Hello, everyone. This is a new angle that I've decided to try out. I'll be mimicking the way game of thrones goes about its chapters with direct POV's, as I think it'll be easier to write that way. I haven't made an official comeback, but I am trying, so I hope you enjoy these updates as while these chapters will be shorter, they'll allow me to focus my writing instead of trying to string together confusing plots like my failed story in Remnant's Scarecrow of Fortune.

Cheers, Searoar.

Chapter 1. Eustass.

Swirling smog choked the air as the world around Eustass was dark and hot. Blood dripped down his face, and his breathing was impaired by a crooked nose that the red-haired pirate assumed to be broken or on the verge of being fractured. Every breath was a hard labor, but still Eustass yelled for his crewmates; the people who he considered as the best of the lot in this corrupt world of pirates and government abiding dogs. "Killer!" Eustass wheezed and struggled to stand. He clenched his fists and curled his toes to make sure that all his limbs were intact, then stumbled through the smog with a painful limp and stooped shoulders.

"Waaah! Mommy! Daddy! Where are you?!" Sobbed a young girl with dirty squinted at the small person who earned his attention and grit his teeth. He was a pirate. Plain and simple. He had no reason to help this child, and the safety of his crew came before all other ambitions. Still, Eustass bore the crying girl no ill will, and merely walked past her as another cloud of smog drifted between them.

"Huh? And who are you supposed to be?" Scowled a lean yet muscular being with purple skin and two protruding horns that ended in balls from the sides of its head. "Bah, it makes no difference. All of humanity is nothing more than a parasite that fuels the world with filth. Begone, miserable polluting spawn, you are not needed in this world's beauty!"

"What the hell?" Eustass grunted and spat a wad that was a mix of blood and phlegm. "I don't know what you want, fishman, but I don't intend to die here."
The assumed purple fishman put its hand on its hips and puffed out its chest.

"Hah! Of course the miserable spawn of absolute depravity would declare resistance! Very well... after I've crushed this sorrowful pawn, I will deliver the same service onto you!"

The assumed fishman reached out toward the crying girl, who was now on her knees in woeful panic and called out to Eustass to help her. The pirate cursed his luck. He didn't bother with the girl, but his pride had been challenged by the purple brute who's arm pulsed in size to crush the child who seemed to fashion Eustass as a hero instead of a pirate for some strange reason. Surely his notoriety as a dastardly voyager on the four seas would've reached far and wide by now, right? Eustass clenched his teeth and summoned forth his devil fruit powers. The metal around him rose, but quickly fell as a sudden pain wracked his body and forced him to kneel. He hadn't noticed until now, but his vision was swimming and his ears rang an incomprehensible tune that threatened to put him out for good.

"...Just an average guy who serves as an average hero." Said a man in a yellow suit who stood proudly over the rubble as the smog around it cleared. He was bald.

"Oi, don't stick your nose in my business!" Eustass growled but the words would not leave his mouth as his throat was too hoarse to comply. All Eustass could do was observe the scene before him, but his senses were so stirred that the conclusion he came to was a few muffled exchanges, and a loud bang followed by a roaring cheer.

When Eustass next awoke, it was in a more comfortable place with clear lighting and lavender scented air provided by a bouquet perched at the end of his bed. Eustass took a few deep, steady breaths to gather his bearings, and forced himself to sit up and push off his white cotton sheets. He shook his head, and was glad that his vision had not left him as he studied his surroundings. The room he occupied was small, with some sort of metal box perched on the windowsill that appeared to be dormant. Judging from the sun that was casting an orange hue over the sky as it tucked itself beneath the horizon, night was near as was a chilling wind that drafted through the half-open window.

"Why am I in a hospital?" Eustass wondered aloud. He was a pirate. A rather envied one at that. So who in their right mind would willingly care for his wounds and provide him with a safe space? For a moment, Eustass wished to see his crewmates pass through the doors of his room, but he had enough sense to know that he was not in his trusted ship that served as his home. Eustass picked at the bandages around his torso and arms with a frown. He tried to stand, but the effort was too straining in his condition.

"Hey there! Looks like you're all set to get back in the world, eh?" Called a voice that seemed to be spoken from above Eustass. "Easy there, captain, you're far from being in proper condition. Granted, I know you've got the sort of grit that'll stick around no matter how hard someone tries to rub you out, so that's definitely a plus on your resume."

"Who the hell is talking?!" Eustass jumped off his bed and flexed his arms. "If you're trying to mess with me, you're going to regret it!"

"Whoa, easy now. I'm not the person you need to be mad at. Think of our meeting as nothing more than a promising chance, given that there was a high possibility of you dying at Sabaody Archipelago. By the way, the names' Blast. A pleasure to meet you, former pirate of the Grande Line, and welcome to the world of heroes and monsters!"

"...What?" Eustass' red eyes gleamed with rage. "Don't take me for an idiot! Show yourself!"

"No can do." Blast replied with a merry sigh. "I've got places to be and problems to solve. Although, I'm not a heartless person, so I'll toss you a bone and give you the heads up that your crewmates are alive and in the same world that you now occupy. At least, Killer, Heat, and Wire are. I wasn't able to allow the others to pass through the bridge, but don't you worry. I made sure they were well taken care of."

"My nakama?!" Eustass stomped around the room looking for any sign of a person he could punch. "What did you do to them? If you don't start making sense, I'll kill you!"

"Wow... I knew your will was strong, but I didn't expect a fiery personality to match. Hmm... how about this, Captain Kid? If you reach the rank of the number one hero, I'll give you all the answers you want, free of charge? Sound like a deal?" Blast chuckled as if he already knew the answer to his proposal.

"Screw you!" Eustass roared. "When I find you, you're gonna pay!"

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Eustass 'captain' Kid! I can't wait to see what sort of hero you'll become! Best of luck, believe me, in the place you're in... becoming the number one hero is going to be quite the grueling task." Blast's voice echoed into silence leaving Eustass in a flabbergasted rage that only subsided when the door of his room opened to reveal a young boy with brown hair dressed in a blue polo shirt with dark cobalt shorts and sneakers with a heavy backpack.

"So, you're the man who took down that demonic level threat, huh? What's your name, mister? I'm Child Emperor, the fifth ranked hero, it's nice to meet you. But...why haven't you registered in the hero association yet? King did say that you helped in taking down that monster though... but I can't help but doubt your strength." The boy said bluntly with doubtful amber eyes.

"...Who the hell are you supposed to be, brat? If you're looking for a candy store, I suggest you look somewhere else. Otherwise, I'll have no issues in clobbering you if you keep pestering me." Eustass spat with a glare that promised pain.

"Okay. You're clearly experiencing some trauma, so I'll let you recuperate for a while longer. There's a five star meal that's been promised for you, so don't think the hero association is ungrateful. Not only that, but you've also been given a free chance to prove yourself in the upcoming hero evaluation that's held every month. But there's no need to rush given you still need time to recover both mentally and physically." Child Emperor shrugged and pulled out some sort of blinking rectangle that beeped whenever he pressed it. "The hero association also fixed your old clothes. Thankfully, there was enough left over to match your old outfit, so you won't feel uncomfortable. There's coffee down the hall, and a few biscuits in the cabinet below your bed if you feel hungry before dinner."

With that, Child Emperor took his leave. Yet, his brief presence only filled Eustass with more questions and zero answers. What the hell was a hero association? Was that supposed to be a knockoff version of the world government? Or... "Blast?!" Eustass yelled. "Were you actually serious about me being in another world?!"