Sometimes, I think to myself.

[What did I do to deserve this?]

[Why am I like this?]

[How did everything come to this?]

Over and over, with no answer in sight.

Usually, I tend to ignore them all. Other times they're so loud that it's unbearable for me.

But when I got thrown into this world and met Luffy, none of those matter to me. Seeing his bright smiles and hearing about his dreams make those dark thoughts float away and disappear, like sea bubbles floating to the surface of the ocean.

He may be still childish at times, but most of his intentions are pure and just. He's still under 10 years old, so he still has more to learn on how to be diplomatic and a good Captain for his future crewmates.

Luffy is like the sun. His light burns bright, driving the darkness away and bringing light as the dawn of the world. His light brings joy and life into those he shines on, revealing everything out and waking everyone up to start their daily activities. Burning bright and hot, warming everyone up from the previously cold night and enabling them to move again.

Ace, on the other hand, is like the stars.

His lights twinkled in the night sky and guided anyone through the darkness, just like the star then guided the Magi to meet baby Jesus. He's far away and could be already gone, but his lights will still travel and reach us, even after he's long gone. His lights will still burn for many years to guide us in the future.

And if Luffy and Ace are the source of the lights, Sabo is the moon that reflects their lights.

His light isn't as bright and sometimes he gets overshadowed by both of them. The moon accompanies the stars at night while waiting for the sun to rise. Just like Sabo and Ace are inseparable before, they both will always appear together until Luffy shows up. Together, both of them are paving the night sky to prepare for the actual source of light to bring dawn to the world.

Me, on the other hand, is just a mere Stargazer fish.

I am their loyal audience. Watching them come and go from deep in the sea, attacking those who tried to obscure my vision to watch them, and wishing to be more than a mere audience.

Maybe someday, my wish will come true.

But until then, I will keep watching them.

XXX

"There's the child! Get them!"

I just laugh as I keep on running, dodging on any grabby hands before giving them a heel-palm strike right in their nuts, letting them screech out in pain and giving me the opportunity to escape.

None of them are wielding weapons because I already managed to steal them all. Though I let Takao take and hide them away while I fight the marines head on, before he comes to pick me up.

Oh, I also stole their books and other important files, including money too. It's easy to do it when you're disguising yourself as an innocent child wanting to go sightseeing and memorizing the whole blueprint of the base.

"Get that masked child! Don't let that troublemaker escape!"

Readying my pipe staff, I swing it at the closest one's knee and hit it as hard as I can, letting him go down with a scream of pain, clutching on his knee as I keep on running and going up the stairs, as more marines are hot on my heels.

I can feel that someone is jumping at me from behind, but I quickly step aside and turn around to face him, swinging my pipe staff at the guy right on his head before turning back around to the front and continue on running.

The exhilaration of fighting those who are stronger and bigger than you is very exceptional. It's as if you're eating really good food and having a really good warm bath. It feels really good and fulfilling.

But even so, it's not enough, like something is missing.

I shake my head at that thought as I jump and step on a marine's head, using her as a jumping stool to reach the top floor of the stairs. I don't have time for that. I need to focus on this fight. One wrong move and I got caught, that'll be the end of me!

Run and keep on running; up and keep on going up; climb and keep on climbing; until I'm at the top of the building with the moonlight illuminating the dark sky behind me.

I laugh as I stand at the top of a water tower and look down on the marines below, lettin the night wind blow over my long, half-assed dyed dirty coral pink hair like a lion's mane. I slam down my pipe to gain their attention on me and grin behind my mask.

Not that I need more than they've already given me, but this is for dramatic purposes!

"Listen up, you boot-licking, sea dogs!" I called out, "My name is 'Garu', the 'Dragon Hunter'. You sea-dogs can sleep and dream all you want for tonight, but I hope you remember this face of mine, because sooner or later, I will haunt you in your waking selves."

"Anyone who has a connection with those haughty-mighty dragons…" I pause for a moment as I hold my pipe with both hands in the air, before I continue with a shout, "ARE MY ENEMIES! YOU BETTER REMEMBER ME AND DELIVER THIS MESSAGE THAT I WILL COME FOR ALL OF THEIR HEADS IN THE FUTURE, SO DREAM ON WHILE YOU CAN!"

I let out a maniacal laughter as the marines looked absolutely horrified by that declaration, not realizing that Takao was waiting nearby for my signal to swoop in and grab me.

"Make sure you deliver it to them, that this 'Garu' is coming for them." I finish before taking a backward jump. The marines yell out in shock, as Takao swoops in and grabs me by the pipe into the night sky.

"Everything seems to go according to plan, Master Eris." Takao comments with a slight amazement. I just laugh at that.

