REWRITE!!!
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The land was smaller than I expected.
It was not an island with a village or a harbor. Just a narrow stretch of sand, surrounded by low forest and jagged rocks on the other side. No smoke. No buildings. No sign that humans had ever stayed here for long.
I pushed the small boat onto the shore and pulled it far enough so it would not drift back into the sea. The moment my feet touched the sand, a sense of relief nearly made my legs give out. My body finally stopped moving after drifting all night.
I sat down without caring about the dirt.
The exhaustion hit all at once. Not just physical. My head felt heavy. My eyes burned. Shadow Sense was still active, and I could faintly perceive the environment around me, the rustling of leaves in the wind, the tiny movements of unseen creatures in the bushes.
I closed my eyes and forced my breathing to slow.
Calm down.
There was no immediate threat.
The system appeared after a longer delay than usual.
—
[Location Registered]
Name: Unrecorded
Category: Uninhabited Small Island
Threat Level: Low
Canon Relevance: None
—
I let out a weak smile.
An island without a trace.
The name fit perfectly.
I stood up and walked along the beach, gathering dry branches and broad leaves. I was no survival expert, but basic instincts were enough to build a simple shelter.
While I worked, the system stayed silent.
That was new.
No missions. No warnings. No objectives.
Just me and this island.
I finished a small shelter beneath a large tree. Its shade covered the sand well enough. I sat beneath it and finally allowed my body to fully relax.
Sleep came crashing down on me.
Before I completely lost consciousness, the system appeared again, its tone different from before.
—
[System Notice]
[Extended Silence Approved]
[Recovery State Entered]
—
I did not have time to think about it.
My awareness sank.
My sleep was shallow and fragmented. I dreamed of pieces of my old life. A classroom with worn whiteboards. Noisy students. Piles of paperwork. Faces that now felt impossibly distant.
Then the dream shifted to the sea. Waves. A straw hat floating on the water. A shadow standing far behind the stage.
I woke up drenched in cold sweat.
The sun was already high. It was midday.
My body felt lighter. The dizziness was gone. But there was a strange emptiness in my chest. Not pain. Just a hollow sensation I had not noticed before.
I sat up and looked around.
The island was quiet. Too quiet.
No human voices. No destination. No clear role.
A question surfaced in my mind.
If I died here, would the world change?
The answer was obvious.
No.
The thought did not hurt. It was simply cold.
The system appeared again.
—
[Status Update]
STR: 4
SPD: 5
END: 5
PER: 6
WIL: 6
INT: 7
[Note]
Recovery bonus applied
Fatigue cleared
—
I nodded faintly.
The system made sure I remained functional. Nothing more.
I walked into the small forest, not too deep. I had no intention of getting lost. I just needed to confirm the island was truly safe.
Shadow Sense pulsed softly. No major threats. Only small animals, birds, insects.
I found a small freshwater source between the rocks. The water was clear. I drank carefully and washed my face.
This face.
I stared at my reflection on the surface of the water.
Younger. Sharper. Free of years of accumulated exhaustion. But the eyes had not changed. They were still the eyes of someone who thought too much.
I touched my face.
Someday, I would wear a mask. The system would force it upon me. But not yet. For now, I was still free. No one was watching. No one cared.
I sat by the water for a long time.
My thoughts returned to the sea the night before. To the moment I redirected the small pirate crew. To the quiet relief I felt when Luffy passed through unharmed.
I did not save the world.
I merely reduced a single risk.
Yet the system considered it meaningful enough to grant me a skill.
I was beginning to understand its logic.
The system did not give overwhelming power. It gave space to survive in the shadows. Tools to remain insignificant yet relevant.
I stood up.
I could not stay here much longer. This island was only a temporary refuge. The main story was moving toward Orange Town. Buggy would appear. The conflicts would escalate.
And for the first time, I had to decide.
Would I approach again.
Or keep my distance.
The system finally issued a new notice.
—
[Main Quest Updated]
Title: Follow the Current
Description: Remain within the radius of the main narrative without being noticed
Objective: Approach the Orange Town area indirectly
Warning: Prolonged isolation will reduce growth efficiency
—
I smiled bitterly.
Even hiding for too long was considered a mistake.
I exhaled and looked out at the sea again.
Fine.
I would move.
But not yet.
There was still one thing I needed.
The certainty that I was not merely reacting. That I was choosing.
I gathered a few dry branches and leaves as emergency supplies, then sat back on the sand, staring at the horizon.
I would leave this island soon.
But today, I allowed myself to stop.
No missions.
No objectives.
Just a human trying to accept that he now lived in a world he was only meant to watch.
—————
I left the island near sunset.
