"Well, if what you want is a fight… that's fine by me, I'll end this quickly."
Declared X with a cold voice, letting the sack fall to the ground. The soft thud echoed through the dusty street. He turned around and began walking toward Luffy, who quickly recovered, brushing the dust off his clothes.
"Here I coooome!" shouted the boy, running toward the white-haired one while preparing a punch with all the determination of his young age.
But then, a hand quickly pressed against his face, diverting his whole trajectory to the ground and making him fall headfirst. The impact raised a small crash of dirt.
"Ahh! My head!"
X looked down at him from above, without a trace of emotion on his face.
"I'm not one to humiliate children… If you want a rematch, come find me whenever you want. You already know where to find me."
He picked up the sack again, slung it over his shoulder, and began walking back toward the port. His figure moved away calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"Stop!"
X slightly turned his face.
"Mmh…"
"THIS ISN'T OVER YET!"
The white-haired boy sighed with weariness. With a swift movement, he kicked a small stone from the path, lifting it up to the height of his head. He caught it mid-air and, without hesitation, threw it at Luffy. In an instant, the tiny rock began to grow, swelling until it became three times larger than the child.
Pah!
The little one smashed against the stone wall and fell back to the ground, half-dazed.
"Well, it's time for me to go. I'll be late for work."
With a snap, he returned the stone to its original size, letting it drop to the ground as if nothing had happened. Suddenly, another snap echoed and X teleported directly to the bar, appearing in front of Makino, who was cleaning the wooden tables with a damp cloth.
"I'm here."
"KHYAAA!"
Makino screamed upon seeing him suddenly appear in front of her. Out of fright, she gave him an instinctive slap that sent him straight to the ground.
"Oh no, what have I done! Forgive me, X!" exclaimed the woman, running toward him, hugging him and rubbing his cheek gently.
"That was unnecessary…" replied X, while a bead of sweat slid down his temple.
His gaze dropped toward the cloth sack, and he noticed how all the ingredients had scattered across the floor from the impact.
"The ingredients, it can't be!"
The girl quickly bent down to pick everything up, helped by the white-haired boy, who still had the red mark of a hand printed on his cheek.
Back in the present, Luffy was speaking with Makino, insisting on asking her for information about the protagonist.
"No, absolutely not! Children shouldn't be fighting each other!" she scolded him firmly, crossing her arms and throwing him a look that cut like a knife.
Suddenly, the back door opened and appeared the one Luffy had been searching for: a boy his same age, dressed in a white coat over a black uniform. His expression was calm, contrasting with the rage of the other.
"Are you looking for me?"
"You bastard! I'll get my revenge!"
"No, no, I'll pass. I'm working right now." replied X, moving his hand in a gesture of resignation and refusal.
Luffy, however, growled, standing on the chair, leaning his palms on the table while glaring at him with pure anger.
"Calm down, Luffy!"
Growled Makino with such a stern gesture that she managed to intimidate the boy, who immediately fell silent and still, like a puppy obeying its mistress.
"Luffy, right?" asked X as he calmly approached.
"Yes…" replied the little one.
"Forgive me. At that moment I didn't act in the best way, I was just in a hurry."
"Ehh… it's fine…" murmured Luffy, somewhat puzzled, as he saw X sit beside him and extend his hand in a gesture of reconciliation. For an instant he hesitated, but upon seeing the faint smile on X's face, he ended up accepting the gesture.
"Oh, how wonderful, you've made up!" declared the woman, ruffling both of their hair.
X released the boy's hand and then looked directly at the table, resting his elbows on it before saying:
"Makino, give Luffy a juice on me. I'll work a little longer today."
"Ohh, how kind of you. I'll bring him some then."
Makino turned around, leaving the two boys alone. Luffy was still somewhat tense, uncomfortable in the presence of that mysterious boy with powers.
"Your name is X? That's a strange name."
"Yes, people often tell me that."
"By the way… how do you have those powers? They're awesome!"
X remained silent for a few seconds, staring at him, as if processing the boy's words while searching for an answer that would calm his overflowing curiosity.
"I was born with these powers."
"Whaaaat?! Then you're not human?!"
"Yes, I am. Don't you see me?"
Luffy climbed down from the seat and, as if he didn't believe X's words at all, began to observe him from different angles. He frowned, circling him with his eyes, trying to find some proof that he was lying. Several seconds passed like that, until, suddenly…
"Here you go."
The sound of the back door interrupted the moment. Makino appeared carrying two cups: one with orange juice and the other with milk.
"I didn't order anything for myself." murmured X.
"My treat, don't worry." she replied with a calm smile.
"X, do you want to be my friend? You're really strong!" exclaimed Luffy, jumping back onto the seat before grabbing his orange juice with great satisfaction.
"Yes." replied X simply.
"Awesooome!" shouted Luffy, almost spilling the drink in his excitement.
"My ears hurt… lower your voice." muttered X, bringing a hand to his ear in annoyance.
Several months later, the sun had already set. The port remained in complete darkness, illuminated only by the faint moonlight filtering between the rooftops.
In a small and dim room, barely furnished with a few stacked ingredient boxes and a simple bed, the protagonist rested lying down.
In silence, he held his necklace and his ring in his hands, observing them carefully.
"Every time this is near me… I feel as if my powers increase. That's strange."
With a slow movement, he slid the ring onto his thumb. Although at first it felt a bit loose, a blue glow emanated from it, shrinking until it fit perfectly to the size of his finger.
"Wow… this is the first time something like this happens." whispered X, with a hint of surprise in his voice.
He raised his hand toward the window. The moon was reflected in the glass and, upon contact with its silvery light, the ring shone brightly once again, as if responding to its presence.
In his other hand, the necklace began to vibrate softly. Without warning, an invisible force lifted it, making it float in the air. As if drawn by an inevitable fate, the object approached his neck, surrounding it gently. The clasp opened by itself and, with a soft click, it adjusted to his skin as if it had always been there.
X blinked in surprise, bringing a hand to his chest.
"It doesn't tighten at all… These two objects adapted to my measurements perfectly."
His eyes narrowed, thoughtful.
"The Lancelot family…? How interesting. What secrets could they be hiding?"
The silence of the room grew denser, almost solemn, as the moonlight bathed his figure.
"Although… could it be a coincidence that this happens right now, when it's already been seven years since I was born into this world?"