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Chapter 6: First Blood, First Flex
The sea breeze carried a heavy tension.
Lin Hai stood at the edge of the small boat, his hand on the hilt of his sword, scanning the endless blue. Behind him, Luffy was clumsily tying down supplies in the boat's cramped space.
Seeing the sight of the free sea infront of him Lin was almost moved to tears.
'Almost a year of going on missions with that balding old man and cleaning the shop, learning his time schedule and secretly making a boat.... It's all paying off.'
It had been a year since Lin Hai had transmigrated to this world — the second year of the Sea Circle Calendar 1520. He'd spent the past year training with Luffy in Windmill Village, growing stronger with the help of the Flirt System and preparing for the day they would finally set sail.
Now, that day had arrived.
From the shore, villagers cheered and waved goodbye. Makino offered her usual gentle smile, and even the gruff bandits from Dadan's hideout gave a few noisy farewells.
"Goodbye, everyone!" Luffy waved excitedly. "I'm off to become the Pirate King!"
"Be careful, Luffy! Lin Hai! Don't cause too much trouble!" Makino called.
Just as their boat drifted away from the coast, a sudden ripple disturbed the calm waters.
"Hey... what's that noise?" Lin Hai squinted.
The surface of the water bulged unnaturally.
A second later, the enormous head of a Sea King broke through the waves. Its fanged maw opened wide, letting out a thunderous roar.
"The Lord of the Coast?!" Luffy yelped. "That's the one that ate Higuma the Bandit years ago!"
The villagers screamed from the docks.
"Luffy! Lin Hai! Behind you!"
"Get out of there, it's a Sea King!"
Lin Hai looked unimpressed. "Tch. We're really doing this now?"
Luffy grinned. "I'll punch it like Shanks did!"
Lin Hai shoved him aside. "No need. I've been waiting for something like this."
He cracked his knuckles, stepped forward, and activated his Spatial Field.
[Spatial slash]
A blinding white light sliced through the air.
With a wet crunch, the Sea King's head separated cleanly from its body and flew skyward before crashing into the distant beach.
Lin Hai leapt off the boat, grabbed the creature's massive head mid-air with one hand, and hurled it toward the shore like a giant Pokéball.
"Go, Pikachu!"
BOOOOM! The head smashed into the empty cliffside, shaking the land.
"...Did he just say Pikachu?" someone muttered.
"He threw it with one hand... is he even human?"
'heh, feels good aura farming ' Lin struck a pose as the island slowly passed by leaving them alone in the wide ocean.
Luffy pouted as Lin Hai landed back on the boat. "I could've done that too."
"Sure, sure," Lin Hai handed him a chicken leg. "Eat your meat, big guy."
'System'
[System Panel – Lin Hai
Strength: 1200
Agility: 120
Stamina/Constitution: 2100
Haki (Conqueror's Haki :Lv2 – Can stun weak-willed enemies and control release freely
Ability: Space-Space Fruit - currently can use Spatial Field & Spatial Swap/Teleportation
Charm Coin : 6000.1
Inventory:
Sword "High Wind"
Space Backpack (stores items from the system or reality)
'mhm, though impressive it's not enough yet... I'm barely at the level of pre-time skip Arlong.'
Lin clenched his first before staring forward at the open sea.
'Most importantly we need to escape before that grumpy old man knows that I took his soon out for an illegal trip outside.'
---
'Ugh, no one told me doing pirate stuff would be this boring. As he stared at Luffy who was steering the ship while tap-dancing he couldn't help but feel annoyed.
Hours passed. The boat drifted deeper into the vast sea, surrounded by nothing but the horizon.
"Luffy, where exactly are you taking us?" Lin Hai finally asked.
Luffy stretched his head backwards meeting Lin in the eyes. "Dunno. Wherever the sea takes us, I guess?"
'I never should've let him tag alone.'
Lin Hai facepalmed. "We're gonna die at this rate."
"I thought we were headed to the Grand Line?" Luffy asked innocently.
"Not on this floating bathtub." Lin Hai sighed. "We seriously need a navigator."
Just then, dark clouds gathered above.
'Not good, my fruit is trembling as a warning.' Lin Hai's instincts screamed.
