One Piece: The wind swordsman

(Please add it to your library! please send power stones! Thank you ! 

For early access up to 10 or more chapters check out: patreon.com/Sykkoo )

East Sea, Andric Island, Orange Blossom Town.

The twilights are enchanting - the afterglow of the sinking sun spilling over the sea like a gold veil, creating a dream world by the seaside.

At this hour, on the island people had finished work for the day and were moving back to their homes.

This was a small town with more than a hundred households. In spite of this, minor incidents sometimes took place; otherwise, it was mostly calm and quiet where life could flow by without much of a disturbance in uneventful simplicity.

Andric Island sloped from high in the north to low in the south. At its northernmost point lay a crescent-shaped lake with crystal-clear waters, surrounded by dense woods, making it quite secluded. A small stream wound its way through the forest, meandering from north to south, cutting through the island before finally emptying into the sea.

There was a pretty scene at one place on the southern end of the stream, where the water flowed gently.

Even as twilight deepened, it was still clear enough to see a few small figures gathered by the streambank. They seemed to be seven- or eight-year-old children, bending over and staring curiously at the water's surface.

After a few minutes, apart from the clear sound of the stream, there was no movement whatsoever from the water.

At this point, one of the children, a freckled boy with brown hair, sniffled and finally couldn't hold it in anymore. "Hey, I'm telling you, that guy's been under for so long. He's not coming back up-do you think he might have drowned?

"Roy, shut up," said a skinny boy in overalls. He pushed up the black-framed glasses on his nose and said calmly, "You know how good Shano is at swimming. This little bit of time is nothing to him."

This boy was Anderson, the town's mayor and the only son. He led his friends. He was well-esteemed in the company of his friends. Hearing his words of rebuke, the freckled boy immediately did not dare to continue, lowering his head in shame.

"Exactly, exactly. Don't even talk about Shano—someone like me can hold my breath this long!" Another chubby boy nodded in agreement. Glancing at a shadow faintly visible in the deeper water, he grinned and said:

"Besides, Roy, this is just a little stream. Do you think it's the ocean? No one's dumb enough to drown here."

You got a point there," Roy grunted, scraping at the nape of his neck. But remembering something apparently made him let loose a gushing spit, with a further mumble of grumble. "But that SOB Shanuo! He beat me that bad for merely stealing one of his grilled fish last time, I was hobbling on three legs for three days straight. Hmph, that violence-spewing brute deserves to get himself drowned!

"Pfft! That's only because you're dumb. You ate your fill and then fell asleep at his place. Otherwise, knowing Shanuo, he wouldn't have bothered with you," the chubby boy teased with disdain. Then, patting his belly, he laughed and added, "Still, you can't deny Shano's grilled fish is too good to resist. I've stolen some before, too. Just eat and run—he's never caught me."

"Ah… Now that you mention it, it is delicious…" Even Anderson, usually mature and composed, raised his eyebrows, showing a hint of longing on his face.

"Wait, wait! Even you secretly…" The chubby boy was stunned, his mouth twitching. He was just about to make a snarky comment when he noticed Roy's face.

Roy's eyes opened wide with horror, his hand shaking as it pointed behind them. His lips seemed to want to say something, but no words came out.

"Roy, what's wrong?"

The chubby boy stared at him, dazed. Before he could put his finger on what was happening, Anderson sat bolt upright, pale and incredulous.

"He's… floating up…"

Roy finally managed to stammer out the words. The chubby boy froze for a moment, then quickly turned his head.

What he saw made his breath catch. Beneath the shimmering surface of the stream, a dark shadow rose, growing closer and closer with each passing second.

Finally, a bare back broke the surface, lying stiff and motionless before the boys.

"Shanuo?"

"This… can't be real!"

"What… what's going on…"

In an instant, the boys' faces turned ashen. Anderson and the chubby boy exchanged a glance, and without hesitation, they kicked off their shoes and dove into the stream.

Roy hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, sniffled hard, and jumped into the water to join them.

The stream was only three or four meters wide, and they quickly reached the shadow.

"Shanuo… Shanuo!"

The chubby boy's voice quivered, his eyes brimming with tears. Roy was equally panicked, his hands flailing helplessly.

Fortunately, Anderson kept his wits about him. His face stern, he yelled, "Stop panicking! Bill, Roy! The three of us need to work together. Let's carry him to the bank, then send someone to get Doctor Maria. If we act fast, we can still save him!"

"Okay!"

Anderson's steady voice calmed the others. Under his command, they reached out, ready to lift Shanuo's body out of the water.

But just as their hands touched his back, something unexpected happened!

Splash!

The water erupted, droplets scattering everywhere. In the boys' terrified gazes, the seemingly lifeless figure sprang out of the water like a silver fish, rising high into the air.

When he opened his eyes, the figure stretched himself out and landed with a thud on the streambank.

A tall black-haired boy stood before them in the twilight, white-shirtless, his hair plastered wetly to his face.

"This… what's happening…."

Roy looked blankly at the scene, his nose beginning to run again.

"Heh…

The black-haired boy brushed wet bangs back from his clean, handsome face, which showed no more signs of twelve or thirteen years but had a body that spoke to something else altogether.

He smiled at the boys in the stream, dazed, looking unbearably smug.

"Hey, brats, I heard everything you said. Stealing my fish, huh? Don't blame me for teaching you a lesson. So, how does it feel to soak in the water?"