Drake woke to the smell of fish cooking and the sound of seagulls crying overhead.
For a moment, he forgot where he was. The bed was soft, the room was warm, and there were actual *walls* around him instead of cave stone. Then memory caught up the village, Marcus, the merchant ship arriving tomorrow.
He sat up, stretching muscles that felt stronger than they had any right to after only a week in this world. The System had done its work well.
[Good Morning, Host]
[Daily Quest Available: Physical Training]
[Village Integration Quest: In Progress]
Drake dismissed the notifications and looked out the window. The sun was just beginning to rise, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink.
Below, the village was already stirring fishermen preparing their boats, children running between houses, the steady rhythm of a community that had existed long before he arrived and would continue long after he left.
One more day, he thought. Then the merchant ship comes, and I find out what happens next.
He dressed in the simple clothes Maya had given him, ran his fingers through his dreads to work out the tangles, and headed downstairs.
Marcus was already in the tavern's common room, nursing a cup of what smelled like terrible coffee. He looked up as Drake descended the stairs, his scarred face unreadable.
"Sleep well?"
"Better than I have in a week," Drake admitted, sliding into the seat across from him. "Beats a cave floor by a long shot."
"I imagine so." Marcus took a sip of his coffee, grimacing slightly. "You planning to do anything today, or just lounge around until the ship arrives?"
Drake considered the question. He could feel the Daily Quest waiting, but something about Marcus's tone suggested this was a test of some kind.
"Depends," Drake said carefully. "What needs doing?"
A ghost of a smile crossed Marcus's face. "Smart answer. Come on. If you're going to eat our food and sleep under our roof, might as well earn your keep."
The fishing boats were smaller than Drake expected two-man vessels designed for coastal waters rather than deep-sea expeditions.
Marcus led him to one at the edge of the small dock, where an older man was already preparing nets.
"Kenzo, this is Drake," Marcus said by way of introduction. "He'll be helping you today."
Kenzo looked Drake up and down with the kind of skepticism that came from years of watching young people promise effort and deliver excuses. "He know anything about fishing?"
"He's about to learn," Marcus said, and walked away before Drake could protest.
Kenzo grunted. "Well, get in then. Tide's not going to wait for us to make friends."
Drake climbed into the boat, which rocked alarmingly under his weight. Kenzo pushed off from the dock with practiced ease, and suddenly they were out on the water, the village shrinking behind them.
"You really washed up on the south beach?" Kenzo asked after a few minutes of rowing.
"Yeah. About a week ago."
"And survived the jungle alone."
"Didn't have much choice."
Kenzo was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Fair enough. Here." He tossed Drake a net. "You'll be doing the hauling. I'll tell you when and where."
-----
Fishing, Drake discovered, was both easier and harder than it looked.
The actual technique was simple enough cast the net, wait, haul it back in. But the timing, the reading of currents and fish movements, the knowledge of which spots would yield catches and which were barren that was the art of it.
Kenzo didn't teach so much as observe and critique.
"Too slow on the pull. Fish can swim faster than you can think."
"Wrong angle. You'll catch nothing but seaweed like that."
"Better. Still sloppy, but better."
Drake's arms burned within an hour. His back ached from the constant bending and pulling. But he kept at it, and slowly very slowly his hauls began to improve.
[Fast Learner Lv.1 Active]
[New Skill Developing: Basic Fishing]
By the time they headed back to shore, the boat was half-full of fish, and Drake's respect for the simple fisherman had grown considerably.
"Not bad for a first-timer," Kenzo admitted as they unloaded their catch. "Most city folk give up after the first hour."
"I'm not most city folk," Drake said, flexing his sore hands.
"No," Kenzo agreed, his eyes flickering to the scars visible on Drake's arms. "I suppose you're not."
-----
The afternoon brought different work.
Maya recruited Drake to help repair the tavern's roof apparently, the last storm had loosened several shingles, and she'd been after Marcus to fix them for weeks. When Marcus conveniently remembered other business, Maya had simply pointed at Drake.
"You're young and spry," she said with the kind of logic that brooked no argument. "Up you go."
So Drake found himself on top of the tavern, hammer in hand, trying to remember anything useful from half-forgotten memories of home improvement shows his brother used to watch.
[Analysis Eye Lv.2 activated]
[Target: Damaged Shingles]
Status: Loose, needs securing
Recommended Action: Replace nails, seal edges
The System, it turned out, was useful for more than just combat.
"You're doing it wrong!"
Drake looked down to see Sarah standing below, hands on her hips, grinning up at him.
"Then come up here and show me how it's done," he called back.
To his surprise, she did. Within minutes, she was beside him on the roof, demonstrating proper technique with the ease of someone who'd done this a dozen times.
"Maya's been after people to fix this for ages," Sarah explained as they worked. "I've helped patch roofs all over the village."
They fell into an easy rhythm, Sarah pointing out problems and Drake applying the fixes. The work was simple, almost meditative, and it gave Drake time to think.
"Can I ask you something?" Sarah said after a while.
"Sure."
