The Boy with the Straw Hat

There was darkness everywhere. Pitch black without a single ray of light. And somehow, a young boy was swimming as if searching for something, as if figuring out where he was.

"Strange. I have been at it for so long and I still don't feel a thing. No fatigue, no pain. What is this place?" Seth murmured to himself.

It had been hours since he was here but for some reason, no matter how far he travelled, the scenery never changes.

There was nothing. Nothing at all. Not even air or water and somehow he was still swimming in that space.

(How long should I go on like this?)

Just then he saw something like a small dot of light in front of him. Seth started swimming towards it in hopes that that was the place where he could get the answers to his questions.

As he advanced, the light grew bigger and bigger and when he reached his destination there was an altar made of stone, atop which was floating, a feather, white as snow with a tinge of brownish hue at the extremes and giving off such a brilliance which illuminated the dark space.

Seth approached the altar and held out his hand to hold the feather. There was nervousness in his heart for he didn't know if it was alright to touch it. But if he needed an answer, if he wanted to get out, this feather was the only clue he had.

Touch!

A soft, delicate sensation felt on his fingertips like it was the softest thing he had touched his entire life. But the sensation didn't hold long. He was suddenly engulfed by the white light, following which a shock went through his body as a huge volume of information flowed directly into his brain.

"Arghh!!!!!!!!!" He shouted, gritting his teeth as hard as he could to remain conscious but the pain was excruciating. Data after data poured firing every neuron in his brain, and he felt like his brain was about to explode.

With every second, the pain just doubled, killing him over and over again. It was getting hard to maintain his sanity, God knows how he was able to bear all that.

After few minutes, it stopped. It was over. Transfer of information was complete. But Seth just sat there, not moving an inch, as if he was lifeless, and remained like that.

-:- Scene Change -:-

Seth opened his eyes to find himself in an unknown room with sea green walls. He was lying on a bed like a sick person.

(I must have passed out)

He looked at his palms feeling the new force that was within him.

(This is the power of the Devil Fruit. It feels so different. Even though it is a simple Zoan fruit, the extent to which to its power can be manifested is scary. It's like a cheat. The awakening that I have read so much in the Oda's manga. It simply breaks the rule of the three classes.)

The fruit he ate was the Owl - Owl fruit making Seth an Owlman. Though it may seem like a normal Zoan fruit, the scope of its abilities was wide and amazing.

Seth got down and went out into the hall where he saw an old man sitting on a chair knitting what seemed like a shirt.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where am I?"

The old man looked at Seth and smiled "I see you woke up. I was getting worried here."

"I am Johnny. You can call me Uncle Johnny and you are at my house."

"But why am I at your house? How did I get here?"

"Makino found you unconscious at the shore. She brought you here. But she has a bar to run so she couldn't wait for you come round."

Makino? Bar? The name was familiar. He knew of a person from the manga with the same name and who also ran a bar.

"So Uncle what is the name of this place?"

"Hehe. You come here and you don't know the name of this place" the old man laughed "It's Foosha Village." But suddenly as if remembering something, the old man turned serious and asked, "Don't tell me you are pirate?"

"No, no at all. I am just a regular human. Actually I fell from my ship and was washed here."

(So this really is the Luffy's hometown. So this Makino girl is really the Makino from the anime.)

"Oho, then you must have had a hard time, didn't you? By the way the bathroom's in the back and you have to fill the drum with water" after saying the old uncle went back to knitting the shirt.

Seeing that as the signal, Seth turned to move towards the bathroom. But before he could exit, he was stopped.

"After you are done, take that bag to Makino" the old man said pointing to a small bag lying on a chair nearby, "She forgot it here when she came to drop you. For address, it is quite some distance from here. You can ask anyone for directions" and the old man went back to his work.

Seth nodded and left the room.

-:- Scene Change -:-

"This should be it" Seth said looking at a big house near him. The name clearly reflected "Partys Bar". The bar looked exactly the same as he remembered from the anime. The favourite place of all pirates. The place where Luffy would usually hang out.

The door was opened and just as Seth entered the bar, he saw the crowd of pirates and townspeople enjoying, laughing and fighting for rum and food.

(Such a lively place)

A little to the front he could see the counter and a young lady standing there serving the customers. That was Makino, exactly as he remembered from the series.

But Seth's eyes weren't fixed on her but on the young boy sitting near her who was busy devouring the meat on his plate.

(He's here)

The person who brings a storm to this Pirate Age. He who is destined to become the next King. The main protagonist. The Boy with the Straw Hat.