Fist of Love was the impact. The last one's force made me crouch on the ground and hold my head in pain, but this one merely made my upturned head turn downward from looking at Garp's face to looking at the floor.

It also didn't hurt as much as the last one though it still hurt a lot. Garp must have considered my age with this one and lessened the blow. However, he still made sure it was full of love, and I could feel another more minor bump grow out of the bug bump he had made on my head a few minutes ago.

"Garp-san." I look back up to see Bogard looking at Garp, but I still can't gather a single clue on the guy as his face remains as impassive as it ever has, and the only movement it ever does is when he speaks as well as when he is smoking a cigarette.

While I don't seem to recognise the minor cues on his face, Garp does as he suddenly deflates and whatever emotion that was in his being suddenly disappears as he slouches over and reaches his hand back into his cracker packet to start munching on some. Finally, however, there is irritation on his face as he chomps somewhat angrily, Bogard looking on impassively.

"Garp-San, while Detoro-Kun was wrong, you also have some blame on you for the situation. You have used the excuse of having a debt to young Detoro to stay on this island and delay your return to Marine HQ. While what you were doing was cultivating a good foundation in the boy, you have also made him work well past his capability, especially considering his age, but even so, he burrowed forward and continued to work even though we gave him the workload of someone double his age. He has shown his willingness and willpower. The least we can do is take his request seriously and impart some wisdom to him. he deserves that much." Bogard says while Garp continues to munch on his crackers.

Is this real? Is the situation actually working out for me after all the crap I just pulled? Logic would dictate that after what I have just done, Garp would be incredibly angry and refuse to train me anymore, but is this actually happening? Are things actually going my way? Unfathomable, and yet it is happening. Garp pauses his munching and tilts his head to the side to think for a moment before nodding to himself in affirmation of something only he knows.

"Okay then, you want training, brat? Then you've got it. I will put you through the same training that I was putting my grandson through before I was recalled to headquarters. Just you wait, kid. You are either going to come out the other end of my training as a strong man or as a lifeless corpse. You brought this on yourself, shrimp." Garp smiles to himself before turning around and walking off.

He leaves chowing down on his crackers, no longer caring about what just happened, to leave Bogard and me looking at each other. I see a trace of something in Bogard's eyes as he looks down at me, but it quickly disappears, making me wonder if I had imagined it. Finally, he nods his head at me and turns to walk away as well.

Did-Did I just come out of this conundrum with a good result..?

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 6– Hellish Training.

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

"Have you sorted everything out, brat? Because we will be gone for a while, shrimp, do not blame me when you come back and find that your house isn't where you left it." Garp says, sitting on a crate. We are at the docks right next to his Marine Ship, and Garp is currently sitting staring out at the ocean and picking his nose, flinging his boogers out to sea and watching his bogies skip along the surface of the sea as if they were stones.

Sometimes I doubt my own intelligence for thinking that this senile old man would be a good teacher for me, but I just have to remember that what he is flicking isn't what is important. It is that he is blasting it off over the horizon with just his finger.

"Yep, I sorted out everything, and I'm not dumb enough to forget where my house is. I also brought some clothes for the trip, and I even brought a book to read." I say, bursting with enthusiasm, quickly forgetting the questionable actions performed by the man in front of me. I lug the big sack up off of my shoulder and pull out the carpentry book for beginners that I bought from the bookstore, holding it out for Garp to see with a big smile on my face.

The only thing I had to sort out on this island was the weekly stipend I received from Mummy Mee, which I won't be able to collect while on this trip. So I told Mummy Mee that I got some non-paying work experience on a ship for a couple of weeks and would have no money when I returned. So that she could save my money for me, and when I return, I can collect it, having a surplus built up as Garp will be putting me up for free, food and board.

"Hm, your bringing stuff? Give it here. now, let us see." He suddenly snatches the bag out of my hands and he loosens the string holding it close. He peeks inside and reaches a hand in, and begins to ruffle a hand around through all my belongings.

"Huh, wait, what? T-That's mine, that is my bag! What do you think you're doing? Give it back to me! This is a violation of my human rights. give me back my bag, you shitty old man!" Then, feeling the empty air in my hand, I come back to my senses and realise that Garp just stole my bag. Quickly reacting, I rush at him, reaching for my bag, wanting to safeguard some of the only things I possess in this life.

But instead, Garp casually puts his hand out and puts an end to my goal by smushing it against my face keeping me from coming any closer with my arms just being painfully out of reach from the only thing I care about right now.

"Hmm, human rights? What are those? Is it food? Can I eat it? Anyway, look at all this useless stuff. You have a winter hat and jacket, some shorts, and dress shoes, you have all these clothes for different climates, and none of it matches. Why do you have slippers in here? Whatever, it doesn't matter." He states, and then still holding my head at a distance, he flings the bag behind him out quite a stretch, where it splashes into the ocean and sinks to its depths. I immediately stop struggling, and Garp, sensing that, lets my face go.

A-All my clothes, gone, sunk to the bottom of the sea. All those countless weeks I spent saving up my allowance at the orphanage and then purchasing any and all cool clothing I found from the merchants from overseas selling, gone, laying at the bottom of the ocean. So now all I have left is the stuff I left at home and the clothes I am wearing right now, that being a bright orange sunhat, some cool swimming goggles strapped to my forehead, a blue tank top with an open green vest on top, some blue jeans and red flipflops on my feet.

"Y-You crazy old man, do you know how much I spent on that stuff!? Are you going to pay me back for that stuff!? Just- Just, why did you do that, you old fogey!?" I shout at him once reality sinks in, and I come to terms with the fact that my fashionable wardrobe has been destroyed, and I am going to have to start buying more clothing in the future to build it back up to its once magnificent state.

"I did it because you do not need any of that stuff. It is just going to slow you down when you start your training, and the fewer distractions you have, the more training you will get done. Ah, that reminds me, drop that book in the ocean as well and then we can set off, hurry up." Hearing him, I quickly clutch the book to my chest. This is my most priceless possession, with a price of ฿400 lowered to ฿300.

I can't let him destroy it. This is to help make me a mansion in the future, I need this book. I stifle the urge to shout like a brat and complain to get my way because that doesn't work on this man as he is an even bigger brat, so I need to convince him rather than face his stubborn brain head-on.

"Hey, uh, you will be eating those crackers and snacks while we train, right?" He nods his head.

"And those help you relax and destress whenever you are, uh, stressed, right?" He thinks for a moment, then nods his head again.

"Well, that is what this book is for me. It is a way for me to relax and destress, which will be especially helpful with training as I know you have to make sure you rest as much as you train, so can I keep this book and take it with me, please?" Garp hums for a second and tilts his head to the side, fixing his free hand to his chin as he ponders my request.

He stares at me, and then down to the book in my hands and then to the crackers in his own hand, and then back to my book, and then back to the snacks, his heading moving rapidly between the two before finally coming back up to stare at my face.

"It would be better for me to read this book while we rest instead of me annoying you, right? If I don't have this book, I will need another way to relax. I might have to partake in some of your snacks to relax." Getting worried that my argument was not strong enough, I added some more to try and reinforce it and drive it through his thick skull, putting a personal stake in it for him so that he would be more liable to see things from my point of view.

"Hm, okay. You can bring the book, but that is it. It will be better than hearing your annoying complaints later, brat, and that way, you won't want any of my crackers. Now, hurry up and get on the boat." He says, much to my relief, this way, I will be able to do my training and then focus on this book in my spare time so that I can actually start learning. I know I don't have any of the materials or tools, and I can't do any actual work with the book, but reading it should prove to be enlightening anyway and help me better understand the craft I want to learn.

Holding my book with one arm to my chest, I turn to my right and begin to make my way towards the ship, ready to start my journey. I wonder what amazing sights I will see on this trip, what food I will taste and what kinds of people I will meet, and I think about the next time I step back onto this dock where I will be a stronger man. And it all begins with this step, this one step which will thrust me forward into a new era, and so my foot lands on the plank leading up to the ship, and I-

"Hey, where do you think you're going, shrimp?" Suddenly my feet lose contact with the ground, and my body is raised up off the ground. When I look behind me to see what is happening, I realise that Garp is lifting me up off the ground by the scruff of my neck and stopping me from continuing my journey to greatness, even though he just told me to get on the ship.

"Huh, what do you mean where am I going? You told me to hurry up and get on the ship, so that is what I am doing. Can you let go of me now, or are you going lug me up there?" I ask, crossing my arms while still hanging in the middle of the air from his grip and turning my head as much as possible so that I can shoot him a stern look that doesn't do anything and makes no impact whatsoever, but I don't care. So first, this guy dropped all my clothes into the ocean, and now he is stretching out my awesome green vest, which he is using to pick me up,

"No, brat, I told you to get on the boat, this boat down here. We will not take the ship since I want to get away from those annoying- I mean, because the Marines on board would interfere with your training, so we will be going alone, just the two of us." He says, walking a bit further along the dock with me still in his grasp and holding me out over the sea and allowing me to see the small rowboat docked right in front of the massive Marine ship, a tiny little thing that looks good enough and there is a big sack upon the boat. Still, I would much prefer to be going on the big ship just for the sake of comfort. This little thing looks uncomfortable.

"Now, get in." He says, letting go of my cool green vest- ah, wait, what?

*Splash* I crashed down into the ship upsetting the waters with my sudden presence and making a big splash. I didn't even say anything, as everything happened too fast for me to utter anything, and Garp's actions were so out of the blue that I didn't even realise what had happened until I was halfway through my descent.

Thankfully the boat does seem to be quite sturdy as it easily held against my body, impacting it, though that doesn't mean it didn't hurt. I let out a groan as I work my way to my feet and put my hand on the side of the boat to steady myself.

*Splash* "AGGGHH!" This time sound escapes my mouth as something else falls down into the small rowboat, and I release a loud shout as my balance is disrupted, and I feel like the entire sea is trembling as the impact sends the water roaring. I fall back down onto the boat, my back smashing against the sturdy wood, though I can feel it groaning from whatever it was that impacted it.

Laying against the wood, I close my eyes and remain still as the water in the air comes back down and splashes against my still body, soaking my fresh clothes with the cold water and chilling me to the bone. Then, after a moment, with the water having settled and the boat steadying, I opened my eyes.

I was greeted by the sight of Garp standing tall above me with his coat bristling in the wind with the fresh breeze soaring through the air, a magnificent view, to be sure, for those not aware of the idiotic mind residing within the staunch body.

"BWAHAHAHA! What are you doing lying down there, boy? Now is not the time for a nap, you dumb brat. Get up. it's time for us to set off!" He barks with a massive grin on his face as he stares down at me before lifting his head to stare off into the distance with a thoughtful look on his face, which would make better sense if he was faced towards the sea and not towards the wooden structure holding up the docks.

I work myself back to my feet once again, thinking all sorts of nasty things about the man-child standing tall on the boat. It is his bloody fault that I am lying against the floor of the rowboat. Not only did he drop me down into the vessel, but then he jumped down himself. Whose bloody fault does he think it is that I am lying down on the floor?

Pulling myself up with my hand on the edge of the boat, I steady myself and look at this foolish old man who is the key to my future travels and strength, but I might just try to strangle him in his sleep if he keeps on-

*Slap* I feel the harsh sting of both my hands impacting against the sides of my cheeks, destroying all the stupid thoughts inside of my head. I just have to focus on my goals, and they are to explore as much of this world as possible while documenting it and becoming the strongest on this planet.

The thing I abhor the most is a mediocre existence which means the more I interact with abnormal people like Garp, the more I move away from such an existence. Garp is the path forward for me, the person who will help me on my way to fulfilling all my goals, so I will have to embrace all the things that come with him, even if I might not like them.

"Yeah, let's get going, old man! So that I can get stronger and eventually kick your saggy old ass!" I cheer, sticking my fists up into the air, psyching myself up for what is to come, both today and in the future. No more excuses and being a little baby, no more schemes and acts like when I cried upon the ship. Those are the actions of someone weak and cowardly.

A mediocre existence, that sort of person will never fulfil my goals, and I refuse to be that person, not anymore. Never again will I fall on my back. I would rather land on my balls and bust them than be forced to fall on my ass and stare at the sky. My back will never be forced to touch the ground again. The day it does is the day I die.

"Kick my ass? BWAHAHA! Watch your mouth, shrimp, but your right. Let's set off. Marines!" At his call, two marines appear above us and pop out their heads to look down at us. Then they disappear from sight a second before two oars are thrown down for Garp to catch, which he does so without looking. He is still staring off at the bottom of the docks as if there is something to actually see, or maybe he is seeing something that I can't. Best to just ignore stuff like that and just stay focused.

"Ugh," I grunt as an oar is suddenly thrown at me, and I receive it with my chest, only just managing to bring an arm up to keep it clutched tightly against me. I look down at the big oar in my arms and then to Garp, who is sitting down on the boat facing towards me, resting his back on the big sack behind him, clutching his own oar in his hand. Seeing him sit down, I take a seat myself, transferring the oar from my arm into my hands.

"You want me to help row the boat? You do remember that I am just seven years old, right?" I ask as I grab the oar with both hands and then dip the end into the water on the right side of the rowboat. I am not complaining or anything, and I am fine with helping to row the boat, but he was forcing me to do all of that work on the ship when he thought I was older than I was, so I am asking if his knowledge of my age has in any way impacted the way he is treating me.

"Hm, you did want me to train you, right? So just listen to me and start your rowing. Also, you want to use the oar to push away from the dock first, and then you row on the right to turn left and on the left to turn right, switching between the two to go forward and pushing forwards or backward to change the way you are going. Well, get to it." I sit stunned for a second, in awe that actual words carrying meaning have left his mouth. He is actually imparting some actual knowledge upon me, and he hadn't released that ridiculous laugh even once. Maybe he isn't going to be such a lousy teacher.

Coming back to my senses, I quickly use his advice and push my oar against the docks to move the rowboat out into the sea. Seeing that it actually worked, I got excited, thinking that this old man was actually going to teach me things. So I quickly get to using the other knowledge he has introduced to me and begin to row the boat, alternating between the left and the right and to my amazement, the vessel starts to actually move forward.

I begin to move the oar even faster when I see that it is actually working, that this old man has truly taught me something that has an actual basis in real life and is genuinely helpful. It makes me hopeful for my future learning under this man. Using my new skills with enthusiasm, I continue to row left, right, left, right, left, and right, always moving forward. Until eventually, I look up past Garp to the open ocean in front of me and stop my rowing. I then look to my sides and see nothing but the open sea before I look behind me to the Conami Islands, which is so far away that it is basically just a dot on the horizon.

"Uh, wait a minute. Where am I supposed to be going? I just rowed all the way out here without knowing. where are we headed, old man?" I ask while embarrassedly rubbing the back of my head. Unfortunately, I got overexcited and just started going for it without having an actual destination in mind. Thankfully, it seems Garp overlooked this as well, as my words disrupted his eating his crackers, and he looked up at me with his cheeks full before gulping it all down. I can see the bulge of crackers move from his mouth down his neck and into his stomach.

"Ah, right. One second, I've got it somewhere here. Or was it? No, wait, here it is, catch." Garp begins to pat down his body, seemingly looking for something. I get more worried when he doesn't seem to be able to find it at all and ceases his patting before he suddenly realises something and reaches up beneath his dog hat to pull something out from underneath it. He then immediately chucks the object to me, making me drop my oar and quickly fumble with the thing playing hot potato with it, before finally clasping my two hands around it.

I look down at the object in my hand and regard it with wonder. I intensely observe it. It is made up of a wooden structure formed by a thick circular board on top and a wide circular board on the bottom, which is connected by small wooden pillars arranged in the formation of a triangle, but that is just the shell.

It is what is inside that is truly mesmerising. Held within the wooden structure is a clear glass ball, so clear that it is almost invisible. And within that, hanging by a piece of string so that it is in the centre, is an object shaped like an oblong pyramid, with two opposite corners stretching to just touch the edge of the glass, with one side being painted red.

The red side is pointing into the distance behind Garp, and I turn the object around in my hands to look at the other sides of it. as I do so, the inside of the glass remains unchanged, with the red end still pointing in the same direction, no matter how much I move the object.

"Uh, what is this... thing?" I look towards Garp to see him once again chowing down on his snacks and lying back on the giant sack behind him, which presumably holds a lot of supplies for whenever we get where we are going, my question once again spurs him from his rest. He looks back up at me again, but this time he doesn't pause in his snacking as he looks at me blankly before my words seem to connect with his mind, and he nods blearily.

"Right, well, that thing in your hand is called an Eternal Pose. There is a whole lotta science mumbo jumbo behind it, but basically, it remembers where an island is by remembering its smell or something. I didn't really pay attention when Jengapunk or whatever his name was explained it to me. So the point is, just follow that, and we'll get where we are going." He pauses his munching to say before resuming it, no longer paying attention to me and sinking back into the sack so much so that he is now staring at the sky, munching on his snacks, without a care in the world with his oar placed by his feet.

"Are you just going to laze there and eat your snacks, or will you put that oar by your feet to use and help me start rowing?" I asked after realising that I had rowed all of this distance, all the way out here, by my lonesome while this old fogey just relaxed and ate his snacks, taking advantage of my overexcitement and allowing me to do all of this work by myself.

"Hm, this thing?" Garp says, reaching down and picking up the oar and holding it up to the sky.

"This isn't an oar. This is a backscratcher. Totally different thing. you scratch your back with it." He says, moving the oar behind him and leaning forward. He then spears the oar downwards with impossible accuracy and slips it between the small space between his shirt collar and his own skin, rapidly moving it up and down to scratch his back and letting out a pleasurable groan while doing so.

"It's not a goddamn backscratcher, so stop messing around and help me row. And for the love of all things sacred, stop letting out those disgusting sounds. Do you have no shame?" I say, I no longer have the strength to shout and waste my energy on the actions of this abnormal old man. At my words, he just grins and continues to use his self-proclaimed backscratcher and groaning.

"I ain't helping you row, boy. I may have given you the workload of someone double your age on my ship, but that doesn't change the fact that you were completing all your duties. You can handle rowing the boat all by yourself. Your training has already begun. It is up to you, you can either start rowing the boat and following the Eternal Pose, or you turn this boat around and row back to your home." Garp says and then washes his hands of the matter, relaxing back into his sack, scratching his back with the oar and using his other hand to munch on his snacks.

Sighing, I look down at the Eternal Pose in my hand and look at the plaque on its bottom, which reads Troga. Now aware of my destination, I place it on the seat in front of me so that it is in my line of sight. I reach for my oar and then dip it back into the water on my right, and then I start to row.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 7– I'm not too fond of Garp.

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

"Finally, we are here. It took you forever, damn brat. I was very close to just doing the rowing myself, but luckily, I had my crackers to keep me company. BWAHAHA!" Garp bellows as the small rowboat we have been riding beaches on the tropical island shore of Troga.

I don't pay an iota of attention to Garp's words as I quickly hop out of the boat and onto the sandy beach before the vessel even entirely stops. Dropping to my hands and knees, I clench my hands and feel the sand run through them. Feeling each grain run through my fingers assures me that I am not dreaming.

*Mwah* Mwah* Mwah*

I start to kiss the ground feverishly, thankful that the nightmare is finally over and that I am no longer floating about on the high seas accompanied by an evil madman. I am finally back on the ground where everything is safe and nothing can hurt me.

I am never going to get on those seas ever again, and I know that my goal is to travel around the world and become the world's strongest man, but I will manufacture a plane to travel the world instead of traversing the dangerous waters.

"Stop whining, brat. It only took a few days to get here, and we only had o deal with a few small fish. And stop kissing the sand. It's weird. Is there something wrong with your head?" Garp's question stops me from kissing the sand, drawn out of my fugue by his baseless accusation.

I mean, who the hell is he to say I am weird and ask me if I am okay in the head? He is the one that is weird and messed up in the head, and what does he mean by small fish? They were not small in the least. That entire boat ride was a nightmare.

First of all, the distance I had to cover was much too considerable, and I had to row it all by myself. I didn't really question it or think anything about how far I would have to row when I began, but I paddled for a full day and night before I no longer paid attention to the day cycle and just focused on rowing.

Second, resisting the urge to sleep and take a break was hard, so very hard, primarily because of my debuff. So why didn't I take any breaks? Well, I quickly learned why that was a bad idea when I first tried to. Garp was either eating his crackers or sleeping, and during one of his naps during the night, I also decided to take a rest. Unfortunately, he was stopping me from doing so when awake, so that was my only chance.

During my nap, I was awoken by a sudden blast of wind that threatened to topple over the small rowboat, which I found very bizarre as there had been no wind at all for quite a while. I don't know when it happened, but during my rowing, at some point, I noticed that there were no currents in the seas and no tides. It was absolutely still, and there was no wind to boot. When I asked Garp about it, he told me to ignore it, so I did.

When I opened my eyes after the sudden blast of wind, I came face to face with a scaly mountain, the biggest thing I had ever seen, and it had a mouth full of scarily sharp teeth, and two draconic yellow eyes glowed in the darkness. I was so shocked and scared by the sight that I couldn't even move or do anything as the beast suddenly opened its mouth and lunged to devour me.

I was only saved by the timely intervention of Garp, who moved with great speed and struck the sea monster on the tip of the snout with his oar. he still insists it is a backscratcher, which launches the beast a million miles away. Then he turns around and goes back to sleep, ignoring me and the situation entirely.

After that, I learned never to take a break because these things were widespread in these waters, and we were attacked several times by more of what Garp called Seakings, some bigger and some smaller, which Garp fended off with ease.

This boat ride was also made infinitely more complicated because Garp forbade me from eating or drinking anything until we reached our destination. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about the madman's condition, so I just had to accept that and sneak some of the broken pieces of cracker on the floor into my mouth while Garp nodded off.

One night, with Garp deep in his sleep, I take the opportunity to stop the rowboat for a moment and scavage for crackers on the boat's floor, getting lucky and finding some pieces instead of just the usual crumbs. Garp is like an animal, and he devours like one as well. His stomach is eternal, and his hunger is astounding. he hardly leaves more than crumbs behind. This night Garp was deeply asleep. I could tell because of how giant the snot bubble from his nose was. Over those days at sea, I noticed that the deeper he was in sleep, the larger the snot bubble.

I was searching through the floor for his scraps. Some might have said this is humiliating and that they would never do it, but to them, I say bugger off. I had been rowing day and night with no sustenance, and sea creatures had randomly attacked me at every turn. I needed to eat these little crumbs to survive and receive Garp's training so that I could fulfil my goals and realise my full potential, and I wanted to go the distance.

Searching through the things on the floor, I begin to pick out the pieces of crackers to gather them all together and then devour them all at once. It just seems to be more filling this way rather than eating them straight off the floor. Suddenly a cold wind brushed over my skin, causing me to shudder. Before there was silence, I could now hear the soft wind blowing against me, which shouldn't be possible, according to Garp.

I Immediately turn around to come face to face with a gigantic yellow eye with black split pupils right next to the boat, the eye of a Seaking, or in this case, a Seaprince, given it is much smaller than the other ones, and yet it is still huge, way bigger than the rowboat. I watch, stunned, as I stand right in the centre of its eye, its eye which is slowly moving upwards, water streaming down its face and sloshing off the top of its head.

This one, while smaller, must be much smarter than the others, and it must have been observing us for quite some time as it chose the exact moment when Garp was in a deep sleep. First, it waited for me to stop the boat and forage for crumbs, and then instead of bursting out of the water like the others and alerting Garp, it chose to slowly rise from the ocean right next to the boat so that it could have a better chance of ambushing us and getting a good meal.

It slowly, ever so slowly, rises up out of the water, so slowly that the water basically dribbles off of its head, allowing it to have a silent entrance leaving me without the protection of Garp, most likely after having observed us after this long, it must now know that I am the weaker link. It would be folly to try to eat Garp, meaning that I am its target, and there is a possibility that it will move to attack me if I open my mouth to speak.

I know for a fact that Garp takes a while to wake up from his sleep. He is very drowsy after a nap, so am I willing to shout for his help, knowing that as soon as I do, the beast will move to attack me? But, on the other hand, am I willing to bet on Garp waking up faster than usual and coming to protect me before the beast can gobble me up? Hell no, the man might be strong, but he sure as hell isn't dependable. I will scream to wake him, but that is not the only thing I will do.

I looked down at the oar clenched in my right hand. Ever since this journey had started, I had kept this oar on my person at all times. After the attacks of the Seakings, I had made sure to keep it clenched in one of my hands after seeing Garp using an oar to bat away those numerous beasts. It gave me a measure of comfort to hold it in my hand, so I had it even when I was rummaging for Garp's leftovers.

In Garp's hand, this oar, which seems to be made of some type of oar, managed to do severe damage, but that is not what I was focusing upon. Instead, I am focusing on the fact that this oar which should be pretty flimsy, seems to be incredibly durable and firm, enough so that it does not break when used to beat Seakings. Therefore, I can't just scream and wait for Garp to come to save me. I need to do more than just that, and I will, making use of this oar in my hand.

The Seakings head is still slowly rising, its unflinching gaze on me, waiting to see what I will do. Its eye is nearly entirely out of the water. If I wait any longer, I will miss my chance, and it will have risen too high for me to do anything. While my tool might be mighty, it still does not have much of a reach and won't do much when piercing into the beast's skin.

It is simply too big for my small oar to have any effect, which is why I have to go for a vital spot, the eye, which is slowly getting further and further away from me. Staunching myself, I grip my oar, steady my beating heart, and look the monster straight in its eyes.

"ARGGRGGHHHH!!" I scream aloud to alert Garp to the current situation and bolster myself up and somehow boost my courage as I run forward and lift my right into the air above my head. Grasping the oar with both of my hands, I step onto the boat's edge and then use that as a platform to jump towards the creature's massive pitch-black pupil.

I thrust both my hands forward and smash the oar forward and into the slit black pupil of the beast. I can feel it as it punctures the surprisingly vulnerable eye and sinks through the gooeyness and into the eyeball.

Immediately I hear a mournful wail as the beast opens its jaw, and then it shoots straight out of the water and into the air, no longer caring about being silent and just wanting to vent. Instead, its mournful wail transforms into a roar full of rage.

I grasp the oar tightly as it shoots straight up into the air with me still attached to it via the oar still sticking out of its eye. It begins to madly flail every which way trying to unlodge me from its eye, but I stay put and hold remains fierce, resisting the cold air and the water spraying against my face having to close my eyes when it got too much.

Not only because I want to keep damaging this beast but because if I let go, I will be flung off into the far distance, which will make the splash hurt quite a bit, not to mention the fact that I will be in open water miles away from my boat and with ravenous sea creatures surrounding me.

"ARGGRGGHHHH!!" I screamed as I held on for dear life as the beast continued to move with wild abandon. My hands turned raw as my hands twisted and turned against the wood with every change in direction, but no matter how the thing moved, I do not let go knowing this was my only lifeline. Suddenly the beast went still, allowing me to just dangle in the air for a moment before we plummeted straight down, and all I knew was coldness.

I still held on for dear life, but my grip was beginning to slip, the extreme cold was badgering me constantly, and I could feel myself turning numb. I could feel the ocean itself start to seep into my very bones, and I was beginning to lose strength. Finally, feeling myself letting go, I opened my eyes, trying to stay awake and alert. Still, even with my eyes open, all I see is darkness, hardly being able to see the beast's skin right in front of me.

This stupid fish is undoubtedly the smartest one I've seen yet, and knowing that I can't breathe underwater, it decided to take us down below. Still, even so, I don't let go knowing that if I do, it will just eat me as soon as I do. My breath began to escape from my mouth, disappearing in little bubbles that floated away in the water, I panicked, but there was nothing I could do except hold on tightly to the oar, my only lifeline.

*Snap*

It snapped, my only lifeline. I guess it wasn't the mighty weapon I thought it was, or maybe I just wasn't strong enough to pull out its full potential. Still grasping onto the broken handle of the oar, the other half of it still lodged into the eye of the beast, I began to drift off into the cold, freezing ocean, all the air now escaping my mouth as if an unstoppable leak had sprung.

And as I sunk into the ocean's depths, I looked up into the absolute darkness to see a circle of light shimmering through the top of the sea. The light of the moon illuminated my surroundings and revealed to me the dozens upon dozens of Seakings that surrounded me, every space around me being filled by one, I felt despair set in, and hopelessness fills my being at the sight.

There was no oxygen left in my lungs, and the Seakings began to move in closer to me, blocking out my only source of light. I could see their jaws opening, revealing the sharp sets of teeth held within, which would soon be tearing me into tiny little pieces. The darkness began to seep in from the corners of my eyes, and I allowed it to do so, not wanting to be conscious when I was ripped apart by the countless beasts surrounding me.

Before the darkness entirely covered my eyes, I saw the moonlight above me ripple intensely, and all of the Seakings suddenly moved. And then I woke on the boat. Garp sat across from me, still munching on his crackers as if nothing had happened.

For a moment, I had pondered if anything had happened and If I didn't just end up falling asleep from sleep deprivation and ended up having an intensely realistic dream, but then I looked to my right, where I saw my fingers were tightly grasped around a broken piece of wood, which used to be an oar.

We didn't talk about it, and I didn't try to. Garp merely got frustrated that he had to give me his backscratcher to use as a makeshift oar, even though it was an actual oar. So after that, I put my head down and continued to row, not even stopping to sleep or scavenge for more of Garp's crumbs, and I just kept on rowing and rowing until I got to my destination. I didn't worry about starving, and I didn't worry about not getting enough sleep. all I worried about was getting to Troga as soon as possible.

A few more incidents with beasts occurred, but I never stopped my rowing for even a second. Even when my arms ached and my lungs burned, I never stopped rowing, I didn't stop to eat, I didn't stop to sleep, and I didn't stop when something tried to eat me. Because if there was one thing that was reliable about Garp, then it would be his brutish strength, I could rely on that, and I did so as I continued my travel.

While Garp may not have been reliable when it came to other things, I could always rely on the fact that he likes to be undisturbed, so even when he was sleeping, he would bash away threats. Even when a Seaking burst out of the water suddenly and rushed forward to take a chomp out of us, Garp, still sleeping, stuck his hand out and backhanded the giant sea creature away. I continued the rest of the journey like this, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible and start my proper training.

So it was only natural for me to get off of that boat and onto the land as soon as we beached because while Garp may not have had that taxing of a journey, I certainly did. Garp may be correct when he says it only took a few days to get here, but those few days were full of danger for me, and it was very traumatic. I was attacked by numerous Seakings, dragged down into the depths of the ocean and nearly drowned, and worked to the bone while being starved.

I can't be bothered to argue with the man, though. So I just get up off my knees and turn around to go back to the boat. Garp himself has now landed on the sandy beaches of Troga. He is walking off to do something or other. I don't pay attention in favour of going to the boat and grabbing the huge sack that Garp has been resting on this whole trip which is full of supplies. I just want to set up whatever we will be using to sleep, eat some food and then go to bed.

Grabbing hold of the sack, I turn around and walk back a distance on the sandy beach, not wanting to open the sack too close to the sea and risk any of the supplies being washed away by the ocean currents. I get busy trying to undo the knot that holds the bag closed, but I have some difficulty undoing it. Whoever did this knot pulled the string so tightly that I could hardly even pull at the thing. My nails couldn't seem to find enough purchase to loosen the knot.

"Oi, Brat! What the hell do you think you are doing? Put that back right now!" Garp yells from a distance, walking out of the tree line and towards me. I continue to struggle with the knot, not paying him any mind as I just want to sleep, I am finding it very hard to stay awake right now and could drop dead at any moment, but I need to set up my bed and eat something before I do.

"Relax, old man. I am just opening up the bag to get the supplies out and set up our tents or whatever you've got in here, then get some food and go to sleep. After all, I haven't slept in a few days, and I haven't eaten either, you know- Ah, finally opened the damn thing." So I say when I finally loosen the knot, and then I grab the top of the bag and pull on it to open the sack wide. I am too tired to look through the thing, so I just grab the pack from the bottom and then pour everything out onto the sand.

"AH, YOU DUMB IDIOT!! MY SNACKS, YOU'RE GETTING SAND ON MY CRACKERS!!!" Garp shouts as the contents of the bag are thrown all over the beach, a literal waterfall of crackers having poured out onto the sand, with nothing else coming out of the bag. I let go of the sack, letting it blow away with the wind, shocked that there was nothing else inside. This colossal sack that I thought held a bunch of supplies actually only had a literal mountain of crackers inside and nothing else.

Garp emerges from nowhere, holding the sack that I just let go of and dropping to his knees. He begins to shovel packet after packet of crackers back into the bag like a man possessed, cursing me all the while for dumping his precious crackers on the ground. I don't care. I turn around and walk a distance away from him before sitting down on the sandy beach. I then flop backwards and rest my back on it.

We have just come to a tropical island out in the middle of nowhere that looks to be completely deserted, with no sign of civilisation on the island at all. We have no supplies to speak of, and we have nowhere to rest. Furthermore, there are undoubtedly a number of dangerous animals on this island, not to mention the fact that the surrounding seas are full of gigantic Seakings.

We are going to die. Wait that is not correct. I am going to die. Garp will be just fine, but I will not. My stomach rumbles as I lay on the coarse sand staring up at the bright blue sky without a cloud to be seen, the evening sun glaring down at me.

My hunger is painful, but the slumber's call is much more enticing. It is vastly more potent than my hunger. So I- I am going to sleep.

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

My stomach dangerously gurgling is what brings me back to Earth. Is this Earth? I don't care anymore. All I know is that my hunger has brought me out of deep sleep, and I need to eat something. But when I open my eyes, I am not treated to the same sight I saw before I slept. Instead of the bright blue sky, I expected to greet me, I saw a canopy of green trees and foliage covering my vision.

Sitting up, I look around to find myself in a clearing in the middle of a forest, surrounded by trees on all sides, with no clue where I am. Even when I look up, I find it hard to spot the sky through the absolute litany of trees that occupy my surrounding space. I panic, not knowing how I arrived here and knowing I did not fall asleep here, which means that someone must have moved me while I slept, and the only other person on this island, as far as I know, is Garp.

Putting my hands on the ground, I push myself to stand up, and as I do so, I catch a glimpse of a boulder behind me. Now on my feet, I turn around and walk over to the boulder, upon which is inscribed a message. It seems to have been carved into it with some sort of circular tool, something in the shape of a finger. Disregarding that fact, I look towards the message within the rock, which hopefully holds the reason I am out here in the middle of nowhere.

[Brat.

The training begins now.

Find your way back to the beach.

Hurry, or this book of yours goes into the ocean. Garp]

Goddamit, that book cost me quite a bit, and this bloody oaf is just going to chuck it into the sea. Not to mention the fact that he has stranded me in the middle of this stupid island while I am still tired and suffering from starvation, with no clue as to where the hell I am.

Which way is the goddamned beach?

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 8– Troga.

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

Alright, I am in the middle of this random island. No, it isn't random. This island is Troga, the island Garp has taken me to so that I can train, and my training has just begun.

Of course, my first objective is to make it back to the beach, but I have a much more pressing issue right now, which is my grumbling stomach. I hardly ate anything on the journey here, and when we got here, I ended up falling asleep because I got no sleep on the trip here either.

So priority number one is finding food, which I can then eat, ensuring that I will live to see the beach. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be too much around me that I can eat as far as I can see. If there is, I am not experienced enough to recognise it, having never been in a survival situation before.

My best bet now is to pick a direction and go foraging for food, but it makes no sense to just head in a random direction. I might as well figure out which way the beach is and go foraging in that direction. No point wasting energy.

Alright, if I remember correctly when we were on the boat, and we finally caught sight of the island, the sun was pretty much high in the sky. So when we beached, I think it was setting to the left of me, which means it rose to the right of me, and the sun always rises in the east.

So all I have to do is get a glance at the sun and see where it is and in which direction it is heading. by figuring that out, I can figure out which way the beach is as the sun rises to the right of it.

I look up to the sky, but it is entirely covered by the canopy of trees above my head. I can see sunshine escaping through some of the foliage, but I don't have enough vision to tell which direction it is coming from.

My only options now are to either walk to a clearing, which could take me forever to find since I am in a bloody forest, or I could climb the trees and look for the sun from the top. One will take some time, and the other will have more immediate results, and the trees don't look too high.

Sighing, I begin to look at the trees surrounding me, trying to find the one which will give me the most straightforward route up to the top. Unfortunately, it is turning out to be quite challenging, each one I look at seems okay, but I can't help but feel that there must be a better option.

At one point, I realised that I was just delaying and decided to climb an old tree. I can't waste time on stupid stuff like this, and I need to be more like Garp because, apparently, that mentality gets things done.

I go to the best tree I have seen so far and reach my hands out to grasp it. I chose this tree because it has the most hand holds, and the branches are pretty low down, it is a small tree, and once I climb it and get to the branches, I can climb the surrounding trees to get even higher.

Getting to work, I begin my climb, moving cautiously and ensuring I put my hands in the correct place. There is a time to be like Garp, and there is a time not to be suicidal. Sometimes, slow and steady wins the race, and this is one of those times.

It takes a bit, but hand by hand, foot by foot, I slowly make my way up the tree, basically hugging the thing because if I fall, that will reset my progress, and I will have to begin all over again. This is a weird experience for me because, well, I have never really climbed anything before, not like this. I have just never needed to, I had stairs in my town, after all, and if I needed to get somewhere high, I could just use a ladder that had rungs to hold my hands and feet. However, this is proving to be more challenging.

I have finally climbed high enough to reach the branches, so I do so. First, I reach out a hand and grasp onto the nearest branch, and I pull on it twice to make sure it is stable before using it to pull myself further up the tree, and then I do so with another branch and then another.

After the first few, I figured that the tree was pretty stable, so I started just to climb without worrying so much. Then, finally, I get into a rhythm and begin to climb even faster, now grabbing onto the branches of other trees and continuing to rise through the forest.

*Snap*

The branch I was clenching with my right hand just snapped. I was in such a rhythm that I was already reaching my left hand out for the next branch, which was terrible. I was so close to the summit that I could see the sunshine breaking through the leaves, shining so brightly, but I couldn't tell the direction.

I stretch my hands out, trying to grasp something, anything, because gravity is starting to take effect, and I begin to fall backwards. my hands flail rapidly, trying to latch onto whatever they can.

I am failing, I am falling backwards, and I will fall quite the distance. These trees are about 40 feet tall, and I had reached quite far up. If I landed badly, a fall from this height could prove to be quite fatal.

Realising that my flailing of both hands is not working, I make the decision to commit to just my left hand and stretch it out even further, trying to grasp something. But, of course, this means that my balance is even more off, and my right side starts to inch backward while my left goes forward, making me fall faster.

This is do or die. I either grab onto something or fall down and seriously injure myself, risking death. I flex the fingers on my left hand, not clenching them, knowing I am too far gone to grab something properly. My only hope now is to claw onto something and hope for the best, so I make clawing motions to try and catch a lifeline.

It is futile. I grasp nothing and fall backwards towards my doom. I can no longer reach for something in front of me, and my hand drifts toward my left as gravity performs its job. Then, for a moment, I just float there for a second. Maybe I actually do that, or perhaps my senses just got super heightened for a moment, and I am seeing things in slow motion.

Either way, time stops momentarily, allowing me to see my surroundings. The leaves above me had moved out of the way at some point, leaving a clearing in the foliage and allowing me to see the clear blue sky.

I can see the bright sun up in the sky, and it is to the right of the blue sky, but that still doesn't help me because I don't know if it is setting or rising. Right now, it could be the morning or the evening, and I can't say because I hadn't slept for a few days, and so when I finally got some rest, who knows how long I slept, so even if I have gotten a glimpse of the sun, it doesn't matter if I don't see which direction it is heading.

Time seems to resume, and I continue to tip backwards, my feet nearly having left the branches they were standing on, but it is at this point that I feel something. I can feel leaves brushing against the fingers of my left hand as I fall.

I am such an idiot. I only tried to reach for something in front of me, knowing that the clearing I woke up in was to my back, with only a few dozen branches to break my back on the way down. However, there are still some trees to my side that I might have been able to reach, that I can still get to, and I try to.

Yes, yes, yes, thank you, thank you, whoever lives up in that big blue sky. I have managed just to grasp something, and I am currently still, with my feet just on top of two branches and my left hand out to the side of me, managing to just hold onto something that is saving my life. However, while I am safe for right now, I am still in a precarious position, stuck between three different points, stretched out and hanging over a thirty-foot drop.

Looking over to my right, I can see that I am holding onto the end of a vine draping off the side of a branch. The fact that I am not holding onto something in a fixed position worries me quite a bit, so I follow the vine along to see where it goes and see that it goes along a few branches, including the branch one of my feet is on before it disappears from my sight.

Then, seeing that the vine is also on the branch my left foot rests on, I look towards the branch my right foot rests on to see if there is anything that might help me, but there is nothing there that could help me. So, acting quickly but calmly, I make sure to dig my right foot into the tree, and then I slowly but surely twist my left foot around on the branch and wrap the vine around it, another layer of protection, in case I should slip.

I breathe a sigh of relief, taking a moment to relax and think about my situation and, more importantly, how I am going to get out of this mess. I stare up at the sky, and I notice the sun has moved. It is further to the right than it was before, which means it is setting to the right. This is because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. The sun sets to the island's right when we beached, meaning the beach is to the south, and the south is directly in front of me.

Well, at least something came out of this unfortunate situation I have found myself in. So that is one less thing to worry about, and now I can focus on removing myself from this precarious position. Right now, only three of my limbs are in use, my left hand holding onto the end of the vine, and both of my feet are just clinging onto the tree branches, but my right hand is completely free, though it is not close to anything that could help me.

I have a pretty tight grip on the vine, though, and as far as I can see, it is stable and seems to be quite sturdy and thick. So as long as I keep my grip, I should be good, even if I try anything. I quickly look around, spinning my head around and taking note of everything in the area. Then, feeling a plan coming together, I take a deep breath.

Resolving myself, I reach my right hand towards my left and go to grab onto the vine. Due to my observation, I have seen that the vine has enough slack that I could use it to swing to a nearby branch that is quite thick. It is also surrounded by a multitude of other branches in case I don't make my target.

My body starts to spin to the left, and so I act quickly and make a last grab. My right-hand meets my left, and they are now both curled around the vine, but my body has fully twisted due to the movement. Instead of facing the sky like I was a moment ago, I am now facing the ground, and it is a lot more daunting when you look down and see that the floor is thirty feet away from you and there is nothing between you but air.

