Cold. That was the first sensation that pierced through Aria's consciousness. Damp earth pressed against her cheek, the scent of soil and vegetation filling her nostrils. Her eyes fluttered open, squinting against filtered sunlight.
She pushed herself up, leaves and twigs falling from her dark hair. The world spun, forcing her to close her eyes until the dizziness subsided.
Forest surrounded her. Tall trees with thick trunks stretched skyward, their canopy creating a dappled pattern of light and shadow.
Her black combat boots were caked with mud, the leather scuffed from unknown impact. The dark skinny jeans she'd worn to class were stained with dirt and grass, torn at one knee. Her favorite Arctic Monkeys t-shirt clung to her skin, the band logo barely visible beneath morning dew. The denim jacket she'd thrown on against the autumn chill now hung heavy with moisture.
She patted her pockets - no phone, no wallet, not even her apartment keys. Her fingers brushed the silver hoop earrings she always wore, the familiar touch grounding her in this unfamiliar place.
Aria got herself to her feet, steadying herself against a gnarled tree trunk. Her muscles protested every step.
She stumbled forward, trailing her hand along rough bark for balance. Something pulled at her consciousness, a silent whisper urging her deeper into the forest. Each step felt guided, like following an invisible thread.
"This way." The thought wasn't entirely her own.
A flash of purple drew her attention. Aria squinted through a cluster of ferns, their fronds swaying in a breeze she couldn't feel. Her legs trembled, still too unsteady to trust. She lowered herself to her knees, damp earth soaking through her jeans.
She pushed aside the thick foliage. Nestled in a bed of dark soil lay a fruit unlike anything she'd seen before. Roughly the size of a large apple, its skin possessed a deep purple-black coloring that seemed to drink in the surrounding light. Intricate spiral patterns decorated its surface, swirling in mesmerizing designs that drew her gaze.
"Either this is the world's most exotic apple, or..." Her fingers brushed the fruit's surface. She jerked back. The skin felt cool to the touch, almost metallic despite its organic appearance. She lifted it carefully, turning it in her hands. The spirals shifted with each movement, like living tattoos dancing across its surface.
A twig snapped behind her. Aria's head whipped around, her heart hammering against her ribs. A young boy, no more than ten, stared at her with wide eyes. He clutched a woven basket filled with mushrooms, his knuckles white around the handle.
"Are you a pirate?" The boy asked, taking a cautious step back.
"A pirate?" Aria couldn't help but smile. "No, just lost."
The boy's shoulders relaxed slightly. "You look weird. Like those foreigners from the Grand Line."
"Grand Line?" Aria straightened.
"You don't know about the Grand Line?" His eyes widened. "Everyone knows about the Grand Line! It's where all the strongest pirates go!"
Before she could respond, the sound of waves reached her ears. Aria's head snapped up, finally registering the distant rhythm of the ocean. She tucked the fruit into her jacket pocket and used a nearby tree to pull herself up.
"Hey, where are you going?" The boy called after her.
"To test a theory." Her legs threatened to buckle but held. Each step became steadier as she moved toward the sound of water. The forest began to thin, more light breaking through the canopy.
"The village is this way!" The boy hurried to catch up. "I'm Taro. My dad runs the restaurant there. What's your name?"
Aria furrowed her brows, the answer escaping her for a moment. "Aria... Stratos," she said slowly, the name feeling both familiar and foreign on her tongue.
Taro tilted his head. "Is that really your name?"
Confusion flickered across Aria's face. She shrugged. "Probably."
"You're weird," Taro declared. "But Papa always says to help people who are lost. Come on, he'll give you food."
"Weird is relative," Aria muttered, but followed him down the path.
The trees opened onto a dirt path winding down toward what appeared to be a small village. Traditional buildings with sloped roofs clustered near the coast, fishing boats bobbing in the natural harbor.
"Everyone's staring," Aria whispered. A group of elderly men paused their game of shogi to track her movement. Women at the market whispered behind raised hands.
"It's your strange clothes." Taro pointed at her t-shirt. "We never see anyone dressed like that here. Even merchants wear normal things - you know, proper shirts and regular pants." He kicked a pebble down the path. "Where did you even get those? The letters on your shirt look really weird."
"What do people usually wear around here?"
"Simple stuff. Cotton shirts, work clothes." He scrunched his nose. "Not whatever that blue material is. And most travelers come by boat, with proper traveling gear. They don't just show up in the forest wearing..." He gestured vaguely at her outfit.
