First day part 2
{Word count 2697! and message to fresh_avacado, dude holy shit thank you! My guy you have been sending me 3 power stones everyday for past week and i'm very thankful for the support but damn thats a lot of power stones! And as a sign of appreciation, I'll post the next chapter sometime tomorrow so stay tuned for that!}
(POV Norman)
"*Huff* That should be *Huff*enough…" I rested up on a sea stack in my Zenith Cortos form looking at my haul of fishes all packed together inside of several nets.
(Ten nets full should get me a decent amount of money if not food should be covered for a while…) I packed them all into my inventory and noticed something.
(Oh? It stacked the fish by species! It even stored the net as a different item!) I looked at the fish neatly organized in stacks of different fish with amazement.
(Now time to find human settlements and hope it's at least fairly modern…) I leaped off the sea stakes cliff and soared high before stopping my ascent at cloud level.
(With this no one should notice me…I want absolutely no attention until I figure out what to do in this world and gain the power to defend myself…) I zoomed into a cloud and with my thermal vision I was able to see just fine but no one would see me.
For the hour I slowly glided over the island which was mostly plain old forests before finding a fairly large port town bustling with life a few hundred meters in front of me.
I swooped down into the forest and landed on a tree before looking around for any people or creature.
(Safe so far…) I thought as I transformed back into human form and climbed back down to the ground.
I recalled it being north of my landing spot and headed for the town slowly taking in the fragrant air and untouched scenery with a peaceful expression until a few minutes later…
*Bush rustling*
In an instant my fingernails became claws and my eyes became snake like as I prepared for the first strike to whatever it may be-…
*Squeak*
Suddenly a white rabbit hopped out of the bushes nibbling leaves in its mouth.
"*Sigh* False alarm…its kinda cute-"
*Crunch!*
Just before I could retract my claws, a wolf almost my height snapped its maw on the rabbit's head killing it instantly
*GGGrrrrrr*
It stared at me with ferocity and arrogance before lunging at me initiating my first fight in this world.
I clumsily sidestepped out of the way and used the chance to swipe at the mutt creating five gashes on its hind leg.
"Hahaha! Take that bitch-" I was interrupted by the wolfs tail whipping at my face rattling my brain.
"uh..wha-" In my delirious state the wolf kicked me away knocking me into a tree and leaving me wheezing for air.
I looked at the wolf with rage as it arrogantly pranced it way towards me ready to attack me.
Letting my instincts take over I rolled to the side letting its right claw embed itself into the tree before I transformed my arm to have wing like blades.
*Swish*
(Gotta bitch!) In a swift movement I cleaved its stuck limb from its body and grinned with satisfaction as the wolf realized what happened.
*AAAAAAWWWWWWOOOOOO*
It howled as more wolves appeared and surrounded me with hungry eyes as I counted their numbers with anger.
With them taking advantage of my surprise one of the mutts jumped on me pinning me to the ground before another tagged in to attack.
(SHIT!)
Thankfully I tilted my head in time narrowly missing a bite from the wolf, using the opportunity I pushed the one pinning me away before standing up under their hungry gazes.
"Cowards!" I taunted as I transformed back into a Zenith Cortos and spread my wings instilling fear into them with my new form.
*CCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA*
A horrendous screech escaped out my maw causing them whimper as their ears twitched uncontrollably leaving them in complete vulnerability.
(Now!) I lunged into the air stopping midway as I charged in a straight line while spinning becoming a twister of blades that hacked away at the wolves like cattle to a butcher.
"Might as well use it…" I muttered as my 'gills' sucked in a ton of air and my body bloated slightly before I released a stream of mist as cold as the fucking the Arctic circle at them.
*Aaaaaawwwooo*
They stuttered a howl as they shivered with patches of ice like substance all over them and on the ground too.
I spun into a dance once more each movement slashing away at the wolves killing them gracefully before transforming back to normal with a bow to the not present or existent audience.
{If only he knew…}
"Strange, I thought people felt awful when they killed something…" I gave myself a curiosity to wonder about as I started storing the dead wolves in the inventory.
