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Chapter: Right or Left...?
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I stood at the base of the pillar-sized rod, observing the grooves on its surface, which can be used as a foothold. *huff* I watched the approaching ceiling dizzily, *huff* discarding the thoughts of how I brutally dismantled the Robot.
Even though I look energetic, my body's condition is not optimistic. Only the adrenaline coursing through my body is preventing me from falling down.
The body's fatigue of nearly a month is taking a toll; I know that if I got knocked out, it will take a long time to wake up, due to my body catching up with nearly a month's rest.
*pant* *pant* I limped towards the rod and then held the groove as pain shot from my bleeding nails and swollen ankle, *grit* I endured the pain and pressed myself against the rod as the ceiling approached.
I checked the size of the hole from which the rod originates; I noticed there is a gap of one meter between the rod and the wall of the hole, so I need to enter it without getting hit by the ceiling.
It will be very difficult due to the state of my body, but my eye, which is not blocked by blood, shone brightly without any fatigue as the ceiling approached.
I pressed myself against the rod as it retracted into the hole so I entered the hole along with the connecting rod without any accident. *Hu* *hu* after the piston stopped, I jumped towards the wall and held onto its irregular surface with my bleeding claw gritting in pain, *hu* then adjusted myself waiting for the piston's rapid descent.
While the rod is falling, even touching it slightly will doom me due to its speed and there is only a 30cm gap between the rod and me. I gripped the wall tightly, pressing my back against the wall, ignoring the pain in my body. I feel dizzy and have severe pain in my ankle, claws, and wings.
After a while, I felt the rod move slightly *clink*. I stood still, knowing that it was going to fall fast, which I already 'experienced' thanks to that robot.
*swoosh* *iisssssss* I felt the wind blowing fast in the front as the rod decent trying to pull me along. I gritted my teeth and held on tightly before the rod slowed after some seconds.
I hastily jumped back onto the rod holding the groove, waiting for the piston to rise. After some seconds, the piston raised slowly upwards, carrying me along with it. I felt the wall I jumped from passing by.
But suddenly I felt the distance between me and the wall increase; I turned to see that the area was opening up, so I relaxed my hold, not afraid of getting hit by the wall.
I have no energy to look around, as I'm focused solely on holding the rod tightly. '*huff* Why is it rising slowly?' I complained gritting in pain *huff*. But I saw many platforms built along the wall.
I chose one of them as my way out of here. I watched the platforms pass by are old and rusted. As I reach high, I found some platforms that are maintained properly.
I noticed a platform that is bigger and maintained properly, so I chose it as the target to land. *huff* *huff* I tensed the muscles on my good leg preparing to jump. As I reached the platform, I exerted pressure on my leg, jumping from the rod and falling unceremoniously on the platform.
*UGH* I groaned as I hit the platform, which stimulated the pain further in my body. *huff* *hu hu hu* *cough* I lay there breathing heavily without any strength to stand up.
"I hate this island *cough*," I spat, feeling pain in my teeth. I rested for a while, fighting hard to stay awake. I dragged my body to lean against the safety net of the platform.
I surveyed the area to find anything dangerous; I discovered a door on the other end of the platform. Even though I mentioned that the platform looks frequently maintained, it is only in better condition than other platforms with less rust, repairs, etc.
The door is also very rusty. It is a single metal door similar to the ones used in the submarine. I relaxed after finding it was not used frequently.
I dragged my bag, then opened the zipper with difficulty before emptying it. I ignored the dials and the minuscule amount of food left before skimming the medical supplies and sighed in relief as a sufficient amount was available.
I manipulated the Eisen Dial to remove the remains of my dress. I picked the Water Dials labeled 'Rubbing alcohol' and poured one full dial containing it on me. "*Ugh* it stings like hell," I cursed as I cleaned the wounds.
I don't know if alcohol can be used on burn wounds like this, but I didn't care about it. Just pray that my Lunarian genes' adaptability will take care of it.
I picked up the gauze, then cleaned the wounds, gritting in pain. As I continued to clean I recalled what happened below. 'What happened earlier?' I thought in confusion.
'I was furious at that robot, ready to tear it apart,' I recalled. 'But I suddenly blanked out to only regained my sense later with extra damage on my body and the robot torn to pieces,' recalling what happened.
"According to the result, did I berserk? *wheeze*," I mused, controlling the Eisen cloud to apply medicines to my wounds.
"But how? Do any of the genes in me have it?" I questioned in doubt.
"Sulong? I don't know if I have it?" I took my watch, then searched for any details about it.
"It seems, 'I' haven't looked at the moon yet, afraid of hurting others," I confirmed, looking at the notes.
"I probably won't have it," I guessed before remembering the topic.
"And there is no moon here, so it's not Sulong. So what is it?" I thought silently before an arrogant figure emerged in my mind.
"Ha! It's Shark's frenzy," I shouted before reeling in pain.
