"Where is this...?" Reo groaned, his voice barely more than a whisper. His body ached, but what confused him most was the sensation of floating, as if he was suspended in mid-air with nothing to hold onto. With effort, he forced his heavy eyelids open, but all he saw was endless darkness. His heart skipped a beat. Was he blind? The thought sent a jolt of fear through him.
Panicking, Reo quickly reached up and pressed his fingers to his eyes, rubbing them a little too hard. Pain shot through his eyelids, and tears welled up uncontrollably. "Ugh... My eyes hurt, so they must be working," he reasoned, rubbing them gently. "So, where am I now? Wasn't I sleeping in a hut?" The confusion in his mind only grew. "And why is it so dark here? Even with my eyes open, it feels like I'm blind." His small head swirled with questions.
The space around him felt like the universe itself-vast, empty, unknown. At first, Reo was terrified. But then he remembered: he was no stranger to darkness. He had lived in shadows for so long that it almost felt familiar. Slowly, he tried moving his body. To his surprise, he could turn in circles, somersault, and perform all sorts of movements as if gravity had vanished. For a while, he even enjoyed the novelty of weightlessness, spinning and twisting through the void. It was an experience few people ever had, and for a brief moment, it was almost fun.
But even the most exciting things lose their charm with time. After a while, the thrill faded, and Reo's initial curiosity turned into anxiety.
"How do I get out of here?" he wondered. He tried to think of a way to escape, but nothing worked. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find a way out. The emptiness pressed in on him, and fear began to creep back.
"What is this place? How do I get out?" Reo muttered, rubbing his chin as he floated onward. "Well, I guess I'll just keep moving forward, one step at a time." With nothing else to do, he let his body drift, surrendering to the current of this strange place.
Time seemed to lose all meaning. Reo had no idea how long he drifted-minutes, hours, or even days. Suddenly, the darkness split open, and a blinding light poured in, flooding the space and bathing Reo in its glow. After so long in the dark, the brightness was overwhelming. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear the intensity.
"There's light! Maybe there's an exit!" Excitement surged through him. He wanted to open his eyes, afraid the light might vanish if he didn't act quickly. After a moment, he managed to squint at the light source, his hands trembling as he reached for it. Inch by inch, he floated closer, hope growing inside him.
Finally, his fingers brushed the light. In an instant, it pulsed with energy, vibrating as if alive. Then, like an explosion, the light burst outward, engulfing everything. Reo felt as if he'd been hit by a flash of lightning-and then, everything went black.
When Reo next opened his eyes, he was no longer floating in darkness. Instead, he found himself in a place filled with sunlight, laughter, and the salty tang of the sea. The air was clear and fresh, and the sky stretched endlessly above him, a brilliant blue.
Seihoku Village, East Blue Sea
"Hey, Little Shibi, are you going to duel with the sea kings at the beach again?" called a deep, cheerful voice. Shibi turned and saw a middle-aged man with a full beard grinning at a child who was less than 1.4 meters tall-Shibi.
"Uncle Kunkei, I'm an adult now. Don't call me Little Shibi anymore. You should call me Mr. Shibi," Shibi replied, his face serious beyond his years.
"Okay, I was wrong. Come on, Mr. Shibi, in order to express my apologies, let me give you a few cotton candies." Kunkei smiled apologetically and reached into a jar on the counter, pulling out a few marshmallows. He tossed them to Shibi, who caught them with delight. The cotton candy seemed to float into Shibi's hands as if guided by invisible strings.
"Wow, thank you, Uncle Kunkei!" The seriousness on Shibi's face vanished, replaced by pure joy.
Seeing this, Kunkei slapped his big hand on the counter and laughed loudly. "Haha, Mr. Shibi, who loves cotton candy like a child, do you want more?" His laughter was so loud it startled a puppy nearby and made several villagers look over with smiles.
Shibi, caught between indignation and delight, pouted. "You're teasing me again! I don't want… well, maybe this one is okay…" He was about to throw the cotton candy away in protest, but couldn't bring himself to do it.
Just then, a stern voice called out, "Alright, you old man, you're bullying Shibi again!" Shibi looked around and saw Aunt Riko, a plump woman with her hands on her hips, walking toward the grocery store, her right hand pointing at Kunkei.
Kunkei's laughter died instantly. He looked sheepish, like a scolded child. "Heh…heh…how could I bully Little Shibi? I was just giving him cotton candy, right, Shibi?" He shot Shibi a pleading look.
"Hmph." Little Shibi snorted coldly, turned his head, and ignored Kunkei's eyes.
Kunkei, now desperate, tried to save himself. He quickly apologized to Aunt Riko and said with a smile, "Wife, how could I bully Shibi? I can't even hurt him."
Aunt Riko looked unconvinced. She turned to Shibi and asked, "Little Shibi, did this old man bully you? Tell me, and I'll help you teach him a lesson."
Seeing this, Shibi smiled slyly, ignoring Kunkei's look for help, and shook Aunt Riko's thick arm with both hands, whining, "Aunt Riko, I was bullied by Uncle Kunkei. You have to help me!"
Aunt Riko's face lit up with a smile. In a flash, her right hand darted to Kunkei's soft underbelly and twisted it 360 degrees.
A scream echoed across peaceful Seihoku Village, so loud that birds in the woods flew away and the old village chief nearly fell off his reclining chair. The villagers all smiled knowingly.
"Idiot Kunkei, taught by Riko again, haha."
"It must be for bullying Little Shibi. Everyone knows how much Riko loves him."
"He deserves it, hehe."
All around, people chuckled and shook their heads, used to the familiar scene. Meanwhile, Shibi munched his cotton candy, a fishing rod slung over his shoulder. The rod was far too long for his small body, but he believed that the longer the rod, the better the catch.
The sky was cloudless, and the sun shone down on a line of small footprints leading to the sea.
But beneath the laughter and warmth, Shibi carried a heavy heart. His parents had been killed during a pirate attack on the village. He had witnessed everything as a child. If not for his mother's sacrifice, he wouldn't have survived. His father, brave and strong, had fought off several pirates before being overwhelmed. The village had driven the pirates away, but the victory was hollow. Many families lost loved ones that day, and a deep sadness lingered in Seihoku Village.
Despite his grief, Shibi found comfort in the care of the villagers. They looked after him, making sure he never went hungry or felt alone. But Shibi was proud; he didn't want to live on charity. Every day, he went to the beach to fish, hoping to contribute to the community that had become his family. He wasn't always successful-sometimes he came back empty-handed-but he never gave up. The sea became his companion, and the act of fishing gave him a sense of purpose.
No one knew that Shibi held a secret dream in his heart: he wanted to become a Navy Admiral and bring justice to all the pirates in the world. He wanted to protect others from the pain he had endured.
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