A Little Piece of Kripton (One Piece x Superman)

After refusing to join the New Fishman Pirates, disaster struck as the protective bubble surrounding the Thousand Sunny burst upon colliding with a massive underwater bubble ahead. The ship lost its buoyancy, and chaos erupted as the crew scrambled to hold on.

Royal, however, simply stood at the edge of the ship, staring at the chaos below. When the ship tilted, his footing gave way, and his body plummeted into the deep abyss.

For a moment, he simply let himself fall, closing his eyes. Let fate decide, he thought.

The rush of water enveloped him, and Royal felt the crushing pressure of the deep bearing down on his body.

For a moment, the world was nothing but a cacophony of muffled roars and endless blue. Then, in an instant, the sensation vanished as his body passed through the surface of a massive bubble surrounding an enormous structure.

The sudden shift threw Royal off balance, and he found himself hurtling through the air. The faint cries of his crewmates were drowned out as the distance between them grew, leaving him spinning alone above the vast kingdom below.

But then, something unexpected happened.

As he plummeted toward the ground, a streak of shimmering light caught his eye. Royal instinctively braced himself for impact, but instead of hitting the surface, his fall was interrupted by a soft, warm glow. A magical current seemed to wrap around him, slowing his descent until his feet gently touched the ground.

"What... was that?" Royal muttered, glancing around to find himself in the middle of a dazzling underwater city. Coral towers rose high above, glowing softly in hues of blue and pink. Fish of every size and color darted through the water surrounding the bubble.

The air was alive with the hum of an alien yet harmonious world.

Before he could gather his thoughts, a shadow fell over him. Looking up, Royal was greeted by the sight of a figure. A mermaid—at least three time biger than him—with flowing red hair and a radiant presence loomed before him. Her wide, curious eyes blinked down at him, and she tilted her head slightly as if studying him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft but resonating with concern.

"Of course, I am. Thank you for your help," Royal replied, brushing himself off. His tone was polite, but there was a flicker of exhaustion in his voice. "Do you know where we are?"

The woman nodded gently. "We're near the edge of the Sea Forest," she said, gesturing to the shimmering coral reef in the distance.

Royal tilted his head slightly, taking in the scenery. The place was beautiful but unfamiliar. "The Sea Forest…" he repeated under his breath, as if committing the name to memory.

"I saw a ship fly toward that direction earlier," the woman continued, pointing a delicate finger toward the horizon.

Royal squinted, his sharp eyes focusing on the area she indicated. Sure enough, in the distance, he could make out the faint silhouette of the Thousand Sunny, resting safely among the underwater flora. A small wave of relief washed over him, but he didn't let it show too much.

The woman tilted her head, her large eyes narrowing slightly as she studied him. "Is something wrong?" she asked, noticing his unusually quiet demeanor.

Royal blinked, breaking his gaze from the ship. "No, nothing's wrong," he assured her, offering a faint smile.

"Dd you use magic?" Royal asked, his tone calm but curious as he recalled a strange sensation that had brushed against him while he was still mid-air.

The woman's face lit up instantly, her smile widening with enthusiasm. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "By the way, my name is Mera. I'm a witch here." Her voice carried a playful yet proud lilt, as if magic was her favorite subject.

Royal raised an eyebrow. "A witch?"

Mera nodded eagerly. "Yes! And my aunt is Madam Shirley, the famous fortune-teller in the city," she added, her tone hinting at pride as she clasped her hands together.

Royal's expression softened into mild amusement. "Fortune-telling… so, it runs in the family?"

"Something like that," Mera replied with a smile. "But I do much more than predict the future. Magic is in my blood, and it's what saved you earlier."

"By the way, thank you for helping me," Royal said, his tone sincere but cautious. "If possible, I'd like to repay your kindness."

Mera's face brightened. "Can you cook? Today happens to be my husband's birthday."

Royal blinked in surprise. "I can cook, though there's someone on my pirate crew much better at it than me."

"That's wonderful to hear, but I thing if you willing to help that's mean a lot to us." Mera replied, clearly relieved. "I'm hopeless in the kitchen, but I want to make today special for him."

"Are you sure it's okay for me to help?" Royal asked warily. He didn't want to get involved in a misunderstanding, especially if someone assumed he was trying to take someone else's wife.

Mera chuckled at his hesitation. "Don't worry. Arthur knows very well that our love is unshakable."

Still unsure, Royal furrowed his brow, prompting Mera to smile gently. "It's the bond of destiny. Humans often call it the red string of fate."

He knew nothing about magic, even though he had experienced its effects before. Magic was not something that could be reasoned with, so Royal simply gave a nod in response. He followed Mera to her home, curious about the kind of people he was about to meet.

