4/24/22 A/N: Huh, I forgot I had these little narrator bits before. I think I stopped them at Syrup Village. Well, I really liked them, so look forward to their return!


Chapter 2: Exotic Adventure

You are roused by the sound of tapping. There, in front of you, was the shadowed man from before, butting a pistol onto the table, and gauging you with another wide smile. "Well, well, well. I knew you would be big. But, a Devil Fruit? Truly, you will be impressive."

You looked at the approximation of where his face should be. "Devil…Fruit?"

He chuckled. "Throughout the world, you will run into people with unusual abilities. Some can turn into powerful beasts, others can breathe fire, or even become the element itself. These gifts were bestowed upon them thanks to those…cursed fruits." He snickers like he just told some secret joke. "And now, you have one…the Clank-Clank Fruit." He leans forward, his fingers interlocked. "By combining objects together in your body, you have become a Combinable Human." You blink at this new information. Clank-Clank? Could eating that old moldy fruit have really given him superpowers?

"And now, you continue on your way, letting little Coby make his own way. Probably for the best… I think your little power trip spooked him." The shadow shrugged. "You are a pirate; he wants to be a Marine. You would be enemies eventually, I'm sure. Well, one secret down-two more to go. Enjoy your exotic adventure at high noon, under a Crescent Moon."


It was midday when you arrived at the Island of Strange Animals. As you land on the island, you note how uninhabited it seemed. Quiet, peaceful, removed from the world; it brought a peaceful smile to your face as you headed off, looking for any unusual creatures. As you stepped further into the forest, you found a nice, lazy creek winding its way through the trees. Just as you squatted down to fill your canteen, you noticed a…something already at the stream. It looked like a combination of a fox and a rooster, clucking in-between sips from the stream.

Deciding to get a better look, you creep closer, but not quietly enough. The fox-rooster hears your steps and looks straight at you, before running off into the forest. A beat of silence falls as you come to grips with what you have just seen... "DO NOT COME ANY FURTHER!" You jump slightly at the booming voice's sudden appearance."IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE, YOU'LL LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW!" Confused and curious, you ask to know what the voice really is. "I…AM THE GUARDIAN OF THE FOREST!" You swallow hard, a little nervous considering you're having a chat with a disembodied voice.

"DON'T YOU DARE TAKE ANOTHER STEP INTO THIS FOREST!" The voice threatened. "IF YOU DO, YOU MUST FACE THE TRIAL OF THE FOREST. WILL YOU RISK HAVING YOUR BODY DISMEMBERED?" You are a little skeptical about that, but you are also talking to a forest… "BOY, ARE YOU A PIRATE?" Puzzled, you tentatively answer yes. "YOU ARE!" Somehow, the voice seemed more indignant. "LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW!" The situation is nerve-wracking, but you came to see some strange animals, the voice of God be damned! With that, you shake your head and make your way deeper into the forest.

"I WARNED YOU NOT TO COME CLOSER!" You forged on, trying to ignore the voice. "NOW YOU MUST FACE THE TRIAL OF THE FOREST!" With only a sudden 'Blam!' as a last-minute warning, pain flares up your shoulder, as if you'd just been shot! Holding your now bleeding arm, you turn to look behind you, as the voice speaks once more. "THAT WAS BUT A WARNING. LEAVE NOW, OR ELSE!" Deciding enough is enough, you pull out your pistol with your good arm. "YOU DARE THREATEN ME?" The voice bellows, "THAT WILL NOT WORK!"

You smirk, aiming for the tree line, where you are pretty sure whatever it is struck you. Cocking the hammer back, you line up the shot, using a bush as a reference point. At least, until the bush suddenly moves, running to the left! It does not get far, though, as it suddenly trips with a yelp! You freeze up, a little shocked at the turn of events. Pistol leveled at the bush; you creep closer for a better look. Even stranger than the animal, you are now looking at a man with really bushy green hair, stuck in a chest and wiggling on his back like a turtle. "Hey!" he shouts at you. "Don't just stand there, help me up!"


