Osamu woke up warm.
Too warm.
He blinked once, then again, and realized his face was pressed into something soft that definitely wasn't a pillow. An arm was draped across his chest, another tangled around his waist, and when he tried to move, someone groaned and tightened their grip.
"…What the hell," he muttered.
He opened one eye.
Three women.
All adults. All strangers. All asleep in various states of post-celebration exhaustion. Empty mugs and discarded coats littered the floor, and the smell of alcohol still hung in the air.
Osamu stared at the ceiling for a long moment.
"…I really need to stop drinking with civilians."
Carefully—very carefully—he untangled himself, sliding out from the bed like a thief escaping a crime scene. He pulled on his clothes, rubbed his face, and stepped outside into the cool morning air.
The harbor was already awake.
The Straw Hats' small ship bobbed gently at the dock. Luffy was arguing with a fisherman about directions. Zoro stood with arms crossed, eyes closed but very much awake. Nami was counting coins, expression serene.
And the Marines—
The Marines stood in formation.
Osamu paused.
Every Marine stationed at Shells Town stood straight-backed, rifles polished, eyes forward. At the front was Koby, uniform still a little too big, fists clenched at his sides.
As Luffy stepped onto the plank, Koby took a breath and shouted, voice clear and shaking only a little.
"MARINES—SALUTE!"
Rifles snapped up.
The sound echoed across the water.
Luffy froze, then grinned so wide it looked like it might split his face. He waved enthusiastically. "Bye, Koby!"
Koby swallowed hard, eyes bright, jaw set.
"I'll become a great Marine," he said. "Strong enough to stop pirates like you."
Luffy laughed. "Good luck!"
Osamu watched quietly.
That's resolve, he thought. Not power. That comes later.
As the ship pulled away, Koby remained at attention until they were out of sight.
The sea stretched open before them.
East Blue felt… bigger now.
The journey toward Orange Town was calmer than Osamu expected.
Luffy ate.Zoro slept.Nami steered with casual confidence.
Osamu sat near the mast, a stack of paper balanced on his knees, charcoal moving almost on its own.
[Mangaka System: Active]
The world dulled around him again—not disappearing, just… lowering priority.
Nobody questioned it.
He was already deep into Naruto Volume 3.
He drew the aftermath of the Land of Waves arc—the weight settling in after battle. Naruto standing in the snow, fists clenched, screaming at Haku's corpse. Zabuza's broken resolve. A villain crying not for himself, but for someone else.
Osamu paused there longer than necessary.
"…Yeah," he murmured. "That part still hurts."
He moved on to Volume 4.
Training under Kakashi. Tree-walking. Failure after failure. Naruto falling, swearing, standing back up with teeth bared and pride bleeding through the cracks.
The bridge.The mist.The first real taste of what it meant to fight someone who wanted you dead.
His hand cramped. He ignored it.
By the time he finished three volumes, the sun had shifted noticeably.
[Distribution Protocol Ready]
Osamu exhaled.
"Do it."
Far above the ship, birds cried.
Bundles vanished into the sky, carried away to places Osamu would never see. The story left his hands and became something else—something alive in the world.
A quiet pressure rolled through his chest.
Not pain.
Growth.
[Sukuna Template Resonance Increased][Synchronization: +5%][Current Level: 15%]
Osamu stiffened, teeth clenching as a darker presence stirred. Strength pressed against his senses—violent, eager, impatient.
For half a second, the sea looked breakable.
He inhaled slowly.
"…No," he whispered. "Not today."
The presence receded, satisfied—for now.
He rolled his shoulders and stood, wiping charcoal from his fingers.
Luffy looked up. "You done drawing?"
"Yeah," Osamu said. "For now."
Nami glanced over. "You're weirdly productive."
"Habit," he replied.
He reached into the system shop without a flicker of hesitation.
[System Shop Purchase]Item: Chocolate Bar (Snickers)]Cost: 15 Belly × 4
He tossed one to Luffy, one to Zoro, one to Nami.
"What's this?" Luffy asked, already unwrapping it.
"Eat it," Osamu said.
Luffy did.
"…THIS IS AMAZING!"
Zoro chewed thoughtfully. "Sweet."
Nami raised an eyebrow. "You can just… make these?"
"Something like that," Osamu said lightly. "Trade secret."
The ship cut through the water, wind snapping the sail as Orange Town drew closer.
Somewhere ahead waited Buggy the Clown.
Somewhere else, children were opening manga volumes and dreaming of ninjas.
Osamu leaned against the railing, watching the horizon.
The sea moved on.
So did he.