It's okay. You have got this, Detoro. You can do this. Just ignore the fall to the pits of hell below you. It is just a little drop, don't worry about it. You can do this. Psyching myself up, I reaffirm my grip on the vine and steady my feet against the bark, and then I push with all my might going for the swing.

The rope swings and I follow it, but only for a moment. Then, something goes wrong, and my left leg is stuck for some reason, which prevents me from completing my swing, and the swing stops before it even really went. So I end up once again stuck in the middle of the air, my left leg still attached to the tree branch for some reason and holding onto the vine, which is now above my head.

Because I swung, I am now facing the ground, held in place by my left foot and my arms above my head, holding onto the vine. Unfortunately, the vine is perpendicular to the ground, and I can feel my hands slowly losing their grip.

Managing a look behind me, I see the root of my problem. One of my feet did indeed leave the tree, but my left leg did not leave because, like the idiot I am, I forgot that I had wrapped the vine on that branch around my leg. So when I grabbed the vine with my right hand, I twisted to face the ground, and my foot became even more tangled.

To put it simply, I am between a rock and a hard place, even though I am between a vine and a branch surrounded by nothing but air, and I am screwed because my hands are slowly slipping. Crap, I have to complete the swing before I slip and fall to my death, and to do that, I have to untangle my leg from the vine, and I don't have the time to be neat about it.

I begin to kick and kick, trying to free myself, kicking against the tree as well as pulling my leg, trying my utmost to free myself. With each passing moment, I can feel myself slipping, and my struggle is not helping me. Finally, my hands are nearly at the bottom. At this point, I am really panicking, and I just start to move my legs in a frenzy, both of them, just trying to survive.

*Snap*

Yes, I am free, and now I am swinging, and I am going to make it. I am going to-

"AGGGHHHHHH!!"

I slipped halfway through the swing. I missed my target completely, not even landing on my backup branches. I fly feet first right underneath them, travelling through the forest, and-

"UGGH!"

I impact a tree which stops my travel. I flop off of it like a wet pancake and begin falling down to my death. I am-

"Ugh."

I feel myself impact something much softer than wood. It still hurts but is not severe. Not the, oh my god, I am dying kind of pain. Whatever it is, it doesn't do much to slow me down, and I continue to fall. Down I go and-

"Ugh."

I hit another one, and then another one and then I am just being barraged by them as I continue my travel, and I have no idea what the hell is happening, but my speed is slowing down, and that is a good thing. I might actually survive. Then, I suddenly land roughly on my ass on something, and my journey ends there. My momentum carries through, and my back falls back as well. My back slams into what is obviously the ground, and a cloud of dust blooms in my wake.

Damn, that really hurt my ass, and my back isn't doing so good either, but thank god I am alive. I could have seriously died, but my speed had diminished so much that I didn't break my ass. Unfortunately, though, I am going to have a massive bruise. So I stay there for a moment, in a state of shock and intense relief at my survival. But, goddamn it, why am I so bloody clumsy? Damn you, my past self. Why did you make such bad decisions?

Hmm, what the hell are all those yellow things in the sky, and why are they getting so much bigger? They kind of look like- Crap. I quickly move my arms and cross them over my face. I bring my knees up over my stomach as well, all to protect myself.

"Ugh."

"Agh."

"Gah."

I grunt as the multiple projectiles slam down on me, battering my arms and legs, but thankfully my hasty defence was good enough that none of them managed to slip through and punch into my stomach or head. Instead, they continue to wallop into my limbs, seriously bruising them. My limbs shake with each hit, gravity assisting it in battering my arms and legs, and I very nearly drop my guard, but before I can, the barrage stops.

I stay like that for a moment, just in case any more are coming, but it seems to be over. I chance a peek over my arms, and there is nothing above me except the green of the canopy above me. Feeling safe now, I move my arms out of my face and sit up, and I take a look at what the hell it was that had broken my fall.

Looking down, I can see a bunch of green vines underneath my butt, like a whole ton of them. These must have been what broke my fall. I was falling so fast that I kept running through them one by one, which slowed me down, and I even ended up taking them with me to the floor. They also helped break my fall. With the amount there, it is like I have a net made of vines. I can hardly see the grass underneath it due to the sheer amount.

All of these vines were attached and wrapped around trees, so it is obvious that they were the reason for the sudden barrage. But, in addition, it was because every time I broke landed on one of these things, the vines would strain and tug on the tree before either coming loose or snapping. Either way, with the number of vines being pulled and tugged on as I descended, the trees were constantly shaken, which ended up throwing some other things down with me.

The things that were falling down on me were some kind of yellow fruit. The trees were shaken so much that these things shook loose as well and fell down, and there is a whole bunch of them, more than two dozen of them. Reaching out, I grab one of them. It is a round yellow fruit. It is hard and hairy like a coconut, except it has yellow hair, but unlike a coconut, this has a stalk, like a banana.

Fiddling around with it, I can't seem to figure it out and am not able to open it, it is very hard all the way around, but I have discovered that the section between the stalk and the rest of the fruit is very soft. So I grab hold of it and pull it down, not dissimilar to how one would peel a banana.

The hard outer shell comes off. It seems to have been on top of the soft skin inside, and inside, the fruit is something akin to the inside of a banana but round and segmented like an orange. I take a bite. It was delicious, I quickly scoffed it down, and before I knew it, the whole thing was gone.

I am left with the hard shell, which had been segmented when I peeled the fruit. They are like little rigid plates. I could probably use this for something. But, dismissing that for now, I look at my surroundings and at all the surrounding fruit and then at the big green net under me, which is made of vines.

I get up and start to gather all of the fruits together and place them in the middle of the net. I then gather the edges all together and lift them up. I have fashioned myself a makeshift bag from the vines to hold my food and take it with me on my journey back to the beach.

I can't tell if I am lucky or I am unlucky. Due to my clumsiness, I took a severe fall and hurt myself quite a bit, and yet due to that, I figured out which direction to go, collected a whole bunch of fruits, and acquired a vine net to store the fruit. I completed all my immediate objectives in one go, yet I have seriously bruised my ass, back, forearms and shins. Am I really lucky?

Sighing, I ignore the many questions I have that will never be answered and heft my makeshift bag over my back. I walk back into the clearing, which, thankfully, is not too far. It is a good thing I hit that branch and fell so close to it. Otherwise, I would have to do another dreaded climb again to regain my bearings.

Reenetreing the clearing, I walk up to the tree that I had climbed, the tree I used as a bearing point, and I walk past it heading south, heading towards the beach. Finally, I have my bearings, I have food, and I have had enough sleep. It should just be a straight shot from here to the beach now. Easy enough. I just need to walk in a straight line. How hard could it be?

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

"ROAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

"Huff... Huff... Huff..." I pant as I stay pasted to the back of the giant boulder I have hidden behind, doing my best to keep my breath from coming out. Still, the best I can limit it to is a slight panting, but at least I can keep my crackling breath and wheeze from coming out, which would surely alert the beast currently looking for me.

I was an idiot when I thought this would be a walk in the park. I must have cursed myself because this journey has been anything but easy since I left the clearing. From the simplest things, such as somehow getting turned around and significant obstructions in my way, to something like an animal getting too close and freaking out or even attacking me.

All manner of things in this hell-like forest have constantly gotten in my way and made me lose my footing. I have had to climb trees quite a few times to get a sighting of the sun so that I can continue the trek in the right direction.

*Smash*

"GROAAAAAAAH!!!"

I hear the massive gorilla behind me bellow in rage and smash something to smithereens in anger because it can't find me. I suppress a shiver when some debris comes shooting past me and imbeds itself into the trees in front of me. I had come across a few different animals here, a deer that got spooked and knocked me to the ground, some foxes that stalked me for a while, and some kind of wild tiger cat, which I thankfully saw first and hid from before it could spot me.

I hear the heavy footsteps of the giant gorilla behind me and then some shuffling behind me. What the hell is he doi- I fall backwards and get laid out on the ground, staring up in confusion at the massive gorilla that is standing right above my supine body. The beast towers above me, holding the colossal boulder that I was resting on high above his head, I am cast in their large shadow, and I feel as if the sun has disappeared as a cold chill runs through my body.

I don't know what to do, and my body doesn't either, so I just continue to lay on the green grass, the dangerous creature holding its equally dangerous weapon above my defenceless body.

I am so screwed.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 9– Treacherous Trail.

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

The massive gorilla roars while hefting the giant boulder above his head, and I am still pasted against the ground, completely paralysed. I have no time to react at all. But then, the gorilla moves its arms forward, thrusting the rock forward, and as I see its arms move forward to crush the boulder on top of my fragile little body and bury me under it, my life flashes before my eyes.

I see it all rush through my mind: my life at the orphanage, all the stupid little fights I had, the tiny little village that I had spent all my life in, and all I can think is how dull it all seems, a waste of a life. Nothing of consequence happened in my life. If I were to disappear, no one would really care or even feel anything.

Even Mommy Mee and Daddy Dee would not fret for long. they have dozens of children to look after, and they can't waste their time on me and the marines and Garp. I am just a little pet project to them, something for Garp to procrastinate on instead of doing his job.

I want to be more than that, and I want to be someone of consequence, someone that makes a difference. And when I die, I want the whole world to shake with shock, for everyone everywhere to tremble in awe. I want to live to the max and make the most of it. I DON'T WANT TO DIE JUST YET, AND I STILL HAVE THINGS I NEED TO DO!!

I quickly roll to my left, still holding onto my bag of fruits, hoping to all that is holy that I haven't left it too late. So I keep moving to my left, hoping that I will evade the oncoming boulder coming down or, at the very least most of it. Even if I lose an arm, I will be happy as long as I survive.

*Smash*

I hear the crash, and seeing that my body is unchanged, I have obviously survived the dangerous event. Stopping my roll, I looked to my right to see what I had evaded. There is nothing there, the gorilla is still standing there, and the boulder is nowhere in si- oh wait, there it is, embedded in the tree in the distance.

The gorilla didn't even see me. It just picked up the boulder in the midst of its rampage and threw it without any clue of me being behind it. I was panicking for nothing. I was in no danger whatsoever.

"GRRAAAAAH!" Scratch that. I was in no danger. Now I am in danger. My rolling seems to have attracted the attention of the gorilla, who was previously unaware of my position, and its eyes have now locked onto my fragile form once more.

Reaffirming my grip on my bag, I quickly shoot to my feet and bolt off in the opposite direction of the gorilla, hoping to evade the gorilla once again. I sprint as fast as I can with all of my heart, and I can hear the gorilla lumbering on after me. Even as I skim and twist around various trees and branches, it continues its pursuit knocking down all the obstacles in its way and kicking up dirt as it pounces after me.

I can feel the wind whipping around behind me, it is right on my tail, and I can practically feel its horrible breath on my neck. Its giant hands make one or two grasps for me, which I narrowly manage to avoid, and I find my chance in a tiny gap between two colossal thick trees, and I leap through it.

Slipping through the gap head first, as if being born again, it should have been a simple fall onto my arms and knees, but for some reason, I tumble across the ground and scrape my shins quite hard before landing on my back, thunking the back of my head on the floor. Then, holding the back of my head, I look back towards the gap in the trees, and I see the large white eye of the gorilla peaking through the hole, looking down at me calmly, no rage to be seen on its face whatsoever, which scares me even more.

Its eyes search down my form, and again, I am too stunned to move, though this time, I would like to think it is more because of my little head injury than any fear. Its eyes, for some reason, leave my form, no longer paying any attention to me. Instead, it searches around my body, looking for something before its eyes finally drift down toward the tree it is peeking through, and its eyes alight on my bag of fruit.

My bag of fruit is what had ruined my little stunt, being too big and full of fruits. While I managed to slip through the gap with extreme ease, the baggage I had with me was caught behind me and ruined my jump, making me tumble across the dirt floor. And I am thankful that it happened because I didn't seem to ever be the target of the gorilla. Just what I had on my person was of interest to the beast.

The gorilla completely ignores me now and reaches its giant thumb and forefinger to grasp my makeshift bag of fruits, which was so big when it was on my person but seemed so tiny, trapped between its pinch. Then, with its objective in hand, it retreats from the gap, leaving me sitting there on the floor like an idiot, working my way to my feet, ignoring the big bump on the back of my head as I approach the gap in the trees.

I know I should probably leave well enough alone, but my curiosity is getting the best of me. So approaching the gap, I look through it to see the giant gorilla sitting on the ground, messing with my makeshift bag, trying to open it but finding its hands too big and cumbersome for the job.

Kind of reminiscent of a toddler trying to figure something out, it sits there and turns the bag every which way and tosses it about, trying to get at the fruit within. For some reason, despite being a giant gorilla, it looks kind of cute like this, it could easily just rip the thing apart, but it is trying to undo the knot I had on it.

It lifts the bag above its head and inspects it with a close eye trying to figure out how to get the treasures within, and evidently, its wish is granted because while my ropework was adequate, the materials of my makeshift bag were not, and it rips, and outfalls dozens of fruits which all smack the gorilla in the face, with one poking it in its eye. The gorilla drops the bag and starts rolling around on the floor while clutching its eyes and wailing like a baby. It does seem like a child.

It finally stops its tantrum and picks up one of the fruits off the ground and fiddles around with it for a moment before pealing it and enthusiastically chowing down on the food, which it does with a single chomp that swallows the small fruit.

The gorilla begins to quickly pick up, peel and then stuffs every fruit in its vicinity into its mouth, and its cheeks bulge to an insane degree as it squeezes them all in without swallowing and starts to chew on them. Then, finally, it swallows, and with a big gulp, the entire bulge of fruit moves down from its mouth, through its throat and into its stomach. It pats its belly in satisfaction and leans back with its arms out behind it, pressing against the ground, just lazing about after its meal.

Well, crap, the gorilla scared the crap out of me and stole my food, but I can't be angry at it. It is like a big child who doesn't know any better and is just hungry. But, of course, it was never trying to hurt me and just wanted the fruit. I think it might, in fact, be a child, what with how it threw a tantrum when I disappeared from its sight earlier and started throwing things around. But it doesn't matter. Let the gorilla have the fruit. I have gotten really good at climbing trees now just so I can keep heading in the right direction towards the beach. Then, I can easily just collect more.

"AWHOOOOOOO!" I heard a dozen howls break through the calm like the crashing of a thousand waves, insanely loud cries that felt like they were right next to my ear, and I was deafened by the piercing howls. Suddenly three wolves jump out of the surrounding forest and leap onto the gorilla. I watch as they begin to gnaw on its flesh, rending chunks of meat from the body and scratching at its fur. The wolves don't seem to do much harm by themselves, but they are seriously damaging the gorilla together.

It roars and jumps around frantically, trying to throw the wolves off of it, but they hold on tight with their jaws, their sharp teeth dug into the flesh of the gorilla. The situation worsens even further when more wolves jump out of the surroundings and rush the gorilla, jumping onto it and latching onto its skin as well. All I can do is watch, horrified, as the mighty child-like beast is slowly whittled down by the sly, conniving wolves that have grouped together to overthrow the mammoth.

The gorilla having enough sense to realise that it is losing decides to jump high into the air and then comes back down to land on its back, flattening one of the wolves entirely and smushing its body into paste while the others are thrown away from the resulting blast.

"Hah." I back away when one of the wolves is blown in my direction and crashes against the gap that I was spectating from, though thankfully, the wolf is too big to get through, though its body does get dangerously close to touching my face through the gap. Even a few steps away, I can still see through the hole. I watch as the wolf slides down against the tree and out of my sight, allowing me to see the battle still raging on, the gorilla holding its own now that it is not off guard and it is currently holding a wolf in its big hamfisted hand and smacking around the other wolves.

A big yellow eye with red veins and slitted black pupils locks onto me, and I feel a shiver journey through my body as I feel the gaze of a predator lock onto me, something that sees me as food and nothing else. Compared to the gorilla chasing me earlier that was child's play, the wolf suddenly let's loose a loud piercing howl into the air, then waits, and a few more cries sound out in reply.

"ROOAAAGGHHH!"

"AHH!" I stumble back, falling onto my ass as the wolf lunges forward, managing to just fit its snout through the gap in the tree and start biting for my head. Luckily, I was about an inch too far away so that I could safely back away without having my nose bitten off. The wolf doesn't seem to be getting through any time soon, being stuck in the tree, which it can't fit through, and it looks pretty stable-

"ROAAAAGGHHH!"

Crap, crap, crap. Another bloody snout just poked through above the other one and is also ferociously trying to get through the gap to me as well. I rapidly begin to scooch backwards, gaining some distance from the tree until I feel safe. Even with another wolf trying to break through, there isn't any leeway and-

"ROAAGGGHHH!"

Crap, another one just appeared above the others, and the tree has also started to groan. These wolves are constantly bashing against the wood, trying to get through to me, they have probably given up on the gorilla as it proved to be too strong for them, and it had already killed one of their pack by flattening the wolf instead they are now going for me, the weaker prey that shouldn't put up much of a fight, and-

The wood splinters, and some bark breaks off as the tree suddenly shakes and moves position, allowing the wolves to fit even more of their faces through the gap. I don't waste any more time. I clamber back up and start to run away in the opposite direction of the tree. I don't know what happened with that gorilla, but it is just a matter of time before those wolves break through and start to hunt me down, and I need to get a healthy distance between us before the bark breaks.

I run with all my might once again, yet this time I am more desperate than ever. Somehow, I am going faster than I was when the gorilla was chasing me. If I don't escape, then I am going to be ripped to shreds and feasted on by numerous wolves. Nevertheless, I still have things I need to do, and I am not going to let these pathetic cunning, bottom eaters be the ones to bring me down. I just decided I wanted a brilliant life, didn't I?

I feel the blood pumping through my legs, my tendons aching, and my Achilles feel like they are going to fall out at any moment, but I don't care. All I need to do is keep running, keep running up this hill, just keep running till I don't have to run anymore. So I don't think anymore. I just do. I don't take the time to analyse my surroundings. I don't think about direction or obstacles. I just do.

So I leap and jump, making split-second calls based on nothing else but my instinct and gut and luck, which seems to be working out for me as I have kept running for who knows how long, and yet the wolves are still behind me, right on my tail but just out of reach.

I feel my mouth turn upwards, and a grin breaks out stupidly all over my face. I am going to best these wolves, I am going to outrun them and escape from their wily pursuit, and there is nothing they can do to stop me. I am home free-

"Ahh." Something bonks me on the head out of nowhere and upsets my course. I trip and stumble but try to remain upright. I see the cause of my troubles as I fumble. It is a fruit that had randomly dropped from a tree. I really question if I am lucky sometimes. I manage to catch myself on my left foot, but I do so at an awkward angle, making my knee buckle, and I feel a sharp pain in it, but it doesn't matter, I may have injured my left knee, but it still kept me upright, it has kept me ali-

"UGH!" My foot slips underneath a vine, which trips me over, sending me sprawling to the ground. My face impacts the dirt and scrapes against it as my momentum carries me forward, my cheek splits up, and I feel a harsh sting as mud enters the wound, and- That is a lake.

My head lols over the edge of a cliff, the rest of my body resting on the cliff's edge, just a slight movement away from tipping myself entirely over the edge. Below me is a giant lake, with a few waterfalls falling down into it on my far left. I look around from the high ground, and then, then, I spot it. Beyond the lake, beyond the forest that surrounds the lake, there is the beach, my goal, directly in front of me.

I bring my hands up and use them to scooch myself up and away from the treacherous cliff and get up to my feet, backing up a bit further. My goal is right there. I just need to find a way to get down the cliff safely, and then I am home free, to Garp, to safety and training and some rest.
I am closer than ever, and I-

"GRRR." A growl sounds out from the trees behind me, and I quickly spin around, reminded of the deadly situation I am in and the looming threat hiding in the woods. A wolf pops out, and I move back, frightened, but my foot touches the edge, and I am reminded that my situation has worsened. Still, instead of going right for me, it stops, regarding me with a predatorial eye before moving to the right. It is clear why when another wolf pops out of the forest behind it and then another, one stays there looking at me while the other moves around to the left, surrounding me.

The wolves are cornering me, the intelligent animals that they are. They have figured out that there is nowhere for me to go and that I can't run anymore. And so they are blocking my escape roots and forcing me to stay here, where they will slowly whittle me down with guerilla tactics like they were doing to the gorilla, except I will not be able to last as long as that beast under the assault.

I quickly observed the formation the wolves had taken, looking for any gaps or weaknesses that I could take advantage of to make my escape. One wolf is directly in front of me, and the other two are to my left and right, respectively, with each of them an equal distance between the wolf in the middle and the edge of the cliff.

I have two options now, four really, and they are all equally dangerous. I could try and go for a gap between the wolves, either the left one or the right one, but that would be a high chance of death. I would have to slip between two wolves in either direction, and they are not stationary. They will move, and they will both go for me, so maybe I can get through if luck is on my side.

But which direction to go in is also another predicament. To my right is the waterfall meaning there is a river in that direction that I can cross somehow and lose my attackers, but the waterfall is quite far away, and I don't know if I can make it there, so do I take a chance and go left which is unknown to me.

And then there is option two, which I just as deadly as the last option depending on how you look at it and what kind of death you would prefer. Instead of trying to run through the gap between two wolves, I can try to run through the gap between a wolf and the cliff's edge, which is one less wolf but includes a dangerous drop. Again I have the same predicament of which direction to take, but either way, I will be risking a lot.

If I go with this option, there is less chance of me being taken down by a wolf since they will be cautious of jumping for me if they also risk going over the edge and falling to their deaths. I know they are clever enough to understand that from how they have been behaving.

Still, for that to work, I will have to run close enough to the edge of the cliff because the closer I am to it, the less likely the wolf is to attack. However, the ground itself is uneven, and there are a few things on the floor that may trip me up, and I don't have the luxury of taking my time and being careful, so there is the risk of me falling over as well, and if I fall over...

I take a second to lean back and look behind me, just for a second, but that is all I need to understand how well and truly screwed I am. The cliff's face is sheer until about halfway down, at which part it gets very rocky and starts to jut out all over the place, leaving out hard edges and rock crags.

If something were to fall down from here, they would be able to fall just long enough to build up some serious speed before smashing into the rocks about ten times before finally landing into the lake, significantly damaged. So what the hell do I do? Do I take my chances and run between the wolves, or do I-

"AWHOOOO!!" A howl once more pierces through the air, coming from the deep forest, the cry being the product of a few wolves acting in sync. There are more on their way, and when they get here, things will just get worse for me, and I won't be able to do anything except die for them. I am running out of time. I have to act quickly and do something, anything. It doesn't matter what. There is no time to ponder. Just act like Garp would. Don't think. Just do.

Bursting into motion, I run straight at the centre wolf, which takes it by surprise. it wasn't expecting a frontal assault, so it is cautious and backs up a little. However, the other two wolfs quickly move closer to the centre wolf to try and keep me blocked in. I close in on the wolf at full speed, but before I reach it, I put my foot down, skidding against the ground and kicking up dirt into the face of the wolf as well as blinding the other two that had moved in close.

Turning on the heel of my foot, I face the cliff again and sprint t full speed once more, but this time I have no intention of stopping. I intend to go all the way, all in. Finally, my foot touches the edge, and I jump off over the lake, or at least I hope I am over the lake. I feel like I am floating on air, like I am light as a feather for a single moment before reality comes crashing back down along with me as my jump begins to arc, and I begin to fall, and down I go.

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

Pulling myself out of the water, I drag my drenched form onto the sand that surrounds the lake that I had dropped into like a rock into the water. Thankfully it was deep enough that I didn't hit anything when I dived in, and I had jumped far enough to not clip myself on any of the rock faces that were jutting out, though my body was sore all over from a splash of that height. But I don't regret it. In fact, I have learned a valuable lesson.

There is a time to think and plan, and there is a time to stop thinking and just act, and thankfully I now know which is which. You can plan and think when you have the luxury to think and you have the time, but when you don't have the time, then you can't waste it thinking about possibilities, and you just have to go for it. So think and plan before you head off into action, but when you are in the thick of it, when you are in the heart of it, stay in the heat and don't let your head mess it up.

I have actually learnt something from this experience. Godamn you, Garp, I hate you.

With my goal in sight, I continue trudging on, the picture of the beach itself reinvigorating me and giving me a boost.

Not far now. I am nearly there.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 10– Back To The Beach

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

Whelp turns out that the beach is not as close as I thought it would be. No doubt that I am close, closer than ever, but there is still a while to go and a lot more forest to pass through before I can finally get some sweet rest. I guess from the top of the cliff, the beach looked much closer than it was. I didn't realise how high I actually was and just how far down the lake was. It looked small from up there, but down below, it was massive.

So here I am again, trekking through yet another forest surrounded by nothing but trees and things that want to eat me. Did I mention that I really hate Garp? Because I really, really hate Garp. Not only that, but I am really hitting my limits here. My hunger is acceptable. Physically, I am a little bruised, but I will live. Right now, I am okay in all aspects except one.

Sleep. I am dead on my feet, and after all these days without any sleep, I am really close to just saying bugger it all and sleeping in the middle of the forest. My narcolepsy is really getting the best of me now. My narcolepsy isn't even that bad as well, it really only affects me when I am bored, which is something I definitely haven't been in the midst of this island, but after all this time without sleep, I am really having a hard time keeping my eyes closed.

I have resorted to slapping myself to keep me focused and awake, but even that was losing its effect after so long, and I didn't want to inflict anything more painful on myself. I don't want to be a masochist after all.

So I sourced out something which would keep me awake, which turned out to be a particular flower that had a terrible smell. These were abundant in the forest, usually being in the shaded areas directly next to the trees, and they were truly awful to the nose, so I used them to bring me back to my senses whenever I was drifting off.

But even that was starting to lose its effect, so I decided to pick up the pace and hurry towards the beach, hopeful that I would reach there before my eyes finally succumbed and stayed closed. And the best way to do that was to be as safe as possible because if I got chased again, then there was a high likelihood that I would have to deviate from my oath to survive, which would delay me, not to mention the fact it will tire me out even further.

And so, instead of walking, I lightly jogged through the woods, feeling like I was dragging my bones along with me, going at a pace that was faster than just walking but calm enough to spot anything of interest or danger and stop in an instant. Of course, I stopped a few times to climb a tree and make sure I was going in the correct direction, as well as restock on some fruits, which I stored in a little makeshift bag I made from leaves and twine, but those were the stops I made of my own choices.

When I came across a clearing, I skirted around it, too open for my liking. And whenever I heard animals or saw them, I would wait it out or simply manoeuvre and alter my path around them. It was really annoying and time-consuming sometimes, but I would rather that than be forced into another situation like with the wolves, and this time I won't be lucky enough to have a lake to dive into.

And so here I am around a day after pulling myself out of that lake, lightly jogging through the forest, when I hear some animal sounds, some loud grunting in front of me that brings me to a stop, and I quickly crouch down. Then, moving forward slowly, I move into some bushes, which I then spread to the sides, just enough to get an eye through to see what sort of threat is in front of me.

And there it is, the same gorilla that was chasing me just a day or so ago, sat there in the middle of a clearing, looking no worse for wear and fiddling with some fruit in its hands. The thing is big, bigger than even Garp, with its black skin that only shows at its digits and face because it is covered in shaggy grey hair that actually looks exceptionally clean and lustrous for being attached to an animal.

I observe it for a moment and try to figure out what it is doing and why exactly it is here as well since it was up on that cliff before, and I took the expressway down, so how has this gorilla got ahead of me? I watch as it continually fiddles with a fruit in its hand, holding the fruit between the thumb and forefinger of its left hand and then reaching down with the opposite hand and trying to grab the stalk so as to peel open the fruit.

Except, the gorilla's fingers are just too big and can't correctly grab onto the stalk, so each time it attempts to do so and pulls its finger down, the stalk just ends up being flicked around and not actually being pulled down. I watch as the gorilla tries again and again, constantly trying to peel the fruit, but it just simply can't. Its hand is too big for the job.

Watching it struggle endlessly with the fruit diminishes the threat it poses in my eyes. I just can't see it as being a dangerous animal with how it is working on peeling the fruit. It just looks really clumsy, like a toddler trying to figure out something straightforward. What am I doing? Why am I just watching this dumb childish creature? I should really get a move on. I can't be wasting time he-

*Thunk*

"OW!" I react as something conks me straight in the head. I bring my two hands up to clutch my forehead that was just assaulted, trying to nurse the aching pain and the big bump that has sprouted on it. What the hell just hit me? I was just sitting there minding my own business and watching the gorilla when suddenly- The gorilla!

My eyes shoot open, and I look up to see if the gorilla has heard me shout in pain. Hopefully, it hadn't and- The gorilla's face is right in front of me, staring directly at me, and I no longer think it is somewhat cute. It is most definitely scary. Seeing its face so abruptly in front of mine, I place my hands behind me so that I can quickly scoot away and run once again, but my palm lands on something round, and I slip, falling onto my back.

Laying flat out on the ground, I stare up at the gorilla that is still in the same position and watching me with a keen eye, but it hasn't moved at all. Instead, it is just observing me. So I move my hands again, but slowly this time so as to not startle the beast, but one of my arms touches against something circular, and when I look over to see what it is, I can see that it is a fruit.

Oh, I see. I know what happened. The bloody gorilla got too frustrated after trying and failing so many times and actually acting like a child, it threw the source of its trouble away, and coincidentally it threw the fruit straight at my forehead. But, goddamn it, aren't I supposed to be lucky? Then why am I so unlucky, and why the hell have I been put in this position at the mercy of this gorilla? I should be fortuitous, not unfortunate.

Or, maybe I am lucky. If I think about it, I have run into this gorilla twice now, and this island is entirely massive. So, what are the odds of us meeting again, especially after me taking a dive off of a cliff and getting a lot of distance on it?

The odds of us meeting again are slim to none, and yet it happened, which means this must be my luck in play. For whatever reason, this gorilla has met me twice on account of my good fortune, probably, so maybe it isn't the savage beast I thought it was, and there is more to it.

I stared up at it for a moment longer, and then I remembered that it was fiddling with the fruit struggling to open it and that exact fruit was now to my right. So I slowly reach out and pick up the fruit, keeping an eye on the gorilla the whole time in case it is not happy with my actions, and so far, everything seems fine.

Bringing my left hand toward my chest, I grasp the fruit with both hands, still staring up at the gorilla's face, and I can see that its eyes are intensely focused on the fruit in my hands. Then, holding the fruit tight with my right hand, I move my left hand up slowly until it has reached the tip of the stem, at which point I grasp it between my thumb and forefinger.

"Grah." The gorilla softly grunts, stalling my hand and preventing me from peeling the fruit. I wait for a second, and after a moment passes and nothing happens, I continue my action. I pull my fingers down and slowly peel down the stalk. All the while, the gorilla's eyes are focused on my fingers moving down.

I have now fully peeled down one side, and nothing terrible has happened and so feeling a bit more confident, I quickly begin to peel the rest of the fruit, and now the fruit within is fully revealed, the skin entirely off of it and resting in the palm of my hand.

With the now edible fruit now resting in my hand, I watch the gorilla that is still patiently watching me, and I reach my hand out towards its face, holding the unpeeled fruit out for it to take. It observes the fruit for a moment, looking down at it before looking at my face and then back to the fruit, and then it lowers its face closer to my hand.

Oh wow, this is actually going to work out. I can't believe my luck. This gorilla is going to eat this fruit I am giving it, and then it is going to start following me around so that I will feed it some more, and then we are going to become friends, and we will go on all sorts of adventures together, and our fame will spread throughout the world. Tales of Amarillo Detoro and his gorilla pal that sail the seven seas, helping those in need and- and my arm is gone...

"A-ah?" My arm is gone, or more accurately, I just can't see it anymore. The gorilla had suddenly lunged for the fruit and opened its mouth wide, and instead of just eating the fruit, its mouth descended upon my arm and went straight down it, its lips finally closing around my arm near my elbow. Right now, my arm is inside the gorilla's mouth, and I can feel its numerous sharp teeth scraping against my skin, just on the edge of digging in and rending flesh from bone.

I began to hyperventilate and panic with this beast, very nearly ripping my arm off. If I didn't act quickly, then I would lose my arm and maybe even more. So I promptly prepared to jab my left hand's finger into its eyes and then pull my right arm back. Hopefully, the jab would make it open its mouth in pain and let my arm leave its mouth uninjured.

But before I could act, the gorilla began to move. I can feel its teeth start to scrape along my skin as the gorilla's head begins to move backwards, my arm slowly rescinding from the slimy insides of its mouth, and I suppress a shudder when its tongue skimmed across my skin, afraid I might cut myself on its sharp canines.

And there my arm is, the fruit now missing from my palm, but in its place, my arm is now covered in slobber. The gorilla didn't eat my arm. It just wanted to eat the fruit and just wrapped its mouth around my arm by mistake. With the gorilla no longer attached to the end of my arm, I quickly take the opportunity to crawl backwards and away from the gorilla, which is more focused on munching on the fruit.

With the gorilla distracted, I quickly scramble back up to my feet and then, giving the gorilla a wide birth, I run around it and promptly skedaddle on out of there, not forgetting to grab my bag of supplies before leaving. I don't know what I was thinking, trying to befriend an animal, a beast, and thinking it would work out just because I am supposed to be lucky.

Stupid, I will not be doing anything like that again. I don't know what I was thinking.

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

Alright, I think I have enough distance on the gorilla now. I have been running for about a quarter of an hour now, making sure that I was going in the right direction, the same way I was going before I ran into the gorilla. I slow down now, convinced that the gorilla will no longer trouble me, and I take a seat on the ground and lean back against a tree. Tired from the quick sprint I just made, I slowly close my eyes and begin to rest. I am just too tired.

"Gruh." My eyes shoot open at the sound to see the gorilla standing in front of me, and I quickly shoot backwards in shock-

"Ugh." Only to hit the back of my head on the tree I was resting on. I bring a hand to the back of my head to nurse the pain while looking back up at the gorilla to see that it hasn't moved at all, but seeing that I am watching it, the gorilla points towards the ground in front of me.

There, on the floor in front of me, is a fruit, the same kind of fruit that I had just peeled ten minutes earlier, sitting there between the gorilla and me.

"You- you want me to peel this for you? Is that why you followed me?" I ask, and in response, the gorilla nods its head. Seeing that it followed me all the way for this, even after I sprinted with my all and this gorilla didn't look at all tired, and it would probably keep on following, I reached out and plucked the fruit off of the ground and then I start to peel it.

With the fruit peeled, I move to hand it over to the gorilla and reach my hand out, but I pull it back when I remember what happened earlier, where it very nearly took my arm off. So instead of repeating the same mistake twice, I chuck the fruit in the air towards it, where the gorilla opens its mouth and chomps the fruit out of the air, swiftly devouring it.

It swallows the fruit whole in a split second and then just stares at me again as if waiting for more, and then t points to the makeshift bag that is on the floor to my right, clearly requesting the fruits within. No way am I going to start feeding this gorilla. It expects me to just peel my own hard-earned fruit and hand it over to it.

If I do that, then it will just keep coming back for more. I will basically be its slave, constantly gathering and peeling food for it. I refuse. I am already at risk of becoming a slave to a random woman in this world, but that is just a single woman in this world of millions.

The chance of me actually meeting them is a billion to one, not to mention that I am supposedly lucky. So there is no way I am going to willingly become a lackey for someone when I may be forced into that position in the future by a higher power.

"You want more fruit? Well, these ones are mine, I got them for myself, and they are for me to eat. I need these to survive. bring me some that you scavenge yourself, and I will peel them for you, and then you can eat those, sound fair?" I say because I don't want to seriously anger the beast, but I am not going to give in to its demands either. However, I have learned that there is a brain in that thick skull, and it understands me, and it at least has some civility, so maybe we can deal with this rationally.

"Gruh." The gorilla grunts again, and then it starts to walk over to me, but I don't scare because I know that this gorilla needs me now. It requires me to peel its fruits because it can't do it with its big fingers, and I know it is clever enough to understand that. It stops right at my feet, and then it pulls back its arm and clenches its fist, is it just me, or does it look like this gorilla is about to throw a fist? Okay, maybe I was a little hasty-

*SMASH*

I stare on blankly as dozens upon dozens of fruit appear from the sky, falling down from the canopy above following the massive gorilla fist making a severe impact on the bark of the tree behind me. The gorilla slowly removes its big fist from the tree, and I look up to see a massive imprint on the tree. And then I look back at the gorilla, which is now staring down at me.

The gorilla then reaches down to the side and picks up a fruit before holding it out for me to take. Stunned, I reach out and take it with both hands. I look around at the dozens of fruits littered all over the ground, and then back to the gorilla, the same gorilla that is so big and strong, and not only is it all that, but it is fast as well since it followed me all the way here and it has a lot of stamina.

"Well, I think me and you can come to a deal. What do you say?" I ask while getting started on peeling the fruit because right now, my brain is coming up with a solution that will make my life much easier.

"Geh?" The gorilla tilts its head to the side, confused. I chuck the unpeeled fruit into the air for it, and it snaps it out of the air like a fish jumping out of the water before it looks back down at me, waiting for me to continue speaking.

"Here's the deal. I need to get to the beach, which is that way, behind me." I jab my thumb behind me towards the beach. "But the thing is, I am very tired, and I have been up for several days straight, and I really need to sleep. So here is what I am thinking, you are going to help me get to the beach." I point towards the gorilla, which looks very confused.

"Meh?" The gorilla points to its own face in confusion, with a dumb expression on its face.

"That is right, you. You will carry me down to the beach, which will allow me to get some rest. In return, I will keep peeling fruits for you to eat. So you just take me down to the beach and keep punching trees every so often, and I will sleep and peel the fruits you knock down for both of us to eat. Does that sound fair to you?" I ask, wanting to finalise the deal.

"Hmm?" The gorilla looks to be pondering over it, and I watch as it lifts a hand to its chin and stares up at the sky, its eyes constantly shifting from left to right as it considers its options. Then, finally, it seems to make a decision as it looks back down at me and slams a fist into its palm with a firm expression on its face.

"Hng." It nods with a determined expression on its face, which makes me smile, knowing that my worries are pretty much over now.

"Great, well then, let me just grab my bag and gather up all these fruits, and we can- Woah!" The gorilla reaches down and grabs me, its right hand fully enclosing around my waist, and it picks me up and plops me right down on its back onto its surprisingly soft hair.

"Oh, alright then. I suppose you can just punch a tree anytime you want some fruit, and I didn't really have anything crucial in that bag. Oh well, do you have a name then?" I ask as the gorilla starts to trudge off down in the direction which I pointed to earlier. The gorilla does not respond to my question, not even a grunt.

"Oh, right, stupid question. Of course, you don't have a name. You have never really needed one before, have you? I suppose I will give you a name then: let me think- oh, you are going in the wrong direction. Go more to the right." The gorilla doesn't respond, but it does make an alteration to its path, showing that it did hear me and it is acknowledging my words.

"Good. Now to decide on a name, what to be, what to be? You are not quite so curious, and you are also not a monkey, but who cares? How about George? What do you think? Do you like it? You are a boy, right?" I ask though I don't put much thought into it. Honestly, I am pretty tired right now, and I am just trying to stay awake to make sure that this gorilla is heading in the right direction and that I am not somehow going to wake up back at the top of that cliff.

"Greh." I nearly fall off when the gorilla grunts in affirmation and nods its head, but I manage to grab hold tight of its hair. But also, pretty much the moment I slipped slightly, the gorilla- George- reached behind him and pushed me back onto his back.

George seems to be reasonably reliable, actually. I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful relationship, at least till I get to the beach, at which point there will be no reason for our continued acquaintance.

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

Ahh, this is the life. No Sengoku constantly telling me to behave, none of those stupid elders telling me what to do, none of those silly holy chickens whining and crying. Just me, the beach and crackers, what a truly perfect life.

This was what my retirement was supposed to be like, except I can't retire, not with all those idiot brats like the hot dog trying to do stupid things, as well as all those stupid pirates that have continued making messes even after Roger's death.

It was all supposed to stop after Roger's death, no more piracy and everybody could live in peace, and I wouldn't have to keep going out and smacking those arrogant assholes. But Roger had to go and mention the One Piece and have a little speech before his execution, goddamn it. But then again, he wouldn't be Roger if he didn't do something big, haah.

Oh well, I am just going to keep relaxing on this beach and eating my crackers, at least until the kid gets back. Speaking of the kid, it has been a few days now. He should be close by now, right? He should be fine. I didn't even give him a demanding job. He just has to walk, that is all. I will give it another day, and then I will go check on him, hopefull-

"Hmm." I look behind me to the forest, where there is some rustling happening. Maybe I should check it out with my- No Garp, remember this is supposed to be your vacation, even if you are looking after a brat, so just relax, and there is nothing on this island that can hurt me anyway.

"Hey, old man, I am back! Now let me have some crackers. I think I deserve it after all this crap you put me through!"

"YOU ARE NOT HAVING ANY OF MY CRACKERS. THEY ARE MINE. IF YOU WANTED ANYTHING, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE PACKED IT AND BROUGHT IT WITH YOU. THESE ARE MINE. I BROUGHT THEM WITH ME!" I shout, turning around to see-

Oh, the boy is back, and he is on top of a gorilla. Cheating little shit, I should have had at least one more day to relax before having to deal with the shrimp. Oh well, I guess my relaxation time is over.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 11– The Real Training Begins.

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

This partnership with George, the grey gorilla, has been the best thing to happen to me on this godforsaken island. Wow, that is a title, isn't it, George the Grey? Anyway, since meeting up with gorilla George, my life has been very easy and full of joy.

I have had a nice comfy place to sleep, and I wake up every so often to peel the bananas that George himself procures by punching trees and watching them fall. I occasionally do get up and walk a bit by myself, but not very often since I have a comfortable seat, and I do have to climb a tree once in a while to make sure we are staying on course, which we sometimes veered off of so it was a good job I checked.

All in all, my journey going forward after meeting George has been great. I don't even have to worry about any threats or anything since George is the top dog around here, or at least he is down here, closer to the edge of the island. Although, I am guessing it is a different story the deeper you go. If those wolves we met on the cliff are anything to go by, it seems George likes it better down here as well.

