I finally broke through the last of the trees and stepped onto a beach.
White sand. Crystal-clear water. Sun high in the sky.
"Good view." I muttered, shading my eyes with one hand.
This place, wherever it was, had its charm.
But the peaceful moment didn't last long. My stomach let out a low growl, reminding me I hadn't eaten since… well, since I'm here.
I looked around. Not far off were a few banana trees, and even further up the beach, some tall coconut palms.
'Good enough.' I thought, already walking over.
I grabbed what I could carry, some bananas, knocked down a couple coconuts, and cracked one open against a rock.
I sat down in the shade and started eating what I'd gathered.
After a few bites, the hunger faded.
That's when I figured… it was time to test something.
I stood, walked toward the shoreline, and stepped into the water.
At first, just my feet, then my knees, until I was waist-deep in the sea. I took a breath, glanced down at the clear surface, and let myself sink beneath it.
The moment my head slipped under, I knew.
'I can breathe, as suspected.'
I started swimming, and instantly, I shot forward.
'Damn… I'm fast.'
After a few minutes of testing myself underwater, I surfaced again and stepped back onto the beach, water sliding off my skin.
I began walking along the coastline, hoping to find a port or any sign of activity. After some time, I spotted a ship in the distance. 'Finally, an ounce of civilization' I thought, before diving back into the water and swimming toward it.
Thanks to my aquatic abilities, it didn't take long to reach the boat. I remained partially submerged, just enough to observe without being noticed. As I approached, I overheard voices from the deck.
"Damn, did you read that, Bob?! They caught Gold Roger!" one voice shouted.
"No way. I never thought they'd manage it." another replied.
From this brief exchange, I was able to draw a clear conclusion,I had been transported into the world of One Piece, sometime around the period of Gol D. Roger's capture, which marks the very beginning of the Great Pirate Era.
This confirmed not only where I was but also provided a general timeframe within the One Piece timeline.
With that in my mind, I quietly made my move.
I swam around to the side of the ship, found a rope hanging down the hull, and started to climb
I didn't make a sound.
'You never know who you might run into in a world like this.' I thought. 'It's so strange to think that I'm in a fictional world, but I have to face the facts.'
When I reached the edge, I peeked just over the railing.
Two men were on deck, casually talking near a stack of crates, both facing away from me. No sign of a full crew, this was my chance.
I climbed onto the ship and didn't waste a second.
I sprinted straight toward the nearest man, short, clearly not expecting anything. Before he could turn fully, I grabbed him by the back of the neck and yanked him off his feet.
He struggled, kicked, tried to shout, but my grip was locked. No way he was breaking out of it.
"It's nothing personal." I said, locking eyes with the other guy, bigger, bulkier. "I just need some information."
The big one stepped back, hand twitching near his belt, probably thinking about grabbing a weapon. His face twisted in a mix of shock and anger.
"Goddamn, filth of a fishman, what the hell do you want?" he barked.
"I want to know where we are." I said calmly "and while we're at it, I need clothes."
"Tss… We're in East Blue." He growled. "Not far from Loguetown. And for the clothes, check the cabin over there."
'East Blue, huh?' I thought to myself. 'The weakest of the four seas… that means these guys probably aren't much of a threat.'
With that in mind, I released the man I had been holding. He dropped, hitting the deck with a hard thud, gasping for air as he clutched at his neck.
"Good." I said, turning to both of them. "Now don't try anything stupid. If you do, I'll be forced to kill you."
They didn't respond, just stared, frozen, wide-eyed.
I walked across the deck toward the cabin, still dripping a bit from the sea, still barefoot and in nothing but my boxers.
'Time to find something more appropriate.'
I started rummaging through the cabinets, most of the stuff was either old, stained, or just plain ugly. But after a bit of digging, I managed to pull together something decent.
A clean pair of trousers, a belt. No polos or T-shirts, that just wasn't happening. Found a white dress shirt, wide enough to accommodate my back and let my dorsal fin free. I tossed a tie around my neck, tightened it, and finally, a pair of black Oxfords that weren't too worn out.
'Perfect' I thought, checking myself in a small cracked mirror on the wall. 'I feel a little more like myself like this.'
I stepped out of the cabin, fully dressed now.
I turned my attention back to the two guys on deck.
"You." I said, pointing to the smaller one I'd grabbed earlier. "What's your name?"
He straightened up slightly, still rubbing his neck. "I'm Tod."
I looked at the other guy. "So that makes you Bob."
He nodded slowly, clearly still unsure whether I was about to kill him or not.
Then Tod asked. "And you? What should we call you?"
I paused.
Marco, that was my name. But that name was already taken here. I didn't want that confusion.
This was my chance to put the past behind me for good. Marco was dead. That life, that world, gone.
I ran a hand across my face and sighed.
'What about Orca? Maybe a little too simple for me.'
Too obvious.
No... I need something else.
"…Caius." I finally said.
"You can call me Caius."