[Multiverse Chat Group]
[Gintoki]: "Oi, oi. Someone explain to me why people in your world are treating 'The Knight's Requiem' like it's some divine scripture? I just saw a guy sobbing in the middle of the street, shaking his fists at the sky."
[Kakashi]: "Relatable. Good books do that to you."
[Jiraiya]: "Yeah, but this level of suffering? It's like this 'Phantom' guy wants to emotionally destroy his readers."
[Whitebeard]: "Hmph. A story that can shake the world like this means its writer understands true pain."
[Gintoki]: "Or they're just a sadistic bastard who enjoys making people suffer. I mean, who writes something worse than Attack on Titan?"
[Ren]: "Someone with excellent taste."
[Gintoki]: "Oh hell no. I knew it. You're one of those guys."
Loguetown was a mess.
Thunder rolled in the distance, a storm threatening to engulf the town. But more importantly, the Marines were busy dealing with my chaotic crewmates.
Which meant it was the perfect time for me to rob them blind.
Navigating the Marine base was easy—almost too easy. Either these guys were incompetent, or they really didn't expect someone to break into their place while they were out dealing with the Straw Hats.
I casually strolled into the armory, whistling as I browsed their collection. Seastone shackles? Neat. A couple of high-grade swords? Might as well.
Oh, what's this? A Log Pose? And a detailed map of the Grand Line?
I pocketed them without hesitation.
As I turned a corner, I caught sight of a man in a cloak standing on a rooftop, watching the chaos unfold below. Dragon. The man who would shake the world in a few years.
I stared at him for a second.
He didn't acknowledge me. I didn't acknowledge him.
Cool.
I left.
Back at the Going Merry, the crew was gathered, all looking like they had just been through hell.
"Where the hell were you?!" Usopp demanded, still catching his breath. "We were out there getting chased by Marines, and you just disappeared!"
I shrugged and tossed the Log Pose at Nami. "Got us a Log Pose, a map of the Grand Line, and some extra weapons."
Zoro caught one of the swords I threw his way, inspecting it with a nod of approval. "Not bad."
"Wait, wait, wait," Sanji interjected, lighting a cigarette. "You disappeared in the middle of a Marine invasion, and this is what you come back with?"
"Would you rather I came back empty-handed?"
"He's got a point," Luffy said, grinning. "Good job, Ren!"
I waved off the praise, casually leaning against the mast. "Oh, and I got some seastone weapons too. Might be useful later."
Nami's eyes practically turned into Berries. "You what?! Those things are insanely valuable!"
Usopp groaned. "Unbelievable. We were out there risking our lives, and this guy was just out shopping."
I smirked. "Shopping implies I paid."
[Multiverse Chat Group]
[Gintoki]: "Okay, so I just saw a street preacher calling 'The Knight's Requiem' the greatest tragedy of our time. He was screaming about how 'The Phantom' ruined his life. Who is this guy?!"
[Ren]: "A genius."
[Kakashi]: "A menace."
[Jiraiya]: "A guy I'd like to drink with."
[Whitebeard]: "A man who understands the weight of loss."
[Gintoki]: "…So a troll with depression."
[Ren]: "That's one way to put it."
The storm raged on, the winds howling as we sailed away from Loguetown. The world was changing, and I could feel the weight of it pressing down.
But honestly?
I was just here for the ride.