(Is it because I can transform into monsters that killing comes as natural? I mean its only natural for one monster to kill or fight another monster to survive and vice versa, that's how an ecosystem works. A wolf and a moose would fight because the moose is trying to protect itself by trying to kill the wolf and wolf is hunting the moose so it can eat to survive, both don't necessarily do it for fun their just doing it to survive…to keep the balance of nature at equilibrium…) Once done storing the wolves I got back to walking towards the town
(That's probably how a wild animal's mentality would function and in turn a monster's so that logic might be being applied to me by the system…huh wonder how that works…)
Once I exited the forest and after a few minutes of walking through fields of tall golden grass I was greeted by a large wall and entry point of sorts with a guard stationed in front of it.
*Clank*
"Halt! State you name and your purpose for entering and exiting the forest!" he angrily yelled pointing a musket at me causing his armor to make a resounding clank.
(THINK QUICK!) I quickly thought of believable scenarios that'd the guard would buy and not cause too much drama as I raised my arms high showing my lack of weapons.
"Hey…uh what island is this?" I asked in a fake confused tone along with pretending to look scarred.
"Pardon?" he dropped his guard not expecting this.
"My names Norman and I'm a fisherman from Jaya island in the grandline, I got caught in a storm and ended up on this island without well everything!" I pleaded with fake fear moving my body in such a way that it showed my damaged clothes along with the bloodstains from the wolves on my body that he mistook for mine.
{Forgot to mention on ch2 our mc is wearing a plain white tank top and brown shorts}
*Pin drop silence*
"I-I'm sorry to say this but…You're a far away from home kid, this is Kelp Island in the west blue…" He gave me a pitying look as he put away his gun.
{Non cannon island}
"W-West blue!" I intensified the act by suddenly falling to my knees with a look of disbelief.
(THIS IS SO FUCKING CRINGE!) Tears unintentionally streamed down my face because of how cringe my actions were, solidifying the act.
"Don't worry-it'll be fine! You-…you- uh…You could start a new life here or make enough money to get back!" he panicked and struggled to console me.
"Um…uh-…just get in and we can help you settle down here temporarily!" He extended his hand which I grabbed and thanked him as I was guided by another guard towards a police station just replace the police with city guards and wearing armor.
I was then escorted to an interrogation room and left alone in this cold and secure cell made of concrete with the only source of light coming from a small iron bar window.
(If I want them to believe I was attacked by wolves and shipwrecked I may need to have more than a few bruises…) I braced myself as I transformed a single nail into a claw and made small scratches on my body along with very small and shallow puncture and slash wounds.
*Creek…*
I quickly transformed the finger back to normal as I saw the guard from the wall enter with another unknown guard.
"Hello!-…Uh never really caught your name…" I said embarrassed and with a look of genuine pain.
"It's Ronald. Now we'll just ask you some questions before we can let you on the island is that all right?" Ronald said as he took a seat with the other guard.
"Sure but um can I get medical attention after? A simple bandage will to fine…" I gestured to the self inflicted wounds with a wince.
"…Anyway just tell us a debrief of your situation and depending on your answer there'll be different outcomes. Understood?" The other officer looked more stern and serious than Ronald.
"*Sigh* Ask away…" I put on a somber look as I rehearsed the script in my mind.
"Okay Ronald here tells me you're from the grandline care to explain where you're from?" He interlocked his hands as he stared me down.
"…I'm from a spring island in the first half of the grandline paradise known as Jaya a pirate infested and corrupt island…" I faked a disgusted and sad look on my face.
"Spring island?-"
"In the grandline islands are permanently locked to one season…" I quickly interrupted.
"Right… Must have had it rough living in such conditions… So what's your profession to survive such a place?" He opened up a bit showing me pity as he continued asking questions and I continued making a well fabricated backstory.
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"So what's your game plan now?" Throughout the guard started losing that serious persona and started openly conversing with me genuinely curious about the grandline.
"….I don't know, on one hand, I can live in this peaceful town and start anew…but the whole life I built from the ground up, everyone I knew, my wealth, and my boat-…actually I don't know where that is but it's all on that pirate damned island! And even if I wanted it all back it's impossible to go there without at least million berries…" I fully embraced this persona putting every emotion I had to each word I spoke as I cried crocodile tears.
"Hey…hey….hey… take your time to decide it's a big choice…But you still need money for everything so tell ya what we can loan you some fishing gear and a small row boat until you can get a stable living and pay it back. Sound good?" Roland said in a hopeful tone.
