Ben POV
You know what's weird about magic?
It's addictive.
One moment you're levitating a lemon for fun, and the next, you're accidentally enchanting your bedsheets to sing lullabies at 3 a.m.
That's how my week went.
After my whole "surprise, I'm a wizard" awakening, I made it my mission to master everything the system threw at me. The translucent blue screen even had a new feature now—a "template progression tracker."
Every morning, it greeted me like an over-enthusiastic teacher.
[Template Progress: 20% → 25% → 30%...]
And every evening, I collapsed into bed like a corpse that had been hit by a broomstick.
But it was worth it.
Because each time that percentage ticked higher, I could feel myself growing sharper—my wand work smoother, my spells faster, my magic denser.
By midweek, I'd unlocked entire branches of Dumbledore's knowledge: Charms, Enchantments, Herbology, Runes, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, Astronomy, and even a few bits of… dark magic.
Yeah. Dark magic.
I may have the knowledge of three unforgivables. But I am not going to use them
It happened while I was practicing "Lumos" and "Nox" behind the house. The glow from my wand must've caught Nojiko's eye, because she suddenly appeared with a basket of oranges and a very startled expression.
Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again.
"You're… glowing."
"Uh, yeah," I said, spinning the wand like a showman. "It's called magic. See?"
I flicked the wand and the light at its tip burst into a small flare of gold.
Nojiko blinked. "You're serious?"
"Dead serious," I grinned. "Watch this."
I pointed at the lemon tree, focused, and whispered, "Wingardium Leviosa."
The lemons floated up gracefully, swirling like mini suns before arranging themselves into a smiley face.
Nojiko gasped. "That's… beautiful!"
"Wait, there's more," I said dramatically. "Expecto Patronum!"
Silver light exploded from my wand, shaping itself into a majestic phoenix.
Its wings spread wide, radiating warmth and soft song-like trills. The light danced across Nojiko's awed face.
She clasped her hands together, whispering, "It's so beautiful…"
And I swear, for a second, I felt like I'd just performed for a crowd of a thousand.
Then the phoenix circled us once and faded into sparkles.
"Well," I said, lowering my wand. "That's my party trick."
Nojiko laughed—a gentle, melodic sound that honestly felt more rewarding than the magic itself. "You have to show me more sometime."
"Oh, don't worry," I smirked. "You'll get the full magical experience."
Word spread faster than Usopp's lies. Within days, the villagers of Cocoyasi were dropping by just to see "the boy who makes the wind sparkle."
And I kind of… leaned into it.
Old Granny Mikan asked me to help with her tomato patch. One Herbivicus charm later, she had tomato vines taller than her house.
The village kids wanted tricks, so I made little glowing butterflies flutter around them. The laughter, the awe—it felt good. Really good.
Nojiko told me, "You've brought a bit of light back to the village."
And I thought—if Dumbledore had seen this place under Arlong's shadow, he would've done the same. Help people. Bring hope. Even if just a flicker.
Between the gardening, repairs, and the occasional Accio to fetch tools, I felt almost… normal here.
---
I was sitting with Nojiko on the porch, sharing some orange juice and sunshine, when the door burst open.
A flash of orange hair. Fierce eyes. Confident stride.
Nami.
She looked every bit like the pirate navigator-to-be, her presence sharp enough to slice through silence.
"Nojiko," she said, voice cool. "I'm back."
"Nami!" Nojiko stood up, smiling in relief. "You're home!"
Then her gaze flicked to me. "And this is…?"
I stood, scratching the back of my neck. "Ben. Edgar D. Benjamin. Long story short—washed up, saved by your sister, now I do magic."
Nami blinked once, twice. "...Magic?"
Before I could explain, Nojiko did it for me—summarizing everything from the shore rescue to my glowing lemons.
Nami listened, her expression unreadable. Then she gave a small nod. "Well, as long as you're not trouble, welcome, Ben."
"Appreciate it," I said with a grin. "Though, fair warning—trouble usually finds me first."
She smirked faintly. "That so? You'd fit right in with us."
Before I could answer, she grabbed a pouch and headed for the door.
"Going somewhere?" I asked.
"Arlong Park," she said flatly.
Nojiko's smile faltered. I felt tension fill the air like static before a storm.