"Why'd you really come to the village?"
Drake paused, hammer raised mid-swing. It was a fair question, and Sarah was asking it with genuine curiosity rather than suspicion.
"Honestly? I was exploring the island and stumbled across it," he said. "I've been on my own since I washed up. Finding people was… a relief."
"But you're not staying."
It wasn't a question.
"No," Drake admitted. "The merchant ship tomorrow I need to be on it."
"Why?" Sarah's eyes were sharp despite her friendly tone. "Running from something? Or running toward something?"
Drake thought about that. In his old life, he'd been running toward a career, toward goals set by expectations and obligations. Now?
"Both, maybe," he said finally. "This world is bigger than this island. I need to see what's out there."
Sarah nodded like that made perfect sense. "Marcus used to talk like that. Before he retired."
"What made him stop?"
"He saw too much." She hammered in another nail with more force than necessary.
"The Grand Line takes people and either makes them legends or breaks them. Marcus came back broken but alive. He says that's enough."
Drake looked out at the ocean, visible beyond the village rooftops. Somewhere out there was the Grand Line, the New World, the One Piece itself. And somewhere out there were pirates, marines, devil fruits, and a thousand other things that could kill him.
But also adventure. Freedom. A second chance to actually live.
"I don't think it would be enough for me," Drake said quietly.
Sarah laughed. "Yeah. That's what I figured." She stood up, stretching. "Well, if you're going to go get yourself killed on the Grand Line, at least finish fixing Maya's roof first."
-----
Evening found Drake back in the tavern's common room, surrounded by villagers sharing stories over dinner. Old Man Hiroshi was in fine form, regaling the children with tales of sea kings and treasure islands. Tomas was discussing fishing quotas with some of the other elders. Maya was ensuring everyone had enough to eat.
And Marcus was watching Drake from across the room with an expression that might have been approval.
Drake excused himself after dinner and stepped outside, needing air and quiet. The stars were coming out overhead, brilliant and unfamiliar. He still didn't recognize the constellations.
[Daily Quest: Physical Training]
[Status: Incomplete]
[Time Remaining: 4 hours until reset]
Drake grimaced. Between fishing and roof repair, he'd completely forgotten about the Daily Quest. His body was already sore from the day's labor, but the quest was too valuable to skip.
He was halfway through his push-ups when Marcus appeared, leaning against the tavern wall.
"What are you doing?"
"Training," Drake grunted, not breaking rhythm.
"You've been working all day."
"I know."
Marcus was quiet for a long moment. "You're serious about getting stronger."
"I have to be." Drake finished the set and moved to sit-ups. "This world doesn't forgive weakness."
"No," Marcus agreed. "It doesn't." He watched Drake work through several more reps, then said, "The name D. You know what it means?"
Drake paused, meeting Marcus's eyes. "Not really. Just that it's important."
"Important doesn't begin to cover it." Marcus's expression was grim. "Every person I've met carrying that name has been touched by something bigger than themselves. Some became legends. Some became martyrs. None of them got to live quiet lives."
"Is that a warning?"
"It's a fact." Marcus pushed off from the wall.
"You've got potential, kid. Real potential. But potential means nothing if you don't live long enough to use it. Remember that tomorrow when the ship comes."
He walked away before Drake could ask what he meant.
Drake finished his training in silence, mind churning. Marcus knew something something about tomorrow that he wasn't saying directly. A test? A challenge?
Or a warning about what was coming?
[Daily Quest Complete!]
[Reward: +1 to all Physical Stats]
[Level Up! Level 6 → Level 7]
[New Achievement: Village Life - Earned the trust of a community]
[Village Integration Quest Complete!]
[Reward: Information, Supplies, +100 XP]
[Bonus: Marcus's Trust - He will remember you]
New notifications flooded Drake's vision:
[Information Unlocked: Kokumo Island is in the East Blue, two days' sail from Loguetown]
[Supplies Added to Inventory: Preserved Food x5, Fresh Water x3, Fishing Net, 50,000 Berries]
Drake's eyes widened at the last item. Fifty thousand berries was more money than he'd expected to see any time soon. And the information about Loguetown that was where Roger had died, where the story had truly begun.
Two days' sail away.
He pulled up his status screen:
[Status Window]
[Name: Drake D. Carter]
[Level: 7]
[Title: Beast Slayer]
Stats:
[Power: 31]
[Speed: 31]
[Durability: 28]
[Haki: 5 (LOCKED)]
[HP: 150/150]
Skills:
Active: [Basic Combat Lv.1], [Basic Fishing Lv.1]
Passive: [Analysis Eye Lv.2], [Fast Learner Lv.1], [Natural Recovery Lv.2]
Drake closed the screen and looked out at the dark ocean. Tomorrow, the merchant ship would arrive. And based on Marcus's cryptic warning, something was going to happen.
Pirates, most likely. This was the One Piece world, after all.
Drake grinned in the darkness. Good. He needed to complete that Warrior's Path quest anyway.
Tomorrow was going to be interesting.
End of Chapter 5