After helping the box-man, who called himself Gaimon, disarming him, and performing first aid on yourself, you explained your reason for arriving. "Oh, I see…you heard about the animals, but you just wanted to look," Gaimon grumbled, a little humbled by having to be helped. "In that case, I'm sorry about shooting you." You give him a look he rightly withers under, but let him off the hook for now. When you ask why he's wearing a chest, he snaps back, "I'm not wearing it! I'm stuck, and I can't get out!" He pulled on his hair in frustration. "I've been alone on this island for 20 years! You can't imagine how miserable I've been!"

You silently wait for him to calm down. After a few breaths, he looked wistfully at the sea. "20 years…it's been a long time…that's why my hair and beard are this long." As an afterthought, he added, "And I used to have two eyebrows!" He looked back at you. "I haven't had a conversation with another person in all that time!" You offer to get him out of the box, but he shoots you a frown. "Haven't you been listening!? I've been stuck in this box for 20 years! I haven't had any exercise…by now, my body's grown into the shape of this box! I can't get out, and if you break the chest, you'll break me with it." He sighs, starting to sound a little hoarse.

"Kid, you said you were a pirate." You nodded curtly. "Well, I used to be a pirate, too! It was great! Risking my life in the pursuit of treasure!" Gaimon sighed, shaking his head. "So, why'd you become a pirate, kid?" You grinned as you tell him your dream to become Pirate King, and he shivers in his crate. "P-Pirate King!?" the bushman stammers. "You know what that would entail, right!?" You nodded in understanding. "You get it? Good to know there ain't air between your ears!" Gaimon gives a short bark of laughter, before getting serious. "More important than that, you must be going to the Grand Line to accomplish such a dream!"

You tilted your head at that. "You know what the Grand Line is, right?" You shrugged, not wanting to admit you knew little to nothing about it; thankfully, Gaimon seemed ready to fill you in. "I don't know much about it myself. They call the Grand Line the 'Pirates' Graveyard,' y'know. I've seen pirates who've managed to make it back from that voyage…" Gaimon trailed off, gripping his chest. "They're broken men, almost like zombies! You can tell just by looking at 'em…whether pirates or monsters…they've seen terrible things. None will speak of it…but the sight of 'em's proof enough…" He fixes you with a look of sheer terror. "The Grand Line is a place of Horror!

You took in everything Gaimon says, becoming contemplative. Said island native settles back on his haunches (heels? Feet?) and scratched at his beard. "To find the One Piece and come back alive is almost impossible!" You perked up at that, which Gaimon noticed. "You know, the legendary treasure left by Gold Roger, The late Pirate King! Far as I know, he's the only one who's managed to sail that entire sea...The Great Age of Pirates started because of him!" Gaimon shook his head, this time in bemusement. "It's been 20 odd years since this age started…and no one's got that legendary treasure yet. Maybe no one will, ...the One Piece is a fool's dream!"

You hang onto those last words, rolling them around in your head, before responding. "Even if it is impossible, I still wanna try."

Gaimon looks at you, before looking at the ground in rumination. "Perhaps…" His head snaps up! "I'll tell you why I haven't left this island!" He looked so determined suddenly, almost like he became someone else. "Hope! I still have hope!" You stayed silent, expecting he'd explain. Simply put, Gaimon was on a crew that searched for the island's treasure for three weeks and found nothing but an empty, broken chest. The captain gave the order to leave the island, but instead of going back immediately, Gaimon continued his search, and found several chests on a cliff!

Before he could call his crew back, he fell, got stuck in a chest, and was marooned by his crew! To add insult to injury, he couldn't even climb the rock face stuck in a chest! So, for the last 20 years, he scared off pirates looking for treasure with the 'trials of the forest' shtick. Gaimon sighed, as he wrapped up his story. "All that treasure I saw up on the cliff…just can't bring myself to part with it. If only I weren't stuck in this chest! All this time, I've protected that treasure! It's mine! All mine!" Seeing the passion in Gaimon's speech, something stirs inside you.

Deciding to do something about it, you stood up, startling Gaimon. "Huh! What're you doing?" You tell him you are going to get the chests down for him. He gapes at you in response. "Really? That would be great!" You gesture for him to lead the way.


