Dawn always finds me awake. I don't understand why I still set the alarm if, no matter what time I go to bed, my body decides to open its eyes at six sharp.
I stay for a few seconds staring at the ceiling, listening to the murmur of the town and the birds singing. I sigh, stretch, and groan a little.
"Ahh… another day… time to work," I mumble, half-asleep.
The cold water on my face wakes me up instantly. I put on the same clothes as always: white shirt, dark pants, and walk toward Makino's bar. At this hour, the sun is just starting to paint the horizon, and everything is still quiet.
"Good morning, Makino," I say while arranging the chairs, half yawning.
"Good morning, X. Up early again, huh?" she replies with a smile while cleaning the glasses.
"I always have to be punctual. You never know what might happen… besides, my watch is better than a Den Den Mushi," I reply with a grin, pointing at my wrist as if it were a super gadget.
By seven, I'm already serving breakfast. Fresh bread, juice, some soup. The bar starts to fill up little by little, mostly with fishermen and sailors returning from their night shifts. They all look half-asleep, but somehow still have the energy to shout from their tables.
"Hey, X! Bring me some sake before I fall asleep on my plate!" yells one of them, his face puffier than a blowfish.
"It's not even eight yet, sir! Makino's gonna scold you!" I shout back while carrying a tray full of cups.
"Bah, just a little. The sea left me dry," he says laughing, and the others at the table burst out in laughter too.
Sometimes, when there's too many people, she gives me that look again — that silent expression that means "stay a bit longer." And of course, I stay. I can't say no to her. Sometimes Luffy shows up in the morning asking for meat, and in those moments, my job turns into chaos. He never stops talking, laughing, or telling some new crazy story. Though… I won't lie, it's nice having him around. His energy makes the place feel more alive, and somehow, it ends up lifting my mood too.
"I can't complain. It's a way to keep my mind busy… and besides, Makino's food is worth it."
When I finally close the bar's door, I walk toward the forest. It's almost three, and the sun is right above. I like training at that hour; the heat makes everything harder, and I like that. I feel like if I don't end up drenched in sweat, it's not worth it.
The wind barely moves between the trees, and the dry leaves crunch under my steps. In the clearing, Luffy is already there, sitting on a rock, eating meat like his life depends on it.
"You're late, X," he says with his mouth full, without even swallowing.
"Luffy… it's exactly three o'clock," I reply, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but you took three seconds too long!" he protests with a huge grin.
I sigh and set my stuff aside. It's been over a week since we started training together, and I have to admit — his progress is insane.
He's got no technique, no discipline… but he's got something you can't teach: pure instinct.
"There's no doubt his grandfather's blood runs strong in him," I think as I watch him jump between the trees like he'll never get tired.
"Hey, Luffy," I say while stretching my arms, "don't you get bored of repeating the same punch a hundred times?"
"No! I'm getting faster every time! Look!" he shouts before throwing a punch that stretches several meters and slams into a trunk.
"Pistolaaaaa!"
BOOM!
The sound echoes throughout the forest. The tree trembles but doesn't fall.
"Well… at least you're improving."
"That's because you're training me well!" he says with a huge grin, showing all his teeth.
I can't help but laugh a little.
He's right. In a week, he's learned more than most do in months.
"You've got potential, Luffy. Way more than you think," I tell him while wiping the sweat off my forehead.
"Of course! I'm gonna be the King of the Pirates!" he yells, raising his arms as if he already were.
His words fill the air with a kind of energy that's impossible to ignore. He doesn't doubt, doesn't fear — he just believes.
"By the way, X. I want you to meet someone. He's three years older than us, kind of like an older brother to me. You guys will probably get along… though he's a bit rough, hahaha."
"Alright, bring him here tomorrow," I say with a smile, waving goodbye.
Luffy runs off through the trees, still laughing. I just watch him, wondering what kind of person that "big brother" he keeps talking about could be.
At six, I head back home and pull out my notes. Papers, drawings, maps… anything that helps me understand this world better.
"The Devil Fruits, Haki, pirates, the Marines… and the different regions still unknown, along with other species. There are too many pieces on this board. But understanding them all… is part of the game."
After that, I put the papers away, grab a fishing rod, and head to the port.
The sea always greets me the same way: calm, with that salty smell that never fades.
"Let's see how many I catch today," I murmur, casting the line into the water.
I don't use my abilities — there's no need. I prefer doing it the normal way. Five, six… sometimes ten fish if I'm lucky. I don't know why, but that routine relaxes me more than anything else.
While singing the song Binks' Sake, I let the sound of the waves accompany the melody. Listening to it while watching the horizon makes me forget, for a moment, that I'm in another world.
When the sky turns orange and the sun begins to sink into the sea, I return home. I eat something simple and leave the fish for the next day.
At ten, I go to bed… or at least, I try to.
Just when I'm about to close my eyes, a strange feeling runs through my body. I don't know why, but something inside me tells me to go outside.
So I do. I walk through the quiet streets of the port, letting the sea breeze cool my thoughts as I breathe slowly.
"I guess, for now, this cycle is fine like this. Day after day… until something changes."
And then, as if destiny had decided to answer me, a bright object — glowing in a deep sky-blue — crosses the night sky.
I follow it with my eyes, not blinking. Its fall leaves a trail of light that cuts through the darkness, until it finally disappears behind the mountains.
I stay still for a few seconds. "What was that…?" I mutter, as a mix of curiosity and unease pushes me to find out.
Then, with a snap of my fingers, I appear at the top of a mountain. From there, I can see the object descending at full speed, leaving behind a glowing blue trail cutting through the air.
I launch myself upward with a jump and soar above the trees. The wind hits my face just before I land on a branch, where I extend my hand and catch the object midair.
It was… a fruit?
For a moment, I freeze completely. My face reflects pure shock as I look at it closely: a strange-looking fruit, covered in swirling patterns that glow in shades of blue and sky-blue.
"Is this… a Devil Fruit? What's it doing here?" I asked myself, quickly glancing up at the sky, completely clear and shrouded in the darkness of night.
Then I lower my gaze back to the fruit. From its surface, tiny blue particles emanate, flickering as if it were… glitched.