Chapter 2: One bad idea later…
The smell of a cooked meal tickles my nose as I am brought out of unconsciousness. My eyelids fluttered for a moment as I took in the appearance of a shimmering starry sky with the bright moon shining above.
What happened…? I remember being… scared… then cursing a goddess… and teeth-
The Sea King!
I immediately got up, looking around in fear but not finding the giant monster. What I did ended up finding is the large beheaded eel-like body of said monster cut opened to its bones with a campfire burning on top of its skin with a cooking pot above it held in place by a tripod.
And by the pot is the very culprit of the creature's slaughter, said man busy finicking with the pot's contents with a pair of chopsticks.
"Oh, you're awake." The man noted with a smile as he took out a few pieces of what looked like well-done mini steaks from the pot and dropped them onto a wooden plate, "Want some? Freshly grilled Sea King meat!"
So that's why grilled Sea King meat looks like… it does look rather appetizing. And I am getting rather hungry myself…
And as if reading my own mind, my stomach lets out a low yet loud growl. I felt my face turns red as the man starts laughing before holding out the plate in his hand, "Come on up, let's eat."
I hesitantly got onto the Sea King's dead body, while getting annoyed at my loose pants and manages to tie a knot on it to tighten it, took the offered plate before taking a piece of meat on it by hand and dropping it into my mouth, the surprisingly savoury fish-like texture fills my cheeks with delight as I faithfully chew it up and then devour the rest of the meat on my plate.
"Good, right?"
I nodded in agreement, as he places a few more pieces on my plate while I reposition myself to sit more comfortably cross-legged.
Just as I am about to eat another piece, the realization hits me.
Wasn't he all suspicious of me before? All about to complete wreck me if I didn't tell him the truth? What's with his sudden friendliness all of the sudden? Wait! Is… this meat drugged…?! Oh god, am I going to-
"No, the meat is not drugged."
Eh?! He can read my mind?!
"No, your facial expression is way too obvious." The man chuckles as he places a cooked meat into his mouth, "Sorry for all that threats earlier. That letter and your reaction does trigger a bit of a reflex in me."
What kind of reflex results with him threating to kill me?!
"Let's start this up back up from the beginning." He stated reaching his hand out in a friendly gesture, "I'm Sen, Wanderer of the Seas. What's your name?"
Wanderer of the Seas? What kind of title is that? Is Wanderer even a legit title to get? And a wanderer? In these seas? I guess that would explain his strength…
Not wanting to appear rude, I reach out my hand to shake his, "Rein. Visitor from another world, I supposed."
"Rein, then." After the handshake, Sen goes back to cooking the meat, "So, you're from another world? First time I have ever heard of such a thing." He pauses to munch down on a recently cooked piece of monster flesh, "And a goddess accidentally sent you here? Talk about bad luck."
"It's more of good luck than bad, honestly…" I mumbled out of my full mouth, before swallowing my meat, "I was actually dead before then."
"Eh?! You mean you were brought back to life?!"
"Pretty much, dead as a doornail."
"You sure seem rather nonchalant about it, though." Sen noted, "I mean, aren't you at least freaked out?"
"I am. Just that…" My thoughts went back to the Sea King attack and Sen's own counter followed by his one-sided slaughter, "You kind of blasted it all away… like with this Sea King…"
"Hahaha, I guess that's logical." He chuckles, before continue with our meal.
The rest of our meal time is spent in silence, with the occasional sounds of chewing and the ever present sizzling sounds of cooking meat in the background. I'm not sure how long we have been eating, but before long I start to feel my stomach reaching its maximum capacity as I place my plate beside me on the floor, letting out a sigh of delight.
"Man, that was some good eating."
"Glad you enjoy it." He smirks as he puts out the fire.
"Thank you for cooking it." I noted before realizing something, "Oh, and thank you for rescuing me back there." He looked back at me confused as he took the metal plate off the tripod, "If you haven't been where you are, I would have drowned without knowing anything."
"Eh, no skin off my back." Sen noted with a shrug tucking the metal plate under his armpit, "I was just in the area, is all."
"What were you doing out here, anyway?" I asked curiously as I watches him fold up the tripod, "I know your title, but is it really that simple?"
"That hard to believe, huh?" He laughed holding the folded tripod under his arm, "But seriously, I am a wanderer. But not one without any idea of where to go; trust me, being lost in the open ocean is a death sentence." He walks to the boat where he places the two items on the deck, "I mostly stay at one island to check on any new information, gather updates for my maps before heading out for the next island. There are times where I got lost halfway due weather complications and ended up at a different island, but I consider them lucky than unlucky to be honest."
"So, you pretty much gather up information from all the islands you been to?"
"Yes, and no. There are limits to what I can collect, with time-lapse and biases and all that."
That means he has a lot of information about the places he has been before; and if he has been in the East Blue for a while…
"Shells Town. Have you been there?"
