Quirk Quirk no Mi!
Sometime before Izuku woke up, Makino and Uta could be seen in Makino's bar. The former was working behind the bar while the latter was sitting at one of the tables, looking gloomy and sad.
"Uta, will you stop sulking now?" Makino asked, letting out a tired sigh as she glanced at the little ten-year-old who had been acting like this ever since yesterday.
"But Izuku still hasn't woken up," Uta lamented, her frustration evident as she slammed her forehead onto the table. "I really shouldn't have pressured him into eating that Devil Fruit."
'No, you shouldn't have,' Makino retorted in her mind; however, she didn't say it out loud. Honestly, she really wanted to give an earful to Uta for forcing her little brother to eat some weird fruit. However, she held herself back, knowing that reprimanding Uta wouldn't improve Izuku's condition or the overall situation.
"So, where's your father and his crew?" Makino interjected, attempting to shift Uta's focus.
"They set sail early this morning," Uta answered. "They fitted a new sail yesterday and wanted to give it a trial run," she added, casting a glance at the clock. "Although they should've returned by now."
"I'm sure they must have made a pit stop for a drink," Makino suggested.
"Yeah, sounds about right," Uta agreed, knowing how much her father and his crew loved partying.
Just then, the door of the bar burst open with a resounding crash, and a couple of men entered, led by a tall, tan-skinned man with black hair, a black goatee, and a lecherous grin across his face.
"So, this is the place where you were humiliated and kicked out of," the leader jeered, his laughter echoing in the room.
"Yeah, this is the place," one of the men in the group said, gritting his teeth and ducking his head in shame. Then he directed his venomous glare at Makino as he walked towards the bar. "Hey! Where is that green-haired brat!?"
'Why are they asking about Izuku?' Makino thought to herself, wondering and fearing what these men want with her little brother. "No, he is not here right now."
"Don't give me that crap!" the man bellowed, sweeping his sword across the bar, shattering the neatly arranged bottles. "Hand over the brat, or else," he threatened, pressing the blade against Makino's throat.
"Now now, calm down. You don't want to damage the goods like her," the man leading the group said as he walked towards Makino, the lecherous smile never leaving his face. "I am sure all of you will like to take turns once I, the great Higuma, am done with her."
"Fine, boss, if you say so," the man said, retracting his sword.
"However, that green-haired brat still insulted one of my men, and I can't let that slide," Higuma narrowed his eyes at Makino. "That's why, before we leave this stupid place, we are going to make an example out of her," he said, grabbing Makino by the hair and starting to drag her outside.
In that moment, Uta lunged forward, grasping at Higuma's leg in a desperate attempt to stop him. "Leave her alone!" she shrieked with all her power.
"Insolent brat," Higuma sneered, delivering a brutal blow to Uta's head with the hilt of his sword, knocking her out.
"Uta!" Makino screamed, seeing Uta get struck by the sword.
"Are you really wasting your time worrying about that brat?" Higuma taunted, his laughter echoing through the bar. "Well, whatever. Once I break you, you won't be thinking about anything at all," he said as he dragged her outside the bar.
A few moments later, Uta regained her senses as her mind caught up to the recent events. As soon as she did, the wind violently stormed out of her body, creating a mess of furniture and glass bottles around her.
Once she calmed down, she realized that Makino was still in danger, so she rushed outside and soon arrived at the docks where Higuma was boasting about himself and how he was going to punish Makino, while the gathered villagers watched with fear and dread in their eyes.
"Cowards..." Uta sneered under her breath as she rushed forward, making her way through the crowd, and stood in front of the bandits. "Hey! Leave her alone!" she yelled, getting the bandits' attention.
"Oh, little miss, what are you going to do if I don't?" Higuma taunted, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Then I will kick your ass!" Uta declared, ignoring Makino who was telling her to run away.
"Oh, I would like you to try," Higuma challenged her with a grin.
"Well, you asked for it," Uta said and produced three white hawks made out of air, launching them towards the bandits at rapid speed.
Higuma was shocked for a moment, but he somehow managed to dodge one of the hawks by a hair's breadth. However, his men weren't so fortunate. Three standing behind him were hit by the hawks and knocked out.
Once he overcame his shock, Higuma gritted his teeth and glared at Uta. "How did you do that, you freak!" he spat, then turned to his men, who were still standing there with their mouths agape. "What are you standing there for!? Go get that freak you fools!"
