Hey guys, another chapter for you. Since the chapters are published every other day, they'll be longer now! Please drop some stones, good reading!
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"Shit, my body... I really went all out against that Sea King, huh?" I glanced at the small bruises and crusted wounds scattered across me. "Thank goodness this body has busted regeneration."
Looking down at the unconscious pirate on the floor, a Cheshire grin spread across my face. 'Other people.' "I finally escaped, damn. I'd kill for a candy right now... Where was Alvida's storage room again?"
It wasn't hard to tell which ship I was on, even hurt. I'd regained consciousness shortly before being hauled aboard, and as far as I knew there was only one Captain Alvida with a ship like this.
"I could've slipped out on the deck... Nah, that'd be trouble. I don't know how strong Alvida is. Luffy kicked her ass, sure, but I'm not Luffy — hell, I don't even know how strong I really am." Finishing my monologue, I began stripping Caiman.
Don't get me wrong: all I wanted were the clothes, not his cheeks.
"Okay, the pants are tight but they fit... Shit, they only reach my knees! Had to be so short, huh?" Wearing the pants like that would just be a hassle.
"Screw it. They'll become a nice pair of shorts... Dayum, these mark my cheeks hard." As I carefully tore the pants into shorts, I realized just how snug they were.
"At least they highlight other stuff too... Ha!"
After finishing the shorts, I grabbed Caiman's shirt.
"No. This won't fit me at all." Tossing the shirt over my head, I decided to go shirtless, beat up some pirates, and — with some luck — find a certain straw hat. As for the scar? I'd taken care of that a long time ago.
"Shit, I can still feel that... Urgh. At least it won't come back to bite my ass later... right?"
Opening the door — BAM! — "Damn, I always forget I have these damn horns." In the corridor that connected the cabin to the others and to the outside, I looked at the comically perfect holes shaped like my horns.
"Shit, if I cut them shorter, would I be a bald oni? Ah, life."
Back on my way to the exit, I checked each door — both to avoid surprise attacks and to decide if it was worth doing a little looting. As I walked toward the deck, a thunderous boom echoed through the ship — BOOM!
'What the hell is that noise? A cannonball? Wait, does that happen in the first episode? I don't remember... It's been, what, five years since I watched the first episode?'
"But shit, deal with it later—" Before I could finish, the door beside me was flung open. From reflexes shaped by island fights, I was already staring at the potential threat without thinking.
"SHIT! Why does nobody warn me when we're gonna raid—"
A light-skinned man with dreadlocks stepped out of the cabin. He was pretty short, barely half my height. Realizing something odd, he stared at my abdomen; his eyes seemed to double in size as he craned his neck to look up at me — mouth open, eyes glazed — staring at my 2.50 meters of height. Slowly and deliberately, he backed into the cabin.
"Yey, yey, friend. Got any candy?" Before he could close the door entirely, I used my index finger to hold it in place.
"I'd kill for anything sweet, you know?" Trying desperately to hold back my laugh at the man's pale face, he started to panic when he found he couldn't even move the door.
"C-ca-calm down, man! I've got candy! I really do, seriously! D-don't kill me please!" 'Shit, I'm about to lose it here, shit ha-ha-ha!' He frantically searched the pockets of his shirt and, when he finally found what he was looking for, his panic eased a little.
"H-here, sir! Bu-but anything else? No? G-goodbye!" As I took the lollipop he pulled from his inner pocket and popped it into my mouth, he shut the door in my face at absurd speed. Containing my laughter, I headed toward the exit.
Stopping at the door to the deck, I tried to listen for what was happening out there with my sharpened hearing.
"You ate a Devil Fruit, didn't you?" A woman's voice outside sounded familiar. 'Oh... I remember that shit.' Small fragments from the first episode flickered back as the conversation unfolded.
"Yeah! I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi!" Noticing the Alvida ship's deck was nearly empty, I opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind me. The remaining crew on the Miss Love Duck didn't notice me — they were all focused on Luffy and Alvida. There they were: Monkey D. Luffy, the world's protagonist.
Wearing his classic sandals, red vest, blue shorts, and, of course, his iconic straw hat, his pre-timeskip look showed how young he was — only 17. 'Still weird... seeing him in person.' I frowned.
In front of him stood Alvida, an overweight woman in a pink checkered shirt, a blue coat with gold trim draped over her shoulders, a purple belt encrusted with gold and jewels, a red scarf around her neck, and a white hat with a red plume.
'Shit, she's really ugly... I was literally stuck on an island with my little-hand friend and I'd still pick that over... her.' Behind Luffy, a small figure with pink hair and a white shirt with blue stripes tried to hide: Koby, future Garp trainee.
"Really? I've heard rumors about them, but thought they were just legends. Seems they're real." Alvida flashed a scornful smile.
"You're pretty strong. A bounty hunter?" Luffy raised an eyebrow, stating the obvious.
"I'm a pirate!"
"Hah." Alvida's nasal laughter only grew more mocking.
"You, a pirate? Without a crew?"
"I'm alone for now, but I'll recruit soon. At least ten people! You know?"
While the conversation continued, the door near me opened gently. One of the future Straw Hats slipped out: the "Cat Burglar" Nami. Disguised as a pirate, she wore a navy blouse, a black bandana, black pants, and a red sash as a belt.
'Ahm, shit, I forgot she was here too.' Seeing me, she froze at the unexpected giant of flesh blocking her path, sweat trickling down as she looked up.
Fearing she might faint, I raised my hand to my mouth and signaled for silence with a calm smile.
Realizing I had no intention of messing with her plans, Nami's color returned fast. With a neutral expression she took a coin from the comically large sack she carried and extended it toward me with a small smile. 'Cute, but unnecessary.' Shaking my head, I took the lollipop from my mouth and whispered,
"No need, but thanks, Clementine."
Confused, Nami put the coin back in the sack, shrugged, gave a small wave, and continued her escape, popping the lollipop back into my mouth.
"Ha ha ha ha, so you're a rival, huh?" Luffy didn't take Alvida's attitude seriously, while Koby looked ready to soil himself.
"Lu-Luffy, let's run."
"Uh? Why?"
"L-look at the size of her mace. It's the most powerful weapon in these waters..."
Luffy stared at Koby with a deadfish face. I couldn't help but laugh inside:
"Ha ha ha! The glazing is truly amazing!"
All eyes turned to me. My presence, until then unknown, had been revealed. I'd planned to intervene sooner or later; I wasn't going to miss the chance to talk to characters I never thought I'd meet.
"Oh. Excuse me, continue, it was funny." Reactions varied: the three remaining Alvida pirates nearly shitting themselves at the sight of a giant oni behind them, and Luffy's eyes sparkling as he looked at me.
"SUGOI! A giant guy with horns! Yay! How much did you eat to get that big?!"
Alvida, however, looked far from pleased.
"Hey! Idiots, grab him while I handle this one!" The Miss Love Duck goons glanced at their captain's enraged face, then at my calm one. With faces like they were about to cry, they charged as Alvida launched an attack at a smiling Luffy.
"Hey guys, listen to me." I raised my right hand, palm open, signaling them to stop. Feeling the danger in the air, they froze instantly.
"You see this hand here?" I put it next to my head and pointed with my left hand, asking with the most innocent look I could muster. The three pirates nodded frantically.
"Good, now you won't see it disappear."
With a speed none of them could react to, I swung my hand in a slap strong enough to put all three on the deck.
"Perfect timing, huh? A classic, ah!" As I walked across the ship, I saw one of Luffy's signature moves.
"Gomu Gomu no... Pistol!" With superhuman force