This is why it has been easy sailing in this last leg of the trip, and now finally, we are coming up to the beach. I soon peer through the trees to see the sandy dunes and the deep blue ocean, and there marring my view is Garp. Somehow he has had a change of clothes, and he is in an unbuttoned Hawaiian T-shirt, some white shorts and some brown sandals, and he looks to be enjoying himself.

He is laid out on the beach, resting his head on the big sack that is disappointingly full of crackers, and he is staring out at the sea while munching on the stupid things. It really pisses me off that he is sitting there, and he is enjoying those little snacks while I was struggling for my life in the forest and eating just fruits, while he has those crackers which look very tasty.

"Hey, old man, I am back! Now let me have some crackers. I think I deserve it after all this crap you put me through!" So I say as George finally pushes through the final bushes and walks us out onto the beach. I immediately make a try for the crackers because my taste buds have gotten bored of all these fruits, and I would like to have something different and the way Garp devours those things must mean they are pretty delicious.

"YOU ARE NOT HAVING ANY OF MY CRACKERS. THEY ARE MINE. IF YOU WANTED ANYTHING, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE PACKED IT AND BROUGHT IT WITH YOU. THESE ARE MINE. I BROUGHT THEM WITH ME!" Garp turns around and bellows out, spitting out a lot of the crackers that were in his mouth, and he quickly gets up and pulls the sack up with him, keeping it close and tightly in his grasp.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I SHOULD HAVE PACKED IT? I DID PACK MY STUFF, AND YOU THREW IT INTO THE OCEAN, YOU SENILE OLD FART! GIVE ME SOME OF THOSE CRACKERS. YOU OWE ME SOME BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE HAD MY OWN SNACKS IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU!!" I blew up since he was the one that threw all the sack that was full of the things that I was bringing with me, though admittedly, I didn't have any food in it since I thought that would be provided. I was clearly mistaken.

"Hm, did I do that?" He completely loses all of the heat in his voice and tilts his head to the side as he ponders, and I can't help but be mildly amused as well as contradictorily rageful at his behaviour. It is weird how this guy can be so stupid and do dumb things that harm others yet be so likeable at the same time.

"Yes, you did do that. So I think it is only fair that I get some of your crackers because I would have had my own snacks if you didn't destroy them." I speak while clambering off George and down onto the sand since I have now reached my destination and I no longer have a use for the gorilla, our business is done, and I will leave him to be on his way.


"Hm, okay. Alright then, I suppose that is fair. So here, but this is all you are getting." Garp acquiesces, reaches into his sack, and ruffles around in there before pulling his hand back out, which now clutches onto a single packet of crackers, which he holds out for me to take. A single measly pack, in comparison to the hundreds of packets he still has in there after eating the stuff continuously while I went on my jungle adventure.

"Thank you." I simply say and take the offered pack before opening it and divulging on the snack within, not bothering about anything else. These snacks do belong to the guy, after all, and I get the feeling that I will be hard-pressed to squeeze any more out of him, and if I do manage to do so, it will only be another pack or two, a waste of the effort that would go into procuring them.

"Wow, these are actually really good!" I speak aloud after tasting the cracker, and maybe it is because I have just been feasting on the same fruit for the last few days, but the thing tastes really good. Garp enthusiastically nods his head at my words but doesn't reply in favour of eating his own snacks as well, and I don't much care either as I begin to quickly scoff them down as well.

Before I knew it, the things were gone, and I was sitting there enviously watching Garp eat his crackers and then finishing them and reaching into his sack for another packet. I want to ask for more, but I restrain myself from doing so. I had already agreed to take just one earlier, and Garp even specified that the one pack was all he was giving me, and I didn't refute it, so I will just try to ignore his munching.

"Hey, kid. Is this gorilla your new friend? BWAHAHAHA! Dumb kid can't make friends with actual people, so he has to become friends with big stupid animals, BWAHAHA!" For some reason, I can't refute that. Maybe because I am sitting with two pieces of evidence right here, Garp and the gorilla that is currently standing behind me and just waiting.

"Um, George. You don't have to stay now. I have gotten to the place I wanted to, so you can go now." So I tell the gorilla, which just looks at me with a plain face, not indicative of any emotion at all, before George seems to get the message and turns around and stalks back off towards the forest without another grunt or even a gesture.

It kind of hurts, to be honest, that he would just turn around and leave so quickly, even though we just spent a long time together with me sleeping on his back and him carrying me. We had a lot of skinship this last leg of the journey, and- ew, that sounds bad, actually. Oh well, this is what I wanted.

I watch as George lumbers on back over to the forest, but just before he enters, he turns around, plants his bottom on the ground, leans up against a tree, and then he just stays sat there. Confused, I quickly run up to George as he just watches me approach, nonplussed.

"Um, George, why are you still here? I said you can go now, so you can go now. Go on, shoo, shoo." I said aloud to George and made a shooing noise, and flapped my hands towards him, gesturing for him to go forth into the forest and depart from us.

"Gruuuh." George grunts with a loud rumbling, and I find myself taking a step back in caution. I seem to have forgotten that George is, at the end of the day, a gorilla, an animal with a lot of brute strength. And maybe I shouldn't be acting so frivolously towards it and being so rude, considering it could rip my head from my shoulder very quickly. I seem to have forgotten that after behaving so casually with George and him following my every order.

Still acting cautiously, I watch as George reaches his hand out above him and turns it into a fist before slamming it behind him and into the tree, he is leaning against. Immediately numerous fruits began to rain down from the sky around us, hitting the ground. Thankfully, I was far away enough that none hit me.

George picks up one of the fruits and holds it out for me to take, and I stare down at it and then back up at George and then back down at the fruit. I accept the fruit and then peel it before handing it back to the gorilla for it to eat, and then I turn around and walk back towards Garp.

Honestly, George really helped me out and gave me some much-needed free time on my jungle adventure, and in return, all I had to do for him was peel some fruits that took me seconds to do, and then I could go back to sleep on his warm, comfortable back. So I suppose it isn't much to ask for me to just peel some fruits for him for the duration of my stay on this island before we finally leave after my training is complete. George deserves that much, at the very least.

"So, kid, *Munch*, is that big monkey staying with us?" Garp asks while still snacking on his crackers, to which I nod my head.

"Yes, he is, but don't worry, he will just stay out of the way, and I will take care of him. I just need to feed him every once in a while. other than that, George pretty much takes care of himself." I tell Garp walking back over to him and planting myself down on the ground next to where he is sitting.

"George, huh? Well, whatever. He can actually help us out with some of the training. It just means I can sit back and relax more. Besides, maybe it is better this way. my punches might have proven too much for you, while George's should be just fine." So Garp muses while continuing to eat his crackers, bewildering me with his mention of punches.

"Punches, I thought this was supposed to be you training me, not beating on me." I question because I would much rather not get punched. Also, Garp has basically said that he is much stronger than George the gorilla, and the scary thing is that I believe him.

"Come on, brat, surely you didn't think that you were going to escape from this island with no bruises at all. If your goal is truly to be the strongest man in the world, then you will have to go through so much more than just some punches, so buck up." He says, snorting at me. Well, this is just fine with me because I do plan to become the strongest man in the world, it is my goal, and then after that, I can explore at my leisure. And I fully expected to leave this place bruised and batter, but I just thought that the cause of it would be rigorous and practical training, not due to fights with others.

"Ah, also, before I forget, brat, this is yours. You earned it." Garp speaks before rifling around in his sack once more before pulling out my carpentry book and handing it over to me. Honestly, I had forgotten about the thing, so preoccupied with surviving and getting back to the beach where it was safe.

I take my book from his hand and begin to immediately leaf through it, and everything seems to be okay. It is undamaged. However, with the way Garp goes through his snacks, I wouldn't have been surprised if he was so caught up in his process that he pulled my book out and took a bite out of it before he realised. I will definitely be reading this thing in any breaks or downtime I have, wanting to further my knowledge even if I can't do any practical knowledge.

"Alright then, when do we start the training? I am full of energy, and I am raring to go ." So I speak, wanting to get started straight away since I was fully rested and well-fed while relaxing on Georges's back, and any bruises or injuries I had cleared up quite well too.

"Hm, well, you have been running through that jungle nonstop for the last few days, so I suppose it is okay if you take a break for the rest of today, and then we can start tomorrow morning. For now, just relax." He speaks before almost immediately placing his sack on the sand behind him and then resting his head upon it.

"Tomorrow? But I am just fine. We can go right-" I try to talk and explain my state f readiness, but Garp cuts me off.

"Buh, buh, buh. Tomorrow, we will begin the training, tomorrow. You are clearly tired, so just go rest for the rest of today, and we can start the training tomorrow." Garp speaks again, denying my request. Clearly, this man just wants to relax for another day before he is burdened with my training.

But what else can I do? So I walk back over to the tree line and take a seat on the ground and lean my back on the tree next to George, and then I begin to read my book.

I can't wait for the training to begin.

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

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE TRAINING TO BE OVER!!!

"STOP DAYDREAMING, YOU LITTLE BRAT, AND FOCUS ON YOUR TRAINING!!" Garp shouts while flinging another rolled-up empty cracker packet at me, which I try my hardest to dodge, yet fate does not seem to be on my side.

"Ouch!"

I can hardly dodge the bloody things, and even when I do, I only manage to do it by a thin margin, and the speed these things are thrown is just as dangerous as the force, regularly making tiny cuts on my body as I just skirt by them.

How the hell are these things so goddamn hard, not to mention that he is just rolling empty packets up into a ball and chucking them at me? By all rights, these things should start to unfold as they fly through the air, but they stay solid as a rock and just as hard as a rock. They really hurt.

He must be using some unholy type of magic to harden these packets because the things go against the rules of reality. I really, really hate the things and how much they hurt, but much more than that, I want to learn how to do such a thing myself. I need to know ho-

"ARGHHH!"

"I TOLD YOU TO PAY ATTENTION, YOU DUMB BRAT!!"

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

"ARGGGGHH!" I scream as I try to hold up the massive rock over my head that threatens to fall down on me and crush my head to pieces, straining my arms to their utmost.

"Come on, shrimp. Put some effort into it. It is just a little rock. Are you really that weak?" Garp berates me from the side, still snacking on his stupid blasted crackers. All the while, I am holding a massive rock, barring on a boulder, over my head.

The only thing really keeping it from crushing my head right now is George, that is holding the rock over my head and spotting me, but he is holding it lightly enough that it is still falling on me, and so I have to push it up, but even that much is proving too difficult for me.

"Alright, clearly, this isn't working. You clearly need some more motivation. So, George, let the rock go."

"NO, GEORGE! DON'T YOU DARE LET IT GO!"

"Guh?"

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

"Alright, George, you see all these fruits here. I went out and collected them all for you." Garp says as he points at a ginormous pile of fruits he has laid out on the beach, to which George greedily salivates and lunges at the mound, trying to take some.

*Smack* "GRAAH!?"

George ends up lying on the ground with a big bump growing out of his forehead, Garp having smacked him down to the ground before he could even touch one of the fruits.

"GRAAHHH!" Undeterred, George gets back to his feet and gets into a fighting stance, determined to get those fruits, but knowing that the only way is through Garp, and so he runs at him, ready to punch him out of his way.

*Smack* "GRAAH!?"

Again George lays on the ground with another bump growing on top of the other one, and George gets up again, this time but much more cautiously and this time, he looks at Garp before making another move.

"Are you finally listening, you dumb monkey? Good, now back to what I was saying before. You can have all of these fruits, but only if you win. You and the shrimp are going to play one hundred games of tag, you will have five minutes to catch the brat, and for every game you win, you can have a fruit. If you win more than eighty of the games, then you can have all of these fruits, but if not, I will throw them all into the sea. Got, good, go!" Garp explains and then suddenly says go, expecting us to just hop to the skip of his tune.

"Garp, you seriously can't expect us to just start like that-"

"GRAAAAH!" I have to jump out of the way to avoid the fist that drops down into my previous position and gouges out a chunk of land from the land, George having leapt straight at me. I don't have time to rest, though, since George is immediately upon me again and trying to get me, so all I can do is run around, which is pretty hard to do on the sand.

"WHAT THE HELL? THIS ISN'T TAG. HE JUST STRAIGHT-UP TRIED TO PUNCH ME. HELP GARP-SAN!" I scream once more, having to jump out of the way of George barreling towards me, and I quickly make a break towards the forest, hoping to find some reprieve in there.

"Hm, ah, well, the rules of tag state that all he has to do is touch you. Whether that is a poke or a punch doesn't matter, so it is fine, and he isn't strong enough to hurt you much. Also, the forest is off-limits. So you must stay on the beach, brat. If you don't, then I will kick you back into the forest again and this time without your gorilla buddy." Immediately I jump to the side, letting George barrel straight past me and into the forest while I turn around and start to sprint away down the beach. I don't want to go back into the woods again.

"GRAAAAAAH!" At the roar behind me, I chance a glance behind me to spot George pursuing me like a gorilla possessed with flames in his eyes. he truly wants those fruits.


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

"Why the hell am I doing this, Garp-san? I am sure I have gotten as good as I can. Can we do something else?" I ask, trying to kick multiple times as fast as I can, but it is proving to be very hard to reach the level Garp wants me to perform at.

Garp has me doing this training quite a bit, and no doubt my kicking speed has gotten a lot quicker, and I can kick my leg out very fast. I could probably kick someone three times in one kick which is very remarkable, but I think I have reached the limits of this training.

"Stop complaining, brat! You are nowhere near as good as you think. You haven't even begun to master this move. In fact, go get on the sand and start doing it, and you better be faster before the sun goes down, or you don't get dinner." Garp commands in annoyance, and I reluctantly move over to the sand since I actually do want dinner.

Garp goes into the forest and comes back with a wild animal which he roasts over a fire for us to eat. It is not the best meal by far, and the taste isn't the best either, but it is edible and filling. So nowadays, Garp is the one that does the hunting, and I end up cooking the meat he brings back, and I have been managing to actually cook it to a better degree lately.

"Argh!" I cry as I fall face-first into the sand, having started to do my kicks and failing straightaway. Confused, I got up and tried again, only to have the same results, which didn't make sense. When I was doing it on the grass- Oh right, the ground stayed in one place, and I used all my power on it, but the sand shifted at the slightest bit of force.

So not only do I have to kick the sand multiple times very fast, but I also have to have an insane level of control to stop my foot at the very surface of the sand and not shift any of it. Wow, this is unbelievably hard training, but it will be worth it by the end. After that, my kicks will be on a whole other level, strong, fast and precise.

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

"GARP-SAN, I UNDERSTOOD- OW- BEFORE WHEN YOU WERE- OW- WANTING ME TO- OW- DODGE, BUT WHY- OW- AM I JUST STANDING- OW- HERE!!?" I shout in question. All the while, Garp pelts me with more rolled-up solid cracker packets, except unlike before, I am not dodging at all.

Garp has instructed me to stand still in the same spot and tense my body up as much as possible while he pellets me with the empty packs, and I have to take them.

"It is all well and good being strong and knowing how to fight, but you also have to know how to take a beating and keep going. So brace yourself and tense all your muscles, and don't move at all." Garp says before launching another projectile straight at my face, and all I can do is close my eyes and prepare myself.

"OW!"

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

"Keep going, shrimp. You are actually doing well. I am surprised!" Garp yells out as I contort and move my body, constantly trying to evade all the things he is rocketing towards me. This training was the complete opposite of the last one in that I had to avoid all of the cracker packets, except Garp had drawn out a small circle on the sand in which I was to stay.

Again I am threatened with dinner, but what makes this training so much more challenging is that Garp isn't throwing a single one at a time. Instead, Garp is throwing multiple different packs at several other points forcing me to bend and move in weird ways to avoid them, even having to fully spin in the air at one point.

"Come on, brat, all you have to do is stop thinking and go with the flow. Just let yourself relax and let your body be free." Garp says, trying to advise me on this training, which doesn't really help as it just frustrates me more since I can't relax in the least with this man throwing trash of death at me.

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

"ROAGGGH!" I roar out as I continue to wail on this tree in front of me, psyching myself up as I constantly hit the bark with my left and then my right. I had been doing this training for quite a while, and while the first time it was excruciating, and I did hardly any damage to the bark, now bark flies away with each extension of my fist, and I can ignore any pain.

"Alright, stop. It is time for the next stage." Garp says to which I immediately stop, looking towards him for further instructions.

"Next, position your fists like this and then start punching the tree again. Remember to keep your whole hand tense and primed." Garp showcases this as he makes a weird fist where he points out the part of his finger between the two joints in his fingers and hits the tree like that, blasting it apart.

"You see, Detoro, you have already become quite good with punching with the area between your knuckle and the first joint of your finger. So now, you must focus on using the area between the first and second joints. After that, it will, of course, be the area between the second joint in your fingers and the tips of your fingers. Finally, when all of these can smash this tree apart, then you can start to try using the very tips of your fingers on the trees. Understood?" I rapidly nod my head and get to work on a brand-new tree.

Just imagine it, me being able to bring a tree down with a swift chop of my palm or drilling holes into the wood with the tip of my fingers. Indeed, I could not have chosen a better person to train under. I am loving this training, even if it hurts- actually, I like it more because it hurts, and I can feel myself getting stronger.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 12– A Goal.

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

"Hm, brat. Why are you at the beginning of the book? I could have sworn that you were at the end of it the last time I looked." Garp asks while resting near the campfire. I myself also resting on the side opposite to him. I have been under his tutelage for... I don't know how long. I just know that I am very different from the boy that first arrived on this island.

And like every night after a long hard day of training, I rest on my makeshift bed made of a bunch of leaves next to the fire and read my book. But having been here for a long time and not having anything other than my book to relax, I had read through the entirety of these books multiple times, and so I have been rereading them.

"I am reading the book again, Garp-san." I answer him, not looking away from the book and trying to instil the information in my head so that I have a firm theoretical base I can use when I finally get around to doing some practical work.

"Okay." Garp simply answers before going back to whatever the hell it was he was doing. I don't know. I am not paying attention. And so we sit in silence for a while, the crackling o the fire keeping us company, as well as the loud snores of George, who sleep under a tree.

"But, why are you reading it again? Why aren't you doing any of the things it is actually telling you to do?" Garp breaks the silence, asking the questions he must have been thinking of for a while. Honestly, the reason why is obvious.

"Because I can't do anything without the proper tools, I can't chop down trees, I can cut the wood down, I can't fix the joints together. I just can't do any of it without the proper equipment, so all I can do is read the book until we finally get back to Conomi Islands, where I can actually start to do some carpentry." So I speak, expecting Garp to just reply with another okay and go back to whatever it was, but instead, I hear him get up off the ground and walk towards me.

I look up to see Garp looming over me with an angry, as well as disappointed, face. He suddenly reaches out and grabs my book before flinging it into the darkness behind him, taking me completely surprised and leaving me stunned for a second before I react and jump up to face him.

"WHAT THE HELL? WHY DID YOU DO THAT FOR OLD MAN!? I WAS READING THAT!" I shout at him, enraged that he just took the one thing keeping me occupied on this island and giving me some respite from the intense training. But thankfully, when I look to where he flung the book, I can see that it is just resting on the sand further down the beach, and some of my anger bleeds, knowing I can just pick it up.

"You stupid little shrimp, what the hell have we been doing this entire time?" Garp calmly asks, a slight tone of anger in his voice, but more than that, I can hear him thinking I am an idiot for some reason, as if I was doing something wrong.

"You have been training me?" Even though I know it is the correct answer, I can't stop it from coming out as a question. The only thing we had been doing on this island was training, yet there must be something I am missing if Garp is acting like this, some sort of hidden lesson.

"You said you wanted to be the world's strongest man, didn't you? So come on, follow me, brat." Garp asks, turning his back on me and walking towards the forest. I quickly scramble to my feet and follow him. After all these days full of training and listening to his orders without question, it has been drilled into me, and I don't question him when he asks me to do something unless it is insanely absurd.

"Yes, I want to be the strongest man in the world. I will be the strongest man in the world." I answer him as we finally reach the forest, and Garp stops in front of a giant jungle tree.

"You don't want to be the world's best swordsman, or axeman, or poleman, or gunman?" Garp turns around and looks down at me, regarding me with a calm neutral eye.

"No, I don't want to be any of those things. I only have one goal: to be the world's strongest man." Of course, I answer, to which Garp seems to be happy as he rewards me with a slight smile and a nod.

"Good, good. Then, WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO USE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT, YOU DUMBASS!!?" Garp suddenly yells, completely changing his tune and catching me off guard. I stumble back, surprised by the sudden change of tone. I bet he woke up most of the animals in the forest with that, though George being the lazy lump that he is, is still snoring away just fine.

"W-What? I-I NEED TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT AND STUFF TO BUILD STUFF! HOW ELSE WOULD I MAKE ANYTHING!!?" I shout back immediately, feeling like I am not in the wrong here since I am correct in what I am saying. However, I have no clue what the world's strongest stuff he was saying has to do with carpentry. There is no connection.

"WHY DO YOU NEED AN AXE TO CUT DOWN A TREE WHEN YOU CAN DO THIS!?" He punctuates his sentence by bringing his left hand up and slicing through the tree to his left, the side of his palm slipping through it as if it was made of butter and completely. I watch as the tree begins to topple before it starts falling to the ground, but before it even hits it and I have the chance to process it, Garp continues his tirade.

"OR THIS!?" Garp kicks his leg to the side and sweeps it through the air. I see a mesmerising arc of blue energy flash off into the distance and through multiple trees, seemingly having permeated through all of them without doing anything. But then, after a second, as one, they all slip and start to fall, even before the first one Garp chopped with his hand reaches the ground. And Garp doesn't stop there.

"IF YOU NEED TO DRILL SOMETHING, THEN DRILL IT!" He reaches his right hand out, and with his pointer finger, he begins to poke into the tree to his right multiple times with an insane speed, his fingers dipping into the tree like he was putting his finger inside jello.

I could hardly tell what had happened before he pulled his hand back. I can see multiple holes shot into the tree, all imperceptibly close to each other, with less than a millimetre between them. They make a perfect circle, except the finger thrusts are so precise and powerful that the tree still stays perfectly together.

"IF YOU NEED TO HAMMER SOMETHING, THEN USE YOUR DAMN FIST!!" Garp clenches his hand into a fist and then drives it forward with the force of thunder, right between the circle of holes he just made. He blasts that chunk of wood straight out, and I can only blink as it whooshes by me and off over the water, probably not stopping till it kills a Seaking or hits another island. A nearly perfect circle is left in the tree, Garp's fist poking out through it.

"IF YOU NEED TO GET UP HIGH TO BUILD, THEN JUMP UP THERE!!" Garp pulls his fist back out and then jumps up into the air reaching about halfway up the tree, and then he jumps again and reaches the top of the tree, and then again, and again and again. He defies the law of everything to ever exist and jumps off absolutely nothing to get higher, and then he continually jumps in the air to maintain his height.

"YOU DON'T NEED WEAPONS. YOU DO NOT NEED TOOLS. ALL YOU NEED IS YOURSELF. THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TRAINING YOU FOR!!" Garp shouts before he stops jumping on nothing and begins to fall to the ground. As Garp does so, he faces towards the depths of the forest and starts to kick out multiple times as he falls to the ground, sending out numerous blue flashes that are smaller than the previous one he did, and they only slice through a single tree.

When he finally lands on the ground, the tree falls apart, and multiple wood logs fall down from the sky, littering the floor. I quickly hop backwards when the very top of the tree comes down with all the branches and leaves.

Garp then turns around and looks towards me, but I have no clue what to say after having my mind completely blown and seeing multiple super abilities that I had no clue existed, which means my journey to be the ultimate force on this planet is going to be much more complicated than I thought.

Garp walks past me and towards the beach again, and I am treated to the view of an absolutely demolished forest that has been cut down to just stumps. Logs were strewn all over the ground. Seeing the destruction wrought by this man in less than a second, I turn around to look at him, astonished, and he is not even a little bit out of breath.

I quickly run off after him as he walks past our campfire and towards the sea, confusing me as to what he is doing, but then he walks towards the boat we arrived in for some reason. He stops there, looking down at it as I come and stands next to him.

"Wow, that- that was... wow." That is all I can manage to get out since I simply don't know how else to express my amazement at the sheer power that was just shown to me. But he doesn't respond. He just stays there looking down at the rowboat in thought.

"Um, Garp-San? What are you-WAIT, DONT-" Suddenly, before I can react, Garp reaches down and grabs onto the boat before lifting it up, and he faces the ocean. Getting an inkling of what he is trying to do, I try to stop him, but before I can, he throws the boat with all his might out across the ocean, and I can only watch as it blinks out of existence on the horizon.

"Hm, there, no more boat." I can only stare blankly at Garp, who nods in satisfaction with his handy work, pleased with the result.

"Why? Why did you do that?" I speak listlessly because Garp had just rid us of our only means of transport off of the island. So now we can only wait for some ship to come out here and hope they pick us up, and I have been here for a few days now, and I know that no ships at all pass this island.

So our only hope now is to wait until Garp's crew figures out something is wrong and comes looking for us, Bogard is definitely reliable enough, but until he comes, I will be stuck here with Garp and George, two giant gorillas.

"Because, you little shrimp, I will be damned if some student of mine is going to be as useless as you are turning out to be. You say you want to be the world's strongest man, but you make stupid excuses. You want to be a shipwright too, don't you? That is why you are reading the book. Then you are going to have to make us a boat to get us off this island, and we are going to stay here until after you do. So get to it." Garp says, not taking no for an answer, and I can't exactly say no since this is my only option now.

"But Garp, you don't understand. I never wanted to be a shipwright. I just wanted to learn carpentry to do work on my own house. The book I was reading only talked about houses and not boats, and even then, it was just the basics. I have no idea how to build a boat." Seeing what Garp did earlier, I can see that it is feasible to get the resources and do the work. However, I will not be able to do it with the ease that Garp did so for many years, but I can slowly take resources from this forest and work on making something, but I still need to learn how to build a boat.

"GODDAMN IT, STOP MAKING EXCUSES! DO YOU THINK THAT THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD MAKES EXCUSES WHEN HE COMES UP AGAINST A WALL? NO!! HE KEEPS SMASHING AGAINST THAT WALL UNTIL IT BREAKS OR HE DIES, SO YOU MAKE THAT BOAT, IT IS JUST A HOUSE THAT FLOATS, GODDAMN IT!!" Garp shouts at me, and I stumble back, shocked by his sudden rise in anger, the pure vitriol in his voice and the hate in his eyes, eyes that seemed to be looking through me at something else.

Suddenly he seems to recognise me, and that hate leaves his eyes, and the anger leaves his body, his form losing its tenseness and relaxing. The angry visage on his face disappears, leaving a calm look in its place, and then he seems to regret his outburst.

"Sorry, kid, I was just reminded of something else and took it out on you. My bad. Listen, it really isn't that hard to build a boat. It is just a curved box with some seats, and it floats. You are my student now, which means you have to be better than the rest. I won't accept anything less. I have a reputation to uphold, after all. Stop giving up before you even try. It pisses me off. If you keep doing that, you will never be strong or fulfil any of your dreams." Garp then walks back over to the campfire and lays down on his makeshift bed, leaving me standing there contemplating his words.

Stop giving up before you even try, and stop making excuses...

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

It has been a really long time since that day. In comparison, that day was actually close to the day we came to this island, and now it has definitely been at least a couple of months. I haven't ever started on making my boat yet, focusing on my own training first as well as waiting till I was strong enough to actually start chopping down trees with my hands, but obviously, that was not going to happen.

I knew that, but I still tried. Every day, I try to chop a tree down with my own hands, going at it with the sole focus of chopping it down, but all I ever do is chip away at the bark. But, what Garp said really stuck with me, and so I wanted to try it this way first, to try and do it with just my own body, but after these months of training, I feel like I am in a good enough place with my training that I can start on the boat.

I knew that the chances of me bringing down a tree with my own fist were negligible, but I still tried, but it was not going to happen anytime soon. I was just not old enough or strong enough to do so.

Garp was angry that I was giving up before I even started and that I was not even thinking about trying. He didn't want me to actually make a boat with my own hands and nothing else. he just wanted me to try, to try and do build the boat before I even gave up. I think Garp might have been projecting his own problems at me because he seemed to be more talking to himself when he was screaming at me that day, he is a powerful man, but he seems to also have his own share of problems.

So it is time to try another way again. I can not chop down the trees to get the resources to build a boat, but I can get the resources to create tools, and I am going to make my own tools to help me build the boat.

So, what do I need to build a boat? I need wood and nails, and that is about it. The wood is easy since there is an overabundance of it on this island after all, but the nails won't be found here, and so I need a substitute for it. But somehow, I don't see myself finding anything on this island to act as nails, so I need to find something to do the job that nails would do.

Nails are there to pin two or more things together and hold them firmly in place, so I just need to find something that can keep two or more things together, and I have already seen the perfect thing. The same thing that I had used to make my makeshift bags, twine. While thin, they are pretty strong, and if you gather enough of them, you can bundle them into a cord and twist them around to make some makeshift rope.

With that taken care of, I now need to get wood, but I won't be able to do that with my bare fists, which means I need to make a makeshift axe. To do that, there is a rockface not too far away from here with loads of stones all over the place. So Garp sometimes makes me do my training over there on the sharp rocks.

I can probably find a sharp rock over there, and if I can't, then I can just start bashing rocks together until one fractures and gives me a sharp stone. Then I can use some of the aforementioned twine rope to secure that to the head of a tree branch, and voila, a makeshift axe.

With that axe, I can chop down wood, and using another sharp stone, I can shave down and carve that wood, shaping it into something I can make use of. A plan is coming together. I can see this all working out quite nicely.

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

"There, finally done." I speak aloud, relieved to finally have finished my boat. I have spent ages working on it and fine-tuning it till it was perfect, and finally, the day is here.

"Would you look at that? I knew you had it in you. Let me just get my crackers, and we can be on our way." Garp says, looking down at my boat in amazement, and who could blame him? It is a work of art. I worked hard to make something practical, but also, since it was the first thing I ever built with my own two hands, I made it look good as well.

A sleek wooden boat, clean and smooth, with nothing jutting out or anything, I took extra care to sand it all down to size. I even managed to shave down two branches to make good solid oars to row the boat with, and now we can get off of this island and go back to Shokuyasi Village.

"Alright, let's get out of here." I am brought out of my mesmerisation by Garp returning with his smaller sack of crackers, having seriously dwindled his massive supply over the many months we have been here. He drops his bag into the boat, jumps in, and takes a seat, lying back to rest his head on the sack, clearly not going to help with the rowing, just like on the way here.

"Alright, bye, George, have a nice life on the island!" I shout to George, who sits on the beach eating a fruit, the last one I will ever peel for him, and he looks back at us confused, so I ignore him.

"Greh?" I hear George grunt confusedly while laying my hands on the back of the boat. I start to push it off of the sand and out onto the waters. I keep doing so until I feel the water rise to my knees, at which point I hop into the boat as well.

I grab the oar and dip it into the water, feeling it hit the sand underneath, at which point I start to push. "Alright! Let's go-"

"GRAAAAH!!" Hearing a roar coming from right behind me, I turn around, and I see a big black mass moving rapidly towards us before-

*Splash*

I am submerged under the water for a second before I jump back up out of it and gasp for breath, confused as to what just happened, only to see a wet gorilla face staring back at me blankly.

"Grah?" George grunts and I find myself feeling tired. This dumb ass gorilla just ran after us and jumped on our boat, smashing the thing to pieces and ruining all of my hard work. But seeing his dumb face that doesn't seem to comprehend what he has just done, I remember that George is basically a child, and there is no point being angry at him since he doesn't know any better.

Sighing, I pick up the one oar that survived and start to wade back through the water towards the beach, resigned to starting my boat again and building it again. Lifting my heavy legs out of the water, I step back onto the beach, only to suddenly feel a shiver journey down my spine as I feel an ominous presence at my back.

"You..." I quickly turn back to see Garp standing there in the shallows, water dripping off of every inch of him, but more importantly, the sack in his hand is drenched through, the sack that carried the snacks that he spends all day eating and water is dripping from it.

Garp begins to stalk towards me, walking normally as if the water wasn't even there. I prepare myself for him to berate me for having ruined the only thing that Garp actually enjoys on this island besides me hurting myself in training.

"Make a bigger boat. The monkey is coming too. He won't take no for an answer, damn dirty ape." Garp walks past me and back towards the beach, dropping the wet sack on the sand and then walking back towards the campfire.

"Wait, what? Why are we taking George?" I ask, looking towards George, who has now pulled himself out of the water and started to vigorously shake himself, spraying water everywhere. What are you, a dog?

"The monkey wants to stay with you for some reason, and it will keep trying to come with us and breaking the boat, so just let him come. he isn't much trouble anyway." Garp says, having already started the fire back up and drying himself in front of it.

"God, Garp-San. I thought you would be much angrier since all of your crackers are gone, and you will be eating no more of them till I build another boat and get us off of this island." So I speak, coming to sit next to him to dry myself as well.

"You know what shrimp? Since we have so much extra time now, we can step up your training. You have really come into your own since we got here, so let's make you even stronger." Garp says, staring straight into the fire.

"Oh wow, okay, great! So what are we going to do? Are you going to teach me how to jump into the air like you did or how to make those cool wind blades you did with your legs?" I cannot wait. I will be truly awesome with those at my disposal.

"No, no, you are already on your way to doing that stuff. No, what I am talking about is experience. What is the use of training if you have never actually used it? I think it is time you get some real hands-on experience." Garp turns to look at me, and I am scared at the truly wide unfriendly grin on his face. I don't think he has so easily forgiven me for ruining his crackers.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 13– Boats and Bros.

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

I lean left, then lean right, back up, jump around, roll to the side and then duck before getting back to my feet. The wolf that had leapt over me quickly skids to a stop and turns around to keep on coming from me, its claws inching forward to slice open my neck.

Again it tries to barrage me, but I dodge with an ease borne of familiarity, and then once again, it starts to run. I can tell that it wants to leap at me again, and so I run forth as well, and when it jumps, I slide on the ground, and I kick my leg up and kick it in its neck as it goes above me, dealing severe damage.

The wolf goes flying as I skid along the ground, coming to a stop, and I stay there, laying on the floor, breathing heavily and looking up at the sky as I try to catch my breath. I don't worry about the wolf that is out of my sight, Garp has been ordering me to fight all sorts of animals lately, and I have gained a wealth of experience, which is how I know that wolf is down for the count and won't be coming back at me.

"Tch, you are this tired just from that little bit of jumping around? And all you did was kick one lousy little dog?"Garp comments from the side where he is sitting, leaning back against a tree, from where he supervised my fight. This has been regularly happening since my first failed boat attempt. First, Garp would pick me up by the scruff of my neck, and then my vision blurred since we were moving too fast, and then we would be in another location entirely, usually in front of some sort of animal.

Sometimes it would be a pack, but Garp would just glare at them, and they would all be cowed, and then he would send the others away and keep just one, which he ordered to try to kill me. Otherwise, he would kill it, and it would come at me with lethal intent, and Garp would let me fend for myself. I am sure Garp would intervene if it actually came to me being in deathly peril, but thankfully it has never come to that.

Of course, I was surprised the first time it happened, but I quickly reacted and got to fend off the beast. Otherwise, I would get cut up, though thankfully started off with an animal that was not too dangerous for me. And from there, the fights slowly escalated as I worked on making the boat. The animals would get bigger and meaner each time. I even faced off against two animals at one point, but that was the max.

"Whatever, old man, just take me back to the beach so I can get back to working on the boat," I tell him, lifting myself up to rest my palms against the ground, still exhausted from fighting off the wolf. The wolf, which I now noticed, has scurried away after losing, just like all the other animals before it.

"Fine, let's go, shrimp." And then, before I could even do anything, I felt him grab me by the back of my shirt, and then we whooshed away, and all I saw was a blur of colours and a harsh wind in my ears as Garp took me back to the beach at an unbelievable speed. At first, this was very jarring for me, and my stomach was very unsettled. However, humans are the most adaptable beings in existence, and this hardly phased me anymore.

"Ugh," I grunt as I am thrown onto the sandy beach, Garp having chucked me as soon as we got here, but instead of making mention of it, I simply get back up to my feet and walk over to my workstation, where my next boat is in the process of being assembled. Well, not my next boat. I stopped counting after I had four failed attempts. It just got harder to do when I had to make it for me, Garp and George.

My first attempt at making a boat after Garp told me we were taking George with us was a big fail, and Garp knew it would be. Just remembering it makes me want to bury my head. The problem was obvious, after all.

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

"Why aren't you getting in the boat, Garp-san?" I ask, resting next to my newly built boat. Not as sleek or nice looking as the first, but it is now wide enough to hold all three of us. But while George is already sitting in the boat waiting to depart, and I am behind it all ready to go, Garp is there sitting on the chair he had me build for him with all the scraps I had that I didn't need.

"Hm, oh. Well, after the first time, I don't really trust your building skills or your boats anymore, so I am going to stay here while you go test it out, and if it works, then I will get in with you, and we will go. Now shoo, your annoying me." Garp waves me away, trying to relax in the sun while reclining on his chair.

"Tch." I tut at his lackadaisical attitude as well as the fact he is ignoring me, and then I turn to my boat and pick up my book that I left inside and go place it safely down on the sand away from the shore. It is not that I don't have faith in my boat. Because I do, I made it with my own two hands, but it is just good sense to place any valuables away from the ship and test them first.

I am very happy about the first boat I made. I was too excited about it and climbed in and tested it, completely forgetting about my book that I left on land, so it thankfully did not become wet and get ruined like Garp's sack of crackers did. And I won't be risking it this time, and I will leave it here. I will have to come back to land after I test it out anyways to get Garp, so it isn't really a big deal.

"Hop out, George, and help me push this thing into the shallows. Then you can get back in," I tell the giant lazy silver-backed gorilla that has been sitting in the boat since I finished it and excitedly hopping about, waiting for us to set off. Seriously, George is way more excited about us going off on the ship than either Garp or I am. The gorilla has been watching me build the thing and has actually been helpful, assisting me in its making and doing some heavy lifting.

"Greh eh." George grunts, shaking his head back and forth, still excitedly rocking about in the boat, unable to contain himself. This sometimes helpful, mostly lazy gorilla is refusing to get off the ship, and I don't have the physical strength to force him off, and as I look at the only other person on the beach that will actually be capable of that, I realise I will get no help since Garp is much too busy enjoying himself in the sun.

"Fine, whatever. I am usually doing stuff by myself on this island anyway. why should this be any different." Resigning myself to my fate, I place my hands against the back of the boat and dig my feet down into the sand behind me, and then I begin to push. I am not strong enough to pick George up and take him off the boat, all without damaging the ship itself, but I am more than strong enough to push the boat into the water. What else has the training all been for?

But this gorilla sure isn't light. It is going to take quite a bit of dedication from me to have this done quickly. And so I scrunch my eyes up real tight and tense my whole body before pushing forwards, pushing with all of my might, and it really does suck a lot of energy out of me. George must have gotten quite fat after pretty much sitting around all day and eating fruits that I still peel for him.

I might have overestimated just how strong I am, or perhaps I underestimated just how heavy George is, but either way, I know that if I stop now, then I will find it harder to come back and try again, so I have to push it. So, scrunching my eyes closed even harder and gritting my teeth, I just face my head down and start to walk, pushing the boat very slowly but surely across the sand.

Step by agonising step, I make staunch moves forward, and I don't stop for anything. Finally, I quit focusing on everything else and completely blocked it out. I just concentrated on pushing this boat forward so that it could embark upon the oceans. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot-

"GREEHHHH!" George shrieks, and my head jolts up in surprise at his sudden scream, only to get a face full of gorilla in my face.

"Agh," I grunt as I am knocked on my ass as George barrels past me, and my entire body dips into the water, my head submerged underneath it. A shock runs through my body, and my brain gets a kick from the sudden ice-cold water washing over me. And I quickly bolt upright, and I start to brush my face trying to clear my eyes so that I can figure out what the hell just happened.

"What the... Where is my boat?" Once I have wiped my face clean and can adequately open my eyes, I look out at the open ocean in front of me, and my boat is nowhere to be seen. Looking out at the empty blue sea, I am befuddled when I cannot spot my boat anywhere. When a moment ago, I was just pushing it, and now I am sitting in water that comes up to my chest.

"BWAHAHAHA, YOU DUMB BRAT! THAT WAS TOO FUNNY. WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING? BWAHAHA, THAT WAS TOO FUNNY!!" Garp bursts out laughing as he sits on the beach, enjoying my misery to the fullest. I turn around in the water to glare over at him for laughing at my misfortune, and this affects him as well, but then I catch sight of Geroge, who is standing on the beach, water dripping off of his legs.

"IT WASN'T MY FAULT, YOU SMELLY OLD MAN. IT IS HIS! GEORGE, WHY DID YOU SUDDENLY SCREAM AND RUSH AWAY? YOU KNOCKED ME OVER, AND NOW I CAN'T FIND THE BOAT!" I shout back at Garp first, angry that he is laughing at me before my ire transfers over to the actual culprit behind my boat's disappearance, who stands there looking confused.

"Geh?" George mumbles out, recoiling a bit at the tone I have used. Since I have never been angry with him before, I am usually quite mellow and calm with him, sometimes being exasperated by his antics. Still, I have never, ever been negative to him before today, which must be pretty jarring for George, and that is evident as the gorilla shields its face while backing away.

I start to make my way out of the shallow depths of the water and towards Geroge, who acts like a child that has just been told off, with his head down and looking at the ground. It is taking me some time to walk onto the sand, but that is because my footwear is entirely clogged up by wet sand, and moving forward, especially in the water, is difficult.

"Oi, brat. Leave the monkey alone. It isn't his fault you are dumb. You should try using your head more than your weak fists. George didn't do anything wrong, really." Garp calls out as I near the diminutive form of George, which is contradictory since George is still a towering giant, and yet he is acting very small. After hearing Garp's words, my anger and bluster immediately fade, and I look away from George to see what Garp actually means.

"It isn't his fault? I am dumb? Then, where is my bloody boat?" I direct towards Garp since he seems to have seen all that happened, or at least enough to have a good laugh at my expense. Because I was seriously perplexed about just where my boat was, it completely disappeared after I took a dip underneath the water.

