I've been falling for what feels like forever, lying on my back, waiting as the wind rushes past. Ever since that thing in Geto's body trapped me in the prison realm, I've been stuck- eyes open, but no way out. There's nothing but silence in the air. Suddenly, I land near the ground, stopping just before, thanks to my infinity, hovering an inch above the rocky terrain. The air now smells of salt and soil, and somewhere in the distance, windmills creak in the breeze.
I stand on my feet, surveying the surroundings. I find myself on a dirt path with wooden fencing on each side. I notice a cemetery and a sign that reads 'Windmill Village. ' I keep going past the windmills and sun-faded homes. I arrive at a place called Party's Bar, and it seems that most of the town is gathered here, so I enter to figure out where I am.
The room smells like an old ale, and heads turn in my direction. I get a feeling I am very far from home, maybe even in another world.
"Nice faces. I'm Gojo… yes, that Gojo. Would one of you mind pointing me back to Tokyo before I start teleporting blind?"
Everyone has a blank face as if they don't even know who I am.
A green-haired woman approaches me and extends her hand. "I am Makino, the owner of this bar. Are you a pirate? Would you like a meal?"
"A pirate? Where am I exactly? And yes... I will take that meal. I am starving."
"You are in Windmill Village, Dawn Island. Have a seat."
"I'm going to get this pirate a meal- he looks disoriented. Lad must have been out there far too long. Look how thin he is," she yells back at the rest of the village.
"Thin and handsome," I said, before getting hit across the face with a cane by an old, short man wearing glasses.
"Pirates aren't welcome here. Take your meal and leave," he says with a stern look on his face.
"I'm not a pirate; I am the strongest sorcerer alive."
"He must have eaten the devil fruit," the man says, uncontrollably laughing, and the rest of the room joins him.
"Devil Fruit? That sounds like a cursed snack."
"It's a fruit that you eat, and it gives you a special ability, but if you eat it, you lose the ability to swim." That fool, Luffy, ate it when he was a kid, and he left just before you arrived. Now, he thinks he can become the king of the pirates, but he can't even swim if his boat sinks.
"How can he become king of the pirates?" I asked.
"He thinks he can find the One Piece." The man laughs again
"What is the One Piece?"
"No one knows what the One Piece is, and most of us don't even think it exists. Don't waste your time on that nonsense."
Makino comes back with a plate of food, and I no longer process anything the man is saying as I scarf down the loaf of bread and a whole fish, washing it down with the wine she brought me.
"Thanks, Maki. That hit the spot."
She narrows her eyes. "It's Makino."
"Right, right- Maki-no need to get upset."
I stand up. "Now how do I get out of here?"
"Well, you need to pay first, sir."
I pull down my blindfold and give her my bashful, blue-eyed look.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't have any money."
No worries. I'll put it on your treasure tab."
"I'm not a pirate, though. I don't even have a boat."
"If you don't have a boat, then how did you get here?"
"Let's just say people are jealous that I'm the greatest sorcerer of all time."
"Well, if you're so good, then can't you afford a boat or even pay for this food?"
I give a dumbfounded look. "Well, maybe I could do something for you guys, and you can throw in a boat for me as well."
"I am Mayor Woop Slap of this town," the old man cut in. I know what you could do for us, and if you get it done, I'll pay for your tab and give you a boat."
"What is it?" I ask eagerly.
"Finish what Luffy started and rid the world of the lord of the coast."
"The lord of the coast, I'll do it! Just lead the way."
"Follow me to the dock; You might be out there for hours looking for him, though."
I follow the mayor to the left of the bar and down to the docks. One of these boats will soon be mine as I stare at the fleet of fishermen's boats.
"Well, I'll leave you to it. Don't come back until it's done," he says and then proceeds to walk away.
"Wait! Which one of these boats will be mine, and where is this island?"
"That one right there," he said, pointing to the one on the right of the dock, "and we're in the East Blue."
An hour passed, and my six eyes hadn't detected the location of this lord beast yet. I need to get closer. I step off the dock's ledge. My infinity kicks in, and I'm walking on water, my infinity creating ripples beneath me. I walk a few miles out. The water grew still- too still- before a massive shadow surged upward. The beast jumps out and attacks.
"One second," I say to the lord of the coast. I bend down and yank a fish from the water. "I guess you'll do." Then I proceed to throw the fish with my cursed technique reversal: Red. "Let's see how you like sushi." It launches like a bullet straight into the lord's eye.
"Looks like my job here is done." I grab the beast by his head and drag him all the way back to the bar, tossing him onto a table as the rest of him lingers down the path a few houses down. The table collapses under the weight of his head.
The mayor and everyone around him gasped at the sight like I'd just summoned a sea god- and honestly, maybe I had.
"How did you carry or manage to get that into the bar?"
"I told you I am the greatest sorcerer of all time. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to take some of that with me in my boat. Can you cook it, Maki?
"Makino, sir," she says in a gentler voice than Maki ever has. "I can try, sir, but this is the largest fish I've ever tried to cook."
"I'll fix that." I begin compressing my infinity to a dimensional guillotine to slice the beast into parts. As I wait for my portion of the food, the town gathers in celebration, not only for being saved from the beast but also for being provided with so much food.
My bag is ready, and I head back to the docks and load up my boat. I may walk on water, but I'm not about to walk all the way across the ocean like some cursed delivery boy.
"Where will you go?" Makino asks as she arrives behind me on the dock. Her green hair is glowing in the moonlight.
"I honestly don't know. I'm not familiar with this world. Where would you go if you were me?"
"Well, if I were going anywhere, it would be to find Luffy. Maybe if you run into him, you can tell him how much I miss him."
"I'll do that for you. Which way did he go? Maybe I'll find someone in the next place who can help me."
I set out the way she pointed, and she said that if I'm looking for help, then the next island might be able to. So, Shell's town, get ready to meet the handsome Gojo.
The boat is moving slowly, so I decided to use my Limitless technique to reduce the friction between the boat and the water, creating an ultra-thin layer of infinity underneath it, which causes my boat to glide across the East Blue.
After only a few hours, I reach the dock of Shell Town. The building in the far back is illuminated in pale golden light, casting long shadows over the quiet port. It appears to be a marine base, the word "Marine" giving it away. I step off the boat and begin wandering into town when I bump into a tall man with short black hair.
"My bad- didn't see you there. Thought you were a signpost or something."
"And here I thought blindfolds were supposed to improve your vision. You should watch where you walk. Some shadows don't take well to being stepped on," he says with a darkness in his eyes, walking past me without even breaking stride.
"Hey, you seem like a helpful guy. Any chance you can help me get home?"
"I don't know. I'm not even from here or this world. I'm trying to get myself home."
"You too? I'm not from this world either; I just arrived. What's your name?"
"My name is Sung Jin-Woo."