Cursed Seas and Slashing Tides

In the middle of the sea, on a rainy day, a small wooden boat aimlessly drifted. A young teenager, wearing a straw hat, a red vest, and sandals, was starting to panic.

"Aaaaaaaaah! When am I going to find an island!?" Luffy exclaimed, his stomach growling. "I've been on this boat for hours, and I'm already starving!"

Beside him, an empty barrel—previously filled with food—lay on its side.

"Dammit! I just started my adventure, and I'm gonna die from hunger!? No way!" His voice picked up with energy. "I can't die before I become the Pirate King!"

As if fate was listening, an island appeared in the distance, emerging through the rain.

"Finally! Food! And maybe... crew members!" Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement as he hurried toward the island.

…

Luffy docked his small boat and jumped onto the sandy shore. A local villager greeted him with a curious look.

"Hey there, kid! What are you doing alone on such a shabby boat?" the man asked. "Were you fishing or something? Though, I don't think I've seen you around here."

"I got lost at sea," Luffy admitted casually, rubbing his head. "But I'm glad I found this island."

The villager smiled, pointing down the road. "Well, welcome to Heian Village. If you're hungry, the nearest restaurant is that way."

Luffy grinned widely. "Thanks!" Without wasting any time, he dashed toward the village.

…

In the restaurant, a young man with a tall frame, appearing no older than 18, sat at one of the tables. His short pink hair contrasted with his piercing red eyes, which were accentuated by distinct markings beneath each one. He wore loose fitting clothes, his expression unreadable.

"Didn't have much luck today either." The boy exclaimed with a sigh. "I don't understand why they just suddenly disappeared."

Across from him sat a man in his sixties. He was of medium height, with striking green eyes. His white hair neatly framing his face. There was an air of quiet wisdom about him, though his posture remained relaxed as they shared the table.

"No need to feel so down about it. I'm sure you'll catch more fish once the bad weather clears." the old man said.

"Hm, easy for you to say Albert. You're not the one fishing in the rain for hours just to return with nothing."

"Hahahaha, I guess so! Well, it's good you're there to do my job for me."

"You-!"

Just then the door swung open and the straw hat boy entered.

"Meat! Please bring me some meat!" he shouted.

"H-Huh? Alright, just a moment." The lady at the bar responded and then went to the back.

"What's up with that guy?" The younger man asked.

"Don't know, never seen him before." The elderly man replied.

 The weird teenager sat at a table next to the two individuals, and once the food was brought, he instantly devoured it, leaving nothing but the plate.

"T-Thats quite the appetite young man." Alfred said to the straw hat boy.

"Huh? Thanks, I guess! This might be enough for an hour or two."

"Only an hour? Can you actually pay for so much food?" The other teenager asked.

"What do you mean, pay?"

Just then the waitress came up to the boy. "Excuse me, do you want anything else?"

"Uh, no."

"Alright then, that will be five thousand berries."

"Eeeeeh!? But I don't have any money!"

The woman frowned and said "Then how are you planning on paying?"

"W-Well" he was interrupted by Alfred. "Ah, it's alright Martha, we'll pay for him, right, Ryomen?"

"Hm? Why do I also have to pay!?"

"Because helping others is the right thing to do! And also, I don't have any money on me."

"Y-you!...Tsk. Fine."

After paying, the three went outside.

"Thanks for helping me! I might've been stuck there the rest of my life just washing dishes, my adventure would've been over before it even truly started!" Luffy said with a relieved sigh.

"You're welcome. Now, can you tell us who you are?"

"Oh, right! I'm Monkey D.Luffy, and I'm gonna become the Pirate King!

"The Pirate King? Hahaha, alright then." Alfred says.

"Why are you reacting so normally to such an absurd dream?" Ryomen questioned.

"Why wouldn't I? Heard lots of children screaming this in their backyard. Anyway, I'm Alfred, and he's Ryomen. He acts moody a lot of the time, so just ignore him if you want to."

"I don't act moody!"

"Pfff, yeah, sure you don't."

"Dammit! Act your age for once!"

"I am acting my age!"

"Shishishi, you guys are funny."

Alfred changed the conversation with a cough "So, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know, maybe try to find a crew member."

"Well you can take this guy. He's been nothing but a nuisance to me."

"Hey!"

"Oh calm down, I'm only joking. Anyway, I've got some business to attend to, so I'll leave you two alone. Oh and Luffy, if you want to wander around the village, you should take Ryomen with you." Alfred told them with a soft smile.

"And there he goes. 'Got business to attend to', what bullshit, he's just going for his mandatory nap."

When Ryomen turned toward Luffy he found the boy staring curiously at his marks.

"They're so cool! Hey, how about joining my crew!"

"Hm? You want me to join simply because of my…tattoos?"

"Yeah! Join my crew!"

"No, thanks."

"Huh, why?"

" I simply don't want to be a pirate. Being able to safely stay here is enough for me."

"Eeehh? Alright then…" Luffy said deflating in disappointment.

