Was the past 25 years of his life prior to the reincarnation pointless? Was he in the past life, in the end, simply a child in an adult's body?
He didn't know. He couldn't think properly. Everything felt out of the world. To think that his family and friends, who were laughing and interacting with him a mere 2 days ago, were no longer among the living...
Rowan couldn't help but lock himself up within Genzo's house under a blanket, shaking in fear.
'Where did it start to go wrong?'
Genzo was severely injured himself, and had to receive intense care from Dr.Nako.
'If I tried something... something more than one lazy attempt to train, would something have changed?'
Bell-mère was killed by Arlong too, due to being unable to lie her relationships with her adopted daughters, Nojiko and Nami.
'Just what have we done to you, Arlong...!!!'
Many other villagers he knew of, all slain.
Rowan felt as if the world he knew for the past 13 years crumbled down. It felt like a waking call.
He never thought carefully about how dangerous the world of one piece can be. All he remembered was a funny-looking boy with straw hat; he deduced that this world was not as violent or harsh as the other worlds such as Naruto.
Oh, how wrong he was.
Peaceful? Not as harsh?
'Are you an idiot, Rowan?!!' Rowan couldn't help but berate himself as he grabbed his head, 'Peaceful?! An infamous shonen manga that revolves around the topic of a pirate, peaceful?!!!'
He never imagined that one day, he will be in such a gruesome situation. Losing his loved ones felt more painful than dying in the previous world.
*Knock* *Knock*
A knock was heard on his door, before slowly creaking open. Genzo, whose body was wrapped all around by the bandages, walked inside and sat on the bed that Rowan was lying on.
"Bob... it has already been two days, hasn't it?" Genzo spoke softly. "As... painful as it must be for you, you must overcome. Arlong is long gone to the neighbouring area. Return to the world, and do not succumb to despair. We still have a bright future ahead of us, my boy."
Rowan of course knew that he cannot stay like this forever. He must live on. He must overcome.
He must avenge them.
'One day, just one day, I don't know how I will do it, or what method I will have to use, but I promise. I promise to take my revenge on Arlong and his crew, for all they have done.' Although still shaking in fear, Rowan gathered his resolve as he clenched the hem of the blanket.
"Mr. Genzo. I... I don't want to use 'Bob' as my name anymore." Rowan spoke weakly, "Without my family in this world, there is no reason for me to use it."
Bob... is a name that he dislikes. The only reason he ended up allowing the others to call him in such a way, was due to his love for his family.
"From today on, I am Rowan."
Genzo sighed and gently caressed Rowan's head, "If that's what it takes for you to come out, gladly."
'This is no longer the world I previously lived in. Throw away the idea of peace, for a peace without a power... is naught but a delusion.
I must get strong.' For the first time, Rowan found his goal in the world of One Piece.
'Become strong enough to kill Arlong.'
Rowan held his shaky arms and uncovered himself from a blanket. "I'm ready, Mr. Genzo."
________
The villagers all gathered at the center of the village and saw Rowan and Genzo approaching.
"Mr. Genzo! Bob!" Nojiko, who noticed them first, shouted in relief.
"Oh, as for that," Genzo sighed, before continuing, "From now on, Bob is no longer his name, but Rowan."
"...Rowan?"
Although confused, the villagers and Nojiko nodded nonetheless.
And simultaneously, Rowan found that something was off.
"Where is Nami?"
Nojiko's eyes turned teary after hearing this. "She was taken by Arlong and his crew, after Bell-mère..."
Rowan saw nothing but red, out of the fury that he felt towards the Arlong pirates.
"...Arlong again?"
He really felt like punching something right now.
"Damn it! What are they planning to do on Nami!!" Sam, one of the villager, yelled in anger.
The group began their discussions on what they should do from now on. They thought of a rebellion, contacting marines, hiring bounty hunters, etc., but all ended up as a failure. They have already witnessed the strongest man in the village, Fob, get killed mercilessly.
The marine branch was not responding to their pleas for an unknown reason; they soon concluded that the marines must be on the same side as Arlong Pirates.
Hiring the bounty hunters was impossible for them, since Arlong stripped them of all of their money.
In the end, they could only agree that there is no other solution than to endure.
At that moment, someone saw a distant figure of Nami walking towards them, with her head lowered.
"Nami!!"
"Nami! You are okay!!" Nojiko hurriedly ran towards Nami and grabbed her shoulders, to inspect if she has been harmed. "Did they hurt you?"
The villagers all visibly relaxed at the sight of Nami, and let slight smile escape their faces.
However, Nami remained silent.
"Hey—"
"I'm... joining Arlong's crew." Nami muttered.
"Huh?"
"...I'm joining the Arlong Pirates." Nami let out a forcible grin. "I will get to be a navigator and draw maps!"
"Ha...haha, what in the world are you talking about? Did they threaten to do something terrible to you? Please, tell me..." Genzo knelt in front of Nami, as if he could not believe what he just heard.
"No." Nami shook her head.
"He must have done something!!!" Genzo burst out in anger. "Tell the truth!!!!"
"No!!!!" Nami violently shook and released Genzo's grip on her.
"I... I got this!!" Nami raised her arm and revealed the tattoo of Arlong Pirates.
Everyone was flabbergasted. To think that Nami became a part of the crew, who not only destroyed Cocoyasi village, but killed her own mother!
"Not you..." Genzo said out of shock.
"Why??" Nojiko said in disbelief.
"L-look. Hehe... look at this." Nami slowly raised handful of Beli. "They... they gave all this money that I... wanted..."
"NO!!!" Nojiko slammed into Nami, causing the money to fly out of Nami's grip. "I'll never forgive you if you join them!!! Do you understand!! THEY KILLED BELL-MÈRE, NAMI!!! THEY BRUTALLY MURDERED HER!!"
"Who cares!!! Why would I want to live like Bell-mère if it just gets you killed!! I DON'T WANT TO DIE LIKE THAT!!!" Nami shouted while struggling in Nojiko's hold.
"How, how could you...?"
"That's enough, Nojiko." Genzo turned around in an attempt to hide his sorrow. "...Leave us, Nami! Never set foot in this village ever again!"
Hearing this, Nami attempted to prevent herself from crying. Watching this, Rowan couldn't help but feel that something is wrong.
Rising up, Nami ran away from the villagers, ignoring Nojiko, who was shouting her name.
"Are you just going to leave her like that?" Rowan spoke out from the crowd, stepping up.
"What can we do about it?? She betrayed us!!" One of the villager shouted in anger.
'No way that's true.' Rowan grimaced. 'A ten-year-old girl, who witnessed the death of her loving mother in front of her very eyes, decides to become the subordinate of her nemesis?'
But... what could he do about it?
Run after her and tell her that she doesn't have to do it, for whatever reason it may be?
A powerless boy like him?
'...I hate it.'
Rowan lifted up his scrawny arm and gazed at his open palm.
'This is the truth, huh...'
Clenching his palm into his fist, Rowan felt disgusted toward himself.
'Why am I so weak? Why am I so incapable? How... just how have I lived thepast 13 years of my life?'
As the villagers began to disperse in fatigue, Rowan, out of determination, thought within himself as he gazed up at the blue sky,
'It's time. It's time that I actually do something, rather than cry like an immature baby.'
Even if it may be a helpless struggle, he will do so. If he ends up dying in the process, so be it.