Reborn in a World of Sea!
"Izuku, wake up. It's morning already," a gentle and lovely voice roused Izuku from his slumber as he rose from his bed and stretched his small body.
"I'm up, Makino. I'll be down in a second," Izuku replied, rubbing his eyes. Then he walked to the dresser in the room and gazed into the mirror. Looking back at him was a 5-year-old boy with green hair and innocent green eyes.
Yes... he was exactly who you think he is, Izuku Midoriya, the hero in training, ninth wielder of One for All, the boy who saved Japan... more specifically, the boy who died while saving Japan, only to wake up in a different world, inhabiting the body of his five-year-old self.
One month ago, when he woke up in this body, he panicked because he didn't know where he was or what was exactly going on. Then, an overwhelming flood of information assaulted his brain, filling his mind with memories and information from both his old and new life, which caused him to develop a high fever for a week. This made the people around him worried, and he was forced to take complete bed rest for a week.
During that week, he processed all the old and new information that was now living rent-free in his mind. First of all, he sorted out the memories from his previous life and found out that he remembered everything that happened to him in that life. He recalled the visit to the doctor where his dreams were crushed, his declining friendship with Kacchan, meeting All Might on that roof, and their subsequent meeting after he saved Kacchan, where he heard the words that changed his life.
He remembered attending U.A., his friends, teachers, villains, and the various incidents they caused, ...Eri, ...the Liberation War, ...his vow to save Shigaraki, ...the villain hunt, ...All for One's words, ...how his friends came to take him back to U.A., and finally, the final war where he lost his life after dealing the final blow to All for One.
Each and every detail from his previous life was crystal clear as if all of those 16 years had happened yesterday. The more he remembered those memories, the more his heart clenched, longing for his old life and friends. It took him a few days, but eventually, he managed to convince himself that there was no point in crying for something that was out of his reach. After calming himself down, he shifted his focus to the memories of this new world.
His name in this new life was Monkey D. Izuku. At first, he wondered why he had a similar name and looked frighteningly similar to his old self, but then he decided not to think about it too much because it was the least strange thing that had happened to him so far.
Since he was only five years old, his knowledge of this new world was limited to some basic information. He knew that he was currently in Foosha Village, situated on Dawn Island in the East Blue. He found himself in an additional room of a bar, managed by a kind lady named Makino, who honestly reminded him of his mom.
Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, and the green-haired lady, Makino, peeked inside, smiling at Izuku. "Izuku, Mr. Garp is here. Come down quickly, or he'll come here and destroy the door in the process," she said, playfully adding the last part before heading back downstairs to attend to the bar missing the fond smile Izuku had on his face.
"Grandpa is here, huh?" Izuku said as he changed his clothes. Garp, the man Makino had just mentioned, was his grandpa and a Marine. He was the only family member Izuku could find in his memories. When he first discovered this fact, he couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle, reflecting on how the absent parent was the only consistent thing in both worlds.
Oh, are you wondering what a Marine is? Well, Marines are the law enforcement in this world, responsible for apprehending pirates—yes, real pirates with skull flags and all. Upon learning this information, all Izuku could do was sigh. From what he had read in the newspaper so far, he knew that this world was bound to be even more chaotic than his old one.
Oh well, there was nothing he could do now. He was dead in his old world, and the new one didn't look that bad, especially with Makino here. However, he couldn't help but wonder why his body shivered at the mere thought of meeting his grandfather.
After informing Izuku about Garp, Makino descended the stairs and returned to the bar, where Garp was enjoying his beer while engaged in a lively conversation with the mayor, Woop Slap.
"Hey, Makino, is that brat awake, or do I need to go up there and wake him?" Garp asked, wearing a wide grin on his face.
"Don't worry, Mr. Garp. Izuku is already up and changing his clothes," Makino replied with a smile. Garp could also sense the hint of pride in her voice when she spoke about his grandson.
"Really?" Garp raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Yep! For the past three weeks, Izuku has been acting completely differently than before," Makino said as she cleaned the mugs behind the bar. "Ever since he recovered from that fever a month ago, he has been remarkably calm. Of course, he still gets excited when he encounters something new and asks dozens of questions about it. He has also taken up reading books and newspapers every day."
As Makino spoke, Garp listened, his jaw-dropping in astonishment. It was hard for him to believe that the child she was describing could be the same brat he had entrusted her with.
"She's not lying, Mr. Garp," the mayor interjected with a kind smile. "The kid even came to me and asked if I had any books about the history of our world or any interesting books in general."