"Dumb little shrimp, are you dumb? You were so focused on pushing the boat with your head down that you didn't realise you had gone too far, and the boat was already deep into the ocean. The boat started to fill up with the ice-cold water, and with George not being familiar with the sensation when the water hit his legs, he freaked out and ran back to land, knocking you over in the process." So Garp reveals to me, which doesn't explain where my boat is now or what caused it to sink since I made it just as good as the last boat I made.

"But then, why was my boat sinking? It was just as good as my previous one, and that held me and you perfect- oh." I realise my mistake now. I made a boat the same as the last one.

"This time, you were-"

"This time, I was taking a gorilla with us as well, a very heavy gorilla. But unfortunately, the boat was made like the last one, which meant that it was not good enough to hold George's weight, and it sank. But then, where has it gone now? I shouldn't have pushed it that far in that?" George was sitting near the front of the boat, so when I was pushing it, it stayed against the sand. Even when it was in the water, it started to go along the sea floor.

But since George was near the front when the water raised enough to enter the boat and touch his legs, it shouldn't have yet been deep enough for it to sink, so where the hell is it?

"Well, uh, maybe it is a little bit of the gorilla's fault. When the big monkey rushed to get back to the beach, he made a big jump from the edge of the boat to the sand, wanting to avoid as much of the sand as possible, and he ended up pushing the boat out further into the sea." I didn't see it because George pushed me down beneath the waves, and it took me a while to get up and clear my eyes to see correctly. By that time, the boat had already sunk since there was already some water in it, and it kept coming in, making it sink, and George's push probably didn't help either.

I look over at George, who is looking down at the ground, having just been berated by me, and I can't help but feel a little bad about it. But, even though it was a bit his fault for panicking like that and pushing the boat further off into the sea, it doesn't really matter since the ship would not have worked anywhere.

Plus, I was so focused on moving the heavy boat that I probably would have pushed it in till it was too late, so George didn't really do anything that wouldn't have been done anyway, and we would have had to scrap the boat since George would not have been able to use it.

"I... I am sorry, George. It was my fault, not yours. I should have taken into account that there were going to be three of us, not just two, and built to accommodate that." So I tell George, whose head perks up at my apology, which I made since I unjustly got mad at him. But after a moment, he seems to realise something, and he narrows his eyes at me.

"Grah," George says and turns his head away from me, not deigning to look at me. Confused, I move to the left to get back in his eyesight, but he then turns his head in the other direction, so I try again, but again he avoids my gaze.

"Hey, come on, George, I said sorry. It was an easy mistake to make. Let's go back to being buddies and make another boat, yeah?" George starts to walk off to the tree line and takes a seat, with me following alongside him, trying to get him to be friends with me again. I am stuck on this island with Garp, who is hard to get along with at the best of times, not to mention when he is making you do intense training and laughing at you when you mess something up.

George is my only companion on this island, who sits there listening to the random crap I spout and the smack I talk about Garp. The best thing is he can't actually tell anyone about anything I say, and yet he understands what I am saying perfectly. I mostly even sleep against him since his fur is so soft and comfortable, I hate to admit it, but the closest thing that I have to a friend in this world so far is this gorilla, who is now ignoring me.

"Come on, George, let's make another boat. You were having fun when we were doing it before, right? How about a break first? Let's get some fruits and have a snack break, relax a little. Then, we can start working on the boat tomorrow. What do you say? George? Come on, just look at me, man."

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

"So brat, how many does this one make it? Six boats? Seven? Are you sure it will even float?" Garp questions looking down at my newest creation, the latest boat to have been made, which will fit all three of us, and if my calculations are correct, then it will hold each of us as well and float just fine on the high seas.

"GRAH!" George loudly shouts, crossing his arms and nodding his head in the affirmative, assured that it will float, having complete faith in it. George is very proud of every boat we have made together, having forgotten about the little tiff he was having the very next day and then excitedly working together with me on the next ship.

George was actually very helpful with the heavy lifting and building of the boats, holding things in place as I affixed them together, he was genuinely helping me and making things easier on me, and he was a good partner.

"Don't worry, this time it will work. I am sure of it." I say, looking down at the boat, which is much the same as all the other boats I have made, but just a little larger so we can all comfortably stay on it, but apart from that, it is practically just the same, which is where Garp's doubt comes from.

"But how is this one going to work when it is just the same as the others, and there is nothing different about it? Won't it just sink?" Again Garp discussed his concerns when I had just reassured him that it would work. For some reason, he doesn't trust my word, possibly because I have had several failed previous attempts, but this one will be different.

"George, pick up the boat and follow me to the evacuation point," I called to George, who saluted and immediately followed my orders and picked up the boat and followed behind me as I walked along the beach towards my destination. Garp, confused as to what we are doing, follows behind us, unaware of the other project I had going on while working on the boat.

"Evacuation point? Where are you going, shrimp? All the other times you just tried to push off from this spot of the beach, why are you changing that now?" Garp asks a very prudent question, as the change in location is very essential to why our boat will work this time, and we will set off without problems.

"You see, Garp, the reason for our change of location is because the boat would not have worked if we just pushed off the beach, especially because George would be joining us, an-"

*Boink* "OWW!" I crouch and clutch at my head, feeling a big bump sprout out of the top of it where Garp suddenly hit me on the head, completely unprovoked. I did not deserve that at all.

"Don't get clever with me, you little shit? Have some respect. You just got a bit stronger. That is no reason to be so arrogant. Stupid, little shrimp" So he is fine with me sometime calling him old man or senile old man, but he will get angry if I just call him by his name. How does that make any sense? And how was I even being arrogant? Ignoring that for the moment, I get back up and continue walking, restarting my explanation as well.

"Tch, whatever. Alright, so basically, our boat wasn't working because George was in the boat when we were trying to push off. Boats float because there is more water under the boat, and the weight of that water is more than the weight of the boat and the things on it, so it floats." I explain. But before I can get any more out, Garp interjects.

"So, water is really heavy?" He says, completely missing the point and the crux of this conversation.

"The force of the water pushing up is more than the force of the boat pushing down, so the water is pushing the boat up, which is why it floats. But since George was already in the boat when we were pushing off, the force going down was less than the force going up in those shallow waters, so the boat was sinking, which allowed the shallow waters in, which made it heavier so when it got deeper in it just sunk. It is why all of our boats have failed, which is why myself and George have built this." As we round around the corner, I point out the shoddy little dock that we have built, which will serve as our exit off of this island.

"So, it is mystery water!" My epic reveal is completely dashed when Garp ignores it entirely and makes a ridiculous comment like that while slamming his palm into his hand as if that made it definite. What the hell even is mystery water? He completely missed everything I was saying. I chose to ignore him and save my breath since it would take me a long time to explain it to him to the point where he would get it, and instead, I walked along the dock with the others till the end of it, where Geroge places the boat down in the water.

The dock itself isn't the best in the world, and it doesn't go out very far, but it is firm, and it will get the job done since it goes out far enough that the boat is resting entirely on water, and the water is deep enough that it should float fine. Looking at George, he gives me a firm nod before cautiously stepping down into the boat, and it doesn't sink. It works just fine. I hop down myself just to make sure and the ship doesn't dip in the slightest, confirming that it is completely working.

"Right, see, it is fine. So get in, and let's go. It's time for us to finally leave this boring island." I already have my book tucked into the waist of my pants since I was so assured that this plan would work. I can't wait to get back home and change into some new clothes because the stuff I am wearing right now is pretty much destroyed. All I have left are my little shorts, the rest of them having gotten lost and destroyed in my duration on this island.

Suddenly Garp disappears from view, and then a second later, he is right back holding a big sack which he plants down on the boat and then hops into the boat and leans back onto it. He then reaches behind him, pulls out a packet of crackers, and immediately gets to chowing down on it.

"What, where did you get those crackers? I thought they were all ruined when they fell into the water," I ask, confused since there should be no more of them, and I haven't seen Garp eating any crackers in a very long time.

"Hm, oh, these. I swam out to the nearest island with people on it and got some the night my crackers got soaked. People sometimes give me free things for some reason. I didn't even have to pay for these crackers." Garp reveals, and I raise my hand about to interject with the many problems with that story before I let it go. It is kind of blowing my mind that it is possible for people to swim through the ocean to another island, even with those massive Seakings out there, so I am going to ignore it for now and focus on rowing, to-.

"Um, wait. How are we getting back? I don't know the way, and that thing you gave me before only led us to Troga." I question, not having thought about this before. Focusing on just building the boat, and now that we are here, I am at a loss.

"Oh, right here, catch." Garp reaches behind him to grab something and then throws it at me. Catching it, I look down at it and observe it carefully. Instead of the thing he gave me last time, this time, it is just a glass dome on top of a bit of circular wood, and on the inside of it is a tiny bit of paper that seems to be moving.

"That there is a special paper that will move in the direction of Bogard, who is still waiting for us at your island. Just follow the direction the paper moves in, and we will get back to your island eventually." Saying so, he gets back to munching on his snacks, leaving me looking down at this mystery paper.

Shrugging, I grab my oar and get to rowing. I have already seen a lot of weird things that I didn't think were possible, so it isn't that hard to just shrug this off, and right now, I just want to go home.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 14– Back Again.

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

So there I was again, once more sailing through these treacherous seas where no wind blew, and dangerous beasts littered every corner of the ocean, some being bigger than the islands themselves. And once more, I am the one that has to row the boat and not only that, but this time I have a heavy gorilla onboard as well, along with Garp, who sleeps around all day, somehow managing to eat his crackers in his sleep.

And by far, the most bizarre thing is that this trip back to the Conami Islands is way easier for me than the trip to Troga ever was. Even though the load was heavier than ever, having a massive gorilla on board, I was zooming across the sea, my strong arms somehow never tiring even as I rowed nonstop for a full day.

Seeing my speed and knowing the distance between the me that first arrived on Troga and the me that had just left, I felt extra confident, and I was positive that I could get back to Shokuyasi Village in no time, and that is what I wanted to do. So I didn't stop for anything, not the Seakings that suddenly popped out to devour us, assured that Garp would protect us lest he risks capsizing and losing all his crackers again and not even to eat.

I didn't even stop when George waved some fruit at me for me to peel it so he could eat, but I did not. I plainly told him to ask Garp and ignored it after that. George wouldn't leave Garp in peace, so he had to peel the fruits for him, and with me officially no longer having feeding duty, I could focus on just purely rowing.

Add so here we are, in the part of the ocean where the wind actually blows, which would be great if we actually had any sails, except we did not, but this did signify that we were close to home. And there, upon the horizon, I could make out a dock that had multiple marines running around on it and one big marine ship parked there. It was the dock that we left from, where I first met Garp.

Finally, we had made it. Garp just ate his crackers and slept all day, only getting up to smack some Seakings and peel some fruit for George. And George himself was just the same, sleeping all day and only getting up to annoy Garp into peeling his fruits and eating them, and then there was me, who had been rowing nonstop all this time, never having stopped from Troga.

And yes, my arms burned, my forearms stung, and I couldn't feel my knuckles because of just how hard I was clenching onto my oar. But all of that paled in comparison to the intense relief that washed over me at the sight of my home island and the immense pride I felt for having completed this voyage in less than three days, a wild improvement.

"YES!! WE ARE FINALLY HERE, GARP-SAN!! LOOK, GEORGE, IT IS MY HOME, SHOKUYASI!!" The sight of my home forces my excitement to come bubbling up, and I can't help but shout to my compatriots. Incidentally waking George up, who sits up blearily and makes Garp lift his head out of his bag of snacks, his eyes narrowing at the sight of my village.

"Shrimp, is there anywhere else we can dock? It would be better if we did not go to those docks and depart from our boat there." Garp speaks up, not wanting us to dock thee for some reason, making me look at him weirdly.

"Why? We are finally here, and we can finally get off this boat. Or is there a reason you don't want to get off there, maybe because your crew is there?" I look at him with suspicion, suspecting that he does not want to see his crew just yet. I bet he only intends to skive off work even more and relax a bit longer before Bogard comes to see him and drags him off to actually do his job.

"Shut up, you dumb brat. What do you know? I don't want us to get off there because we have this giant stupid monkey with us, and while he is a fragile little thing, he will scare all of those civilians. That is why we need to find another place to dock so that George won't disturb any of the islanders.

Finding his reasoning to be on point and that it actually makes sense because George can be pretty scary up front when meeting him for the first time. So I quickly begin to row to the left, deciding to go around to the left side of the island, where I know a deserted beach we can dock at. Luckily we are far away enough that no one on the island or the docks can spot us unless they would be looking through a telescope, so we easily divert our curse with no one the wiser.

As I continue to row, I take the opportunity to look out at my island, taking in the familiar sights and enjoying them while Garp munches on his crackers. However, George is also looking around and appreciating the surroundings, curious about my home. As we move, the forests on the coast of the island begin to become sparse before the trees disappear altogether, leaving only a sandy beach upon which I beach the boat.

And then, in the distance, I can see a shoddy little shack that is half broken down, with all of the pain having been washed off. The wood making it up is cracked and split. I can see quite a few holes in the walls, though they are blocked up on the inside. Once the boat comes to a stop, I jump out of the ship carrying my book with me and begin to walk over to my home, the home that I made a commitment to when I said I would make it into a fricking mansion, and I don't plan on going back on that.

"Good choice, brat. It seems no one lives around here; this place is deserted. Just look at that shitty house over there. It is all broken down. There is no way anybody lives in a shithole like that." Garp exclaims happily, stepping out of the boat and carrying his big sack of snacks on his back. He just casually insults my home, the only place I have, with a big smile on his face.

"That is my house." I deadpan at him, and I watch the big smile on his face freeze in place as my words ring out into the empty air. George himself has also climbed out of the boat and is now wandering around on the beach, looking every which way and pawing at the sand, which is definitely very different from the sand on the shores of Troga.

"Hm? Oh, really? Haha, well, then you are a terribly bad owner. Look at this place. It is falling apart. You should really look after your home better, boy." Garp catches himself and resumes walking, and instead of apologising, he doubles down on what he said and continues to talk shit about my home, and he isn't wrong.

"I know, it is broken down, but it was like this when I got it. And that is why I have this book. I am learning how to build, and I am going to fix this place up. In a few years, you won't even recognise the place." So I say, holding out the book for Garp to see, proving my point. I will admit that the shack wasn't exactly like this when I got it. I did trip one night and put my hand through one of the thin walls making another hole, but that is neither here nor there.

"Oh, so that is why you were reading a book, it was because you needed to. No wonder, those things are so boring with all those words and letters." So Garp muses as I turn and walk over to a single tree that stands out in this sandy expanse like a lone boat surrounded by the sea. Reaching the tree, I kneel down and start to use my hand to brush away the sand, scrapping handful after handful of sand away from the side of the tree.

"What are you doing? Is there something buried under this tree? Is it treasure? But... only pirates hide and dig up treasure. You aren't secretly a pirate, are you, brat?" Garp annoyingly asks me various questions over my shoulders as I work hard to unearth the object hidden beneath this tree, even though they are hurting like hell after all the rowing. Still, I need to do this since I can't simply walk into town dressed as I am or, more accurately, as undressed as I am.

"YES!" I exclaim, grabbing onto the object hidden beneath the sand and whipping it above my head, raising it into the air in triumph. And then I immediately bring my arm back down and clutch it, having strained it by suddenly whipping it up and outstretching it when it was already very sore.

"Is that a key?" Garp states the obvious, looking down at the sand-encrusted metal key in my grasp. I start to dust the key off since it won't work correctly if it is dirty, and I don't particularly want the sand to get into the lock the key is for in case it somehow messes up the mechanism.

"Yes," I answer simply. It is a key, the key to my front door. When I learned I would be going on a trip with Garp for training, I made sure to sort out my belongings and assets accordingly. The only thing I had to sort out on this island was the weekly stipend I received from Mummy Mee, which I won't be able to collect while on the trip.

So I told Mummy Mee that I got some non-paying work experience on a ship for a couple of weeks and would have no money when I returned. So that she could save my money for me, and when I return, I can collect it, having a surplus built up as I thought Garp would be putting me up for free, food and board. I hid the money I did have under one of the floorboards in my house but then came the issue of my house key.

I couldn't store it inside my house. Since then, I would not have been able to unlock it, but I had nowhere else to keep it. I could have given it to Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee to look after, but I feared that if they had the key, they would come over to keep the place clean and look after it. And if they did that, then they would see the state of disrepair my home was in and realise that they were tricked and bought a broken down house for me.

I didn't want that. As the kind and generous people they are, I know Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee would feel incredible guilt and shame for giving me this broken-down house even though they were tricked into it, and they didn't even have to procure a home for me. So I decided to just hide my key for the time being, and I decided to bury it here in front of this tree, deep under the sand, and now I have gotten it back.

Turning around, I walk off and up to my front door, using my key to open the door and enter my home, and then when Garp tries to follow me inside, I slam the door shut behind me, keeping him out. He goes to join me inside, but I quickly yell that I am getting changed, which stays his hand. I take off my ratty blue shorts and throw them onto my bed, uncaring of the dust on top of it and all around the room. I then walk up to my wardrobe and grab some new clothes, though I am not spoiled for choice since Garp flung all my other clothes into the ocean when I attempted to bring them with me.

I quickly throw on some baggy beige shorts and a simple red vest, leaving it open and exposing my chest. After all this time when I was practically wearing some underwear, I really don't see the need to wear too many clothes, and the weather doesn't really bother me after multiple weeks under the hot sun on Troga.

One thing I am very happy about, though, is footwear. I hurriedly slip into some sandals and relish in the soft feeling under my feet. The sandals I wore to Troga were demolished long ago, and I had since been training barefoot, which didn't really bother me much when I was on the sand except maybe when it got insanely hot. Still, it was indeed problematic in the woods and on the rocks Garp forced me to train on top of.

Feeling refreshed in my new clothes, I close my wardrobe and walk over to a loose wooden board on the floor and lift it to see that the money I left is still there. So the rest of the money that has been accumulating while I was gone should be safe with Mummy Mee, who has been collecting it for me, ready for me to take. Placing the board back, I walk to the front door and open it to see Garp standing outside. And he goes to walk into my home, but I quickly step out and slam the door closed behind me, hurriedly taking my key and locking it.

"Hey, what gives? I wanted to come in and rest my feet, this was a very tiring journey, and we need to rest for a bit." Garp says, disappointed that I had closed my home to him, and I easily ignore the fact he is acting like he has strained himself at all. I have become quite good at it after spending all that time together on Troga. Even if I did let him in, the only place to really sit is on my bed, as everything else would probably break under his weight. Plus, the whole house is in a state, not ready for guests.

"We are going to go to the docks, so you can join up with your crew again. We have been away a really long time, and I am sure they are missing you. They are probably running around like headless chickens without you." So I say to him as I walk away from my house, though really I have spent a bit too much time with the man and want to get some relief. I spot George in the distance, who is jumping around on the sand, having spotted a crab on the beach that he is curious about but cautious about as well.

"What, no way, Bogard is there, and he will have them all in tip-top shape." Garp deflects, trying his damnedest to not go back to work. For some reason, I think we diverted to my home because he didn't want to reveal himself to his marines and not because George would scare the villagers. I ignore him in favour of watching George's funny actions, with the crab continuing to move towards him and George having to hurriedly stumble back, trying to stay away from it and hopping from side to side.

"Garp-san, I already feel bad as it is. How will I feel keeping you away from your crew any longer? You are a marine, and it is your job to protect people and defeat the savage pirates that threaten them. The more time you spend here, the more time you spend not doing your job, saving the people that need to be saved. I have already kept you long enough. I can't keep you any longer." I bullshit with ease, coming up with a good and morally upstanding reason for Garp to leave me alone for a bit.

I continue walking towards George, who hasn't noticed me yet, and Garp remains behind me, and he doesn't say anything, staying silent. So either that means he has taken my quickly thought-up words to heart, or he simply can't come up with a good excuse after that and has to just remain silent.

"George, come here," I call, startling George, who whips his head around to look at me before realising what he has done and quickly turns back around to find that the crab is closer than before and quickly jumps back and then sprints off towards me. George skids o a stop in front of me, kicking up a lot of sand that blows against my face and forces me to close my eyes. When I open them back up, George is standing there, waiting for me to talk, but before I do so, I shake myself off and get rid of most of the sand on me.

"George, listen up. Me and Garp-san are going to leave for a while, but I will be back soon. Just stay here and don't run off. That house there is where I live, so just stick around. I will be back soon." So I tell George, who constantly turns around to look back at the crab as I talk, and when I stop, he once more glances back at the crab and contemplates for a moment before turning back to me and nodding his head.

With that sorted, I turn around and walk towards the village path, walking straight past Garp, who just watches me go. I don't bother trying to convince him to follow me or anything since as soon as Bogard sees me, he will know that Garp is back if he doesn't already. Garp follows after me a moment later, joining me on the walk to the village, which I am excited to see after all this time.

"Haah, I suppose you are right, shrimp. I have already stayed away long enough, and that annoying Sengoku will be angry at me if I delay any longer." He says, mentioning someone called Sengoku, and given the context, it must be another marine and most likely Garp's superior. It is good to know that this guy isn't in charge of any big decisions and that there is someone above him to supervise and ensure he doesn't mess anything up.

For the rest of the journey, we are pretty silent, except for Garp occasionally pointing out a thing or two and asking a question which I answer for him if it isn't a dumb question. I mostly spend my time looking around my surroundings and taking it all in. I don't know how long we were precisely on that island, but I felt like it was a long time, and I had forgotten these surroundings.

"Detoro-Kun, it is good to see you."

"Finally back, eh, Detoro-san. How was your apprentice training?"

"Detoro-chan, how are you? How did you get so tan? Tell me your secret."

When we finally entered the village, many of the villagers began to greet me with waves and big smiles, happy to see me. Somehow they even knew that I had gone on a trip, and I only told Mummy Mee that I was going, and I told her it was an apprenticeship on a boat, so she must have told everyone. However, I am ashamed to say that I still don't know any of the villagers' names. In fact, I don't remember anyone's name except for Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee, not even the other kids.

I continued to walk through the village, looking around and taking all the buildings that I hadn't seen for months, talking to the villagers and answering their questions to the best of my ability. Although I didn't know how to answer the young woman who enquired about my secret for being so tan, I didn't even realise my skin had become tanner after all that time in the sun. I even saw the bookstore owner who asked about the book he sold me and if I had built anything, and I told him I had, which he was pleased to hear.

And finally, we had made it to the docks, where there were a bunch of marines standing around orderly on the pier, looking fully disciplined as they did regimented work and movements that looked clean and swift, loading supplies onto the boat. I am surprised that these lazy idiots that made so much trouble and mess for me are now acting appropriately like marines should be.

"G-Garp-san? V- VICE ADMIRAL GARP! YOU ARE BACK!" One of the Marines looks up and notices us walking down the docks towards them. They do a double take and then shout aloud as if they can't believe it. And his words alert the other marines, who all drop what they are doing and look up towards Garp as if their hopes have been answered.

"GARP-SAN, I- NO, GARP-SAMA, PLEASE DON'T EVER LEAVE AGAIN!!"

"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH, VICE ADMIRAL!! WE WERE LOST WITHOUT YOU!!"

"NEVER LEAVE AGAIN!! DON'T ABANDON US!!"

"DON'T LEAVE US WITH BOGARD EVER AGAIN!! HE IS SO STRICT AND DEMANDING. WE AREN'T USED TO IT!!!"

They all start to shout, happy that Garp is back and pleading for Garp to never leave again, passing it off as if they missed him and couldn't function without him. Though that last guy let his true feelings slip through, and I am pretty sure he speaks the truth for everyone, however, his voice is lost in the chaos, and I might have been the only one to hear it.

It seems that Garp is usually lax and not too strict with all of his underlings, just like I experienced when they continually made a mess for me trying to win the prize Garp offered them. But when me and Garp left for our training trip, Bogard obviously became acting leader and took command of all the men, and it is clear he ran a tight ship, which the crew was not used to.

Hearing the commotion, Bogard appears on top of the ship and looks down at us. Garp doesn't seem to notice, being overwhelmed by the screams of his crew, and he smiles, feeling happy to be missed and wanted so much. He scratches the back of his head embarrassedly.

"All of you, load everything onto the ship immediately. Have it done in twenty seconds flat, and prepare to sail. We are leaving." Bogard says, walking down the plank from the big marine ship and onto the dock, all of the crew groans at his orders, but it has clearly been instilled in them to follow his orders as they quickly do so.

"Detoro-Kun, it is good to see you. It seems the training has served you well. Garp-san, we are leaving." Bogard greets me before grabbing onto Garp, who doesn't realise what is going on, and he starts to drag him off towards the ship, leaving me standing on the dock, not knowing what to do.

"What, why? Bogard, let's relax for a moment. I just got back. We can leave tomorrow." Garp tries to protest and find any way to delay his leaving, but Bogard is having none of it. He continues to drag Garp off towards the ship, and while I think Garp could easily resist, he doesn't for some reason.

"We need to leave now, Garp-san. You have been gone too long, and a lot of stuff has happened. Red-haired Shanks robbed a world government ship and ran off with the loot. He stole a devil fruit as well. More importantly, every single person on Minion Island has been killed. We need to leave now." I am shocked to hear such things leave Bogard's mouth, a confirmation that those mystery fruits that grant powers are real and the fact that the entire population on an island has been genocided, though I have never heard of the island before.

"That damned Roger brat. What the hell has gone on while I wasn't looking? Set sail for headquarters. The Minion Island incident is much more important than that stupid red hair" Garp, hearing Bogard, pulls his arm free and walks onto the ship of his own free will. Bogard follows behind him, and a few moments later, the ship is sailing off into the distance, leaving me standing there blankly watching.

He just left, just like that.

I don't know how to feel. I-

I am tired. I am going home to my bed.

 

[DragonField]

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.

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

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.

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

*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.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 16– Times Are Changing.

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

"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.

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

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.

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"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.

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"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.

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"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.

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"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.

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"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.

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*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.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 17– Times Have Changed.

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*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..."

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 18– Pirates Have Attacked?

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

"...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.

 

[DragonField]

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]

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 20– The Cards We Are Dealt.

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

"Hey, can you please talk to me?" I ignore those annoying words with ease, instead burying my head in my hands. I feel like pulling the hair out of my head with how frustrated I am, feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place, except there are pitchforks lacing either side.

The memory is pitch clear in my mind. I can remember with crystal clear clarity the moment the idiot that was my previous self picked such a dumb option. And I was stuck with such a shitty condition, one that had a one in a billion chance of actually taking effect since I would have to come in contact with the single female on the entire planet that I would imprint on, and it happened right on the island where I was born. So my luck is pure dogshit. Even if I did have a trait called lucky, it has been bloody nerfed since this occurred.

I recall the exact wording that showed up on the blue screen all that time ago, word for word, exactly as it was delivered.

[Condition Selected. Condition Is Imprinted

Imprinted:

A female in your new world will be chosen upon your birth, and they will be selected as the person you imprint on; of course, you can go your whole life without meeting them, or they can die before you meet them, which will nullify the condition. You can't control when it happens or to who, and it can happen at any age. Imprinting on someone means when you see her, everything will change; you will listen to her every word and not be able to refuse her regardless of how you feel on the inside. You will not be able to harm her, you will be a slave to her every command, and there is nothing you can do about it.]

"Hey, can you tell me your name? Why are you here like I am? Can you also draw maps?" Reviewing it, it seems to be a really bad deal that I got dealt. But seeing it in effect now, it could be a lot worse because, thankfully, the result is not as pronounced as it seems to be stated in the text. Especially given how my, whatever she is, has been pestering me about all sorts of stuff since I retreated away from the door and slumped down against one of the walls.

"Can you shut up already?" I say, turning to glare at the little orange scamp who quickly clammers up under my gaze, and tears threaten to pour from her eyes. I immediately feel bad about it, but the girl, Nami, refuses to let her tears spill and sucks them back up, hurriedly moving away to sit in another corner of the room. I know that I am angry at the situation as a whole, the pirates, the condition enforced upon me... George's death. And I am taking it out on her when she didn't ask for any of this, she is just a ten-year-old girl that has just... lost her mother, and I just shouted at her.

Sighing and feeling like a piece of shit, I look over to see her lightly sniffling with arms wrapped around her legs, her head hanging low to cover her face. I forgot in all this that I am not the only one that has been affected because she has lost Bellemere, her mother. She is just as sad, just as angry and just as messed up as me right now. And she was trying to keep a brave face on to distract herself from her pain, and I just demolished her with my ignorant words.

Standing up, I shake myself out of my hazy fugue of self-pity and despair, and I walk over to sit down near her. She lifts her head up slightly, eyeing me with a single red eye before quickly retreating to the safety of her legs. I stay silent for a moment, thinking things over and wondering how to break the ice.

To be honest, the condition isn't as bad as I thought it was. First of all, Nami had been bugging me for a while, constantly asking me questions, and I had completely ignored her. I even shouted at her and told her to shut up, which I wouldn't think would be possible due to the description of the condition. But I can. I don't feel an obligation to be nice to her or to answer her questions. And I think it is because they are questions. After all, if she were to demand answers, then I would have to give them to her.

I think a lot of this will be based on intention and demand. Since Nami was only asking, then it was up to me whether to answer, whereas if she demanded answers, then I would be forced to give them. I also think it depends on how much she cares and is adamant about the things she says, such as when earlier when I was going to leave. I was simply leaving, and she was scared and told me to stay. It hurt, but I could continue to move forward. And then she demanded to know where I was going, and I told her I was going to kill the fishmen pirates, at which point she was staunch on not letting me leave, and I couldn't.

Essentially this condition can be boiled down to three simple things. First, the things Nami adamantly demands, I can't refuse. Second, I can't hurt her physically, and I assume I will have to protect her from harm. We will wait and see. Finally, I can resist her words depending on how much she wishes to enforce her terms, and it will hurt the more I go against her wishes, but I can.

All in all, not terrible. I can live with this. Still, I am pissed at my past self, he was an asshole, or rather I was. He had picked the traits I have, which I describe as video game traits for some stupid reason, but they are part of who I am. I was born like that. But then I realised he realised there was no point to any of it if he didn't keep his memories when starting a new life, so he selfishly rolled the wheel of conditions, wanting to take a chance to live a new life.

Past me had two options, either deny the wheel of conditions and have his soul move on without his memories, which wouldn't really be him. Or roll the wheel of conditions and get stuck with a condition but keep his memories without the emotions or attachments, a chance that he would somehow remain and experience the next world. Confronted with these two options, he naturally chose the latter, the one that had a chance of him surviving in some form. And it worked, but not exactly.

It didn't work out like he had planned because all the attachment and emotion were censored from those memories. And while I had those memories, all it really was was knowledge. I remember that life and all the things in it, but I feel no attachment or anything to it. It is merely my past life memories, something that can aid me but not something that defines me.

Thankfully, the drawback is not proving to be that bad at the moment since I can resist the things Nami says but doesn't really mean or care about. The only reason I am severely hating this right now is that I want nothing more than to go out there and chop off all the heads of those fishmen pirate bastards out there and chuck them back into the sea where they should have stayed. However, the only thing Nami is adamant about right now is me not doing that because she thinks I will die, and she doesn't want anyone else to perish.

A nice thought, but ultimately it is stifling me and preventing me from avenging my best friend. But another thing to consider here is that the person I am forced to listen to is currently a vulnerable little ten-year-old girl that has just lost her mother and is being held captive by pirates. It might make me seem like a scum, but she has no one right now, and I am here. So I should take advantage of that and become the dominant one here so I can manipulate her into not forcing her will onto me later down the line.

But this is just as much for her sake as it is for mine. I need to get her on my side. If I can become the dominant one here, and take control, then I can get her to defer to me, and she will not be so adamant about telling me what to do and stuff. Then I can go and take out all of the pirates, freeing the island and herself, so in the end, my being a bastard will benefit her. The only question is, how am I going to do this.

I am not the most social of creatures, what with me living pretty isolated on a beach far from the village. I only really talked to people when I went there for work and never to anyone younger than me. I am used to talking to mature people, people older than me who know what they are doing and have their lives somewhat figured out. However, I have no clue how to talk to a child, especially one that is grieving so much. This could quickly go wrong and end up with her hating me, which would be very bad for my future as she would have some control over it.

"Amarillo Detoro..." I say, answering one of the questions she had been asking me before I stupidly told her to shut up. The words hang in the air for a moment, permeating through the silence, and I see her tilt her head out of the corner of my eye, revealing a single brown pupil that stares at me.

"That's my name, Amarillo Detoro. As for the other stuff you were asking me about, I am not here because I can draw maps like you apparently can. They took me because I am a good builder, a craftsman." I answered her other questions from earlier, well, the only ones I can remember since she asked quite a few while I was freaking out. Apparently, this girl was taken because she can draw maps? I was taken because they saw the house that I had worked on for the last four years, so I wondered how impressive this girl's maps must be for them to also take her.

"...A craftsman?" She says, her head perking up from her hidey-hole. A promising sign, the more I draw her into the conversation, the more she gets to know me and I her.

"Hmm. I am good at building things, mainly out of wood, but I can work with metals and other materials. The fishmen pirates saw the house I had built, and they took me. They want to use my skills like I assume they want to use your map-building skills." I try to relate to her, as well as drop some inkling of my skills and reliability. I built an entire house, after all, that should instil some merit in her eyes. If she can trust me and find me reliable, then maybe she will no longer try to stop me from going and getting vengeance.

"You built an entire house? Why? You are just a kid like me. Didn't your parents help you?" She says, her head entirely retreating from her knees and looking towards me. I stop staring straight ahead and turn to look at her as well. Her eyes are still red, but there are no more tears, just some light sniffling.

"I don't have any parents. I am an orphan that lived at the orphanage, but apparently, I was too rowdy, and the other kids didn't like me and were scared of me for some reason. So Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee moved me to a beach, where there was a little shack for me to live in. Over the last four years, I had transformed that small shack and expanded it massively into a full home with all sorts of functions." I reveal, pulling Nami even more out of her shell. The frown on her face slowly lightens as she seems to realise something, recognition blooming on her face.

"Oh, I know those two. They came over sometimes to check on me and Nojiko, my sister... So you built an entire house? It must have been a lot of work to do all that building, way more than just drawing some maps." She says, a bit depressed at the end there, reminded of her situation. I am a bit surprised that she knows Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee, which must mean there were some other factors regarding her household affairs if those two were visiting.

"It was a lot of work, but I had my best friend to help me with it. He did a lot of the heavy lifting since he was so big and strong." Honestly, I don't think my house would be anywhere close to complete if George didn't help me build it. Of course, George didn't even really make anything, but his job was still important, lifting, carrying and handing me things as well as holding things in place so I could secure them. I didn't realise it at the time, but that lazy gorilla would always help me if I asked.

"Best friend? I don't really have one, though I would say my sister Nojiko is my best friend. So what is your best friend like? Where is he?" She questions, trying to distract herself from her own pain and, in the process pulling mine out from where I was trying to forget it.

"George... he died... The fishmen killed him..." I say, the words leaving my mouth with difficulty. Nami doesn't say anything after that, leaving us to stew in the deathly silence, which is even worse. Saying it out loud, telling someone, somehow makes it feel even worse. Before, it was as if it wasn't real because I hadn't talked about it or spoken about it, but now someone other than me knows, and Nami now knows. I can't explain it, but it hurts even more now for some reason.

"...just like Bellemere." I hear her finally say, and I look up to find her staring at me. But she isn't crying or looking like she is pitying me. Instead, there is a look of understanding, not as if she knows the pain I am feeling but as if she knows that I am in pain. Because she is too, probably much more than me, since she lost her mother, and she has never been independent before. I am not lost. I can survive. I don't have any of those doubts and worries, but she is probably full of them, and here she is, locked away in a dingy room, stuck with me.

"That is right. Just like they killed your mother, they killed my best friend. I have no one else now. So, I want to go out a kill them all. Even if they are too strong, even if I am so weak that I can't kill a single one. At least I can injure one of them, making it easier on the rest of the villagers on the island. So let me go. I have no one else waiting for me. I have nothing to lose. So at least let me try to avenge my best friend." Seeing the opportunity presented to me, I strike, trying to convince her to let me go and take them out. A bit hasty, but the desire to get my revenge burns inside me. I can't wait.

"No." I look at her, shocked, unable to understand why she is refusing me. Her face, still red from crying, is staunch. Her expression is unrelenting. She is resolved to not let me do what I want, to not let me get revenge for George, for her mother.

"No..? WHY!? AREN'T YOU ANGRY!? AREN'T YOU PISSED OFF!? THEY KILLED YOUR MOTHER!! THEY KILLED BELLEMERE!! THEY COULD KILL ANYONE NEXT!! EVEN YOUR SISTER!! DON'T YOU WANT REVENGE!! DON'T YOU WANT THEM TO DIE!!!" I shouted, losing control of myself the second she refused me. A simple no from her, and I have to follow it. I just don't understand. Why isn't she letting me? Why doesn't she want me to kill them?

"Of course I want them to die... I hate them. But they are too strong. You won't be able to kill them all. And even if you do manage to injure one, or maybe even kill one of them, all you will do is make the rest angry, and they will take it out on the villagers. So don't throw your life away just so you can hurt one of them. Stay alive. No one else needs to die. No one else needs to suffer." So Nami says, surprising me that she is just as angry as me, and yet she won't let me go, even though she understands how I feel.

"Then what am I supposed to do? What are the villagers supposed to do? Do we just wait around forever, hoping for something to change? For the nearby marines to come to rescue us? Because I have met the leader of that branch, and he is a coward that cares more about himself than the people here. He won't come to rescue us, so we have to deal with this ourselves. I am strong. I can beat them. A bigshot marine from the Grandline came here and trained me for a couple of months four years ago. I can do it." I won't be able to take them all on at once. I don't have enough experience for that. But one by one, using sneak attacks and planning each one out down to the point? I can defeat them all.

"You are just a kid, like me. If you try to fight them, you will die. But I can free everyone. Arlong made a deal with me, and if I can fulfil it, then he and his crew will leave. If I can gather one hundred million berries and give it to Arlong, then he will leave." She says, frustrating me even more.

"And you believe him? That he will just leave like that?" That is absurd. There is no way he would just leave. This entire village is a goldmine for him, with income every month with no work under the threat of death. There is no way Arlong will give this up. And one hundred million berries? There is no way she will gather that much. It is an impossible figure to attain. However, Arlong clearly want her for her map drawing abilities for some reason, and to that effect, he has given her hope, so she will work for him.

"What other choice is there? This way, everyone gets to live. While I am working on getting all that money, they will be fine. Maybe someone will come to free the island while I am trying, which would be great." Is she serious? And that is when I realise me and her are different because she is a legitimate ten-year-old. She wants to believe in this, that she can free everyone, and she won't believe otherwise. I can see it in her eyes. No matter what I say, she won't listen. Only when she has definitive proof in front of her will she accept that.

"He is a pirate. There is no way he will abide by that agreement. So just let me go and kick all their asses, and solve this now. There is no point in waiting. Even if you gather all the money, he will just take it and keep ruling this island. You know that, right?" Even so, I try to tell her. Try to convince her and show her reality, but it doesn't seem to work.

"But I have to try. If there is a way for us to be free without any of the villagers having to die for it. Then no matter how tiny, I have to try. We have to try. And if the day comes when he doesn't do what he agreed to, then... you can do whatever you like. You said you are strong, right? So while I am trying to get one hundred million berries, you could maybe keep getting stronger. So if that ever happens, you can try to kill them." That is... something. Honestly, it is the best I can hope for because I am not convincing her otherwise. She is seriously stubborn, just like that mother of hers.

But gathering all that money is going to take years, maybe even decades. And I need Nami to collect all that money as soon as possible, so then Arlong can betray their deal, and I get free range to kill all of the bastards. The only way I can think for her to get that much is for her to resort to piracy and stealing because there is no other way to get that money so fast. So I am going to help her gather that money as soon as possible so that she can get her hope crushed quicker and free me from this restraint.

"Alright, fine, if that is what you want. But collecting all that money by yourself is going to take too long, so I will help you with it. Hell, we can even get some of the villagers to help as well. With all of us collecting as much as we can, we should be able to raise the full amount much faster." And then Arlong can refuse to abide by the terms of the agreement, and Nami will be shattered. Unfortunate, but what other option do I have? Nami needs to have her hopes destroyed so that she will no longer restrict me and allow me to avenge George, as well as Bellemere.

"We can't. The villagers will already be using their money to pay Arlong. We can't take more from them. They might need it in the future. Arlong already said that I don't need to pay the tax because I will be working for him, so you probably won't have to, too, so you can help me." I know that it would have been tough on the villagers, but if they contributed at least something, then the faster this process could go. I am still trying to figure out how to raise that much money. I certainly can't do it on this island, and I am curious if Arlong will even let us leave the Conami Islands.

"Whatever, there is no point discussing this now. I am going to go, and I promise I won't try to fight, not until you have tried your plan. Is that okay with you?" I phrase the last part sarcastically, but it is a genuine question. Because right now, I am still under her orders to stay here, but as I get up and begin to walk towards the door, I feel no such restraint anymore. Without her having to say anything, I can already feel that I can leave, which is good? It shows that I don't have to obey any verbal commands to the letter, and an order can stay or go depending on how she feels... I think.

"A-Are we allowed to leave? Won't they be angry?" Nami questions behind me, trepidation in her voice, but I can hear her footsteps as she follows me. Good, seems like she is latching on to me, which means I can try to regulate her commands. But, of course, if I am in a higher position than her, then she wouldn't give me orders, would she?

"Let's find out." Of course, some might argue that it is terrible, that I should keep my distance, and I would want that too. But I have already met her, and we are both going to be forced to work for Arlong. And she has already declared that I can not attack or kill the fishmen, which means we will be stuck together. So it is best to undercut this thing now and get ahead of it, then try to ignore it and have it come back to bite me later on.

Approaching the front door, I go to grab the handle, but I still when I hear voices outside, and I quickly turn to Nami and bring a finger to my mouth, gesturing for her to be quiet. Thankfully she is quite an intelligent girl, and she listens to my order, letting me listen to the other side of the door. Since I can't attack these guys now, the best thing I can do is gather information in preparation for the day when I finally can. People reveal much more when they don't think you are listening and when they feel they are in a safe space with no one around. So, pressing my ear against the door, I begin to try and listen for anything important.