"The marine base?" He asked confused before thinking for a bit, "Yeah, a couple of weeks back… Book it out of there once I got info on the next island. Damn Morgan and his tyranny…"
So, Morgan is still in control… that means that Luffy hasn't arrived yet… but it doesn't tell me where I am in the timeline. Has Luffy left his village yet? Is Zoro still held captive in the marine base? So many uncertain answers to my questions and none can be answered of this point.
I sighed dejectedly not knowing what to do at this point. Sen seems to catch on to it as he starts to ask.
"Does Morgan have anything to do with what that letter stated about you?"
I flinched, before turning to him with a rather firm stare. Not the murderous stare he has earlier that day, but still a rather intimidating one.
"Uh… that's…" I look away worriedly as I keep a look around to find a way out of this mess.
"Hey, now. I've feed you, you know." He pointed out with a frown, "No such thing as a free lunch- well, dinner in this case… but same thing. The least you can do is give me a snippet of truth."
He… does have a point there. I do own him one. Or two. Maybe a three, if you add in the whole saving from the Sea King. I mean, he doesn't seem to be anyone of real important to the actual plot so telling him about said plot should be fine, right?
But he is right on one thing. He does deserve some snippet of truth. Even just a pinch of it. Or a grain…
Yeah, let's go with grain for now.
"Okay, I guess you deserve that much…"
Sen smiles as he crosses his arms awaiting answers. "Um, let's see here…" I thought on about how do I explain it, before settling with such, "In the other world, we have these things we call comic books, manga if you want to be specific, and I am a fan of one such book. One series that told a story of a boy that travel this expansive world of pirates with a motley crew in search of the one big treasure left behind by the Pirate King-"
"The One Piece."
Sen conclusion stopped me as I took a look at him to see a sudden realization on his face, like he finally pieces together what I just said, "You read a story about this world, about the One Piece…" He stared at me in shock before adding on, "The boy in your book-"
"Manga."
"Whatever! That boy, what is his name?"
"Err…" Should I tell him? If he is as well-travelled as he proclaimed, he must know about the whole Garp issue. Would it make it a big splash if I tell him? But then… it's just a name. Maybe he wouldn't change much just by knowing his name.
"So?"
"Okay, fine. But don't tell anyone, okay?"
"Sure."
I braced myself before taking a deep breath, "His name is Monkey D. Luffy."
"Luffy-Wait, his name is…" He realized for a moment. An awkward silence filled the air as I stared at his dumbfounded face, before a grin starts to crack on his face as he bursts out into a roaring laugh.
"SAHAHAHAHAHA! OH MY GOD! THIS IS TOO GOOD!" He laughed out loud falling on his back rolling about on the dead Sea King clutching his stomach, "Garp's going to be so pissed! Oh, how I wish I was there to take a picture of his face when he finds out!"
Okay… That wasn't the reaction I was expecting. Does he know Garp on a more familiar grounds? Are they friends?
…Oh god, is he a Marine?! Not good, not good! I've told a marine about it! This is bad! Really, really bad!
"Sahahaha, oh man… haven't laughed like that for quite a while." He chuckles, before turning to face me who has already booked it back to the boat to grab the sack of things that dumb goddess gave me, "Huh?"
I need to get out of here. If I ended up in the World Government's hands, there's no telling what the Five Elder Stars are going to do to me! Or worse, I get sent to the Celestial Dragons where I'll live as a slave for the rest of my rebirth life!
"Hey! W-Wait a moment here!"
I barely got my hands on the sack when I hear a thump on the wooden deck as the boat bounced a bit, my guess Sen landing on the boat. I quickly wrapped my arms around it, bringing it close to me as I scuttle back away from his approaching figure.
"Look, just calm down a moment here… I don't know what came over you, but I mean you no harm." He tries to tell me but I refused to listen as I rack my mind on how to get out. Swimming is definitely out, no telling how far the next island is, but I can't stay here and let him take me in!
Think, Rein, think! What do I have in my disposal here? There's the knife, but he would easily take that out of my hand while breaking said hand. That leaves…
Of course! The Devil Fruit! It might give me a slight edge in dealing with him!
I quickly rummage thought the sack and took out the wooden chest. I heard him gasp as I forcefully open the chest to see the fruit inside. In it on a red cushion lays what looks like a tomato, one that is ash-white with swirls all over it with said swirls around the entire fruit like some kind of watery skin.
Oda definitely didn't truly captivate the essence of such a fruit with his drawings, but then again… no one truly can once I took a good look at it.
"Whoa! Hold on there! Don't do anything rash-"
I pick up the fruit (Or vegetable? Eh, who knows?) and take a large bite of it. And once the chewed piece hit my tongue, I struggle with all my might not to spit it out.
Want to know how it taste? Take the vilest thing you have ever eaten in your entire life, let it rot for few years, add dried shit as seasoning and you'll get at least one percent of what I am tasting. Oh god, it tasted as bad as advertised! How did Luffy finished an entire one?!
"S-Spit it out! Quick! Whatever you do, don't-"
I took a deep breath and swallowed that piece as forcefully as I could muster. I let out a moan as I still feel aftertaste of the fruit lingering on my tongue. Okay, now… what powers do I get…? Please be something useful…
"Are you out of your freaking mind?!" Sen screamed out in what I assume to be horror as he pulls me up to his eye level by my shirt "What in your right mind do you consider eating a Devil Fruit in the middle of the OPEN OCEAN?!"