"Do many Fishmen know how to use magic?" Royal asked curiously.

"Eh, as far as I know, not many," Mera replied, her tone thoughtful. "My husband can control a water even though he is one hundred percent human. He's bad at magic too."

Royal raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "A human who can manipulate water? That's rare."

Mera nodded with a soft smile. "Yes, Arthur is one of a kind. It's part of what drew me to him. He doesn't see himself as special, though. For him, it's just… natural."

Royal couldn't help but admire her story, but he also felt a growing curiosity about Mera's family.

Not long after, they arrived at a modest house with a spacious yard adorned with various types of coral.

"Arthur! I brought a guest," Mera called out cheerfully.

"Mama!" a small voice responded as a child came running toward her.

"Oh, I called for your father, but you came instead," Mera said with a laugh as she scooped up her child into her arms.

The child, a mix between Fishman and human, looked a bit different from what Royal had imagined. The boy resembled a human in most aspects, but parts of his body were covered in fish-like scales, and his feet were webbed.

Royal's expression softened as he observed the child. "Halo, my name is Royal and you are?" he asked gently.

The child looked at him shyly before replying, "Luca."

"Luca. Nice to meet you." He extended a hand, which Luca hesitantly took before flashing a small smile.

Mera chuckled. "Luca's always been curious about strangers, but he's a bit shy at first."

Royal nodded.

"Arthur should be here soon," Mera said, gesturing for Royal to follow her inside. "Come in and make yourself comfortable."

The head of the household arrived, driving a truck loaded with various scrap materials.

"Mera, I'm home," he called out as he stepped down from the vehicle.

"Leaving Luca alone in the house?" Mera asked, her tone carrying a hint of annoyance.

Arthur let out a booming laugh, his voice as big as his nearly 3-meter-tall frame. Despite his impressive size, Mera's mermaid form still bigger than him.

"Luca's a big boy now. He'll be fine. Besides, I just went to pick up this truck from my brother's place," Arthur said casually.

Royal waited until the couple had finished their exchange before stepping forward. "Hello. My name is Royal," he introduced himself with a polite nod.

Arthur turned his gaze toward Royal, studying him briefly before breaking into a grin. "Ah, a guest! Welcome to our home. I see Mera's already made you feel at ease."

"Arthur," Mera interjected, "Royal's offered to help with the cooking for your birthday."

"Is that so?" Arthur said, raising an eyebrow before smiling warmly. "Well, you've already earned my gratitude, Royal. It's not every day I get to celebrate with someone new."

"I'll do my best," Royal replied with a faint smile, relieved by Arthur's welcoming demeanor.

Arthur leaned in close to Royal, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I don't want to die on my birthday. My wife's cooking is... well, let's just say it's... bad, not just bad, I mean poisonous."

Before Royal could respond, Mera's sharp voice cut through the air. "What are you whispering about over there, dear?!" she called out, her tone a mix of suspicion and curiosity.

Arthur instantly straightened up, stepping away from Royal with a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his head. "Oh, nothing, darling! Just some men talk, you know."

As soon as Mera turned her back to them, Arthur glanced at Royal and gave him a quick, exaggerated wink, as if entrusting him with a vital mission. Royal held back a smirk, realizing he was now part of an unspoken pact to save the birthday dinner.

Not long after, the table was adorned with an array of dishes: steaming Anemone soup, grilled sea chicken skewers, and a refreshing seaweed salad, among others. The aroma filled the cozy home, and the family, along with their guest, began to enjoy the feast.

As they ate, Arthur turned to Royal, curiosity in his eyes. "So, are you a new face here in the Fishman Islands?"

"Yes," Royal replied, setting his utensils down. "I just arrived with my pirate crew, but we got separated along the way. Luckily, Mera saved me when I was thrown off the ship."

Mera, who had been quietly eating, suddenly spoke, her tone low and cryptic. "Looking at you, I feel saving you might not have been necessary." Her gaze turned distant, staring blankly ahead.

Royal arched a brow, caught off guard by her sudden shift in demeanor. "Whay is that?" he asked cautiously.

Arthur chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "Ah, don't mind her. If you marry someone with a seer in their bloodline, you get used to these moments."

Royal nodded slowly, his curiosity piqued, though he decided not to press further. But then Mera answer his question.

"I saw you flying and moving mountains as if it were just another chore," Mera said with a smile.

Royal's eyes widened slightly, a hint of concern creeping into his voice. "Was that... the future?" he asked hesitantly, already uneasy about what could drive him to such extremes.

