**Chapter 9: Fuck the Timeline, Feed the Future (With Extra Chaos and Citrus-Scented Drama)**
**MC POV (Sunny)**
For hours after our boat washed up on Cocoyasi Island's sandy shore, my head was spinning like a hamster wheel on overdrive. The salty breeze stung my face, the tangerine groves in the distance filled the air with a sweet-citrus tang, and the weight of *canon* pressed against my skull like a hydraulic press. Yeah, *canon*—the sacred timeline of One Piece, etched into my brain from years of manga panels and late-night anime binges. I wasn't stupid. I knew exactly what year it was, exactly what was coming. Belle-mère's death. Arlong's invasion. Nami's chains—literal and emotional—binding her to a life of misery until Luffy's crew rolled in years later to set her free.
But now? I wasn't just a reader scarfing instant ramen and crying over Nami's backstory. I wasn't watching through a screen, safe in my old bedroom. I was *here*, standing on the shore of Cocoyasi Village, Conomi Islands, with the power to change things. My fists clenched, my nine-year-old body humming with Armament Haki and a year's worth of training that could make a Sea King think twice.
I paced the beach like a lunatic, my boots kicking up sand as my inner monologue exploded like a barrel of dynamite. If I didn't intervene, Nami would suffer the same fate—her childhood stolen, her dreams crushed under Arlong's scaly thumb, forced to smile while serving the fishmen she despised. Years of pain, betrayal, and that gut-wrenching moment when she'd stab her own arm to erase his tattoo. Just thinking about it made my chest ache.
But if I *did* intervene? If I took on Arlong and his crew before they could sink their claws into this island? The entire One Piece timeline could collapse like a house of cards in a hurricane. Luffy might not meet Nami the same way. The Straw Hat crew—Zoro, Usopp, Sanji, everyone—might never form the way they were meant to. What happens to Alabasta without Nami's navigation? To Enies Lobby without her maps? To Whole Cake Island without her heart? Hell, the whole *One Piece* story could unravel, leaving the world without its Pirate King.
I slammed my fist into a palm tree, the bark splintering under my Haki-enhanced knuckles. "Damn it! Damn it all!" My voice roared over the crashing waves, startling a flock of seagulls into a panicked exodus. The tree groaned, tilting slightly as coconuts rained down around me. Oops.
"FUCK THE CANON TIMELINE!" I bellowed, my voice echoing like a war cry. The wind seemed to pause, as if the universe itself was like, "Whoa, kid, chill." But I wasn't chilling. If this world wanted me to sit back and watch tragedy unfold like some cosmic spectator, tough luck. I'd already changed too much just by existing—by killing a Hellboar Titan, by kissing a goddess awake (don't remind me). If saving one girl meant breaking the flow of fate, so be it.
Because if there was one thing I'd learned from One Piece, it was this: friends mattered more than fate. And Nami? She wasn't just a character anymore. She was *real*, picking tangerines in a grove not far from here, oblivious to the storm coming her way.
{Ego}: "Observation: User's emotional outburst has increased heart rate by 28%. Probability of reckless timeline-altering actions: 89%. Recommendation: Calm down or risk cosmic backlash."
[System]: "Master Sunny, your resolve is breathtaking! Defy fate! Rewrite destiny! I will support you in crushing any obstacle, including that orange-haired child if she dares interfere with your path!"
I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Can you two shut up for, like, five minutes? I'm having a moment here."
---
**Aqua POV (With Maximum Smugness)**
The moment Sunny finished shouting at the sky like a deranged motivational speaker, I sauntered over, brushing sand off my skirt with the grace of a goddess (because, duh, I am one). The beach was a mess—coconuts scattered everywhere, a tree leaning like it was drunk, and Sunny looking like he'd just declared war on the universe. Honestly, it was kind of hot. Not that I'd admit that out loud.
"By the way," I said, tossing my hair and flashing my slyest grin, "you kissed me first back on that boat. And then I kissed you back—pretty passionately, if I do say so myself. Don't think you're getting away without taking responsibility, loverboy."
Sunny's face turned the color of a ripe tomato, his eyes bugging out like he'd been hit with a Sea King's tail. He opened his mouth, then shut it, then opened it again, floundering like a fish on dry land. Not a single word came out—just a strangled wheeze.
{Ego}: "Correction: Host is speechless. File this moment as proof of emotional incompetence. Probability of user recovering dignity: 4%."
[System]: "Master Sunny's flustered expression is at maximum adorableness! His cheeks are flushed, his pupils dilated—perfection! I recommend immediate eternal binding. Preferably marriage, with me officiating, of course."
