Chapter 5

The wooden door suddenly opens. A dark green-haired young woman hurriedly entered. She has a joyful expression yet contain a hidden anxiety at the same time.

"Luffy, I'm so glad you're awake. You suddenly shouted at the middle of the day, so loud that the whole village heard it" she said with a caring tone. "There were hunters who found you lying in the middle of the forest while soaking with sweat all over your body. What happened to you?" she added.

"I'm sorry, I can't seem to remember it" I replied with a weak tone while making an innocent yet troubled expression. Wew, had to lie. Maybe she will buy it. I can't possibly tell here the truth can I. I'm sorry Makino, eventhough you're one of my candidates, there are some truth needed to carry even after death.

"Well it's ok, I'm glad you're unharmed. You're very hungry aren't you, you didn't came back to eat lunch after all" she approach me slowly and lift my small body carefully from the ground. She carried me in a piggyback ride. Oooh, so embarassing I'm grown up man you know and also we have the same age. But well, I can accept it as my reward though. 'Her body is soft and she smells good' my thoughts were interrupted when we walked out in the room.

The place was filled with people. There are old man talking while drinking sake, children who are eating, middle-aged guys who are arm wrestling, aunties chatting, some man who is flirting, a fat bald-guy trading with his goods, a solitary old man drinking in a corner. All in all this place is bustling with people. They have harmonious atmosphere together. 'Well, it seems that I am in the bar Makino owns, Partys Bar' Hmm, damn the foods smells good.

"Well here you go Luffy, eat up so your strength will return soon"

"Many thanks Makino-onnechan" I replied with a cute expression I can make. Suddenly, she grabbed me from behind while giving me a tight hug.

"Kyaa, this is the first time you called me Oneechan. I'm very happy right now, you're so cute little Luffy" I recieved her hug though. My face is burried on her developing buds. 'It's soft' I groaned inwardly.

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Infront of me are heaps of food too many count. There is sizzling barbecues, greasly meats with spices above it, colorful dessert that varies from each other, appetizing variety of fruits, mouth-watering fried fishes, scrumptious veggies and enchanting beverages. Overall this foods presented are fit for a king.

I first grab the barbecue and slowly take a bite. The sound of me crunching the meat slowly was heard by Makino who was watching me with delight, I chew it carefully to taste the first delicacy I eat in this world. 'The meat is seldom pricked during cooking, the fat accumulates, sizzling and bubbling. Slice, and the drama unfolds. Think of a bursting water pipe. Better yet, imagine a Brahman bull exploding from the gate at a rodeo.' I commented silently in my mind. "It's very delicous"

"Thank you, eat some more Luffy"

This time I reach to get a slice of pie in the side. I slice it with a table knife and I took a bite "Chomp". 'The crust is as crunchy as a butter cookie, so brittle that it cracks audibly when you press it with your fork, grains of sugar-like ingredient bounce off the surface as it shatters' Oohhh, Makino really knows how to cook. Maybe she can even rival Gordon Ramsay.

Each dish is seasoned with it's own spices and herbs which come out smelling savory and appetizing. This time I tried the chicken wings which where one of my favourites in my past life.  The wings are seasoned with a spicy seasoning and done just right, with the skin a bit crispy and the meat juicy which makes for a heavenly delight.  This glazed pork and chicken barbecue are also very delectable and mouthwatering.  All the flavor is kept in while grilling and goes well with a cold drink.

I ate for fifteen minutes trying different foods while savoring the lingering flavors. The dishes here are more delicous than in Earth. I don't know if is because of the different ingredients used that did not exist in my past world but I think I have another dream added and it is to become a gourmet traveler. 'I really need to practice cooking, there are a lot of ingredients yet to be revealed especially in the grandline' I murmur in my heart carefully. Damn, that was satisfying.

"Thanks for the food Makino-oneechan it was very delicous" I gaze at her eyes seriously but she didn't blush. Damn it I'm still small, I need to grow some bones and muscles yet.

"It wasn't much" Makino grabs her bandana and took it off in her head while looking serious. 'Hmm, it feels familiar' I thought to myself. "Well today I was the one cooking, the chef wasn't available today. Thanks for praising me Luffy" she said with a gentle smile.

"Brat, you scared us to death when we found you unconscious in the middle of the forest" this time an oldman walking with a wooden cane suddenly interjected. 'Damn oldman, can't you see I'm talking to a lady' I feel irritated, he broke the atmosphere between us. I turn my little body to see who spoke out of nowhere. This time a grumpy face meets my eye. 'Oh, is this the mayor of this town, oldman Wood Slap' although this oldman often criticizes the choices of Luffy in the canon in becoming a pirate and his growing infamy, he seems to actually care for his well-being, such as the time when he pleaded for Higuma to spare little Luffy's life when he was a young boy.

This time the bar suddenly went silent after Mayor Wood Slap spoke. It seems that they are currently listening to the discussion. "Hey kid, it seems that you're okay right now. You're pretty messed up when someone brought you here" an average sized man with black hair, a rounded widows peak, and two hairs sticking out on the top of his head suddenly joined. He has pointy eyebrows, round eyes, and stubble on his chin. He wears a light beige shirt, with a green apron over it. He also wears a pink rope tied around his head. 'Hmm, this is the guy little Luffy always buy a fish to eat' I remember him.

