The sky was bright as we left Little Garden behind. Emma pushed our small boat off the beach, and the waves carried us away from the island.
"Finally," I said, waving at the shore. "Goodbye, dinosaurs. I hope I never see you again."
Emma laughed. "You'll miss them."
"Not a chance," I said. "I'm done with giant lizards trying to eat me."
The wind filled the sail, and we started to move. For once, it was peaceful. No monsters, no fighting—just the sound of the ocean and the cry of birds.
"Let's never talk about the Grand Line again," I said, holding the side of the boat as it rocked.
Emma smiled. "You're the one who wanted adventure."
"I wanted fun adventure," I said. "Not the 'almost-died-five-times' kind."
She laughed. "Admit it—you like it."
"Exciting? I almost drowned! That's not fun, that's a nightmare!"
"Drama king," she said, shaking her head.
"Hey, being dramatic keeps me alive," I said.
For a few minutes, everything was calm. Then I looked at her and said, "So… Alabasta. That's our next stop, right?"
Emma checked the Eternal Pose she had taken from the Baroque Works camp. "Yep. It points straight there."
"Good," I said, relaxing. "Let's hope it stays quiet."
Then the boat made a long creaking sound.
"…What was that?" I asked.
Emma looked down. "That didn't sound good."
A thin crack opened along the bottom of the boat. Water started to leak in.
"Emma?"
"Yeah?"
"Please tell me this is normal."
"It's not," she said flatly.
Before we could do anything, the crack broke wider and the water rushed in. The boat began to sink.
"Emma! The water's coming in!" I yelled.
Then it hit me—the ocean. The second it touched my skin, I felt weak. My whole body went heavy. I couldn't move at all.
"Emma! I can't swim!" I shouted.
"I know! Hold on!" she said. She grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the shore. I could barely lift my head, just coughing and gasping as she dragged me through the water.
By the time we made it to land, I was half-dead. I fell face-first into the sand, breathing hard.
Emma dropped beside me. "If this keeps happening, we'll spend more time drowning than sailing."
"At least there aren't any dinosaurs this time," I said.
A deep roar came from the jungle.
"…I hate this world," I said.
Emma laughed. "Welcome to the Grand Line, Captain."
"Alright," I said, standing slowly. "Next stop… Alabasta."
Emma smiled and checked the Eternal Pose again. "You got it, Captain."
We walked into the jungle, our clothes still wet and heavy. The sand turned to thick mud that pulled at my boots with every step.
"Why does every island on the Grand Line hate me?" I muttered, swatting a giant bug.
Emma laughed. "You're exaggerating."
"Exaggerating? You saw the sea king! You saw the boat sink! And now this place is full of monster bugs!"
"At least it's not raining lava," she said.
I glared. "Don't say that! You'll jinx us!"
We walked for a long time, following the needle on the Eternal Pose. Finally, Emma stopped in a small clearing.
"Let's rest," she said. "You look like you're about to fall over."
"I'm not falling," I said, sitting down next to her. "I'm… heroically resting."
Then I heard a noise in the trees. I stand up. "Emma, did you hear that?"
She stood and pulled her blades from her back. "Yeah. And it's not friendly."
Two people stepped out from the shadows. Both wore dark cloaks and carried weapons.
"Baroque Works," Emma said quietly. "They followed us."
I groaned. "Of course they did. The world hates me."
One of the men ran toward us—and I moved without thinking. I threw my hand forward, and he flew backward like something invisible hit him.
Emma blinked. "Captain… what was that?"
I looked at my hand. "I think… I pushed him. Without touching him."
She nodded slowly. "That's your Devil Fruit, isn't it?"
"I think so," I said. "Vector control or something. I don't really understand it yet."
"Then you better learn fast," she said. "Don't let it get out of control."
I nodded, my hand still trembling. That strange power inside me pulsed again—wild and dangerous.
When we finally reached the edge of the jungle, the ocean stretched out in front of us. The sun shone bright, and the water looked calm.
"Finally," I said. "Something that's not trying to kill me."
Emma smiled. "Don't jinx it, Captain."
I sighed. "…Next stop, Alabasta."
She looked at the Eternal Pose and nodded. "You got it, Captain."