"I didn't think I would have it," I exclaimed, then became happy.
"Well, I can only use it as a trump card," I decided as I started bandaging. "Or I will look like this," I lamented, looking at my body.
"Even when training 'I' must be cautious in hurting my body," I muttered. "But I got frequently hurt since leaving Skypiea. I hope there will not be any future consequences because of my injuries," I wished as I bandaged my wings.
I am fortunate that miraculously my ankle did not break; I assumed that the robot pulling me would have broken it. "At least my body became sturdy during this period," I sighed comforting.
"Maybe if I start exercising using weights, my abnormal body won't get affected," I contemplated this idea.
I used all my medical supplies turning myself into a mummy, leaving only my eyes and mouth. The mouth is also to be bandaged as the jaws hurt slightly, but it needs to work before getting sealed.
"I hope I will find food soon," I gambled, glancing at the locked door, and began gobbling the remaining food.
My stomach is somewhat full after eating all the remaining food, which was a ration for two days. I would have become hungry in two days anyway, so I ate in relish.
"It is going to be a month since I arrived at this place," I muttered, drinking water from the dial.
I checked the goods scattered on the ground, which contains only dials; empty and full ones. I noticed a Flame Dial sporting crack on its surface. "The fall must have cracked it,".
My eyes shadowed. "This is another loss due to that robot," I fumed before the pain calmed me down.
After that, I wore what remains of my pants. I only had my mask since I kept it in the bag to breathe easily in smoke, but the bandana can't be found anywhere. I quickly bandaged my head to secure the jaws, finally looking like a mummy.
I dragged my body away from the blood and the garbage I littered to a clean place and knock-out as soon I laid down.
-o-
I slept like a log for two days straight, undisturbed by anything. I woke up groggily to the sound of wind moving and my sleepy eyes locked on a huge pillar- the source of the sound.
My eyes regained clarity 'What the hell is that?' I tried to yell but to my surprise, "Mmph… mmm… mph!" is what I said. I sat up, feeling numb pain all over my body.
I feel stiff due to the bandages being covered all over my body; I removed the bandage covering my jaws. "Phew! That's annoying," I threw it away.
I glanced at my body; "Why is my body small?" I stared at my bundled body in confusion, but somehow I'm okay with it, as my intuition indicates it was normal. I looked around; "Where Am I?" I muttered before finding a bag.
On top of the bag, a bracelet-like object is secured to the strap, from which a light is blinking non-stop. "What is this? A Time Bomb?" I warily leaned in to see properly. After examining it, I touched it vigilantly and a hologram popped up in the air displaying 'Reminder Note'.
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«REMINDER NOTE »
» Phew, You FINALLY found the watch, at last. It seems the blink setting is working fine. Don't worry, it will only be visible when you look directly at it and won't attract others' attention if seen from a distance. I will clear your other doubts now.
» All of this is written by YOU..., What! you can't recall it? That's because You have short-term memory loss (STML). This Note is a backup prepared by 'You' for you.
» Do you know where you are? You must have already said the annoying 'Where Am I?'. That sentence can be used as a Title if this is written as a story... Psh!...let's not think about it...where were we now? Yeah, your situation, You are in One Piece World. Yeah..., THAT One Piece you are thinking of now.
» You can explore on your own or read this note fully. From here on, you are alone! And update the Note if you are alive. Good Luck. p.S. Read the Log Book to know more details.
» I changed some settings on the watch since it should be hidden. I set it in vibrate mode «BZZT» so it won't alert anyone who doesn't know about it. I have also changed the holograph to display directly on your skin - the forearm or the hand, so you can use it conspicuously. Change it if it is not useful.
« P.S- Kick God's Ass if you see him »
«Year:- 1511 » «Age:- 04 » «Location:- Unknown Island: ~9000m in the sky» «Time:- Early-August »
«Main Task: Reach Blue Sea»
»Instructions:
«Previously: » I left the cave using the ledges in the walls above the cave's exit, then found a structure #Picture# which leads upwards. I spent five days to reach the top only to find another stupid cave leading 'Downward'»
» I entered the cave accidentally before the stairs turned to slide, dropping me into the desert area. I'm roaming here for two days. I only have one full Water Dial and some cans filled with water from the previous obstacle course. The Food is very limited and will last only five days if rationed well»
» After crossing the desert, I leisurely crossed through a sea of fire before flying through geysers reaching the pillar-like structure in the distance. I entered it through a vent located on its side and arrived at its center with some difficulty to discover this #picture#.
» Because I'm a genius, I easily climbed out of this piston through the hole of its connecting rod and arrived here with injuries all-over my body ha... ha... ha. Click here for more detail.
» Just climbed the rod arriving here. DO NOT GO Back down. You got injured because of a robot. Yes, A ROBOT.
« Get out through the door and beware of robots»
« Find food and water quickly as it ran out »
« Explore the area and update frequently »
Next: « Retrieve your things on the island's surface. Go to the blue Sea.
