Era of the Sea 1503, May 13th.
In the heart of the First Half of the Grand Line lay a small island, a green gem spanning over ten square kilometers. A humid sea breeze swept in from the endless blue ocean, penetrating the dense forest and carrying the rustling whispers of leaves, as if the trees themselves were singing. Gulls circled in the sky, then gracefully landed on the sandy beach, flapping their wings and singing sweet melodies to welcome the morning.
On the golden sand, a boy lay motionless. His wet, silver hair glistened under the warming morning sun. He looked about fourteen or fifteen years old, dressed in a blue suit that was now damp and slightly worn. His young face, undeniably handsome, was tightly shut. The constant lapping of the waves wet his body, as if the ocean was trying to wake him from a long dream.
The sun grew hotter, its rays piercing through the trees and warming the sand around him. A low groan escaped the boy's lips. One hand pressed against his forehead, as if to ward off a throbbing headache, while the other propped up his upper body. Slowly, with great effort, he rose.
"Where am I...? The ocean...?" His voice was hoarse, full of confusion. "Shouldn't I still be in the inland earthquake disaster zone, saving patients...?"
His sapphire eyes opened wide, staring blankly around him. He gasped, transfixed by his own hands, which appeared thin and pale. These were clearly not the hands of a twenty-six-year-old man... This wasn't his original body!
As he tried to recall what had happened, a strange memory flashed through his mind like lightning. Amidst a raging storm, with lightning and thunder splitting the sky, a pirate ship flying a fierce black skull flag attacked the large tourist sailboat he was on. Hundreds of pirates, fully armed and with savage grins, swarmed the deck. Their leader, a six-meter-tall fat man with golden braids, let out a deafening laugh.
They indulged their perverse desires unchecked: killing, plundering... The screams and cries of women, the wails of men, filled the already oppressive air. In the chaos and fear, the father of this body, desperate to create an opportunity for his son to escape, stabbed a pirate repeatedly. In a hurried movement, he grabbed a life buoy and fastened it onto the silver-haired boy. Just as the buoy was secured, a sword pierced the father's chest from behind. With his remaining strength, the father threw his weeping son into the raging sea...
"Karl D. Sephiroth..." The boy murmured the name, the name of the thin body he now inhabited.
Tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes, though he himself felt strange, experiencing no deep sorrow in his heart, only a faint sympathy. This must have been the body's own instinctive reaction, an echo of past grief. After a long while, the strange wave of emotions that weren't his own gradually subsided, vanishing without a trace.
"Alright then! Since I've taken over your body, I'll live as you!" he declared, his voice now more resolute. "I will definitely avenge you..." He turned, looking out at the vast ocean. "It's just that this world... Gol D. Roger... The Pirate King...?"
After sifting through all the memories from this body, a bitter smile couldn't help but appear on Sephiroth's lips. It was the Era of the Sea 1503, five years since Roger's execution officially marked the beginning of the Great Pirate Era. In the future, this world would become even more chaotic. Those without great power might not be able to protect themselves, just like this boy and his father...
"The flag of the pirate ship that attacked the tourist sailboat, why does it look somewhat familiar..." He frowned, trying to remember more clearly. "On that black flag, there was a figure eight shape behind the bull-horned skull..."
A strong hunger from his stomach and his weak, helpless limbs stopped Sephiroth from thinking further. His top priority now was to find something to eat to fill his stomach and regain his strength.
Sephiroth pulled a silver pocket watch from his suit pocket, checking the time. It was a little past ten in the morning. He stood on the beach, looked around, and finally decided to try his luck in the island's forest. Although there were gulls on the beach, he was too weak to throw stones and hunt them. He also didn't want to waste energy. After all, this body belonged to a weak young master from a wealthy family, who hadn't exercised in a long time. Even running a hundred or two hundred meters would leave him breathless! Fishing in the sea? That was a joke. In his previous life, he was a landlubber with nothing. He wasn't sure he could catch fish in shallow water with such a weak body.
Sephiroth's somewhat thin body moved slowly through the damp, dense forest. Although he was wearing small leather shoes, he was very careful with his steps. If thorns or sharp holes suddenly appeared, he would definitely be in trouble. He didn't know how long he had walked when he finally saw a small fruit tree with several green wild fruits on it.
Sephiroth cheered inwardly, running closer with hurried steps, eager to pick the wild fruits to satisfy his burning hunger.
Suddenly!
As he ran under the fruit tree, his gaze unintentionally fell upon the grass beside it. There, a round fruit with purplish-red skin, covered in strange spiral patterns, lay.
The secret treasure of the sea – a Devil Fruit!
Seeing it, Sephiroth's breath hitched. He took a few quick steps and clutched the purplish-red fruit in his hand. If his memory served him correctly, the full name of this fruit should be...
Zoan Type, Mythical Zoan, Batto Batto no Mi, Vampire Form!
By eating this Devil Fruit, the user could gain eternal life and youth by sucking blood. However... why was this fruit here? Shouldn't it be hidden in the ancient ruins of the Sleeping Ancient City? Stranded on a deserted island with no means of self-protection, Sephiroth no longer wanted to investigate the reasons. He immediately brought the Vampire Fruit to his mouth and took a deep bite, swallowing it skin and all.
He didn't dare to chew slowly, nor did he dare to think about what the fruit tasted like. Previously, he had heard an unreliable statement that although you could gain abilities by taking a bite of a Devil Fruit, eating the entire thing could increase the initial development level of the fruit. Sephiroth didn't know if this statement was true, but to increase his strength as quickly as possible, he forced himself to swallow the entire fruit, except for the stem.
Finally...
He could no longer bear the explosive sensation in his taste buds. An indescribable taste, like a mixture of the most disgusting excrement and poison, filled his mouth. He braced himself with both hands on the ground and vomited wildly, his stomach churning violently.
"Ugh~!"
The utterly foul taste of the Devil Fruit made him swear he would never try it again in his life. He even felt that the "black dishes" from his previous life were nothing compared to the taste of this Devil Fruit.
After vomiting for a while without expelling anything, Sephiroth's already severely weakened body could not hold on any longer.
Thud!
The boy's somewhat thin body fell to the grass with a thud, and he passed out again...
He didn't know how much time had passed...
Three men appeared in the forest, carrying wooden barrels filled with fresh water. Their eyes widened when they saw the silver-haired boy lying in the grass. They all ran closer.
"Huh!? There's a boy here! But this is clearly an uninhabited island..." said one of them, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
"Why is he lying on the ground?" asked another, slightly confused.
The third man, who seemed like the leader, approached and examined Sephiroth. "Looking at his physical symptoms, besides being a bit weak, he doesn't seem to be suffering from any illness," he said in a low voice. Then a thin grin appeared on his lips. "His appearance is very good. He's a very good piece of merchandise. If we sell him to high-ranking nobles, we'll get a good price."
"Alright, let's take him to the ship first."
The three men talked amongst themselves, quickly deciding Sephiroth's fate as cargo, without asking for his opinion at all...
Want to continue reading? Head over to my Patreon for the latest chapters! 👉 patreon.com/Rzzzy