"Storm incoming! Luffy, get into the barrel!"
"Again?!"
"I'll be fine. I can swim. You? Not so much."
As waves rammed towereds their ship and lightning crackled, Lin Hai shoved Luffy into an empty barrel they'd brought just in case. Seconds later, the boat was easily smashed apart by a colossal wave.
Luffy bobbed inside the barrel, stared at the scene wide-eyed.
Lin Hai, clinging to a piece of driftwood, watched as they were swept apart by the sea's fury.
"Damnit... the Grand Line's already sending goons to test me?"
He clenched his teeth and began swimming toward the sound of shouting and cannon fire in the distance...
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Hours passed as Lin Hai drifted alone.
Thunder and waves eventually gave way to sunlight and calm seas. Soaked, cold, and really fucking pissed, Lin Hai floated on a board from the wreckage.
'Is this karma?'
Then he heard it: "Ooohhh!" Voices, Cannon fire.
Adrenaline surged. Lin Hai swam toward the sound and spotted two ships—one clearly a pirate vessel, the other a trading ship under siege.
"Perfect timing," he grinned.
[Spatial Shift]
He reappeared on the pirate ship just in time to see Luffy bounce across the deck, slingshotting a group of shocked pirates with his rubbery fists.
"Oh hey Lin Hai!" Luffy shouted mid-punch. "shishishi I knew you would make it!"
His mood soured as he compared himself to Luffy infront of him, one covered in water and dirt, the other happily beating up pirates.
"Of course I did. And it looks like you're having way too much fun."
'hmmm, this should be alvida's shop right? It would match the cannon timel-'
Suddenly, a mountain of a woman stomped onto the scene, dragging a spiked iron club.
Captain Alvida.
She pointed the club at them. "And who the hell are you two?"
Luffy grinned. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy. That's Lin Hai. We're pirates!"
Lin smiled before teleporting next to Luffy and then posing with Luffy who had his hands crossed.
"Shishishi! Me and Lin will be the freest in the seas!" Luffy laughed before his hand stretched around Lin's shoulder.
"Bold words for two weaklings who'll die by my hands." Alvida spoke while looking at Lin.
'mhmm wouldn't hurt to have someone like him on my ship....'
Seeing Alvida's gaze go over him, Lin smirked before stepped forward, activating peak troll mode.
"ugh a why's a giant test tube baby like you looking at me like that? you're looking at me for far too long," he said to Alvida.
"You better not fall for me. Sure, I'm charming and handsome, but that doesn't mean I'm available."
Alvida's crew froze. Alvida's face darkened.
"You dare mock me?!"
Luffy shouted, "Lin, duck!"
[Gum-Gum no pistol]
Lin Hai dropped dead just in time for Luffy to deliver a Gum-Gum Pistol straight into Alvida's gut.
WHAM!
The iron club fell to the ground. Alvida flew.
Coby, the pink-haired kid who was peeking at them from a corner, stared in shock..
"They're... amazing."
With the pirate crew scattering Lin gazed over at the terrified merchants before giving them the most charming smile he could.
"Would any of you kind gentleman be in possession of a spare boat?"
"Y-yes!" The merchants took a sigh in relief at Lin's demands.
The grateful merchants gave Lin Hai and Luffy a small rescue boat to continue their journey.
'mhm, that sure wrapped up quick... What am I supposed to do with him though?'
Just as the two were about to board the small shop, behind them they heard someone calling them out.
Infront of them coby had bowed head first into the ground, begging to join them....
"I want to be a Marine," he said. "There's a base at Shells Town. I-i can guide you there."
'Hmm... His face is just as punchable as the original.'
Lin Hai eyed him before smirking. "We're pirates dontcha know kid? You really think we'd let a future Marine tag along?"
Coby hearing this instatly deflated.
"Just kidding," Luffy laughed, Luffy's arm grew before clapping coby on the back.
'Tch, looks like he'll have to come after all. Whatever.'
"Yeah," Lin Hai nodded before sighing. "We could use someone who actually knows where the hell we're going."
As they set sail once more, they spotted another small boat floating nearby.
Standing on it was a fiery redhead with curves in all the right places.
"Nami...?" Lin Hai muttered.
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