Mera snorted, shaking her head. "Not exactly. Fate is fluid—it can change, depending on the choices you make. What I saw is just one of billions of possibilities. That's why I don't care much for following in my aunt's footsteps."

"Ah, you're absolutely right, Mera," Arthur chimed in with a hearty laugh. "Shirley's always been dramatic when it comes to prophecies."

"Exactly!" Mera agreed with a knowing nod. "Although, I can't deny she has plenty of fans, and a lot of her predictions do come true. Not all, though."

Royal relaxed slightly but couldn't shake a lingering thought. "I suppose it's comforting, in a way, that what you saw isn't set in stone."

"Very true," Mera replied, her voice calm. "The future is yours to shape."

"I agree," Arthur said, his gaze filled with love for Mera, causing her cheeks to flush as red as her hair.

Royal, feeling increasingly awkward, turned his attention to Luca. The child, however, wasn't looking at his parents but was instead scrutinizing Royal intently.

"Are you human?" Luca's innocent question caught Royal off guard.

Both parents froze, their affectionate moment interrupted as they turned to look at their son.

"You shouldn't ask questions like that, Luca. Apologize to Royal," Arthur said firmly.

"Why, Dad?" Luca asked, tilting his head.

"It's just not polite. Even if Royal is different, we don't have the right to pry. Maybe he has his reasons, just like you don't like playing with other kids because you feel different."

"It's okay," Royal finally said, regaining his composure. He took a deep breath and added, "I… I'm sorry, but I can't answer that question right now."

The light in Royal's eyes seemed to dim, and Mera noticed immediately. Her expression softened, her distant gaze briefly suggesting she was glimpsing another potential future.

"Oh, Royal, we truly apologize," Mera said, her voice filled with regret.

"It's fine," Royal replied, his tone calm but heavy. "Perhaps I need to learn to accept myself before I can expect others to accept me. The truth is, I haven't even talked about it with my captain yet. Maybe one day… when I'm ready."

The room fell silent for a moment, a mixture of empathy and understanding passing among them. Luca, sensing the seriousness of the moment, mumbled, "I'm sorry, Royal."

Royal smiled faintly and patted Luca's head. "No harm done, kid. Let's just say… I'm still figuring things out too."

Royal forced a small smile as the bitter thought lingered in his mind, I only ever wanted to be human like my father, not an alien from a destroyed planet.

"Alright, enough serious talk," Mera interjected with a warm smile, clearly attempting to shift the mood. "Time for dessert!"

Arthur's eyes lit up as he took a spoonful of the pudding Royal had prepared. "This pudding is amazing! You're a natural, Royal."

"Yeah, it's delicious! I want more," Luca chimed in enthusiastically before adding, with the blunt honesty only a child could muster, "Too bad Mama can't cook like this."

Arthur burst out laughing, his booming voice echoing through the room. However, his laughter came to an abrupt halt when he caught sight of Mera's sharp glare.

Clearing his throat, Arthur quickly composed himself, nervously scratching the back of his head. "I mean, uh… that's not true, My son. Your mother great at… things."

Mera raised an eyebrow but said nothing, choosing instead to gracefully take another bite of her dessert. Royal couldn't help but chuckle quietly at the family dynamic, feeling a bit lighter despite the weight of his earlier thoughts.

As Royal watched the cheerful banter between Arthur, Mera, and Luca, a pang of nostalgia hit him. For a moment, the warm atmosphere of this family reminded him of the simpler times he had shared with his father.

Growing up, it had always been just the two of them—his father, with his unwavering kindness and quiet strength, had been everything Royal needed. His father taught him how to laugh even in the face of despair and encouraged him to find joy in the smallest of things.

But it had also been lonely. The absence of a larger family, of others to share their lives with, was something Royal rarely acknowledged. Sitting here, surrounded by this family's love and lightheartedness, he realized just how much he missed that sense of belonging.

Arthur's laugh, Mera's gentle reprimands, and Luca's innocent honesty—these were the moments Royal never experienced as a child but always secretly longed for.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice Arthur speaking to him. "Royal? You okay there? You went quiet all of a sudden."

Royal blinked, shaking off the bittersweet memory. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, just… reminiscing."

Mera tilted her head, her perceptive gaze softening. "Good memories, I hope?"

Royal offered a faint smile. "Yeah, they are. My father… he would've loved a family like yours."

Arthur leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, and smiled warmly. "Well, for tonight, consider yourself a part of ours, Royal. You're always welcome here."

That simple statement made Royal's heart ache with gratitude. For tonight, he wasn't the outsider he always felt like—he was just another person, sharing a meal with a family that treated him as one of their own.