O.P.J Chapter 34: Devil Fruits

It was said that if Luffy didn't stir up trouble wherever he went, he wouldn't be the man he was.

So when he laid eyes on the execution platform where the Pirate King, Roger, was put to death, Luffy couldn't resist the urge to climb up and shout his bold declaration to the world:

"I will become the Pirate King!!!"

It had been a long time since anyone had seen such a fearless pirate, ever since Saitama had taken up orders in Loguetown. But now that the Caped Baldy was no longer there to keep order, chaos had returned with a vengeance. The newly appointed sheriff, Smoker, could already feel the weight of the town's troubles on his shoulders, and was clearly not happy.

Within minutes of Luffy's outburst, the entire town was in a frenzy. The marine force were mobilized, running through the streets in pursuit of the straw-hatted outlaw. The commotion was so intense that it was as though the town had turned into a zoo.

Luffy reveled in the chaos he had caused, knowing that it was only the beginning of his journey to become the Pirate King. Little did he know that his path would cross with Saitama's, and their fates would become intertwined in a way they could never have imagined.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Of course, Saitama, who was already traversing the Grand Line, had no idea that Loguetown had become such a lively place.

Standing on the deck of his ship, he gazed up at the sudden flurry of snowflakes and couldn't help but feel surprised.

"The weather here...is so strange," he mused aloud.

Saitama caught a few snowflakes in his hand and examined them curiously. "I know the newspaper said the climate on the Grand Line is erratic, but I never thought I'd see snow in the middle of summer," he said, poking at the flakes with his finger.

"In the Grand Line, anything is possible."

Beside him, Tashigi grinned and stood by Saitama's side, saying, "you can't trust the wind, the sky, the waves, or even the clouds. Everything is treacherous. The only thing you can count on is the Log Pose! Of course, thanks to Dr. Vegapunk, our Navy ships' navigation has become much easier."

"Well, that's really great," Saitama nodded in agreement, no longer concerned about the weather. "So... where are we headed now? Are we going straight to Alabasta?"

"Alabasta is on the navigation list, but it's not our first stop," Tashigi replied, taking out a small notebook from her pocket. She pushed her glasses up her nose and flipped through the pages. "Based on the information provided by the World Government, the location where the self-proclaimed 'Alabasta Princess' cut off her transmission signal was a small town called Whisky Peak at the entrance of the Grand Line. That's where we're heading first, Saitama-san."

As Tashigi was speaking, she suddenly remembered something and looked at the notebook again. "Oh, by the way, Saitama-san!"

She saluted Saitama in a panic and said, "When I came back, Mr. Garp asked me to bring you a personal gift, but I forgot to take it out of the cabin. Please wait a moment!"

Saitama looked somewhat bewildered as Tashigi ran into the cabin and then ran back out with a small box in her arms.

The box looked very exquisite and was tied with a ribbon for decoration.

It didn't look like something that Garp could have wrapped.

"This is it!"

Tashigi's face turned red with embarrassment, she stuck her tongue out and handed the box to Saitama, saying, "Open it quickly, Saitama-san. This gift looks very delicate!"

"I wasn't really expecting anything," Saitama said, picturing Garp's rough and casual manner, chuckling to himself, wondering if he had been given a pack of senbei or something. Then he opened the packaging.

The top of the box revealed a card.

On it were written the words - "Commendation for the Navy hero, Garp. Justice will prevail in the great sea - World Government, 1500 HE (Historical Era of the Sea)."

"1500 HE?"

Saitama stroked his chin and thought.

If he remembered correctly, he had seen it in the Navy's log. That year was the time when the Pirate King Roger was executed, and it was also the era when the Golden Lion Shiki was captured alive by Garp and the alliance of Wano Country and was incarcerated in Impel Down.

In other words, the contents of this box were a commendation that the World Government had awarded to Garp for those two events.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Looks like this isn't worth much," remarked Saitama with a wry grin.

He couldn't help but imagine the old man, who had probably tossed the card aside without a second thought, only to suddenly remember it and decide to pass it off as a token of appreciation to himself. "That's the only logical explanation for why he still has it," Saitama muttered to himself.

As he peeled open the package, a fruit with strange, otherworldly patterns was revealed, its surface gleaming in the dim light. Saitama couldn't help but feel a sense of curiosity and wonder as he gazed at it.

"A gift, huh?" he mused, a slight smile creeping onto his face. He couldn't deny that the fruit had piqued his interest, despite its bizarre appearance.

"It's been twenty years, wonder if this thing is still edible..." he pondered with a smirk.

"Ah, Saitama-san!" exclaimed Tashigi as she peered curiously over his shoulder. Upon seeing what was inside the box, she covered her mouth in amazement. "Could it be... the legendary 'Devil Fruit'!? Garp gave you such a precious gift, he must hold you in high regard."

"A Devil Fruit?" Saitama blinked. "You mean those fruits that give you powers but turn you into a rubber chicken or something? Not really interested."

"What? You don't like such a valuable thing, Saitama-san?" Tashigi was taken aback.

"Well, I believe in the power of humans more than some fruit," Saitama replied as he casually handed her the box. "You can have it as a return gift for all the presents you gave me."

"What? This is too valuable!" Tashigi protested, but after a moment of hesitation, she accepted the box with the Devil Fruit inside. "But... since it's a gift from you, Saitama-san... I'll cherish it."

"Don't be so uptight," Saitama shrugged.

As they spoke, the snow had stopped falling and a small island made up of several large spherical shapes was slowly coming into view on the previously obscured horizon.

Whiskey Peak.

The Whiskey Peak loomed before them, and as the Saitama warship drew closer to the island, the lookout on the shore spotted their presence.

Excitement filled the air as the locals eagerly speculated on the approaching vessel's origins. "Is it pirates?!" exclaimed one of the residents, his tone betraying a hint of anticipation and aggression.

The others shared his enthusiasm, but as they gazed through their telescopes and saw the naval insignia emblazoned on the ship's banner, their excitement quickly faded.

"What's this...it's the Navy?"

"Perhaps they're here to capture some criminals."

"But we haven't committed any crimes, have we?"

The conversation quickly shifted to the island's reputation as a haven for bounty hunters, who hunted down pirates and cashed in on the bounties on their heads.

"We're just here to make a living, nothing more."

Despite their initial disappointment, the residents remained wary of the approaching warship. They knew that the Marines were not to be underestimated, and that their presence on the island could spell trouble for everyone.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The residents of this small town were not ordinary civilians.

All 100 of them were bounty hunters who targeted pirates who had recently entered the Grand Line, exchanging their capture for bounties from the World Government.

Their efforts had contributed to the decrease in the number of pirates entering the Grand Line in recent years.

They had a somewhat cooperative relationship with the Marines.

The warship docked at the pier.

Saitama and Tashigi disembarked.

Although disappointed that they weren't pirates, the mayor of Whisky Peak still came out to greet the arrival of the Marines with different intentions in mind.

"Welco...Ma-ma-ma... Welcome" said the mayor, a man with long curly hair, bowing and paying his respects to Saitama. "My name is Igaram, I am the mayor of this small town. May I ask why you have come to Whiskey Peak?"

------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you!