standing in the shadows of a tree, my white suit stained in a blood red liquid that I couldn't, no wouldn't wash out. It wasn't mine. It was my friends. The people I lived with, ate with. I had a relationship that law forbade. They said CP0 agents can't have hearts, we are just dogs, tools for the world government. Looking down In my arms, wrapped in a coarse wool blanket, was the evidence of our 'treason.'
He was tiny. Soft-creamy skin, lavender hair with beautiful yellow eyes. He took after his mother in terms of looks. I thought letting out a sigh, a single small tear running down my cheek. He was Six months old and yet already staring at the world with eyes that looked tranquil, like a still lake. "Ren," I whispered, my voice soft yet my sadness could not be hidden. "Forgive me, forgive your foolish father."
reaching into the inner pocket of my coat I pulled out something, something that had cost my soul, my friends everything really. It was Kami Kami no Mi. A shimmering white, swirl-patterned fruit adorned with golden flowers as its steam. The World Government had spent decades trying to secure it for the World government. They had succeeded, until I killed everyone and took the fruit away, becoming the biggest sinner of cp-0 since its founding.
mashing the fruit into pulp with trembling fingers I pressed it against his lips. "Eat. " I told him in the softest tone I could muster. If you're going to survive, if you want to thrive in this world filled with monsters then you're going to need to be a monster yourself.
The boy swallowed the bitter fruit, tears running down his face. He started crying looking like the fragile, harmless child he was. Smiling, I stood there, looking down at the boy, both of us drenched in rain. Finally, taking out a piece of parchment and an origami flower, I placed him on the steps turning my back to him, tears streaming down my face before I left, starting my journey towards the new world.
The parchment the man left behind read two simple words REN KAMIORI
Shift to Ren the child bearing the kami kami no mi or paper paper fruit.
The man was gone.
laying there the cold stone, rough against my child's skin, the taste of that fruit still on my tongue. It would be hard to ever forget it, a mix of excrement and coconut. Although I had never tasted excrement it's just how I imagine it would taste. Should I have been terrified, yes definitely yes. Was I? To be honest even I didn't know. I should be wailing for a mother who wasn't here. For a father who had just abandoned his son. I should be crying at the loss of a peaceful life in this new world. Well I can't exactly blame him. After all, he had killed everyone he knew, for a fruit and then given it to me. Was that true, sick love?
The fruit he had given me to my knowledge should be a devil fruit. What devil fruit it was. no clue, it was white with flower stems. Maybe it's my reincarnation package. I thought, letting out a soft baby snort that soon turned into a cough or I suppose wails, the weather was taking a toll on me.
Abruptly The door to the orphanage swung open, its rusted hinges making a screeching sound hurting my prepubescent ears. Along with the opening of the door the sound of a woman could be heard, along with that of various children. Flame look over anna for a second, im taking out the trash, she yelled at one of the older children. Getting a good look at her, she was a middle aged woman bearing a few wrinkle marks, a dimple under her right eye and short brown hair. Her silhouette towered over me her weary eyes meeting my own.
"Good heavens," she breathed, her voice echoed a mix of shock and motherly alarm. "Who would... in this weather?"
She scooped me up. Her calloused hands gently yet firmly carried me, feeling the heat of her chest, I let out a mental sigh of relief, surviving what could have been death from hypothermia.
"Ren Kamiori," she read aloud, squinting at the parchment note my father had placed on my blanket. Holding me close she carried me into the shabby orphanage. So this is where I'll call home for the foreseeable future, I mused attempting to look around, only to find my neck was incapable of doing so. damn baby body, I screamed internally frustrated at my lack of ability to do well, anything.
From what I could see the interior of the orphanage was cheap, a faint scent of cabbage soup lingering in the air. Internally I was screaming at the absurdity of it all. I was just finishing my second year of college. I was studying economics, getting ready for the spring break. I had gone for a stroll only to be hit by a truck-kun. My six month life has been alright until now, if you ignore my starvation and lack of everything. But now with a lack of both parents and an unknown devil fruit, I was uncertain of what my fate would be.
"You're starving, aren't you?" she murmured her voice soft and motherly, sitting down in a creaky wooden rocking chair the moment of ultimate, ego-crushing humiliation came. This would be Sanji's dream but for me, it was complete and utter humiliation.
She shifted my weight, unbuttoning the top of her dress with the practiced nonchalance of a woman who had raised a hundred orphans. "No!" I tried to scream attempting to turn my head away. Protesting with infant wails, but to the woman it merely sounded like a hungry child begging for food. Don't worry she said cooing at me, bringing her breasts to my lips. My biology betrayed me. My survival instinct overrides anything I could muster for resistance.
Before long she finished and started re buttoning her dress
"There now," she cooed, her hand stroking my lavender hair. "You're safe now, Ren."