I smirked harder, practically glowing with divine smugness. Watching Sunny suffer from embarrassment was like sipping the finest celestial wine. "Oh, Sunny, don't look so shocked! You can't resist the charm of Aqua-sama. It's only natural you'd fall for me."
He finally found his voice, though it came out as a squeak. "I—I didn't *fall* for you! It was RBG's stupid Snow White trick! I was saving your life, you ungrateful goddess!"
"Ungrateful?" I gasped, clutching my chest dramatically. "I blessed you with my divine kiss! You should be building me a shrine right now!"
{Ego}: "Suggestion: Build shrine to preserve user's sanity. Probability of goddess ceasing to gloat: 0.01%."
---
**Reality Check (Also Known as We're Broke)**
I twirled once, my skirt flaring like a divine spotlight, then froze as a horrible realization hit me. "Wait a second."
Sunny blinked, still red-faced from my teasing. "What now?"
I spun to face him, my eyes wide with panic. "This island has a proper village—houses, fields, people, the works. But…" My face paled, my voice dropping to a horrified whisper. "Sunny, we're *broke*."
His jaw dropped, his earlier bravado evaporating. "Oh crap. You're right."
"We don't have a single Berry! Not one!" I wailed, throwing my hands in the air. "How are we supposed to live here? Sleep on the dirt? Eat grass? You may be cute, but you're not cute enough to live off staring at your face! I'm a goddess, Sunny! I need luxury! Silk sheets! Gourmet feasts! At least a fruit smoothie!"
Villagers nearby turned to stare. A fisherman crossing himself like I was a demon. A kid burst into tears, pointing at me. An old lady whispered something about "crazy mainlanders." Sunny grabbed my wrist, dragging me away before I could start a divine riot.
"Aqua, stop yelling!" he hissed, his face still flushed. "You're gonna get us arrested before we even figure out where to sleep tonight!"
I pouted, crossing my arms as he pulled me toward the village. "Hmph. A goddess shouldn't have to worry about money. This is all RBG's fault. He teleports us to a new island but doesn't even give us a starter fund? Rude!"
{Ego}: "Correction: User and goddess's financial incompetence = self-inflicted. Probability of survival without funds: 62%."
[System]: "Master, fear not! Your strength will conquer all obstacles. If necessary, I will calculate the optimal way to barter your charm for resources."
I groaned. "Nobody's bartering my charm, System. Keep your creepy ideas to yourself."
---
**Berry-Belly Bonanza**
Sunny, being the reckless genius he is, came up with the dumbest yet somehow most effective idea later that day. We were sitting on a crate in the village market, watching merchants haggle over fish and tangerines, when he snapped his fingers.
"Seakings," he said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I blinked. "What, like, those giant sea monsters? The ones that could eat us for breakfast?"
"Yup," he said, grinning like a maniac. "We hunt one, sell it, and boom—money problem solved."
I stared at him, waiting for the punchline. There wasn't one. "You're insane," I said, but he was already sprinting toward the shore, Haki flaring around him like a kid-sized superhero.
Ten hours later, after an absolutely *insane* clash involving Sunny running across the ocean on Haki platforms, dodging teeth the size of swords, and using his Flowing Seal Fist to knock out a Seaking the size of a small ship, we returned to Cocoyasi Village. I was soaked, covered in fish guts, and screaming about how this was "beneath a goddess's dignity." Sunny, meanwhile, strutted like a conquering hero, a market wagon creaking behind him under the weight of a massive, glistening Seaking carcass. Its scales shimmered like polished silver, its eyes still glaring like it was personally offended by its defeat.
The village market went silent as we rolled in. A rich merchant—some fancy guy with a mustache that screamed "I overpay for everything"—nearly fainted at the sight. "That's… that's a Seaking!" he stammered, clutching his chest. "I'll pay anything! ANYTHING!"
Final deal: 5,000,000 Berry. Cash in hand, baby.
I didn't even blink. My goddess instincts kicked into overdrive. I grabbed Sunny by both cheeks, squishing his face as my eyes sparkled like a divine disco ball. "MY HERO! My brave, fish-slaying, Berry-earning hero! You've saved your goddess from the horrors of poverty!"
Sunny squirmed, his face turning red again. "Aqua, let go! You're embarrassing me in front of the entire village!"
{Ego}: "Observation: User's dignity continues to plummet. Public affection from goddess = social death sentence."
[System]: "Master, her touch is a travesty! I should be the one praising your valor! Allow me to compose a sonnet in your honor—"
"Enough!" I shouted, prying Aqua's hands off my face. The villagers were staring again, some giggling, others whispering. Great. Now I was the guy with the clingy goddess and a creepy brain fanclub.
