Chapter 4: Abilities x Plans

[A/N: Chapter four, Enjoy! Let me know your thoughts]

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The steady crash of waves filled the air, blending with the distant calls of seagulls. The ship rocked gently, the wood creaking in a slow, steady rhythm. The salty breeze brushed past, carrying with it the fading stench of blood and seawater.

Vin sat on the edge of the ship's railing, one leg hanging off the side. His eyes stayed on the horizon, calm but sharp, like he was watching something far away.

His hands rested on his knees, fingers slowly tapping in thought.

Behind him, two pirates stood awkwardly, glancing at each other like they weren't sure if they should speak or stay quiet.

Their eyes shifted toward the ocean every few seconds — remembering the fate of their former comrades.

They knew they were only still alive because he had let them.

"H-hey, boss, we've got about half a day until we hit Sabaody," one of them said, his voice careful, like he was afraid to be too loud. "Want us to make you some food? Or... maybe a massage?"

Vin didn't move. His eyes stayed on the horizon, as if he hadn't even heard them.

"Food," he said, not bothering to turn around. "That's all."

The two pirates didn't need to be told twice. They scrambled below deck, their footsteps loud against the wood. Neither of them dared to look back.

Vin returned his focus to what he had actually been paying attention to before. 

His system panel.

It had changed a great deal since he last saw it. 

[Mystery Box System]

[Current Universe: One Piece]

[Creator: ?&#Y&@Y#293]

[Holder: Vin]

[Age: 18]

[Total Box Count: 0]

[Boxes Held: None]

[Abilities: Observation Haki (Beginner), Hito Hito no Mi, Model: "Kokuryū" (Black Dragon)]

[Inventory: Bag of 100,000 berries, Dimensional Travel Ticket to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008) ]

[Strength Rating: Marine Commodore ] 

'Not bad,' Vin thought to himself as he focused on the updated strength rating generated by the system. 

It was roughly the same as his own analysis after the events that occurred yesterday. 

With his newly acquired abilities, he was confident that any marine under the rank of vice admiral would have a hard time trying to take him down. 

Clink. Clink. Clink.

Vin's eyes shifted to the sound of an empty rum bottle sliding across the deck.

It bumped against his foot once, then twice, clinking softly with each push of the waves.

He focused. Just for a moment.

The bottle jerked to a stop, like it had hit an invisible wall.

Then, slowly, it lifted off the deck, hovering a few inches in the air.

It rocked back and forth, swaying lightly like it was caught in a slow current.

Vin tapped his knee in rhythm with the bottle's slow sway, his eyes focused on it.

After a moment, his fingers paused. The pressure vanished and the bottle hit the deck with a dull thud, rolling off to the side.

"I'm getting better," he muttered, watching the bottle roll away.

Gravity manipulation, one of the new abilities he'd gained from the devil fruit. It was still rough, but every attempt was smoother than the last.

He'd used it twice during yesterday's fight. Once to send the pirates flying. Once to pull a sword into his hand. Both had been sloppy, but effective.

After dealing with Gretzka and clearing out the crew — sparing only two — he'd spent time testing his powers. Slowly but surely getting a feel for them.

Vin powers let him freely control the gravity in his immediate surroundings, pushing, pulling, increasing, or decreasing its force. It reminded him of Fujitora's Zushi Zushi no Mi, though his version lacked the same range.

A hesitant cough broke his focus.

"Ehem, boss," one of the pirates started, wringing his hands nervously. "We've got a problem. All the meat was either ruined in the fight or soaked in blood. We're out of food."

Vin finally turned his head, his eyes settling on the two men standing before him.

Jomo and Jasper — two rough-looking pirate brothers, their faces lined with exhaustion and fear. They were the only ones Vin had spared yesterday.

They were also the only two people that had treated him like a human being after he had been caught aboard. 

While the rest of the crew had tormented him, Jomo and Jasper had kept their distance, occasionally even tossing him scraps of food.

It wasn't much, but it was enough.

The reason they were so afraid of him was also simple, they had watched him experiment with his fruit last night and saw his final transformation. 

Suffice to say, they had never seen something so terrifying in their lives. 

