"Huh? Where… am I?"
Atticus's consciousness surfaced slowly, as if dragged upward from the bottom of a deep ocean. His head throbbed painfully, as though metal clamps were crushing both sides of his skull. Breathing felt difficult, every inhale shallow and strained.
A dull ringing echoed in his ears, rising and falling like distant waves crashing against stone.
His entire body was weak, almost weightless, the kind of weakness that followed a severe illness. His limbs refused to respond, and even his thoughts felt heavy.
It felt as though his soul had been poured into a body that did not yet belong to him.
When his vision finally cleared, all he saw was white. Clean sheets. White curtains. Sterile walls.
The faint scent of disinfectant hung in the air.
A hospital.
And he was the patient.
Hazel.
The thought snapped through him like lightning. His heart lurched, and he forced himself to sit up despite the pain ripping through his muscles.
Every nerve screamed in protest as his body reacted to the sudden movement.
"Hazel…"
He hadn't forgotten. The black vortex, the pull of that impossible force, Hazel clinging to him before everything was swallowed.
The memory replayed with cruel clarity.
He winced, nearly collapsing as another wave of pain rolled through his body.
"You're awake."
The calm, steady voice drifted across the room. Atticus turned sharply, despite his dizziness.
His gaze locked onto the source of the voice.
He froze.
"Tsuru…"
She looked younger, perhaps fifty or sixty, but the unmistakable air of sharp intelligence surrounded her. She was exactly as she appeared in the anime: poised, perceptive, unreadable.
The pressure of her presence alone made the room feel smaller.
Atticus instantly understood what had happened.
He had transmigrated.
Into the world of One Piece.
But instead of excitement, an empty numbness settled in his chest. Compared to the hardships of his previous life and the fragile existence Hazel endured, transmigration meant nothing to him.
Fantasy held no value without her.
Hazel was the only thing that mattered.
Tsuru studied him with calm curiosity, her expression thoughtful.
"Young man, are you from Skypiea?" Her voice was gentle but carried a subtle authority. Her eyes were sharp enough to make Atticus feel exposed.
"What makes you say that?" he replied quietly. His expression remained calm, his gaze steady. In this world, showing weakness was suicide. Especially before someone as insightful as Vice Admiral Tsuru.
"Young man, do you know who I am?" she asked, watching him with growing interest.
Atticus glanced at her uniform.
"A Marine. And someone of fairly high rank."
Tsuru's eyes brightened slightly.
"I am a Marine Vice Admiral and a staff officer."
Atticus acknowledged her with a nod.
"Thank you. No matter what happened, you saved my life."
He tried to sit up again to show respect, but the pain forced him to stop.
Tsuru leaned forward slightly.
"What is your name? And are you from Skypiea?"
"You may call me Atticus. As for Skypiea… what makes you so certain? You've asked me that same question twice,"
Tsuru replied with a small smile. "Not a very useful deflection. But it's fine. Your body is still weak, so rest for now."
She rose to leave.
"Wait."
She stopped and turned back. Atticus's calm façade was gone, replaced with a barely restrained desperation.
"When you rescued me… was there a girl with me? Black hair. Black eyes. She looks like me."
Even without him saying more, Tsuru understood.
Her expression softened slightly.
"I'm very sorry." She paused, gathering her thoughts. "When you fell from the sky, there was indeed a girl with you. But we were not able to save her."
Atticus froze.
His breathing stopped.
His world stopped.
His pupils widened, his face drained of all color.
"…Are you saying she's dead?"
His fists trembled violently. His eyes turned bloodshot in an instant, grief and fury erupting from within him.
The pressure radiating from his body made Tsuru inhale sharply. For a moment, she felt something dangerous flicker around him, something almost primal.
"No," she said firmly. "She might not be dead."
Atticus snapped his gaze toward her.
"This incident happened while we were pursuing the Flying Pirates. During the battle, you and the girl fell from above the clouds. Before we could reach her, she was abducted by Golden Lion, Shiki."
Golden Lion.
Atticus clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached. Shiki wasn't just any pirate. He was a legendary monster who once fought Roger himself, someone with an army of flying beasts and the power of the Fuwa Fuwa no Mi.
A man like that…
And Hazel was in his hands.
Atticus's stomach twisted violently. Terror and rage churned together until he felt sick.
Tsuru continued gently, "Perhaps because you resemble someone from Skypiea, he took interest. But either way… he took her."
She stood straight again, her expression returning to professionalism.
"You should rest. If you need medical staff, call them. Given the circumstances, it is fortunate you survived the fall at all."
She left quietly.
Atticus didn't move.
The silence pressed down on him like a crushing weight.
He pressed both hands against his head, forcing himself to breathe.
Calm down.
Calm down.
Hazel is alive.
Hazel was taken.
He knew where she was.
He had a chance.
But only if he gained power.
His thoughts sharpened rapidly. In this world, strength determined everything. Golden Lion was far beyond his current reach. To save Hazel, he needed status, information, and power.
There was only one path.
He would join the Marines.
And he would climb high enough to gain access to their intelligence networks. Vice Admiral or Admiral level. Anything less wouldn't be enough.
It was the only way.
Suddenly, a sharp heat pulsed through his right hand.
Atticus looked down.
Flames flickered across his palm, golden-red and intense. Heat radiated from his skin, filling the room.
"…Fire?"
He instinctively tapped into the sensation. Information surged through his mind, clear and instinctive, like it had always belonged to him.
A Devil Fruit.
His heart pounded.
"I ate that fruit…"
His breath caught.
"So this is the ability of the Tori Tori no Mi, Mythical Zoan type… Great Sun Golden Crow."
The name echoed in his mind with an ancient weight. A mythical creature tied to the sun, a being of overwhelming heat and celestial fire.
If he developed this power to its full potential, he could reach the pinnacle of this world.
Atticus closed his fingers slowly, extinguishing the fire as resolve surged through him.
Strength.
He needed strength.
For Hazel.
He would obtain any Devil Fruit needed to cure her. The Ope Ope no Mi. Any fruit capable of repairing her damaged heart. He would steal, fight, destroy, and climb as high as needed.
Anything that stood in his way would be crushed.
Golden Lion Shiki would regret everything.
Atticus lay back against the pillow, flames still flickering faintly beneath his skin.
He would tear through the sky itself if it meant bringing Hazel home.
---