Chapter 31
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, surprise, I don't own it.
Chapter 16– Times Are Changing.
-----------------------------------
"D-Detoro-Kun, are you okay? That must have hurt. Let's go get you checked out by the nurse," Mummy Mee says after she leaves her state of shock at the actions of Marine Captain Nezumi, quickly running over to help me to my feet. She obviously thinks that I am still on the floor because of his weak kick, but his kick was way too soft to actually hurt me. All it could do was move me back.
And because my body was weary from the hardcore training I had been doing all day, his weak little kick managed to make me fall onto my hands and knees. And such exaggerated movements from my already battered body made me scream in pain from the sudden pressure placed on my already strained body.
"It is fine, Mummy Mee. Plus, I don't think you should help me like that. Captain Nezumi might not like it." So I say as I let her help me to my feet, needing the aid since my muscles burned and slightly spasmed. However, I refused her offer to take me to the nurse since she is employed and paid using the funds given by the World Government, and receiving aid from her would be going against the new rules enforced upon the orphanage by Nezumi.
Captain Nezumi is a weak man for definite, but he is still in a position of authority. An authority that can place this orphanage in jeopardy, so as much as I might want to go after him and kick his ass, I can't. Mummy Mee and Daddy Dee love this orphanage and all the children here, they put their all into it, and I can't be the reason for them closing down all so I can get some brief satisfaction.
"Detoro-Kun... I am sorry. I really don't want to, but I need to think about all of the children here. They have no place to go, and we are the only home they have ever known. They need us, and-" She tries to explain, and I can see her eyes fighting off tears as she does so. She is clearly in a challenging position and only left with a single option, and I don't blame her.
"I said it is fine, didn't I? Don't worry about me, Mummy. I learnt quite a lot on my journey, and I can fend for myself easily. I can forage, I can cook, I can work, and I can work hard. So I will be fine, trust me." I cut her off, trying to ease her worries. Because it is true, I lived fine on Troga with no money whatsoever, and while admittedly, Garp was there, that island was perilous. In comparison, this island is easy mode. I can easily hunt the weak animals here and cook them, there are fruits in the trees, and I can cut down the trees myself to use them for repairs.
"Detoro... you really are special, aren't you?" Mummy Mee suddenly kneels down and grabs me by my shoulder, and turns me to look at her. Her eyes are full of sincerity and warmth, as well as an amazement that I am surprised to see, finding myself lost for words.
"You have always been different, Detoro. If this were any of the other kids in your situation, then I would be very scared and worried. But you have always been clever, Detoro, you are very clever. You learn to walk before the others, to talk. You have always been ahead of the curved and very advanced for your age. I know you will be fine, Detoro. You are strong." She says, expressing her belief in me. Her faith is that I can handle this and that I am more than capable of besting the situation.
She is right. I am different from the others. I remember my previous life, after all. Of course, I don't have any of the emotions or feelings attached to those memories, but even so, I have that knowledge. I have those memories, but they were put to the side and forgotten about when I realised that I was in a peaceful village. My life was pleasant, easy and fun. Even training with Garp was a decision I made myself, and nothing was forced upon me. Nobody was harsh or malicious to me.
But that has changed, and now I realise this world is not as nice as I first thought it was, what with all the genocide and corrupt marines. I no longer have time to enjoy myself as a carefree young child. I need to grow up and start living seriously. I can handle being alone, providing for myself and building my own house.
"I will not be coming back to this orphanage, ever. But, if you ever need to find me, for whatever reason, you know where I will be. Goodbye, Mummy Mee. Tell Daddy Dee I said goodbye as well." And so, leaving her with those parting words, I leave her office without looking back. I will not be coming back here, this is my past, and I am moving into the future.
I don't need money to survive, and it is a nice thing to have, sure. But more important than money is actual strength. With strength, you don't have to worry about money. So going into the future, I will be focusing still on my training and becoming even stronger.
With my new resolution in place, I slowly make my way back home to my isolated house on the beach to find George sitting outside of my home, looking at me expectantly. I wondered why for a moment before remembering that I promised to bring him some unique fruits to eat as well as food for myself. My stomach rumbles to remind me of my hunger, having forgotten about it after my run-in with Nezumi.
I did not get the money like I planned to buy the food, and while I do have some still hidden in my house, that is for emergencies only and for supplies that I cannot source myself. So I apologise to George, who seems to realise that something must have happened, and I peel the leftover fruits we have from Troga for the both of us to eat.
And then, with my stomach full, I go to bed, resolved to start providing for myself tomorrow. My training can be put on hold or minimised until I am self-sufficient and taking proper care of myself.