"Nyehehehe! We'll see about that later." I reply before continue on with a serious tone, "For now, let's go grab our things and off to the next island. We have no use of this place anymore." I tell him and he grunts in agreement as he flies into the direction of our temporary hideout to grab our things.

Now that's done, it's time to juggle both of that and finding the temple of this sea god.

XXX

When we arrived at a new island, I was worried that my nighttime occupation might hinder my daytime activities.

I thought I would be fucked with this weird colored hair of mine is the same as my 'alter-ego', but after a few days and the news of 'Garu' started to spread around via newspapers, apparently no one really gives a shit. That way, I can still do other activities during the day without my nighttime activities hindering me.

I would blame it on it being dark during nighttime, but it's technically a blessing for me!

Then again, we don't really need to go to nearby towns. We can just hunt our own food and sleep in the forest, just like back home. And because of that, I mostly spend the day reading the important files I stole. It was mostly filled with names of the marines in the Marine base I just messed with, so I buried those away so I won't leave any traces of my existence.

The rest are maps of the previous island and some other islands, and blueprints of the previous marine base. I don't need the blueprints anymore, but I'll keep them for a keepsake.

"…How to read maps?" I ask in confusion as I look at the said map in my hands, turning it vertical and horizontal occasionally to no avail.

"Well, first of all, you put the map upside down, that's why you can't understand it, Master Eris." Takao replies calmly while I just blush a bit in embarrassment as I turn the map around. But I still can't understand a thing.

"Yeah, definitely no idea. Takao, you deal with these. I have zero clues about navigation." I tell him as I throw him the said map and change my attention to the big haul of weapons from Marine base #1, searching for a good weapon for me to use.

Hmm, not a single cool thing in sight. Only the boring ol' swords and guns. Bleh, I don't use guns, so I'll sell those later. The swords are not even cool, so I'll sell those later too.

Sheesh, do I need to commission a blacksmith to get my own, personal weapon? Finding a good weapon in these seas is like finding a needle in a haystack, unless you have a metal detector in hand. That, or I should just go straight into the Grand Line to find it. Our destination seems pretty close-by anyway.

…Yeah, we can try.

"Hey Takao," I called and he turned to me from the map as I grinned at him, "wanna go to the Grand Line after all of these?"

XXX

Dear Luffy and Ace,

I decided to go to Paradise to find myself a good, personal weapon. I'll bring you guys some souvenirs when I reach Sabaody Archipelago!

Hopefully I'll survive there, because you know how that place works, unless you guys haven't been paying attention to our Education Session.

Also I'm gonna meet that old man Rayleigh and have a lil talk.

Sincerely,

Eris.

XXX

"…It sure is hard to read the newspaper when it's super windy." I comment out loud as I brush my hair away from my face. They're getting too long and they keep on whipping my face. It stings!

"You shouldn't even read the newspaper while we're flying in the first place, Master Eris." Takao replies calmly, considering this occurrence has already happened so many times already.

"But it's getting good! I cannot not read it! I have no time to read for fun once we reach an island!" I protest with a pout as I lunge forward to cling to his neck, "Listen up, birdbrain! You just cannot understand the coolness of Germa 66 from this propaganda comic about Marines and how they keep on trying to kick Sora's ass!"

"S-still, I didn't know you're an avid comic reader, Master Eris." Takao says as he immediately tries to balance himself back and I stare at him blankly at that statement.

"I read over 700 chapters of One Piece manga, and you didn't know I'm an avid comic reader? Takao, you birdbrain! Do you even know me, you traitorous bird?!" I exclaim out dramatically as I put him into a headlock and he immediately struggles.

"M-Master Eris—! We're high up in the air—!"

"Don't change the subject! Answer me, birdface!"

We didn't fall, fortunately, but apparently my Devil Fruit Encyclopedia did and I'm not happy about it.

XXX

Slowly, I stir myself awake, only this time, not into the waking world.

No, this time, into the usual dreams I get right after we reach a new island.

Turning around to face the figure that's swimming in the mists, I look at it straight in a pair of familiar eyes.

"Which way?" I ask the being calmly, the same question I asked

The figure will grin in return. Its toothy grin and twinkling eyes are glinting in the endless void of the dream.

"Keep going east, little A." It replies calmly.

"What would I get if I found this temple of yours?"

It grins wider.

"The power you seek most will be there."

I narrow my eyes, but not surprised by the answer because this exact same QnA session has been going on for the past many dreams before, with the exact same questions and answers just repeating each other like a broken record.

"…And what do you get from this, creature A."

It's not a question. It's a demand.

"Geshishishi, nothing you should be concerned about, little A." It replies, "Now, it's time for you to wake up and continue on. We'll meet again."

And I did wake up, with my mouth feeling extremely dry and salty, as if I just drank a mouthful of seawater. I sit up and quickly grab my water pouch, downing it in one go and wipe the stray trickle of water with the back of my hand.