As you arrived at the cliff, you wondered aloud why Gaimon never told anybody else his story. "I never trusted anybody. Besides…" At this moment, Gaimon looks a little sheepish. "I shot you in the back, and you still helped me when you didn't have to." He turned to look at the cliff face. "Oh boy! The treasure is so close!" Gaimon looked happy enough to jump if he only could. "Finally! Today's the day!" You smiled at his excitement, before nodding, and walking over to the cliff. Climbing the sheer rockface wasn't too hard; there were some decent handholds to avoid overexertion, which was good what with the hole in your back and all.

Before you knew it, you were at the top, and your shoulder barely hurt. Sure enough, as Gaimon said, there were five treasure chests, just sitting there! With no preamble, you opened the closest one…and found it empty. Frowning slightly, you opened the second one…also empty. As were the next two. Gaimon called up, "Well, how's it going? What are you finding?" You looked back at the edge, unsure of what to tell Gaimon. You really hoped there was something in the last chest. Closing your eyes and flipping the lid up, you opened one eye to find…a smaller chest inside the big one. Curious, you picked it up and inspected it. It looked old and water-eaten, but otherwise, you cannot see any unusual traits.

After a clumsy climb back down, you met Gaimon on the ground, your hurt arm holding the chest. "Oh. So, there was only really this box up there?" the native stated before looking up at you with tearful eyes. "Kid…thanks." You look at the man, puzzled, pointing out that the treasure he was guarding for 20 years was just this tiny box. "It happens all the time…with treasure maps…you get your hands on one, but someone's already taken the loot…I'm just happy that there was anything in them." He wiped his eyes, trying to compose himself. "I was beginning to wonder if there was ever anything in them. Now, more importantly…" he almost started vibrating on the spot, "What's in the box?"

You sit down next to him and try to open the chest. It is locked, but a pistol butt is good for any occasion, including locked chests. As you flipped open the lid, you and Gaimon are greeted by…a really unusual-looking fruit, but not unfamiliar. It resembled a pear, covered in golden swirls that almost glowed. A supreme sense of déjà vu hit you from this morning. Unexpectedly, the words, "Devil Fruit," spring from your mouth.

"Devil Fruit!?" You glanced at Gaimon's face, which was cycling through a lot of emotions in under a minute, before settling on shock. "So…the rumors were true…" Before you could ask him what that meant, a loud squeal startles you both. You turn your head to see a pig with a lion's mane running up. After a lot of barks and purrs, which was both amazing and bizarre, Gaimon's scowl only deepened. "Unbelievable! Even more pirates!? This island is far too popular!"

Yelling about protecting the animals of this island, Gaimon rushed off, overlooking a few things: he had no weapon since you disarmed him, he was still in a box, and he had left you holding a treasure he had been waiting to see for years! You looked at the box in your hands, then the direction Gaimon ran off. Well, just because he had been scaring off crews for 20 years, did not mean they would all be scared off so easily (I mean, you weren't.). Plus, you idly thought as you run after him, chest under one arm, it might be interesting to see how the bushman operates.


It didn't take long to catch up with Gaimon and the pig-lion (lion-pig?), and before long, you were creeping in the shrubbery with them. Stopping at the edge of the tree line, you spied the pirate crew- and are they ever pirates! The entire group was dressed like a bargain bin threw up on them, and the captain was dressed in the gaudiest purple coat and hat combo…looking at him, and his stupid-looking pointy beard-and-'stache hurt your eyes! They look like they were setting up for something-crates, barrels, shouts, and jeers were passed around the rowdy group. Unfortunately, you were too far away to actually hear them.

Gaimon snorts, "These guys look like they're prepping for a party. Well, hope they're ready to leave their ale behind-time to scare 'em good!" He looked back at you. "Don't worry. I've scared tougher guys than this. Just hang tight." With that, he crept off into the brush, leaving you with the piggish lion (lionish-pig?). You do not have to wait long before Gaimon started his act. "DO NOT COME ANY FURTHER! IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE, YOU'LL LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW! SO SAY I! THE GUARDIAN OF THE FOREST!" Immediately, the pirates were startled, then worried. A lot of them even pulled out weapons. You had to stop yourself from laughing at how they resembled ants running around in the rain!

