The Next Morning
The sun rose over a calm sea. Waves gently lapped against the hull. Seagulls cried in the distance.
And the atmosphere on the boat was… icy.
Nami sat at the bow, studying the Grand Line map and completely ignoring me. Every time I got closer, she shot me a look that could have killed a Sea King.
"Good morning, Nami…" I tried.
Silence.
"Listen, about last night—"
"Shut up."
"I just wanted to—"
"I said: shut up."
I stepped back, hands raised. Message received.
Zoro, leaning against the mast, watched us with curiosity. He could feel the tension—it was palpable—but had no idea where it came from. He shrugged and decided that training was more interesting than our drama.
He grabbed two improvised weights—barrels filled with stones—and started his exercises. His new stitches held perfectly, even under strain. The high-tech absorbable sutures were doing their job.
"Not bad gear," he admitted between reps.
"Glad you like it," I muttered.
Luffy, meanwhile, was completely oblivious to the problem. He was leaning over the side of the boat, an improvised fishing rod in hand, trying to catch something.
"NAMI!" he shouted cheerfully. "When do we get to the next island?!"
The navigator looked up from her map, annoyed. "In about six hours. Why?"
"Because we're FINALLY getting a REAL ship! A big one! With a kitchen! And a treasure room! And—"
"We don't have money to buy a ship, idiot."
"Oh." Luffy thought for two seconds. "Then we'll steal one!"
"NO!"
"Why not?"
"Because I just told you!"
Zoro snorted. "She's right. We can't steal a ship every day."
"But we're pirates!"
"Poor pirates."
I sat off to the side, watching the scene with a bitter smile. Despite the tension between Nami and me, there was something… comforting about this dynamic. Luffy's joyful chaos. Zoro's brutal pragmatism. Nami's constant exasperation.
[SYMBIOSIS: 67%][PHYSIOLOGICAL MODIFICATIONS: STABILIZED][DIETARY NEEDS: NEARLY NONE][SLEEP REQUIREMENTS: REDUCED TO 2–3 HOURS PER DAY]
I could feel the changes now. My body demanded almost nothing anymore. No hunger. No thirst. Just… existence. Immortal and relentless.
"What am I going to become one day?" I murmured to myself.
[AT 100% SYMBIOSIS: COMPLETE IMMORTALITY][FULL SIDE EFFECTS: UNKNOWN]
"Very reassuring."
The Island on the Horizon
The hours passed slowly. Luffy caught three fish, two of them too small to eat. Zoro trained until he was sweating. Nami navigated with professional precision.
And me? I stayed seated, watching the horizon.
Then, finally, it appeared.
An island. Green. Peaceful. With a small coastal town and gentle hills dotted with trees.
"LAND!" Luffy yelled, jumping around. "WE'VE ARRIVED!"
Nami checked her map. "This is Syrup Village. A small, quiet village. Nothing special, but they might have a shipyard."
"We're gonna find a ship!" Luffy raised his fist. "And a cook! And a musician! And—"
"One thing at a time," Zoro cut in.
The boat slowly glided toward the harbor. Villagers watched us approach with curiosity—not suspicion, just innocent curiosity.
[SYRUP VILLAGE CONFIRMED][NO ANOMALIES DETECTED WITHIN A 50-METER RADIUS]
"For now," I murmured.
Nami shot me a sharp look. "Did you say something?"
"No. Nothing."
We docked. Luffy jumped onto the pier enthusiastically, followed by Zoro. Nami stepped down gracefully, still angry but professional.
I was the last to disembark, giving the boat one last look before joining the others.
Somewhere in this village, Usopp was probably telling his usual lies. Kaya was sick in her mansion. And Kuro… Kuro was preparing his plan.
But for me, only one question mattered.
"System. Any anomalies here?"
[ANALYSIS IN PROGRESS…][DETECTION: PENDING]
"Keep scanning. If anything shows up, alert me immediately."
[UNDERSTOOD]
We headed deeper into the village. The adventure continued.
And despite everything—despite Nami's anger, despite the dangers ahead, despite the uncertainty of my mission—I caught myself smiling.
Because I was alive. Immortal, sure. But alive.
And that alone was something.
[END OF CHAPTER 8][ANOMALIES CAPTURED: 2/???][SCP-006: FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH (SYMBIOSIS 67%)][SCP-005: SKELETON KEY (CONTAINED)][LOCATION: SYRUP VILLAGE][STATUS: TENSION WITH NAMI][NEXT STEP: MEETING USOPP][ANOMALIES DETECTED: NONE (FOR NOW)]