Freedom At Last…

...

"Huh?!" My eyes snapped open, my mind jolted back to life as if I had been resurrected from the dead.

-Splatter-

I shot up from where I lay, panic gripping me as I scanned my surroundings. Darkness. The stifling, suffocating darkness pressed in around me, and the rancid stench of stomach acid filled my nostrils.

It didn't take long for the realization to hit me like a punch to the gut.

I was back inside a stomach.

For a moment, I could only stare blankly into the void, my mind struggling to process the absurdity of it all.

The last thing I recalled was being swallowed. Again. This time, not by a shark but by something so massive it made the megalodon look like a goldfish.

My lips parted in disbelief, a bitter laugh threatening to escape but dying in my throat.

"...Are you serious?"

Three times. Three fucking times.

I had escaped a life of servitude under a monster with almost limitless power, only to be devoured by a gigantic shark.

I'd clawed and fought my way out of that shark's stomach, tasting freedom for less than a minute before something even bigger swallowed me whole.

"Is this some kind of cosmic joke?" I muttered, grinding my teeth as anger swelled inside me.

…

At this point, I was seriously starting to consider whether the comment I said about bad luck following me everywhere I went in this new life might be true.

Because I mean, having such bad luck two times had been weird already, but three times? There was something clearly wrong here.

Was I just being paranoid?

Or could it be that bad luck was truly fucking up my new life?

My hand instinctively rose to my chin as I squinted, my thoughts racing.

"Could it be my immortality?" I whispered, a dark hypothesis forming in my mind.

Immortality. The one thing that separated me from the person I was in my previous life, who wasn't as unlucky as I was now. A gift—or perhaps a curse—that defied the natural order. An anomaly in the cycle of life and death.

If some unseen force sought to correct that imbalance, it made sense that it would target me.

"Fate? The world itself? The ocean?" I mused aloud, my voice dripping with sarcasm and frustration. "Or maybe the God I met in the afterlife messing with me after reviving me."

But as I stood there, lost in thought, I eventually shook my head.

It didn't matter who—or what—was responsible.

What mattered was the reality of my situation. If this mysterious force existed, it clearly wasn't going to stop until it succeeded.

But I wasn't about to give up.

-Grip-

I clenched my fists, a grim smile tugging at my lips as I realized something else.

Just like after escaping the shark, I felt stronger. My body was tougher, my muscles denser, my endurance greater.

The corrosive acids of this new creature were far more potent than the shark's, but that only meant my cycle of death and rebirth had pushed my body even further.

Sure, the pain was hellish, but pain was just pain. A fleeting sensation.

Every death was a step toward invincibility.

"So, you want to get rid of me, huh?!" I screamed into the darkness, my voice brimming with defiance. "Then let's see who gives up first, you motherfucker!"

Fueled by rage and a manic determination, I charged at the stomach walls.

I punched, clawed, bit, and kicked. Every strike echoed in the fleshy cavern. I wasn't just going to escape this time—I was going to kill whatever monster dared to swallow me.

And once I did, my sights would be set on Mary Geoise. On those pigs living their cushy lives.

I didn't care if the Marines, Pirates, or even the entire World Government stood in my way.

I would become so strong that even this world would give up on trying to kill me.

…

°

°

°

|A month later, at the ocean-going restaurant Baratie|

…

"Shut up, you damn old man!"

"What did you call me?! Who do you think you are talking to?!"

'...What is wrong with these people?!'

Amidst the bustling restaurant, a heated argument was underway, drawing the attention of curious customers.

In the center of it all stood Zeff, a blond, grizzled old man with a braided beard and a chef's uniform, squaring off against Sanji, a sharp-dressed young man with curled eyebrows.

Lying defeated on the floor nearby was a pale pink-haired marine lieutenant, groaning in pain.

Zeff, the legendary former pirate and owner of Baratie, was berating his sous chef Sanji for beating the marine to a pulp. The offense? The lieutenant, Fullbody, had insulted the restaurant's food and disrespected the woman dining with him.

While Zeff didn't seem to care about Fullbody's rank or the fact that Sanji had beaten him up, his irritation at Sanji's penchant for always escalating conflicts was clear.

"With that attitude, you will send my restaurant to bankrupt!" Zeff roared. "You—damn brat!"

Then, in a fit of frustration, he delivered a swift kick to Sanji's face with his peg leg.

-Bang!-

"Ugh—!"

