Chapter 3

Day 35 

The island has turned out to be a battleground between 2 apex predators, the bear I saw before and a colossus orangutan, looking like the orangutan from Mowgli but 2 times bigger, out of place in this environment, combined with the unkind surroundings, the island is testing every ounce of my will to survive. The snowstorms persisted in coming and going, each one more brutal than the last and I was always on high alert. I was no longer a civilized man living on earth but a beast dressed up in the skin of man. Still, the island was yet to get tired of its torture on me. There will be a day I will always remember, the day I learned the term absolute quietness, the one that made your nerves feel alive, the one to spawn bouts of insomnia, the one that gives your enemies, created from nothing. The normal howling of the wind had disappeared andthe air held a weird stillness. The stillness was unusual; such were the storms that came. However, this was something else entirely. Something more sinister. The savage creatures that inhabited the island could not be located, but their absence was more frightening than their actual presence.

It is in the last few weeks that it all came as the greatest turnaround. At my most desperate quest for life, I had come across a system that in the core was very responsible for altering my view towards the concerns of the island. Everything started when I discovered an ancient, dusty book underneath the rusted floors in the shack, pages of content, almost decayed, full of strange writings.

Next to the tome was a small, glowing orb, about the size of a marble. The light it emitted was soft, pulsating gently in the dim twilight. The virtue and sin of man come from their curiosity, one I couldn't hold back, once I touched it, the light of the orb intensified, and a wave of warmth spread through his body, chasing away the cold and filling me with a strange sense of peace.

A voice echoed in my mind, clear and authoritative:

Congratulations, you have unlocked the Fishing System. The sea's bounty is now yours to claim. Cast your line, and with every catch, fortune may favor you.

I was shocked, stunned by the voice. It had been so long since I'd heard anything other than my thoughts or the growls of predators. Fishing System? The words seemed absurd, almost comical in a world as dangerous as this, but there was something undeniably real about the experience. The orb in my hand continued to glow softly as if waiting for me to act.

I spent some time trying to understand how to use it, but nothing I did worked so I checked the tome for some help.

I opened the tome and found it filled with instructions and illustrations, detailing the use of the Fishing System. The more I read, the more I understood the potential of what I thought was the worst gold finger ever in existence. The system rewards me for catching fish, but it was no ordinary fishing—each catch had the potential to yield a reward. The rewards were distributed through a lottery system, with tickets ranging from common to legendary. The better the fish I caught, the better the reward.

Initially, the system seemed like the worst gold finger ever but the longer I looked into it, the more I saw its significance. This volume described how to upgrade fishing materials, foster greater catch efficiency, and even lure strange and fascinating beasts. I would lose myself in refining the countless guides I had been issued with, perfecting each of the tools and methods contained within. An entirely new piece had replaced the splintered wooden stick that I had been using as a makeshift fishing rod. It was a separating pole, crafted from the ancient wooden trees of the island. The sinew line had been replaced with the tendon of arctic foxes I hunted. My rewards had increased in both quantity and quality. I had managed to gather in stock less than, but rather more than sufficient supplies for me to weather the worst winter seasons of the island.

But the quiet of the morning also hinted at some new fear that seemed to be weighed inside my chest. 'The island was on the verge of some transformation,' some part of me answered again. 'The predators had vanished. And where the beasts had roamed, a horrid eerie quiet had fallen upon the land. The island too, seemed to be straining for an event that would rock its very core.

I gathered everything, leaving the orb secured in my pocket. The owner of the shack must have felt generous that day and gave me another treasure, another orb – this one was able to bend the very fabric of reality. Indeed though, it was never quite clear what its purpose was, it had been quite advantageous in my hunt, pointing me in the direction of what I could not see and making it easier for me to fish. I headed towards the sea, the orb pulsing comfortably in my pocket.

What was usually a mass of raging waves and foams, was now as tranquil as a newly fallen snow. The still water surface reflected the cloudy sky making it look like there was no fresh air on the horizon. A wretched stillness prevailed – there was nothing out of place – no seagulls' acrobatics, no fishes flying seeking for the sky, no distant bellows of the sea kings patrolling the calm belt.

As I neared the beach, I was greeted by a strange occurrence that some would call a phenomenon. There was a tingling sensation that filled my fingers, a sensation of electricity that was not present. I launched my fishing line to the calm waters, the hook sinking and disappearing out of sight with barely a ripple. In my fishing endeavors, In my line of work, there was a certain amount of time that was needed before work started, but that particular day, the wait felt rather long. There was something special about this particular catch, my gut told me.

Minute after minute dragged on. I could feel the air getting electrically charged. My heart appeared ready to burst from my chest. Just as I was ready to bring up the line and try another position, I experienced a quick sharp jerk. I was almost taken off my feet due to the force of it and it was a struggle to keep my feet on the rocky shore, afraid of getting pulled down into the water.