-----------------------------------
The following day I got out of bed feeling a lot better, my body had healed quite a lot during the night, and the bruises that were dark purple yesterday were now a light purple that was beginning to fade. Of course, my body still hurt, but now it was manageable, and it would not keep me from performing any of the tasks I intended to do today.
Immediately setting about my day after I get ready, taking a quick dip in the ocean, cleaning myself up and putting on my clothes, I walk out of my house. I ignore George, who is slumbering away underneath the shade of a tree, and I walk straight past him into the forest. I scramble around for twigs and branches that have fallen from the trees, collecting all that I can and then bringing them home, but after looking through them, I realise that none were optimal for what I wanted, neither straight nor rigid enough.
I go back into the forest, and instead of foraging around this time, I leap up towards a tree and wrap my hands around one of the thin branches and rip it away before landing back on the ground. With that done, I go back to the beach and start to look around the rocky area, and after finding a particularly sharp-edged rock, I walk back to my home.
Sitting down, I grab my sharp rock and my thin branch and start to shave away the wood, slowly but surely whittling it down and starting to give it shape. Then, working away until I had sharpened it down to a very dangerous point and crafting myself a wooden spear which I would use henceforth to feed myself.
At first, I had planned to hunt for animals on the island, hoping to catch some big game since my appetite has since gone up after training on Troga, but I realised that was unrealistic. This is a peaceful island, and never once had I heard of any animals attacking the villages or generally being a nuisance. Obviously, there would be none of the big meaty animals I was looking for, or they would be fenced up and adequately farmed. So instead, I would probably only find small animals and the like, which would not be able to fill my belly.
This is why I turned to the other veritable source of food that was nearby and which was coincidentally right next to my house. Taking off my clothes, I strip down to just some underwear before walking into the shallow depths of the ocean, my spear at the ready to pierce anything I see swimming around. I wade through the shallows keeping my eyes peeled for any fish, but all I see are itty bitty little things that won't fill me in the slightest.
I look out at the ocean, and I want to dive in there and find the bigger, more filling fish, but I find myself faltering at my first step. When I look out at that big expansive blue sea, I remember all the things lurking beneath its surface, just waiting to snap up and eat me. Those giant Seakings that numbered in the hundreds and they were this size of literal islands, and if you weren't paddling fast enough, then you would be attacked because there was no air for the sails to-
Right, there was no wind there. It was completely calm and silent, the sea itself without the slightest ripple. But here there is wind, it is an entirely different place, and I saw a few different Seakings in my journey before reaching the windless zone, and they were all relatively small in comparison to those behemoths. They were around the size of a small boat, which was still quite big, but I felt like I would be able to fend them off. Plus, I saw all of those near the deep ocean; there are probably none this close to an island.
Feeling emboldened, I jump hands first into the ocean and begin to swim out into the more bottomless sea, keeping an eye out just in case. Diving down underneath the surface of the water, I open my eyes to look out into the depths, and I see numerous aquatic creatures floating all around me, some looking quite normal and some looking bizarre as all hell. I think I will avoid the more weird things, not wanting to eat anything that might have an ill effect, and also because they look a bit gross and not really tasty.
Spotting a big regular-looking fish, I thrust my wooden spear forward, impaled it through its side, and quickly made my way back to the beach, wanting to reap my rewards immediately. Getting back onto the beach, I realise pretty quickly that I can't eat the fish raw and I need to cook it, so I plant my spear down and dig it into the stand, allowing it to stand up with the fish stuck to the end.
I source some rocks and quickly set them in a circle on the beach, really digging them into the sand before gathering some of the twigs and wood I found earlier to use as kindling for the fire and placing them in the stone circle. Remembering how Garp used to get fires started on Troga, I ended up giving it a try myself, thinking it was not that difficult. First, I pick up two rocks in each of my hands, and then I just start to slam them together continuously, clashing them together, again and again, constantly creating sparks that litter down onto the twigs.
None of them caught light, but I wasn't expecting them to do so straight away. I remember when Garp did this, his hands were a blur, and it looked like there was fire raining down from his hands with how quick he did it. Even if I am not as efficient as him, the method itself still works, and I continue to smash the rocks together, producing sparks that continually pour down onto the kindling, until finally, after dozens of clashes, it finally works, and I have a campfire.
Grabbing my spear, I heft it over the fire and start to cook my fish, it won't be the tastiest thing in existence, but it will suffice. This is how I will be eating for the foreseeable future. George mainly eats fruits and vegetables, so he will also be fine. We can just pluck them from the surrounding trees, though he does have a nasty habit of eating all sorts of little bugs and creepy crawlies.
Yeah, he will be fine, as will I.