Sanji stumbled slightly but didn't retaliate, simply gritting his teeth and standing his ground.

Witnessing the sous chef's punishment, Fullbody, who had been trashed quite brutally, smirked faintly in contempt.

'Hah, serves you righ—'

-Bang!-

"Argh!"

However, the smirk vanished as soon as Zeff delivered an equally merciless kick to the marine's face, sending him sliding across the floor.

"You too, get the fuck out of here!" Zeff spat in disdain at the lieutenant after kicking him, completely uncaring about his current injured state.

'What is wrong with these cooks?! They're more like pirates!' Fullbody thought, nursing his aching jaw as he glared at the old chef.

"Oi!"

Patty, another cook with rolled-up sleeves and a bandana, stormed onto the scene, pointing accusingly at Sanji. "Sanji! Customers are like gods! You can't just—"

"—You mean those customers who have the guts to eat the shit you cook?" Sanji hissed in an irritated tone, obviously trying to provoke the cook in front of him.

"You little—!" Patty's fists clenched, ready to throw hands, but Zeff cut them both off with a thunderous shout.

"Patty, Sanji, if you are going to fight, take it to the damn kitchen!" 

The two glared at each other but held off, leaving the tension in the air unresolved.

Until it was shattered.

"Lieutenant!" A panicked voice rang out, turning all eyes toward the restaurant's entrance.

A disheveled marine staggered inside, blood trickling down his face. "The right-hand man of Krieg... has escaped!"

"What?!" Fullbody's voice cracked as his face paled. "How?! He's been dying of starvation for three days! We didn't even feed him! There's no way—"

As Fullbody tried to process the news, murmurs spread through the restaurant.

"The Krieg Pirates?!"

"The strongest crew in the East Blue?!"

"This place is doomed!"

Fullbody's subordinate hesitated, his head hanging in shame. "I'm sorry sir... It's because of us that he—Ack—!"

-Thunk!-

The marine collapsed mid-sentence, knocked unconscious by a blow to the back of the head.

-Step-

Then, a lanky, malnourished man stepped forward, his tattered gray clothing and sunken eyes drawing gasps from the crowd. Despite his frail appearance, the gun in his hand exuded danger.

""Huff… Huff…" With slow, deliberate steps, the man crossed the dining hall. His every move seemed strained, yet his gaze remained steely, ignoring the shocked stares of the diners.

He reached an empty table and slumped into a chair, exhaling sharply. The chair creaked under his weight—or rather, his lack of it. He propped his legs up on the table in a show of bravado, even as his labored breathing betrayed his condition.

"This is a restaurant, right?" he rasped, scanning the room with squinted eyes. "Bring me some damn food."

Patty approached with a professional grin, his demeanor seemingly unaffected by the tension. "Of course, sir! But first, do you have the money to pay for it?"

The instant Patty made that question, the man's grip on his pistol tightened, his eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"I said—"

However, before the tension could escalate further, something happened that dragged everyone's attention at once.

-ROAAAAAAAAR!!!!!-

"...?!"

The sound froze everyone in their tracks, a primal fear washing over them.

 -ROAAAAAAAAR!!!!!-

The monstrous roar then echoed once more, even louder than before, shaking the very foundations of the floating restaurant. Everyone froze in their places, eyes wide and breaths held as the sound reverberated through the air.

"What the hell is that?!" Sanji exclaimed, already moving toward the door. Zeff and the others followed, along with a black-haired young man wearing a straw hat and his companions.

Outside, chaos greeted them. A mile away, a titanic sea serpent thrashed violently, its massive form sending waves crashing in all directions.

"That's… a sea serpent?!" one of the cooks gasped, his voice trembling.

"No way…" Patty muttered, his jaw slack. "How could something that huge even get this close to the East Blue?!"

The crowd of onlookers erupted into panicked murmurs, each voice adding to the cacophony of fear and disbelief.

"It's coming this way!" someone suddenly shouted, their voice cracking.

The declaration sent another wave of panic through the group.

"It'll be the end of all of us…" Zeff muttered grimly, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the approaching beast. For a fleeting moment, the old man's expression wavered, the weight of years and countless battles catching up with him. He had seen many things in his life, but the sight of the sea serpent barreling toward them felt like death itself.

Then, his gaze shifted. He saw his staff—his family. He saw Sanji, standing as collected as ever despite the baffled look behind his eyes, and a spark reignited in his weathered eyes.

