She jumped up, chair scraping against the floor. Her hands shook as she grabbed the poster.
She studied the details - the small scar under his eye, the red vest, the straw hat given to him by a red-haired pirate. The image matched exactly with the character she knew so well.
'This is real. This is actually real.'
"That kid with the straw hat?"
An older guy at the counter turned around, adjusting his glasses.
"Been causing trouble all over. My cousin in Cocoyashi Village saw the whole thing - said he took down Arlong himself!"
'Cocoyashi Village? That's Nami's home. So the Arlong arc already happened.'
"No way. A kid beating a fishman? Come on."
Another customer argued through a mouthful of rice.
"Those East Blue stories get crazier every day. Next you'll tell me he fought a marine battleship."
Aria bit back a laugh. These people had no idea who Luffy really was. If they only knew about his grandfather Garp, or what he would become.
"I heard he's ten feet tall and breathes fire! And he's got this whole fleet of ships!"
A third guy waved his chopsticks enthusiastically.
The rumors were so wrong she couldn't help herself.
"What about the rubber thing?"
The whole table turned to stare at her. Conversations stopped throughout the restaurant.
'Great. Way to blend in, Aria.'
"Rubber thing?"
"You know..."
She tried to act casual, miming pulling her arm out.
"The stretching arms? Like this?"
"See!"
Glasses-guy smacked the counter.
"My cousin said the exact same thing! Said the boy stretched his arm across the whole village when he punched that fishman!"
"Your cousin's been drinking too much sake."
Mustache-guy declared this, but uncertainty crept into his voice.
Aria sat back down, her legs unsteady. Her hand brushed against the fruit in her pocket, and everything clicked into place.
'This isn't a dream. I'm really here. In the One Piece world.'
The realization hit her like a physical blow. Somehow, she'd crossed from her reality into the pages of a manga she'd followed for years.
"Your food, miss."
The old man returned with a bowl of rice and fish.
She grabbed her chopsticks, hands still shaking. The wanted poster lay on the table, Luffy's grin staring back at her.
Her stomach growled, reminding her that whatever bizarre situation she was in, she needed to eat.
She took a bite. The flavors were better than anything she'd tasted before, but her mind was elsewhere.
'How many nights did I stay up reading these chapters? Following every adventure, every fight?'
And now she was here. Sitting in the East Blue, eating breakfast while people gossiped about Luffy like he was some local celebrity instead of the future Pirate King.
"Tell me more about the rubber pirate!"
The voice made her jump, nearly choking on her rice.
Taro had appeared at her table, his excitement almost knocking over her water glass.
"How does he stretch? Is he really as strong as they say?"
She put down her chopsticks. Despite her confusion, she couldn't help but respond to his enthusiasm.
"Well, he ate this Devil Fruit that turned his body into rubber. He can stretch his arms, legs - even his neck."
"For real?"
Taro's eyes widened.
"What else can he do?"
A smile formed on her lips. His excitement was contagious.
"Check this out - he's got this move where he pulls his arm back like this."
She demonstrated, pulling her arm behind her head.
"Then BAM - shoots it forward. Hits bad guys from far away."
She punched the air, making Taro giggle.
"Sometimes he uses both arms."
"Can he do other stuff? Besides punching?"
"Oh yeah. He can stretch any part of his body. Makes him really tricky to fight."
"Like a monster! That's how he beat Arlong, right? Everyone's talking about it!"
"Let's just say Luffy surprises people. They look at him and see some skinny kid with a weird power. But he's got something most pirates don't."
"What's that?"
"Heart. He doesn't fight for fame or money. He fights for his friends."
Taro's face lit up with wonder. He spun around and burst into the kitchen, almost knocking over a stack of plates.
"Papa, can she stay? She knows awesome stories about the rubber pirate!"
The old man caught a sliding plate before it could fall.
"That's not up to me. But she's welcome here anytime."
The restaurant door opened with its cheerful bell. New customers entered, bringing sounds from the busy village outside.
Aria noticed the breakfast crowd picking up. Tables were filling quickly, and she was taking up space during their busiest hour.
She pushed her empty bowl away.
"Thanks for the food. Wish I could pay you back somehow."
"Stories are worth plenty around here. Most people don't take time to entertain my son."
Hiroshi collected her dishes with practiced efficiency.
"Still, I feel bad about-"
"Nonsense."
He waved off her concern.
"Sharing food brings its own luck. Though if you're staying in town, you'll need somewhere to sleep. The Maple Inn has nice rooms. Tell Maya I sent you."
"I can show you!"
Taro reached for her sleeve eagerly.
"No. Our guest needs rest."
