4 Future Planning

"Bye Noah! It was nice meeting you!"

I wave back to Beatrice as I went on my way.

An hour earlier, we've been talking to one another.

It was small talk for her... but it was information gathering for me.

I asked things like the current year and date, how long ago when Roger died, the closest islands, what's in Shimotsuki Village, and where.

I might be a fan of One Piece, but that doesn't mean I know everything...

I'm not like those characters in fanfiction where they just remember everything they need.

I also don't have a cheat, system, or superpower either...I checked when I was in the bathroom.

I'm just a regular human...

I shake my head.

It doesn't bother me too much. There are other ways to get stronger, especially in this world.

Anyway... I'm getting sidetracked, where was I...Oh right!

What I discovered was VERY important.

Apparently, the current date and year are May 18, 1510.

Gol D Roger died 10 years ago...making it the Great Age of Pirates...

Which means pirates are running rampant than ever before.

That's a lot to take in...

But now I know what time period I'm in.

I'm currently 12 years from canon. That should be enough time to prepare me for what's to come...

Apparently, north of here are Dawn and Goat islands, there is also the Yotsuba Island Region where Shell Town resides.

West, there's Gecko, Organ, and Kumate island.

Finally, south is where the Grandline is, more specifically...Paradise.

That's WAY above my pay grade...for now at least.

Now that I know when and where I am, it's time to figure out the most important question.

What now?

I'm still indecisive about joining or making my own crew.

Joining the Straw Hat would be fun but I still don't know about that one...

I did consider joining Ace's group, but like a Minecraft speedrunner, he speedruns to the New World far too fast to my liking...

I'm more of a slow and steady type of guy who enjoys doing side quests more than the actual story and grinds in between them. So joining him is out of the equation.

I do want to fight him though...I'm still mad that he ran back to Akainu and died because he was too prideful to ignore his taunt...

I do like the idea of forming my own pirate crew, but I was never the leader type. That may change in the coming years. I also like being a bounty hunter for a while...I could get some fighting experience and use the money I get from the bounties to fund my crew if I make one.

That should be a good place to stop, after all...I need strength in order to even do those things.

Watching and reading One Piece showed me that only the strong can survive in this world...I won't be weak.

And I already know how I want to achieve this.

I stop in front of a building that I would be living and training in for the foreseeable future...

...the Shimotsuki Dojo.

Home of the hard-working and desperate daughter, Kuina, and the skilled swordsman and shitty father, Koushirou.

That's right, I'm going to be a swordsman.