67 Chapter 67

On the shores of a sparsely populated island in the first half of the Grand Line, a man stood in serene stillness, his figure silhouetted against the backdrop of the vast, shimmering sea. Though his sightless eyes remained closed, only the whites were visible beneath his eyelids. He seemed to absorb the beauty of his surroundings through some other sense.

The man appeared to be in his late twenties, yet there was a certain wisdom etched into the lines of his face, as if he had lived far beyond his years. An X-shaped scar marred the left side of his forehead; its presence was a testament to some profound decisions he had made in the past. It stretched over both eyes, a stark reminder of his self-inflicted blindness.

Despite his lack of sight, there was an air of tranquility about him, as if he had found solace in his darkness. His short, dark hair framed his face, while a mustache and beard added a touch of ruggedness to his countenance. He stood tall and imposing, clad in a light-purple yukata secured by a dark purple belt, the colors of his attire mirroring the hues of twilight. Over his shoulders draped a cloak of the same shade, its fabric billowing gently in the sea breeze.

In his hand, he held a shikomizue, a Japanese swordstick that doubled as a cane, its polished surface gleaming softly in the sunlight. With each step, he moved with purpose, guided by an innate sense of direction honed through years of adaptation to his blindness. His feet were encased in geta sandals, their wooden soles echoing softly against the sandy shore.

White bandages wrapped around both of his forearms, a testament to battles fought and wounds endured. Handguards adorned both of his hands, a silent reminder of the strength that lay beneath his seemingly tranquil exterior.

As he stood on the edge of the shore, a sense of serenity enveloped him, his presence a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity in this cruel world . Despite the challenges he had faced in his life, he remained steadfast, a silent guardian of the weak and the vulnerable. His gaze turned towards the small wooden cabin that just lay a few hundred meters from the shoreline, as if anticipating the next chapter of his journey.

As Issho stood on the tranquil shores, his mind wandered back to the young teen he had rescued from the jaws of a monstrous sea king just a month prior. The memory of finding the boy, barely clinging to life, stirred something deep within him. Despite his blindness, Issho's advanced Observation Haki had allowed him to sense the direness of the teen's condition.

When he discovered the unconscious form of the boy, his heart sank. A gaping hole marred the teen's neck and chest, and a chunk of his heart was missing, a testament to the ferocity of the life threatening battle that the child must have endured. But even in the face of such grievous wounds, the teen's grip on his sword remained steadfast, a symbol of defiance against the cruel hand of fate.

Issho had acted swiftly, using every ounce of his medical knowledge he and the fellow residents of the island possessed and the limited resources available on the island to tend to the boy's injuries. Day after day, he watched over him, marveling at the resilience of the human spirit as the teen fought against the looming specter of death.

Despite the odds stacked against him, the teen's heart continued to beat with unwavering determination, a testament to his indomitable will. It was as if he were challenging fate itself, refusing to succumb to the darkness that threatened to consume him.

As the days turned into weeks, Issho found himself filled with a sense of awe and admiration for the boy lying before him. Each breath he took and each heartbeat that echoed through the silent night served as a reminder of the power of the human spirit to defy even the most daunting of odds.

And so, as Issho stood on the shores of the island, his thoughts filled with the young teen who had captured his heart. He couldn't help but feel a sense of hope. For in the face of adversity, he had witnessed firsthand the strength of the human will, a force capable of transcending even the darkest of nights.

As Issho immersed himself in his thoughts, a massive sea king emerged from the depths, lunging towards him with intent to engulf him whole. Unperturbed, Issho calmly drew his blade.

"Gravity Blade," Issho whispered, and in an instant, a tremendous pressure enveloped the sea beast, pinning it to the sandy shore despite its thrashing. With a single fluid motion, Issho struck upwards, cleanly beheading the sea king before resheathing his blade.

Originally, Issho had come to the island in search of food. Despite being a devil fruit user with the ability to float above water using his gravity powers, he chose not to stray too far from the wooden cabin where the unconscious teen lay. The island was known to harbor dangerous beasts, and leaving the teen undefended was not a risk Issho was willing to take.

Fortunately, luck was on his side, as the sea king had approached him willingly, offering itself as both a distraction from his thoughtsand sustenance. Issho wasted no time in collecting the massive sea king's corpse before heading back towards the safety of the wooden cabin.

As Issho returned to the cabin, he noticed that the young blonde teen had yet to awaken from his slumber. However, his body had been recovering at an astonishing rate. Despite being unconscious, Issho had made it a norm to feed the child soup made from sea king flesh and bones, which the boy's body greedily accepted, devouring massive amounts of energy as if it were trying to use it to repair itself. Issho had never seen anyone with such a monstrous physique, and he used his Observation Haki to gauge the true extent of the teen's prowess.