After Nami left, I turned to Nojiko. "Arlong Park?"
She nodded grimly. "That's the place where the fishmen rule over this village. Arlong… he's the reason everyone here suffers."
I clenched my jaw. "Right. The tyrant. Got it."
Evening fell quietly—too quietly.
Nojiko and I were in the kitchen when we heard the noise outside: boots, shouting, the clatter of metal.
"Marines," Nojiko whispered, paling.
We rushed to the door. Sure enough, Captain Nezumi and his men were there, smug and self-satisfied, like rats in uniforms.
"We're here on official business!" Nezumi declared. "We have information about stolen pirate treasure hidden in this house!"
Nojiko's eyes widened. "That's absurd! There's nothing here!"
"Search everything," Nezumi ordered.
They stormed the place like they owned it—overturning furniture, tearing up floorboards, stomping through her garden. My fists clenched tighter with every sound of breaking wood.
Then one of the marines yelled, "Sir! There's fresh soil in the back! Let's dig!"
My stomach dropped. The back. That's where Nami had buried her 100 million berries.
Think fast, Ben. Think!
I slipped around the house, whispered, "Transfigurare Lapidem!" A shimmer ran across the ground—the soft soil solidified, turning into hard, compact stone.
Moments later, the Marines arrived with shovels.
Clang.
Clang.
Nothing. The metal bounced off the surface.
Nezumi frowned. "Why is the ground like this?"
"Uh, bad soil?" I offered innocently from the side.
He glared at me. "Watch your tongue, boy."
After half an hour of fruitless digging, Nezumi's patience snapped. "Bah! Waste of time. Let's go!"
And just like that, they left, muttering curses and kicking up dust.
Nojiko collapsed to her knees in relief. "Thank goodness…"
"Wait," I said, leading her to the spot. "You might want this back to normal."
I flicked my wand. "Finite Incantatem."
The stone shimmered, melting back into soft soil. Nojiko grabbed a spade and dug frantically—until the glint of gold appeared beneath the dirt.
Her breath caught. "It's safe."
I smiled. "There is nothing to be worried about now; they are gone."
Before we could celebrate, footsteps approached from the front. Nami staggered in—bandages on her hand, a smear of blood on her sleeve.
"Nojiko! Ben! What happened here?"
Nojiko quickly filled her in. As she spoke, I saw the relief flicker across Nami's face, quickly replaced by exhaustion.
Then Nojiko noticed the bandage. "Nami, your hand—what happened?"
"Just an accident," she said quietly. "Nothing serious."
Nojiko turned to fetch the medical kit, but I stopped her.
"Hold on," I said, raising my wand. "Episkey."
A soft glow surrounded Nami's hand. The wound sealed itself, leaving smooth skin beneath the unraveling bandage.
Both sisters stared, mouths slightly open.
I shrugged. "Magic."
Nojiko laughed softly. "I'll never get used to that."
Nami flexed her hand, testing it. "That's… amazing. Thanks."
"Anytime," I said, smiling. "Though you should really stop getting into trouble."
She smirked faintly. "That's not really an option."
The Next Morning
I woke up early to the sound of footsteps.
Through the window, I saw Nami standing in the yard, clutching a heavy sack—the treasure. Her expression was determined, eyes hard.
She was heading toward Arlong Park.
I hurried outside, wand still in hand. "Hey! You're going alone?"
She paused. "I have to."
I glanced at the bag, "You've been doing everything alone for years, haven't you?"
Nami looked away, saying nothing.
"Well," I said, stepping forward, "not today. I'm coming with you."
She blinked. "You don't even know what you're walking into."
"Oh, I know," I said, twirling my wand with a grin. "Big ugly shark, terrible fashion sense, bad temper. I'll bring the fireworks."
Nojiko appeared behind us, worry written all over her face. "Be careful, both of you."
We nodded. Then Nami sighed. "Fine. But stay behind me, got it?"
"Sure," I said, smirking. "I'll just be the backup wizard."
At that same time, far across the shore, a small boat touched land—
Luffy, Sanji, Johnny, and Yosaku had arrived, their shadows stretching toward Arlong Park.
Fate was moving fast now.
And I couldn't help but grin.
Because if this was the day Arlong's tyranny ended…
Then it was also the day magic met the world of pirates.