---
**Enter: Orange-Haired Menace**
That's when *she* appeared, weaving through the market crowd like a tiny predator on the hunt. A girl, about nine years old, with bright orange hair tied in a side ponytail, her eyes gleaming with the kind of cunning that screamed "future con artist." Nami. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the mountain of Berry in my hands, her jaw practically hitting the dirt. I swear I saw drool—actual, glistening drool—forming at the corner of her mouth.
"N-no way…" she whispered, her voice trembling with awe. "That's… that's FIVE MILLION BERRY…" She looked at me like I was the sun itself, like I'd just descended from the heavens with a golden halo and a winning lottery ticket.
And then something inside Aqua *snapped*. Her eyes narrowed, her divine aura flaring like a warning siren. She stepped between me and Nami, hands on hips, glaring like she was about to smite the poor girl into next week.
"Oi!" Aqua snapped, pointing an accusing finger. "What do you think you're staring at, little orange thief? Those greedy eyes of yours—are you lusting after my Sunny's money? Or worse—lusting after Sunny himself?!"
Nami's face turned beet red, her hands flailing. "W-WHAT?! I wasn't—I don't like him! I just—just really like money, okay?!"
"Same thing!" Aqua declared, puffing out her chest like a territorial peacock. "Do you know how dangerous that is? What if you seduce him with your orange-haired schemes, huh?! Lure him away with promises of tangerines and savings accounts? I'm watching you, missy!"
I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "Why does this sound like the world's dumbest love triangle already? Aqua, chill. She's, like, nine."
Nami and Aqua shouted in unison: "SHUT UP!"
{Ego}: "Observation: User has triggered a territorial dispute. Probability of surviving this interaction without emotional damage: 23%."
[System]: "Master, this orange-haired child is a threat to your focus! I recommend immediate distancing. Or allow me to eliminate her presence from your life."
"Please don't," I muttered, already regretting every life choice that led me here.
---
**Dinner at Belle-mère's**
Despite Aqua's suspicions (and her insistence on calling Nami "Orange Menace"), we somehow ended up at Nami's house that evening. Belle-mère, with her short purple hair and tough-but-warm vibe, welcomed us like we were long-lost cousins. The smell of her homemade tangerine-spiced stew filled the cozy kitchen, and Nojiko—Nami's sweet, blue-haired sister—set the table with a shy smile.
Aqua, of course, clung to my arm like an octopus, her eyes darting to Nami every five seconds like she was guarding a treasure chest. Nami sat on my other side, sneakily counting the Berries I'd earned, her fingers twitching like she was already planning how to "borrow" them.
Belle-mère laughed, passing me a bowl of stew. "You two are quite the pair! Never seen kids haul in a Seaking like that. You planning to stay on the island long?"
I forced a smile, my stomach twisting. "Uh… not sure yet. Just passing through, maybe." The lie tasted bitter. I couldn't tell her the truth—that I knew her fate, that in a year, Arlong's crew would storm this village, leaving her dead and her daughters broken.
Aqua, oblivious to the tension, slurped her stew loudly, then pointed at Nami. "Hey, Orange Menace, stop eyeing Sunny's money! I'm his business manager, so all transactions go through me!"
Nami bristled, slamming her spoon down. "I'm not eyeing anything! And who made *you* his manager? You're just a loudmouth with a stick!"
"Stick?!" Aqua gasped, clutching her driftwood staff. "This is a divine scepter, you tangerine gremlin!"
Nojiko giggled, trying to defuse the situation, while Belle-mère just shook her head, clearly used to chaos. I kept smiling through my teeth, spooning stew mechanically, my mind racing. The warmth of this little house, the laughter, the clinking of bowls—it was all so fragile. So temporary.
Because I knew. In just a year, this family dinner was fated to shatter.
Unless I really meant what I said on the beach. Unless I was ready to break the canon, consequences be damned. I glanced at Nami, her orange hair glowing in the lamplight, and felt a resolve harden in my chest. No way was I letting Arlong ruin this.
{Ego}: "Warning: User's determination to alter timeline = dangerously high. Probability of catastrophic butterfly effect: 76%."
[System]: "Master, your will is my command. Defy fate, and I will forge you into a legend. The orange-haired child is irrelevant—focus on your glory."
Aqua leaned closer, whispering loudly, "If you're planning something heroic, I'm in. But I get top billing, okay?"
I sighed, staring at my stew. This isekai life was about to get a whole lot messier.