ONE PIECE: WORTHLESS PROGRESSION

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Toshi climbed the stairs, his hand gripping the sack slung over his shoulder as if it might slip away at any moment. The weight of it didn't bother him; it was the silence that seemed heavier.

As he reached the top, he stopped, turning slightly to glance back down the steps. For a moment, he just stood there, taking a deep breath as if the air itself was some sort of relief. Then, without another word or thought, he turned away and kept walking, the soft *cluck* of his boots fading.

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After weaving through countless alleyways, turning corner after corner, Toshi finally spotted it. A grin spread across his face. "Ah, there it is...the port," he muttered to himself. Through the narrow alley, the docks stretched out before him, crowded with boats of every shape and size, swaying slightly as the waves brushed against them.

He walked on, the sack slung over his shoulder shifting slightly with each step. For once, his mind felt clear, the weight of everything momentarily lifted. A reliefed grin appeared on his face, ' He's alive... '

" Hey! " A drunken voice came from behind.

But then, a voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Oi! Well, I'll be damned... if it ain't that little fucker, Toshi!"

Toshi froze mid-step, the grin slipping from his face as he turned his head slightly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he turned.

' Wait, I know that voice… ' Toshi groaned internally, already regretting turning around. It was another one of his former "customers"...this time, the guy who'd bought a fake wedding ring off him a few months back. The same ring, if he remembered correctly, that led to said guy's wife finding out it was fake and walking out on him.

"Yikes…" Toshi muttered under his breath, spinning on his heel to face the inevitable drama.

Sure enough, there he was, a fat man who looked like he'd lost a fight with a garbage bin and then decided to live in it. His beard was an uneven jungle of hair, his bald head gleamed slightly under the faint alley light, and his clothes were in such a sorry state they probably violated several health codes.

"My wife left me because of you!" the man bellowed, his hand trembling as he smashed a booze bottle against the alley wall. The shards clinked to the ground, leaving him with a jagged, makeshift weapon in hand.

Toshi raised an eyebrow, his expression somewhere between boredom and mild amusement. "Right, okay. First of all," he started, gesturing vaguely at the man, "you asked for a cheap ring. Like, bargain-bin cheap. And secondly, let's be honest here, if she left you over a fake ring, was she really in it for love?"

He gave the man a pointed look before smirking. "If anything, I did you a favor!" 

The guy, predictably, didn't look convinced. Instead, his face turned a shade of beet-red as he gripped the jagged bottle tighter.

"You're gonna die for what you did to me! I loved her, and she left me because of YOU!" the man screamed, his voice cracking slightly. Without warning, he charged forward, the jagged bottle clutched tightly in his hand. As he closed the distance, he thrust the makeshift weapon straight toward Toshi's neck.

Toshi didn't flinch. Instead, a grin spread across his face, his body instinctively jumping backward just as the man lunged. The thrust missed, and Toshi took a measured step away, staying close enough to keep him within arm's reach but far enough to avoid the next swing.

"Really? This is what we're doing today?" Toshi said with a sigh, gripping the sack tightly with both hands. His grin widened as an idea struck him. "Alright then...try this on for size! CAN ATTACK!"

With a sharp pivot, he swung the overstuffed sack with all his strength, aiming directly for the man's head.

*WHAM!*

The sack collided with the man's head, the hard edges of the can inside digging into his skin. The sheer force of the impact sent the man stumbling sideways, his head smacking against the brick wall with a dull thud before he dropped to the ground.

Toshi watched as the man crumpled to the ground, his limbs sprawled out in every direction. Foam bubbled from his mouth, and his eyes rolled so far back they might as well have been checking out his brain.

"Damn," Toshi muttered, slinging the sack back over his shoulder with a shrug. "Didn't think canned soup would hit that hard. Guess that's why it's the good stuff."

He gave the unconscious man a once-over, tilting his head. "You're lucky, though. If I'd used the condensed milk, you'd be done for."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked toward the port, leaving the man and his grudge in the shadows of the alley.

"Jeez… what a bum," Toshi grumbled, his face twisting into an annoyed pout as he stared down at his hand. After a moment, the expression softened, replaced by a small, self-satisfied grin. He flexed his fingers, clenching his fist before relaxing it again. ' I've gotten stronger, ' he thought, a twinge of pride swelling in his chest.

The grin widened as a memory floated to the surface. ' I guess getting the shit kicked out of me by Troy and the others wasn't for nothing after all. ' He chuckled to himself, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. "Silver linings, huh?" With that, he slung the sack higher over his shoulder and kept moving, the ship coming into view as he approached the port.