The purple weirdo, who looked to be shaken as well, was quick to rein in his men. Whatever he was yelling, it calmed them down. He violently gestured at one guy, who ran back to the ship, while Gaimon bellowed his usual ultimatum. How can you hear him, but not them? That is a neat trick you have got to ask him about once this whole thing was over. Eventually, the spindly wimp returns, with something wrapped in purple cloth (My God! How much purple can one guy own!) and handed it to the captain. He waved it at the trees, yelling about whatever it was he believed made him menacing, before ripping off the draping to reveal…

An ornate ax-like weapon, so polished and gilded, even this far from them, he could tell it was well-maintained and expensive. But you know this already…because it looks incredibly familiar…

Forgetting the show in front of you, you ripped your bag from your shoulders, whipped out the journal, and tear through it like a mad man, not stopping until you get to the page you seek. Right there on the page- that was the Weapon you were going to find next! The Legendary Weapon said to mow down armies! And this moron is about to use it on this island! Well…maybe he couldn't use it yet…there might be a learning curve…right?

…Screw it, why take the chance?

With that, you rushed out before that shaggy pig can even oink in shock. As you leapt out of the undergrowth, you are swiftly spotted. Made sense-it was a rock-free beach; you were barely in range of their voices, when you hear the Captain yell "…just one fool! Shoot him and be done!" Sure enough, at least ten of his crew whipped out pistols. Well, he looked like an idiot, but he knows how to strategize…

You jump sideways, the bullets kicking up sand where they hit. With a splash, you land in ankle-deep water…and feel a little tingly. Huh, must have stepped on a sea anemone. As the men reload their one-shot guns, the purple nightmare regards you with a sneer. "Just who the hell are ye!? Thinkin' you can attack me, Crescent Moon Gally!?" The weird-beard, Gally, tapped the back of the gilded ax in his palm. "You gotta death wish or somethin'?"

That one spindly-looking dork laughed. "You have no idea what you're up against, scrub! Captain Gally is worth 3,450,000! You really don't think you stand a chance-" was as far as he got before a familiar 'BLAM' rang in the air, dropping him to the ground. The group jumped and screamed, as the man wreathes on the ground in agony.

You smirked at the sight; Gaimon might be stuck in a box, but at least he can hit a target. Gally spun back to face the tress. "What the hell was that!?" He and the entire crew were disoriented and distracted; time to capitalize on a golden opportunity. You began to move out of the water, noting how sluggish you felt. It was vanishing little by little, though, so you refocused on your target. Unfortunately, the moment you moved, the seawater's splashes caught one pirate's attention. By the time he realized what was going on, you were already back on dry land, picking up serious speed. "W-wha!? Captain, turn around!"

Sure enough, Gally turned, just as you were almost upon him. Appearing startled, he covered himself, the blade of the ax pointing outward; this didn't worry you, as you reached out for the ornate arm, consciously trying to call upon your new ability. The next moment stretched to forever, as your fingers grazed the blade-

WHOOSH!

You blinked as you find yourself looking at the clear blue sky. Actually, wait, were you about to grab a legendary ax from a gaudy moron? Where was he, and why were you flying-no, falling, now falling, probably going to hit the ground and break a few-

SPLASH!

Oh, water, that is better, less of a chance to shatter bones when you hit-!

You suddenly…find it very hard to…think straight. It is…like…your whole…life…force is lea…king…out…

… … …

…Sploosh!

… … …!

You coughed awake, turning on your side to puke what feels like a metric ton of ocean! When you finished, you still felt pretty exhausted; after all, you did almost drown and all…actually, how did you almost drown anyway? You weren't a good swimmer, but not so bad that you would sink like a stone in a pond. These musings were interrupted by something shaking you by the shoulder. "Hey! Wake up! Are you alright? Say something!" At long last, you blinked heavy lids open to see…someone or something standing over you. The setting sun, and almost drowning, had made it difficult to focus on objects now,s all you saw was a being with a glowing halo around its head.