"What is Arlong-San thinking? We should have killed him. Did you see what he did?" Hmm, they are talking about Arlong sparing someone, and they think he should have killed them. Who could they be talking about?

"Arlong says to keep him alive, so that's what we will do. Arlong knows what he is doing. So let's trust him." Hmm, these guys seem to have heavy loyalty to their captain.

"I know, I know. But- It was all of us, every single one of us. Only the captain was unaffected. I just can't help but feel this could come back to bite us later if we don't deal with it now." So they were all affected by something, and only Arlong wasn't? I wonder what happened, who on this island did it, and what they did.

"Shh, shut up about it. The captain has already decided, so what else is there to say." At his words, they both quiet down, neither speaking further about the topic. Intrigued, I want to learn more, but they start talking about unimportant things, so I decide to leave. I have something to do, and I can't leave it any longer.

Opening the door, the two fishermen pirates spin around to look at me, hands quickly going to rest on the handles of their weapons as they look at me with caution. Strange, but I ignore it. I don't have time to waste on these guys.

"You guys have already taken over the island, right? So there is nowhere for us to go for help, so can we go? It isn't like we can run away." I raise an eyebrow at them, inquiring because I don't want to provoke or start a fight with any of them. Right now, I am forbidden from fighting with them, so if they begin to attack me, I have no idea if I will be allowed to defend myself. So I don't want to risk it.

They both turn to look at each other before looking back down at me, their grasp on their weapons tightening before they simply give me a nod and move to the side, giving me way. I start to walk past them, Nami quickly following behind me.

I notice that they never take their eyes off me as I move away, and their hands stay tightly on their weapons. Very strange, these guys were so rough and loud on the beach, and they definitely don't like humans. But they just let me go without saying a word, not even swearing at me when they seem to hate humans.

Very weird, but I don't have time to dwell on it any further. I have to go deal with... Shaking my head, I quicken my pace, Nami scurrying along behind me.

 

[DragonField]

Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don't own it.

Chapter 21– Rest.

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Walking through the streets, I don't really recognise anything around here. The style of the buildings is familiar, but I have no recollection of this location at all, and I know for a fact that I have not left the island. Of course, I don't recognise it anyway either, but perhaps that is because there is hardly anybody out on the streets. I can see the occasional eye peeking out through the curtains through their windows, everybody too scared to leave their homes now that the Conami Islands are under new management, for however long that remains to be the case.

"Um, where are we going, Detoro-Kun?" I hear Nami ask from behind me, still following me along. Honestly, I thought when we were out of that stupid shack, she would quickly run back home to her sister, so I don't know why she is still trailing behind me. Maybe, because her home is the same place her mother just died, just like my home is where George just died.

"I am going home. I have something to do there." I say, keeping my tone neutral. There is no point in isolating her and making her my enemy by being aggressive, it isn't even her fault after all, and she doesn't even know about the hold that she has over me, and I am going to keep it that way. But I also can't be so friendly that she starts to follow me around for the rest of her life, which would seriously hamper mine. And if it does turn out that our paths going forward are going to be majorly intertwined, then like I said before, I am going to make sure that I am higher up the hierarchy so that she won't give me orders, ever.

"Oh... Which village, then? This is Cocoyasi Village, my village." Hmm, good to know. I never really ventured to explore the rest of the Conami Islands because I had no need to. I had everything I needed right there on my beach or close by at Shokuyasi Village. However, the thought of the village fills me with dread at what could have happened to it while I was out of action. I know that everyone has enough money to pay for themselves, so they should be safe on that front, but there are a few volatile and aggressive characters as well. I hope Bob just paid up and didn't try to resist, for his sake.

"Shokuyasi Village," I answer, but I don't change my direction. I might not have known where I was, but I know where I am going. I am not an idiot. I have been alive and left to my own devices long enough to figure out enough crap for myself, and knowing where the sun rises and sets and, in turn, the four directions are easy. So given the position of the sun, I was already on my way home, and then after that, I would check out Shokuyasi Village. I am worried about the village, but I have to go home first. I don't know how long I have left before things go... stale, and I have already been out for at least a day.

Feeling the urgency, I start to speed up, building myself up to transfer from my walk into a slow jog and, from there, ramp up till I am sprinting home. Weighed down by everything that has happened and that I have been hit by, I find it hard to work up the energy, but I slowly do so, dredging it up from the depths of my being since I don't have time to get weighed down by all the bullshit.

"H-Hey, wait! Let me come with you!" I heard a desperate voice call out in the distance behind me just before I seriously sped up and left her in my dust. Hearing her voice, my body starts to slow down. She has just lost her mother, and she doesn't know where her sister is, and she doesn't want to go home to her mother's site of death either, so she is latching onto me. But I am not stopping, and I don't intend to bring her with me, so I keep moving forward. But I am so slow now that I can hear her behind me, maintaining the distance between us, and I am unbelievably frustrated since I don't have time to waste here.

Stopping, I turn around and hurry back towards her, but she doesn't see me on account of her running for her life, her head down and seriously out of breath as she tries to keep up with me. She lets out a startled shriek of surprise when I reach her and grab her under the armpits and throw her up into the air before quickly turning around and catching her behind my back. With Nami now piggybacking on me, I will no longer have to slow down in the least as she will be with me, which is why I immediately sprint off at full speed before she even knows what's happening. And if she starts to scream and cry because of the intense speed I am travelling at, well... she shouldn't have forced me to take her with me then.

Tuning out her screams and cries, which are surprisingly now forcing an effect on me, I focus on sprinting as fast as I can, wanting to get home before she regains her wits enough to tell me to slow down. I also push the thought of what is waiting there for me out of my mind, knowing that I need to go there before the situation deteriorates too much.

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Now with my feet on familiar ground, I begin to slow down, my feet not willing to listen to my brain as they automatically slow as we near our destination. The trepidation I was ignoring so well starts to swell back up inside my heart, and this nauseous feeling starts to bludgeon inside my gut. My legs want more than anything to stop, to keep from arriving at my home, but I force them on anyway. I am determined to not be the sort of man that runs away because then I would be running away forever. I need to face this and deal with it. Otherwise, I will never best any of the future challenges to come my way.

Now just walking, I continue down the path, the trees becoming sparse as I move onward. The only sound accompanying my feet hitting the ground is the panting of Nami as she rests listlessly on my back. Even though she didn't exert herself in the least, she was out of breath and dazed from the whirlwind tour through the scenery of the Conami Islands I just took her on. Which I prefer because I would rather not deal with her questions or voice right now.

The dirt path transforms into sand with a stone path laid out in front of me as the trees disappear, and I am shown the full sight of my home, surprisingly the same as I left it. But down by the shore, just out of reach of the encroaching waves, is the body... is George. In two separate pieces...

Turning my upper body around, I grab hold of Nami, who doesn't put up a fuss or raise a commotion since she is so tired. I turn around and walk to the closest tree and place her down on the ground so that she is resting against it. She looks up at me but is too busy coming down from the high of my sprint that she can't say anything, and she is too lethargic to move.

Leaving her there, I walk down to the beach, my feet sinking into the sand just like how my heart is sinking into my stomach. Then, finally, I come to a stop before the motionless body of George, my sandals now resting on dry red sand. On the ground, not far away, is his unattached head. The only thing I can find in this to take respite in is that his head is facing away from me because I don't think I could face looking at his unmoving face.

Quickly looking away, I walk towards my shed, wasting no time on the door and kicking it open, uncaring about the damage. Walking in, I walk to the section where I keep my tools and pick up my shovel, which used to be just for digging up paths or terrain that was in my way, but now it will be used to dig a grave. Then, walking back out with the shovel in hand, I look out at the sea, trying to calm my beating heart, the thrums with malevolence. I stifle it for the moment so I can focus on the task at hand, but it remains there, just beneath the surface, waiting to erupt once more.

Turning my eyes away from the sea, I can see a bunch of debris washed up onto the shore, and it takes a moment for me to connect the pieces of wood littering the beach with my boat that was destroyed. Another emotion rises in my heart, one that I am unfamiliar with, but I know that it is painful to feel. Ignoring it, I spot a particularly big piece of wood laid out on the beach, relatively intact, and so I go and grab hold of it and take it over towards George, resting it on the sand beside his body.

Picking up my shovel, I go to the other side of George's body and aim for my shovel so that I can move the body onto the wooden panel. But I can't do it, somehow using the shovel to move him, to shovel him away like he is dirt, feels wrong. And so I place it down and move back to the other side of his body and grab ahold of his hand to pull him onto the wood. But again, my heart drops, and I feel as if a chunk of my soul is ripped out as my fingers touch against his cold, stale, lifeless hands.

The tears come unbidden, leaking uncontrollably from my eyes. I try scrunching up my face to deny them their leave, but I can do nothing to stop the stream from pouring out. The most I can do is force my mouth closed, biting viciously on my lips to keep the noise from escaping me. I try to carry on through the anguish, to push it to one side and focus.

I grip George's hand tightly, ignoring how it is hardly affected by my grip, and my other hand quickly grabs it as well. Then, denying everything else I am feeling, I start to pull, moving backwards as I do so, my eyes shut closed. I do not want to subject myself to the sight, but also not wanting to look at the rest of his body, at the place where his head no longer is. I don't want to see it. I don't want to see the disconnect. The exact spot where it separated...

I move backwards, my feet scraping across the red sand and George's body digging a groove into the red sand. It is hard and slow going, but not because it is physically demanding. I might not have trained religiously these past few years, too busy with my numerous jobs and building our home, but I did my fair share. I should be able to easily move his body. I had lifted and moved boulders the size of a horse. This should have been easy, and yet it was taking every ounce of m willpower to move it the slightest-

I lose my footing and almost fall back, saving myself with a quick foot back to steady myself. The weight that felt near impossible to move before suddenly lightened, and I nearly tripped up because of it and lay down in the red- in the bloody sand. My eyes open, and I look around for whatever was the cause, and to my left is surprisingly Nami.

I look on, shocked at her grabbing hold of George's leg and pulling on it with all her might, which doesn't have much of an effect now that the driving force I was providing has vanished. Seeing that her actions were now futile, she looked up to see what had changed and found me looking at her with a no-doubt ugly look on my face because of all the fluid and my scrunched-up face.

"N-Nami..? W-What are you doing?" I questioned, surprised to see the tiny little girl that was just resting listlessly against a tree now beside me, trying to help me move George's body onto the wooden panel. I remain there, holding George's hand and looking at her, confused.

"This is your friend, isn't it? George. I am helping you with him, but I can't do it alone, so help me." With my concentration in such a lapse, my body starts to automatically follow her orders, even with it being such a weak command without much force in her voice. I am so distraught right now that it is actually affecting me.

And I am letting it. I know I resolved myself to never give in to it and to never let it get the better of me, but I think I should be allowed this one concession. With everything that has happened, George dying, me finding the person I have no choice to obey, being forced to not get my revenge immediately and having to follow her orders.

And now, burying my best friend is arguably the most challenging thing, so I don't care what anybody would think of me, but I am going to allow this because I see no other way to bury my best friend. He deserves to have a grave and be put to rest and not left here to decay and be devoured by other animals. He was more than just an animal, so I would allow this control. Otherwise, I would be here forever, trying to bring myself to lay my friend to rest.

My body moves to the best of its ability and starts to move George with no fuss or complaint. However, the key word in that order was to help Nami, so my body moves at her pace, and we work together to move the body, though I am doing all the lifting. I try to avoid the actions of my body by focusing on something else, and so I try talking to Nami.

"W-what about your mother? D-Doesn't Bellemere-San also need to be... put to rest?" I question, looking over at Nami instead of the body that we are moving. Also, she is helping me with this out of her own will. There was no influence, gain or advantage to her actions. She saw me struggling and immediately came to help me, a kind act that made me see the silver lining that my new commander could have been a lot worse and cruel, but this girl wouldn't do anything horrible. At the very least, I should try to help her with the burial of her own mother.

"I- Nojiko will... Genzo-San is also there, and he is a good guy. He will take care of it along with the others, but there is no one here to help you except me. So we have to stick together and look out for each other now. We are stuck under the Arlong pirates for now." She explains as we finish moving the body, at which point I turn to the most dreaded part. The head...

Nami got up and looked around for a moment. No doubt she had already spotted the head before she started to help me, so she didn't have an adverse reaction. But she seems to be looking for something else, which she finds as she quickly runs off and picks something up in the distance before coming back to me.

I recognise what is in her hands, as it used to belong to me. It was one of the sacks I was going to take with me on my journey before Arlong destroyed my boat, except now the string is loose at the top, and everything that was inside it has disappeared, no doubt floating somewhere in the ocean. I look at her in question, at which point she starts to look at something behind me nervously.

"I-Its for the head..." She says, leaving me speechless. I merely look at her with a blank look on my face before turning my gaze downwards to the empty sack. I don't know how long I just stared at it with no thoughts running through my head. It was as if I had been put on pause because I had just stopped functioning at the sight of the sack, which reminded me of my friend's beheading and which would hold his head.

"I-I can do it. I- I will take care of it." Nami quickly says when I don't respond, and she hesitantly turns and goes towards the head resting on the circular pile of sand dyed red with dry blood. I watch her go slowly, cautiously. She clearly doesn't want to do it, but she is forcing herself to, for my sake. She just met me, and she is willing to do such a thing, and I am letting her.

"Stop," I say, coming forward to grab her by the shoulder and spin her around. She looks at me, her face wavering on the edge of breaking, tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. She clearly didn't want to do it, I don't think anyone would, but she was willing. I grab the sack from her hands and rip it free, taking it for myself.

"I will do it myself. He was my best friend. I should take care of him now. I need to take care of him now." Left unsaid is the fact that I couldn't force a little girl to do such a thing. I had already let her help me with the body. A fact I kind of hate myself for now, but I was in a different head space, and I didn't realise it. I can't let her take care of the head. That would just be too cruel.

Nami nods her head at me, obviously relieved to be relieved of this duty, and so I move forward towards the head. I hurry along, wanting to do this quickly and not spend any more time than necessary on it. On the other hand, I don't want to think about it, either.

I make sure to approach it so that it is facing away from me, and I kneel behind it, opening the sack wide and placing it on the ground before me. I take a quick look and memorise the positioning before I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm my nerves. Then I reach out, grabbing the head by the two spots I picked out earlier and quickly pick it up, I hear the sound of something hitting the ground, but I ignore it and focus on placing the head in the sack and then hurriedly grabbed the string at the top and tightened the sack, making sure it was secure.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I open my eyes and see that my actions did indeed result in what I wanted, as the only thing in front of me now is the sack- and something metallic glinting in the sand. Confused, I reach my hand out gingerly to grab at it, making sure not to touch the red sand at all. Pinching the edge of it between my two fingers, I pull it up and get a good look at it, and then I nearly drop it.

I-It's my key. My house key for the front door that I gave to George for safekeeping before I set out on my rowboat. And he stored it... he held it in his mouth, keeping it hidden there for me until I came back to collect it. It must have fallen out when I picked him up... I don't want to think about how it did.

All of a sudden, I can't keep it in anymore, the tears pour forth, and I scream aloud. I let my anguish out, unable to keep it at bay anymore. I roar at the unfairness of it all. George didn't deserve to die. He didn't hurt anyone. He didn't even hurt other animals. Geroge was capable of eating meat, but he stuck to fruit and vegetables. I always asked stuff of him, and he always complied. He always helped me, and all I ever did was let him sleep in my home and treat him like a burden. Even at the end, I gave him a task to keep my key, and he came out to defend me and save me from Arlong.

Even after he died, he was still helping me. Even dead, he kept my key safe for me until I came back to take it. If he had never left Troga, he would still be alive, and I regret that I brought him from there only to die here. But to be honest, I am still happy I did so, even if this is how it ended, because we had a great time together and looked out for each other when we had no one else. So now it is my time to look after him in death, just like he looked after me in life.

Standing up, I gently lift the sack and move back towards the board. No longer conflicted or hesitant. I am going to lay my friend to rest. And then, to make sure he rests easy in the grave, I will make sure Arlong and all the other pirates stop cursing this earth with every breath they take.

I am not content to wait. First, I will have to convince Nami, but that shouldn't be too hard. She will soon see that the only way for us all to be free and to avenge George and Bellemere-San is for us to take it with our own hands.

I place the sack on the board and then pick up the shovel and place that on it too. I look down at the key in my hand before placing that on the board as well. George did his job, he gave me the key back, and now I am giving it to him. I will place it with him in his grave, so he can protect this key forever.

I then grab ahold of the board and prepare to drag it into the forest when I look up to see Nami holding the other end and giving me a firm nod.

Even in this grim situation, I manage a smile, though fleeting, before hefting the board up and moving towards the forest.

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Moving back through the forest, holding just my shovel, I spare a glance at Nami, who is walking beside me, before quickly looking away. I definitely have conflicting thoughts about this girl now, but that doesn't change the facts, and what has to be done still needs to be done. With George now buried, I have to focus on getting Arlong now.

Walking back into the clearing where my house is, I turn to thank Nami for her help, but I am interrupted before I can do so. I look on enraged as the front door of my house is kicked open, and Arlong and some of his crew leave my house laughing and joking, not at all concerned that they had intruded open my home.

"Oh, Nami! Other Brat! Haha, I gave this house of yours a look over, and it is pretty nice. But, unfortunately, it is in the way of my new Arlong Park. Kuroobi." Arlong says, spotting myself and Nami and acting casually with us as if we were nothing. And then he commands one of the other fishmen, one called Kuroobi, who gives a firm nod and turns around to face my home, and then he...

*BOOM!*

... He flipped my house.

The house I built with George, which we both struggled with and spent many hours over. Sweat and toil went into it, and it was just completely flipped on its head and destroyed.

"AAAARGGGH!" I charge at Arlong, wielding the shovel in my head, wanting to use it to beat the shit out of them.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 22– Rage.

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

"AAAARGGGH!" I roar, rushing forward, raising the shovel high above my head and belting ahead to bury it in the saw-nosed fuckers stupid head. I am not stopped, there is no command to impede my actions, and there are no restrictions on me at this moment keeping me at bay. I rushed forward without even a halt in my step when by all rights, the commands of Nami given earlier should have stopped me as I brought my foot forward for the first time.

A saner person would probably have thought about this, contemplated it, and sought out the meaning behind it and why the commands were suddenly lifted. But I don't claim to be sane. I never have done it, and I certainly will not in future because I don't give a shit about any of that at this moment, and all I care about is turning this long-nosed fucker in front of me into sashimi.

I am so filled with this raw hatred that I even contemplate just subduing him and then cooking his friends and eating them in front of him. Would that even be classed as cannibalism since they are technically a different species altogether, even if they are sentient? Just one of the many ludicrous thoughts that ran through my head during my sudden bought of insanity induced by the fact I had just buried my best friend in two separate pieces. Then his murderers just destroyed our home and the only place I had memories together with him.

"DIEEE!" I scream as I suddenly appear in front of Arlong, drawing surprised gasps from his surrounding crew, and then I cleave my makeshift weapon down to his head, edge first to split him in two. As an arrogant guy like Arlong and someone from the Grandline who is bound to be strong, I fully expected him to try to block or even capture my weapon. I would not even be surprised if I was suddenly blown away, having underestimated him. But none of those things happens.

Instead, Arlong acts with surprising caution and sidesteps my clumsy attack, my shovel barreling past him and plunging into the sand, kicking up a storm that surrounds us. I don't question why he is so wary of me and even why he seems to be not underestimating me like he did previously when we first met. Instead, all I am thinking about is my next move. And so I pull and heave my shovel outwards, only to hear a large crack and for the handle to be lifted up without the shovel attachment on the end. Uncaring, I swipe it to the side where Arlong had dodged, blowing away the sand in the air only to reveal nothing at my immediate side where I thought my enemy to be.

In my fugue, after seeing my enemy not being where I expected him to be and only wanting to batter his face in, I spin around, expecting him to be on my other side and trying to attack. Still, when I swing the broken handle in that direction, there is no one there either, but this time I do not have the time to move on to my following action as that choice is quickly taken away from me as I feel a hand grasp the top of my head.

And then I am driven face first into the sand, my whole head being forced into it and then sunken so that my head was implanted straight down, the rest of my body then being pulled taut by the sudden pain and attack from nowhere, resulting in my body becoming rigid and unflexible as my feet point upwards towards the sky, my body staying in that position for a few moments.

And then the massive sharp-fingered hand releases my head, and I collapse like a puppet that has had its strings cut. A loud vibrating ringing resounded on the inside of my skull and disorientated me, not allowing me to continue with my former course of action and instead forcing me to bring a stop to all of my movement, my body merely twitching when I tried directing it to carry on.

I lay there, my head buried in the sand and finding it hard to breathe. But even with my ears blocked, I can still hear the mocking laughter surrounding me. My head still ringing and pounding, I try to move so I can get back up, but my body refuses to listen to my commands no matter how much I try to force it to.

I try, and I try, but nothing comes of my efforts. I don't know how long I try for, but eventually, I am able to use my limbs once more, and so I don't waste a second and move my hands to push against the ground. But before I can push my head out of its sand tomb, I feel that giant rough hand on my body once again, grasping one of my legs and then pulling me up by it like a fucking chicken.

The sudden rush of sand against my face and the whoosh of air as I am pulled up, disorientates me further, and I find myself dazed and unable to react to the sudden change in my circumstances. And finally, when my mind manages to reorientate itself, I can see the grinning, sharp-toothed smile of Arlong looking at me upside down. Immediately my foot lashes out, trying to kick him in his smug face, but my attempt proves to be futile as my foot comes nowhere near him.

His mocking cackles remind me of the fact that there is a severe height difference in our frames, and our body types are widely different, along with him being fully grown and myself being a child. He is holding me at arm's length, and his arms are way too long. My leg doesn't even reach far enough to surpass his elbow. Realising I won't be able to smash his face in held tightly in his grip like this, I start to twist and turn, but my efforts to free myself result in minimal results. His fingers dig painfully into the skin around my ankle, and my movements exacerbate the pain, but I don't let that stop me.

"Shahahaha! Stop struggling, you little shit! A pitiful human like you could never escape my grip. Though I have to admit, you are a bit more durable than the other pissants in your species. But that doesn't mean anything when you are still just as stupid. SHAHAHAH!" As I struggle, I try to contemplate what has just happened and how I was struck down so suddenly without any sort of warning. And then I realised what he meant by me being stupid because I actually am.

I ran straight at him very aggressively, with no plan in mind other than to attack him straight up. However, my movement was very telegraphed, and it was very obvious just how I would strike at him, not to mention the fact that I screamed die at him. I might be strong and fast, relatively at least, but I don't have any technique or experience, which this guy clearly does, and he evaded me and counterattacked without difficulty. He had jumped straight up, high into the air, and while I looked around like an idiot, he had come straight back down and used the gravity to accentuate his attack and take me out in one palm straight to the top of my head.

Shaking my head, I ignore my flaws and try and focus on the here and now. And while my legs might not be long enough to kick his teeth in, they are easily capable of reaching other parts of him. Lashing out again, my free leg smashes into the forearm of the arm that is holding me at a distance. My shin impacting against his rough blue skin sends my bones shaking, but I know from just how deep I dug in that it definitely hurt him as well, but he shows none of that on his face.

Arlong snarls and tightens his grip on my leg, almost painfully wrenching it in two but not quite. I freeze up from the sudden pain, and using that time, Arlongs other hand whips out to grasp the leg that I had just damaged him with and ensnares it in his tight grasp before shoving it towards my other leg and then using a single hand to grab both of my legs leaving only my hands free. Still, they are incapable of doing anything but wave in the air right now due to the distance between us.

Before I even have the chance to panic and figure out how to free myself, a strong fist suddenly embeds itself in my stomach, twisting my guts around the bludgeoning hand driving into me. My mouth widens into a soundless scream, voice and air being cut off inside me, and all I manage to get out is some spittle from the force pounding into me.

"D-Detoro-Kun!" I vaguely hear someone shout, but I don't have time to focus on that. The blood is rushing to my head, the oxygen in my body has been cut off, and I am starting to black out. The combination of these two things proved too much for me. Trying to work through the pain, I begin to take deep, slow breaths, trying to regulate the oxygen within me and stabilise myself.

"Oh, Nami. Is that this brat's name? Shahaha! Look at him, his head is turning all red, and he sounds like he is dying. I guess I should let him down since he still needs to be alive to help make our new home." My body is suddenly in free fall, having been released. Thankfully when I landed painfully back on the ground, it was on my back, the distance was not that much, and I could still breathe. I ignore the conversation that is going on around me in favour of taking care of myself.

When I finally tuned back into reality, my anger has diminished, and I no longer find myself uncontrollably angry and wanting to pulverise them. Or rather, while it is muted now, and I still do feel those things, my body refuses to move to act on those impulses. Looking around, I can see the surrounding fishermen, except Arlong, looking at me in caution. At the same time, the man himself is standing facing my destroyed house and talking with Nami, who is worriedly looking in my direction.

"What do you think, Nami? We can even get you your own room to work in." Arlong is saying something to her, but she is looking back at me and notices that I have refocused. Her gaze then turns stern and warning as she glares at me, though no less worried, warning me not to attack them recklessly and get myself killed. So I guess I know now why I can't attack anymore, and it is because Nami doesn't want me to, and I have to abide by that. Though I wonder how I was even able to rush him in the first place since Nami had already told me not to.

"Hm, oh, the brat is finally back. Shahaha! Amarillo Detoro, you are quite impressive for a human, though that means you are still incredibly weak. It is a good thing that you aren't so fragile since you have a lot of work to do." Arlong says, looking back over his shoulder at me with a vicious grin and a malicious glint in his eyes while Nami's stern gaze wavers as she looks on worriedly. A sinking feeling begins to stir in my gut, and I try to inquire further on the matter, but all I can manage is a questioning grunt, my head still not settled properly though Arlong seems to intuitively understand.

"Shahaha! There is a reason I destroyed your home, I am not a cruel man, after all, and I would not do such a thing for no reason. This will be the ground for our new home, and sadly your home was in the way of my new vision, so it had to be removed." He punctuates his point by lightly kicking a piece of debris which used to be a supporting beam in my house, and sending it flying across the ocean, watching it disappear with glee. And I just look at my home, reminded by his action that my house has been destroyed and once more, that impossibly large rage bubbles forth, ready to spill forth and make itself known, and yet I can not act on it.

"And with it gone, the construction of Arlong Park can begin, the construction you will be in charge of. Before it was destroyed, I looked around your home, and it was quite nice. You did a good job on your own home, but I expect you to do a better one with my own." My rage, unable to be released, starts to fester inside me, but I cannot act on it. This guy destroyed my home and now expects me to be the one to build on top of the remains for his and his crew's new house or park or whatever. And now that Nami's orders are back in effect, I can't act on it anymore, so it is best to try and stifle these feelings now than allow them to start hurting me.

"Shahaha! Aren't we lucky, boys! Not only did we find a single prodigy child, but we found two! One of the little geniuses will draw us a map, and the other will build us a home and then whatever else we need. SHAHAHAHAHAHAH!" He starts to laugh uncontrollably as Nami and I glare daggers at him, which he clearly feels but ignores, not bothering himself with us or our feelings as he already has a hold over us. Myself and probably Nami really hate this man, but that doesn't seem to bother him, and there is no getting out of this.

"W-Wait, it took me four years to build my home, and you want me to build a place big enough for your entire crew. There is no way. You would need materials, money and a lot of labour, more than just myself, to get it done. Oh, and I am not going to fucking do it. So instead, I will figure out a way to pay that fucking tax, so you can go find some other idiots to build your park." I try to quickly debunk what he is asking me to get out of it before I realise I don't need to try and worm my way out of it and can just say straight no. Why should I?

This fucking asshole is going to kill my best friend, destroy my home and take over the entire island and then expect me to happily build on the shattered remains of my home a new building for him and his ilk. Like fuck that is going to happen. I don't care if this mother fucker decides to kick the shit out of me or whatever. I literally have nothing left, and I refuse to bow down before him.

Before, I had my home, and I had George, and that was really all I really had. Sure, I have the villagers and Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee, but they can look over themselves and those people, while friendly, aren't as close. The villagers I know purely through the quantity of time I spend in the village, running into them and talking to them in my jobs and while they are nice they only really bother with themselves and even my bosses, if I don't do a good job, then they wouldn't keep me around.

And Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee, while I appreciate everything they have done for me, they got rid of me at the end of the day. They didn't leave me helpless, but I was kicked out because the other kids disliked me and were scared of me when they were the ones picking fights with me. So they got me a home, but other than that, they got rid of me and kept their distance because I proved to be too much trouble.

And then, when Captain Nezumi came along, and he stopped the little bit of help in the form of money that they were giving me, they just let it happen. The only reason Captain Nezumi was even able to do such a thing was because I no longer lived at the orphanage, so the easy solution would have been to just bring me back in. But they didn't. They let me go with no support to fend for myself. Now admittedly, I can look after myself, but they didn't know that. I was just a child, a capable child, but a child all the same, and they kicked me out because it was easier for them. Right now, at this moment, I don't care about this island. It could go burn for all I care, but there is no way I am listening to this fucker.

"Hoh? You don't want to? Shahaha... You fucking brat! You think-" Arlong starts quite calmly, but I can hear the burning fury building as he talks. His voice was getting more severe as he turned around to pin me with a furious glare, and I was getting the distinct feeling that if I wasn't going to work for him, then I wasn't going to get the chance to pay the taxes. I would end up sleeping with the fi- ew, no. They would probably end up eating me, but I don't give a shit. I refuse to bow down, I have nothing left to lose, and I am sure that Arlong can see that as I glare right back at him as I stand back up on my two feet.

"HE WILL DO IT! SAY YOU WILL DO IT, DETORO! HE WILL DO IT. HE IS JUST UPSET BECAUSE HIS HOUSE IS GONE!!" Before Arlong can get too riled up and before I can say too much, Nami quickly shouts and draws his attention and, in the process, cements a command for me that I have to obey. Nami has given the order, and now I can feel it deep inside that I will have to build this fucking Arlong Park.

"Hm, are you Detoro? Are you going to build my new home on top of this pile of shit you used to call home?" Arlong says, purposely demeaning me and being a prick about it. He is making this incredibly difficult on me, pushing me to the very brink and seeing if I will crack, and I can see that he is finding pleasure in pushing me into this moral quandary. But, unfortunately, the decision is out of my hand, and so I grit my teeth and nod my head in affirmation.

"...Yes. I will do it. But I will need materials and a workforce, and you will have to specify exactly what you want." So I say, going along with the new restriction rather than trying and fighting it only to hurt myself and end up doing it anyway when I can resist no longer. Right now, the only hope I have is that this command will fade eventually, just like the one Nami placed on me not to attack the fishmen that disappeared a few minutes ago, allowing me to attack Arlong before Nami made it again.

I theorise that commands and orders have to have intent and feeling behind them, which could be both a blessing and a curse. For example, she could order me to do something, but if she doesn't actually want me to do it, then the command will not come into play. Also, if she wants me to do something but doesn't correctly tell me, then I don't have to do it. Instead, she has to say it to me for it to come into effect. And also, commands don't have to be rescinded by Nami. They can be lifted and fade on their own, depending on the circumstances.

Just like earlier, the command Nami gave after I woke up and met her in that shack and revealed my intentions to kill them all. She gave it to me, and it was in effect since I couldn't leave the shack if I intended to kill any of them, but for some reason, later on, the command disappeared. Thinking back, it was after burying George and coming back and seeing Arlong order my home's destruction that the restriction was taken off.

My only guess is that after seeing and helping me bury George's body and feeling my hurt, and then seeing their dastardly behaviour in destroying my home, Nami no longer felt that I should not kill them. Instead, she thought that I had every right to, even if it was just for an instance. But an instance was all that was needed for the order to disappear, and she would have to make her intentions known again to have it placed back on me.

"Whatever, go sort it out, brat. Go find some other humans and the materials, and then we will talk. Now leave. The sight of you is bugging me." Arlong says, uncharacteristically not doing his evil laugh and then shooed me away with a hand. I swear, everything this beast does is purposely done to anger me, and for a second, I think I can see a glimpse of a smile on his face when he sees me grit my teeth out of anger.

The bile inside me begins to rise, and I find it unbearable to keep it down, but I am not allowed to attack him. But there is more than one way to relieve yourself of anger, and while violence is almost everybody's go-to, there is always cursing. So I take a deep breath, and my mind quickly starts filtering through all the swears and insults I have in my dictionary to begin insulting the pieces of shit before me and lessen this weight inside of me.

"Stop, please, Detoro. Don't mess it up now. Just wait, and be patient." Nami, seeing that I was about to make a wrong move, quickly stopped me and whispered to me quietly. She grabs my hand and starts to pull me away from the beach, and I have no choice but to follow, but I still stare back, looking at the fishmen with pure vitriol. For some reason, Arlong looks a bit disappointed as we leave with no further words. The sadistic bastard probably enjoys this.

With Nami leading me by the hand, we walk back along the path, and when Arlong and his crew, and more importantly, my home, disappear from view, I finally stop staring backwards, and some of my anger begins to bleed away. I then turn to Nami, not questioning where we are heading since I don't particularly care at this moment and instead look at her questioningly.

"Don't push it and ruin things, Detoro. I know it is hard, I want to smash his face into pieces as well, but we can't. We will just die for no point. We have to be patient, and then soon, this will be solved. People will notice this. Merchants and traffic will stop coming through here, cut off and then the Marines will investigate and come kill these bastards. We just have to be patient." Nami explains quietly, as if afraid that the pirates behind us would still somehow be able to hear us. This is actually viable since some fish have echolocation and stuff, so maybe they could.

"What happened to getting one hundred million berries and buying the island back? You changed your tune, didn't you?" I say because her plan before was just to gather that money no matter how many years it would take. And now, suddenly, she has realised that is a dumb, stupid plan and reverted to something that makes more sense.

"I- I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I wasn't thinking. And then, seeing that stuff... back there, I just... Whatever, come on, let's go." She says, not properly confirming what had changed her mind. Personally, I think she got a lot more time to reflect as she made that decision under duress, stuck inside a shack. Plus, she then helped me bury George and then saw them destroy my home. Something in there changed her mind.

"Where are we going?" I don't have a home anymore, and I can't stay with any of the villagers since they have their own selves and their families to look after. So I don't know where to go now, and I am definitely not staying back there with those assholes.

"We are going to my home..."

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 23– Sympathising.

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

The travel back the way we came, to Cocyasi Village, after that incident, was quiet. Instead of rushing back, we took it slowly and walked back in silence. I don't even remember much of the walk since I was kind of out of it and not really in the mood to do anything, so I just shut my brain off and kept putting one foot in front of the other.

It was only about halfway back that I realised Nami was still holding my hand and guiding me along. I was a bit surprised and ended up staring in bewilderment at her tiny hand, grabbing my bigger one tightly, her little fingers clasping around my palm. It felt good.

At a time when I was feeling all alone and was in the process of falling into despair, this little hand was holding me up. And was gripping me tightly, refusing to let me go. So I follow the hand up, along the frail-looking arm, to the girl's small face. And that's when I realised how self-absorbed I have been and how ignorant I have been to the people around me and all the other people on this island.

Looking at Nami's straining face, doing it all to keep from crying and scrunching up to keep her moving, I have a moment of clarity. I am not the only one who has lost and been hurt; I am not the only one suffering and in pain. Right now, in front of me, there is a little girl who has lost her mother and been enslaved against her will and will be forced to work tirelessly in the near future.

She was scared and frightened and clung to me, and instead of taking her to her home, which was nearby, I selfishly dragged her across the island with me, and then she helped me bury a body and was forced to meet those bastards again. And as if that wasn't enough, she had to be the one looking out for me and dragging me out of there before I went too far.

I don't know why I was acting as if the people of this island owed me anything because they don't, not even Mommy Mee and Daddy Dee. These people have their own families, their own problems and their own worries. If I refused, If I said I couldn't and if I asked for help, I am sure they would have let me stay at the orphanage, but I didn't. The people on the island as well struggle to provide for their own families, so why was I berating them for not lending a hand to me.

I was leaving this island without much of a thought for these villagers, assured that an animal like George hiding in the woods would be fine. I didn't care about them or how they would survive in the meanwhile when I wanted to travel and find the good marines to free the island.

And then I despaired and cried for George when he died, but how would the villagers on this island feel when it was their son, or their daughter or their wife or mother or father. I am sure their pain would be as much as mine, probably a lot more than mine, in actual fact. And I was abandoning them to such a fate, thinking that they would be fine since they could pay for their lives for a single month.

I am a really selfish piece of shit, aren't I?

I am cut from my self-depreciation when Nami suddenly comes to a stop, only just managing to keep from bumping into her from behind, thanks to my above-average reflexes. I stumble backwards slightly, confused as to what made her come to a sudden stop, but my vision is quickly focused on the lovely sight before me.

Orange-topped trees spread out in front of us, tangerines growing aplenty, fresh and juicy, packed to the skin with deliciousness which myself and George can- would have attested to... Shaking my head, I focus back on the beautiful sight in front of us. Taking in the resplendent view, I can feel myself calm at the serene sight.

Vibrant grass, trees so full of vitality that even the brown of the bark seems to shine. The location itself adds the beauty, as this tangerine farm is located on a grassy cliff, and just beyond the sheer drop, you can see the vast open sea, the bright sun shimmering on its blue waves and reflecting the scenery up above, the stray cloud passing by.

One would think such an area, so full of nature and vitality, would be marred by anything man-made, but you would be wrong. To the side, away from the tangerine trees and further up on the cliff, is a small house. Made with pink-coloured panels of wood and topped with blue tiles is an abode with two floors. Instead of taking away from the picturesque scene, it actually seems to add to it in some strange way. The small pink home looks right in place here, as if it would be wrong for it not to be there.

"Oh, is this your home Nami?" I came to the natural conclusion, as Nami had stated that Bellemere was her mother, and Bellemere had owned a tangerine farm. Though I had never been to this place or had many interactions with the woman, exchanging money and the tangerines through Genzo-San, who came once a month to buy those navigation books, which I now realise were for Nami.

Nami doesn't reply, however, obviously finding the situation difficult, just as I did. Returning to your home, a place that was once so full of happiness and security, and expecting someone that has always been there to be there, because you have never had it otherwise. Except, it won't be like that anymore, it will feel like something is missing, and this place which used to make you feel so good suddenly seems empty, and painful. Those happy memories, which brought so much joy, now only bring sorrow.

Nami begins to walk forward silently, clearly not in the mood for conversation, understandably. And so I follow, equally as quiet, not interrupting and simply just being there for her. After all, she was there for me and helped me bury my friend and lay him to rest, helping me deal with it all. So the least I can do is follow her and be there for her, and if there is anything that she needs help with or struggling with, then I will step up, just like she did for me.

I follow her up the hill and towards the house, trailing slightly behind her and giving her the space she needs. As I do so, I watch her, looking at her clenched hands visibly shaking at her sides and the tremble of her shoulders as she takes each step. I am very much thinking over all the plans and ideas I had hidden away to circumvent this order business and escape from her clutches, most of them not so nice and would very much end badly for Nami.

But having gotten to know her, and after her helping me so much, I am very much rethinking such drastic measures. She may have that power over me and be capable of forcing me to do whatever she wants, but she didn't ask for it. It is not her fault that she has it, and she has no idea it even exists. This is my fault. I made that decision and rolled the dice, knowing it would result in me being hampered sometime in the future, death doesn't suddenly make you a genius, and you can still make mistakes.

She doesn't even know about the hold she has over me, and even if Nami were to find out, I find it very hard to believe that she would actually use it against me and force me to do things I don't want to do. But even so, I won't reveal it to her and will hide it from her with all my might since I can't take the chance that all that sudden power and authority over me wouldn't go to her head and turn her into some kind of monster.

Trailing up the hill, we eventually near the house, coming towards the front door, but I notice a slight hesitance in Nami before her head flitters up towards the crest of the hill. She stalls for a second and then resumes her walk, turning away from the door and ultimately moving past the house and continuing up the mountain.

Not questioning it, I continued to follow her, hiking up the hill and looking ahead. Then, finally, I could see why she had ignored her house and continued moving forward. There, near the edge of the cliff, is a single gravestone underneath a single large tangerine tree, much more significant and grander than the rest. Again Nami comes to a stop at the sight of it, and after giving it a moment, I move forward to encourage her, but it seems it was unneeded. Nami is a strong girl, as I am starting to find out.

Feeling that I have gone as far as I should, I stop, staying in place as she moves forward and kneels before the grave, tracing the stone with her fingers. I don't see much from my position except the slight trembling of her shoulders and the movement of her arms, though I can hear slight mutterings from her, but I respect her privacy and don't pay attention to it.

It is a while later that she finally stands up and seems to have said and done everything she had wanted to for the time being, and she turns around to look at me. I ignored the redness around her eyes and the scratches on her arms and hands from where she hugged and touched the gravestone too hard instead of us leaving. Finally, however, she decides to start talking.

"This was Bellemere's favourite tree. I am glad she was buried here. I can't think of a better place for her to be laid to rest." Hearing her words, I understand that she wants to talk about her beloved mother, which I can understand. Reminiscence can make you feel better. For some people, at least, talking about them and remembering the good times and the laughs you had can make you feel better.

"Really, well, it is a grand tree, isn't it? I can see why she would like it." I go along with it, furthering the conversation so she can continue talking about Bellemere.

"That isn't why she liked this tree," Nami says, surprising me. I would think the sheer size would be what was most impressive about this tree. But, aside from that, what else could it be?

"It isn't the size? Then she must have liked the shade, right? This is a nice spot, and the big tree provides a lot of shade on sunny days." So I say, coming up with the only reasonable explanation I could think of, not able to see what other advantages this tree could possibly have.

"No, though, that is why I liked it. Bellemere likes this tree because of its tangerines." She says, confusing me as this place is a tangerine orchard, so why would this particular tree be her favourite when they all grow tangerines.

"Oh, are these tangerines special somehow? Do they get more light and rain than the others, or is it something else?" I ask, puzzled as to what made these tangerines so special. Especially because this tree was very much an outlier, as the others were all relatively small, and while they are trees, they look more like bushes as the tangerines could be picked even by children.