In response to their leader's command, five of Higuma's lackeys charged toward Uta, brandishing their swords in their hands.
The sight of incoming men with swords frightened Uta to no end; however, she pushed back her fear and closed her eyes while concentrating on her power. Then, just as those five men closed in on her, she created a decent-sized tornado, which lifted those men in the air, spun them, and threw them around.
Although the attack was powerful and saved her from those five men, it also affected her. She was panting heavily, taking deep breaths as the attack drained her stamina.
'No, I can't give up now,' Uta thought to herself. However, when she opened her eyes, she was met with the chilling sight of a gun aimed directly at her face.
"Damn brat! You've made quite a mess," Higuma growled, his expression twisted into a sneer of disdain. "Usually, a freak like you would fetch a pretty penny on the black market, but I have a feeling you're more trouble than you're worth. So, I'll just put an end to it right here," he declared, hovering his finger over the trigger. "See you in hell, brat!"
Uta closed her eyes and clenched her trembling hands. Instead of the deafening bang of a gunshot, she heard a resounding boom that reverberated through the air. Startled by a sudden noise, she cautiously reopened her eyes, only to find herself away from the gun, being shielded by Izuku, who had shock written all over his face.
When Izuku arrived at the docks, his heart sank at the sight of Uta, who was about to get shot. He felt a tingling sensation in his palms, but before he could comprehend what was going on, his legs moved on their own, and then he heard a boom. The next thing he knew, he had rescued Uta, and there was smoke coming out of his palms.
'No fucking way! Did I just...' Izuku's mind raced as he stared at his hands in disbelief. 'How? Why?' Oh...' as Izuku was panicking, suddenly he remembered how he was assaulted by memories of his past life after he ate that Devil Fruit, specifically memories of different Quirks that he had seen, known, or read about. Then there was that terrifying physical pain that felt like someone was reshaping his body. All of those things pointed to only one possible conclusion, '... am able to use quirks from my past life?' he questioned himself.
"Well, looks like there's another freak in this village," Higuma sneered, clicking his tongue as he leveled his gun at Izuku. "Well, doesn't matter, just one more bug for me to finish off."
Izuku immediately shielded Uta with his body as his mind began to race. 'Damn it, I wish I had a better environment to test my theory, but I have no other choice right now,' he thought and crossed his arms in front of his face. 'Kirishima, buddy, don't let me down now,' he thought as he concentrated his mind on one specific quirk, and in the next moment, his flesh transformed, becoming jagged and rock-like.
It was precisely at this moment that Higuma decided to open fire on Izuku. However, to his astonishment, the bullets ricocheted off Izuku's hardened skin. Gritting his teeth, Higuma fired four more shots, only to witness them bounce off harmlessly once again, fueling his frustration even more.
Izuku, meanwhile, was totally amazed and excited by what he did. 'I really did it! I really used [Hardening]! I-" his thoughts were interrupted by a surge of agony coursing through his arms, snapping him back to reality, making him realize that while [Hardening] had shielded his arms from getting pierced by bullets however, the force of impact still damaged his arms. 'Yep, I am totally not unbreakable,' he thought while gritting his teeth against the pain.
Seeing Izuku seething in pain, Higuma's lips curled into a sinister smile as he drew his sword. "Well, if bullets won't do the trick, then the sword will," he taunted, as he started walking towards Izuku.
This time, it was Uta who positioned herself in front of Izuku and glared at Higuma. "I won't allow you to hurt him!"
"Oh, really?" Higuma's expression twisted into a cruel grin. "Then I'll just have to cut through both of you," he snarled, raising his sword. However, before he could bring it down, the sound of a gunshot echoed through the air, and a bullet pierced through Higuma's hand, making him drop the sword.
"How dare you raise a hand on my daughter?" Still clutching his wounded hand, Higuma stared at the source of the sound and saw a very angry-looking red-haired man glaring at him.
"Father!" Uta exclaimed, relief flooding her voice as tears welled up in her eyes.
'Damm it! I messed up!' Higuma thought as he looked around and saw his men surrounded by very pissed, dangerous-looking people. 'I need to get out of here!' he thought, and suddenly an idea came to his mind.
Higuma quickly took out a smoke bomb and slammed it on the ground. Taking advantage of the chaos, Higuma grabbed Uta by her hair and started running towards one of the boats.
