Orochimaru, his forked tongue flicking, slithered out of Luffy's bed. He transformed into his human form, stretched languidly, and grabbed Luffy to get him ready for the day.
Why was Orochimaru sharing a bed with Luffy? Garp, picking his nose, offered a simple explanation: "You're brothers, right? Gotta bond! Besides, the room's tiny. It's just easier for you to sleep with Luffy when you're a snake."
After a quick dip and a sunbathe for Luffy, Orochimaru tidied himself up and dragged the boy to meet Garp. For the past six months, Orochimaru had been inseparable from Garp and Luffy, training, eating, and playing together. He'd grown accustomed to watching Luffy get pummeled daily. Orochimaru himself had only been beaten once—for daydreaming and ignoring Garp. That incident birthed a cunning, well-behaved Orochimaru... Who in their right mind would choose to get beaten?
The half-year flew by. As for his Devil Fruit mastery, progress was steady. Having nearly perfected it in his previous life, he now focused on gradual refinement. Thanks to his naturally striking appearance, the snakes in his techniques had transformed into shimmering white serpents, far more visually pleasing than before. Legend claimed the Teng Snake was a divine beast from the mystical East, and a tiny pair of wings had sprouted on Orochimaru's snake body. He figured he'd be able to fly soon.
Satisfied, Orochimaru pulled out his mirror. "Still gorgeous as ever!" he declared. "Youth is truly wonderful! I, Orochimaru, will remain eternally youthful in this life! My appearance shall never surpass twenty-five!" He stared at himself, eyes wide with disbelief. "?o?o?"
Orochimaru carried Luffy, lost in thought. He wondered where he'd gotten the mirror—he'd traded a Berry for it at the Garbage Mall. The box of exquisite trash in his backpack, according to the Garbage System, couldn't be opened until he turned seventeen. So, he'd have to wait until the main story officially began. He wondered what was inside, but figured it was probably useless.
Garp was returning to Marine Headquarters tomorrow, and Shanks and Uta should be arriving soon. The main story was about to begin.
Lost in thought, Orochimaru suddenly bumped into a mountain of flesh with a loud 'thud'. He looked up and froze.
"Orochimaru! Luffy! You kept this old man waiting too long!" Garp roared, smacking them both upside the head with a resounding 'thwack'. "I told you not to dawdle! And Orochimaru, how many times have I told you not to daydream while walking? You're a Devil Fruit user! What if you fell into the sea?!"
Luffy and Orochimaru, tears welling in their eyes, clutched their swelling bumps and squatted on the ground, exchanging miserable glances.
Orochimaru nursed his throbbing head, regretting his carelessness. He'd been caught off guard and failed to dodge.
The Red Envelope Duo knelt obediently before Garp, listening to his rambling.
"Grandpa's leaving tomorrow," Garp said, "and who knows when I'll be back. Makino has some Berry for you. Orochimaru, you wanted to order those custom swords, right? Just ask her. And Luffy, I'm counting on you to look after him. Or not, if you don't want to. After all, Orochimaru's still just a kid."
Luffy pouted stubbornly, muttering, "I'm the older brother! Why does Orochimaru have to look after me?"
Garp pretended not to hear and kept rambling.
'Snake thought: What should I do? I miss my rat... Maybe I should check my backpack.' 'Whoa! A weapon bundle! My Kusanagi Sword! And it's the deluxe edition! Sweet, I've finally got a proper sword!'
Garp: Blah blah blah.
He glanced at the System Shop—snacks, appliances, pots and pans, a refrigerator, a stove... and a color TV! But no signal? ??? He scrolled through the novels and gasped. 'Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World?' Isn't that basically my life?!
Garp: Blah blah... WHAT THE—?!#
"And the clothes! Kimonos, haoris, yukatas... Why is everything Japanese? Is this System Sakura Brand or something? Oh... wait, I see something else... Underwear? Seriously? Wearing that in public would make anyone look like a pervert!"
"Orochimaru! Are you even listening to me?!" Garp roared.
Orochimaru's danger sense kicked in. Instantly, he transformed into a snake and coiled around Luffy's neck.
He exhaled in relief. "Phew, close call!"
Garp chuckled in exasperated amusement. "You think turning into a snake will save you? Do you even know who I am?!" He stared in disbelief at Luffy, who was being held in his hand, whistling innocently while gazing at the sky. "Hey! Aren't you going to save your precious little brother?!" As Armament Haki began to emanate from Garp's fist, Orochimaru's mind raced with one thought: 'This old man has no morals!' A sense of impending doom washed over him.
Danger! Danger! Danger!
"You old bastard! What do you think you're doing?! Stop!" Orochimaru shouted, reverting to his human form. His eyes widened in horror as Garp's fist hurtled toward him.
To be continued...