Morning sunlight cut through the trees like bright blades, and Ravian found himself swinging the broom again—this time at a wooden stump instead of wolves.
THWACK.
THWACK.
TH—"Ow! My wrists—!"
Mira sat on a rock snacking on dried fish as she watched with zero sympathy.
"You're doing great," she said, absolutely lying.
Ravian groaned and let the broom fall. "Mira… this broom has seen more combat in twenty-four hours than I have in my entire life."
"That's because you were weak before."
"…Thanks."
DING.
[Skill Selection Menu Unlocked]
[Choose One:]
• Instinct Surge – Heightened reflexes in danger.
• Impact Focus – Increases striking power.
• Perception Trace – Briefly slows your senses to read movement.
Ravian stared.
(Okay… okay. This is actually insane. But which—?)
Before he could choose, voices echoed from the path below the clearing.
High-pitched. Excited. Chaotic.
Ravian turned.
A small figure ran by the trees, waving a stick like it was a holy relic.
"I'M GONNA GET STRONGER THAN SHANKS!!"
Ravian's breath hitched.
Luffy tore past the bush line like a tiny hurricane, leaving a trail of trampled leaves.
He didn't see Ravian.
Just blasted right past him like fate was teasing.
Ravian blinked rapidly.
(Was… was that my first encounter with Luffy? Just… him screaming and running like a gremlin?)
Mira snorted. "He's the village elastic-brain. Ignore him."
Ravian stifled a laugh.
But something inside him felt weirdly warm.
Just a crossing.
A panel.
A moment.
Not yet.
The story hadn't pulled them together fully.
He shook himself and refocused on the system screen.
(Alright… I need something that keeps me alive without making me a glass cannon.)
He tapped Perception Trace.
[Skill Acquired: Perception Trace (Lv.1)]
[Effect: Brief sensory slowdown during movement-heavy encounters]
Ravian exhaled.
"…This might actually keep me from dying."
Mira shrugged. "Good. Now chop firewood."
He groaned again.
Hours later, Ravian and Mira trekked toward the river for water—Grandma Nari's orders. Sunlight flickered through branches as they walked, insects buzzing in waves.
A sudden rustle sliced through the quiet.
Ravian paused.
The system flickered.
[Observation: New Presences Nearby]
Two boys emerged from the brush—one blond, calm but sharp-eyed; the other dark-haired and scowling like the world owed him a fight.
Sabo.
Ace.
Ravian's breath caught.
They didn't notice him at first—they were too busy arguing.
"I'm telling you," Ace said, pointing accusingly, "if that loser from the village tries to follow us again, I'm punching him!"
Sabo rolled his eyes. "Ace, you said that about twenty villagers already."
"That's because everyone in that place is annoying!"
Mira muttered, "Honestly? Facts."
Ravian elbowed her.
The two boys finally spotted them.
Ace narrowed his eyes. "Who're you?"
Ravian held up both hands. "Just… passing by. We're getting water."
Sabo's gaze sharpened. He studied Ravian's posture, his clothes, even the bucket in his hand.
"You're not from here," Sabo said quietly.
Not hostile.
Not friendly.
Just… observant.
Ravian swallowed. "Yeah. Not exactly local."
Ace snorted. "Whatever. Don't follow us."
He nudged Sabo and both disappeared deeper into the woods, branches snapping as they vanished toward some secret hideout only kids that feral could create.
Ravian let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"Okay… that was tense."
Mira shrugged. "Ace hates everyone. And Sabo overthinks everything. They're basically walking red flags."
Ravian actually laughed at that.
(Still… these are the kids who'll shake the world someday. And I just bumped into them like a random NPC.)
He didn't know whether to feel honored or terrified.
Maybe both.
They reached the river, filled the bucket, and started heading back when a shadow suddenly fell over them.
BOOM.
Something huge dropped from the sky, landing with a small crater of dust.
Ravian yelped.
Mira didn't even flinch. "Oh. Grandpa Garp."
Ravian froze.
Garp stood there—massive, towering, with a grin that could probably scare the Sea King from last chapter.
He boomed, "MIRA! GOOD MORNING!"
"Morning," she replied like he wasn't a living tank.
Garp turned his mountain-sized attention to Ravian.
Ravian felt every cell in his body scream.
"And who might THIS be?" Garp thundered.
Ravian forced a polite bow so fast he almost face-planted. "Ravian, sir! I'm—uh—new!"
Garp laughed loud enough to shake a flock of birds out of the trees.
"GOOD! NEW PEOPLE NEED DISCIPLINE!"
Ravian stiffened.
"That sounded… threatening."
"Excellent!" Garp slapped his back—with enough force to launch him three feet forward.
Ravian wheezed. "I think my soul left my body."
Garp walked away, laughing like a man who caused chaos professionally.
Mira handed Ravian the bucket he dropped.
"You survived. Good job."
"…Barely."
Back at the hut, Ravian finally collapsed onto the grass.
Three crossings in one day.
Luffy.
Ace and Sabo.
Garp.
None of them knew him.
None of them noticed him for more than seconds.
But the system pulsed softly as if acknowledging the momentum shifting.
[Synchronization: 2.1%]
[Trajectory Update: Fate Threads Established]
Ravian swallowed.
"…Fate threads? Seriously?"
The system didn't answer.
But Ravian felt it.
His path was brushing against giants.
Their stories—world-shaking, era-defining—were running dangerously close to his own.
Not intertwined.
Not yet.
But close enough to change everything.
And he wasn't sure if he was ready.
But the world definitely was.