"Ow! Let go of my hair, it hurts!" Uta shrieked, as she squirmed in Higuma's hand.
"Like hell, I am going to drop you now!" Higuma said. "You are my ticket to get out of here!" he said and grinned as he spotted an empty boat. However, before he could enter the boat, suddenly a wall of spiky ice blocked his way. "What!?" Higuma exclaimed and looked to his right, seeing the green-haired kid smirking while the right side of his body was covered in ice.
Meanwhile, Izuku was barely standing on his feet, his arms throbbing with pain and his body wracked with cold. "Damn it, Shoto made it look so easy..." he muttered weakly, feeling consciousness slipping away. "Not again..." he thought before he fell to the ground and passed out.
When Izuku opened his eyes again, he found himself in a bed, cocooned in layers of snug blankets, and a mild pain in his arms. With a little effort, he managed to sit straight up and saw his arms in casts.
"It's an oddly familiar sight," Izuku muttered with a weary smile.
Just then, the door creaked open, and Makino stepped into the room. As soon as she laid her eyes on Izuku, she rushed towards him and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Thank God you're awake, Izuku! I was so worried about you!" she said, her voice trembling with emotion as tears fell onto Izuku's shoulder.
Izuku's heart warmed at Makino's evident concern for him. He really wanted to return her hug, but his arms wouldn't allow it, so he decided to respond with humor instead. "Neesan, you're crushing my arms!"
Hearing Izuku's complaint, Makino quickly pulled back in panic. "Oh, I'm so sorry—" Makino began to apologize but stopped when she noticed her little brother smirking to himself. "Really, Izuku? You think this is the time to tease your poor, worried sister?" she chided lightly, delivering a playful tap on his head.
"Sorry, my bad," Izuku said, giggling to himself. "Anyway, what's the deal with these casts?" he inquired, nodding towards his arms.
"What do you mean by 'what's up with these casts'?" Makino asked, with an incredulous expression on her face. "Mr. Izuku, when we brought you here, you had several fractures in your arms along with a minor case of frostbite!"
"Wow, that's quite a lot of damage," Izuku remarked casually.
"Don't 'wow' me, young man!" Makino retorted, though her stern expression softened with a hint of amusement. "Izuku, please stop getting hurt like this. I hate seeing you in pain," she added, in a low, somber voice. "And on top of that, you did some really absurd things today. Speaking about them, how did you do that?"
"It's all thanks to my Devil Fruit abilities," Izuku explained, a spark of excitement igniting in his eyes. "Let me show you," he said and placed his hands on his opposite shoulders. In the next moment, his body started emitting smooth green light. Then, once the light died down, Izuku started panting again as if he had just run a marathon.
Seeing her little brother out of breath, Makino immediately rushed to his side, gently stroking his head. "Izuku, are you all right!?" she asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
"Yeah, just a bit winded. I could use some water though," Izuku responded between breaths.
"Okay, I'll get it for you," she said and quickly went downstairs. When she returned with water, she was taken aback to find Izuku removing his casts. "Izuku, what do you think you're doing!? You need to keep those casts on for at least a week!"
"It's fine, Neesan, really. I feel completely fine," he said as he spun his arms around, showing he was not in pain at all. Then he walked towards her and took water from her glass.
"Izuku, did you just heal yourself?" Makino asked with wide eyes.
"In a way," Izuku responded once he had caught his breath. "I essentially accelerated my body's natural healing process, albeit at the cost of draining my stamina," he explained, as Makino nodded along, somewhat understanding what he did.
"Anyway, forget about that, I have something important to tell you," Izuku interjected, gently taking Makino's hand and leading her to the bed. Once they were both settled, he continued with a determined expression. "Neesan, I've finally figured it out. I know what I want to do!"
Makino's eyes sparkled with anticipation upon hearing Izuku's words. She knew how her little brother had been affected after he gave up on becoming a Marine, so she was eager to listen to what he was going to say next.
"Neesan, my dream is to..." Izuku began, outlining his aspirations to Makino. As he spoke, her expression underwent a series of transformations: curiosity, surprise, shock, and finally, a blend of exasperation and amusement.
"Izuku, you're really aiming high there," Makino remarked, shaking her head with a fond smile. "So, to achieve your dream, you want to become the King of the Pirates?"
"Well, to realize my dream, I'll need considerable influence and power. Becoming the King of Pirates checks both those boxes," Izuku explained earnestly. "Plus, I also want to travel around the world and see all the amazing things out there," he said in an excited voice.
