The air in the tavern didn't just heat up; it ionized. Particles of light began to coalesce into a humanoid shape, casting long, distorted shadows against the wooden walls. The regular patrons didn't even have time to scream before the sheer pressure of an Admiral's presence forced them to the ground.
[WARNING! WARNING!]
[Target Identified: Admiral Kizaru (Borsalino)]
[Danger Level: SSS (Fatal)]
[Calculating Survival Probability... 12%... 15% (With Dragon's presence)]
"Moshi moshi~" a lazy, drawing voice echoed through the debris of the front door. "How strange... I came here looking for a 'Writer' who tells too many secrets, and I find the world's worst criminal instead. This is going to be a lot of paperwork."
Reda felt his lungs tighten. Seeing Kizaru on a screen was one thing; standing ten feet away from a man who could move at the speed of light was a nightmare. Every instinct told him to run, but the System pulsed a calm, blue light in his mind.
[Skill Activated: Author's Protection!]
[Effect: Haki-induced paralysis negated. Cognitive speed increased by 200%.]
"Don't look at the light, Scholar," Dragon's voice was steady, a sharp contrast to the chaotic energy filling the room. "The Navy doesn't like the truth, but they like me even less."
Suddenly, a massive gust of wind erupted from the center of the room. It wasn't just a breeze—it was a localized hurricane that ripped the roof off the tavern and sent it spinning into the sky. Dragon didn't even turn around; he simply stepped between Reda and the shimmering Admiral.
"Kizaru," Dragon said, his cloak fluttering violently. "This boy's story isn't finished yet. And I'm not fond of spoilers."
"Speed is weight..." Kizaru murmured, his leg beginning to glow with a blinding brilliance. "Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light, Revolutionary?"
BOOM!
The collision sent a shockwave that leveled the surrounding buildings. Reda was thrown back, but instead of hitting a wall, he felt a firm hand grab his collar.
"Focus, Author! This isn't the time to take notes for your next chapter!"
Reda looked up. A young man with blonde hair and a top hat was grinning at him, a pipe strapped to his back. Sabo. "The Chief told me to get you to the ship," Sabo said, his eyes glancing at the manuscript in Reda's hand. "Is it true? Did you really write about what happened at the Gray Terminal before it even happened?"
"I write what needs to be known," Reda grunted, regaining his footing.
[New Quest Objective: Reach the Coast (0/800 meters)]
[Note: Using 'World-Building' logic can manipulate the environment!]
As they sprinted through the chaotic streets of the port town, the sky above was a battleground of green wind and golden lasers. But the Navy wasn't just sending Kizaru. Hundreds of Marines began to pour from the side alleys, their rifles aimed directly at the "Prophet."
"They're blocking the path!" Sabo shouted, his fist igniting in flames. "I can clear a path, but there are too many!"
Reda looked at his System. He had enough Influence Points for a gamble.
"Sabo, keep them busy for ten seconds!" Reda shouted. He didn't pull out a sword; he pulled out his Legendary Grade Pen.
He didn't write on paper. He wrote in the air. The System converted his thoughts into "Narrative Reality."
[System Command: Environment Edit!]
[Cost: 20,000 Influence Points]
[Text: "The fog of the Grand Line drifted into the harbor, thick as ink, blinding the pursuers."]
In an instant, a literal wall of black, ink-like fog erupted from the ground. It wasn't natural. It was thick, smelling of old parchment and charcoal. The Marine marksmen gasped as their vision was cut to zero.
"What is this?!" a Marine captain yelled. "I can't see my own hand!"
"It's a plot hole," Reda whispered to himself, a grin finally breaking through his fear.
They reached the docks just as the 'Wind Granma'—the Revolutionary Army's massive ship—became visible through the gloom. But a final obstacle remained. Kizaru, sensing the shift in the battlefield, had abandoned his duel with Dragon for a split second to cut off the escape.
He appeared atop the ship's mast, his finger pointed down at Reda. A tiny, concentrated bead of light formed. "Too dangerous to let you go, Scholar. Your 'ink' might just drown the world."
Just as the laser fired, the System screamed one final prompt.
[EMERGENCY OVERRIDE!]
[Scenario: 'The Unwritten Page']
[Effect: Swap places with a 'Fictional Echo'.]
The laser hit. A massive explosion rocked the pier. But when the smoke cleared, there was no body. Instead, a pile of blank manga pages fluttered in the wind where Reda had stood.
Twenty meters away, on the deck of the ship, Reda collapsed, coughing. He had done it. He had cheated an Admiral using nothing but his own story.
Dragon landed on the deck a moment later, his expression unreadable but his eyes showing a hint of respect. "You didn't just survive. You rewrote the encounter."
"The first rule of writing, Dragon..." Reda said, clutching his chest as the ship began to move, leaving the golden light of Kizaru behind in the distance. "Never kill off the protagonist in the first act."
[System Notification: Escape Successful!]
[Rewards: +100,000 Views (Global Awareness), New Title: 'The Man Who Escaped Light', Relationship with Revolutionary Army: 'Trusted Ally']
Reda looked back at the receding island. The world was now officially hunting him. His next chapter wouldn't just be a story—it would be a declaration of war.