Suddenly, I found myself reincarnated into this world.
I have almost no memories of my previous life, but the vague sensation that I was once someone else entirely still lingers. That's how I came to understand that I had been reincarnated.
When I looked in the mirror, I saw a beautiful girl who bore no resemblance to my former self. When I spoke, my voice was clear and confident.
A beautiful girl with black hair and crimson eyes. Hmm, this is good.
The problem is figuring out what kind of world I've been reincarnated into.
If this world is worthless, I'll meet a tragic end in no time. But it seems that worry is unnecessary.
If you ask how I know that, the answer is simple.
"...The Navy."
Looking at the flag on the warship visible from the beach, I murmur to myself.
Furthermore, the person who was on that ship that just set sail—the Navy hero, Monkey D. Garp.
"So that's how it is."
I don't know why I came to this island, which doesn't seem to have anything special about it, but at least the fact that he's here means something significant.
The world of One Piece. Relying on the vague memories I have, I'll try to live a modest life.
☆
There was a time when I thought that would be possible.
I was abandoned as a baby, so I have no parents. I was raised in an orphanage, but I stand out—for better or worse. I'm not bragging, but I'm quite good-looking, so there's nothing I can do about it. I'm only ten, still a child. But anyone who would touch a child is the worst kind of scum.
Being good-looking means I could be sold as a slave for a high price.
Being sold to some perverted nobleman would make me want to end my life.
"Who would've thought there'd be such a valuable kid in a place like this?"
"Exactly. It was worth coming all the way out to the sticks for this haul."
Crude laughter echoes through the door.
I'm left alone in a musty ship's cabin, with a collar around my neck. Handcuffs and shackles bind my hands and feet, leaving me barely able to move.
I think to myself: I've failed.
Even at the orphanage, I was an outcast. They probably saw me talking to the director just before this happened, but it seems I was destined to be sold sooner or later.
I was surrounded in front of the orphanage, captured in an instant, and dragged onto the ship. The contemptuous glances were bad enough, but what was truly heartbreaking was that none of the adults around me—or even the other children at the orphanage—tried to help me.
Well, I knew it all along.
I was an outcast on this island and was feared. I suppose escaping the island itself was a good thing, in a way.
However, I'm under strict surveillance, and the other slaves—who are also merchandise—seem to be kept in separate rooms.
I looked around the room again, searching for something that might help me escape.
"...Hm?"
Valuables and stolen goods were kept in this room, and treasure chests were scattered about. There seemed to be a considerable amount of money, but what were they thinking, leaving me in here? The ship was small, so maybe they just didn't have enough rooms.
I reached for the only slightly open treasure chest nearby and peered inside.
"This is..."
A strange fruit with an odd pattern. Considering this world, this is probably what they call a "Devil Fruit."
I've never seen one before, but what kind of fruit is this?
There's a Devil Fruit guidebook I've glanced through before, but... I can't tell exactly what kind of fruit it is.
But.
"Regardless, this seems like the best option to break out of this situation."
Besides, I'm not one to shy away from a gamble.
—I put the Devil Fruit into my mouth.
"Ugh..."
The taste is so awful I almost spit it out, but I manage to swallow it.
I close the treasure chest that contained the Devil Fruit, close my eyes, and lean against the wall. The dim, cool room now feels almost comfortable.
I don't know how long it will take for any changes to occur. For now, I'll just wait and see.
Anyway, I'll have to escape after reaching the next island. I can't sail alone.
☆
Several days have passed since I was locked in this cabin.
With no windows, it's hard to tell how much time has passed. The only way to gauge time is by the two meals brought each day.
...However, these preserved foods are completely lacking in nutritional balance. At this rate, I'll end up getting sick.
I spoke with the man who brought the meals a few times. He said the ship's destination was the holy land of Mariejois. He added that it was supposedly the Sabaody Archipelago first, but since they were selling us to the Celestial Dragons, we were effectively headed to Mariejois. He laughed, saying we'd probably fetch a high price. That calculation stuck with me.
He mentioned we'd pass by a few islands along the way, so I'll have to try to escape then. ...If I can hold out long enough.
The journey itself is already tough enough—the unfamiliar ship, the lack of sunlight in the cramped quarters, and the poor conditions.
But I certainly don't want to be bought by those perverted Celestial Dragons. I must keep my will to survive, or my fate will be worse than anything I can imagine.
—And then, the time came.
"Here's your meal."
"...Have we arrived at an island?"
"Yeah. We need to restock water and food."
The stocky man seemed fairly friendly as he said that, placing the food down before leaving. He was careless, or perhaps lacked any sense of caution. He must have underestimated what a lone girl like me could do.
The man who had taken some money from the room had probably gone to buy supplies. There was still a guard, but at least one of them was gone.
I finished my meal and reached for the shackles on my ankles. With a crackling sound, the wooden shackles froze solid, and with a strong impact, they shattered into pieces.
I froze and broke the handcuffs in the same way, and finally shattered the collar.
Their underestimation of me because I was a child had worked in my favor. There were also iron collars, but they probably didn't see the need to go that far for a child who wasn't known to have abilities.
"Hey, did you hear something strange just now?"
"He's just causing trouble. He can't do anything alone—just leave him be."
I snorted at their casual conversation and used my ability on them as they stared wide-eyed at the door I had opened.
What I had eaten was one of them—the Hie Hie no Mi.
"—Freeze."
As my ability activated, the men froze solid in an instant. I ignored them and searched the room.
There were no maps, but there was a backpack small enough for me to carry. I stuffed it with anything that might be worth money and left the room, which had turned into a freezer.
The ship didn't seem very large, so there weren't many cabins. I knew I'd be discovered sooner or later, but I had to escape and disappear as soon as possible.
"Hey, why the hell are you out here?"
Before I could react, a gunshot rang out.
It was a warning shot, and it didn't hit me, but the sound made me freeze—and in that moment, he closed in on me.
He grabbed my arm and tried to drag me back into the room, but when he opened the freezer-like door, he stopped dead.
"What's going on—"
"Don't touch me!!"
With a loud crack, I froze him in an instant.
My breath turned white, and I shook off his grip. The impact shattered his frozen arm, but I didn't care.
The hallway was frozen solid, and crew members who had noticed the commotion began to appear one after another.
At this point, there was no choice. I had to freeze everything. Since I had the power to do so, there was no need to hesitate.
All that remained was to take that first step.
The moment I had always known would come had finally arrived. For this moment, I would abandon the person I had been until now.
I opened my mouth, addressing the crowd that was gathering—or perhaps addressing myself.
"You've done well. Come at me if you want to die."