Makino, meanwhile, observed Izuku, the boy who had become her younger brother in all but blood, with warm, motherly eyes. She always knew that Izuku was different from the other children his age. Even though he was only 10 years old, talking with him felt like talking with someone much older. That's why she trusted him to look after her bar when she was not around.
So when Izuku told her about his dream, she listened carefully and tried to understand it instead of thinking of it as some sort of joke. And once he finished explaining it to her, the first word that came to her mind was 'impossible.' However, she didn't say it out loud. After all, Izuku was her little brother, and she was going to believe in him, she had faith in her little brother, that he could defy the odds and achieve the seemingly impossible.
But despite her faith in Izuku, Makino felt the need to ensure that Izuku was on the right path. "Izuku, where is this coming from?" Makino asked. "Is it because of Shanks?"
"Yes, he's part of the influence. Talking with him gave me the idea that despite being a pirate, it would be my choice to become a good person or not," Izuku explained. "The other part is that I still want to fulfill my goal of helping people. However, due to some circumstances, I can't join the Marines like I wanted to, so I decided to fulfill my goals on my own terms."
"Very well," Makino said with a smile, although she still didn't like the idea of Izuku putting himself in danger, but she wasn't going to discourage him. "Just promise me that you will do everything in your power to remain safe."
"Of course, I will do my best," Izuku said as he once again found himself embraced by Makino.
Just then, the door of the room burst open as Uta rushed inside, launching herself at Izuku and enveloping him in a tight embrace. "Idiot! What were you thinking, putting your life in danger like that!?" she exclaimed, her voice muffled against his shoulder as tears streamed down her face.
"But I'm perfectly fine," Izuku reassured her with a chuckle, returning the hug.
"That's because whatever reckless stunt you pulled actually worked," Uta retorted, pulling back to glare at him. "And don't lie to me. I saw your face back then, you had no idea what was going on."
"Guilty as charged," Izuku admitted with a sheepish grin, raising his hands in surrender.
"Izuku! This is not a joke!" Uta's glare hardened. "What if whatever you were trying hadn't worked? What if... you had gotten shot?"
"Then that's game over for me, I guess," Izuku replied casually, immediately realizing his mistake as he felt two pairs of eyes boring into him. "Oops, my bad," he apologized, offering a strained smile.
"Uta, I know what I did might be borderline idiotic, but when I saw you in danger, my feet moved on their own, even before I could think of anything else at all," Izuku explained earnestly. "And honestly, I don't regret what I did. If my other idea had failed, then I still would have bought you some time to save yourself, and that would have been better than me doing nothing at all."
Izuku's heartfelt words brought a lump to Uta's throat, but instead of letting her emotions show, she adopted a stern expression. "Izuku, you—"
"Anyway, Uta, I've made up my mind about my new goal," Izuku interjected, diverting Uta's attention from scolding him. "I've decided that I'm going to become the King of the Pirates!"
A week later, the Red Hair Pirates were bustling about, loading supplies onto their ship and performing last-minute checks. Today marked their final day in East Blue after several months spent in the region, and they were preparing to set sail back to the Grand Line.
Their captain, Red-Haired Shanks, stood on the deck overlooking the preparations when his daughter approached him. "Hey, Father, do you have a moment? I want to talk to you."
'Yeah, here it comes,' Shanks let out a tired sigh. "Sure, what is it?"
"Actually, would it be alright if I stayed back?" Uta asked, her fingers twisting nervously.
"Uta, are you saying you want to remain here in this village rather than returning to the Grand Line with us?" Shanks inquired, his brow furrowing slightly as he processed her request. Uta nodded in confirmation. "Well, at least you told me this sooner than I thought."
"Wait! You knew I was going to ask to stay?" Uta exclaimed, surprised by her father's insight.
"Uta, you're my daughter. I know you better than anyone," Shanks replied with a shake of his head. "And seeing how happy and cheerful you've been these past few months, it wasn't difficult to guess. Knowing how you've gotten a best friend in Izuku and an elder sister in Makino, I knew you wouldn't want to leave them behind."
"So, you're really going to let me stay?" Uta asked, her eyes widening with hope.
"You know I can never say no to you, princess," Shanks smiled at her. "But are you really sure that you want to stay back? I've told you this before, once I leave this place, I won't be able to come back, at least not for quite a long time. It would be years before we see each other again."
