NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: 1: Origins
---East Blue: Unknown Island---
It was a warm day on an uninhabited island in the East Blue. Walking through the forest was an old man carrying a young boy upside down by his leg.
"LET ME GO!" The boy with curly brown hair and aqua blue eyes named Orion shouted. "Haaa...Rion." Riko, an old man with long gray hair in a man bun sighed while uncovering his right ear from the shouting of Orion. "I'm doing this because you wanted me to train you." Riko said calmly while lifting Orion higher to talk face to face.
"YOU THREW A TREE AT ME!!!" Orion shouted again. "You're not trying to train me, you're trying to kill me." Orion stated while trying to calm himself down. "Rehehe" Riko giggled and continued "Have some faith. I used to train just like this when I was younger." Riko said shaking Orion a little bit while continuing to walk through the forest.
---A Little While Later---
After walking for a while they reached a clearing in the forest. "We made it Rion." Riko said while throwing Orion to the middle of the clearing. "So...What are we doing here?" Orion asked while getting up, and dusting himself off. "You're going to stay in this clearing until you complete 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10 Kilometer run. I'll be back once you finish." Riko said as he turned his back toward Orion and started to walk away.
Orion, who was startled by his grandpa's abrupt exit just stared at his disappearing figure.
---Orion 1st Pov---
"Did he really just leave me here after asking me to work myself to exhaustion. I'll do it, but only because I want to get stronger." I said to myself.
"Where do I start" I asked myself while stroking my chin. I sat down crossed my legs and began to think. *....!!!* Then it hit me "I can train later!!" I exclaimed like it was a brilliant idea.
"Now that I'm not doing that training, what should I do to waste time?" I asked myself. After a few seconds. "Another good idea!" I exclaimed, stood up, and ran to the trees on the side of the clearing.
'Time to climb.' I thought to myself while stretching. I looked up the tree and saw a strange looking fruit. "That fruit looks weird!" I exclaimed. "It's unique so it probably tastes delicious!!" I exclaimed with starry eyes.
I ran up, kicked off the tree, and grabbed the closest branch. *Hooo* I exhaled while pulling myself on to the branch. "Just a little bit more." I sighed to myself and looked up. I can see the fruit better now and upon closer inspection it was like a blue cherry the size of my head, it had white swirls and..."IT MELTED!?" I shouted with my eyes practically bulging out of my head. "I WAS SUPPOSED TO EAT YOU!!!" I shouted at the now melting fruit and to my surprise it reformed itself just as quickly as it melted.
I decided to hurry up the tree before the fruit decided to melt again. "Haaaa....Finally, I made it" I sighed with heavy breaths as I looked at the fruit. I reached out to it and..."IT MELTED AGAIN!?" I shouted upset. The fruit resolidified quickly. "Hihaha!" Orion giggled. "It's like you're dozing off Mr. Fruit." I said amused. I decided to grab the fruit quickly before it 'dozed off' again, I ate the entire fruit quickly and...It was so bad I lost balance and fell off the tree.
*BOOM!*
I hit the ground but, strangely it didn't hurt. I was a little panicked and tried to stand up, but I couldn't. "I'm not hurt so why can't I get up?" I wondered. I looked over to my right arm and it was melting "AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!" I screamed in more panic. Due to my panicking my body was sporadically transitioning between liquid, solid, and a little bit of me was even transitioning into gas.
"SOMEONE HELP ME!" I shouted in sheer panic. Tears even started rolling down my face, but would transition to gas soon as they fell down my face.
"RION!!!" I heard a voice shouting. "RION I'M HERE!" I saw grandpa running up to me.
"Calm down Rion, that's the only way you'll go back to normal." My grandpa said, and I listened. I took deep breaths and tried my hardest to calm myself down. Slowly I was beginning to go back to normal.
"GRANDPA!!" I shouted and hugged my grandpa with tears rolling down my face. I slowly dozed off and fell asleep in my grandpa's arms.
---The Morning of the Next Day---
My eyes opened slowly, the sun shining brightly on my face. I slowly sat up and looking around, noticing that I was still in the clearing. I looked down and saw a note on the ground.