They wouldn't dare speak of it, but the way they flinched when he moved said everything.

Vin thought for a moment, his gaze distant.

His eyes suddenly flicked to the east. A flock of birds could be seen soaring through the sky, dark silhouettes against the rising sun.

Vin stood, brushing the dust off the clothes he'd taken from the crew's cabin. They fit well enough, and thankfully, the original owners wouldn't need them anymore. 

Snapping his fingers, a thin black line appeared in the air just in front of him, flickering for a moment before snapping open to reveal a dark void on the other side. 

"Watch the ship. I won't be long." With that, he stepped forward, vanishing into the darkness as the tear snapped shut behind him.

Jomo and Jasper stood there in silence, their minds reeling from yet another power Vin had just casually revealed to them.

In the distance, a black tear appeared directly over the flock of birds.

The sudden rip in the sky sent them into a frenzy, wings flapping wildly as they scattered. Some veered away instinctively — but it was too late.

WHOOSH!

Vin shot out of the crack like a cannonball, arms outstretched. His hands snapped shut around the necks of a few birds before they even realized what had happened. Their wings flailed uselessly in his grip as they tried to escape.

The rest of the flock fled in every direction, squawking in fear.

Vin hovered in the air for a moment, the birds struggling against his hold, a slight look of a pride appearing on his face. 

Then, gravity reasserted itself.

Fast.

The ocean rushed toward him, wind tearing at his clothes. For a second, it looked like he might crash straight into the waves below.

But Vin didn't panic.

CRACK!

A sharp pain rippled down his back as his body arched involuntarily. Two massive black wings erupted from his shoulder blades, tearing through his shirt like paper.

FWOOM.

The powerful beat of his wings cut through the air, halting his fall instantly. He hovered above the ocean, his reflection staring back at him from the water's surface.

His wings stretched wide — sleek and sharp, their edges lined with what looked like black scales that shimmered faintly in the light.

Each beat of them sent ripples across the water's surface, distorting his reflection.

Large enough to double his height, his wings had veins of faint violet light pulsing through the thin membrane.

Vin glanced over his shoulder, watching them flex and shift as if they had always been part of him. The weight felt natural.

The birds in his hands finally stilled, their wings hanging limp in fear. 

For a moment, he simply hovered, feeling the sensation of his wings slowly beating at the air.

His eyes drifted to his reflection.

The face staring back at him from the rippling water looked familiar, but different — sharper, harder. The soft lines had faded, replaced by something more defined, more predatory.

Vin's eyes flickered faintly with gold, the glow faint but there.

His hair had darkened and grown, loose strands drifting with the wind. What remained of his shirt clung to his frame in tatters, exposing the lean muscle beneath. 

Vin held the reflection's gaze.

"Good."

The word slipped out as he watched the distorted face beneath him fade with the next ripple.

Glancing back up, he could spot his ship in the distance, not too far away.

Snapping his fingers, a sudden lack of pressure spread around him. His wings slowed to a stop, the heavy beats easing into a still hover as if he were balancing on air.

Vin remained suspended, adjusting slightly, like a tightrope walker finding his footing.

He had manipulated the gravity around him to levitate — the control wasn't perfect yet, but it was enough.

The birds dangled limply from his grip, feathers rustling in the wind. Looking back, Vin refocused on the ship.

With a powerful flap of his wings and a pull of gravity, he shot forward, the sudden burst doubling his speed. The ocean blurred under him, each beat of his wings propelling him closer to the distant deck.

The wind whipped against his face as the ship grew larger in his vision.

In less than a few seconds, he had already neared the ship, wings angling back slightly to slow his momentum.

In one smooth motion, he crossed over the railing, landing softly on the deck with barely a sound.

Jomo and Jasper were still waiting, stiff as statues. Their eyes widened at the sight of him descending from the sky, but neither dared say a word.

Vin landed lightly, folding his wings behind him. He dropped the limp bodies of the birds onto the deck with a soft thud, they had presumably died from the force of the winds on the way here.

"Get a fire going," he said, his voice calm but slightly commanding. "Pluck them and cook whatever's edible."