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I read the note dumbfounded and then tried to process the information silently. After understanding all the information, I breathed out "This is One Piece world?" I wondered, looking at the huge pillar, "Why can't I believe it?" I grimaced at the rusty surroundings.
I looked at my body before scrolling down on the note, then learned about my species and their uses.
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► Details of short-term memory loss…
▼ Details of your species…
» Fishman:- Characteristics: Underwater breathing and vision, Gills, Shark teeth, Shark Frenzy, Strength #Updated#
» Mink:- Characteristics: Nightvision, agility and flexibility, Electro, Claws, Tail, sensitive hearing and smell.
»Lunarian:- Characteristics: Endurance, adaptability, manipulate flames, Wings, in doubt: «silver-white hair and light brown skin»
▼ Scroll for further info…
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I felt my stomach groan in hunger so I stopped reading after learning about my duration of memory loss and precautions for it.
"Let's find food first," I mumbled, wearing my watch on my wrist, then wearing the almost empty bag on my back.
There is still pain in my ankle but it is bearable so I used Eisen cloud to cut a rod from the handrail for support.
"Let's see what is behind the door," I excitedly control the Eisen cloud, to turn the lever on the door. I held my breath in anticipation as I finally opened the lock after turning the lever.
*creak* *zziiiii* I pulled the door which creaked open as rust fell down, *cough* I waved the dust, and the smell of stale and rust assaulted from behind the door.
I waited vigilantly for anything to rush here, attracted by the noise. "Hmm! no one is here," I sighed as I limped out of there.
After stepping out of the door, the rusty smell assaulted me. I glanced around to find that I'm in the middle of a pathway. The walls here are worn out with paint peeled like it has not been maintained for decades.
"How the hell does this island move in this state?" I muttered doubtfully.
"If this is like this, then there is zero chance of humans alive here," I concluded at the state of this place.
"Right or Left?" I looked at the path on both sides. I carefully checked for any details but can't find anything distinct.
"If in doubt then gamble," I decided before placing the rod vertically on its tip and backing away, the rod stayed in that position for a while before falling towards the right *CLANG~*. *clang~* *clang~* I was startled to hear the sound echoing around this silent area.
"Why the hell did I do this stupidity?" I wondered about my behavior.
I took the rod and walked towards the left; the opposite of the chosen path. "I should read the Log Book to find the reason for my stupid behavior," I decided as I ambled in that direction.
I held the rod and dial in each hand vigilantly as I walked along. I discovered that the door I exited from was a service door similar to the doors along the way.
From the symbols, numbers, and instructions that are marked all around the area, I understood that robots were assigned to each of these doors.
"I didn't see any robots here," I muttered, walking according to the map drawn on the wall. It shows where the control center of this service area is supposed to be located.
Along the way, I saw many spots with oil stains, burned marks, etc., and occasionally spotted some torn wires, nuts, bolts, etc.
I reached the control room to find the door bust open with explosion marks around it "It seems there was a fight and someone is ahead of me in hunting the robots," I seethed as I entered the room to find it bare with only some posters on the wall.
From the posters, I figured that these robots are not humanoid ones like terminators but short ones which move on wheels like Wall-E.
"What the hell!? if it is just a fight, why loot this place up?" I complained, looking at all the posters- which are manuals to service each robot. I quickly found a map among the posters and took a photo of it, and found that the canteen was two floors above.
"I hope the food there is still edible in the condition of this place," I mumbled, moving in the direction of stairs marked on the map. I ambled for a long time as I feel my ankle becoming numb.
I read the Logs on the way, "It seems I entered a different place when 'I' broke out of that Trap Cave," I deduced, seeing the changes after breaking out of that wall.
I reached the place where the stair was supposed to be and noticed it was a Fire exit without a door. It is very dark on the other side. *step* *creak* I entered it carefully, stepping on the fire exit stair.
"They even have a fire exit, but there is a whole place burning down below," I speechlessly looked at the stair, which looked rusted in many places but looked somewhat sturdy.
I stepped on it as it creaked noisily, with dust and rust falling; I looked down to see the stairs spiral into darkness. *creak* *clunk* *creak* I carefully climbed up the stairs as it creaked under my feet. I found that the stairs above are missing, it only reaches three floors above.
"Well, I only need to reach two floors above," I grumbled in hunger.
I reached the floor above and examined the door of that floor, but I didn't hear any sound from the other side. I tried to push the door, but it is jammed tight. I don't want to force it, in case of attracting attention due to noise.
Due to my height, I can't look through the porthole in the door, even if I can, I can't see, because of how messy it is.
"I hope the door above is not jammed," I muttered before continuing to climb again.
I climbed the stairs, limping slowly, and reached the next floor; to my relief, the door is ajar. I slowly peeked in the doorway to find it empty and not a bolt of nut can be found around.
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