2 Chapter 2: Final Goodbyes

"You're Noire? Oi! Answer me!"

Flint yelled with a voice full of desperation.

"Now, now, Young Friend. I will answer everything, there is no need to yell. Indeed, Noire is the name that I have recently been called."

Despite claiming to be the small lizard Noire, the voice oozed a sense of wisdom that could only come from one who had lived a long life.

"What's happening... Why am I here? What happened to... to... to everyone?"

Tears welled in his eyes as he spoke, all the emotion he was struggling with burst forth in a torrent of howls.

"Let it all out Young Friend, hard is an understatement for your pain. To answer your questions, bandits or more precisely hired bandits destroyed your village in search of the legends. It seems like a noble was dead set on grasping the Phantom Dragon, the one said to be able to alter reality itself."

Flint's mind stopped. The tragedy that he had lived through today... was due to a noble obsessed with the legend...

"Young friend, it is not just some legend. It is a truth, though, not for much longer. The Phantom Dragon exists as does his sacred treasure. Nevertheless, the Templars would never allow such a hideous person to grasp it"

A hint of fondness escaped into his voice as Noire spoke.

"Templars? The legend doesn't mention that?"

Flint spoke, knowing it wasn't that important, yet he felt compelled to ask.

"Young Friend, you have met them. All of them, your Village are the Templars, Protectors of the Phantom Legend"

Flint's breath stopped at this revelation.

"Everyone was a Templar? A protector? Wait, that can't be right, I have never heard of such a thing!"

Despite his age, Flint was not the oblivious type. He took special note to monitor the village situation, a skill he had picked up from the many times he had gotten into trouble for doing something at the wrong time, like the time he had brought home a hunted bird, only to find out that a villager's pet bird had passed away that day. While he wasn't yelled at, he could tell how awkward he had made the situation for a while. From that day onwards, Flint decided to always pay special attention to the nuances of people. For such a large secret to be kept from him, it meant that everyone had lived, keeping it from him.

"Indeed Young Friend, that was the purpose of this village, to protect this. As for why you had not heard, there are two reasons. First of all, you are too young, people are not informed of their duty until they are 13 years of age and have experienced a fulfilling childhood. Although that is not the only reason in your case. In your case, the village's duties were fulfilled the moment you were born, Flint Stryker. My cycle has come to an end, and it's time for me to bestow this upon you."

The light intensified in the centre of the room. As Flint stared at the pedestal, he noticed a small red box he had not taken notice of before.

"Wait! Wait! Seriously what is happening? You take me to this strange room and then unload some fantasy story onto me?"

Flint couldn't handle it any longer, even if it was supposedly his long-time friend telling him this.

"There is no time left, Young Friend. If you wish to know further, about who did this, and why you have been given this reality, then take that gift and use it well. Your answers will be found at the centre of the era."

Only now did Flint notice the voice had been growing increasingly fainter. The air of wisdom still permeated from it, but it now felt distant.

"What does that even mean!"

Flint yelled out in desperation.

"Your father said as much no? Take that reality-defying boon and go out to sea. To the place where all of this era choose to gather, Young Friend."

"Now then... It's about time..."

Flint's panic grew as he realised what was truly happening. That the final goodbye he hoped would never happen, had finally come. He was finally losing everyone.

"Wait! Noire, stay with me! I can't lose you too! It's too much... too much by myself..."

He fell to his knees as he sobbed a plead towards his best friend and companion.

"Young Friend, it was truly a blast. You have made me hope, hope that the world after I wake is as interesting as this. Now take my gift, my true friend, and use it to craft the reality you wish. It is yet to have a name, but many have called it the Phantom Liquid Fruit or X-X Fruit for short."

"Wait... a devil fruit?"

Flint murmured as he stared at the case.

"With that... will I be able to get stronger?"

His thoughts escaped his mouth.

"That depends on you, Young Frie-n-d"

The voice was but a whisper, as though all of their energy had left them.

Minutes passed by in silence. Flint did not move as he sat on his knees looking at the pedestal. The reclusive cave was a complete contrast to the despair Flint had been huddled at recently.

Soon, only the soft sounds of snores and breathing were heard. A collapsed young boy was all that was left.

Hours passed when the boy finally awoke.

He slowly stretched out as his stiffened body began to loosen, his blurry vision slowly focused, adjusting to the cold darkness.

"It wasn't a dream then..."

Flint's melancholy voice broke the deafening silence.

"A devil fruit huh?"

Contrary to the sadness nestled in his heart, Flints' mind had already started to think about what was next. As cold as it may seem, the words of his longtime friend and his fathers' last whispers had made him realise that he was truly alone in this world now and if he didn't do anything, his death was assured. The love and warmth the village had given him all throughout the years would turn into nothing more than wasted effort.

He crawled to his feet, his battered body was still weak but he could still move.

On unsteady feet, Flint wobbled over towards the lone pedestal. His target was the box atop it.

He reached out and grasped the box.

Normally he would hold a bit more suspicion, however, he had already decided no matter what fate he meets with this supposed reality-defying fruit, he would accept it.

Grasping the box delicately in his hands, Flint unclipped the lid and opened the box. Despite the supposed rarity of the contents, the box itself held no form of protection or safety features, just a simple box.

As the lid opened, a black fruit in the shape of a tomato sat atop a small cushion.

"This so looks toxic..."

Flint murmured as he picked up the fruit.

Much to his shock, the areas he touched turned a bright magenta but returned black seconds after he removed his grip.

"Wait! Black and Magenta?"

A certain lizard popped into his mind as he stared at the bizarre phenomenon. A sad smile sat upon his lips.

Shaking his head lightly to remove those thoughts, Flint stared at the fruit as he steeled his resolve one last time.

"It's either this or go to a life of scavenging for food... either way, there's a high chance of death"

His pessimism led him to choose the unknown, the risk.

With his body tensed, Flint chomped into the fruit, finishing it in two bites, not taking a single moment to savour it. His actions happened so fast that he was not truly aware of the taste of the fruit.