"Thank you…really but money is not too much of a problem because of this…" I opened an inventory panel and took out one net full of fish much to their shock as they fell off their seats.
"De-Devil fruit!" Roland yelled amazed with stars for eyes.
"DEVIL FRUIT?!" The second guard named Nick on the other screamed as he slammed his hand on the metal table.
"Yep, it's the store-store-no-mi it gives a storage space that's a few meters big, although it's not too powerful it's useful for a simple man like me!" I said in a fake energetic tone making them think I was hiding my sorrow with a fake smile intensifying my persona.
"What else you got in there?" the second guard questioned as he pointed a short sword at me.
"Just a tackle box, fishing rods- oh and a few bags of fish form before the storm…Don't worry I won't steal anything! For me to store something I need to hold it and wait for a minute or two…" as I spoke I started taking out the box, rod, and only two bags of fish making it seem as though it's not too big but rather a bit small.
I saw the two sigh with relief as they heard the last part.
"Ok then I can guide you to the market so you can sell the fish and show you an inn but that's all we can do I'm afraid…but the offer for the boat still stands…" Ronald said as a third guard came in with a med kit.
"Thank god I was starting to think I'd bleed to death! And I'll take you up on that offer." I made a sarcastic remark with a see through fake smile.
"I'll show you around once my lunch break comes around till then just get patched up and rest…" Ronald then exited the room and came back with a stack of papers before exiting for real
"Sign these and you'll become a temporary citizen and get a loan for the boat…" The unknown guard handed me a quill and ink as I was done being bandaged.
(….EVEN IN A SECOND LIFE I CAN'T ESCAPE YOU!?!?!) I looked at the papers with anger and disdain.
"You hate paperwork too?..." The guy looked at me with sympathy as he patted my back.
"It'll be over soon…in a few hours…Sign here" He muttered words of encouragement to me.
(….AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! FUCK YOU CREATOR OF PAPERWORK!)
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(POV Norman)
(Finally done with that bullshit…) I looked drained as a WW2 grandpa facing PTSD after a child pointed an airsoft gun at him, fighting those wolves was easier than signing all that paperwork.
"Ah just finished?" I looked back and saw Ronald at the door with a bored look on his face.
"If you're talking about that hell I just went through yeah I'm finished…" I said as we exited the station and entered the port region of the town.
{Image}
"This is our town's port and where the market is too! Merchants and sailors come here all the time so you'll always find what you're looking for at a price of course!" He said with a chest full of pride as I found myself entranced by the liveliness of the port.
Ronald then gave me a tour of the town but not before I sold the fish and after lying about them being from the grandline I got a hefty 1530 berries.
{10 Berries = 1 dollar, so 153 dollars}
"Alright, I'll come by the station tomorrow to pick up the boat!" I said as Ronald and I parted ways for the day before I entered an inn and rented a room.
Once I entered the room I realized just how primitive this world was seeing the only source of light being oil lamps and the window.
{The room consists of a bed, drawer, a few lamps, a wooden table, and a wooden desk along with a window.}
"*Sigh* At least it's not little garden…" I rested my back on the bed recalling the prehistoric island in the grandline.
(What's the plan now?) I asked myself with confusion.
(How are we going to change the plot? How will we live? Will I become evil maybe good or will I stay neutral as always? Will I be caged by normality or yearn for freedom! Adventure!) Countless thoughts and voices flowed through my mind.
(Become a normal citizen? Nah been that been there done that! It fucking boring!)
(Become a marine? Hell no corrupt as North Korea and I'm not becoming a dog to the world government!)
(Bounty hunter? Might make a few million berries but it'll be inevitable that I'll be given a bounty. So if I plan on being a pirate I should start off with that…)
(Revolutionary? Plausible but albeit a tad too dangerous with the world government and more importantly Imu on their asses…)
(Pirate? Now that's an option! Problem being finding crewmembers trustworthy and not evil but adventurers seeking out the thrills of life…Or I can join a certain crew with the Thousand Sunny and going merry as their ships!) a light bulb lit up as I came up with a plan.
(If I were to join the Strawhats that'd be a big enough change to the plot and even more so with my knowledge I could change so much that I'd be getting tokens daily! And I'll something that only that crew has if I join it plot armor!) I then started weaving a full proof plan accounting for all and every possibility.
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To be continued next time….
{What's your favorite fictional franchise? Mine's pokemon!}