Reaching up tentatively, you asked, "Are you an angel?" The figure lifted a hand to tuck some hair behind their ear, before shifting to block some of the light. With the glare particularly lessened, you can safely say it was a female leaning over you-long blonde hair, chocolate-colored eyes, sun-kissed tan, and wearing a teal top. She was looking at you with this unreadable expression; it felt like she was looking through your soul. You still yourself, curious to see what would happen next, as the girl put both hands on either of your shoulders…

…And shook you like a freakin' maraca! You felt as if your brain was liquifying, as she yelled in your face, "Where's your stupid crew!? Where's Gally!? Where did he take Dorado!?" After a few minutes of that, you were finally able to pry her fingers off…only for her to go for a SWORD OH GEEZ-! You kicked her away, and prepared for a fight-

"Wait!" Right up until Gaimon jumped in between, roaring at the top of his voice! "Hold on! Stop!"

Crazy Lady's glare does not lessen. "I'm not stopping until he tells me where Gally is!" She jabbed her sword in the space between you and her-pretty sure she was imagining it is you who got skewered, not the air. "They clearly abandoned you, throwing you into the water like that! You have no reason to protect them, and after what you did to my town-" she takes a two-handed stance with the blade, a cutlass you think,- "I won't have any mercy if you decline."

You glare at the loony bitch, barking back you are not part of Gally's crew! The idea you would even be caught dead near that moron passed laughable and bullet trained right to insulting! Blondie just scoffs. "Oh, real original! Like I'm gonna believe…"

Gaimon (for her sake, not yours, you assured yourself) stepped in again to meditate. "He's telling the truth! He was with me when the abrasive asshole got here! Even if you think he could be on the crew, I promise you, I could not have been! I haven't left this island in 20 years! Believe me!"

Gaimon panted heavily from the exertion, as the girl finally took in Gaimon's appearance, before screaming! Geez, the lungs on this chick! "W-W-What! How-!?" She looked back and forth to you and the boxed-bush-man, finally settling on looking at you. "You…you really never been to Port Cisco?" You shook your head in the negative, which caused her to look down. "Then…if that's true…" After a deep breath, she thankfully sheathed the blade, and bowed as an apology. "I am sorry. It was rude of me to jump to conclusions." She stood upright again, dusting off her blue plaid slacks. "I'm Silk. From Port Cisco." She offered up an embarrassed smile. "I hope we can move on from this."

"My name is James Hook." You finished your short intro with a nod, thoroughly dispelling the tension.

"See? If anything, you should explain what's going on," Gaimon threw out.

Silk sheepishly scratched the back of her head. "Well, it's a long story, but I'll try to keep it brief." Saying so, she settled into a more easygoing stance. "Basically, Port Cisco got its name from the explorer who discovered it – Oakland Cisco. He led a ship of mighty explorers, and defended it with an ax made from solid gold! The town's elder says Cisco used it to blow away whole fleets!" You leaned back a bit as the blonde got more excited. She actually noted your response, before catching herself and blushing. Clearing her throat to calm down, she went on, "Many pilgrims used to come and see Dorado-the Blessing of Cisco. Well, at least, that's what I'd heard…" She crossed her arms and looks away, frustration etched on her brow.

"Since the Great Pirate Era started, it's gotten too hard for visitors, too dangerous to sail anywhere without being pillaged." Silk's frown deepened, eyes roving back to her audience. "And then the bastard Gally attacks our port for treasures. I tried to get the villagers to fight back, but instead, they tied me up to 'avoid making it worse!'" She shook her head with sadness. "Even after all that, even stealing our 'Pride'…they blast our town on the way out! I may not know why…" At this, she half draws her saber. "…but I set out to ask him exactly that. I tracked him here, but when I was sailing up, I saw fly boy here drop into the water in front of me from the sky! When he didn't surface, I dove in." At this point, she gave you a pained grimace. "By the time I dragged you to shore, Gally's men had begun sailing away…and now, my ship's drifted off somewhere…they can't be too far, but I can't catch up like this…"

You frowned at Silk's dour demeanor; really, if that weird energy-sapping feeling hadn't hit you, you could have kicked Gally where the sun doesn't shine, with Blondie here to just pick up the pieces. (You ignore the voice in your head that reminds you that you too were going to her town to take that weapon.) Instead, she sailed all this way just to fish you out of the drink… Well, now was time to pay that act forward. As you offered to help catch up to Gally and his men, the minute the words left your lips, Silk's entire demeanor shifted; it was like a human-sized sun was beaming at you with the intensity of that smile!

