Honestly, he felt weird.
No—creeped out.
Watching someone's body stretch like rubber in real life was nothing like in anime. It wasn't just some cool visual effect—it was unnatural. The way Luffy's arms extended meters long, bending and whipping through the air like a slingshot, was so bizarre that Nexús almost felt his stomach churn.
"Holy shit… this is freaky."
He always knew Luffy's Devil Fruit ability was insane, but seeing it happen right in front of him—the way the rubber-like skin stretched, twisted, and snapped back with real force—felt so much more intense than just watching it on a screen.
The sheer absurdity of it made him freeze in place, his brain struggling to accept the reality of what he was witnessing.
Luffy, with his usual goofy yet determined grin, effortlessly dodged a massive axe swing from Morgan. The enormous blade crashed down onto the stone ground, splitting it apart as cracks spread beneath their feet.
The sound of impact was deafening.
"Holy shit, I'm really in One Piece."
That was the only thought running through his mind before—
A Marine suddenly flew straight at him.
"?!?"
His body reacted on instinct.
Before he could even think, he jerked backward, just barely dodging as the Marine slammed into the ground with a loud thud. A cloud of dust kicked up from the impact, making Nexús stumble a few steps back.
His heart pounded.
He hadn't even realized how close the fight had gotten to him. If he had been just a second slower, that guy would've crashed right into him.
And then—
Their eyes met.
Sharp. Piercing.
A single glance that made time feel like it had slowed down.
Zoro.
Nexús swallowed hard.
Standing just a few meters away was Roronoa Zoro. The man who would one day become the World's Greatest Swordsman.
Zoro's expression was unreadable, but his gaze lingered for just a second too long. His sharp, dark eyes seemed to be analyzing Nexús, sizing him up like he was trying to determine if he was a threat.
For that brief moment, Nexús felt like he was being seen through.
A chill ran down his spine.
"Wait. I know everything about them… but to them, I'm just a random guy."
The realization hit him like a truck.
"Shit. Zoro could literally kill me right now if he wanted to!"
Zoro didn't trust people easily. If Nexús made one wrong move, he might end up on the wrong side of that sword.
But before he could even process that fear—
A Marine suddenly lunged at him.
"YOU BASTARD—!!"
A blur of movement from the corner of his eye—someone charging straight at him.
Nexús barely had time to react.
His instincts screamed at him to dodge—
But the moment he tried to move—
The heavy weight on his wrists yanked him back.
"Shit! The handcuffs—!"
He had completely forgotten. His hands were still locked behind his back, restricting his movements.
The Marine's attack came too fast.
He had no time to think.
So he did the only thing he could.
At the very last second, instead of dodging, he stepped forward.
The Marine, expecting him to run, was caught off guard.
Nexús threw his entire body weight forward, ramming his shoulder straight into the Marine's stomach.
The impact knocked the air out of the guy's lungs. His attack, meant for Nexús's face, completely missed as he stumbled backward, wheezing.
Nexús didn't stop there.
With his hands still cuffed behind his back, he twisted his body and swung his leg up with full force, delivering a brutal knee strike to the Marine's chin.
A sickening crack echoed through the air.
The Marine's head snapped back, and he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
Nexús staggered back, breathing hard.
His heart raced. His mind whirled.
"I… actually pulled that off?!"
He had never fought anyone in his life. Yet somehow, his body had moved on its own.
Maybe it was instinct. Maybe all those years of watching action scenes had drilled something into his brain.
He didn't know.
And right now—
It didn't matter.
Because this fight wasn't over.
His body moved before he could think.
Everything felt unnaturally smooth. His movements—his reactions—they weren't normal.
With his hands still cuffed behind his back, Nexús had no way to defend himself the way a normal person would. So he didn't fight like one.
Instead, he relied on every fight scene he had ever watched—every martial arts move, every dirty trick from action movies and anime—and applied them in real life.
And somehow… it worked.
The first Marine charged at him, fist raised, aiming straight for his head.
"Don't block—dodge."
Nexús twisted his body at the last second, barely slipping past the punch. The wind from the attack brushed against his cheek, but he was already countering.
He stepped forward into the Marine's space, twisting his upper body sharply—
And smashed his forehead straight into the guy's nose.
CRACK!
Blood sprayed as the Marine stumbled backward, clutching his face.
"Headbutts are OP in movies, right?" Nexús thought, slightly dizzy from the impact but still standing. "Yeah. That worked."
But there was no time to celebrate—another Marine lunged at him from the side.
Nexús reacted instantly, jumping into the air and twisting his entire body—
His legs whipped around, delivering a brutal spinning kick to the guy's temple.
The Marine's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Two down.
His breathing was uneven, but his body…
It felt light. Powerful.
"Damn… this OC of mine is actually busted."
He could feel it.
The strength, the speed, the flexibility—this body wasn't normal. He was pulling off moves that should have been impossible for an average office worker like him.
"No way I should be fighting like this."
Another Marine rushed him with a sword.
Nexús's instincts screamed—move!
But with his hands still tied, he couldn't block—so he dropped low instead.
The blade whistled through the air right above his head.
