OPSR: Chapter 06

“What are you doing?” Zora asked me as Kuina looked over her shoulder. I kept digging through the trash on the island looking for what I needed. “Traveling by boat is too slow. So I’m going to make an attachment paddle bike.” The problem was, this was a smaller island, and there was only so much metal people were willing to toss into the trash.

There was going to be enough; I had to root through the trash pile to find it. They watched as I slowly dug out more metal and shaped it into the pieces I needed. Finding a metal pole long enough to work with my ship was the hardest part. I could see one when I entered the trash pile, but it was buried, and it took an hour or so of just moving heavy stuff to finally get it out.

Over the course of several hours, it came together; there wasn’t any rubber, so it meant the bike was going to be stationary for now. I worked with metal in this life and in the memories I received from Sanji, so I had a little forge going as I shaped the metal. Making gears and a chain, tying them to an axle, and making the paddles on both sides, it was finally done.

Finally, putting everything together, I was happy with the results. It didn’t leave much room for anything else, but speeding up travel across the sea was worth it. As much as I wanted to train to be a swordsman, it was the worst idea for me to focus on with Zora and Kuina safe from death, who knows where their story will go. But enhancing my actual strength, kicking power, being trained by Zeff while trying to figure out the Rokushiki techniques, and maybe figure out all the other secrets this body has, will make me stronger faster than training with a sword.

Spending hours working on the boat attachment will save me hours, if not days of travel, when I need to, so it made sense to do it right now. I also wanted to start working on science experiments, making drugs similar to Chopper in the show, except for humans, was something that would be extremely valuable in the future, especially if I kept it for myself the first few years.

With my knowledge, I could very well create a Super Soldier Serum for people to use if given enough time and resources. Before I left, I melted down three lead swords and gave one to Zora and Kuina. They looked at me, confused as I said. “A gift for you. It’s heavier than the bamboo swords for training. I’ll try to practice myself, don’t let me get too much stronger than both of you.”

Kuina gave me a shy look while Zora felt the weight of her new weapon and nodded in approval. I knew lead was poisonous if it was used as pipes or inhaled through paint, but it should be fine to use as just a heavy sword, which would make them stronger in the long run. I should have made two for Zora, but I was worried she’d try to copy me and make a third lead sword to train with and poison herself by gripping it in her mouth.

Before heading back, I wanted to check on the other islands, especially Luffy. If Zora(one of the main characters) can become a girl. Who knows what changes have happened to Luffy? Luffy very well could be Lucy in this universe. The wind was blowing in the completely wrong direction, which meant that if I did try to sail, I wouldn’t have been able to. It was a good thing I made the paddle bike attachment.

It only took eight hours of sailing to reach Dawn Island. Luffy’s starting island was another we only got a glimpse of. It held an entire kingdom and four villages in the cardinal directions of the island. Fuusha was south, on the east side of the Goa Kingdom. The vast majority of land was farmland meant to feed the kingdom. It wasn’t shown much in the show, but it was as protected from the lower class as the city was. I made it to the south dock leading to Fuusha village and gulped at the sight of a pirate ship. The only pirate who lands here are the Red Hair Pirates.

I was hoping for Garp, but I knew that they wouldn’t kill me… Probably. They’d at least need a reason. Unless they were evil in this universe, but I didn’t expect that. Everyone seemed similar enough so far; the only big differences were in age or sex. Judge was less evil, but that could have been down to not receiving as many blows to the head growing up, knowing that family comes first, and making your family emotionless or obey you isn’t something that normal parents do. I also thought it was because I was his only son, he had an heir first instead of a daughter.

A pirate stared out at me as I made my way to the dock. Benn Beckman’s eyes pierced through me as if he was trying to figure me out, but was having a hard time at it. My boat was designed to be light enough to pull onto the shore, so that’s what I did instead of taking up dock space. I made my way to the famous bar, excited to see all the characters I knew from the manga… And once again paused at the door when I saw someone I didn’t expect.

Uta was still here, which meant the Elegia incident hadn’t happened yet. It should have been two years ago, but it hadn’t; that’s when I heard her talk. “I’m so excited! We’re finally heading to the Island of Music Elegia! I wish you could go with me, Lucy.” Widening even further, I looked at the little girl she was talking to. That wasn’t Luffy at all. I was expecting a tomboy, or something similar to what the fem Zoro was, but the female Luffy was full-on girly girl.

Black hair braided and tied into intricate designs, a flowery, frilly pink dress, and I couldn’t tell, but I thought Uta and Luffy’s ages were also reversed, which would make Luffy nine and Uta eight. Uta was bigger than Lucy, though. “I just hope you don’t have any problems on the sea. I have a bad feeling about you leaving… Why don’t you just stay here with me?”

The soft, melodic voice coming from Lucy wasn’t something I expected as my mind tried to figure out why she was so different. The only thing I could think of was nature versus nurture. Garp probably beat the shit out of Luffy ever since he was young, which toughened him up, but he doted on and pampered Lucy because she was a girl.

How would the story play out now with the protagonist being weaker than they were in the original timeline? Probably worse… If I wasn’t here at least. I still stood in the door, and as it was kicked open, it knocked me onto my ass. The person who so abruptly entered didn’t even apologize, instead insulting me. “Who the hell just stands in front of a door? Oh, it’s just some snot-nosed kid.”

I looked back at Ace, eyes going wide at his age. He was much older, not just by a little. Almost fully adult, perhaps a year off from going to sea, which would make him sixteen. Still taller than me, but after my exoskeleton activated, I had grown a few inches in just weeks of time. “Who are you calling a snot-nosed kid? You’re barely older than me?”

He sneers at me before it turns into a smirk. “It’s easier just to fight trash like you whenever it shows up, that way you know to scram when my godfather is around.” He cocked his fist back as if to throw a punch. And it kept going… And going, only once he tried to launch the gum gum pistol, did I realize what was happening. Dodging out of the way just as the fist came rocketing at me and smashing into the glass pyramid someone had set up on the bar.