"Seriously!? Thank you, thank-!" Catching herself, she looked away, her face beet red. "I-I mean, thank you very much." After shaking away her embarrassment, she fixed you with a serious look. "They've gotten pretty far, but if they're heading where I think they are, we can catch up by early tomorrow." She clenched her fists with determination. "I won't stop until I bring back Dorado!"

You nodded at that, acknowledging the spirit behind her quest. The moment of comradery is interrupted as the pig-lion pushes that old treasure chest you found before this mess. "While I'm glad you two could settle things rationally, we still need to figure out what to do with this!" Gaimon voiced, motioning to the old crate next to him.

Understanding his meaning, you opened the box and pulled out the strange, but familiar, prize. "Wait, what's that?" Silk, a bit out of the loop, looked at you, the fruit, and Gaimon with confusion. "A treasure chest seems a little dramatic for some snacking? Also, is now the time to eat!?"

Gaimon shared a look with you before you both turn to the blonde. "This 'snack' is far more dangerous than you could see. This here…is the legendary Devil Fruit." Despite all evidence to science and genetics, Silk's wide doe eyes, somehow, got wider.

"A D-Devil Fruit!? Those aren't fairy tales!?" Assessing her volume again, Silk recovered from her shock and scratched her head in deep thought. "I wonder…if that's true, then…" She trailed off, and you urge her into continuing, eager to hear what she knew. "Well, I heard something about those who find and consume these fruits become 'enemies of the sea,' hammers that can never swim again…uh, why do you look so ill?" Suddenly, the events of your last battle take a more developed form; getting knocked into the ocean by a magic golden ax by a moron with a weird beard, only to learn that you almost drowned because of the power you were going to use on him. The irony is as thick as Alvida's blubbery hips.

When you tell the pair that you know about Devil Fruits because you now have the Clank-Clank power, they were a little skeptical; when you made your arm a giant iron mace, they were inclined to believe you a little more. "S-So it's true! Those powers are real!" Gaimon especially looked freaked. "My crew was heading for the Grand Line after a few more weeks all those years ago…" The thought of what his former allies might have gone up against seems to sober the small man considerably.

Silk, for her part- "HOLY F*** S***!" …was, to put it mildly, taking the news a tad worse. "T-There are a-actual fruits that c-can do that!? Those weren't just sailor tales!?" You considered slapping her to see if that could calm her, but with one look at your face, Silk straightened up and composed herself. "You slap me, I pop you-Devil Fruit or no." Huh? Did she... read your mind? After looking thoughtful for a moment, Silk nodded, coming to grips with this new information. "Well, that would explain you almost drowning. If we team up, with your power, Gally would have to give up Dorado!"

"Not just that power, either," Gaimon said. "I don't know what this one will do, but if you are planning to go to the Grand Line, you would need all the help you can get! Please…for the man who finally gave me peace…take this and live for your dream!"

You looked at the spiral-covered produce, wondering what are the odds that someone with one Devil Fruit could find or even hold another. I mean, what would you even do with this? Eat another one, and see what happens? Instead, you looked over at the blonde and decided on a gamble. "Here, catch!"

Silk balked as you tossed the fruit her way. "You're…giving this to me?" she cried as she caught the lobbed object. When you nodded, she looked at the power-filled produce…before shaking her head. "Let me think on it, but not right now. After all, what would happen if we both fell into the water?" She gave you an unimpressed look at your expression. "Don't tell me you didn't think of it." You looked away from her in some embarrassment; damnit, this girl could read you like a book! So, with the fruit back in its container, you bade farewell to Gaimon and all the strange animals that gathered at the shore, as you and Silk sailed off, wind at your backs, and heading in mind.


4/29/22 A/N: Another re-edit done! I'll stop bringing it up now, but I will bring up my new TVTropes page! Feel free to help me add new ones because I can't begin to catalog every single trope I create on the way to telling these tales. Other than that, you guys can just support me by reading my stories! Night!