Upon hearing his words, Uta couldn't hold back her tears any longer, her emotions overwhelming her. "I love you, Father, and I'll miss you terribly. But I don't think I'm ready to travel with you," she confessed, her voice choked with emotion. The memory of the gun pointed at her still haunted her, and she couldn't shake off the fear. "I know that I will only hold you back."
"My dear princess, you would never be a burden to us," Shanks reassured her, tenderly stroking her head.
"I know, but I still feel like it's best for me to stay here," Uta insisted, her resolve unwavering.
Shanks let out a resigned sigh, understanding his daughter's stubbornness all too well. He knew there was no changing her mind once she had made a decision. "Well, then, princess, what are you going to do about it?" Shanks inquired, his tone gentle yet curious.
Uta pulled away slightly, meeting her father's gaze with determination. "I'm going to become strong. Then, I'll set sail with Izuku, gather experiences and friends, and one day..." Her grin widened. "...I'm going to surpass you, Father."
Shanks couldn't help but grin at his daughter's declaration and did the only thing that felt natural to him. "In that case, I am giving you my most precious treasure," he said, placing his Straw Hat on her head. "Keep this safe, and return it to me when you think you have surpassed me."
In response, Uta could only nod as she tried to control her tears and hid her eyes under the shadow of her hat.
An hour later, Izuku, Uta, and Makino stood at the docks, bidding farewell to the departing Red-Haired Pirates.
"I'm going to miss you," Uta murmured, wrapping her arms around her father in a tight embrace.
"Me too, princess, me too," Shanks replied, returning the hug with equal affection.
Once father and daughter had hugged each other to their heart's content, Shanks moved towards Makino and smiled. "Makino, I apologize for entrusting Uta to you like this, but would you please look after my daughter?" he requested earnestly.
"Don't worry," Makino reassured him with a smile of her own. "I'll ensure she grows into a fine and well-mannered young lady," she added, a hint of teasing in her tone.
"That's all I could ask for," Shanks replied, leaning in closer. "I've left some treasure in your storage. Take your time selling it off," he whispered into her ear, causing her eyes to widen in surprise.
"Shanks, you really don't have to," Makino protested softly.
"No, I insist," Shanks insisted, shaking his head. "Makino, I couldn't just leave my daughter in your care without offering some form of assistance."
"Alright, I'll accept it," Makino relented with a tired sigh.
Once he was satisfied with Makino's answer, Shanks turned his attention to Izuku.
"Once again, kid, thank you for protecting my daughter," Shanks said, giving Izuku a grateful smile. Izuku was one of the main reasons why he agreed to leave his daughter on this island. After all, it's not every day that you meet people who will willingly take a bullet for you.
"And I am again telling you that it's not that big of a deal. I did what any good friend would do," Izuku replied, reinforcing Shanks's decision to place his trust in the green-haired kid even more.
"Very well, kid, but next time we see each other, we won't be just friends but rivals as well," Shanks grinned at Izuku.
"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way," Izuku returned the grin. "And Shanks, I will do it first," his tone confident and his held high. "I will get the One Piece and become the King of the Pirates."
With that, the Red Hair Pirates left the Foosha Village, leaving Uta, Izuku, and Makino behind.
Once the Red Haired Pirates' ship was out of sight, Izuku turned towards Makino and said, "Hey, Neesan, can you lend me some Bellies?"
Makino turned towards her little brother and raised her brow. "I can, but what do you need more Bellies for?" she asked. "I think I pay you a decent amount of Bellies for mending the bar."
"Yeah, you do, but I need to buy some notebooks..." Izuku trailed off, reconsidering his words. "Actually, scratch that. I'm going to need a lot of notebooks."
To be continued...
Quirks used in this chapter:-
1) Explosion (Katsuki Bakugo) - allows the user to excrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from their palms and ignite it at will to create explosions of various sizes.
2) Hardening (Eijiro Kirishima) - gives the user the power to harden any part of their body.
3) Half-Cold Half-Hot (Shoto Todoroki) - Half-Cold Half-Hot allows the user to generate ice, frost, and cold from the right side of their body, and fire, flames, and heat from the left.
4) Cell Activation (Katsuma Shimano) - allows its user to activate the cells in their body or another person's body through touch. This increases regeneration, and recovery time, and can even improve physical condition.