Without missing a beat, he kicked off the ground, ramming his shoulder into the Marine's gut, sending him staggering back.
Before the guy could recover, Nexús followed up with a rising knee strike, smashing into his chin.
The Marine's head snapped back, and he collapsed.
Three down.
"What the hell is happening to me?!"
His heart pounded. His blood felt hot.
He felt… excited.
A wild, almost electric feeling surged through his body. His vision was sharper, his reflexes faster than ever.
His head burned.
"Adrenaline?" he wondered, but deep down, he felt like it was something else.
Another Marine came at him with a baton, swinging hard—too hard.
"Too predictable."
Nexús leaned back, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Then, before the Marine could swing again, he darted forward, twisted his body—
And slammed his foot into the Marine's wrist.
The baton flew from his grip, clattering onto the ground.
Nexús didn't hesitate. He spun around, swinging his other foot up—
And delivered a brutal roundhouse kick to the Marine's head.
The man dropped instantly.
Four down.
More were coming.
But Nexús was grinning.
He had never fought before in his life. Yet here he was, taking down trained Marines while handcuffed.
And for some reason…
He was having fun.
....
Zoro's POV
What the hell is with this guy?
That was the only thought running through Zoro's head as he watched the white-haired bastard go completely feral on a group of Marines—with his hands still cuffed behind his back.
It wasn't just that the guy could fight. It was how he fought.
Unorthodox. Messy. Reckless.
But also… weirdly effective.
Zoro had seen all kinds of fighters in his life—swordsmen, brawlers, martial artists, even those weirdos who relied on dirty tricks. But this guy?
He was using everything.
Headbutts, kicks, body slams—hell, the bastard even drop-kicked a Marine straight in the face like it was a damn wrestling match.
And the worst part?
He was enjoying it.
Zoro narrowed his eyes as he dodged an incoming attack, slicing down another Marine in one clean motion. His focus should've been on his own fight, but he couldn't ignore that lunatic in white.
The guy was grinning.
Like this was the best day of his life.
Like he wasn't outnumbered, handcuffed, and should've been getting his ass kicked.
"Tch. What a pain."
Another Marine came at him—Zoro easily blocked the strike, countering with a quick slash that sent the guy crumpling to the ground.
But his eyes flickered back to the white-haired freak.
The guy was moving strangely. His stance was all over the place—sometimes light and nimble, sometimes throwing his entire body weight into a hit. It didn't look like any martial art Zoro had seen before.
Yet somehow… it worked.
Zoro watched as the bastard dropped under a sword swing at the last second, then lunged forward, ramming his shoulder into the Marine's gut.
Before the guy could recover, a brutal knee strike smashed into his chin.
Damn. That had to hurt.
"Where the hell did this guy even come from?"
Zoro didn't remember seeing him before. And he sure as hell didn't remember someone this crazy running around Shells Town.
But what really threw him off—
Was that feeling.
That weird, tingling pressure in the air.
Like the guy was giving off something… unnatural.
Zoro wasn't the type to think too hard about things like that. But his instincts were screaming at him that this guy wasn't normal.
And that grin on his face—
That wild, almost feverish excitement.
Zoro exhaled through his nose, rolling his shoulders as he cut down another opponent.
"Guess I'll figure it out later."
For now, he had his own fight to finish.
....
Luffy'sPOV
Luffy grinned as Morgan hit the ground, unconscious.
"That takes care of that!"
He straightened up, stretching his arms with satisfaction. The Marines around him were either knocked out or too scared to fight back. Shells Town was finally free from that jerk.
"LUFFY!"
He turned his head just in time to see Coby running toward him, face full of relief and admiration.
"You did it! Captain Morgan is defeated!"
"Of course!" Luffy laughed, placing his hands on his hips. "I'm strong, y'know!"
Zoro, who was now free from his restraints, walked over, resting a sword on his shoulder. "Heh, that was a good hit," he admitted with a small smirk.
Before Luffy could respond, he finally noticed him.
A white-haired guy, standing off to the side, completely ignoring all the chaos around him.
The dude was just casually dusting off his clothes like he hadn't just been in a brawl.
Luffy tilted his head.
"Huh? Who's that?"
Coby blinked. "Eh? I... I don't know?"
Zoro, who had already been watching the guy earlier, narrowed his eyes. Something about him was weird.
The guy didn't seem interested in them at all. Which was strange, considering he had just fought through a bunch of Marines like a maniac.
But now?
He acted completely nonchalant, like he had nothing to do with any of this.
Even as some of the freed townspeople whispered about him, even as some Marines glared at him suspiciously—he just stood there, pretending not to notice.
Luffy scratched his chin, intrigued.
So he walked right up to him.
"Hey, who are you?"
The white-haired guy barely reacted. He glanced at Luffy, then at Zoro, then at Coby—before shrugging.
"...Just passing through," he said flatly.
Luffy blinked.
Zoro frowned. "Bullshit."
Coby looked confused. "Wait, but weren't you just fighting the Marines too?"
The guy sighed dramatically, looking like he couldn't be more uninterested.