"Nope, they are the exact same as the other tangerines," Nami says, a big smile on her face as if she herself was exasperated by the actual answer and found it quite endearing. This tree was huge, so much so that the tangerines on it were very high in the air, and you would have to climb the tree to get them. Why do that and expend so much energy when you could easily just pick it off any other tree.

"Then, why is this her favourite tree? why did she prefer these tangerines over the other ones?" I am seriously confused as to the answer. I can see no reasonable explanation for such an opinion if not to do with the size of the tree.

"It is her favourite because she used to climb the tree herself and pick the tangerines with her hands. She said the tangerines tasted better when you worked hard to get them. That the labour you put in makes the reward you get out of it all the more sweeter." Nami tells me, and I nod my head in understanding, even though I don't really get it. It must be some kind of parent lesson thing for her daughters to help them grow up into fine responsible people.

Still, I would like to see if there is any truth to what she is saying and if these tangerines are sweeter. I have already tasted the normal tangerines, having usually gotten a batch every month or so as a treat for myself and George through Genzo-San, so I want to compare it with these ones. So, moving forward and past the grave, giving it a slight birth, I reach out and touch the tree, intending to climb it before realising I might be jumping the ball a bit.

"Uh, can I? I want to see if Bellemere-San was right." I say, looking to get permission from Nami since this is no longer just any old tangerine tree. It is now the sight of her mother's grave, and maybe climbing it would offend her, though I am reassured when she gives me the go-ahead. And so I begin to rise, putting my arms around the tree and starting to shimmy up its length.

I grab the branches when I rise high enough and start to rapidly ascend to the very top, breaking through the leaves and poking my head out of the very top of the tree. Finally, taking Bellemere's opinion to the max, I have climbed to the very top, and I reach my hand out to pluck the highest tangerine.

With it in hand, I jump and leap away from the tree, effortlessly landing on the ground a distance away from the grave since I didn't want to risk disturbing it. Now standing back on the ground after having easily scaled the tree, Nami watches me, not too shocked at my abilities. I guess she saw my attempt to murder Arlong and the power I exerted there, so she was aware of my capabilities.

Under her gaze, I peel the skin from the tangerines and then bring the tangerine to my lips and bite a chunk out of it, the delicious juice quickly filling the inside of my mouth with its terrific flavour. Indeed, this is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten, which doesn't say a lot given I have hardly tasted cuisine off of this island, and when I was on Troga, I only at those weird fruits and poorly cooked meat.

Still, while this is one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten, arguably the most, I have already tasted it multiple times over the past few months in the batches delivered to me monthly by Genzo-San. This is no different from all the other tangerines I have already eaten, but looking at Nami's face, I can't help but feel the urge to tell her it is the most delicious tangerine I have ever tasted.

"Ah... This is, uh... It is delicious, but it is not any better than the other tangerines, in my opinion." I can't help but feel giving a disingenuous answer would be wrong, and, honestly, I don't really feel like being the type of person who lies for any reason, especially about small stuff like this. I expect Nami's face to falter and turn into a frown, but she actually smiles and starts to laugh.

"Haha, well, obviously it doesn't taste any better than the other ones to you. Did you see how easily you climbed that tree? It was like breathing for you?" Nami giggles, wiping a tear from her eye, though I think it is a remnant from earlier rather than her obvious enjoyment at my puzzled face now.

"What?" I say simply because I just don't get it. What does my quickly climbing the tree have to do with the taste of the fruit? She said I obviously that it obviously doesn't taste any better than the other ones because I effortlessly climb the tree, so then the opposite is true. If I had struggled to climb the tree, then the fruit would taste even sweeter? Is that right? and if so, why? Again, I don't get it.

"Bellemere was trying to give us a lesson. The things that you work hard for and that you struggle to achieve are so much better when you finally get them rather than if you got them with no effort at all. If you had worked hard to climb the tree and get the tangerine, then it would taste much better." So she says, explaining the meaning behind the tree, which is some fortune cookie nonsense, I am guessing. What is it about the struggle that makes the end result so good, really?

"Oh, is that so. I don't really get it. It is what it is. Whether you struggle for it or get it given to you, at the end of the day, isn't it still the same thing in the end?" If someone were to give me a tangerine and if I were made to climb a giant beanstalk to the sky to get one, I don't think either of them would taste differently from the other. The only thing different is that I would much rather have the one given, as the other requires an expenditure of energy for the same thing.

"I would have gone for the easy option as well, but then one day, I decided to climb the tree to see what Bellemere was talking about? It took me hours, but I did it, and the tangerine was the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. Bellemere said it tastes even better for her because she is the one that grows them, but she only said that to me after I took way longer climbing back down the tree." She smiles, remembering it, and I am sure that it must have been a beautiful memory, given the big smile on her face.

"Ha, I guess you still don't get it." She says, looking at the obviously confused look still on my face. "Then, how about this? Let's think about an example, how about your house?" She asks, obviously testing if I was okay with that given that it was just destroyed, and it is a bit of a touchy subject. I give her a nod, gesturing for her to continue. I am still angry about the destruction of my home, but that is all pointed directly at those Fishmen.

"So, you worked hard to build your house over the last four years with George helping you all the while. Building it all, buying all the materials and tools yourself and toiling away day after day to improve your home, right?" I nod. "Then, how about if you were simply given that same exact home without having to make it or buy it yourself. Which one would you care about more? Which one would you take better care of and be upset about if it were to be destroyed?" It dawns on me.

"See, you get it right?" Nami says, happiness on my face at my understanding. I understand it now, and I have even felt it before. Her example worked very effectively. If I had been given that house as it was before it was destroyed, I wouldn't have cared much about it or taken so much pride in it, and I would not have been so upset about it when it was destroyed.

However, since I built it and put so much time and effort into my home, I cared about it more. I always looked after it, keeping on top of repairs and improvements, constantly cleaning and keeping it spotless. As a result, I was proud of my home. I could easily just sit and look at it and be filled with an incredible feeling and every time, it brought some unknown good feeling to me. Was that fulfilment, pride or something else?

The more effort and work you put into something, the better the results you get out of it are. Would such a viewpoint apply to anything else? Everything else? Would living life in such a way give me a better enjoyment of life and more fulfilment out of it? Instead of being cautious and conniving, living a sly life hiding in the shadows and using people, is it better to live an upfront, straightforward life?

Before I can think about it further, I can hear footsteps approaching behind me, and by the look on Nami's face, she clearly recognises them. Nami immediately runs, tears gushing from her eyes, no longer held at bay. Rushing past me, I can hear Nami slam into someone behind me. Her cries are joined by another youthful voice, another girl.

Turning around, still eating the delicious tangerine, I bear witness to the reunion of two sisters, I assume. Though I can only really see the back of Nami, the other girl only reveals two small arms wrapping around her and a head of blue hair embedded into Nami's shoulders. I can understand the emotional response, as their mother had just been killed, and then Nami had just been kidnapped and taken, her fate unknown.

I look on as they both fall to their knees, still hugging and crying, softly whispering to each other. From down the hill, I can see the front door has been left open, so I am guessing the sister had seen us from the window and rushed straight outside to meet her sister. Still, the three women of this family sure have unique hair colours and are somehow related. Bellemere's hair was a reddish-purple, Nami's is a bright orange, and this new girl is a bright blue. So either the two girls both have different dads, or this family is in more of an adoption-type situation... or was, at least.

Still silently watching, I notice Genzo-San walking out of the front door, and then detecting the two girls near the top of the cliff, he runs up to meet them, but as he nears them, he slows down, and when Genzo comes to a stop he just watches them with sadness, as well as some guilt. He looks like he, more than anything, wants to go and hug them both, but for some reason, he can't let himself.

Finally though, he seems to get out of his funk and notices me standing behind them, still munching on this juicy tangerine. Damn, I would protect this island just so I can keep having these things. They are damn delicious... George loved them.

"Detoro-San, what are you doing here?" Genzo asks, obviously confused by my presence as he rightly should be. Last he saw, I was in my own village where I assured everyone that I could pay for myself, which I couldn't. After I saw that everybody could pay for themselves, I decided to leave instead of staying and fighting, endangering everybody else. That obviously didn't work out.

"Hello, Genzo-San. It is good to see that you are okay. As for why I am here, well, I am in the same situation as Nami." I say, answering his question. Though I am not sure if he is fully aware of Nami's circumstances, but I quickly move on and ask another question.

"More importantly, how are the rest of the villages?"

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 24– New Living Arrangements.

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

"Oi, Detoro. How much longer will this building take? We have things that need to be done." I look up from the plans I was going over, turning around to see Arlong walking over, his face smiling as he approaches, but his snarly grin frightens the other people around, who quickly scurry out of the way. The workers don't even look at the man, the fish man, as he approaches me, and I notice the men around me quickly finding something urgent to do elsewhere.

You would think after all this time working here without once being shouted at or accosted by any of the fishmen, they would have cooled down by now, but they haven't. In fact, they are even more twitchy and frightened than they would otherwise be, being in such close proximity to their terrorisers. Thankfully no accidents or anything has happened over the last few weeks since we began, which is how it should be since that is what I demanded.

"It will be done when it gets done. No faster, no slower. Now, did you want something else?" I say, turning back around to continue working on the plan for the future Arlong Park. How I hate that name. If I could, I would love to do a shoddy job and fuck it all up so it collapses on them all one day, but apparently, they are taking Nami after it is built, so I can't do that. And also, to be honest, I refuse to make something half backed without proper effort. I might be a shoddy self-taught craftsman, but I still have my pride, and everything I make, no matter the purpose, will always be to the best of my ability. To do anything less would be shameful.

"Come on, Detoro. I have given you everything you asked for, but me and my men are getting tired of not having a place to call home. So hurry it up, kid." He puts his big blue-clawed hand on my head and... starts to ruffle my hair. Immediately I was incensed, not only because of him ruffling my hair like we got along but because of him calling me kid, just like Garp called me it. I don't know what the fuck is going on in this fuckers head, but I know I don't like it.

After that day at Nami's, I have been staying with her and Nojiko at that house, with Genzo coming to check in every day. With Nami and me being in the same sort of situation, she feels like we should stick together, and Nojiko is a lovely girl that feels the same. It was only the next day that Arlong came and ordered for me to start work on Arlong Park, and Nami ushered me to go along with it, telling me to wait until the Marines undoubtedly arrived.

I went along with it because there was a good chance of the Marines coming, and I myself am not strong enough to beat them yet, at least not according to the fight I had with Arlong. So far, I have seen both the best and the worst of the Marines, if Garp can even be called the best. So the middle ground should at least be someone capable, and right now, I am holding out for them to come. Nezumi isn't the only marine captain around these parts, after all.

So I got to work, beginning with the planning, and after getting the frame of the scope of just what Arlong wanted, I gathered all the builders and workers on the island and got them working on it. Everybody had already paid for the one month, and so I told Arlong that I would only do this if I were in charge without interference if he bought all the materials and if he waived all the workers and their family's payments for the next month's. Surprisingly he agreed, which I did not expect, and then, even more weirdly, he started acting all pally with me and mostly giving me the things I asked for.

And so I have been working on this stupid project for the last few weeks, which infuriated me enough, but to add on top of that, Arlong has been acting all buddy-buddy with me while the other fishmen have all been keeping their distance like I have the plague. Two extremes that have seriously concerned me, though I don't have time to worry over that.

"Do you want this done fast, or do you want this done right? Because if it is the latter, then you will stop crowding us and let us work. These men find it hard to function properly when you and your crew are around." So I tell him, still looking down at the plans, but I am hardly focusing on them. I can't, not when this fucker is behind me acting all friendly, and the weird thing is, I think he actually is trying to be.

"Shahaha! But not you, right Detoro? You aren't like the rest of these weak humans, are you?" Arlong laughs, good-naturedly patting me on the shoulder. At least from his perspective, he feels like he is giving me a compliment and praising me, but from where I am sitting, he is taking the piss out of me and mocking me. But, I have experienced much the same over the last few weeks, so I ignore it with familiarity, not ease, because it is anything but easy for me to restrain myself.

"Whatever. Now can you go? We have work to do and don't come back until we are done, you or your men. We will get stuff done faster without you looming over us." I say, turning around to look him straight in the eyes, showing I am not messing around. In turn, the jovial look- I think that was the look he had, it's hard to tell with all the sharp teeth- on his face turns into a hard stare, no longer so nice.

"How long." No more niceness in his tone, but no anger or anything either. His voice is level, calm and, most importantly, serious. He expects an answer, and no matter how lenient and hospitable he is, he demands results. I don't know what this dude's game is, what he wants here on this little island while bleeding us for all we have, and frankly, I don't care. All I care about is the end of his continued existence, whether that be tonight or two years down the road, as long as it happens. An idiot can only wait a single day for revenge, but a strong man can wait ten years.

"A month. Month and a half. Definitely no longer than two months. It is hard to give an exact time frame since there is a lot to account for, but two months is what we are aiming for. most of our time is going to be focused on reshaping the land and giving you that water entrance you want, big enough for the sea cow of yours." And wasn't that a surprise, discovering a massive fucking seaking was under their control. Just thinking about it gives me shivers, especially after that time when I was drowning, and there were hundreds of the bastards coming to eat me and would have if Garp didn't save me.

If there were one reason other than Nami that would keep me from attacking these fishmen, then it would be this fucking big seaking. Momoo. It is a cute name for the big fish, and I guess it fits as it is primarily white with patches of green, and its face looks like a cow with horns and even a bull ring. So it could be a seabull. Either way, it is big with the power to match its stature. I have seen it in action. And more worrying than that, it is very scarred of Arlong and follows his every order.

"Good. It better be. I am being very magnanimous and generous right now, but don't take my lenience for weakness. If it isn't finished, then that waiver of fees will no longer be in effect, and Momoo has been hungry lately." He says, utterly serious. If there were one thing that would be an effective threat to the people on this island, then it would be Momoo. So Arlong gathered all the islanders and had them witness Momoo rise out of the sea and terrorise a patch of woodland, completely destroying the area. But, of course, everybody wants to survive, and so they will work as hard as possible to avoid such a fate.

"It will be done, don't worry," I assure him with a nod of my head, not backing down. I might have to follow his orders and work for him, but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it, and I am not going to make it a smooth ride for him, either.

"Shahaha. Good, don't forget this isn't just for us. You and Nami will be living here as well. You are building your new home." He says, irking me again. Damn bastard, destroying my home and then making me build on top of it, and then even going as far as to say it will be my home too. As if. He destroyed my home. I don't have one anymore. But Arlong has a home as well, his crew. I can tell he cares for each and every one of them, truly cares, which I find hard to believe given how vicious the man is. I wonder if he would be as distraught as I was if I were to take his home from him.

"I don't understand. You only needed me to build this house. Why would you want me to stay here? Haven't I served my purpose after Arlong Park is finished?" Seriously, I hate this man. He knows I hate him. And yet he wants me close to him. He gives me nearly all the things I request and even wants me to live with him after the park is built. Why? What does he want from me?

"Shahaha! Don't sell yourself short, Detoro. You have a lot to offer, more than you know. Be sure to keep me updated. You wouldn't want me jumping to conclusions, would you? Shahahah!" Laughing and leaving me with those ominous words, he turns around and moves back towards the village. More than that, he has left me with confusion because I still don't know what he wants from me. Just what is it that I have to offer?

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

"Ah, Detoro. Your back. Just wait; dinner will be ready in ten minutes. There is hot water as well, and the shower is clean, so you can go clean up. I am sure you have had a long tiring day." The voice of an angel calls out as soon as I step inside of the house, and like a breath of fresh air, I can feel my frustration throughout the day settle, at least until tomorrow.

"Ah, Nojiko-Chan. Thank you, you genuinely are a blessing in these dark days." I say to the blue-haired girl, who turns from where she was working over a stove to wave a ladle at me in greeting, sporting a happy smile. I wasn't lying when I said I felt blessed. Well, maybe that is an exaggeration, but even so, in recent times, this girl has lightened my spirits.

Nojiko is Nami's older sister, twelve years old, the same age as me. She wears some red sandals as some incredibly light blue going on teal jean overalls that come up over her shoulders, under which she wears a dark blue shirt. Her face is good-looking, which is as much information as I can give at this point in time as she is just twelve, even if that is the same age as me. On her forehead, she wears a dark red headband with a white design on it. The headband serves to hold back the waves of her blue hair though a lock manages to make it over the barricade and flows down the side of her face.

Smiling and waving back, I quickly move up the stairs, leaving my dirty shoes near the front door, knowing that I would find them clean and shiny tomorrow morning. Nojiko was just that nice. In this time when I have lost my home, where I have lost my friend and have basically had my freedom taken from me, this girl has welcomed me into her home with no ulterior motives or ambition, purely just to help me.

Or maybe to help her sister as she wanted me to stay with them. I guess Nami is just as kind, but with the power she holds over me I just can't bring myself to see her in such a light because if I do, I might let down my guard, which would come back to bite me in the future. Nami wanted me to stay with them. In fact, she pretty much demanded it, and I had to oblige.

Nojiko agreed after hearing about my circumstances, but obviously, Genzo had a problem with it. A young boy living with two other girls, even without puberty in the picture, the man felt like their father, so obviously, he would have a problem with it. There was nothing he could do about it, though, as Nojiko had already said yes, and Nami was vehemently fighting for it, refusing to let me live elsewhere. Genzo now comes in to check several times a day. Paranoid man, what the hell am I going to do? I am not old enough for anything like that yet.

Having gone up and finished my shower quickly, changing into some clothes that Genzo thankfully brought over for me, I come down to find Nami walking through the door. As opposed to the other days when she would come home nearly in tears, the calluses on her fingers from hours of drawing stinging, she actually has a happy smile on her face. Confused since this is a far cry from how she usually is on a daily basis, I quickly rush down the stairs, and Nami seeing me come down, has excitement rise on her face and opens her mouth.

"Guys, come to the dinner table. Dinner is ready. Make sure you wash your hands first. I am talking to you, Nami!" Nojiko shouts from the kitchen, keeping Nami from telling me whatever had brightened up her mood and making her smile sheepishly. She quickly takes both her sandals off with her feet and leaves them thrown near the door before rushing off to go wash her hands.

I quickly follow behind her into the kitchen, finding Nojiko setting down the plates for dinner and Nami climbing up onto the stool in front of the sink to wash her hands. Not needing to, as I had just had a shower, I quickly moved to take my place, sitting at one of the three chairs around the round table, feeling a bit bad when I noticed Noriko twitch a bit as I took my seat. She does so every time, as does Nami sometimes, and rightfully so since it used to be the two of them and Bellemere, but now I am taking her place. Ignoring that, I calmly sit down and smile at Nojiko, who smiles back in turn and takes her seat as we wait for Nami to come to join us.

"How are the tangerines, Nojiko-Chan? I can help you collect them all if you need me to." I say to fill the silence as we wait to start dinner. You can't just start eating what is in front of you straight away. More than filling your gut, this is about eating together and taking comfort in each other's presence. That is at least for these two girls. As for me, well, I don't hate it.

"It is fine, Detoro-Kun. The trees are small, so I can pick the tangerines just fine. Plus, you and Nami are dealing with a lot. So the least I can do is make things easy for you when you get back here." She whispers quietly so that Nami doesn't hear, smiling brightly at me, though I can't bring myself to do more than a little quirk of the lips. After all, it is not just me and Nami going through a hard time, but Nojiko as well. But for the sake of her sister, she keeps on a smile for her to not add to her worries.

Nojiko is just as worried and troubled as the rest of us, even more, maybe. Her mother had died, her sister had basically been kidnapped and forced to work for the people that killed her, and she also had to live with this random boy as well. Even so, she doesn't let it show, she doesn't cry, and she doesn't complain. Instead, she holds it all at bay, stuffing it down and showing a smile for her sister. Speaking of, Nami has now cleaned her hands and is currently sitting at the table. With a quick thank you for the food, we start to eat, Nami getting stuffed in while Nojiko watches her, and I begin to eat as well.

"Gesh wah happen tuday! Ar virrajah manaed tuh caw da-" Nami excitedly begins while stuffing her face, unable to choose between conversation and food and deciding to do both, which of course, messes both up as not only is she speaking gibberish but Nami is sending bits of food out as she does. Nojiko, seeing this, takes action and pushes up Nami's chin, stopping her from talking.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, Nami. Remember your manners, plus no one can make sense of what you are saying if you are trying to use your mouth for two different things." Nojiko lectures drawing an irritated look from Nami, though I can tell it isn't a negative thing, more of an exasperated sister thing. Of course, doing the proper thing expected of someone in Nami's station, she plays the role of the annoying little sister, and instead of taking the advice properly, she takes it literally.

Ceasing her talking, Nami looks at Nojiko with her bulging cheeks full of food and then with a look of concentration, her cheeks deflate, and with a loud gulping sound, she swallows all of the food in her mouth. Then, as if in victory, she opens her mouth wide. Finally, she sticks her tongue out at Nojiko as if taunting her while showing that there is no longer any food in her mouth, drawing a quiet sigh from Nojiko that transforms into a tired smile when Nami looks away in victory.

"See, all gone. Now, guess what happened today?" She says a lot more clearly this time, and with some of the excitement bled out this time, she waits for us to guess. The joy on her face is palpable and nearly spreading to the rest of us, and her excitement is very much high, which is weird considering how dire the times are right now.

"Did Genzo-San get you some new books?" Nojiko asks, going along with the game but clearly not serious as books are far from being something that would make Nami happy now. The books she used to get and enjoy were all about navigation, and the skills she derived from them are all being abused and used by her mother's murderer. So, naturally, the only thing that she would get so excited and happy over at this time would be something that would be to the detriment of Arlong and his crew.

"Nope. Any more guesses?" Obviously, I have a few, and as Nojiko goes through the process and continues to give wrong answers, I contemplate about trying my hand. However, I decide to keep silent, not wanting to get too excited and say that one of the bastard fishmen fell over and got a rusty pitchfork through the eye, though I do wish it was something like that. But with me not offering any answers, I shake my head at Nami's question, and not long after, Nojiko does the same, prompting Nami to reveal it finally.

"One of the villagers from Chosa village said that he has managed to contact a marine branch. They said that support would be coming soon. Did you hear that, Detoro? It won't be long till the Marines get here and kick Arlong's ass." She says excitedly. Nojiko quickly got infected and was just as happy about this. I, however, cannot bring myself to feel as excited about this as the girls are since, according to my knowledge, the closest marine base is the one that has Captain Nezumi in charge, and he is a weak coward.

Still, I am sure the knowledge that the pirates are fishmen should be told to the Marines, and since they come from the Grand Line, then they should know they are ill-equipped to deal with them. Moreover, since the Marines are a large organisation then, instead of sending the nearest weakest forces then, they could send stronger, more equipped marines to take down the fishmen. If there is one thing I am sure of, it is Captain Nezumi's cowardliness. Instead of coming himself, surely he would send for other more capable people to take care of it, especially after finding out that the pirates are fishmen.

"That is good. I can only hope that Garp is the one that comes. Then these bastards would be blown away." So I say, remembering the only good marine that I know. He might not be the sharpest tool in the box, but he is the most powerful, and primarily righteous, so I can only hope that he or someone like him comes to answer the call.

"What, Marine Hero Garp! Yes, if he could come, then we would be safe." Marine hero? Well, the guy is stupidly strong, though I don't know how that scales, having not seen much of the world. Still, I find it hard to believe that that barbaric man could be looked up to by anyone after having found out his actual personality.

I guess he must have done some crazy things with that idiot strength of his, and, well, it got spread by the newspapers, and they can't very well find out about how he is through that, can they? Kind of funny, now that I think about it, that most everybody in the world thinks he is an awe-inspiring, dashing hero when in actuality, he is a big silly brute that follows orders... sometimes follows orders.

"Just think, Detoro-Kun. This time next week, we could be free. Arlong will be locked away by the Marines, and we could go back to.. how it used to be..." Nami starts before trailing off after mentioning going back to how it used to be, which is, of course, impossible because you can't bring back the dead. I can already see the emotion dwindling from Nami's face. Nojiko notices this as well and quickly begins to talk.

"Good. Arlong will be gone, and so will his crew. Hopefully locked away somewhere dark and cold until the day they die, where they will suffer until they do. And we will be here, living, happy and taking care of the tangerines." Nojiko says, doing her best to comfort Nami and keep her from thinking about it. She does her best, which is more than could be said for any other twelve-year-old. We are the same age, but obviously, I am a bit different than other people my age, but Nojiko herself is doing way more than is expected of her. It is a bit awe-inspiring how mature she is and how well she is handling this, though Nami doesn't seem to respond to her efforts.

"Alright, eat up, Nami. You need your strength for tomorrow, and you need to stay strong until the Marines get here." Nojiko says, grabbing Nami's plate and moving it closer to her, encouraging her to eat. Nami, not saying anything, picks up the fork and continues to eat, but there is not much conversation after that.

Soon after, Nami, having finished her food, pushes her plate away from her and, without a word, quickly leaves and goes upstairs, presumably to her room. Nojiko silently sighs before going to stand up, moving her hand to Nami's plate. I quickly reach out and pick it up before she can, prompting her to look at me in question.

"I will wash up today, and I have finished eating anyway. But you have hardly touched your plate Nojiko, so eat up." I say, standing up and picking up my own plate as well before walking towards the sink. Nojiko stuttered behind me, trying to say something before finally speaking up as I reached the sink.

"Don't, Detoro-Kun. This is my job, you two are struggling every day, so the very least I can do is take care of everything else for you." Nojiko says though she doesn't get up from her seat, merely spinning around while still sitting to talk to me.

"Nojiko, I know these are hard times. And this is hard on you as well. You are struggling just as much as we are, even if you try not to let Nami see it. You are letting me live here, so the least I can do is help you out. I know trying to keep a brave face on might seem like a good idea, but you shouldn't keep all the burden for yourself. I will help you out. You are not alone in this." I say, turning on the tap and beginning to wash the plates. I hear some light sniffling behind me, but I don't turn around, and then I hear the sound of a fork tapping against a plate.

"T-Thank you, Detoro-Kun." I hear her say behind me, and I smile, knowing that I have helped her. It is a change of pace from always being angry and letting these rageful feeling stew inside my guts. This... this feels better.

I feel better.

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 25– Confrontation On The Horizon.

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It was just another morning, working on this stupid fucking park. Why is it called a park? I have absolutely no idea. I mean, it doesn't have any rides or slides or anything. All it is is a big building surrounded by walls with a water entrance. Nothing theme or water about it. He just wanted a massive defensible compound that looked nice, but he wanted to call it a park.

Honestly, this thing is massive as well. Most of our time was spent cleaning the surrounding area and terraforming the land to make the foundation for exactly what he wanted. We had to cut a lot of the surrounding woodlands, though thankfully, we didn't go far enough to disturb George's rest. There was no sand there anymore. The little beach I made my home on no longer exists. All of the sand was dug and shovelled out to make way for the concrete foundation we had laid out.

And then, we had got to work on the surrounding walls of the compound, starting with the white concrete wall surrounding the compound, including the water entryway from the ocean, including a gate in the water preventing entrance with two watch towers on either side of it. And then, another section after that is made with a brick wall which opens to the ocean. And then inside the compound, with a large patio in front, is a big pagoda-like building, the rooms getting smaller as you go up, and there are five floors.

To the right of it, when facing Arlong Park from the ocean, there is a section of grasslands that was filled with water due to the terraforming of the land. Naturally, the Fishmen did not much care about this since they had no problem with the water, but my workers did, which is why I had a raised walkway made that goes to the main road and leads to the entrance of Arlong Park, which is in the east wall. Also, deciding to make use of the new watery lands for everybody, we turned them into paddy fields.

That was the end product, at least, but right now, we have gotten the base and foundation laid along with the walls being mostly done, and we have an excellent framework for it set in place. As much as I hate this place and the fact that I am making it, I am learning a lot as I go along from the other craftsmen, and we have worked tirelessly to get this done before Arlong gets pissed and someone ends up paying for it.

With me leading this project due to Arlong's favouritism or perhaps cursed attention, I had to pull my weight. Though at first, it was hard, ordering around and directing people older and more experienced than myself, that was mostly me finding it difficult. They all cowered before Arlong, and in their own words, I stood up to him, and so they don't mind following my orders. So after I got used to it, I had to order, delegate and direct a multitude of me in order to get this project done to a good standard and in a short amount of time.

Today, the sun was bright, and the seas were peaceful. One would ordinarily call this a good day, enjoying the heat and relaxing under the rays of the sun. But not us. We have been working tirelessly under the shine of this hot sun day after day, overworked and tired, yet forcing ourselves to carry on with hardly a break. We are here from the second the sun rises to the second it sets, working as much in the daylight hours.

This day should have been no different, with us slaving away until the sun sets, and we go home to try a rest before getting up the next day to start again. But our morose downcast mood is interrupted, a wave of workers suddenly getting excited and cheering, and when I look up from my work, I understand why. There, in the distance, is a fleet of marine ships heading in our direction. Three ships, to be specific. I don't know what constitutes a fleet. How many do you need to call it a fleet?

Wait, why the hell am I focusing on that? There are bloody marines heading here, three ships full, and they are heading directly for us, which means this has been planned, and they have someone feeding them information from the island. Why do I say that? Well, it is because there are no Fishmen here. Why are there no Fishmen here? Well, that is ultimately down to me.

Initially, Arlong would be along every so often to check up on us and check on the progress of the construction. But I put a stop to that when I agreed to the timeline he gave me in exchange for him leaving and not coming back until it was done, on account of his presence scaring and slowing down all the workers. He agreed since he wanted to have his home built, but then when another Fishmen decided to drop by and push his weight around, I immediately stopped all work and went to see him, demanding that all Fishmen stay away from the area so we could work in peace. And they did.

Naturally, this news would have spread all over the island to all of the villagers, but the fact remains only the workers knew initially, so they must have spread it around. And now, someone used that information when contacting the Marines to provide them with a breaching point where there will be no Fishmen around. Fighting the Fishmen at sea would obviously be disadvantageous for them as the Fishmen thrive in the water, but getting and forcing the battle to be mostly on land will even the odds.

I would estimate there are at least thirty men on a ship, and with three ships, that makes ninety men. My guess might not be accurate, but the number of men incoming is above fifty, which is almost five times the amount of the Arlong pirates, who only have ten pirates, eleven if we count Momoo. But they are all Fishmen, said to be ten times as strong as a human, so can this amount really put up a good fight. Let's hope so. Hopefully, they have someone that is capable because I have seen just how far human strength can go.

Still, those ships are pretty far away in the distance, and it will take them at least another five minutes to get here. I would not have spotted it with it being so far and myself being so focused on my work, but some of the men here did. Meaning they were expecting it. I can only assume it was one of the workers here that had called the Marines, like Nami had told me two weeks ago at dinner. Still, is two weeks long enough to rally the troops, the truly strong marines, from the Grand Line? I doubt it, but then again, I have no clue just how long the travel time is.

I make sure to tell the men to stay right here, not wanting to risk any of this information to leak out in their excitement and making its way to Arlong and his crew so they can go on the attack. Still, the ships are all the way out at sea, and this is hardly the only spot on the island that can see them though I don't think there are too many villages situated with an ocean view. And there are only ten pirates on the islands, so if we are lucky, then they will be caught unaware and-

I see a flash of blue to my right, in the midst of the trees, and the only blue things that I know are mobile on the island right now are the Fishmen. I see it darting through the woods to my right side, heading inland to the path leading to the other villages. Immediately I drop everything I am doing and spin around to bolt off into the distance. But, of course, I couldn't trust a pirate to live by his word, and of course, he would have someone watching over us n secret since we might try to fuck the house up to bring it down on them after they start living there, which was a thought I had to be honest, but I didn't think it would work and would only serve to piss them off.

To my surprise, whoever it is in the trees is very slow, but given that I have only ever fought against Arlong, who is the captain, I may have been overestimating the Fishmen as a whole. Nevertheless, I sprint and manage to get in front of the Fishman, who reveals himself to be one of Arlongs top pirates, the guy with the big lips who I have heard being called Chew. Surprisingly, he was still a long distance from me as I had sprinted over to block him as fast as I could, but I had gotten far ahead of him.

Spotting me, the blue-skinned Fishman stalls for a second, confusing me as I would have thought he would have tried to barrage straight through a kid like me, but he stops for a second with caution, and I can see it in his eyes that he is reevaluating the situation. Seeing that, I didn't move and decided to stay here to prevent him from leaving since he chose to keep his distance from me. Still, is it just me, or is this guy fatter than the last time I saw him? Like seriously, his belly looks enormous in the distance, and is it getting bigger- OH, SHIT!!

"Hyappatsu Mizudeppo! (Hundred-Shot Water Gun)" The Fishman's mouth suddenly widens, and a massive spray of blue erupts from his mouth. Obviously, from hearing his words, I know that it is actually water. Neverminding any of that, I quickly dive to the right and take cover behind a particularly big tree, wary of the water, as it was just described as a hundred shots from a gun. And it was a good decision as well since immediately a barrage of noise assaults my ears, and apart from the rushing of water I hear I can also listen to the breaking and shattering of wood, as countless trees are torn apart from this water attack which I had no idea was possible.

Seeing literal trees being blown apart from the force of the water shots, I quickly lower myself even further down behind the tree until I am flat against the ground, decreasing the risk of any of the shots getting lucky and hitting me. And once again, it is proved that I made a good decision as the tree I am hiding behind suddenly has a section of it blown apart, and the tree suddenly breaks and falls to the right. Thankfully the stump is still there and provides sufficient cover for me.

Being aware of just how deadly this ability is and the fact that all of the Fishmen could be capable of this suddenly makes me a lot more wary of the whole pirate group. If all then of them pull off a water move like this in a synchronised manner, then they could probably obliterate hundreds of people at once. And now, even with the water shots stopping, I find myself cautious, not willing to put my head out yet. If this guy is capable of one hundred shots in a widespread manner, then surely he could be capable of a single accurate, deadly shot, and if I poke my head out, then I could lose it immediately.

Instead, I decided to wait here and allow my opponent to think his previous attack had felled me. Then, when he advances in surety and closes in on me, I will hop out and begin a close-range match, knowing that I am faster than him and will be able to deal with him in close combat. Which is a good plan, except after a minute or so, I hear no sounds, and nothing has happened, and I can't afford to keep my eyes off my opponent for this long. Since he is a fish, maybe he has echolocation or something and knows where I am and is setting a trap.

Deciding I have wasted too much time, I quickly jump to my left and move behind another tree, glancing towards my opponent as I do so, only to discover that he is no longer there. Peeking around the tree, I begin to look in every which direction, trying to spot my enemy, but no matter where I look, I am unable to spot them. I try and think about this logically, trying to reason out which direction he could have headed in until I remember that he is different from me and the land is not his only option.

With a start, I begin to pelt it using my full fore back the way I came, heading toward the ocean, only managing to just break through the tree line to see a splash in the surface of the sea and the resulting ripples. Chew had just entered the ocean, his natural territory, meaning I could no longer pursue him, and Arlong is pretty much confirmed to now know about this event. I look to my left, where Arlng Park is, to realise that the workers had not even noticed, so focused on the enclosing marined boats.

Sighing, I begin to make my way back to them, coming to terms with the fact that the element of surprise has been lost. I try to focus on what I can do now, and that is waiting for the marines to land and then provide them with as much information as possible on what they are facing and hope that they are actually decent strong marines capable of handling this. If they have come here, then I at least know that they are very much above that coward Nezumi whose base is nearby and yet he has not shown his ugly face once.

As I join the others and wait patiently for the Marines to get here, I contemplate on the possible ways this can go and what precautions I might have to take. Then, going through a mini checklist in my head about the things that are of utmost importance, I cross them off one by one when I confirm they are not in danger. For example, Nojiko should be at her home on the tangerine farm, which is isolated and should be fine. The orphanage is also separate from the villages and should be fine until the dust settles from the battle.

Genzo- Genzo is his own man and is also the sheriff, so I can't waste time thinking about him. He is a man, and knowing the type of man he is, I know he will be in the fray, trying to help or assist in some way to the benefit of all of the islanders. So I will try and see if I can do anything if I see him. Now, my ultimate concern, in both meanings of the word, is Nami. Nami should be at the temporary base of the Arlong pirates, that same little shack that I woke up in. They had taken over the surrounding buildings there and were living there until construction was finished, and I know that they had given Nami a room there.

Not a nice room or anything, aside from a bed, all she had apparently was a desk and reams and reams of papers and the tools necessary to make maps, as well as some books to help her. That is where she will be, even now, working her fingers to the bone on maps. She would always come home with bloodied hands and her fingers stressed, and Nojiko would always have to patch her up. They gave her a bed because they wanted her to stay there all the time, but I managed o get them to let her go home so she could get her hands mended. Otherwise, she would be unable to continue working on the maps.

But as I said, my concern for her should be evident. And my concern, speaking purely in terms of survival, would be if she didn't get caught in the crossfire. I should want her to get caught up in it and result in a state where she can no longer command me, based purely on survival. That is what I should want. Except, it isn't. I don't want her to die or get hurt. I have seen her suffering ever since the Fishmen came, and for her to die before having another taste of freedom, before having any sort of joy or happiness. I would rather live under her commands forever than be the sort of person that would commit such a horrible act and condemn this innocent girl to death.

I refuse to be that sort of person. I decided to live my life properly and to get as much out of it as I could. But the right way. To do things properly, without running away and to face things head-on instead of cowering. To live a life I can be proud of, that I can take pleasure in and look back on without regret or shame. The Marines will likely be heading towards Arlongs base since all the islanders know where it is, and that has probably been communicated towards the law-keeping force.

This means Nami will be caught up in the ongoing fight. So I need to get there quickly, before anything happens, and sneak her out of there. So instead of waiting for the Marines to get here, I make the decision to be proactive and go and get Nami to a safe place before the violence ensues. But when I turned around, I realised that there was no need for me to go and get her... because she had come to me.

"SHAHAHAHA! What is going on here, then!?" My heart drops as I see Arlong walking calmly towards us from the village path. However, that is not what is causing me such dread. It is the fact that he is dragging an unwilling Nami along behind him directly towards the confrontation. The mood and situation change drastically with his appearance. The happy and joyful countenances of the people surrounding me instantly deform and disfigure into abstract disjointed expressions of horror and despair.

"SHAHAHA! Now, what's with the long faces..? Why so glum?" He grins toothily, now reaching us, his oversized stature looming over us until it comes to bear entirely down on me. His big blue sandal-clad feet stop in front of me, and he bends down, blocking the sun from my view as his dead fish eyes look directly down into mine.

"You didn't have anything to do with this, did you, Detoro?" He emphasises my name as the grin disappears, leaving only his cold merciless face behind. He is trying to intimidate me, and while I do feel some fear in front of his ugly scary face, I am sure most people that don't have shit for brains would. But that doesn't mean I am gonna let him see it.

"Does it matter?" I reply, neither confirming nor denying his suspicions. I did not actually have anything to do with this, though I did know that something was in the works since Nami told me about it a while ago. Still, I am not going to deny it either since I am not backing down, and I at least have this much pride. I won't wipe my hands of the matter because these workers under me clearly knew about it, and they are under my command. To abandon them would be the work of scum, and I just decided I would never be scum.

"Hmm, well, I guess not. I will deal with that stuff later, but right now, I have to deal with those bastards." He continues to walk forward, dragging Nami along with him. The Villagers start to move, first starting t split like the sea around him and then slowly moving behind him and towards me. However, that process momentarily stops when Arlong stops, and not of his own accord.

"Hm?" He glances back to find me holding onto Nami's other arm, refusing to allow her to go forward towards the danger with him. The girl herself has tears brimming on the rim of her eyelids as she looks at me like I am signing my death warrant, rapidly shaking her head no at me to try and dissuade me from this course of action and make sure I don't risk myself for her. But, seriously, what kind of piece of shit was I for even thinking about taking everything from her.

"She doesn't need to be here. Neither do the rest of the workers here. We will leave. Come get us when you want us to resume working... If you can." I say, not relenting in the least as I stare back into his eyes, refusing to let him take her there. I adamantly try to ignore the slight bits of blood on Nami's fingers that I can feel with her palm against mine, confirming for me that she was being worked to the bone before being abruptly forced here.

"I brought her here so she could see the results of her work and how much good she is doing. In fact, I want everyone here to see this. But I suppose you can watch from a distance. Make sure not to go too far, and make sure you keep your eyes on those marines." Strangely he smirks at me, seeming to see something in this situation that I do not. Of course, I want everyone here to get as far away as possible, but I can't push my luck right now.

"Men. Move back to the tree line and stop there." I say, commanding them to stop back there, far away enough to keep looking like Arlong wants but with enough cover if things end up going south and they end up in the line of fire. Arlong nods his head at me after hearing my words and relinquishes his hold on Nami, the girl dropping to the ground as soon as he does. Moving forward, I ignore the big blue beast that continues to walk forward as I quickly grab hold of Nami and move back with the rest of the men towards the treeline.

As I do, I chance a glance back at Arlong, watching as the Fishman walks forward with unending arrogance to meet the fleet of marine ships heading in this direction. He is all alone, none of his men in sight, but this just worries me more. He is confident in beating all of them, and not only that, but he showed up at such an opportune time, making me think that he knew this would be happening. Even with Chew here, I get the feeling that Chew was not watching us but waiting for the sight of the marine ships.

They somehow knew this would be happening today, and instead of cowering or preparing, they anticipated it and have come to meet it head-on. Not only that, but Arlong mentioned the work Nami has been doing. The maps, and as far as I know, have only had her working on this island and the surrounding water so far. And yet, he just said that he wants her to see the fruits of her labour, which confuses me as to how a map of this island would help in any way in a confrontation against the Marines.

As I finally reach the rest of the workers at the treeling, I lay Nami down to rest against a tree before turning to look back out at whatever the hell was about to happen. I have no confidence right now, and all I have is an ominous premonition that things are going to go wildly wrong... for the Marines.

"SHAHAHAHA! MARINE SCUM! WHAT, PERCHANCE, BRINGS YOU TO THIS LOVELY LITTLE ISLAND OF MINE!?"

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 26– Confrontation.

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"SHAHAHAHA! MARINE SCUM! WHAT, PERCHANCE, BRINGS YOU TO THIS LOVELY LITTLE ISLAND OF MINE!?" Arlong bellows, laughing vindictively while spreading his arms out to his sides as if to encompass the entire island and proudly proclaim that it belonged to him. I might hate the man with a passion, but I have to admit, I watch in awe as he faces forward, head held high, facing three shipfuls of marines and laughing in their face.

