Several days later, X was wrapping several cans of tuna in his black fanny pack, moving his fingers with precision while Makino watched him with concern from the doorway of the blond-haired boy's room.
"Is it necessary for you to go?"
Makino asked, lightly biting her lip, her gaze full of worry. She had grown very fond of X; she saw him almost like a son. Even though he wasn't hers by blood, their bond was very close.
X lifted his head for a moment and gave her a slight smile, as if trying to reassure her, while adjusting one of the cans inside the fanny pack.
"Makino… don't worry… you know me very well. I'll come back when I achieve my goal, I'll only be gone less than a month. And also…"
X paused, walking slowly toward some wooden boxes stacked in a corner. He opened them carefully and took out two blank letters, holding them in front of him for a moment as if they contained everything he felt. Then he closed the box with a soft tap and returned to her.
He approached Makino, taking her hands delicately. He felt them trembling in his own, and their fingers intertwined, firm but gentle, like a bridge wanting to convey security.
"Makino… I assure you I will return. Nothing will happen to me. After all… you know I'm strong."
He placed the letters in her hands, intertwining them like a small "sandwich" and gave her a warm smile that lit up his face with a mix of tenderness and determination.
"Please… give these to those little troublemakers… Ace and Luffy."
His voice dropped to a whisper as he noticed Makino letting small tears fall. X extended his hand carefully and, with the tip of his clean finger, gently touched one of those tears rolling down her cheek, as if wanting to wipe it away without words, letting silence and the gaze say it all.
"X… you… you're an idiot…" Makino murmured, hugging him tightly.
The blond-haired boy felt her arms wrap around him, sensing that warmth only someone important can transmit, that silent affection heavier than a thousand words. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the hug remind him what it really meant to him: a bond that needed no explanation, yet filled his heart.
Several minutes later, X walked toward the port. At the edge of the dock, a small boat awaited, more like a rowboat, barely enough for four people.
The protagonist reached the edge of the port and paused for a moment, observing the boat. Then he raised his gaze and let his eyes roam the entire island: the town, the citizens, the children running and playing, the adults drinking sake, the mountains, the forests… everything.
"Seven years… since I've been here. This feels like a farewell," he whispered to himself. With one last glance, he jumped and landed softly in the boat, ready to set sail.
He sat in the boat, placing his two leather bags beside him, carrying water and food sufficient for a week.
"She really does worry about me," X reflected, showing a small smile as his eyes rested on the bag of provisions.
Then his expression shifted to one of excitement and determination. With a snap of his fingers, the boat's motor roared to life and began moving farther and farther from Dawn Island, leaving behind the port, the town, and the memories he cherished so much.
"All right… let's see, I'm here."
Murmured X while unfolding a map showing almost all the locations in the East Blue. His fingers slowly traced the paper until finding his starting point: Dawn Island. Then he slid his finger toward Organ Island, a place known to be frequented by pirates.
"The Organ Islands… these islands used to harbor pirates in the past, which suggests they were a key point for piracy in the East Blue…"
Declared X, adjusting his glasses with a quick gesture while marking his next destination with an X: Organ Island. He took a bottle of water and, with a snap of his fingers, made a can of tuna appear in front of him, preparing for the journey.
"How delicious…"
X savored the freshly caught tuna, enjoying each bite calmly, letting the flavor fill his palate. Then he took his water bottle and sipped, washing down the tuna while looking at the horizon with a slight smile.
Suddenly, X's moment of happiness was interrupted by a strong current that began dragging his boat.
"A sea beast?!"
A drop of sweat ran down his forehead at the thought that it might be a sea beast… or worse, a Sea King, those colossal monsters that, according to stories, could devour an entire ship in one bite. He had never seen one, but the tales described them as demons capable of destroying everything in their path.
With a quick movement, X grabbed his food bags along with what he was eating, swallowing the tuna in one bite and giving a couple of hurried coughs.
"The boat is going to capsize…!"
He exclaimed, holding tightly to the edge of the boat. In an instant, the creature appeared: a Sea King. It was a gigantic fish, a thousand times larger than any other, with dark blue scales, a huge mouth full of spike-like teeth, and red eyes that seemed to see X as a small sweet bite to devour.
"What an interesting fish! You came for me because I was eating one of yours!"
Exclaimed X in a mocking tone. With a snap, he stabilized the boat and rose to the height of the beast, floating above the water. He ran his hand through his hair, tossing it back, leaving his forehead completely exposed.
"Have some fun, little Sea King."
As if the Sea King understood him, it let out a roar that created wind waves, causing enormous waves that shook the boat. X's outfit flailed wildly with the force of the water, yet he remained completely calm, almost enjoying the moment.
The sea monster attacked X frenziedly, letting instinct take over. But the blond-haired boy did not lose his calm: with a snap, he teleported his boat several meters away from the beast's reach.
Then, with another snap, X appeared directly on the monster's back. He let himself fall, using the momentum, while preparing a spinning kick aimed at the Sea King's head.
He struck the monster's head with a thunderous blow that made the waves tremble around him. The beast's roar echoed like thunder, lifting foam and wind all around, while it stepped back a few meters from the pain.
With a final snap, his attack released a shockwave that reverberated across the entire East Blue, causing the water to rise in giant columns, piercing the monster again and again, leaving it breathless.
The monster fell, defeated but still alive, while X floated a few meters above the water, breathing calmly, with a smile that clearly said:
"My first Sea King… wasn't so bad. Although its size is intimidating, its power overall isn't as high as it seems."
X slowly returned to his boat. The Sea King, eyes wide as plates, sank gradually into the vast blue, leaving a trail of foam and waves that dispersed slowly across the sea.