"Takao," I call as I stir the bird awake, "We keep on going east, like usual."

XXX

Dear Luffy and Ace,

I miss you guys.

I wanna go home, but I need to do this.

Sincerely,

Eris.

XXX

"It's 'Garu'! Get your weapons, soldiers!"

"B-but sir! The weapons—!"

"W-what?! Where are our weapons?!"

I swiftly dodges when one lunges at me and jumps on his head, using the other heads as stepping stones before I jump into the vent above me. I crawl on forward slowly and silently, navigating myself into the room where they store the important papers, AKA the archives.

Quietly opening the latch, I jump down and quickly lock the door before immediately going into action. Grabbing all of the books, files, and papers into the sack I bring along, I drag them along to the nearby window where Takao is waiting on a tree.

Seeing me, he immediately transforms and flies in, grabbing the sack and immediately flies away as I close the window back and unlock the door. I can feel there's no one on this floor (yet), so I quickly sneak out through the door and run off upstairs.

There are a few people on the next floor, and I can fend them off easily to make a commotion for the others to come, and the dramatic exit will occur again.

They're all gathered up by the end of the stairs. Good, saves the trouble of gathering them up to attack.

Readying my pipe, I jump and strike them.

Head, sides, neck, groin.

They're all shouting and screaming in pain while rolling around on the floor and I frown in annoyance.

So noisy.

I blankly look down on them as I bring my pipe up before bashing them in the head until they're all unconscious and bleeding. They're still breathing, so I quickly step on them and run upstairs as lots of footsteps are going up the stairs to the current floor.

I have no time. It's almost midnight.

Up and up, until I reach the rooftop. There's no water tower in sight, but it doesn't matter. Not the first time this happens.

"Stop right there, Garu!"

I slowly turn around to face them and the particular speaker. She looks like an important figure. Is she the Captain?

"I order you to stop resisting and turn yourself in. You're surrounded and there is no way to escape." The Captain orders and I scoff as I bring my pipe up before slamming it down to the floor, unknowingly cracking it under my strength.

"It's been fun playing with all of you," I say with a tad deeper voice, ignoring her words as I hold my pipe with both hands, "but I got what I want, and I have no use of you guys anymore." I climb up the railings and face them again.

"Have fun with the empty Archive Room and no weapons." I bid my farewell with a laugh before I jumped off the railings, with Takao immediately swooping in to grab me into his arms and flying off into the night sky.

And just like that, the cycle will loop around again.

Like seriously, I can't believe the marines are not learning from the first five when I sneak into their bases, especially when I always steal their shits and go to the top floor after I'm done playing with them.

While I love it being easy, where's the challenge to that?

Hopefully, the next ones will be much more fun than the last ones.

XXX

Dear Luffy and Ace,

It's been a while, isn't it? It's almost New Year, which means it's almost Ace's birthday. I've been away for 6 months, but it feels like years to me.

I miss both of your bickering, and definitely miss kicking your asses, obviously!

I'm getting closer to my destination (or I think I am), so hopefully I can go home as soon as possible. I don't think I can survive another year without sticking close to keep my eyes on you troublemakers! I hope you guys didn't destroy High Town without me!

But I need to get going now. Wish me luck!

Sincerely,

Eris.

I stare at the letter I wrote, re-reading it with a small smile before closing my eyes. It's not enough to satisfy the gaping hole in my heart, craving for seeing the boys again, but at least it's filled up for a bit.

Opening my eyes, I fold the letter and slip it into the envelope, sealing it and putting it inside my satchel, together with the other dozens of letters I wrote from the start of my journey.

It's okay.

Everything's gonna be okay.

Just a little bit more, and we'll be home soon.

I just need to deal with this one corrupted marine base, and then I'll be off on our way again.

While playing around with the other marine bases is fun, by the end of the day they're still people with power over civilians. Corruptions are common occurrences to those with power, fame, and money, and they will use it against those who lack them.

I hate it, but equality and balance in the world is such a fleeting and childish dream. Neither here nor in my homeworld; the strong will eat the weak, while the weak can only accept their fate.

And one day, they will also devour Luffy and Ace whole.

I hate it.

I hate the world and its unfair systems.

If Luffy didn't live in the said world himself, if Ace didn't have the dream to prove the world how much he is worth, and if Sabo himself isn't working on changing the world for the better, I would very much destroy it.

And because of that, I need power to protect those three. I'm weak at the moment, and I need power.

This 'Being A' is offering me the thing I wanted (like the Devil himself) and if it thinks I will be easy to lure in, then this being is absolutely right. But no matter what, I will still use it up to my own freedom.

I will use the power to fight for my own selfish needs, and no godly beings can stop me from doing so.

Because I'm just an egoist.

(Posted on April 29th, 2022)