I quickly squash the feeling of awe burgeoning inside me, knowing that this fucker doesn't deserve it. Even if Arlong does look fearless and undaunted in the face of insurmountable odds, I know it is built on cruelty and disdain for those he sees as beneath him. I might not have seen Garp in an actual fight, but I can feel it in my bones that he is far above Arlong. Arlong might be fearless and ruthless, but he is not unbeatable or infallible.

It takes a moment, but eventually, someone walks up to the front of the marine ship in the middle and pulls a sword out of a scabbard and points it towards the beach. Watching him, I can tell that he is the leader of the fleet that has come today, and by the splendour and intricacy of the clothes he wears, I can tell he is above Nezumis station as a captain but below Garp's status as a Vice Admiral. So he is of a rank somewhere between Captain and Vice Admiral.

"Wretched pirate scum that is terrorising the innocent people living on this island! I am Marine Commodore Pudding Pudding! Surrender, and I will leave you with your lives. Resist, and those lives are forfeit! You have ten seconds!" He says quite calmly from the prow of his ship. However, even at such a distance, his righteous tone reverberates across the water between us and into our ears. His voice tells us that there is no room for bargaining, and these are the only two options he is giving to the pirates.

At least he isn't a scumbag like Captain Nezumi. However, I have yet to see his strength. But even so, the fact that he is here and speaking so factually as if these two things are the only possible things that will happen makes me think that freedom is coming. He is so sure, so absolute, that he is convincing me that it is only a matter of minutes before we are free and showing much more emotion than me. The other villagers are all but cheering. Thankfully, still not being liberated yet, they are clever enough not to show their joy verbally.

Still, I guess all people with some strength end up looking a bit cooky because this guy does not look anything normal, especially with a name like Pudding Pudding. First of all, while he is dressed like a marine and generally looks like an average human, he isn't. Even from this distance, I can see that he is a pretty tall man, I think he might be nearing Arlong's levels of height, and Arlong is tall. Secondly, while he would look normal even being so lanky and tall, it is his hair that is strange.

Not his hair colour, which is a purply lilac, since I have met all sorts of people with all types of hair colours and even eye colours. No, what is different about this man is the hairstyle has chosen, and while I usually wouldn't care about such a thing, when it is paired with his lanky nature, it looks really weird. You know how when you have long hair, you can make a bun with it that's a bit floppy? That is how he has all of his hair.

With all the serious things happening right now, I really shouldn't be getting caught up on one man's hairstyle, but what the hell? He has, like, six buns on his head, two that go down the sides of his head, two that stick out diagonally, one that comes down directly onto his forehead, and one that sticks straight up into the air, and I can't even see the back of his head right now.

Not to mention that this man has facial hair just under his chin, and even that is in a bun. What's even weirder about it is that I can tell it was originally a soul patch which has grown too much, and he has put it into a bun, but the rest of his face is clean-shaven. I have to say, there are definitely more weirdos in this world than there were in that other one. Not just that, but strong weirdos in positions of power or just willing to do whatever they want, no matter who gets in their way. I am beginning to think past me was an idiot and should have chosen some other traits.

"Shahahaha! I have a counter offer! Kill yourselves right now, and spare me the bother of having to get my hands wet! Or, make me take your lives, which I can promise will be painful! You have five seconds!" There is none of his characteristic sadistic laughing after he has made his statement. Instead, he just stares hard back at them across the ocean, waiting for them to make a decision.

He took what they said to him and threw it right back in their faces. I can feel the air practically simmering and the sudden wariness of the villagers around me, Nami trembling next to me. Still, that is nothing next to the sheer rage of emotion I see bubbling across the sea, Commodore Pudding Pudding's face rapidly morphing into a rictus of fury and his face turning red.

"Front cannon, fire! Destroy this pirate scum!" The Commodore gets very angry and orders for a cannonball to be fired directly at Arlong. Not expecting this course of action, I get very worried as clearly, we are on this beach as well, just behind the tree line, and there is a very high likely hood of civilian casualties if they are blowing up the coast. On the upside, we are probably far away enough not to be affected, and a cannonball is definitely something that Arlong can't survive. No one can-

*BOOM*

A burst of fire from the front of the middle ship and a black ball of death comes shooting out, bursting across the ocean on a direct collision course with a certain ugly blue Fishman. I watch as it shoots towards Arlong before it vanishes from my sight, and all I can see now is Arlong's enormous back. I take pleasure in the fact that this will be the last time I will see it because it is about to be blown into about a million pieces. I can't wait to know what burnt shark smells like-

A sudden rush of wind and a black blur shooting off to the side is all the warning I get before an explosion hits the beach to the left of us, confusing and shocking us all. Then, looking forward, I see the horrifying sight before me that leads me to the dreadful conclusion of what had just happened. Arlong stands there in the exact same place as before, in the very same stance as before, except for one difference.

Arlong has his left arm to the side, and it is the exact same as it was before, except it is stretched out to the left, pointing to where that explosion went off. As a fast learner, I quickly work out what has happened and just how devastating that it is for the people of this island as well as the marines incoming. A ball of destruction was coming right at him, and he just backhanded it away to the left, the ball not phasing him in the least.

He just bitchslapped a fucking cannonball away like it was a fly- no, for him, it was less than a fly since you need precision and timing to swat those little creatures. He did it effortlessly so, so much so that it was scary because if a cannonball can't take him down, then what can? Definitely not me, not right now, as I am now.

"Fire again! He is- A single, you fool. There are civilians on the beach!" Skirting by the fact that someone was just about to litter this side of the island with cannonballs before the Commodore mentioned our presence, why is he doing the same thing again? Is he insane? If it didn't work the first time, then why would it work the second time? Apparently, my internal monologue doesn't actually have any effect on his actions, as another cannonball is fired from the front of the ship.

Before I know what is happening, I am already moving forward, gathering gasps from the workers behind me and a cry from Nami, but it doesn't impede me, not now. Instead, I set off on instinct, my blood pumping rapidly through my body and making me faster and stronger, as well as making me think more quickly. I am already sprinting at Arlong's back, having come to the only conclusion my rushed thoughts could bring me to.

Arlong backhanded the cannonball away, letting it explode away from him, meaning that while he can deflect it, he is still susceptible to the damage from it. The Marines are probably going to be useless, so the most I can do right now is make the most of the opportunity. I need to stop Arlong from deflecting or dodging the cannonball, making him take a direct hope and a lot of damage so myself and the Marines can wear him down together and defeat him.

The only possible way I can see of having the cannonball actually hit him is for something to get in his way, and that something is me. Moving faster than I ever have before, I reach Arlong just before the cannonball does, and I leap forward. I can already see Arlong moving to slap it away, the cannonball's trajectory aiming straight for his chest, which works perfectly for me.

My foot lashes out, and using my momentum and downward force, the back of my heel, the hardest part of my foot, smashes into the back of Arlongs head. I know right now I am too weak to actually do any damage to him, even with a direct hit on his head, but that is not what I am aiming for. My foot might not hurt him, but it does move his head downwards and changes his position meaning that he can't deflect the cannonball that continues on true, now moments from impacting his face.

I know that I am too close and will definitely be injured in the resulting explosion, but I don't care. I don't mind losing my leg if it means that this bastard loses his entire head. In fact, I think it is a worthy trade. A vicious grin of victory lightens up my face as the cannonball is finally here, and I am so joyous that I forget to brace myself for the impact or protect myself from the incoming explosion. Even as I realise it, I don't move to defend myself, caught up in this beautiful moment of victory that will soon be shown by a bang.

But it doesn't come. There is no bang. Instead, there is silence just for an instance where confusion reigns in my mind. A cannonball should explode straight away unless maybe this one is just a blunt projectile, but even so, something should have happened. My confusion only lasts a second as suddenly Arlongs head comes back up and throws me back a little, and then he turns around and relieves me of my confusion. And there it is, the cannonball that is.

Right there in his mouth. Arlong's mouth is wide open, unnaturally so. The black ball of supposed death is held there, being kept in place by his sharp teeth, which clench all around it. I am still in the air, and everything is happening so fast, but I manage a look at Arlongs eyes, which are staring right back at me. They are not angry, which I would much prefer to the perverse emotion showing within his pupils.

Even with his face being unnaturally elongated due to holding an entire cannonball in his mouth, he still manages to look at me. His dangerous pupils are locked on me. His eyes are narrowed, but instead of showing anger or fury, there is something else entirely in his eyes. I can't place it, but it is not a negative emotion aimed at me. Instead, it is positive, as if my actions which tried to end his life, have somehow pleased him. He is happy, which scares the shit out of me.

He smiles. Somehow, someway, he smiles at me, even with the cannonball in his mouth. And then he brings his jaw down, eliciting a grating screech of metal. He crunches it in his mouth, and then a blast of black smoke fires out and blasts me back. I fly backwards, only just managing to get my arms crossed against my face as I twist backwards through the air. My elbows and forearms burn as they skid and scrap against the sand as I fly across it before finally slamming my back into a tree.

A series of gasps and curses sound at near me as while as a cry, but I ignore it as I continue to stare back at Arlongs. When the cannonball burst and sent me back, I didn't close my eyes. I couldn't. I kept my eyes on Arlong as much as I could have as I flipped through the air. My eyes kept locking onto him as I flipped because if he decided to rush and attack me, then I wouldn't be able to do much.

But nothing. Arlong watched me go, his smile of something constant on his face. He wasn't joyous to see me hurt or in pain, but something else, something that I couldn't understand. He liked the fact I tried to kill him. He had something akin to respect in his eyes as he watched my beaten form resting against the tree before turning away from me and back to the Marines.

"Detoro-Kun!" I hear beside me, and I look to my left to see Nami rushing towards me, the other villagers behind her looking on worriedly, but ultimately they stay where they are, their self-preservation taking point. Nami quickly kneels by my side and starts to check my condition. All the while, tears are escaping her eyes.

"I told you not to! I screamed for you to stay and let the Marines handle it! Why didn't you listen... don't die, Detoro-Kun." She starts to sniffle, trying her best to keep her sobs in and not let her cries escape. With her hands patting me all over and checking me for damage, though I don't know what she can do about it, I notice her hands are still bloody. Bloody from working her fingers to the bone at all hours of the day, and now she is using them to check me for injuries.

"It is fine! Stop! I am fine, Nami! Don't worry!" I quickly grab ahold of her wrists, stopping her from using her hands to keep checking my condition and causing her more pain. She is still crying, but I know she is a strong girl. She isn't crying for herself. She is ignoring her own pain. She is crying for me because she thinks I nearly died. I don't question how she had apparently told me not to go and how I somehow managed to ignore that order. I don't care about that right now. It isn't important at this moment.

"Nami, let's go. It is too dangerous here now." What is important right now is getting the hell out of here because things are not looking good for anybody here. Arlong is too strong to be defeated by a single accurate shot and will require a full-blown barrage to deal with, and the rest of his crew isn't even here. If the Marines have any hope of winning, it will be because they used all of the firepower at their disposal as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will die.

"O-Okay... But, Arlong told us to," I don't even dignify that with a response, because fuck that dude. Why do I give a fuck if he told us to stay here? This area is about to become a warzone, and all of us are about to get caught up in it. So, if I could do something to feasibly help, I would stay and try, but I just landed a full power kick on the back of his head and tried to force him to take a cannonball to the face, and he just shrugged it off. Actually, no, he didn't shrug it off. He fucking ate it.

"It doesn't matter. We need to leave before we get caught in the crossfire." Saying so, I grab her by the shoulders and drag her to her feet, but when I notice she is still very haggard, I pick her up and put her on my back, moving my hands behind me to carry her. She stays quiet, no doubt dead tired, most likely having been working tirelessly on maps before being dragged here to witness this battle for some reason.

With Nami on my back, I start to make my way back towards the other villagers, who are more focused on keeping an eye on Arlong. I also look over to see what is happening, only to see Arlong calmly waiting on the beach and waiting. Looking over to the Marines, I can see their ships coming closer, clearly having realised that they won't be able to deal with the Fishman at range after Arlong's display. Still, while they are approaching, some of the marines are definitely considering if that is the appropriate course of action, given that Arlong is patiently waiting and staring at them on the land.

Especially when you consider the fact that he is a Fishman, and the water is basically his domain. He could go over there and start attacking the hull of the ships, biting chunks out of them underwater where they can't do anything but slowly go down with their boat. And then there would be no chance of survival left for them, being ripe for harvesting as Arlong and the other Fishmen can just attack them like a bunch of piranhas. So the fact that he isn't doing anything like that means he doesn't see the need, which is worrying.

Clearly, some of the marines on the ship have realised this and are trying to make their opinion known, but the Commodore is hearing none of it. So I don't know if Pudding Pudding is supremely confident in himself and his abilities or if he is so infuriated by the scum pirates' actions and arrogance that he is ordering all ships to head forward. Either way, I don't think this is going to end well for them, so we should get out of here before things turn south. I just about make it to the rest of the villagers and go to tell them to evacuate when I am interrupted by some ominous laughing.

"Shaha! Nami! Watch closely! This is the result of all your hard work! Be proud! Thanks to you, the Arlong Pirates will be brought to greatness! SHAHAHA!" Arlong laughs, drawing all of our attention and stifling the words I was about to speak. With that, he just kept me and the rest from leaving because all of us, Nami included, had been wondering just how her maps would be assisting the pirates. Finally, it seems that we are about to find out.

"Hachi! Kuroobi! Chew! Send them to hell! SHAHAHAH!" A gasp from behind me draws my attention, and when I look back, I see realisation slowly blooming in her eyes, which clues me into the fact that something big is about to happen. Looking forward, I find it hard to keep track of everything that is happening since it is all moving so fast, but I manage to keep track of what is happening.

First of all, when Arlong called out to his crewmates, the marines barely had any time to react before suddenly there was a large cracking sound, like a house collapsing and stuff. And that is when I saw the massive rudders on all three ships ripping free and flopping into the water, confusing all present. And then we see the three fishmen that Arlong just called out to appear from behind all three ships, floating on the water, and we understand that those three fishmen just ripped the rudders off of the marine vessels.

Before anyone can react, Hachi and Kuroobi dive beneath the water and disappear into its depths while Chew, the guy I was just fighting a while ago, quickly descends into the water and then come rocketing out of the water to land on the middle marine ship. I guess Chew didn't run away from me to go inform Arlong but rather to take his position in the sea, which lends credence to the fact that they knew this attack was coming and had already planned for it.

Kuroobi lands in the middle of all of the marines, who are so shocked that they cannot react, and instead of pulling out their swords and flintlocks like they should, they panic, probably never having been in such a situation before. Kuroobi just laughs at them, finding their pathetic actions funny, and they all panic even more for some reason, making me think that these Marines have never had a real fight or have been dealing with weak pirates that usually run away.

There seems to be at least one marine that has at least some experience, which he shows by trying to rally his men. Commodore Pudding Pudding works his way through the throng of marines, coming to the front to face Chew himself. Thankfully this is all taking place at the front of the ship, in clear view of all of us, so we can still see what is happening, though I wonder what Hachi and Kuroobi are up to underneath the water.

"You filthy pirate, how dare you lay your filthy feet upon this ship! Men, what the hell are you doing! This disgusting pirate has come to us for a change instead of us having to hunt him down. Reward him by showing him true justice! PIRATE! Surrender now, and we will let you live, or refuse and-" Commodore Pudding Pudding begins to rally up his men, motivating them, and it is working as his men look more confident and begin to glare at Chew. It seemed like they were about to gang up and beat the shit out of Chew, and then Chew opened up his mouth.

"Mizudeppo! (Water Gun)" A single glob of water is fired from Chew's mouth faster than anyone can react. And then, Commodore Pudding Pudding is missing an entire chunk of his midsection. Silence reigns as the formerly alive Commodore folds in on himself and collapses to the floor, the surrounding marines unable to comprehend what had just happened. Chew calmly jumps off of the ship and back into the water while I realise that a whole barrage of those things was fired at me, and a single one could have blown me apart. I am lucky to be alive.

And then, a moment later, The sea starts to collapse in on itself. Out of the blue, the waters begin to swirl and twist and turn, and the ships have no choice but to try and follow along. The ships are broken apart by the raging currents, and before long, they are dragged beneath the sea. We all watched it happen in silence, unable to look away from the horrific sight. Nami is the most affected, with a look of horror on her face, her tears now churning out and a lot of apologies leaving her mouth.

And then Hachi, Kuroobi and Chew appear out of the water, walking up out of the sea and onto the shore, smirking on their faces, though Hachi shows a simple, honest smile making me think he is not all there. They walk up to Arlong, who is still staring out at sea, and then he turns around.

"Now, let's have a talk. Who did something that they shouldn't have..?"

 

[DragonField]

Chapter 27– Time Part One.

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"Yo, Detoro! Play with me!" My eyebrow twitched at the loud voice bellowing behind me as I worked on sawing a piece of wood, working towards making a chair. I really do try my best to ignore the grating voice behind me, a voice which always is making its appearance and annoying me when it should really be keeping away from me.

"Detoro? Can you hear me? Can we play?" I stop my sawing and slam my saw down on the workbench, turning around and glaring angrily at the constant annoyance. Hachi, in turn, willows under my gaze as he quickly backs away. This stupid idiot really isn't like the other fishmen because they are actually cruel and vicious, while this idiot is just a sheep that follows his pals.

For the last few years, I have been playing board games and stuff with this stupid octopus man. At first, being kind of intimidated by his dopey nature, thinking something more sinister lay underneath. But, of course, I found out very quickly that he was just an idiot and was not vicious like his friends. Of course, that doesn't mean I like him, but I could maybe spare him when I kill them all.

"Hachi, what do you think I am here to do? You guys are always messing about and breaking this place apart, and I have to come and fix and do all the repairs. I don't have time to play, Hachi. Now leave me alone." While I would much rather be ruder and straightforward about it and tell him to fuck off, that would be a mistake. Not because he isn't like the rest, but because if one of the others overheard it, they would take offence at my words, and nothing good would come of that.

"Ah, uh, okay then... Um, Arlong wanted to know if you are going to try and kill him today. He, uh, he has something he could be doing... otherwise." Hachi says nervously, not hesitant to talk to me as he is used to m behaviour if a bit nervous about it, but he is more confused about the killing Arlong part and usually can't quite get his head around it.

"Not today," I say, still looking at him and not taking my gaze off of him. Unwilling to turn my back to him until he is gone, and he looks back awkwardly. Now normally, I would be taking every moment I can to try and kill the giant blue shark man, but I can't, not today. The simple fact of the matter is that Nami is coming back today, and I can't let her know of my attempts unless she tells me to stop, and I have to obey. She has completely given up on the assassination route since we found nothing we did even hurt him. Though, I have continued to try and end him, just in a more direct way.

Hachi gets the message after a few seconds of me staring at him deadpanned, and awkwardly turns around and heads off to do whatever it is he does on when he is not annoying me. I honestly don't know what he does most of the time since he is too dumb to be cruel like the rest of them and mess with other people, and I don't care.

With the nuisance gone, I turn around and get back to work on a chair designed to the specifications of one Fishman with a fin on his back. But, of course, since they have me make all their things, they decided to get specialised stuff to make life more comfortable for them, and then they break it, and the cycle repeats. I don't care, it keeps the peace, and Arlong still allows me to have a crack at killing him with no repercussions for my murder attempts. Win-win, he gets him and his people some comfort, and I get to try and take his life.

Sighing to myself, I get to work on this stupid chair. A lot has changed over the last few years. A lot has changed over the last few years, and by that, I mean pretty much everything has changed since a few years ago. Then, we were only easing into captivity, but now we are fully captured. The villagers still held out some hope at the beginning, but that all began to change after the events of the failed marine attack.

Arlong was very fucking mad after he had dealt with all of the marines, but it wasn't a brutal, fiery anger, but a cold, simmering one that was controlled. Immediately after the incident in question, he asked just whose idea it was, and of course, nobody fessed up, knowing that they would probably be severely punished if they owned up to it. And so, when Arlong did not get a response, he was all ready to head to Shokuyasi village and flip it all on its head as punishment. At that point, one worker from the village stepped forward and claimed responsibility, and then the others, feeling inspired, also stepped forward until all of the workers were claiming that they had a hand in that day's events.

Of course, with this, Arlong was stuck between a rock and a hard place as he needed all of these people to continue working on Arlong Park, but he also had to punish them. Very cruelly, he had decided that Shokuyasi Village would be destroyed as punishment. Thankfully I manage to get in the way and convince him not to do that, using a lot of reasoning and threats.

However, seeing the need for a punishment to take place still, I helped to decide that their privilege would be taken from them. As while they were working on Arlong Park, they would have the taxes for themselves and their families lowered. So Arlong waived that and made them pay the full price while also working full-time on Arlong Park with no other work. Needless to say, that month and the following few were tough for those workers and their families. Thankfully the other villagers helped them out as they did what they did for the sake of the village.

After that, we knew that the Fishmen, or Arlong at the least, were too powerful to let go of this island without a fight with severe consequences. One thing that we knew for definite is that we could not rely on outside sources to help us gain our freedom, let alone the marines that had just shown they needed to be stronger to contend with the pirates. After that, Nami had a big change of heart and realised that as well, especially after she saw just what the results of her strenuous efforts were.

The Arlong pirates had used the map that Nami had created to defeat three entire ships full of marines and doom them to a watery death. They were forcing Nami to make heavily detailed maps, and then they were obviously planning to use those insanely detailed maps for nefarious purposes, no doubt being used to kill countless people in the future. Nami realised this. She understood exactly what they did and just how horrifying this could be in the future if they could use such a method all over the world.

After that, she was adamant about freeing herself and the village from Arlong by any means necessary, and she ended up enlisting my help to do so. So after that, aside from fulfilling the duties forced upon us, we would constantly be brainstorming and coming up with methods to try and kill Arlong. We figured without Arlong, the rest of the pirates would crumble and skedaddle, cut off the head of the snake and all that. But, of course, this snake had a nearly indestructible neck.

We tried all sorts of things using the resources available to us, firstly going for the subtle methods, which I disliked but was forced to do because of Nami's orders and also because I realised it was the only option I had at that point in time. So we tried all sorts of stuff, countless poisons, acids and toxins, as well as trying to find out if he had allergies and foods he was allergic to.

Of course, we were limited in what we could get our hands on, and we refrained from involving anybody else on the island. That was Nami's decision as she came to the conclusion that she and I were indispensable for Arlong, and so even if we were caught, we would not be killed. I am sure it is only her that is crucial to their plans. However, I made no mention of this and continued to assist her.

However, nothing seemed to work, and any positions that we had access to in the East Blue just would not cut it, his Fishman biology handling it with ease. So we decided to get more clear-cut with our methods when the subtle ways were not panning out, and by that, we made the decision that bodily harm was in order. But, of course, we did not forget the poisons, and so we laced our assassination tools in them to the best of our abilities and then waited for the right opportunity to stick inside him.

He had proved to be resistant to blunt attacks, so we decided to pierce him with blades. When the time finally came, Nami jumped the gun and ran straight to stab him in the chest. I myself aimed myself at his eyes. He ignored Nami and took me down, and then that was it. He did nothing more. He laughed and then sent us on our way, weirding us both out, but we didn't care as it just meant that we could try again.

And we did. Again and again and again. And yet, every time, our efforts amounted to nothing. We would regularly return to Nojiko's house covered in wounds when Arlong was a bit heavy-handed, and she would patch us up without saying anything, even though it pained her to see us like that. We used everything that we had, and the results always remained the same.

After that, Nami despaired at the fact that Arlong was seemingly invincible and pinned all of her hopes on her last option. She could not wait for us all to be freed by someone else. However, she had already seen one failed attempt, and therefore she returned her gaze back to the one hundred million berries she would have to raise to buy this island and everyone's freedom back from Arlong.

I myself did not think that. Even if she somehow managed to raise the full amount that Arlong wanted, I doubt Arlong would actually abide by the terms of the agreement. However, this was nami's hope, and I could not crush it, similar to how the villager's hope was for marines to come and free them, stronger than the ones that showed up previously. I could not crush that either, though I knew no one was coming for us.

With my job being what it was, I was allowed unfettered access to nearly the entirety of Arlong Park. The Fishman were constantly breaking things, and I was always there to fix them and to make improvements, so I got to see a lot more of them behind closed doors than anyone else, even Nami, who was usually locked up in her room atop Arlong Park constantly working on maps.

So it was inevitable that I would eventually overhear some of the more secretive happenings going on in Arlong Park. Arlong wasn't overly aware of his surroundings all the time, or maybe he just wanted me to hear this out of some sadistic pleasure. Arlong was talking on a Den Den Mushi, and I learned that he was bribing the nearby marines to keep everything going on here covered up. More specifically, that bastard Captain Nezumi was profiting off of our misery, which somehow pissed me off way more than Arlong, who was actually causing us to suffer, Maybe because it was a dereliction of duty. I never mentioned it since the villagers needed that hope, and Nami didn't need distractions.

Nami asked for my help to figure out a way to somehow get off of this island and start gathering funds. The second part, she decided she would deal with it, and she just needed my help for the first thing. We decided on going to Arlong and convincing him that she should be allowed out so she could draw more maps, having done all she could while confined here to these surrounding islands.

Surprisingly Arlong agreed without much fanfare, he even revealed he could guess our actual objective to gather money, but he didn't care. So my plan A was to kill the fucker, plan B was for Nami to collect the money, and by some miracle, Arlong actually agreed to it. Plan C... Don't get me started on plan C. It is our unfeasible doomsday plan which Nami knows nothing about, and if that is required, then things have gotten too drastic. I would rather not think about it.

However, he did not allow me to go with her. I tried, I did. I tried my best with sound logic and reason to convince him to let me also leave, but for some reason, he refused to let me. In fact, he forbade me from leaving the island entirely, on the threat that a lot of people would die if I did. I had no clue why he was so adamant about it, but he told Nami not to try and get help; otherwise, she would be dooming everyone still here. My only guess is that he is not letting me go because he thinks maybe I could do something that would be detrimental to him while off of the island. I don't know what that is, but it doesn't matter since I won't be leaving this island any time soon.

Nami was not allowed to leave freely either, Arlong did not fully trust her not to mess up and bring more attention to the island, and so he decided to send a Fishman subordinate with her every time she left to protect and monitor her as well as make sure that she didn't do anything she shouldn't. He also ordered them not to help her with anything and only intervene if it looked like she might die since her death would hurt his plan. Aside from that, they were just there to monitor, and Arlong knew that Nami was going to try and get money, and he knew that one hundred million bellies could only be gained by crime.

Arlong fully expected Nami to go out there and try and steal and for her to get very fucking hurt and come back fallen, no longer willing to try and gather the money. Well, he was right about that first part. Nami had gone on a few expeditions by this point, with nothing happening much and some slight thievery taking place as she tried to find her groove, her Fishmen escort usually always hiding in the waters and waiting.

After a while, she was trusted not to make any waves, and she had gotten used to her new role as a thief, befriending and helping out bad people and pirates with her skills and stealing from them, usually without doing the former if she could help it. Finally, Arlong, satisfied after her year-long effort, decided she no longer needed an escort, trusting her not to run to the marines and to not run to the marines and not to get herself killed. And indeed, she was cunning and skilful enough to end up not dead, but that didn't mean she always got away unscathed.

On this one particular occasion, she had come back with bruises and cuts all over her, but her face was hard, and there was no sadness or pain on her face, only guilt and anger, anger at her own weakness. She had tried to steal from somebody, and she had vastly underestimated her target, though thankfully, she hadn't overestimated herself. While the theft did not pan out, she did manage to escape with her life. That was not good enough for her, and so she came to me. Why did she come to me? Well, I had been busy working on Plan A while she was busy with Plan C.

Of course, I could not stand idly by as a young girl tried alone to free all of us in a way that I did not think would work. Nevertheless, I never truly gave up on Plan A, which was killing Arlong. Except for this time, I knew that I could not rely on cunning or subtle methods, and the only way to do such a thing would be to use my own strength and skill. Thankfully Arlong was okay with our attempted murders, so all I had to worry about was getting stronger.

I continued with the exercises and training methods that Garp had told me so long ago, but clearly, that would not be enough. And so I supplemented it with all of my past life knowledge as well as all of the knowledge and help I could get from the villagers on the island. Arlong actually provided me with money as he realised nearly all of my time was spent working for him, and I needed to eat and rest as well. So I used this money to buy food and aid from the villagers. I was getting the advice from experienced villagers to come up with the best training regimen and the best nutritious food. And I carried this on for a long time, mainly using my past knowledge to help me get an edge.

I had constantly been trying to get stronger whenever I could, in the hopes that I could use my own two hands to take down Arlong. However, it would be a while before I reached that point, which meant I just had to work that much harder. When Nami came and asked for my help, I was going to help even before the order was made. It was a long shot, but maybe Arlong would actually follow the deal he made. Anything is possible. So then, it became a question of whether or not she could raise one hundred million berries before I became strong enough to end this once and for all. I couldn't possibly comment, one way or the other.

So with the decision to train Nami came the consideration of how to do so. My objective was to kill Arlong, which required me to have power and speed. However, Nami's goal was to steal, which requires agility and dexterity, and above all else, she needed speed and evasion. Her goal was to steal and run away. Self-defence and combat prowess were secondary to that.

And so that is how we started her training, trying to strengthen her entire body with a concentration on her lower body, especially for her to run away as fast as possible. We trained her whenever possible, which was whenever she was on the island, as she did most of her mapwork while travelling now and usually finished up back in her room at Arlong Tower. I also advised her on what she could do on her own without my help, and she took to it like a horse to water. Not to say that she was a prodigy or anything, but she dove in like she was dying of thirst.

But, even with all my training, she was coming back still covered in cuts and bruises. When I questioned her on it, I discovered that she had not used her new capabilities to continue doing the level of theft she was doing but used them to elevate her crimes to the point she was still escaping from dangerous situations. At this point, I realised escape couldn't be her only option, and she needed some combat capability to help her survivability.

I asked her to spar to start teaching her, and we did, and she was so very weak before me, and I realised that she would need time to bridge such a gap. However, Nami was not willing to wait and would continue to steal, so we decided that she needed a weapon. After some debate, we figured out she needed a weapon that was easily hidden as she would sometimes be infiltrating, and she needed something to protect her as she would only be trying to steal and escape. Her aim was not to try and kill or maim her opponent but escape with all that they treasured.

She ended up deciding on a collapsible bo staff, even though I was in opposition and wanted her to pick a bladed weapon or a ranged weapon, something that would be more lethal. She refused and kept to the collapsible bo staff she decided to keep strapped to the side of her thigh, though I managed to convince her to take a knife as well. I trained her to use both as best I could after searching out some villagers knowledgeable on the subjects. Nami had been prepared to the best of my ability, and only with consistent training would she grow even stronger.

However, even with my training, she would constantly come home with bruises and injuries, pushing above and beyond to try and gather the funds. And then, when she got back, she would train as well as draw up all of her maps. She was doing an excruciating amount of work, constantly working towards her goal of freeing this island from the Arlong pirate's clutches.

After knowing her for so long, I must admit that even though I hate to be so indentured, I do not wish for harm to befall her head, even if it would mean my freedom. She doesn't even command me to do much, only occasionally when she seriously needs help.

It broke my and Nojiko's hearts to see her constantly in pain and putting up a brave face for everyone, working for everyone's betterment. We tried to get her to stop and take a break, to rest for a while, but she vehemently refused. I think she is so adamant now, not only because of the possibility of freeing everyone but also to break free and stop making maps for the Arlong pirates, knowing just how much destruction they could cause. She would let nothing get in her way, least of all us, and Nojiko and I would just have to deal with that and cope in our own way.

Speaking of Nojiko, that brilliant blue-haired girl had also had her hands full these last few years, mainly dealing with us. She truly was fantastic, allowing me to live there with her because I had nowhere else to go, and while Arlog wanted me to also stay at Arlong Park, I abhorred the thought with my entire being, and luckily Nojiko let me live with her.

With Nojiko being the only one left at the tangerine farm out of the pair of sisters, she took charge of it and looked after the farm, growing and selling the tangerines. I helped her occasionally since I lived there with her, and I also helped around the house as well.

Honestly, if Nami was a greedy devil as she had shown herself to be with her incredible talent in pilfering, which I learnt she had before the pirate invasion, then Nojiko was a benevolent angel. She had a little bit of a vulgar tongue which she picked up from her mother, but that was something I grew to like as well.

I genuinely do not know how I could have handled all of this if it were not for Nojiko, who was there to look after both Nami and me, looking after our injuries, cooking for us, cleaning for us and lots more. I make sure to look after her and help her where I can since she does do much for me.

Seeing her and Nami working so hard every day, doing what they could, I decided to work hard as well and upped my training as much as I could when I wasn't working. I was doing my all to free myself, Nami and Nojiko, as well as everybody else, but more than that, I seriously wanted to bash Arlongs head in.

But even that was proving to be complicated.

 

[DragonField]

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Chapter 28– Time Part Two.

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I couldn't just sit around and do nothing but twiddle my thumb and listen to orders and wait and hope for something that wouldn't happen. Nobody was coming to help, at least not anytime soon. So Nami's plan probably would not work, and unless we all want to stay like this, there is only one other option. Killing Arlong and all his buddies.

Of course, I had been trying for a while, but to no effect. When the poison and subtlety did not work, I reverted to the method I liked and appreciated most. Beautiful, brutal violence focused purely on destruction. Of course, while my preferred method, it was really like pushing a boulder up a mountain. But damn it, I was going to get the big hunk of rock to the precipice, and then I was going to drop it on Arlongs head.

Arlong was fine with me trying to kill him. In fact, he liked it. He appreciated the fact that I would try and kill him straight up and would allow me a time and place to have my shot, never once refusing me my chance. I would challenge him nearly every day and try to fight and beat him head-on.

Of course, just because I kept trying and he was letting me didn't mean I was getting anywhere. He was letting himself be attacked since it only meant the same was true for me, and I was fair game. Oh, and he made sure I knew it by beating my ass black and blue at every available opportunity. However, he also needed me for my skills and capability since it was always within reason, but he knew how to make it hurt without leaving any damage, or he learnt and got very good at it over the course of our battles.

Even with the brutal outcomes of every attempt, I never let it stop me. Every time I was beaten down, I would get back up and come back for more the next day. Day after day, week after week and eventually year after year, I would try and kill this man, and he would laugh in joy all the while at my attempts. But, of course, people can become bored of anything after a while and a lot of repetition, and that includes fishmen as well.

While I gave it my all and never let up, even after so many defeats, I believe Arlong just got more and more bored with it. Continually handing me my ass, while fun at first, must have become really dull after a while. So, I think in order for Arlong to liven it up some more and have some fun, he started to draw the battles out instead of kicking my ass straight away.

Like a cat plays with its food, Arlong began to fuck around with me and make it more enjoyable for himself. Where before, he would just straight up tank all my blows and laugh at my feeble attacks. Lately, he had begun to dodge and avoid all of my blows and hits, it made me think I was actually getting somewhere, and I was close to finally beating him.

He would avoid my strikes by just the thinnest of margins, and while, at first, I thought it was me getting better, eventually, I would figure out that it was him messing with me and using pure skill to avoid my blows with no wasted movements. Of course, when that got boring for him, he decided to take it even further and start letting my hits connect. The excitement that pulsed through my body when I hit him and he went flying backwards was terrific. Even when before they had not even managed to push him back, suddenly they could blast him backwards and send him shooting head over ass.

Needless to say, I was on cloud nine when these things were first occurring, and I felt like soon I would be free, and so would everybody else, that there was light at the end of the tunnel. But, of course, as is customary, this was taken away from me as well. Some of the Fishmen pirates saw me, and they must've been annoyed by the smile and joy I was feeling because they took measures to rectify that. Finally, one day, after one of my showdowns with Arlong, where we had both exchanged blows, and I had only lost by a bit of bad luck, they pulled me aside.

They laughed at me, asking if I truly believed that I was going to beat Arlong. I didn't click on it at first, but then they laid it out, plain and simple, for me. They said he was messing with me and letting me believe that I was actually getting somewhere. I thought about it and refused the notion, sure of what I was feeling with my fists and body, but they were adamant.

They had told me that he had decided to go along with it and let me actually believe I could maybe one day beat him, giving me some hope. They said it was because Arlong didn't want me to kill myself out of despair so that he wouldn't lose his skilled expert on all things woodworking and crafting. But, I will admit that it had introduced some doubt in me, and I had gone over everything in my mind with a fine tooth comb and had some problems with it.

But then I decided to fuck that and ignore it completely. So what if some of it was false, or even if all of it was. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I keep trying. Nothing is impossible, and as long as I keep trying, then I can definitely do it. I have no time for doubt, especially not in this climate. Because I know that if it sets in, then that will be the end. I will be defeated and unable to ever free myself; I will give up.

That was not an option. So even with the things they told me, I kept on trying. Harder than ever, I brought my all and tried to kill him even more. The fact that he was actually having fun and making it more interesting for himself just served to piss me off instead of demoralising me. I was determined to make this fucker stop taking me lightly and start putting some effort into this shit. I am going to kick the long-nosed fuckers ass, even if it is the last thing I will ever do.

However, even after all this time, I remain at a stalemate. The same thing just carried on happening, with no change. No matter how much I trained and how much stronger I got, the battles would stay the same. He would mess around with me, still playing around. However, I know I am improving. The amount I can lift and the speed that I time when training. It has all improved over the years, and yet Arlong still continues to dodge me by just a little. But I am improving. That is a fact, and I will keep improving until my fist punches right through him and blood covers my fingers.

Of course, aside from helping Nojiko with her tangerine farm, maintaining Arlong Park and trying to kill Arlong on a daily basis, I have one other thing that I work on nearly every day. You see, I was fully maintaining every inch of Arlong Park since all of the other people capable of it were too afraid to approach the place, so I had to learn a lot of stuff and things I never knew before to do my work correctly.

Of course, being in charge of all that stuff, the idea of bringing it all down on their heads while they slept crossed my mind. However, Nami slept in that building when she was here, and I couldn't be sure that the thing wouldn't come down with her in it if I stopped maintaining the place properly. Plus, I have seen how strong and durable Arlong is, and that is not even mentioning his minions. So it wouldn't work and, at most, would bury him for a couple hours before he got out.

Anyway, back to what I was saying. I was learning a whole lot of new things to keep up with my new duties, and I was getting good at them fast. Arlong noticed. He inquired. He wanted to know how I knew these things, and when I told them that I was learning them now, he laughed. He was happy. Another genius, he said. Another prodigy he could make use of. I wasn't a genius. I was just a fast learner that could probably pick anything up. However, I probably wouldn't be an innovative master of my craft.

Arlong didn't care, he saw something, and he ran with it. He wanted to get the most use out of me. So he started bringing me all sorts of books on things he thought would be useful and chucked them at me, forcing me to learn all kinds of things so he could benefit from them. One thing I ended up focusing most of my energy on was weaponry. Arlong wanted to upgrade Arlong Park and make it more defensible and provide it with some weaponry facing out towards the ocean. I don't know why. He showed that he could efficiently deal with any attack from the sea. I guess he just doesn't want to use it unless necessary, to not play his hand too soon and keep it as a special move.

So, with Arlong wanting to add to the offensive qualities of his base and make Arlong Park into a veritable fortress. And to that effect, they wanted all the weaponry and cannons they could get their hands on put all over the place, and even more if they could have it made and installed. Obviously not familiar with this neck of the woods, what with this being the East Blue and them being from the Grand Line, they had tasked me with dealing with this.

Of course, I didn't know anything about it either, but they didn't give a crap, and so I was forced to do the job. I was limited to the island since I was not permitted off of it, and I talked to all the villagers I could to gain information. While none of the villagers had any experience with weapons manufacturing, they did know of a few places that did it off of the island. However, the places they knew of did work for the nearby marines, and so anything we commissioned off of them would obviously be suspect and raise some flags.

When I informed Arlong of this, I thought he would end up using his marine contact Captain Nezumi to push it under the rug or act as a middleman, but he didn't. Arlong instead acted very cautiously, not wanting to do anything that might lift some eyebrows more than he had already done. Instead, he foisted it off onto me. He saw my learning ability and thought that I was his solution. Why outsource your problems when you could solve them at home and keep it all private.

He provided me with the books and told me to get any others I needed which he would fund, and that he would also provide me with any materials that I would need at my request. I was a bit confused why he was going to be so trusting, handing me such knowledge as well as the materials to make use of it. Then again, once more, as I stated before, he can tank cannonballs without a scratch. He obviously doesn't feel threatened even with handing me such things. Why would he? Any weaponry I could make would really have no effect on him.

And so, with the books on hand, I started to learn all I could to fulfil my new job. With the books teaching me and the fact that I am a very fast learner, I quickly began to evolve my craft. I learnt all I could to the point of manufacturing my own weaponry and cannons. I knew exactly how to do that. All the inns and outs, I knew, and all I had to do now was start actually making them.

When I told Arlong that, he only permitted me to make cannons and cannonballs for his base, and that was all. He made sure to punctuate his order with a threat that if anybody were to be found with any weapons or guns on the island, including me, there would be dire consequences. The villagers would be killed along with their village being punished, and he said something worse would be in store for me.

I don't know why he didn't want guns to be manufactured when he could take a cannonball head-on, but I think perhaps it was because he didn't want a rebellion or something. As much as he hated the humans on the island, they were still the source of all his money, and so if he started culling them, then that would mean less profit for him overall. I am guessing he doesn't want guns around because then they would have the courage to fight, which means he would have to kill quite a lot of them to break that spirit.

Anyway, weapon manufacturing didn't quite go as easily as I thought it would when I started to experiment. Even if I had the technical knowledge, my practical knowledge was not up to scratch, and so there was a fair bit of trial and error until I started producing results. And even then, I was not getting the amount needed to be done, and so I had to do a little outsourcing of my own, strictly limited to the island, of course.

So, in order to help with the manufacturing of the cannons and other weaponry, I enlisted the help of some blacksmiths and workers on the island. Anybody that was willing, I took on to help me make this stuff, and eventually, we had made all the weaponry and installed it all at Arlong Park, giving it some defensive capabilities. I thought that would be it, and we would all be going back to life as usual now that Arlong had gotten what he wanted, but that was not the case.