Glancing at the items laid out beside the bed, Issho observed a tattered yet high-quality coat, a small crucifix concealing a small knife—and alongside it a powerful blade that even gave Issho chills—and finally, a peculiar fruit. Issho instantly recognized it as a Devil Fruit, being a Devil Fruit user himself, but he had no idea what specific abilities it bestowed upon its consumer, nor did he particularly care.

Just as Issho's attention was drawn to the items, the teen wrapped in bandages stirred, finally awakening after more than a month of slumber. Ross had returned to consciousness.

*********************

My eyelids weighed so heavily, and all I wanted was to sink back into slumber. Yet, deep down, I knew that if I succumbed to sleep once more, I might never awaken again. Despite the overwhelming fatigue and pain, I summoned the strength to pry my eyes open.

As my vision adjusted to the dim light of the cabin, I noticed a tall figure standing at the side of my bed. Recognition dawned slowly as the details of his appearance registered in my mind.

Despite my murky mind, I still had the presence of mind to recognize the person standing in front of me immediately. It was none other than the man who would come to be known as 'Fujitora', the future Admiral recruited under the World Military Draft about two decades from now, Issho. He must currently be in his late twenties. But then my mind raced to understand how I had ended up here. Fragments of the memory of my fight with Agana came flooding back, and the pain that accompanied my memories hit me like a sea train at full throttle.

"Isshō,"I thought to myself not making it known that I had recognised the man, composing myself with my voice hoarse from disuse I remarked. "You... you saved me."

The man nodded solemnly, his expression unreadable behind the closed eyelids that covered his blindeyes. "Indeed, young man. You've been unconscious for over a month. But you're awake now."

I struggled to sit up, wincing as a sharp pang shot through my chest. "What... what happened to me? How did I end up here?"

Isshō's gaze softened with a hint of sympathy. "You were found on the brink of death, swallowed by a sea king. I happened to come across you while passing by this island. It's a miracle you're still alive."

Memories of the attack at Marineford flooded back completely , accompanied by a rush of pain and panic. "I remember now... Thank you for saving me."

He nodded his head slightly, acknowledging my gratitude. "You're welcome. But you still have a long road to recovery ahead of you. You have been unconscious for more than a month."

As Isshō's words sank in, I felt a surge of disbelief wash over me. More than a month... It was unfathomable that I had been unconscious for so long. My hand instinctively went to the bandages covering my chest, where my heart had been torn out. Using my Observation Haki, I sensed that the missing chunk had almost completely healed. No wonder I had been in such a deep slumber—my body had shut down to conserve energy and aid in my recovery.

The aroma of piping hot soup filled the air, and I realized that Isshō must have been diligently feeding me to help my body heal. Gratitude swelled within me, and I knew that I would never forget his kindness. But for now I had more important things to do, I had to find what happened to my brother Doffy and my family, if what Agana said was true then the entire family was targeted and I had no idea of their fate.

"Thank you for taking care of me while I was down," I said, my voice filled with sincerity. "I will remember this favor forever."

I realised that I couldn't afford to waste any more time as I was already a month late and my instinct was gnawing on me to hurry up and look for my brother, as for repaying Issho I would do it sooner or later in the future.

Gathering my belongings, I made to leave the cabin. But as I reached the door, weakness washed over me, and I stumbled. Isshō was quick to steady me, his concern evident in his voice.

"Are you sure it's wise to move about in your condition, young one?" he asked, his hand firm on my shoulder.

Despite his warning, I knew that I couldn't delay any longer. "I need to go... to North Blue," I replied, determination flashing in my eyes. "I need to know what happened to my family."

Before I could take another step, Isshō's voice halted me in my tracks. "Kid, by the way, I forgot to ask, what's your name? My name is Issho. If you don't mind me accompanying you, let me take you to North Blue. I've always wanted to go there."

Issho felt a faint yet undeniable pull towards the teen, as if fate itself were urging him to accompany him on his journey. It was a sensation he couldn't ignore, a gut feeling that whispered of significant events to come. So, trusting his instincts, he made the decision to offer his assistance, sensing that this chance encounter held more significance than he could comprehend.

With each passing moment, the conviction grew stronger within him. There was something about this young man who stood before him, that resonated deeply with Issho. He couldn't shake the feeling that their paths had crossed for a reason and that together they would embark on a journey that would shape the course of their lives and perhaps even the world itself.

"My name is Ross," I replied, clasping his hand firmly. "And thank you for offering to take me to North Blue and I accept your offer, Issho-san. Someday, I promise you that I will repay this kindness."

I knew that in my current weakened condition travelling to North Blue alone would be a foolish errand so I quickly decided to take Issho's offer, I didn't know why he offered to take me to North Blue but I'm not going to think too deeply into it.

As we shook hands, a sense of relief settled over me. With Issho's assistance, I was one step closer to uncovering the truth about what happened to Doffy and my family and the events that had transpired during my time in slumber.