As he came closer, though, he couldn't ignore the heavy, pointed glares that seemed to stick to him like wet clothes. To the point Toshi could practically hear their thoughts: ' Oh, look who finally decided to show up. '

He scratched the back of his head, offering them a sheepish grin. "Heh… ran into a bit of, uh, personal business," he said, waving a hand dismissively as though that explained everything. The stares didn't soften. If anything, they got worse.

Toshi sighed dramatically, muttering under his breath, "Tough crowd." Then, without waiting for a response, he hopped onto the ship with a casual step, the wooden deck groaning slightly under the weight of his overloaded sack.

The boat swayed slightly as Toshi stepped onboard, the gentle rock nearly making him stumble...not that he'd admit it. Finn and Kaya barely looked up, too busy stacking supplies into crates like it was a race they didn't want to win.

Biastian, however, was a different story. He stood near the mast, arms crossed, his eyes narrowed into slits. "Our mission could've been compromised because of you," he barked. "If you'd taken any longer, we'd have left you behind."

Toshi blinked at him, unimpressed. "You say that like it's a bad thing," he replied flatly, brushing past him. "Relax, I'm here now. Mission saved, big guy."

Biastian muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like an insult, but Toshi had already tuned him out. He hefted the sack off his shoulder and dumped it beside Finn and Kaya with a thud. Finn glanced up briefly, raising an eyebrow, but said nothing. Kaya just shrugged and added the contents to the crates.

"Glad to see everyone's thrilled about my return," Toshi quipped, heading toward the ropes securing tied to the port.

As he untied the last knot, he braced his foot against the dock and shoved off, the boat groaning slightly as it drifted free. "Alright, people, let's move," he called out, moving to unfurl the sails.

The wind caught almost immediately, pulling the boat forward. Loguetown started shrinking behind them, its port fading into the horizon. Toshi leaned against the mast, arms crossed, a satisfied grin on his face as the salty breeze tugged at his hair.

"Goodbye, Loguetown," he said under his breath. Then, with a grin that was equal parts smug and mischievous, he added, "and goodbye to all the people I owe money to."

Toshi leaned on the railing, watching Loguetown disappear bit by bit into the horizon. The ocean breeze tugged at his hood, but he didn't care. A small smile crept onto his face as he stared at the shrinking island. ' I'll see you again soon, Raoul, ' he thought.

Turning back to face the endless stretch of sea, Toshi's smile grew into his usual easygoing grin.... Then he noticed a shape on the horizon, a dot bobbing just above the waves. "Is that our boat?" Toshi asked, squinting.

But the closer they got, the clearer it became....it wasn't their boat. It was a Marine ship, small but sturdy...just about the size of their Caravel. Toshi's stomach sank, and he instinctively pulled his hood lower over his face.

 The grin slid off Toshi's face like water off a deck. His brows furrowed. ' Oh, great. Marines. '

Finn and Kaya exchanged worried glances before quickly flipping their hoods up. Biastian stayed calm, keeping his eyes forward like he didn't have a care in the world. It was as if whatever was happening didn't matter at all.

"HEY! STOP THE SHIP!" A voice screamed from the deck of the ship, his voice carrying across the water with all the subtlety of a cannon blast.

The officer stepped into full view...a Marine in standard uniform, though his sleeves had been ripped off, leaving his muscled arms exposed. Behind him, a cape swayed with the word "Justice" boldly emblazoned across the back, with a marine cap on his head.

"What do we do?" Toshi whispered as he glanced at Biastian. Biastian rolled his eyes, his tone flat. "We play it cool," he replied, as if it were the simplest solution in the world. "Maybe they're just... I don't know, lost."

Toshi stared at him, dumbfounded. "Lost? They're Marines. When are Marines ever lost?"

"Details," Biastian replied with a dismissive wave, his voice unshaken. "Just smile and wave."

Toshi didn't even attempt to hide his expression. "You're kidding, right?"

But Biastian had already adjusted his hood, straightening like this was just another minor inconvenience. Finn leaned in close, muttering under his breath, "We're doomed."

Kaya tried to suppress a nervous laugh. "Well, at least Biastian looks like he believes his own nonsense."

The Marine ship was now close enough for them to hear the officer barking orders at his crew. Toshi's gripped onto the railing, his nerves felt like they were fraying, and the longer Biastian stood there looking smug, the more Toshi felt like punching him.

"This better not end with us in cuffs," Toshi muttered. Biastian's faint grin barely wavered. He murmured back, "Relax. It's just a Marine ship. What's the worst that could happen?"

As the ship drew closer, Finn quickly unfurled the sails and dropped anchor, keeping the ship steady above the water. Moments later, the marine vessel anchored alongside, facing just the opposite way.

