Chapter 5: The Untamed Island and the Accidental Acquisition
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: NEW ADVENTURE PATH INITIATED. NEXT TARGET: UNKNOWN WILD ISLAND. RECOMMENDED ACTION: EXPLORE. SECONDARY GOAL: RANDOM SKILL ACQUISITION.]
"Okay, so the Baratie was a success. We got Sanji, which means real food, finally. And I got some sweet Tonfa skills from Gin. My personal arsenal of bizarre powers is growing, which is exactly how I like it. Now, for something a little less… planned. My compass is pointing to a rather generic-looking island. Probably just some wild animals. Or a really cranky old man. Either way, opportunity for a new death!"
After leaving the Baratie, the Going Merry continued its journey through the East Blue. Luffy was obsessed with finding the Grand Line, Nami was obsessed with finding charts, Zoro was obsessed with sleeping, and Sanji was obsessed with Nami. Me? I was obsessed with finding more unique ways to die, because apparently, my system had a high body count quota.
"Alright, Nami," I called out, leaning over her shoulder as she studied a map. "Any interesting anomalies on the horizon? Anything that screams 'mysterious death trap with valuable skills'?"
Nami slapped my hand away from her map. "Stop breathing down my neck! And no, not everything is a 'death trap' for your weird system! We're just looking for a stable log pose reading to the Grand Line, and maybe a place to resupply."
"Resupply means towns, towns mean people, people mean potential killers, potential killers mean new skills!" I said, practically bouncing with excitement. "It's a beautiful, morbid cycle, Nami-swan. Embrace the chaos!"
My compass, however, had a different idea. Instead of pointing towards a populated island, it was steadily indicating a rather unremarkable, uninhabited-looking patch of land on the horizon.
"Huh. An unknown island. No major characters, no obvious threats, just… trees. And rocks. Maybe a really aggressive squirrel? This could be a challenge. How do you get killed by a squirrel? I'll have to get creative. Or just insult its nuts. That usually works."
We decided to dock, mostly because Luffy was bored and wanted to explore, and Usopp was convinced he saw a "giant beetle god" in the clouds above it. Sanji, ever the gentleman, decided it would be a good spot to gather fresh ingredients.
As soon as we stepped ashore, the island lived up to its "uninhabited" label. Just dense forest, the sounds of unseen animals, and a general feeling of peaceful monotony. Peaceful monotony, however, was not conducive to my goals.
"This is boring," I grumbled, wandering through the undergrowth, my compass barely twitching. "No angry warlords? No deranged scientists? Not even a particularly grumpy farmer with a pitchfork?"
Luffy was already off, yelling about finding new animals. Zoro was probably napping against a tree somewhere. Usopp was trying to catch a butterfly that looked suspiciously like a normal moth.
"Alright, Adam. Time to get proactive. If death isn't coming to me, I'm going to have to go find it. Preferably in a way that doesn't involve me just jumping off a cliff. That feels a bit… uninspired for my brand."
I decided to try and find something dangerous. A large predator, maybe. I wandered deeper into the jungle, ignoring Nami's warnings to stay close. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and exotic flora. Suddenly, a rustle in the bushes. I tensed, my Gum-Gum abilities ready, my Chop-Chop senses alert.
Out burst… a boar. A very large, very angry, very tusked boar.
"Well, hello there, porky!" I exclaimed, a wide grin spreading across my face. "You look like you're having a bad day. Want to take it out on me? I'm surprisingly durable, but I'm open to suggestions."
The boar snorted, pawing at the ground, its beady eyes fixed on me. It clearly didn't appreciate my sarcasm.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: KILLER DETECTED. WILD BOAR. RECOMMENDED ACTION: ENGINEER DEATH. ACQUISITION: WILD ANIMAL INSTINCT.]
"Wild Animal Instinct? Interesting. Not exactly 'super strength' but could be useful. Like, if I ever need to sniff out truffles. Or avoid a particularly aggressive squirrel. Alright, boar. You're up."
I stood my ground, my rubbery body tensing. The boar charged, its tusks lowered, a primal roar emanating from its throat. I didn't dodge. I let it hit me.
The impact was bone-jarring, a sharp, grinding pain as the tusks tore into my side. My rubber body stretched, but the sheer force of the charge was immense. I was lifted off my feet, tossed through the air, and slammed into a tree. The wind was knocked out of me. I felt a searing pain, a deep gash tearing through my side. The boar, enraged, charged again, goring me repeatedly. It was messy, primal, and deeply, deeply uncomfortable. My vision swam. The last thing I saw was the boar's furious, bloodshot eye.
And then, oblivion.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: DEATH RECORDED. KILLER: WILD BOAR. ABILITY ACQUIRED: WILD ANIMAL INSTINCT. REVIVAL INITIATING. PLEASE WAIT.]
"That was… surprisingly effective. And very gross. I might need a new shirt. And possibly a shower. But hey, 'Wild Animal Instinct'! I can probably smell fear now. Or locate really good acorns. The possibilities are endless. And slightly ridiculous."
I coughed, sputtering, and opened my eyes. I was lying in a small clearing, surrounded by ferns. My clothes were torn, but my body felt completely unharmed. A new sensation, subtle but distinct, hummed in my mind: a heightened awareness of my surroundings, a keen sense of smell, a primal understanding of territory.
I sat up, dusting myself off. The boar was nowhere to be seen. Probably wandered off to brag about its kill.
"Well, that was productive," I muttered to myself. "Even if it did involve being turned into a human shish kebab. Note to self: avoid boars unless absolutely necessary for skill acquisition."
I made my way back to the makeshift camp we had set up. Luffy was wrestling a small, furry creature, convinced it was a new kind of meat. Zoro was, predictably, asleep. Usopp was still trying to befriend the moth.
Nami, however, immediately noticed my disheveled appearance. "Adam! What happened to your clothes?! Were you wrestling with a bear?!"
"Something like that," I said with a shrug, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just a minor skirmish with a particularly territorial porker. But don't worry, I won. Mostly. And I got a souvenir!" I gave her a wink, but didn't elaborate on the "Wild Animal Instinct" just yet. Some things were better kept a secret, even from your exasperated navigator.
Sanji, who had just returned with a basket of exotic fruits, eyed me suspiciously. "You always seem to be in the thick of it, don't you? What kind of trouble did you stir up this time?"
"Just keeping things interesting, chef," I replied, grabbing a fruit. "Wouldn't want anyone to get bored, now, would we? Besides, think of the stories Usopp can tell! 'And then, the immortal first mate battled the ferocious beast, his body torn asunder, only to rise again, stronger than ever!'"
Usopp, hearing this, immediately dropped the moth and pulled out his slingshot. "Really?! You fought a monster?! Tell me everything! Was it bigger than a giant? Did it breathe fire?"
"You know, Usopp," I said, a mischievous glint in my eye, "it was even scarier than that. It had… tusks. And a very, very bad attitude. And it taught me how to find the best berries in the forest. Truly terrifying."
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the peaceful island, I looked out at the ocean. The East Blue, for all its relative calm, was proving to be an excellent training ground. My system was filling up, my skills diversifying, and my crew was slowly but surely getting used to my… unique methods. And somewhere out there, my future wife was waiting. I just had to die a few more times to get there. It was going to be a long, glorious, and undoubtedly painful journey.