Nanami entered a dirty, narrow alley, he just came out of the darkness and ended up in this really awkward place.
It stank of garbage that was grilled and cooked by the sun.
The houses on either side of it were made of light stone, almost white, there was a garbage can, the dirt was already oozing out.
That was probably the source of the stench, really disgusting.
He didn't dare to take a deep breath, even if he felt the need to do so. Instead, he instinctively loosened his tie a little. Then he looked at his hands, touched the left side of his face, everything was quite normal and he felt his weapon on his back as well, he was wearing his blue shirt, beige suit and also his favorite tie.
Just no glasses, but that could be changed... if he had money.
Hadn't this crazy something promised him money?
For the start, so that he didn't have to sleep somewhere outside?
Silence fell, Nanami waited, looked up at the blue sky quite invitingly... but it took a few more seconds before the creature's voice sounded in his head "Sorry, forgotten" and the next moment a bundle of bills landed on the floor in front of him.
He picked up the bundle, they were actually normal banknotes, but the currency was probably called "Berry" and they also looked very strange.
He was definitely no longer in Tokyo, what was the name of the city, he had said?
Loguetown?
He briefly counted the money, 200 berries.
Then he carefully tucked it into his suit jacket and noticed people walking past the alley, they didn't look Asian, but some wore a kimono or a robe, but mostly jeans or dresses.
He also saw skirts, there were quite a few people walking past the alley.
Nanami looked seriously at the garbage can, he would have to fight, that's what this crazy entity had said, but how far could he go?
Earnestly he looked at his right hand and gathered cursing power in it, immediately the blue energy that surrounded his fist could be seen, flickering like an ice-cold, deadly fire.
"Very good" he said contentedly, you could also fight people with it, that was unpleasant and maybe not fair, but Nanami had decided to die of old age this time and if he had to kill the scum of this dimension for it, then that should be the case.
He took his weapon from his back and let curse power flow into it, then he struck and sent the garbage can to the eternal garbage can hunting grounds, he simply cut it in half and was very happy with it. That could have been a human being, cockroaches came out of the "killed" garbage can, so he put his gun back on and hurriedly left the alley, then looked on the street once to the south and then to the north.
To the south was a harbor, he saw sailing ships approaching, and a man with a cable drum passing them, to the north it seemed to go further into the city.
Sailing ships and cable drums?
But at first he wasn't interested in the harbor, instead he went up to the north, slowly, looking around, and clearly he didn't look strange to the people in any way. That was very relieving.
At home, he had already attracted attention as a blond Japanese man who was over 1.80m tall, but there were really a lot of different people in this place.
Two men in black suits, with briefcases, hurried past him, and he was already sure of his own suit.
He reached a large square, a truly gigantic area, at the end of which stood a tall wooden scaffold. The square was framed by tall, bright houses, on some of which the word "Marine" was written in large blue letters. Either it was some powerful company, or a political power, he looked up thoughtfully, was there the death penalty?
His gaze wandered around, there were a few stalls at the edge of the square, he should have asked the creature what kind of food was available in this world.
"Hopefully they at least have a good bread" he murmured and stroked his forehead, his feeling expected to touch his glasses as well, but they weren't there and that irritated him, of course.
But before he bought a new one, he first wanted to know the prices, could he even afford a room for the night or was he bitten by a rat because he had to sleep next to the garbage can?
Slowly he crossed the square and went to the stalls, there was dried fish and dried meat, all in several flavors, then also a stand with baked goods and one with fruit.
And he knew everything there was, there were even croissants!
And already his stomach began to growl softly.
The last time he had eaten at home, it had been breakfast, alone in his small apartment...
He immediately shook his head, he really wanted to take advantage of this second chance and never live alone again from now on. Making friends, a family, going on adventures and then dying surrounded by loved ones in a rocking chair.
And this rocking chair was standing on a warm beach, just as he had always imagined. Only then not in Malaysia, he doubted that this even existed in this dimension.
A croissant cost three berries, a sandwich two and a donut one berry. Probably the croissants were so much work that they were made more expensive, there were also filled ones, one with cheese cost four berries, one with chocolate then five.
They weren't small either, each bigger than his hand.
But first he bought a sandwich with cheese, he also had to know how the cheese was in this dimension and hopefully he would find a decent red wine soon.