The marine captain stood at the bow, his eyes scanning the deck. With a snap of his fingers, five marines came from behind him, carrying a wide wooden plank. They set it down, bridging the gap between the two ships.

Pulling his cap down just enough to cast a shadow over his eyes, the captain walked across the plank and onto their ship. The five marines followed closely behind, each one carrying a weapon. Some bore cutlasses, others rifles, all held at their sides but ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. 

The captain paused, his gaze sweeping over the crew. "Hmm... what's your business here?" he asked bluntly. His head tilted slightly, shifting his focus from one face to the next as he waited for an answer.

Biastian stepped forward, his expression calm and collected, though the faint twitch in his jaw said otherwise. "We came for supplies, sir," he said. "Travelers, you see. Just trying to make our way." He gestured to the crates piled on the deck.

The Marine captain didn't look convinced. The captain narrowed his eyes at Biastian, studying him for a long, tense moment...Without a word, he snapped his fingers in the air. "Check those crates," he ordered.

Toshi glanced at the others, tension rolling off them like waves. Finn shifted uneasily on his feet, while Kaya kept her hands clutched together, visibly pale. The marines pried open the crates and rummaging through it. Their supplies were thrown onto the deck...cans rolling, sacks spilling of corn, and everything inside of the crates.

Toshi clenched his jaw, biting his bottom lip to keep from snapping. His fingers twitched at his side, aching to just punch the shit out of all of them. But he held himself in check, forcing his gaze downward to avoid drawing attention.

"Aha! Found something, sir!" one of the Marines called out.

"Me too…"

"I found it, sir," Another one of the Marines called out, holding up a small bag filled with white powder for all to see.

The others followed suit, lifting identical bags as faint grins tugged at the corners of their mouths. The captain's lips curled into a sly grin. "Travelers, you say? And yet, here you are… in possession of cocaine?" His voice dripped with feigned surprise. He paused, savoring the moment before continuing, "By order of the law, you're all under arrest for possession of illegal substances and conspiracy to distribute."

Toshi's heart pounded in his chest, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "What the hell are you talking about?!" he shouted, "We never had anything like that!"

The captain didn't even flinch, like he didn't even care if it was or wasn't. His lips curled into a tight smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. "Oh, really?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying this. "You expect me to believe that?" He motioned for the marines to step closer, their weapons drawn.

The marines surrounding them didn't seem to be in any mood to listen. They moved in, fists outstretched, eyes locked on Toshi and the others. Toshi took a step back, glancing at Finn and Kaya. They looked pale, their eyes wide with fear. Kaya's hands trembled, her body rigid, while Finn's jaw was clenched tight, though he said nothing.

The captain still had that grin plastered on his face. " You'll be taken back to Loguetown and arrested. You should have thought twice before getting mixed up in this."

Toshi clenched his fists tighter, "We're not dealing drugs!" he snapped. "We're just traveling, trying to get by! You can't just pin this on us!"

Biastian stepped forward. "He's right," Biastian said. "You've got nothing on us. This is a setup." His eyes flicked to the bag of powder the marine held up. "You guy's clearly planted that there."

The captain didn't seem to care, waving off Biastian's words with a flick of his hand. "Save your breath. You'll have plenty of time to explain yourselves in front of a judge."

"Move!" one of the marines barked, grabbing Finn by the arm.

"Don't touch me!" Finn snapped back, shoving the marine's hand away with surprising strength.

Toshi's eyes darted between the crew, the marines, and the captain. They were outnumbered, outgunned. But there was no way he was going down without a fight.

' These corrupted little shits… ' Toshi thought, his hands trembling as sweat dripped down his temple. His face twitched in frustration. ' What do we do now? ' He glanced around, hoping for a miracle, a trapdoor, a conveniently timed earthquake, anything.

*PFFTTT*

Toshi's body instinctively jumped as the sound of the gunshot rang through the air. Then a Marine collapsed to the ground, blood pooling beneath him, a bullet lodged squarely in his skull.

 "DIE YOU CORRUPTED BASTARDS!" Biastian screamed, standing in the shadows, rifle in hand, with smoke curling from its barrel. He didn't wait for any of the marines to make their move; he quickly started reloading ready for another shot.

The marines paused briefly, their eyes flicking nervously over at the dead marine, then to Biastian, who was still reloading his rifle. But it wasn't enough to stop them. They all then dashed forward unsheathing their weapons.

"You little shits!" One of the Marine scream, slamming his boot into the wooden deck as he dashed forward, his cutlass aimed directly at Toshi's chest.

' Fuck… fuck! ' Toshi's thoughts spiraled in panic, but his body moved before he could think...He twisted his body to the side, the blade whistling past him so close he felt the chill graze the air near his arm.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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