"Rion, you didn't complete your training so I left you in the clearing. But on another note, the fruit you ate was a Devil Fruit. I don't know what Devil Fruit you ate, but you should know. All you have to do is think about it and you'll know the basic abilities of you're Devil Fruit. If you start sporadically changing again just calm down and you'll go back to normal. Love, Grandpa".
"How did he even know I didn't complete the training?" I wondered out loud. "And Devil Fruit? Sounds Evil." I said to myself as I stood up deciding to finally do the training that I put off till later.
---A Little While Later---
*Huff* "I'm completely worn out, I managed to do all the training though" I said with heavy breaths. "Alright, I did the training so now what? Do I just wait till he comes back?" I asked myself slowly getting up. I was thinking of finding out what my Devil Fruit was capable of, so I stood there in the middle of the clearing and focused on the fruit. Just like grandpa said, I learned my Devil Fruits name and basic abilities.
"The Matter-Matter Fruit, I can change my body into the three different forms of matter and control them?" I said to myself thinking. "I guess I better start learning how to actually use my powers." I said while lifting my arm to hold it out in front of me. I focused on my fingertips to try and transition them into liquid, but not only did my fingertips transition my entire arm did.
"AAAHH!" I was beginning to panic but my grandpa's words echoed in my head. I calmed myself down and focused and slowly but surely, my arm reformed.
"So it requires calmness and focus to use it." I said looking at my reformed arm. I kept trying a few times but it never did what I wanted it to do. "I guess I just don't have enough control." I said plainly. I also tried to transition to gas form, but nothing happened. "I guess I REALLY don't have enough control to use it." I stated unsure of what do next.
I rested for a while and re-did the exercises grandpa had me do, and like that time passed.
---2 Years Later, 3rd POV ---
Riko swung the metal pole again, but it passed through Orion. "Rehehe, You sure got the hang of this fast didn't you Rion." Riko said with a giggle while swinging the pole only for it to pass through his grandson again.
"It's actually pretty simple, changing my whole body to liquid takes less control than only changing parts of it so I focused on learning that first." Orion said transitioning his body to liquid to let the attacks pass through, but Orion lost focus and timed a transition wrong which resulted in the pole slapping across his face.
"OW! As you can see, I still haven't mastered it" Orion said holding his left cheek where the pole slapped him.
"This is a pretty neat skill, you're talented. Rehehe" Riko said with a giggle. Riko's grin disappeared then he asked Orion "Now that you have this power. What do you plan on doing with it?"
"....I honestly don't know yet." Orion said, he had to think about this question.
"Hmmm" Riko rubbed his chin and mused. "How about becoming a pirate?" Riko asked. Orion looked at his grandpa in obvious confusion. "A pirate? You want me to be a criminal?" Orion asked tilting his head a little while scrunching his eyebrows questioningly.
"Being a pirate doesn't necessarily make you a dirty criminal. I'm talking about a free pirate, people who go out and fulfill their dreams." Riko said. He took a breath and continued "Let me tell you a little secret....I was a pirate on the Oro Jackson." Riko said with pride, expecting to get a reaction out his grandson.
"The Oro Jackson.....What's that?" Orion asked tilting his head even more at his grandpa.
Riko was left offended and dumbfounded at his grandsons question. "The Oro Jackson is the ship that the Pirate King Gol D. Roger used to sail to the end of the Grand Line."
Orion looked at his grandpa and asked disregarding the secret. "What does that have to do with me being a pirate?"
Riko sighed and restated "Just go out there and sail the sea, you'll meet someone who just compels you to join them. If you ever feel that way about someone, join them and I promise you won't regret it." Riko said with a smile and continued "That's how I joined Roger, he refused my refusal and that Vice-Captain of his threw me on their ship. Rehehe, I wonder how that old fool Rayleigh is doing anyway." Riko said and mused that last sentence to himself.
Orion stared at his grandpa for a while, a wide smile suddenly dawned on his face as he said " I'll do that grandpa, and a dream...I'll have to find one." Riko smiled and softly and said "You'll definitely find one." They smiled and got back to work.
Just like that time passed again
---10 Years Later---
TO BE CONTINUED
-----------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note
-----------------------------------------------------------
I've been busy lately so writing has been in the back of my mind for the most part. Sorry for the late posts, I'm still very busy so it's probably going to take a while. See ya!