He paid the lady and took his roll, then he looked again at the gigantic square, twenty thousand people fit safely in front of the scaffold... public executions... They had electricity, he bit into the bun, and also good cheese, but then public executions?
Apparently, they weren't as developed as he was used to.
A little boy rode past him on his bicycle, bicycles yes, but he hadn't seen a car yet and the roads didn't seem to be designed for them either.
Was there possibly none at all?
That would explain the fresh, clear air.
He started moving again, went into another street and it was full of small shops.
Boutiques, a shop for leather goods, any stuff you could collect and... Glasses of all kinds. Immediately he stopped in front of it and looked at the displays that were in the shop window.
Among them is a model with amber lenses and a silver frame. It was almost like his old glasses, the lenses a little darker, but it still looked very good.
A hundred berries!
That would be half of his money, he couldn't do that. What if a room for the night cost fifty berries, plus something to eat, and he was broke.
Nanami finished the bun and then rubbed his forehead again, again his hand instinctively searched for the glasses. Of course, he didn't need one to see better, but he was also used to wearing one.
Maybe he should have taken the glasses instead of the weapon, he was also quite good with the katana, but did they even exist in this world? And in the end, it was more important to be able to defend one's life instead of hiding one's eyes.
"Can I help you?" suddenly an older, male voice asked, tearing Nanami out of his thoughts, slightly startled and then looked at the entrance of the shop. There stood an older, slender gentleman with light hair and moustache. He wore slightly dirty clothes and a gray apron over it, he was probably the owner of the shop and also looked as if he made his glasses himself.
In any case, his hands also showed some cut-like scars, as if he had often cut himself on the glasses.
"No..." Nanami murmured and looked at the glasses again.
"Do you like it? I only made them yesterday, such models are very popular, also because I don't always have amber lenses on offer."
"Do you have the only eyewear shop in Loguetown?"
"Yes... You're not from here? I'm Gilbert," he held out his hand to Nanami, whereupon Nanami squeezed it briefly.
He introduced himself as "Nanami", not Kento Nanami, not Nanami Kento, he started his life anew and Nanami was completely enough for the time being. And Gilbert hadn't told him his last name either... "Nanami" just felt more right than anything else.
"I have only just arrived," he then added.
"And on the journey I lost my own glasses, which were also silver, but with yellow lenses. But it's too expensive for me, I only have 200 berries and I'll probably have to make do with it for a while." If the glasses were handmade, then it was a perfectly justified price, in fact Gilbert could ask for even more...
Silence ensued, very thoughtful silence.
"I just got a delivery of jars," the shop owner suddenly said, it didn't surprise Nanami that Gilbert didn't make the jars himself.
"Three boxes, they all have to be sorted into a shelf. A tedious, tedious job, just wanted to go and look for someone for it. Are you interested? If you do this for me, then all you have to do is pay my working time of twenty berries for the glasses. So I don't have to go looking for someone and now sell a lot ofI don't even have anything else."
Nanami looked at him in amazement for a moment, then he nodded in agreement and followed Gilbert into the store.
Immediately he saw the three boxes and the empty shelf.
"In the boxes are the starches on the packages," Gilbert showed him the goods.
"You unpack them and sort everything on the shelf, there are also the starches. Only touch the glasses at their edges, if you do leave a fingerprint, then there is a cloth here to remove it." He pointed to a thin leather cloth that was lying nearby, then he went to the shop window with a smile and took out the silver glasses.
Nanami immediately turned to the boxes and started to open the packages, glasses were laid out everywhere in the store, sunglasses and also normal glasses... everything you could somehow put on your nose.
There were even fun glasses, but the lenses didn't really look high-quality.
Gilbert put the silver glasses next to his cash register and then sat down behind the sales counter, taking work in hand.
It was a golden frame, clear, colorless glasses were ready.
"Your name reveals that you come from the Eastblue here" he murmured.
"But it's also quite big, I think the inhabitants of several islands don't even know that Loguetown exists."
Eastblue? That sounded like the name of a sea, and then islands... Nanami paused in his work and thought for a moment. The creature had asked if he got seasick, did that mean that there were only islands in this world?
That would also explain the lack of cars, on islands bicycles or some carts were usually enough.
But why did they use sailing ships and none with engines?
He went ahead and sorted a whole pack of jars, and plastic didn't seem to exist either... what a really interesting world.