-Tap!-

Instantly after that, Zeff stepped forward, the hard clunk of his peg leg cutting through the murmurs of fear. He was ready to put up a fight if it meant protecting his restaurant and the people under him.

Though he was far from his prime, the old man's determination burned fiercely. This restaurant was his life, his pride. No serpent, no matter how massive, would take it away without a battle.

And he was not the only one.

Without a word, Sanji moved to his side, puffing on his cigarette. His calm demeanor contrasted with the storm of emotions brewing among the crew.

"Brat," Zeff snapped, glancing at him. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You're too green for this. Get inside and help the customers escape—leave the fighting to me."

Sanji exhaled a plume of smoke, unfazed by the reprimand. "Old man, you really don't know when to quit talking, do you?" He cracked his neck and stared down the approaching beast, his posture relaxed but his intent clear. "If you're fighting, I'm fighting."

"Owner! Sanji…!"

The rest of the Baratie staff stood wide-eyed, their shock slowly transforming into admiration. Seeing their leaders step forward inspired a newfound sense of duty in them.

"Damn it!" Patty growled, gripping a shrimp-shaped cannon. "If they're putting their necks on the line, we can't just stand here!"

One by one, the cooks armed themselves with oversized utensils and strange weapons, rallying around Zeff and Sanji.

"We'll protect the Baratie!"

Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the tension. Shattering the emotional atmosphere.

"Hey, old man!"

Zeff turned with an irritated growl. "Who—oh, it's you, brat." His frown deepened as he spotted Luffy, the young man who'd destroyed part of his restaurant and whom he had coerced into working for him to pay for the damages.

"What do you want?" Zeff asked, baffled. "Shouldn't you be running for the hills?"

Luffy grinned, his straw hat tilting as he did. "If I help you take that thing down, will you consider my debt paid?"

For a moment, Zeff stared at him in disbelief. The kid could've used this as a chance to escape, yet here he was, and even offering himself to help.

After a long pause, the old man smirked.

He knew that the kid was naive, that much had become clear during the short time he had been working here... but this was too much.

Well, if the brat was going to offer his help, then who was he to refuse it?

"Heh. Fine. But you'll still work a week for me."

"Wha—!" Luffy started to complain, but the serpent's guttural roar cut him off.

-ROAAAAAR!!!!-

The creature was closing in, its massive head towering above the waves.

It seemed the fight was about to begin.

Seeing that, everyone—save for a long-nosed dude and an orange-haired girl who were quacking in fear at the Baratie's door—got ready for the fight.

However...

-Splash!!!-

... Without warning, the sea serpent suddenly collapsed from one moment to another. Its enormous body hit the ocean's surface with a deafening crash, sending a tidal wave surging toward the Baratie. Everyone braced themselves as water drenched them from head to toe.

""...""

...

..

.

For a brief moment, silence reigned.

-Bump!-

The eerie thudding sound that followed broke the stillness, immediately putting everyone back on edge.

"It's moving again!" Patty yelled, raising his cannon.

"No…" Sanji said, narrowing his eyes. "That sound's not coming from the serpent. It's coming from… inside it."

-Bump!-

-Thud!

-Plop!-

Before anyone could process what was happening, one of the serpent's massive eyes was suddenly ejected from its socket with a grotesque squelch.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, and a few of the weaker-stomached staff members turned away, retching.

Then, from the empty cavity where the eye had been, a blood-soaked figure emerged, laughing maniacally.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHAT'S WRONG, OVERSIZED WORM? WAS THE HEADACHE TOO MUCH? MY BAD!!!"

Everyone froze, their jaws dropping as they stared at the bizarre figure.

"Who the hell is that...?" one of the cooks blurted out, echoing everyone's thoughts.

The figure stepped fully into view, his wild eyes scanning the crowd. He was completely naked, drenched in blood from head to toe, and grinning like a madman.

"…A man?" The long-nosed dude muttered from behind the group, raising an eyebrow as he adjusted his binoculars to glance at the distant manic figure.

"LET THE NEXT ONE COME, I'M READY!!! I'LL JUST EAT IT LIKE THE OTHERS, COME ON, I'M WAITI—Oh, there's people here."

Amidst his maniacal speech, the stranger suddenly noticed the group. His manic energy faltered slightly, replaced by an awkward expression.

"Ahem… Do any of you have clothes I can borrow? Oh, and a shower would be great, too."

""...""

The stunned silence that followed was broken only by the distant crash of waves.

...

-To be Continued…-