Jomo nodded quickly, already moving to grab the birds. Jasper hesitated a moment longer, glancing at Vin's wings before averting his eyes and following after Jomo.

Vin exhaled, glancing at the sky for a moment before settling down near the ship's bow. His wings faded slowly, folding into his back until nothing but faint traces of scales remained along his skin.

He leaned back against the railing, eyes drifting to the horizon, letting the sound of the waves fill the silence.

It was safe to say he had changed... a lot.

Once a weak and helpless chore boy, Vin had been nothing more than cargo destined for the slave market.

Now, he held powers that few in this world could imagine. The chains that once held him were gone.

His future now belonged to him.

The faint red streaks on the deck that hadn't fully washed away reminded him of what it took to get here and the reality of this new world he lived in.

This wasn't modern Earth or some care free anime. 

This was now his reality and Vin had to be ready for what was to come. 

He had learned while in captivity that the year was 1520, meaning he had time before Luffy went out to see and the plot officially started.

Vin had already drawn up a preliminary idea for what to do next. 

Everything centered around one thing — the Mystery Box System.

He hadn't forgotten the main ability of this thing was to generate mystery boxes near special characters in this world. 

Vin had a good idea of what "special" meant. In a world like this, it likely referred to the key figures from One Piece.

He guessed that if he got close to important characters in the show, he would probably be able to obtain new mystery boxes. 

It was a relatively balanced system when he thought about it — that was until someone like him got their hands on it.

For a transmigrator with knowledge of this world's future, the system wasn't just useful. It was overpowered.

And Vin had no intention of wasting that advantage.

His first pull had already given him incredible rewards. If that was just the beginning, then getting more became his top priority.

His plan was simple.

Get to Sabaody.

Turn in Captain Gretzka's head. The man might not have seemed like much, but Vin knew better — his bounty sat at over 75 million berries.

That alone would catch the Marines' attention and also set him up with a hefty sum going forward.

From there, Vin would use the stir of taking down a pirate crew single-handedly to apply for the Marines at Naval Headquarters.

If that wasn't enough he'd show his devil fruit.

He knew the Marines valued strength and potential, and that was something he had in spades now.

At Naval Headquarters, Vin knew he'd be in the perfect position for the foreseeable future. An abundance of mystery boxes would practically fall into his lap.

If there was anywhere in the world where special characters gathered, it was there — Admirals, Vice Admirals, War Lords of the sea, even White Beard at one point. 

It was probably the single best place to rack up mystery boxes without even trying.

More than that, he could also use his authority as a marine to travel the world, visiting places he knew held significance like Gaya island, Zou or Skypiea. 

Though, beyond the boxes, there was something else Naval Headquarters offered — growth.

It was one of the few places he could sharpen his skills in a controlled environment, surrounded by some of the strongest fighters in the world.

There, he could learn the things he lacked — Armament Haki, the Marine Six Styles — abilities that would refine his new strength and potential into something more.

Vin wasn't just chasing power. He was building a foundation.

One that would make sure he could stay safe in this world in the face of anyone.

"And if the Marines don't work out," Vin thought, leaning back against the railing with a smirk, "fuck it. I'll go on my own."

It wasn't like he needed them to get stronger.

The world was big, and Vin had options.

Mystery boxes weren't going anywhere.

A loud crash echoed from below deck, followed by Jomo's panicked voice.

"Damn it, Jasper! I said hold it steady!"

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Somewhere in the New World.

Aboard the Moby Dick, flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates—one of the Four Emperors.

Fire Fist Ace sat on the edge of the ship's railing, staring out at the waves below. The sun hung low, painting the deck in gold and shadow.

"Stop calling him that," Ace shouted, arms crossed. "I don't need a father."

Jinbe stood nearby, "You don't get to choose that. He already claimed you."

Ace's jaw tightened. "I didn't ask for it."

"You didn't have to." Jinbe's voice was calm. "The old man doesn't need permission."

Across the ship, Whitebeard's deep laughter echoed, rolling over the deck like distant thunder.

"Gu la la la la la la"

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[A/N: Power stones, reviews and comments are very appreciated :) ]