Like a shark in the water smelling blood, Arlong caught opportunity on the horizon, and he struck. We had manufactured weapons entirely on the island and secretly, with materials coming in and no one keeping track of them. Arlong saw the capability and decided on a new business venture. I am not too sure what happened, but we were ordered to keep working on stuff, and Arlong disappeared for a bit before coming back very happy.

Arlong had never left the island before, and so I obviously had to consider my options now that he had gone all of a sudden. But, of course, he had left his crew behind, and he didn't mention it or anything, and neither did his crew, but given my close proximity to them all, it was easy for me to notice. I could have maybe put up a fight and taken out some of his crew, but there would have been some casualties, and I am not sure I could take all of them together. So I decided it was better to not do anything since Arlong would come back, and I still could not kill him, and he would be wrathful if some of his friends were dead.

He came back not long after, having swum wherever it was he was going very fast and then coming back. I felt very much like I missed an opportunity when he came back with a big smile on her face, and I had a feeling that things would get worse. They quickly did when Arlong relayed his next orders. He called me up to talk with him soon after he got back.

It was then that I learnt we would be making weapons to be sold in the underworld. Apparently, Arlong had managed to get in contact with some old pirate crews he knew, humans, even though he was loathed to do so, and he managed to get a deal going with some guy called Joker, who would be buying up the weapons.

I don't know much of what deal he had going on with this guy, but Hachi and Chew would take MohMoo out every month or so to deliver what we are now being ordered to make. That being cannons, weaponry, swords and everything else in between. If it was used for violence and combat, then yeah, we were told to make it so Arlong could sell it.

And so I was forced to tell all of those workers to get back to work, and I also explained to Arlong that they would have to be given some concessions to actually work and to produce the amount he wanted. Arlong, devious bastard that he was made a new deal for them. However many weapons they could make each month would be knocked off of the tax they would have to pay each month. He had them working commission and was selling the result of their hard work and then even charging them what they did earn.

Thankfully, there were enough workers on the island that they all got separate shifts and spread the work out so they could also do their other jobs as well. Unfortunately, however, there were quite a lot of them that would be working through the night as well. Arlong, the clever piece of shit, made a twenty-four-seven weapon production system and was making literal gold off of it, off of us. And there was nothing that we could do about it. So we were stuck with it.

However, our new duties did open up some new avenues for us. Well, for those of us willing to risk it, which was basically just me. You see, I was the expert on the island when it came to all this crap, so Arlong was giving me nearly total control over it. He relied on me to order the materials and then oversee the process of turning it all into weaponry. Actually, I didn't order the materials but more specified about what we needed and then Arlong's contact or whoever would bring it. I am not too sure, he never was too open about that in particular, and he always made his calls on the Den Den Mushi in private whenever he had to.

Anyway, with me having such a position, I was able to order more than necessary and squirrel away some of the materials. Of course, only a small amount at a time, just in case Arlong ever clicked on and took a closer look. For some stupid reason, it brought up a memory of a tv show from my past self's life called The Office. A scene where the boss is having a surplus explained to him by his accountant.

Imagine you are five years old, and your mommy and daddy have given you ten dollars to run a lemonade stand, but you go out and get everything done only using nine dollars. Now, you can go and give that extra dollar back to Mommy and Daddy, but guess what. Next year? I will be six. Yes, but when you try and run the lemonade stand again, they will only give you nine dollars because that is how much it costs to run.

It is stupid how my brain works, but that was essentially the situation I was in. I was asking for a certain amount of materials from Arlong, more than I needed. And if he found that out, then I would be in trouble and only given what is strictly necessary for me to make the weapons. This is why I can't change the material amount I have requested since that would be suspicious as we were producing the same amount each month unless told otherwise, or we were running low.

It wasn't enough at the beginning, but over time it built up and became an amount that I could work with and experiment with. Because one facet of my past life that I was now very focused on was the advancements in weaponry and ammunition, which was way more developed than the flintlocks and rifles we had here. The heights of inane human weaponry from my past life were right there, and I had the vision and knowledge to bring it to this world and give myself a leg up. Arlong isn't susceptible to this world level of warfare, but maybe he is to another world. If something ain't dying, then you haven't shot it enough.

Of course, which I am saying a lot now, things were not as easy as I thought they would be. Primarily because while my past self had known about and seen such weaponry in movies, he had no clue on exactly how they worked. As for myself, I was only knowledgeable on weaponry from this world, and so it was hard for me to figure out something so advanced. Still, the concepts were the same though the rate of fire and damage were night and day. So, once again, trial and error came into effect, but knowing what I wanted, I was continuously improving.

I had made some guns though they were not on the level of what I wanted. Still, I was definitely getting there. I was building up my stock. However, I couldn't give them to any of the villagers in case any of them got trigger-happy and fired off a couple shots ruining what I had going on. However, I did slip a rifle to Genzo, knowing he could be trusted. I had gotten to know the man very well over the last couple of years, given how much he tried to look after the two sisters and how much he tried to keep his eye on me like I was up to something.

Genzo didn't say anything when I gave him the weapon, and he keeps it hidden, and I know he will only ever use it when it actually needs to be used. So I trust him with it, just like he trusts me when it comes to Nami and Nojiko, however begrudgingly. As for myself, I had made a couple, but I had a favourite. I had made a six-shooter, designed like a Colt Python, which was my favourite so far. Given my new relationship with guns, I had started to train with them and tried to keep it under wraps.

It was not possible, and while I had improved amazingly when it came to my aim and accuracy, I was eventually found out. Arlong found out since I was firing shots off whenever I tried, even with the makeshift silencer I was fabricating. However, it only really limited the noise instead of silencing it completely. So yeah, Arlong strolled up to my training area in the secluded woods one day, and I was caught with my pants down.

However, instead of being angry or something like I thought he would be, he didn't actually punish me. Well, he gave me a beating, but I was already used to those. No, he thought that I would not be able to do anything with it, assured of his Fishman superiority, and for all he knew, all I had was that little peashooter.

Thankfully Arlong didn't know anything about weapons even though he was selling them, so he did not realise my gun was a one-of-a-kind, never before seen in this world. I think it is, at least. However, he did make sure to reiterate his threats if any guns found their way to the population since it was also my job to make sure none of the villagers stole any at work.

So henceforth, no one really questioned the gunshots coming from the woods if they heard them, which allowed me to get a lot more practice in, shooting targets, swinging logs and animals and birds to train myself up. I continued my work, mainly theorising and drawing blueprints and plans for weaponry that I still needed to get the material to build. I was working up to a weapon that could kill Arlong without killing everybody else on the island. It is a work in progress.

But for now, Nami is back, and I need to go home. Nojiko likes to make a big welcome feast whenever Nami comes back since all of the villagers treat her bad for some reason, even though they care about her. Whatever, I don't know why those idiots do what they do.

I wonder what Nojiko is cooking today?

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I want to talk more with you guys, so I am starting to leave little notes at the end of each chapter like this.

To the person who recommended to me the anime Grand Blue Dreaming. Thank you so much. I really needed a laugh! I had this anime on my list, but it was very low down, and it would have taken me a while to get to it, and even then, I might have just skipped over it. If not for you, I would have missed it. I haven't had a proper laugh in a while, and this gave me that, so thank you.

That Titanic Ocean Gate submarine thing was crazy, right? Rich people really are crazy. I bet they just thought if it was expensive, then it couldn't possibly go wrong. Sad, really. Even in the face of the thing being controlled by a goddamn game controller, when they saw how expensive it was, they thought it must be fine. I presume, I don't know. They had a monitor screwed into the very thin hull of the thing; I mean, that should have rung alarm bells. They literally screwed something into the only thing keeping the water out.

I don't know; it is a messed up situation overall. I mean, James Cameron had gone down there multiple times, over thirty, and he has been fine. But money-hungry fuckers start popping out of the woodwork, and they don't care about safety, and they cut corners, and people die because of it. I mean, surely you are making enough money off of it; why do you have to cut corners. What is even more fucked up is that the CEO was the fucking pilot and drove the thing himself. He cut the corners to make money, and yet he got in and drove the thing himself. What the fuck!

Anyway, that is enough ranting about rich people. Why they do the things they do, I will never understand. As I am not rich. Though, maybe that will change in the future. One can hope. If it does, I will fund my own exploration to see the Fortress of Solitude. Or something that actually exists.

Anyway, Marvel's Secret Invasion came out, and the first three episodes were good, but it wasn't amazing. So let's hope things ramp up and things get going. Also, SPOILERS, that ending of the first episode was unexpected, but it also felt kind of cheap. Look away now if you don't want it spoiled. But I feel like Maria Hill was wasted. She has basically been in it from the beginning, and they never expanded on her character much. I mean, Nick Fury is definitely going to bow out at some point, and she should have been the one to take over. Like in the comics, where she is a hard-ass bitch, and she takes no prisoners. It just seems like they just always used her as an assistant to others, and they didn't use the great actress either. I don't know, maybe she will come back in a later episode, and she didn't actually die. Anyway, Super Skrulls are incoming.

YOU CAN LOOK NOW. Anyway, with Secret Invasion coming out, I realised I was behind on my Marvel movies, and so I have started watching them on Disney Plus. Only three, really, and I have just watched Wakanda Forever. Good movie, no complaints. I think they handle the situation surrounding Chadwick Boseman very well. I don't see any other way they could have done it. I watched Ant-Man Quantumania next, and now only Guardians of The Galaxy 3 is left, which is not on Disney Plus yet.

If you want to chat more about this or any other topic, come to my Discord through the link.

The link to everything you need and my patronage:

https://linktr. ee/dragonfield

(Remover the space between the dot and the ee)

That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will see you in the next one!

Stay safe, and have fun!

 

[DragonField]

At least the next four chapters are available on my pat reon. The link is at the bottom of the page.

Thank you to my Hero Patron, Cory A Cinquini.

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Chapter 29– Finding Comfort.

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"Nojiko! I'm home!" I shout as I enter through the front door of the building that has been my home for the last few years. I take my shoes off at the entrance with my feet as I close the door with my hands. It isn't a rule to take our shoes off, but I have been toiling away all day, and my boots are dirty, and I don't want to dirty the house.

I won't get shouted at or anything if I get anything dirty or make a mess, but I will feel bad. Because a while later on, I will see Nojiko cleaning it up without even mentioning it, and I will feel like a tool. She already does enough for me, so I would rather not add to her workload. So I try to clean up after myself and help around the house as well where I can, though I sometimes end up making more of a mess than it was before I started. So I do what I can.

"Welcome back! I'm in the kitchen!" I hear Nojiko shout from the kitchen and begin to make my way towards her. Of course, I already knew exactly where she was, given that Nami was coming back. Because every time Nami came, Nojiko would prepare a massive feast to welcome her back full of all her favourite foods.

Well, it wouldn't be a feast if it was only the two of them because most of the food goes in my stomach. I am a growing boy, after all, and I need all the sustenance I can get to grow big and strong. I am not an unfair man, and that is why I pay for this feast since I will be eating most of it. Nami comes back every two weeks on the dot, Arlong not allowing her any more time than that away from the island; we didn't question it since it was a miracle he was letting her leave the island alone at all.

Walking into the kitchen, I spot Nojiko standing at the stove with a ladle in hand. Her short blue hair stopped just before her shoulders and revealed her nape. I can just about make out the red ribbon she wears, keeping her hair held back; the ribbon ends sticking off the right side of her head. She wears an orange tank top and ripped blue jean shorts that end just before her knees, along with some yellow flip-flops.

She has a gold bangle with intricate designs on her left wrist, a gift that Nami had gotten her on one of her escapades. Her skin was tan from working hard in the sun all the time. As if kissed by the sun, she looked exotic. She also has an apron on that I can see is tied from behind. I can't see the front, but I know the exact one she is wearing.

A keepsake from her mother. A yellow apron with a tangerine on the front as well as a blue curly sigil and the name Bell-mére across the top. She has a few aprons, but she always wears this one every time we have this feast. I approach her from behind, trying to silence my steps to keep her from hearing me, my gaze focused solely on her.

A lot has changed over the years, and not just for me. One example would be the fact that Nojiko is a lot more curvy and sensual now. This is to be expected since we are both seventeen years old now and have long since grown up mentally as well as physically, given our living situation. Finally closing in on her, my body so close to hers, I can't hold myself back anymore, and I launch myself forward.

"Agh! Detoro!! I'm trying to cook here!" Nojiko screams as I grab her around her midsection and pull myself in close to her, hugging her tight.

"Sorry, I can't help myself. You just look so beautiful when you are cooking." I say, moving my head forward to rest in the crook of her neck and smelling her sweet smell that always puts me at ease. And even though she is complaining, she leans back into me, her free hand going down to rest on my forearm.

"...You stink." She says after a moment, and I laugh. Still, she doesn't pull away, and I still hold her tight. She is used to it, after all. Just like I am used to her smelling sweet, she is used to me stinking to high hell. I am constantly training and working hard, resulting in a lot of sweat and smell, and every day I come back and hold her tight.

"Your bath is ready. Go clean up quickly. Dinner will be ready in an hour." She says, Pulling away slightly but not leaving my grasp and raising the ladle in her hand threateningly. I just smile and raise my hands in surrender as I back off, knowing she is just joking but having made the mistake of pissing her off once and facing the wrath of the ladle.

"Okay, okay, stand down. I'm going, alright? Don't ladle me." I say, taking a few steps back as she spins around and crosses her arms, feigning anger as she frowns at me. She does this sometimes, and I don't tell her that I find her angry face and puffed-up cheeks really cute. Otherwise, she would stop after seeing that it isn't effective.

"Hey, why don't you join me? It sure would make the bath a lot more fun." I say, trying my luck. Being seventeen and not having much to do on the island other than our jobs and my training, we had already gone the distance. And I have to say, it is something that really does feel good and helps me relax and destress. What can I say? I am a man. I am always going to try my luck.

"Detoro, I need to cook. So as tempting as your offer is, I am afraid you are going up the stairs alone, mister." Nojiko says pointedly, pointing the offending end of her ladle at me. I start backing away in response, still smiling.

"Ah, well. Maybe later, then? I'm sure we can have some bath time fun together later." I say, still backing away, but I stop when I see the frown on her face falter, and my own smile fades a little as well. I realise the mistake I just made, and I try and get in and talk, but she has already started before I can.

"Detoro, no more talk like that today, okay? Nami doesn't know about us, and I don't want her to know. She is always out there and risking her life while we are... I just feel-" Nojiko starts, already starting to feel down and guilty. I quickly open my mouth to stop that, already having had this conversation numerous times before.

"Hey, hey. I know. I was just joking. You already know my opinion on this, but this is what you want, and so I'll follow your lead. Although it is hard, I will keep my distance from you, though it pains me to do so." I say, walking forward and grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her close to my chest. I put my head down, resting my chin on her head as she buries her face into my front.

"Which means I have to get my fill now. Otherwise, I will go crazy. Come here, beautiful." I finally say, moving a little bit back and grabbing her by the chin before leaning down and connecting my lips with hers. I do so gently; as much as I want to lose myself in her right now, I know she doesn't need that right now. I pull away as she looks up at me with a smile, and I kiss her on the forehead.

"...You still stink. Go take your bath." She says, and I smile, seeing that she is back to normal, and so I let her go and turn around to go upstairs and wash myself. As I leave the room and start up the stairs, I can hear her shout to me from the kitchen.

"I'll be joining you in the bath one of these times, okay!? Look forward to it!" I can't help but chuckle amusedly as I continue making my way up the stairs. Man, do I love that woman.

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I let out a sigh of pure pleasure as I ease myself down into the bath. Then, finally, relaxing and letting go as I allowed my head to flop back and enjoy the nice bath Nojiko had drawn for me. And not one of those standard hot water baths, but one of those special smelling bath salt and herbal baths that are relaxing and really let your worries fade away. I wouldn't prepare one of these myself, mostly because I could never do it properly, and Nojiko knows just what I need. I am so lucky to have ended up with her.

Letting my bath take me away, I can't help but let my mind wander and think of only good things. And nowadays, the good things in my life mainly focus around Nojiko. I remember fondly how we first got together, and now that I think of it, it kind of seems inevitable given that we were pretty much living alone together with only each other for company.

It was like that for a long time, even when Nami hadn't yet been off-island. I had been living here ever since my home had been destroyed since I had nowhere to go, and the two sisters were kind enough to let me stay with them. Probably because I was in the same boat as Nami, and Misery loves company. And then, when I finally finished Arlong Park, Nami ended up living there forcefully so that she could work on her maps all the time.

Of course, I couldn't just let that happen, and after some convincing and some concession from myself, I managed to finagle nami being allowed home for the weekend. It took a lot of arguments from myself and making points of depression and suicide if she wasn't allowed something good once in a while, and Arlong didn't want to lose his precious map maker. Still, I was living alone with Nojiko five days out of the week, and we got a lot closer. She was always looking after me.

With Nami gone except for the weekends, it was just me and Nojiko, and when I saw her constantly working on the tangerine farm by herself, I couldn't just stay still, even after my work for arlong and gruelling training. She looked after me, so I started to help her. Where I could, since my clumsy fingers weren't great for very intricate things. I must have a great affinity for crafting and creating because, somehow, I am a skilled craftsman, even with my sometimes clumsy fingers.

And then Nami started leaving the island, and she wasn't around most weeks out of the month, and it was just me and Nojiko left. Genxo dropped by every so often, but he took his duty as Sheriff seriously, even with the island now under the control of pirates, and he had to look after everyone on the island. So as much as he wanted to stick around and keep an eye on me, which he was right to do so, given how things turned out, he couldn't.

Nojiko really worried about and missed her sister, which was part of the reason I was so hard on Nami when I was training her, to put Nojiko's mind at ease that her sister could handle herself. And then Nami started leaving for more and more time until we reached the current point where she was leaving for around two weeks more often than not, and we were here still stuck on the island. Together.

We lived together. We ate our meals together. We cleaned up and did our chores together. We helped each other, and we relaxed together. And we did so for years. We grew up together. And then we got together. Thinking about it, it was only natural since it was just me and her for so long. Even on this populated island, everybody else was much more preoccupied with their own lives and families and trying to pay the tax. Where we lived was a bit removed from them, and it was nice.

She really saved me when I didn't even know I needed saving. All I was living for was the death of Arlong. I worked for him begrudgingly, biding my time and seeing if there was anything I could glean from the few times I saw them use their Fishman Karate. Focusing on making more and more weaponry, trying to develop something capable of killing Arlong, and then training all the rest of the time to build me up with the possibility of killing Arlong with my own two hands.

And then, Nojiko asked me what I wanted to do after that, and I didn't have an answer. It really made me reevaluate everything. Before Arlong, I wanted to be the strongest man in the world. I wanted to explore as much of this world as possible. I wanted to record everything I saw and then make one massive database for it, making an internet for this world. I just knew I wanted to be strong enough so that shit like this didn't happen again and that I could do something about it. And I did want to see more of the world, knowing that there must be things better than all the bad I have seen. Wondrous things.

Nojiko really did save me. Because instead of focusing on Arlong's death, I started to focus on my freedom. I started focusing on the after, and it was all thanks to her. In this shitty situation, I found her, and in her, I found comfort. We both needed it, and everything got better once we found each other. More manageable. I could bear the long hours of Arlong ordering me around, and I could go even longer, training determined to free everyone. I resisted the even harsher beatings I got from Arlong when I tried to kill him, knowing at the end of the day, I got to come home and rest with her by my side.

"Detoro! Hurry up! Nami will be home soon, and the dinner is almost done. I need help setting everything up!" I hear Nojiko yell from downstairs, bringing me out of my memories. I got a bit lost there, reminiscing on my good memories, even the extreme bruising I would get since Nojiko would always patch me up with such tender care. Shaking those thoughts away for now, I quickly get to properly clearing myself so I can go help her prepare the feast for Nami's return.

I can't wait to eat that food.

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"Welcome Back!" Myself and Nojiko shout as Nami comes through the door, though we both were quickly scrambling to our feet from where we sat at the dinner table. Nami usually came back around the same time every time, but today she was late for some reason. Not overly late, but around half an hour or so late. Thankfully, I managed to spot her walking towards the house through the window, which is how we quickly got the do our welcome back.

"Mou, do you guys have to do this every time?" Nami complains, puffing her cheeks at the sight of both myself and Nojiko standing together before her as she opens the door and walks into the house. Still, the slight smile she is trying to hide doesn't escape either of our gazes, and we know how much this thing means to her.

She would probably be devastated if she were to come home and we weren't doing a big feast to welcome her back. But then, maybe she does have a little bit of a problem with it, as I can see she is a little sad as well. She quickly covers that up, however, and continues in closing the door behind her.

"Of course we do! You have probably been starving yourself out there, trying to save as much money as possible, you little money-grubber. Which is why we need to fill you up as soon as you get home." Nojiko says good-naturedly, with a little bit of a scary smile. Nojiko has made it clear time and again before that she doesn't like what's going on, but there is nothing she can do about it except try and pressure Nami to not be so reckless and express caution.

"Alright, alright! I don't know about you guys, but I am starving! So how about we start eating this food before it gets cold and before you guys end up having a catfight... actually, I can wait on the food." I say, trying to lighten the mood with some comedic relief, though I don't know if I am actually good with that. The last thing I want to happen is for these two to get into an argument because then I will get no peace or quiet.

Nami is as stubborn as a mule, and Nojiko can be just as uncompromising when she cares enough. Nojiko still sees Nami as her little sister and is always trying to look after her, while Nami thinks of herself as capable, and she is because I trained her to be. But still, big sisters are going to worry, and bratty little sisters are going to take offence. And I would rather not listen to another screeching contest when they decide to duke it out again. There is never a resolution anyway.

"Shut up, Detoro! You big lug! You can't just expect to watch us have a catfight!" Nami says, with a frown on her face. Well, that didn't have the reception I wanted it to have. Oh well, I never claimed to be a comedian, and with them both now forgetting about the little spat that was about to start, we can get this over with quicker. Living with two temperamental hormonal girls has helped me learn exactly how to survive the horror that is the female species, and that is with silence and sometimes apologising if you are in the wrong.

Also, even though Nami told me to shut up, she didn't actually mean it. Or if she did, then the intent behind it was very weak and had no effect on me. Because right now, I am staying quiet of my own volition and not because she told me to. Knowing things would just get worse if I opened my mouth, and I could also feel Nojiko giving me a death glare.

"Don't say stupid things, Detoro," Nojiko says, and I could practically feel the cold breath she was directing at me, and I obviously knew why. She thought I was looking at her little sister in a sexual manner when I should be treating her like a little sister. Unfortunately, I will never see her like a little sister because she is kind of my boss, and I can't refute any orders that she actually means. It is also hard to see her in a sexual manner for the same reason, but not impossible. She is very hot, and I am a man. Not that I will ever let that get out, on fear of death.

"That right! It's ten thousand berries to view, and for every extra ten thousand, we will remove a single item of clothing!" Nami says, berries flashing in her eyes. I am deadpan at that, though my head does do a quick bit of accounting in my head to figure out just how much of their bodies I could afford to uncover—quite a lot. I quickly look to the left, worried that Nojiko somehow clicked onto my thinking, but thankfully, she is also deadpanning at Nami.

"What happened to the nice little girl that used to follow me around everywhere?" Nojiko says with an exasperated look on her face, though you can still see the smile that follows. We had found out about her money-grubbing tendencies very early on after her first big haul, which she brought back to the island.

She had brought the big sack into the house and then spilt it onto the table before proceeding to just sit there and hug it for ages. We thought it was because it meant a lot to her as her first step to gathering the hundred million berries to free this island. That was until we saw the drool leaking from the side of her mouth and the berry sign in her eyes, and she practically writhed atop the wealth. She was money crazed.

And then, she decided to go and bury the stuff somewhere, and I offered to help bring the manly man that I am that does all the man things. She shut me down hard, and I could tell just how much she craved that loot, as that was the only ever order that I couldn't refute. With every single other one, I was, at the very least, able to resist a little and move a bit, even if it ended up hurting me. But that time, I could not move an inch. That was how much she cared about her stolen goods.

I still don't know where that buried treasure is, which she has been steadily amassing and adding to over the years. Apparently, Nojiko walked upon her in the middle of adding to it and discovered its location. By that point, there was just too much of it there to move it; since then, everybody would know its new location, so Nami had to live with Nojiko knowing where it was. And I still don't know even though I badger Nojiko all the time about it, she refuses to tell me, citing that it is a sister's secret.

Anyway, after that little welcome back which was actually pretty par for the course, we all sat down and started eating. With me eating the bulk of all the food, which thankfully wasn't at all cold even though Nami was late. And man, am I glad about that because Nojiko is one hell of a cook. I love her cooking. And before I know it, all the food has disappeared from the table. The food in front of me, that is, since the girls still have some of theirs left.

"Guys," Nami suddenly speaks up, and we both pay attention since she seems to be acting quite solemn. "I have something to tell you." She finishes and then turns her head down and looks down at the table. She seems to be struggling with whatever it is, and though both I and Nojiko are concerned, we give her the time she needs to gather her thoughts. And then she speaks.

"... I- I will be gone for longer from now on. For months."

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[WE ARE ON THE NEW SCHEDULE NEXT WEEK! THE WILL OF GIL IS UPDATED EVERY WEEK FROM THE SMOKE, AND AMARILLO'S PIRATE ADVENTURE IS UPDATED EVERY TWO WEEKS IN TURN, ALTERNATING. UPDATES EVERY SUNDAY!]

So, Secret Invasion episode 6. The finale. The final one in this spy thriller series is about espionage and secrets and things happening in the dark. Surprise, it ended with a big super battle. Actually, there were no witnesses to that, I don't think, so a semi-secret battle. This was supposed to be Fury-centric, I think, but all he did was go to a hospital where everybody was already taken out by Olivia Coleman (I think) and then talk at the president before shooting fake Rhodey in the head. Instead of wasting time, they should have popped the motherfucker from the get-go so they could stop the nuke. But no, let's talk and not kill him, which would immediately reveal he's an alien.

Now, about the big battle. Ghia was acting as Fury, so much so that you wouldn't have any idea it wasn't Fury. How? I guess Javik was doing most of the talking, if I recall, so maybe that was it. And then, the power up. Why did he leave Fury in the inside chamber? Surely even if it is for Skrulls, it would have some effect on Fury, probably kill the fake Fury. But, Javik got powered up and then didn't question anything. Until he got smacked in the face.

The big blown-out battle, which ended with Javik getting a hole blown through his stomach. How did that kill him? We know he had regeneration and took a bullet to the head before, so how did a hole through the stomach kill him? What the fuck? Do Skrulls have their brain in their midsection? Did the new powerup somehow get rid of the extremis power he had? So confused. Ghia had blasts from miss marvel and other characters, so surely they could have had her do a kame hame ha style blast and disintegrate Gravik in true Cell fashion. But no, hole through his stomach, kill shot.

Anyway, aside from that, I mentioned Dragon Ball Z Abridged last week, and somebody said Sword Art Online Abridged was the best, so I checked it out. A few episodes in, and yeah, it is funny. However, I still think DBZA is the best, just for the sheer amount of more content and jokes in it. I still haven't finished SAOA yet, so the verdict is still out.

Didn't have time to watch the new Bleach episode this week. Hell, I still need to watch a few episodes of One Piece and several other animes, some that I haven't even started. I'll get to them eventually. I will see Gear Five soon.

If you want to chat more about this or any other topic, come to my Discord through the link.

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That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will see you in the next one!

Stay safe, and have fun!

 

[DragonField]

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Chapter 30– Drastic Action.

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Utter silence. Nobody speaks, and everybody stays silent after what Nami just said. The tension is so thick that you could cut it with a knife, and I can tell Nami is incredibly nervous right now, and Nojiko has gone shockingly still. I can tell she is on the verge of erupting, having found myself there quite a few times myself, and so I stay quiet and still. I will stay out of this and let the sisters sort it out between themselves.

"So, you are going to be gone for months at a time now?" Nojiko lowers her fork to her plate, the cutlery gently landing on it, but the sound is loud and clear to our ears. I don't think I have ever seen her quite on this level before, and I have made some silly mistakes before, like the time I tried to introduce some risky stuff and put it in-.

"...That's right. I am going to be leaving for a couple months at a time, maybe even longer." Finally, Nami finds her courage and says, even under Nojiko's hard cold stare. This is like a clash between an unstoppable force and an immovable object because both of these girls are as stubborn as mules.

"...Why?" Nojiko responds. I am actually impressed and proud of her because that was a really measured response. I honestly thought she was about to flat-out refuse it, but she didn't for some reason.

"It is so I can go out and find as many islands as possible and chart them. I managed to convince Arlong that it would take multiple years if I kept going out to islands and then returning immediately after. And so I got permission to travel the entirety of the East Blue for however long I want, within reason, of course. At least, that is the official reason." Nami finishes, and I already know what she has planned.

"And the unofficial reason?" Nojiko enquires though I am pretty sure she already knows what this is about, and she is just asking directions to get it from the horse's mouth.

"I am never going to get the money if I keep spending my time both here and out there. I need to commit. I need to be out there all the time, travelling and robbing every pirate I can find along with as many stupid rich assholes." So she explains, just like I thought. She wants to be out there twenty-four-seven so she can keep stealing as much wealth as possible so she can free this island from the Arlong Pirates.

"Nami, you can't-" Nojiko immediately goes to refute and forbid Nami from doing it. But, of course, Nami had obviously thought this out before coming today and had already thought out her argument and points.

"I can't keep living like this, Nojiko! We can't! None of us! And it is only a matter of time till something goes wrong and people die! So I need to do this!" Nami shouts, getting out everything that she had thought about beforehand and bringing up what I think were some pretty good points. It's true. It is only a matter of time. Which is why I have to kill him and his ilk.

"But, how can I be sure you are safe? Even now, you check in every two weeks, and I am still worrying all of the time. So now you are going to leave for months? And I am just supposed to stay here and not know where you are or what you are doing?" Nojiko shouts back, again bringing up some good points. They are both saying reasonable things.

"I can get you a Den Den Mushi, and you can call me anytime!" Nami tries to refute that last point.

"You know we can't! We aren't allowed them on the island! If Arlong finds it, then there will be consequences!" Nojiko says, speaking true. We aren't allowed any Den Den Mushi's on the island, and only Arlong and his crew have them. It made things a bit harder for the villagers, but they adapted and got used to it.

"Then trust in Detoro!" Nami shouts, bringing Nojiko up short. She is both surprised and confused, as am I. No doubt, Nojiko, for a moment, worries that Nami knows about both me and her, which is what is really throwing her for a loop, and so do I. But that is only for a second since my reason kicks in.

Nojiko was very clear to me when she said she didn't want Nami to know about us, and so I did my absolute best to make that a reality; otherwise, my relationship with Nojiko would be in jeopardy. I know Nojiko, intimately. And I know how guilty she feels about having this relationship with Nami out there, constantly working hard.

Suppose this relationship were to be discovered, no matter how much we tried to hide it. In that case, even if Nami didn't have a problem with it, I know Nojiko would probably end it out of guilt. Nojiko cares the most about her sister, as does Nami, and I am not willing to let go of what I have found. Which is why I have never gotten too close to Nojiko whenever Nami is on the island, so she definitely doesn't know. So it must be something else.

"W-Why would you mention Detoro? What does he have to do with this?" Nojiko says, flustered, trying not to let her thoughts show on her face. She obviously thinks we have been found out, and I can already see the guilt coming up on her face. I grow worried, worrying that she is going to start apologising or something, but thankfully Nami speaks before she can say anything she will regret.

"Because he has trained me," Nami says, referencing the measures I took to ensure her safety since I couldn't leave the island with her. "I know how to use all sorts of weapons, and I have my bo staff and knife with me. Detoro has even showed me how to use guns, so trust in him. He has taught me everything I need to know." Well, I wouldn't say everything. Hell, I was figuring most of that stuff out myself.

"But, still-" Nojiko tries, but she has been effectively defeated. The two things Nojiko cares about most are, I would assume, Nami and myself. Now put your hands together, and she finds it very hard to fight against that. Nami, spotting her chance, presses her advantage.

"And this is the East Blue, the weakest sea. And the only Fishmen are the ones on this island. The rest of the pirates and assholes out there are human. I can hit, stab and shoot them, and they will go down. And, Detoro has trained me to be fast and run away. I will be fine, so don't worry." Nami says, and everything she says is correct. However, there is also a lot wrong with what she is saying as well.

Just because the East Blue is the weakest doesn't mean there are not strong people here. It just means, on the whole, there are a lot more weak people here. Plus, devil fruits are a thing, apparently, given the one time I heard mention of it from Garp just before he left. Also, she seems to think Fishmen are the end all be all in terms of strength and that they are the strongest. I should sort that out before she leaves again because that has the potential to manifest itself in a bad way later on.

"...Fine. But don't think I am happy about this. If you run into trouble, then run away. If you see someone strong, then get out of there. And you better not die, or I don't know what I will do." Nojiko forces it out, having no choice but to agree. I can already see the tears leaking out of her eyes, and Nami's are also leaking.

"Don't worry, I won't die till I am the richest woman in the world," Nami says, though I don't think that is her actual dream. Well, maybe one of them. Anyway, the two sisters stand up and quickly start hugging and crying. Women are such emotional creatures, and I don't understand them. I haven't cried since... I will only cry when somebody dies or something else on that level happens. Water won't leave my eyes otherwise, I refuse to let it.

Having cleaned my plate and a few of the surrounding ones, I stand up and move to leave the room, leaving the two girls to have their moment. I will have a chat with Nami later to warn her properly. I can't do that with Nojiko here as that will just cause her more worry, and Nami is going out there no matter what anyone says.

What troublesome girls. I am glad I have already left the room. Otherwise, they would see my smile. Plus, this way, I won't have to do the dishes and end up breaking half of them.

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"Hey, I thought I would find you here." I hear behind me, and recognising the voice, I don't turn around to acknowledge them and focus on what I am doing.

*Pew* *Pew* *Pew*

I lower my revolver, having shot my three targets perfectly. Targets I crafted myself, and with three perfect bullseyes on each of them. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, I reach down and unscrew the silencer from the end of the revolver. Specially made. I worked on it after Arlong discovered me out here testing guns I made without his knowledge.

He knew about me doing it and wanted me to continue for some reason. I think he thought any designs I made he could manufacture and sell, but I vehemently refuse to do so. This is why I immediately got around to developing a silencer for my guns, and while it took a lot of trial and error, I managed to get it done. And now, I can freely practice in the woods with Arlong none the wiser. Let's hope he thinks I stopped after he caught me.

"Here, give it a go. Show me you aren't rusty, and I will reassure Nojiko that you will be fine." I say, after unscrewing the silencer and checking that it was still in good condition. The first few ones broke after a couple of silenced shots, and I accidentally fired loud shots in the woods. Thankfully, this was during the day on one of my days off, and all the manufacturing warehouses were in full work mode, so there was more than enough noise pollution to cover it up.

"Ha, please. I am better than you are. Give it here. I'll show you how it's done." Nami says, walking past me and taking the gun from my hands. It's true. She is better than me, though I am a pretty good shot myself. I am supposed to be clumsy due to my traits, and I am, but when it comes to certain subjects, I have the precision of a surgeon. For some reason, I have selective clumsiness, which I am glad for. I am not going to question it.

*Pew* *Pew* *Pew*

I watch as Nami fires three shots as well, her shoulders relaxed and the gun raised to her eye line. I taught her well, so much so that she is better than me now. Which I can see clearly by the fact that she has also hit all three bullseyes. We weren't snipers by any means, and we don't try to be but put us within 20 meters of a target, and we will make that shot nine times out of ten. Things get a bit iffier past that, but we do alright.

"There, that enough for ya?" She says, handing me back the six-shooter with an arrogant smirk on her face. I take it back without saying anything and quickly check that the weapon is still in working order before I walk around over to my case and get to packing it away. My weapons case is enormous, and it is where I store all my weapons since I don't want anyone getting their hands on it and doing something stupid. I hide it in the woods under a big gnarled tree with lots of knots and a little hiding spot underneath it.

"No, not really. But I suppose it will do." I say, locking up my case and then turning around to face Jer. She doesn't look at all happy with my response, which is fair, I suppose, since she is a far better shot than me. And she also probably has a lot more experience, what with her going out there all the time while all I ever do is fight over and over again with the same Fishman who keeps manhandling and playing with me.

"It will do? I am better than you." Nami says, her face irritated.

"Yes, but there are others out there better than the both of us combined. And that isn't even mentioning the weapon users and people that fight with their bare fists. Because they are out there and they are dangerous. Be careful, Nami." I warn because I don't want her to die. Even if her death would free me, I have figured out workarounds, and there is no need for that. She didn't ask for this power over me. Plus, I feel that I taught her everything I could using my half-assed knowledge, and if she goes out there thinking she is strong and dies, then it will be my fault.

"Detoro, they are just humans. One shot, and they are dead. The Fishmen are here, not out there. Technically, it is more dangerous to be on the island with them than to be out there fighting weak human pirates." Nami says, which I find myself disappointed with though I already expected this. She has basically become a believer in Fishman's superiority because of Arlong and his gang running roughshod for years.

She tried everything she could to deal with them before, finally, she settled for bargaining because there was nothing else she could do. She tried her best, but it wasn't enough. It is actually kind of natural for her to believe such a thing, and I would probably as well if I didn't have a fortunate encounter as a kid and learnt just how strong people could get. Even humans.

"Nami. Fishmen are not the only thing that can hurt or kill you. There are others out there, humans included, that are just as strong or even stronger. And then there are the devil fruit users, which you must avoid at all costs." I tell her, making sure to emphasise the last part. I have never encountered a devil fruit user before, but I know they are real and exist because of a report Garp got that someone had stolen a devil fruit.

However, even if I have never seen a devil fruit user in person, I know just how dangerous they have the potential to be. Everyone knows the rumours and stories, though there are so many. Different theories state different things, such as the devil fruits being the incarnations of the sea devil, them being enchanted by sea ghosts, that they are actual magic and sorcery or even curses. Or my favourite, that Devil Fruit users housed actual devils inside them. According to the rumour, if a Devil Fruit user went near an uneaten Devil Fruit, a devil would come out of the fruit and rip the user apart.

No matter the rumour, one thing stayed synonymous throughout all of them. If you were to eat a Devil Fruit, then you would gain a power but be forever cursed by the sea to never swim again. You would never be allowed to eat another one, or you would die, and you would have your power until the day you died, at which point the fruit would reappear in the world. Also, they apparently taste very bad.

And not only that, but I know how dangerous this world can be. Before Garp left, I heard another report he got. Genocide. An entire island was Genocided. I think it was called Minion Island, and everybody there died. I don't know the details, but if something like that happened, then it could happen again. I know how dangerous things can get, but Nami doesn't. I need to make sure she does before she leaves again.

"Be serious, Detoro. Everybody knows Devil Fruits are a myth. Just like giants and dragons." Nami looks at me like I am stupid, which I am not. Except, I don't have the proof to show that I am not an idiot. I have never seen anything of the sort before, THough I know for a fact that they exist.

"They aren't a myth. In any case, there are plenty of strong people out there. Be careful. Don't rush into anything. And always scout before stealing. Don't lose your mind when you see money. I know you want it, but it's not worth your life." I try to express the seriousness of the situation, as well as instil some caution in her. However, I know that it has obviously not worked when I see the berry signs light up in Nami's eyes.

"Oh, if they exist... then they would be worth a lot. Right?" Nami asks, missing the point entirely. She is so utterly without hope and broken down, it is disappointing. She hears about mythical power-granting fruits, and she doesn't even think of eating them and gaining the ability to beat Arlong but selling it to get money to buy the island back. She really does think they are unbeatable, doesn't she?

"Nami, are you listening to me? You need to take care, okay? Always scout before stealing. Take your time, and don't rush and make bad decisions. I don't want to have to tell Nojiko that something happened to you. And I don't want you getting injured to the point that Arlong won't let you leave the island unaccompanied out of fear of you dying." I try again, but this girl is too stubborn. Sometimes it is a blessing for her, and sometimes it is a curse. Right now, it is a pain in my ass.

"For god's sake, Detoro. Calm down. I will be fine. Arlong wants me alive, and so I can't die... even if I wanted to. So relax. Nobody out there can hurt me, and I am fast enough to run away. With their treasure, of course." Nami grins, but I don't see what there is to be happy about. I don't bother myself about thinking about what she meant on that first bit, either, since that wouldn't help anyone. Still, I need to find a way to get it through this girl's thick skull.

"Nami, you are really pissing me off. I am getting tired of this shit... I am getting tired of you." I start, a plan coming to mind. I would rather not do this, but I can see no other way. I had never spoken like this to her before because I saw no need to, and I didn't want to antagonise her and have her start ordering me around and realise she had that power over me. But I know she isn't like that, and I need to make a point right now.

"W-What? Detoro, what the hell- ACK!" She choked as my hand clasped around her throat tight and lifted her up into the air. Her eyes bulge in panic and confusion, and I can tell she doesn't believe what is happening. Her legs start to kick about as I increase my strength, and her hands come up to grab my hand and try to pull it off to no effect. And then, once her brain catches up with what is happening, I feel it take effect.

A command. Stop, release me. Let me go. Nami wants me to stop, and that is already affecting me. This isn't one of the weak commands with low intent. No, she wants me to stop with all of her being, and I can feel that. And it hurts. My body starts to feel immense pain, and I can feel the command growing stronger with each second.

Nami, acting off of pure survival instinct, swung her legs up to wrap around my arm to try and pry herself free. When that doesn't work, she reaches a hand down to her thigh and unsheathes her bo staff, quickly putting it together and starting to swing it at my head. It doesn't have any effect except for making me squint my eyes when she aims the end at my eyes. My body is tense, able to withstand that attacks. I never stopped the training that Garp made me do, and when I brace myself, I can withstand a lot of damage. Unfortunately, it impedes my movement.

Realising this, she changes her target. And her staff swings down... between my legs.

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I want to talk more with you guys, so I am starting to leave little notes at the end of each chapter like this.

The UK TikTok murder thing was crazy, right? Horrible stuff. Not much to say this week.

If you want to chat more about this or any other topic, come to my Discord through the link.

The link to everything you need and my patronage:

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That is all for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will see you in the next one!

Stay safe, and have fun!