I was beginning to feel this enormous creature on the other end and it seemed to be much stronger than anything I had ever caught before. I secured my grip on the rod and prepared my muscles for a battle. It was all or nothing. The line threatened to snap due to the enormous strain raging on it and it was easy to lose control and let go of it, but I was determined to stay put—there was no way I would drop that line. Catching this was important— I could feel it in my bones.

For each time that I felt it distinctly pulled away; the thing would pull and jerk the other end of the line with uncanny power. The water, once still and serene, now churned violently, as if a storm had erupted from within the depths. I felt my muscles straining and the heat increased in my body temperature due to exertion. All my energy was channeled to the fight. 

And finally, after what I could only refer to as an eternity, I had an inkling of what I was looking for – a huge figure just below the surface of the water, with a gentle glow. I choked back a gasp as the abomination emerged fully from the water and accepted my gaze.

It was a fish albeit a most peculiar-looking fish. Its scaly coverings were…. light. Bright, and repulsive light that changed every single second, changing colour so quickly It looked like it was made from a rainbow. It is huge, built like a small ship, with two sun-like eyes. Its mouth opened and shut tentatively in a strange rhythm with several rows of predatory teeth protruding from its translucent membranes. This was no ordinary fish.

The orb in my pocket grew warmer and brighter as the water receded. The creature didn't seem to like it because its eyes fixed on the orb as though it were an intelligent being. I for some time stopped having any perception of the world. All I could feel, was the fish, the orb, and myself. After that, with a blink, the orb detached itself from my pocket and soared to the space above the creature's head.

The light intensified, engulfing the entire shore in a brilliant glow. I shielded my eyes, unable to look directly at the orb as it performed its mysterious function. I could feel the energy in the air, a power, unlike anything I had ever experienced. The light grew brighter until it was almost blinding, and then, with a sound like a distant thunderclap, it vanished.

I opened my eyes after quickly blinking. The fish was gone. Or rather, it had never been there. Instead, where the orb was before, hanging in the air, was a single sheet of paper. It drifted gently to the earth and settled on the top of my feet.

I felt a rush of nervousness as I let my fingers run over the object's surface which was made of paper and rather warm. It was a lottery ticket, but one that I had never come across before. It was bright gold, and there was a nice intricate design on it that buzzed as if alive. At the top in flowing letters stood the word "Mythic"

My excitement was unmanageable as I brought up the torn ticket in front of my eyes; the paper was vanishing by the timeI reached it. For one brief moment, nothing happened and I thought that I had been deceived. But only for a second rush of wind and there it was a huge chest right in front of my eyes that was embellished with ancient symbols. The chest was made of dark, polished wood, bound with bands of gold that glittered in the dim light.

I hesitated for only a moment before prying the chest open. Inside, nestled among layers of velvet, was a single item—a fruit, unlike any I had ever seen. It was small, fitting easily in the palm of my hand, and its surface was covered in swirling patterns. The fruit was a deep blue, almost black, with a strange, almost hypnotic glow emanating from within.

A Devil Fruit.

One of my dreams came true, I used to fantasize about my life in one piece and my devil fruit, but now looking at it face to face, I realize it's true identity. Mystical objects that granted unimaginable powers to those who consumed them, but at a terrible cost. The ability to swim was lost forever, replaced by abilities that defied the laws of nature. This fruit, with its dark aura and swirling patterns, was one of them.

My mind raced as I considered the implications. Consuming a Devil Fruit would grant me power, the kind of power that could change the course of my life—perhaps even allow me to escape this cursed island. But it would also bind me to the sea, forever unable to swim, a dangerous handicap in a world where the ocean was both a barrier and a battlefield.

But what choice did I have? The island was vast, the dangers many, and my goal—to find Emily and return to her—seemed more distant with each passing day. If this fruit could give me the strength I needed to survive, then it was a risk I was willing to take.

After bringing the fruit to my lips, there was some hesitation for a while before I took a bite out of the fruit. The taste was utterly awful and I cannot say how awful since it was as though everything that I despise was somehow mixed with garbage. I made a conscious effort to swallow and with it felt the energy of that fruit within me during the moment like a spell. It was a stirring force that made me seek out the gush of hot air.

Then, everything in the surroundings changed. Everything began to swirl as I felt the Devil Fruit's power taking over me. I could feel some changes occurring within my structure. Then it was quite horrifying albeit, in a very interesting way. It was like making the very first steps towards a new, perhaps, a much more dangerous path where one can get rid of the expectations.

After the more potent effects of the fruit wore off, then there was another interesting peculiarity— the assumed failure orb, however dim, was actively levitating in the proximity of my head, as if anticipating I do something. It was as if she felt the disturbance in me. I felt something difficult to describe—a link that connected the two of us, altering the ability of the Devil Fruit.

The tranquility of the island was over and a new season ushered in— this was the time that I was not an ordinary fisherman trying to earn an existence, the future looked bright, can I stand side by side with Luffy and his crew with Emily in my hand, only the future can tell.

Hmm.

I might need to recruit Bonney.