There was no ceremony. No excessive sentimentality. I pushed the small boat back into the water and climbed aboard with movements far more practiced than before. My hands had learned the weight of the oars. My body had learned the rhythm of the sea.
The island without a trace shrank behind me. The large tree that had sheltered me earlier became a dark silhouette. I did not look back again.
That place was only a stopover.
And stopovers that felt too comfortable could become cages.
I rowed at an angle away from the main route. Not straight toward Orange Town. Being too close to the center of the story increased risk. But drifting too far caused the system to label me as stagnant.
I balanced that distance with instincts I did not yet fully understand.
Night arrived more gently this time. The waves were calm. The wind cooperative. Shadow Sense remained active but less oppressive. I was learning to let it fade into the background, like an extra sense that did not demand constant attention.
In the distance, faint lights appeared.
Not Orange Town. Too scattered. Perhaps a small merchant vessel. Perhaps a remote fishing settlement. I adjusted my course slightly away. I did not want interaction tonight.
The system seemed to agree.
—
[Route Adjustment Acknowledged]
[Risk Level Stable]
—
I rowed until my arms grew heavy, then let the boat drift. The night sky filled with stars. I lay back against the bottom of the boat and stared upward.
My thoughts wandered.
To the underpaid teacher who fell asleep in a narrow room. To a life that felt like it never moved. To this world that surged forward without waiting for me to be ready.
Here, I was moving.
Not by pure choice. Not by destiny. But because stopping would mean being swallowed without a trace.
I drifted into light sleep and woke when the eastern sky shifted from darkness to pale gray.
In the distance, I saw a larger island. Its outline unmistakable. Even from afar, its shape was familiar.
Orange Town.
I slowed my approach.
I did not want to arrive too quickly. I wanted to observe from the edge. From outside the frame. From somewhere safe.
I traced the coastline at a distance, searching for a quiet landing point. I found a small rocky inlet. No docks. No large ships. Only a few fishing boats pulled ashore.
I beached the boat and hid it behind a large rock. I did not know if I would return to it. But at least it would not be immediately visible.
I climbed to higher ground.
From there, I could see part of Orange Town. Colorful buildings. Main streets. A livelier atmosphere than Shell Town. And something else.
Something wrong.
Shadow Sense pulsed more strongly.
Not immediate physical danger. More like pressure. Chaotic intent mixed with fear.
Buggy.
I had not seen him yet, but his presence was unmistakable. Like a storm you could feel before it appeared.
I swallowed.
This was different from Shell Town.
This was not a small conflict that could be avoided with misdirection. This was the center of chaos. And this was where Nami would play her role.
Her name surfaced in my thoughts without warning.
Nami.
I had not seen her directly yet, but I knew she was here. Moving with her own agenda. Deceiving. Surviving. Calculating every step.
Someone who lived in constant vigilance.
Someone who understood shadows.
I did not know why my chest felt heavier at the thought.
The system appeared quietly.
—
[Canon Density: Elevated]
[Observation Recommended]
[Direct Interference: Highly Restricted]
—
I nodded.
I would not repeat my mistake from Shell Town. I would not take elevated positions when the conflict erupted. I would not get too close.
I descended and entered the outskirts of the town. Not through the main road. Through narrow alleys and behind buildings. Places rarely used by those with clear destinations.
I blended in.
People passed by without looking. Children ran past me. A man nearly collided with me, then shifted aside without apology or eye contact.
I felt it again.
The world agreed I was unimportant.
And for the first time, I did not reject it.
I stopped at the edge of a small marketplace, standing behind stacked crates. From there, I could see the main street without truly being seen.
And there she was.
Bright orange hair. Light movements. Alert eyes. A smile that appeared too quickly and vanished just as fast.
Nami.
She walked while talking to someone, her gestures relaxed but her gaze constantly moving. Measuring. Calculating.
I did not approach. I did not need to.
Seeing her was enough to understand one thing.
She survived the same way I did.
Not strong. Not protected. But sharp and cautious.
The system did not react excessively. Only a small notice appeared.
—
[Key Character Proximity Detected]
[Emotional Interference Risk: Low]
—
I exhaled softly.
I felt no urge to change anything yet. I only wanted to observe. To record. To understand.
The day moved forward. Voices rose. The atmosphere shifted. There was tension not everyone noticed.
Buggy would reveal himself soon.
And once again, I stood at the edge of the story.
Exactly where I belonged.
I retreated before anyone truly noticed me, slipping back into the narrow alleys and into the shadows.
The system closed the day with a simple statement.
—
[Daily Log]
[Positioning Successful]
[Next Phase Approaching]
—
I looked up at the evening sky between the buildings.
The days without a name were slowly coming to an end.
And shadows could not remain observers forever.