"Hey! Let me go!" I struggle against his grip, trying to get away from him. NO! I refused to be captured by a marine! Not here! Not now!
"Do you even know what kind of Devil Fruit you've eaten?!"
"LET! GO!"
I shouted out as I suddenly felt a burning sensation from my chest that moves up my throat before I felt the heat near my tongue, as a large blast of fire erupts out in front of me from assumingly my mouth. The blast expands forward as Sen moves out of the way, causing him to let go as I stumble a bit on my feet while the flames expands out covering my entire view. The fire eventually stops once I felt out of breath, leaving me a coughing mess with the few coughs letting out some smoke with each breath.
Wha…What did I just…?
It was then I felt a slight numbing sensation on my hands, I brought them up to watch them slowly morph into what looks like humanoid claws with reptilian scales on the back of it. That is followed by a sudden pushing feeling on the tail bone, the sensation akin to a needle poking my skin only from within.
Could it be…? A Zoan? It has to be, with the animalist traits. Only problem is… which one?
"D-Don't tell me… that fruit is…!"
Huh? Even Sen is flustered, almost scared even. Huh? Whatever this fruit is based on, it must be powerful to scare him. Looks like I've gain an advantage over him!
Before I can take advantage of my… advantage, a painful sting on my shoulder blades nearly drop me to my knees as I suddenly feel a heavy weight on my back, causing me to lose my balance as I stumble about before the back of my shin hits the side of the deck that eventually topple me over the boat.
"REIN!"
I barely had time to scream before I dunked head-first into the cold salty waters below.
The first thing that I notice once I'm submerged is the new sensations from my back and the back of my hip. The second thing is that I suddenly felt the all energy sapped out of me. All of the sudden, I instantly felt weak with my limps suddenly felt like lead and the overall tiredness of my muscles.
I couldn't move at all, as I watch the surface slowly shrinks as I keep on sinking into the dark deeps of the open oceans, helpless to my own helplessness.
I… didn't think this through, did I?
Sen could only look at the slowly decreasing numbers of bubbles in shock.
For some reason, once he started laughing, that girl suddenly freaked out considering her actions afterwards. And then, for some unspoken reason, she grabs the Devil Fruit that was in the chest and proceeds to eat it despite his warnings.
And from her form changing, it is obvious that it is a Zoan type.
Not only that, he knows exactly what type it is.
"A Mythical Zoan of all things… and of all them, it is THAT one…" He groaned as he recalled what halfway transformation he saw of that young lady. The large wings on her back with that long slender tail is a dead giveaway.
He stared down at the bubbles slowly decreasing in number, before letting out a groan before diving in.
Of all things, he has to find an otherworldly traveller…
I barely register surfacing until I felt my back impacts the wooden deck hard, I coughing out a good amount of seawater in the process. I'm… alive?
"Oh, for the love of all things-Are you actively trying to get yourself killed?"
Sen's voice nearly jolted me into attention while failing to do so once I noticed my limps are still as heavy as lead. I let out a groan in agony as I realised the complete helplessness and my unchangeable situation.
"Oh, damn it all…" I groaned out, "Fine. You win. Take me away."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. You're a marine, right? Getting me to the Elder Stars will definitely give you a fat promotion, so go on. Sail away to the nearest marine base. Guess it's a slave's life for me now…"
"Whoa, whoa. Did you think that I'm a… marine…?" Sen asked, I nodded in response. There was a small pause before he let out a painful chuckle, "Oh god, so that's what it was all about?"
"Wait. So… you're not?"
"Of course not!" He stated with a laugh, "I'm not a marine! Former or otherwise! You must have misunderstood something."
"But… you are friends with Garp, right?" I pointed out.
"Oh, that part. Look, there are plenty of ways to be acquainted with that idiot of the Vice-Admiral, not just marine officers. Trust me, he has plenty of them outside the navy AND the law."
Oh. So, it was all a misunderstanding on my part then. Oh, my goodness, this is so embarrassing! How could I forget about that little fact of Garp's character…? He is friends with a fucking MOUNTAIN BANDIT!
"I'm such an idiot…" I groaned out.
"Indeed, you are." He agreed with me.
"So… what now?"
"Well, I was originally plan to leave you with a friend of mine, but now that you have eaten that Devil Fruit… I'm not too sure I should let you out of my sight." He stated, before noting my confused expression, "…You do realise what kind of Devil Fruit you've eaten, right?"
"Um…"
"Oh lord, give me strength…"
This is going to a running theme, is it?
…
To be continued…
There! Second chapter done! And yes, there are a lot of changes compared to the original. Like giving my OC a Devil Fruit for one. And yes, it's a goddamn Mythical Zoan type instead of the usual paramecia. I mean, I do have some in mind for this, but Zoans are physical fighters, the exact type of fighter Rein is going to be.
With that, I thank you all for reading this!