Kaito Sakamoto struggled to sit up, his body ached as he took in his surroundings. In the corner, Garp barged in, holding a pot of unknown soup, kicking the door open with a force that felt less like a homecoming and more like a war declaration. Luffy followed closely behind, his enthusiasm shining through.
"Hey! You're awake!" Garp exclaimed, his voice booming.
"Good to see you're up! Just don't die in my house. Honestly, your body is too weak. You fell from the sky and ended up with broken limbs and ribs—especially your legs. You're going to be stuck in a wheelchair for a while, so you better start exercising!"
Kaito winced at Garp's words, feeling a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. Who could compare themselves to these "monsters," especially when burdened with a frail body? Just surviving was already a miracle.
As he propped himself up, Kaito noticed that his upper body was wrapped in bandages like a mummy—only his head was free from the bindings. "Did you all save me?" he asked, his gratitude genuine. "Thank you so much! Without you, I would have been devoured by beasts out there."
Garp chuckled. "You're lucky, kid. You just happened to land right on my head."
Kaito blinked, surprised. How could he not recognize someone like Garp, a Vice Admiral with a bit of a reputation? Perhaps it was the lack of his naval uniform that threw him off. Garp didn't care much for recognition, anyway.
"Hi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" the young boy declared, excitement radiating from him. "Why did you fall from the sky? You look pretty weak. I've fallen off a cliff before, and I'm fine!"
Luffy was only seven years old, already well into Garp's rigorous training. A fall from a cliff was nothing compared to what he had experienced.
"I'm Kaito Sakamoto," he replied, suddenly feeling the weight of the conversation. "As for the rest... I can't remember. All I know is that I'm Kaito Sakamoto. Where I lived, who I was... it's all gone."
"Can't remember?" Luffy echoed, a mix of curiosity and innocence in his tone.
"How can you forget? You didn't hit your head, did you?"
"You're just lucky," Garp added, "First, you landed on a news bird, and when you fell, you hit a crooked tree, which softened your fall. Otherwise, with your physical condition, you might not have survived."
Kaito let out a breath of relief—thank the crooked tree for saving his life!
As Garp ladled some soup into a bowl and handed it to Kaito, he continued, "Drink up. You need to regain your strength."
"Thank you," Kaito said, taking the bowl. As he began sipping the hot soup, memories flooded back. The moment he fell from the sky, the disappearance of that troublesome system, and that news bird! "Thank you, feathered brother. If it weren't for you, I might have died. I'll never forget your kindness."
But then he realized something. "What happened to that news bird?"
Luffy was too busy tilting his bowl back, oblivious to the question. Garp paused with his own bowl just before it reached his lips. "Well, it's in the pot, in the bowl, and in your mouth too!"
"Wait! What?! This soup is made from that news bird?" Kaito gasped, almost choking on his soup.
"Of course! What did you expect? Free food from the sky is hard to come by. Besides, you need to drink more with that weak body of yours," Garp replied, already enjoying his meal.
Kaito wiped his mouth with the cloth Garp offered him, staring into the bowl where the surface seemed to ripple with the ghostly reflection of that unfortunate bird. "I'm sorry, feathered brother. But honestly, this soup is delicious."
"Ah!" Kaito belched, feeling satisfaction wash over him.
"Thanks for the meal!" he exclaimed, glancing at Luffy, who had already finished his bowl and was ready to tackle the next one.
"Alright, Luffy, time to wash the dishes," Garp instructed, his tone shifting from jovial to serious.
"Okay!" Luffy chirped, placing his bowl down and exiting the room.
With the playful atmosphere fading, Garp's expression hardened as he turned to Kaito. His arms crossed, an undeniable pressure filled the room, making Kaito's heart race. What did he do wrong?
"Kaito?" Garp's voice cut through the tension.
"Were you lying just now?"
"You don't actually remember everything, do you?" Garp's gaze was piercing, searching for the truth.
Kaito's mind raced. He had been caught. But what could he say?
"Ah, well... you see..." he stammered, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks under Garp's unwavering gaze.
Thinking quickly, he summoned the creative writing skills he'd honed over nine years of schooling, weaving a tale to mask his reality.
"It's hard to fool you, Vice Admiral Garp," he finally admitted. "I'm actually a mercenary from Loguetown, working with my team. We were escorting a merchant ship yesterday when we were ambushed by a crew of powerful pirates... everyone... everyone perished."
As he recounted his fabricated story, tears began to stream down his face. His acting was worthy of an Oscar—if only he had a stage. Deep down, he was aware that this wasn't mere drama. He discreetly pressed his thigh, where pain shot through him. Those tears were real—tears born from pain.