"I dunno what you're talking about," he said, turning slightly like he was about to leave. "I was just defending myself."
Zoro twitched.
"Defending yourself? My ass—"
Luffy just grinned wider.
He didn't know why, but this guy was funny.Luffy stared at the white-haired guy for a moment, then suddenly grinned.
"You're pretty strong, huh?"
The guy paused mid-step.
For just a second, there was a flicker of something in his blue eyes—like amusement, or maybe irritation—before it was gone.
He exhaled through his nose. "Not really."
Zoro scoffed. "Tch. Don't lie." He crossed his arms, still eyeing the guy suspiciously. "I saw you. You were taking out Marines left and right like it was nothing. While handcuffed."
Coby gasped. "W-Wait, handcuffed?!" He looked back and forth between them in shock.
The guy just shrugged. "They attacked me first," he said lazily, as if that explained everything.
Luffy laughed. "So you're strong! You should join my crew!"
That actually got a reaction.
For the first time, the guy fully turned to look at Luffy. His expression was a mix of confusion and disbelief—like Luffy had just said something insane.
"…Hah?"
Zoro sighed, shaking his head. "Here we go again."
Coby panicked. "L-Luffy, you can't just invite random people!"
But Luffy ignored them, stepping closer.
"You're strong, and you look cool! Plus, you took down Marines even with your hands tied!" He tilted his head.
"You'd make a great pirate!"
The guy's face twitched.
Then, he burst out laughing.
Not the normal kind of laugh either—a dry, almost exhausted laugh, like he just heard the dumbest thing in the world.
"You…" He shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're really just like in the anime, huh?" he muttered under his breath.
Luffy blinked. "Eh? Anime?"
The guy instantly froze.
For a moment, he looked like he had just realized he said something he shouldn't have.
But instead of panicking, he quickly cleared his throat and waved a hand. "Ah, I mean—forget it. You just reminded me of someone."
Zoro narrowed his eyes at him, now even more suspicious.
Luffy, however, just laughed. "That's weird, but whatever! You still haven't answered—wanna join my crew?"
The guy sighed again, harder this time.
"Nope."
Luffy pouted. "Why not?"
"Not interested."
"But you'd be a great pirate!"
"I'd rather not."
"Then what are you gonna do?"
The guy paused.
For the first time, he actually looked unsure. Like he hadn't thought that far ahead.
Luffy grinned. He saw his chance.
"Then come with us!"
The guy groaned.
"You're persistent, huh?"
Zoro smirked. "You have no idea."
The white-haired guy just rubbed his temple,
....
"This guy is insane."
That was the first thought Nexús had when Luffy bluntly invited him to be a pirate.
He wasn't even mad—just caught completely off guard.
He had spent years watching One Piece, imagining what it would be like to live in this world, to meet these characters. And now?
It was happening.
And yet, when Luffy asked, his dumbass brain panicked and rejected him on instinct.
His face remained neutral, but internally, he was screaming.
'WHAT AM I DOING?! I WANTED THIS!'
He had no plan, no money, no clue where to go. This was a literal golden ticket to adventure!
But instead of acting normal, he had to go and play it cool.Now Luffy was just standing there, staring at him with that stupidly optimistic grin.
Zoro, on the other hand, looked at him like he was one wrong move away from cutting him down.
And Coby? Well, Coby just looked stressed.
Nexús sighed dramatically, rubbing his temple.
"You're persistent, huh?"
Zoro smirked. "You have no idea."
"No kidding."
But deep down, he was relieved. Luffy wasn't the type to give up on someone easily.
Which meant…
'I still have a chance to fix my dumb mistake.'
He acted like he was thinking, crossing his arms and looking at the sky. "...Tch. I guess I don't really have anywhere else to go."
Luffy immediately lit up. "So you're coming?!"
Nexús pretended to hesitate. He couldn't make it too easy, after all.
"...Fine."
"YOSHAAA!!" Luffy cheered, throwing his fists up.
Coby's jaw dropped. "L-Luffy, he was just arrested—"
Zoro just huffed, giving Nexús a long, unreadable look. "You better not slow us down."
Nexús smirked, tilting his head. "Guess you'll have to wait and see, huh?"
Zoro did not like that answer.
"Hold out your hands," the swordsman suddenly said, gripping one of his swords.
Nexús blinked. "Huh?"
"The cuffs."
Oh. Right.
He lifted his arms, and with a swift motion, Zoro's blade sliced clean through the chains. The broken metal clattered to the ground.
Nexús kept his expression completely neutral.
But internally?
'OH MY GOD ZORO JUST FREED ME—HIS SWORD WAS SO CLOSE—HOLY SHIT I'M GONNA PASS OUT—'
"Done," Zoro muttered, sheathing his sword like it was nothing.
Nexús nodded stiffly. "Cool. Thanks."
Cool.
He just acted like having one of the greatest swordsmen in the world cut metal near his wrists was NO BIG DEAL.
Meanwhile, his soul had already left his body.
Luffy, meanwhile, was already celebrating like they had won something.
"Alright! Now let's get outta here before more Marines show up!"
As they all turned to leave, Nexús finally let himself smile a little.