The island trembled more and more violently, and the intense shaking made Lynn unable to even stand.
Bang~~~~
Crack, crack, crack~~~~
Suddenly!
Starting from the volcano at the island's center, the ground began to rupture rapidly toward the sea, spewing molten magma from its depths!
Rivers of lava surged forward, consuming all life in their path.
The animals on the island fled desperately, rushing toward the shore in a bid to escape. Even the birds abandoned their unhatched eggs, taking flight without hesitation.
At this moment, Lynn finally panicked. He had just arrived in this world, only to be caught in a cataclysmic upheaval. The entire island might soon sink beneath the waves.
Overcome with urgency, his instincts took over—his arms morphed into massive wings, and blazing flames ignited across his body. (Later, he wouldn't need to use his hands to manifest his wings after experiencing Nirvana.)
"Yes!"
"I ate a Mythical Zoan!"
"I have to get out of here!"
Fighting through the searing pain, Lynn flapped his wings a few times and took to the sky!
"Damn it!"
"This hurts like hell!!"
With no time to think, he forced himself to fly in a random direction, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the doomed island.
His entire body throbbed in agony. He had to find another island soon to recover.
Boom~~~
Bang bang bang~~~
A series of deafening explosions echoed behind him. Glancing back, Lynn saw magma engulfing the island completely.
Then, an enormous tsunami, born from the violent tremors, surged toward the now-deserted landmass with terrifying speed!
"Good thing I can fly, or I'd have been buried under the sea the moment I arrived in this world," Lynn thought grimly.
Without looking back again, he pushed himself to fly at full speed in a certain direction.
The wind howled against his pale face as he soared forward.
However, the forced activation of his Devil Fruit ability, combined with the unnatural pain wracking his body, drained his stamina rapidly.
He had no idea how long he had been flying when, at last, a faint green dot appeared on the horizon.
"Finally... finally... an island..."
The sight filled him with relief. But the moment his tension eased, exhaustion and unbearable pain took over.
His wings reverted to normal, and his consciousness slipped away.
Whoosh~~~
Bang~~~~
Unconscious, Lynn plummeted from the sky and crashed into the sea.
"What's going on?"
"Someone just fell into the sea! It looked like a person!"
"What?!"
"I'm going to save him!"
"Genzo, be careful!"
Without hesitation, Genzo threw off his coat, dove into the water, and swam swiftly toward where Lynn had fallen.
On the shore, a group of villagers anxiously watched.
Among them, two young girls clung tightly to a woman's hand—the three of them looking the most distressed.
...
"Bell-mère, why isn't Genzo back yet?" Nami asked after a few tense minutes.
"Don't worry. Genzo is a strong swimmer—he'll be fine." Bell-mère reassured Nami and Nojiko with a gentle smile.
Just as the crowd anxiously waited, Genzo's silhouette finally emerged from the water, dragging an unconscious boy with him.
"He's coming up!"
"Genzo is back!"
"Quick! Help him!"
Several men from the shore immediately dove in, swimming toward Genzo.
With their assistance, they managed to pull both Genzo and Lynn to safety before Genzo completely exhausted his strength.
Lying on the beach, Genzo panted heavily.
"Genzo, are you okay?"
"I... I'm fine... just a little tired. I'll be alright after a rest~" he replied weakly.
"Is the boy still alive?"
"Step aside, let me check..."
Bell-mère knelt down, placing her ear against Lynn's chest. A moment later, she heard a faint heartbeat.
"He's alive. He must have swallowed seawater."
Without hesitation, Bell-mère began administering first aid using the techniques she had learned in the Marines.
"Good, he's still breathing~"
"But how did this kid fall from the sky? That's really bizarre..."
"Yeah, it doesn't make sense~"
"But hey, he's kind of good-looking. Nami, Nojiko, maybe one of you should take him as a future husband!"
"Ah!"
Both girls blushed and protested in unison.
"Hahahaha~"
"Come on, no need to be shy, you two!"
With Genzo safe and Lynn out of immediate danger, the atmosphere lightened, and the villagers began teasing Nami and Nojiko.
"Alright, that's enough. We don't even know who he is!" Bell-mère said, standing up.
Genzo, having caught his breath, slowly sat up.
"So, what now?"
"Where should we take him? We don't even know his identity."
"Yeah, and he literally fell from the sky."
The earlier jokes faded as the villagers contemplated what to do with the unconscious boy.
Bell-mère considered taking Lynn in, but her household was all women. She wasn't sure if the boy would be comfortable with that.
Noticing her hesitation, Genzo—who had been the one to rescue Lynn—spoke up.
"I'll take him in. I live alone anyway, so it's not a problem."
"That makes sense."
"Genzo, we'll leave him to you~"
With that settled, the villagers gradually dispersed, returning to their daily tasks.
Bell-mère, noticing Genzo was still a bit fatigued, carried Lynn on her back as they headed to Genzo's house, with the two girls following behind.
After placing Lynn on the bed, Bell-mère turned to Genzo.
"Are you sure you want to take him in?"
"I'll ask him when he wakes up. If he wants to stay, he can. If not, I won't force him."
Genzo chuckled. "Besides, maybe he'll even protect Nami and Nojiko one day."
"I don't need his protection~" Nami muttered, pouting stubbornly.
"That's right! We'll take care of Bell-mère, Nami, and even you, Genzo!" Nojiko added playfully.
"Hahaha, alright, we'll see. Maybe he won't even want to stay." Bell-mère said with a smile.
However, as she carried Lynn earlier, she had felt something strange moving inside his body.
Now that she looked at him closely, she saw nothing unusual, so she kept her suspicions to herself.
Genzo, on the other hand, was certain—Lynn wouldn't be going anywhere.
With how dangerous the seas were, and considering his age, there was no way he could leave Cocoyasi Village on his own.
For now, the villagers returned to their daily lives.
Lynn, unaware of everything, was currently undergoing a transformation—his body strengthening as his Devil Fruit abilities developed.