"You two must be joking, right? There's no way that brat—"
"Hey, Grandpa. It's nice to see you," Izuku came downstairs and greeted Garp, who stared at his grandson with wide eyes. No insults, no snarky remarks... just a polite greeting. "Grandpa, are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" his grandson asked with innocent eyes, bringing him back from his state of shock.
"No, I'm not hurt, but what's up with you? Why are you behaving so differently?" Garp asked.
"Different?" Izuku tilted his head, thought for a moment, and then shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, accepting the fruit juice from Makino, who observed the interaction between Izuku and his grandfather with glee.
"By the way, Grandpa, do you mind if I ask you something?" Izuku asked, his gaze fixed on Garp.
"Y-yeah, go ahead," Garp replied, still feeling unnerved by his grandson's sudden change in attitude.
"You're a Marine, right?" Izuku asked, curiosity shining in his eyes. When Garp nodded, Izuku continued, "So, what rank are you, Grandpa?"
As soon as Izuku asked that question, all doubts vanished from Garp's mind, and a wide grin spread across his face. "Taking an interest in the Marines, huh? That's what I expected from my grandson," Garp's laughter echoed in the bar as he affectionately patted Izuku's back. "Well, Izuku, your grandpa is a Vice Admiral, which is the third-highest position in the Marines," Garp said, puffing out his chest with pride as he noticed the admiration in Izuku's eyes.
"That's not all," the mayor chimed in. "Your Grandpa is also known as The Hero of the Marines around the world."
"Oye! You didn't need to tell him that..." Garp scowled at the old mayor but couldn't say anything more as he observed the stars lighting up in Izuku's eyes.
"Grandpa, you're a hero! That's so cool," Izuku exclaimed, his head shaking rapidly with excitement, while the mayor and Makino giggled at his enthusiastic reaction. Then, as Izuku calmed down, he asked in a low, timid voice, "Grandpa... do you think I can become a hero?"
"Huh?" Garp was taken aback by his grandson's sudden question. "You want to be a hero?"
Izuku nodded and looked at Garp with determination in his eyes. "That's my dream, Grandpa. I want to become a hero who saves everyone with a smile."
The three adults in the room fell silent upon hearing Izuku's dream. The first to break the silence was Makino, who looked at Izuku with fond eyes and gently placed a hand on his head. "That's a wonderful dream, Izuku," she said with a gentle smile.
"Hero, huh?" Garp laughed heartily. Then, suddenly, his expression turned serious as he stared back at Izuku. "That's quite an ambitious goal, Izuku, but it won't be easy. You'll have to train your butt off just to stand beside the weakest of the monsters out there."
"Hey! Don't discourage him like that," the mayor said, glaring at Garp.
"I'm not discouraging him, Mayor," Garp replied, not averting his gaze from his grandson. "The outside world isn't as peaceful as this island. There are people out there who can crush you with the sheer force of their will. So, tell me, Izuku, are you willing to face such people to achieve your dream? Are you ready to confront those who stand in the way of your dream?"
Izuku fell silent for a moment, taking his grandpa's words to heart. Then, he looked at his grandpa with a confident smile. "It's true that I don't know what the outside world looks like or how strong people are out there, but if someone stands between me and the person who needs saving, I won't hesitate to kick their ass."
A wide grin spread across Garp's face upon hearing Izuku's answer. "Hahaha! That's what I expect from my grandson." Garp finished his beer and then continued, "Well then, starting today, we will begin your training." Izuku's eyes lit up with excitement. "And this also means that from today, you will be living somewhere else."
"What!?" Izuku exclaimed, abruptly standing up from his seat.
"Izuku, calm down. I'm not taking you away from this island," Garp reassured, pushing Izuku back onto his seat. "You will simply be living somewhere else."
"But why?" Izuku protested. "Why can't I stay here with Makino?" He glanced at Makino, who looked troubled by their argument.
"It's better for you to stay where I'm taking you for your training," Garp explained. "Izuku, you want to become strong, right?" he asked, and Izuku nodded in response. "That means you'll have to make some sacrifices to become stronger."
"But Makino..." Izuku started, looking at her with sad eyes, which tugged at her heart. She sighed and proposed an alternative.
"Mr. Garp, how about allowing Izuku to visit the town every weekend?" Makino suggested, and Izuku's face lit up with happiness. He turned his eager eyes towards his grandpa, waiting for his answer.
Garp sighed, feeling the combined pressure of Makino's and Izuku's stares. "Fine, brat. I'll allow you to come here every weekend, but in return, I'm going to make your training even harder."
"No problem, I'll work hard," Izuku replied, his determination shining through, and he returned to enjoying his fruit juice.
Meanwhile, Garp looked at his grandson with warm eyes. He couldn't deny that Izuku's sudden change in attitude puzzled him, but honestly, it was a welcome surprise. Most importantly, he was glad that his grandson showed an interest in becoming a Marine and wouldn't turn out like his father.