"Right." Aria tugged at her damp shirt. "I stick out like a sore thumb."
"Do many strangers come through here?"
"Sometimes." Taro pointed to a weathered building ahead. "Mostly merchants stopping for supplies. Pirates too, but they don't usually cause trouble. Not since Captain Kuro."
Aria's steps faltered. "Kuro?"
"Yeah, he was scary! But he's gone now." Taro tugged her sleeve.
A wooden sign creaked in the sea breeze: "Meshi Restaurant."
"Papa!" Taro called out as they entered the restaurant. The interior was simple - wooden tables, a long counter, the smell of cooking food that made her stomach clench painfully.
"Welcome!" An elderly man behind the counter smiled warmly despite her disheveled appearance. "Please, sit anywhere. Taro, where have you been?"
"Finding mushrooms!" Taro held up his basket proudly. "And I found her in the forest. "
"Miss?" The old man approached, concern evident in his weathered features. "Are you alright? You look like you've had quite a journey."
"I..." Aria's voice cracked. "I don't know where I am."
"Ah." He nodded sagely. "You're in Syrup Village, on Gecko Islands. Would you like some water? Maybe something to eat? You look half-starved."
Her head snapped up at the name. Syrup Village. Something about that name...
"I don't have any money." Aria's cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"Bah." He waved off her concern. "I can't let someone go hungry. Taro, help in the kitchen."
"But Papa-"
"Now, boy. Let's show our guest some proper hospitality."
He disappeared into the kitchen with his protesting son, leaving Aria alone with her thoughts.
A shadow passed over the window. Something fluttered down from above - papers scattering in the morning breeze. One landed face-up on the windowsill beside her table.
The wanted poster's edges curled from weather damage, but the image remained clear. A boy grinned back at her, his smile stretching impossibly wide beneath a battered straw hat. The photograph captured him mid-laugh, carefree despite the bounty stamped beneath his picture. "MONKEY D. LUFFY - WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE - 30,000,000 BERRIES"
"LUFFY??!"
The exclamation burst from her before she could stop it. She shot up from her chair, hands trembling as she snatched the poster. Her fingers traced the familiar features - the scar under his left eye, the ratty vest, that iconic hat promised to a red-haired pirate. The wooden legs scraped against the floor, drawing curious glances from other patrons.
"That kid with the straw hat?" An older man at the counter scoffed, adjusting his thick glasses. "Causing trouble everywhere he goes. My cousin in Cocoyashi Village said he took down Arlong."
"Impossible," another patron argued. "A kid beating a fishman? Those East Blue rumors get wilder every day."
Aria bit back a laugh. If they only knew...
"No, no," a third man chimed in, waving his chopsticks enthusiastically. "I heard he's ten feet tall and breathes fire!"
She couldn't help herself. "What about the rubber thing?"
The patrons turned to stare at her. "Rubber thing?"
"Oh, you know..." She tried to look nonchalant. "The stretching arms? Like this?" She mimed stretching her arm out.
"See!" Glasses-man pounded the counter. "My cousin said the same thing! Said the boy stretched his arm clear across the village!"
"Your cousin's been drinking too much sake," Mustache-man declared.
Aria settled back in her chair.
Her hand brushed against the fruit. Everything clicked into place. The strange fruit, Syrup Village, Luffy's new bounty poster...
"Your food, miss." The old man returned with a bowl of steaming rice and fish. She barely heard him over the blood rushing in her ears. This was real. She was really here.
Aria picked up her chopsticks. Her hands trembled while she stared at the wanted poster. The young pirate's infectious grin stirred memories of reading about his adventures - memories that felt impossible now that she sat here in his world. She shoveled the food into her mouth, processing her situation. The last thing she'd been doing was reading the latest One-Piece chapter in her apartment. Now she was here, listening to villagers' debate Luffy's powers like urban legends.
"Tell me more about the rubber pirate!" Taro bounded over to her table. "How does he stretch?"
Aria lowered her chopsticks. "Well, he ate a Devil Fruit that turned his body into rubber. He can stretch his arms, legs - even his neck."
"Really?" Taro's eyes widened. "What else can he do?"
"Well, he's got this ability where he stretches his arm back like this." Aria pulled her arm behind her head. "Then boom - launches it forward like a rocket. Hits enemies from really far away." She punched the air, mimicking the attack. "Sometimes he even uses both arms."