I closed my eyes, an irresistible wave of sleep washing over me. I was only a child after all, my once hyper-active mind settled into a deep, dreamless sleep. I just wanted this period of my life to be over with, for my adult body to return.
SIX MONTHS LATER:
It had been six months since I had gotten here. It had been far from interesting. Most of my time was spent mastering my devil fruit power.
It had awakened a month after I got here. It seemed to be paper manipulation, a paramita type. I had started training it ever since I found out laying in my crate attempting to use my will power to move a page on a random story book, it was quite a novel experience.
Unfortunately my stamina did not allow much. I could move a page a day if I was lucky. I could currently walk relatively steadily a feat considering my physique along with that I had begun to speak semi coherent words like mummy or hungry.
Suddenly a chime rang through my room along with cries of children, grimacing. I laid back down burying my head into my pillow "Ren!" A feminine voice, the director of the orphanage rang out. I ignored her burying my head further into the pillow.
Approaching she put her hands around my waist and showed me off to the other children. I hate being a child I mentally sighed but on the surface I showed a heart warming smile mum! I shouted glowing in excitement while mentally deadpanning she smiled back at me. Meanwhile the other children were being her to let them hold me, thankfully she refused bringing me over to a couch and lying me on her lap while stroking my lavender hair.
Looking in confusion I wondered why she brought me out but as I was thinking the lights suddenly cut off. Power outage I thought, panic creeping in my infantile brain affecting my critical thinking.
But just as worry was consuming me a voice rang out. Then multiple soon the entire orphanage was singing a song. Happy birthday to Ren, happy birthday to Ren happy birthday dear Ren happy birthday to you.
Bringing out a small cake they put it in front of me. Make a wish the matron smiled motioning me to blow the candle out, breathing in. I silently made my wish… let me grow up fast. Blowing towards the candles the wish was made and the rest of the day was spent with the orphanage kids letting them hold me while the girls braided my hair, giggling.
TIME SKIP 5 YEARS LATER:
Panting, I stopped manipulating the paper in front of me.
It had been six years since I arrived in this world, and I'd spent ninety percent of that time training my Devil Fruit.
To the older children in the orphanage, I was a quiet, cute kid.
But to be honest?
I was exhausted.
I simply couldn't muster the effort to talk to anyone.
Still… the results were amazing.
My control had drastically improved.
At this age, no one else could control a devil fruit as well as I could
A small smile formed on my lips. A delicate flower made entirely of paper appeared in my palm spinning in a hypnotic pattern. This has become my favorite pastime. It trained my devil fruit's accuracy as well as being quite fun.
Suddenly the peace of the afternoon was shattered by a rhythmic loud knock alerting everyone in the orphanage. The matron opened the door with her motherly smile twisted into one of worry. When the door opened it revealed the figure of King Knocksus guards, King Knocksus the 9th heir to the royalty family of Orizuru—a small-minded, greedy, and cruel person I've never seen him before but I can tell from all the roomers flying around about torturing his slaves to death.
"Matron!" a high-pitched arrogant voice called out. A guard flanked by six others stepped out. "After the last tribute to the Celestial Dragons. Our master is looking for some fresh merchandise and so we came here looking to... reallocate some of your older assets."
The Matron didn't look horrified. She looked relieved. Bowing her forehead it touched the dusty floor. "Of course, Your Excellency. My children are honored to be of any service."
The lead guard, a man with a scarred lip and eyes like a vulture, scanned through the line of terrified orphans. He stopped on Anna, a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl with long golden hair.
"This one," he grunted, grabbing Anna her hair pulling her up to meet his eyes. She'll fetch a high price during the next auction at Goa Kingdom. "
"Please!" Anna's voice broke, a sharp contrast to her usual cheery emotion. She looked toward the Matron, pleading. "Matron, please, don't let them take me!"
The Matron looked conflicted, glancing between the guard and Anna. The guard, seeing this, let out a sinister laugh wearing a sinister smile "don't worry, you'll get your cut 20 percent. " She'll sell good too, I'd say 600,000. Hearing that the matron's confliction vanished, replaced by one of greed she replied to Anna's pleas "dont worry" she cooed "this is your duty, your duty to your family the people who raised you. " I watched the tears running down Anna's pale cheeks, the matron's gleeful expression and the guard's sinister smile. At that moment the reality that I was in the world of one piece hit me.
This was not my previous world, this was a world filled with monsters, blood, cruelty and terrifyingly strong individuals enough to take down kingdoms singlehandedly. The words of the father who had abandoned me echoed through my mind.
If you want to thrive in this world filled with monsters, then you're going to need to be a monster yourself. The guards and the matron finished their conversation and I watched as they dragged Anna on the ground kicking and screaming towards the carriage. I wanted to act but I hesitated and because of that I let her go sighing. I leaned back on my bed, the entire scene replaying in my mind on loop.