Aria stood, feeling the mysterious fruit pressing against her side through her jacket pocket.
"Thanks for everything."
She paused at the door, looking back at the warm scene - Hiroshi wiping down tables, Taro helping customers, the easy chatter of village life.
"If anyone asks about me, just say I'm another crazy story from the Grand Line."
The old man's eyes brightened with amusement.
"Like a rubber pirate?"
"Something like that."
She gave Hiroshi a grateful smile before stepping outside.
Following Hiroshi's directions, she found the Maple Inn - a two-story building with flower boxes under the windows. She pushed the door open.
A woman with gray hair tied in a neat bun looked up from her ledger.
"Welcome! How can I help you?"
"I need a room for the night. Hiroshi sent me."
Maya's features softened immediately.
"Ah, any friend of Hiroshi's is welcome here."
She reached under the counter and pulled out a brass key.
"How long will you be staying with us?"
"Just tonight."
Aria hesitated, touching her empty pocket.
"About payment..."
"Don't worry about it. Hiroshi's sent me many travelers over the years. I trust his judgment."
Maya's kindness reminded her of the warmth she'd found at the restaurant.
'These people are so generous. Nothing like the harsh world I read about in the manga.'
As she followed Maya up the wooden stairs, Aria considered her situation. She was stuck in a fictional world with no way home, but she possessed knowledge that could be incredibly valuable. She knew future events, character abilities, and hidden truths that could change everything.
Maya unlocked a door at the end of the hallway.
"Take all the time you need. There's fresh water in the basin, and I'll have dinner ready downstairs around sunset."
"Thank you."
The door closed behind her with a soft click, and Aria was finally alone with her thoughts.
The room was simple but clean - a narrow bed with a patchwork quilt, a washbasin and mirror, and a small desk by the window. Afternoon light streamed through lace curtains.
She sat heavily on the bed, letting out a long breath. The tension she'd been carrying since waking in the forest finally released.
'Okay. Think logically. What do I know?'
She pulled out the wanted poster, smoothing it on her lap.
"His bounty's 30 million. They talked about Arlong like he's already defeated. This is Syrup Village."
She counted off events on her fingers.
"So he's already beaten Buggy, Kuro, Krieg, and Arlong."
The timeline was becoming clearer.
"He's probably heading to the Grand Line soon, if he hasn't left already."
This meant the Alabasta arc was approaching. Princess Vivi, Crocodile, Baroque Works. The first major conflict that would bring Luffy into direct opposition with a Warlord of the Sea.
She set the poster aside and pulled out the mysterious fruit, turning it over in her hands.
"But this... this is something else entirely."
The spiral patterns seemed to shift and dance when she wasn't looking directly at them.
'A Devil Fruit. Has to be. But what kind?'
She thought about what she knew. Devil Fruits were incredibly rare and valuable. Each one granted unique powers, but at the cost of never being able to swim again.
The Logia types transformed users into elemental forces. The Zoan types granted animal transformations. The Paramecia types had wildcard abilities that defied classification.
'Whitebeard could create earthquakes. Aokiji could freeze oceans. Kizaru moved at the speed of light.'
Her hand tightened around the fruit.
'What power might this grant me?'
She stood and walked to the window, looking out at the peaceful village below. But she knew this tranquility was an illusion. Beyond the East Blue lay the Grand Line, where monsters wore human faces and the strong preyed on the weak.
'If I'm going to survive in this world, I need power.'
Training would take years she didn't have. Haki was a mysterious force that few could master. Building connections and acquiring resources would be difficult without any starting advantage.
The fruit represented an immediate path to power, but at a serious cost. In a world of islands, being unable to swim was potentially deadly.
But the alternative was to remain powerless while knowing what was coming. The corrupt World Government, the Celestial Dragons, pirates who destroyed entire towns on whims. Without power, she would be at their mercy.
'And I know too much to just sit on the sidelines.'
She turned away from the window, her decision crystallizing.
"Well."
She looked at the fruit, her mind made up.
"No point waiting. This might be my only chance."
'Whatever power this gives, it has to be better than nothing.'
She brought it to her mouth, hands trembling slightly.
"Down the hatch."
The first bite was absolutely terrible - it tasted like rotten meat mixed with spoiled milk and moldy bread.
Her throat tried to reject it immediately, every instinct screaming not to eat something so foul.
She forced herself to swallow through sheer determination.
"Oh god."
She gagged, eyes watering from the awful taste.
'They weren't kidding about Devil Fruits tasting horrible.'
The taste got worse with each second, coating her mouth with an oily, rancid flavor that made her stomach churn.
"They weren't kidding about the taste."