After finishing his fruit juice, Izuku bid his goodbyes, and Garp took him to the massive mountain that loomed in the distance, visible from the town. As they walked, Izuku made a conscious effort to remember the path that would lead him back to the town, all while noticing the unsettling feeling that enveloped the forest.
On several occasions during their journey, Izuku thought he caught glimpses of predatory eyes watching them. However, he dismissed those thoughts, convinced that no grandparent would willingly put their grandchild in harm's way.
After walking for a while, they reached a house situated in the middle of the forest.
"Grandpa, what is this place?" Izuku asked, curious as they stood in front of the house.
"You'll see," Garp replied with a grin and began knocking persistently on the door. After several minutes of knocking, a muscular woman with curly orange hair emerged from the house, yelling.
"Stop it! Whoever you are, do you want to get killed?" she exclaimed, a cigarette hanging from her mouth. However, as soon as her eyes landed on Garp's face, she paled and stepped back. "G-Garp-san!" Just as she uttered those words, two more men peeked out from behind the curtain inside the house.
"You're looking good, Dadan," Garp greeted the woman named Dadan.
"Give me a break! Please, have mercy on me!" Dadan pleaded. "Ace is 10 years old now, and we can't handle him anymore."
"Oh, already? How is he?" Garp chuckled.
"It's not a laughing matter!" the short man beside Dadan exclaimed. "You have to take him back!"
"Putting that aside," Garp grabbed Izuku by the collar. "Take care of him as well."
"Hi," Izuku greeted with a strained smile.
"Who's this kid?" the tall man standing behind Dadan asked.
"He's my grandson," Garp replied, causing all three individuals in front of him to widen their eyes.
"What!? Another one!?" the three exclaimed in unison. "He's Garp-san's grandson!?"
Once they had calmed down, Dadan spoke again. "We can't take him! Taking care of Ace is already a headache, so you can't just dump another kid on us."
"Alright then. Here's your choice, either spend the rest of your lives in prison or raise him. It's up to you," Garp said, a smirk spreading across his face. The three individuals turned pale upon hearing his words. "There are plenty of crimes you've committed that I've turned a blind eye to."
'What on earth is happening here?' Izuku thought, his mind struggling to grasp the situation. Frankly, he could barely follow the conversation between Garp and these people. 'What kind of people are you entrusting your grandson to?'
"Well, I don't want to get arrested, but... sometimes I think it would be better in prison than having to take care of Ace," the short man named Dogra admitted.
"But now you want us to look after your grandson as well," Dadan remarked, glancing at Izuku, who stood quietly next to Garp without interfering in their conversation. "I bet he's a monster too." Despite her words, she couldn't bring herself to believe them as she observed the boy in question.
Meanwhile, Izuku, growing bored with their conversation, decided to explore his surroundings. However, as he did, someone unexpectedly spat on him. "What the heck!? Eww, spit!" Izuku exclaimed, quickly wiping it off with a handkerchief that Makino had given him. His attention then turned towards the person who had spat, revealing a black-haired boy sitting on a massive deceased animal while gripping a stick in his hand. The boy appeared older than Izuku, at least twice his age, and for some unknown reason, he glared at him.
"Izuku, this is Ace. He's five years older than you," Garp introduced as he approached them. "From today, you'll be living here with them. Hey, Ace, say hi to the kid!"
In response, Ace climbed down from the beast and walked past them, not even acknowledging Izuku's presence, and entered the house.
'Great, another Kacchan situation,' Izuku sighed, noting Ace's dismissive attitude towards him.
"Well then, kid, that's all from me," Garp stated, casting a glare in the direction Ace had gone. "Meanwhile, these bandits will train you. I know they may seem like idiots, but they're actually quite strong," he laughed, disregarding the bandits' offended protests. "I've also spoken to them about escorting you to town on the weekends, so don't trouble them. And don't worry, I'll visit whenever I have the time."
With that, Garp departed, paying no mind to the bandits' shouts, demanding child support from him.
'I don't know why I was born into this world or what the purpose of this reincarnation is, but one thing is certain: this time around, I'm going to live my life to the fullest without any worries and achieve my dream of becoming a hero who saves everyone with a smile... and I'll try my best not to die in the process.'
To be continued...
Hey everyone!
I'm writing a new story, and this chapter is an experiment to gauge how well this concept is received. If you're interested, please leave feedback and let me know your thoughts, suggestions, or what you would like to see in this story going forward. I can't promise to implement everything, but I would love to hear your ideas and suggestions.
Thank you for reading! :)
