Morning on Koko Island. The air is crisp, the waves gentle, and I'm trudging through the dirt road, lugging a damn barrel full of severed pirate heads. The smell? Exactly as bad as you'd expect. I don't know why I thought this would be a good idea. Maybe I just wanted to see the reaction when I dumped them at a Marine base.
On the shore, about eighteen people are buzzing around—loading crates, shouting orders, checking lists. The usual pre-departure chaos. Our little fishing boat bobs in the water, looking about as ready as I feel.
I stomp up to the ship and shove the barrel at En. Big mistake.
The barrel slips, tilts, and crashes right onto his foot.
"FUCK!" En hops back, clutching his foot, and obviously with a strong desire to throw some insult, but he doesn't want to take the risk. "Be more careful!"
"Sorry." I half-heartedly lift the barrel again and drag it onto the ship, ignoring the murderous glare he's shooting me.
Once that's dealt with, I glance around and spot Alric standing nearby. He's been waiting for this, I know it. I take a breath and walk over.
"You won't be coming with us," I say.
Alric blinks. "Huh? What? Why not?"
I wave a hand. "Relax. Just the three of us is enough."
His mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. "But… that's just—so, I can leave?"
"Yeah," I nod. "Everything's ready. And thanks. I didn't mean to offend you."
"...Well, fine," he mutters. He looks disappointed, but he doesn't push it. With a final sigh, he turns and walks off.
Not even a second later, Thomas appears beside me, watching Alric go.
"What happened?" he asks.
"I told him to go home."
Thomas frowns. "Why? Something happened between you?"
"No, everything's great. Just three is enough."
He gives me a long look before nodding. "Alright. Just making sure. If anything did happen, I'd want to know. You've already been through enough here."
I smirk. "Don't worry. I won't hold a grudge against everyone just because of one idiot."
Thomas huffs a small laugh. "Glad to hear it. And… thank you. I really would like to say more, but—"
"I know."
We shake hands, firm and final.
I spotted someone else in the crowd—someone I just couldn't resist messing with. Standing near the dock, deep in conversation with a villager, was none other than Colt.
Smirking, I strolled up to him. "Yo, how's it going?"
Colt turned, and the moment he saw me, his face twisted into a scowl. "You. What do you want?"
I shrugged. "Nothing special. Just thought I'd say goodbye."
Colt narrowed his eyes. "That so?"
"Yeah. Oh, and I also wanted to hear a 'thank you.'"
Colt blinked. "What?"
"And maybe something like, 'I'm also sorry that I didn't trust you and made you wear the bracers.'" I grinned, watching his expression darken like a storm rolling in.
His jaw clenched so hard I half expected his brittle teeth to shatter. I just stood there, arms crossed, waiting.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he forced the words out like they physically hurt him. "I am... I thank you for saving the island. And forgive me for chaining you."
I patted his shoulder, completely unfazed. "Glad we could put the past behind us."
I turned to leave but hesitated, a wicked thought creeping into my mind. Glancing over my shoulder, I added, "Oh, and tell Joe not to worry about Hana—she'll be fine."
Colt's scowl deepened. "What? What do you mean?"
I stretched lazily. "Well, you know, we had a great time this morning, and I'd love to spend more time with her."
Colt stiffened, his entire body radiating pure rage. "You? What the hell are you talking about?"
I shrugged. "I said what I said. Just don't forget to tell him."
His fists curled so tight his knuckles turned white. "She will NOT go with you!"
I grinned and waved him off. "It's not up to you."
Without another word, I turned on my heel, walked up the gangplank, and jumped onto the ship. Behind me, Colt's furious shouting faded into the background as I took my place on deck, smirking to myself.
En unhooked the boat from the mooring rod, and we began to row.
Hana came out on deck and waved goodbye. And while Thomas and the others smiled, Colt looked on with furious eyes. Yeah, I didn't think this would bring me so much pleasure.
But the most important thing–I can finally say that I left this stupid island.
Bye-bye, hope I will never see it again.
Finally, I am gonna do something that I want to do, and not something that I am forced to.
—
A storm raged inside me—disappointment, confusion, and a little fear. My mind was a mess.
I entered the 'inner world' and met Satoru sitting in a comfortable leather chair.
"Satoru... " My voice cracked for a second. "what should I do?"
Lounging like he had all the time in the world, Satoru studied me with a neutral expression. Then, with a sigh, he said, "You have to figure that out yourself."
My breath hitched. "I—I don't know."
He smirked, tilting his head. "You already gave yourself the answer. You just don't have the confidence to act on it."
I blinked. "What?"
"I can't decide for you. I don't care about them. You have to find the strength to act the way you want." He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "You already know how to control cursed energy. You have plenty of it. After all, you're in my body."
"So..." I hesitated, doubt gnawing at me.
Satoru's smirk faded slightly. "Listen, I don't know what it's like to doubt my own strength. I've been at the top since I was a kid. But you? You have to climb there yourself. You must build your confidence."
I stayed silent, absorbing his words.
He continued, his voice softer but firm. "You're already strong. So act like it. Do what you want to do."
I looked down, deep in thought.
"Those doubts," Satoru said, as if reading my thoughts, "aren't even yours. They're the voices of others—their expectations, their fears, their rules about who you should be. Screw that. Figure out what you want and act on it. You asked me to teach you how to become the strongest. Before it, you need to start thinking like the strongest."
I exhaled slowly. Something inside me stirred.
Satoru suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder. In a blink, the dim space disappeared.
We stood in a dense forest, surrounded by towering trees. In front of us was a massive rock, its surface rough and unyielding.
I frowned. "Why are we here?"
Satoru pointed at the rock. "Break it."
I blinked. "What? How? Like, why?"
He rolled his eyes. "Just hit it."
Uncertainty crept back in as I stepped forward. I clenched my fists, staring at the rock.
Satoru watched me. "Doubts running through your head again, huh?"
I hesitated before nodding. "Yeah... but I think I can do it."
Satoru sighed dramatically. "That's the problem. You still think like a normal guy. But you're not. Breaking this rock should be as easy as breathing."
I took a deep breath. Raised my fist. Gathered cursed energy. The moment I struck, my fist didn't just hit the rock—it went through it, shattering it into jagged pieces. The impact sent a shockwave through the forest.
I stared at my hand, then at the destroyed rock. My wide eyes screamed, I actually did it.
Satoru chuckled. "Now you're getting it. Now, go back to the real world and stop thinking like Allen who just stepped into university. Think like Allen, the guy who inherited my power. And don't worry… we'll work on it."
I clenched my fists, a new determination burning inside me. "Yeah… Thank you. Sensei."
—
We were a few kilometers out from the island, the ship's sails unfurled and catching the wind as it sailed toward the horizon I was aiming for.
For me, the island was already gone. It didn't matter to me anymore.
I settled on the bow, gazing out at the endless ocean. The wind roared, the waves surged, and with that, I left the past behind.
This is the beginning.
The beginning of my story.