"Can he do other stuff?" Taro's eyes lit up. "Besides punching?"
"Oh yeah. He can stretch any part of his body. Makes him pretty unpredictable in a fight."
"Like a real monster!" Taro bounced in his seat. "That's how he beat Arlong, right? Everyone's talking about it!"
Aria leaned back, choosing her words carefully. "Let's just say Luffy tends to surprise people. They look at him and see some scrawny kid with a weird power." She tapped her fingers against the table. "But he's got something most pirates don't."
"What's that?"
"Heart." Aria glanced at the wanted poster. "He doesn't fight for fame or money. He fights for his friends."
Taro burst into the kitchen, plates wobbling precariously in his small hands. "Papa, can she stay? She knows amazing stories about the rubber pirate!"
The old man caught a plate before it could slip from Taro's grip. "That's not my decision to make. But she's welcome here anytime."
The bell above the door chimed. New customers filtered in. Aria pushed her empty bowl away.
"Thank you for the meal. I wish I could repay your kindness somehow."
"Stories are worth their weight in gold around here." The old man gathered her dishes. "Most travelers just pass through. They don't take time to entertain an old man's curious son."
"Still, I feel bad about-"
"Nonsense." He waved off her concern. "A meal shared brings its own fortune. Though if you're planning to stay in town, you'll need a proper place to rest."
The old man's eyes crinkled. "The Maple Inn down the street offers clean rooms. Tell Maya that Hiroshi sent you."
Taro bounced forward. "I can show you!"
His father's voice remained gentle. "No. Our guest needs rest."
Aria rose slowly, mindful of her pocket's weight. "Thank you for everything." Her voice lightened. "If anyone asks about me, just say I'm another crazy story from the Grand Line."
The old man's eyes brightened. "Like a rubber pirate?"
"Something like that."
Shadows stretched across cobblestone streets. The wooden sign of 'Maple Inn' creaked in the evening breeze. A silver bell chimed as Aria pushed open the door.
"Welcome!" A woman with graying hair peered up from her ledger.
"I'd like a room for the night." Aria approached the counter. "Hiroshi sent me."
The Maya's stern features softened. "Ah, any friend of Hiroshi's is welcome here." She reached for a brass key. "How long will you be staying?"
"Just tonight, thank you."
The floorboards creaked beneath their feet as Maya led her down the hallway. "Here we are." She unlocked the door at the far end. "Take all the time you need."
Aria waited for the innkeeper's footsteps to fade. The fruit pressed against her leg, demanding attention. She drew the curtains closed.
"Time to think." Her fingers traced the metallic surface of the purple-black fruit. Knowledge burned in her mind.
Aria settled onto the bed. "Let's analyze this." Moonlight filtered through thin curtains. "Luffy's bounty sits at 30 million berries. They mentioned Arlong at the restaurant - not as a current threat. And this is Syrup Village, where Usopp lived..."
She pulled out the wanted poster, studying its details. "So Luffy's already beaten Buggy, Kuro, Krieg, and Arlong. He's probably heading to the Grand Line soon, if he hasn't left already."
Her fingers drummed against her knee. "Devil Fruits. The source of power in this world." She held it up to the lamplight. "Paramecia. Zoan. Logia. But this..."
"An unknown fruit. In the East Blue of all places."
Images flashed through her mind - Ace at Marineford, helpless against magma despite his flames. The truth of the World Government, their power reaching across oceans. The monsters that shaped this world, bending reality with abilities beyond comprehension.
"A sword won't stop a Logia." Aria paced the small room. "Training won't matter when they can freeze oceans or create tsunamis with a gesture." Her fingers traced the fruit's metallic surface. "Even the weakest Devil Fruit user could destroy an entire village."
"Haki takes years to master." She lifted the fruit closer
"I don't have that kind of time."
"Being clever only gets you so far when someone can turn their body into poison or magma."
"Well." she decided.
"Guess I'll eat it"
The fruit pulsed in her hands.
Aria moves the fruit to her lips. Her hands trembled. "Whatever power this grants, it has to be better than nothing. Here's hoping it's not the power to turn into a jacket."
The first bite assaulted her taste buds - rotten meat mixed with spoiled milk, garnished with moldy bread. Her throat fought to reject it. She forced herself to swallow.
"Oh god." She gagged. "They really weren't exaggerating about the taste in the manga."