…

After aimlessly strolling around the village, night began to set in.

"Where are you going to sleep?" Ryomen asked.

"Eh, I don't know."

"Haaa, fine then, you can sleep at my home tonight."

"Thanks!"

They arrived at a cabin on the outskirts of the village.

"This your home?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah. It's not much, I know, but I've been on the island only a little over a year, so I didn't have much time to improve it."

They entered, and inside could be seen a bed, some furniture and a chest placed in a dark corner of the room.

"Hm?" Luffy goes to open it but is unable to. "Hey, what's in this box?"

"Some books. Don't touch it anymore." 'I don't understand. Why did I let this guy enter my house? Besides Alfred, I don't really interact with anyone else, but there's something about Luffy that just makes me trust him a little.'

At the mention of books, Luffy's curiosity was completely erased, and he started looking elsewhere through the room.

"Is it alright with you if you sleep on the floor? I don't really have another bed."

"Yeah, I don't care! I can sleep anywhere."

"Good to know, I guess."

…

The next day arrived, and after eating whatever they could find in the room, the two boys left the cabin.

"I assume you don't have anything else to do, so do you wanna go fishing with me?" Ryomen asked.

"That sounds boring."

"Because it is. But it also helps me relax. And who knows, maybe we'll find some giant fish to catch."

"Really?! I wanna see a giant fish then!"

"Alright! Let's go!"

…

On a boat, floating aimlessly in the sea, the two teenagers sat.

"You lied! There's no giant fish here!"

"We'll, I said maybe, so you can't blame me for it. Look, how about we use this time to get to know each other?" Ryomen suggested.

"No! You're a liar, I don't wanna talk to you anymore."

"Really? Not even if it's about your dream?"

"..."

"C'mon, so how are you gonna become the Pirate King?" 

"By going to the Grand Line and finding the One Piece!"

After Luffy spoke, Ryomen suddenly became much colder, his eyes showing knowledge he wished he could forget.

"The Grand Line? You know that's the Pirate Graveyard, right? You'll only die by going there."

"No I won't! I promised someone I'd meet them there, and I'm not gonna die until I do–and surely not before I become the Pirate King!"

"But what if… what if you die just after you managed to reach the Grand Line? Then what?"

"Then at least I died trying to achieve my dream!"

At that comment, Ryomen's eyes slightly widened in surprise.

"I see…well, If that's what you want to do, I guess I'm in no position to stop you."

"That's right! Nothing will make me give up on my dream!"

When the argument between the two ended, they started to notice how the waves got much more aggressive, and the boat began to shake.

"What's going on? The weather's clear, so why is the sea acting so violently!?" Ryomen wondered, confused.

"Ah! I know what's happening. It's just like when I left my hometown!" Luffy responded.

Just then, a massive giraffe-like creature emerged from the sea, the impact of the waves nearly throwing them off the boat.

"It's a-!"

"Sea Beast!"

The giraffe lunged at the boat, destroying it, but the two boys managed to jump off and onto the beast.

Ryomen gripped his fishing rod tightly and attacked the giant animal's eyes with it, leaving it momentarily blind.

"Luffy! Have you fought one of them before!?

Do you know how to beat it?!" he shouted.

"Yeah! Leave it to me!"

Luffy threw his arm backward and started stretching it.

"Gomu-Gomu no…Pistol!" His arm snapped forward, hitting the monster in the face, knocking it out. With the beast defeated, the boys fell into the water.

"What was that!? Luffy, are you a Devil Fruit user?"

"..."

"Luffy?" Ryomen looked around but didn't see him. Then he remembered the Devil Fruit's weakness. He dove underwater and spotted the boy sinking deeper and deeper.

Ryomen quickly swam to Luffy and brought him back to the surface.

"Are you alright!?"

"Uh-huh."

…

After swimming for a couple minutes, they finally arrived back at the shore.

"I'm so lucky! if I'd taken my hat with me, it would have been completely ruined." Luffy said.

"Is it that important to you?" Ryomen asked.

"Yeah! I got it from someone I admire–the person I promised to meet in the Grand Line. I have to give him the hat back!"

"And you'd try to fulfill such a stupid promise, even if it would kill you?"

"It's not stupid! And I already told you! I don't care if I die as long as I'm doing it while following my dreams!"

"That so?" Ryomen started to have a contemplative look on his face.

"Yeah!"

"I see."

When Luffy turned to leave toward the village, his eye caught the outline of something moving in Ryomen's wet shirt. " What was that?" He asked, curiously.

"What are you talking about?" Ryomen questioned.

"Something moved in your shirt!" 

The older boy didn't respond. He just looked at Luffy with a strange look.

"Did I imagine it? Ah, it doesn't matter! Let's go eat! Fighting that sea Beast made me hungry."

"..."

After walking a little, Luffy realized Ryomen was not following; he was just looking absentmindedly into the distance.

"Hey! You coming or not!? Cauze I don't have any money!"

"H-Huh? Yeah, let's go."