"Ne, Luffy what were you doing in the middle of the forest anyway. To come out with a condition like that" this time is a normal sized, although a bit chubby woman, with dark curly hair and a round face added. "If anything happens to you Garp will probably send us to jail" a short, elderly man with tanned skin, dark gray hair with a stern look on his face said.

The pub suddenly laughed after the oldman spoke, it seems that they were taking it as a joke. But some of them are very intrigued by the cause why I shouted suddenly and collapsed at the middle of the day, since it never happened once.

"Hey Luffy tell us what happened"

"Did you met that big tiger?"

"Yeah right, that's not gonna happen. Maybe he got beaten by those bald monkeys, haha"

"Probably, I saw them ganging up on our kid Luffy one time when Garp-san returned 2 year ago"

The bar went into a series of discussion. One by one they tried to guess what was the cause. Since, this was the first time happened to me.

"Luffy, can't you really remember a single thing" Makino interjected. The people in the pub perked their ears and wanted to know the cause. I stand up from my seat and said with a bit serious voice. "I don't really remember what happened. But I was training before"

"Maybe you collapsed from your training" a man with sunglasses said

"Yeah, you shouldn't push yourself thay far Luffy. Everyone was worried for you" Makino looked very concerned to me right now.

"But I want to get stronger, stronger than anyone else" I said with a hint of resolution in my cute voice. "And why is that, hmm?" the mayor asked.

"I want to protect those close to me. I want to achieve my dream, I want to fulfill a certain promise" this time I wasn't kidding. "I want to travel around the world and become the freest man in the world unimpended" The whole bar suddenly went silent, they didn't expect these words to come out in a 7 years old kid. But after a few seconds hey shouted in glee.

"Luffy, we will support you. Hahaha"

"This kid matured suddenly"

"Yeah, lets drink some sake to celebrate the dream of our little man"

"Yeaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh"

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This time I was in my room. The celebration went for 3 hourse before ending. 'The people here really like having fun' I said inwardly. "Well right now I should plan the road I'm going to venture, but first let's explore this so-called system"

"System"

"....."

"Menu"

"....."

"Status?"

"....."

After calling several words it didn't still respond. 'I don't understand. Why doesn't it come out' I am frustrated right now. This doesn't make sense, most novels and fanfiction I've read only need to say this. Then it hit me, maybe it will not work on voice activation. I tried to touch the air with my fingers and slowly swipe down.

[Ding]

[User Interface]

[Innate Talent]

So I was right, it was different from you normal and common system. It needs hand gesture to use it. 'SAO, really' what a rip off. The maker of this system will be surely punished by copyright infringement. I began to concentrate in the system this time by pressing tabs.

[User Interface]

[Status]

[Skills]

[Abilities]

[Option]

"Ohh, this is very simple and had a normal design" I clicked the first tab.

[User Status]

[Strength: 0.7]

[Stamina: 0.8]

[Willpower: 3.0]

[Remarks: Stronger than your average kid. But one step behind by a strength of one man. However, your willpower is pretty impressive for a kid]

"Strength and stamina is pretty understandable. It says that I'm stronger than the average kids my age and weaker than one man. 0.5 values are stats on an average kids while 1.0 maybe is the standard stats of a full grown man but what about willpower" I tried to click it.

[Willpower: Needed in order to use and acquire this world's mysterious force]

'Force' ooh, maybe it is Haki. I am very excited right now. Who won't be, I watched the series since I was in highschool and pretty much waiting every updates. And aside from devil fruits, haki were also cool and badass. I then click on the next tab.

[Skills]

[E] [D] [C] [B] [A] [S]

"What is this?" I clicked tab E and then the hologram responds immediately.

[E skills]

[Basic Perception] [Basic Meditation]

I opened every tab in skill menu but all of them are currently empty aside from E skills. "That's it? damn I need to know how to acquire more skills. Hmm according to this data E was the lowest kind of skills while S being the highest" I then open the next tab.

[Abilities] {All abilities obtain will be modified}

[Devil fruit: Modified Gomu Gumo no mi]

<Your very existence became rubber itself>

[Haki]

<Modified Observation Haki: Locked>

<Modified Armament Haki: Locked>

<Modified Conquerors Haki: Locked>

[****** ****** *********: Need access]

<A place where danger exist everywhere. But the rewards are great>

"Damn, all of my Haki are currently unavailable. But what about this modified word being used? My devil fruit is also modified along with the Haki. And there is also this unreadable ability that needed access" I murmur to myself silently. 'Sighhhh, it seems that further experiments are needed to fully understand this system of mine' I sighed inwardly, this hologram is very different from the novels and fanfictions I've read.

"Well no need to rush, I'm just currently starting" I reassured myself. "Luffy, although I carried your dreams and goals but I will do it my way" I added.

I lie down in my bed and hug my pillow beside me. While covering myself with a blanket. "Tomorrow will be a new day. I will try to expriment with the system in the devil fruit I got. Now that I think about it, the system displayed the gomu gomu no mi as modified then does that mean my body is not only limited of being rubber but can I produce rubber itself such as it's liquid. Hmm, well I will know it tomorrow but right now sleep is justice" I closed my eyelids this time and relaxed my body on the bed.

Just like that I closed my eyes as my consciousness drifted off. Everything fell into darkness.

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"Huh, where the hell am I this time"