Cursed Seas and Slashing Tides

Ryomen found himself back in his mindscape, the shrine looming even more imposingly than before, at the heart of this peculiar realm.

But something was different. The place felt… alive. The sky had shifted from a tranquil blue to a churning gray, clouds rolling in as if battling to overtake the sun. The once-calm sea now roared, waves clashing as if in turmoil. The air was thick, a mix of freshness and something tainted, like the cities he'd walked through—alive, but far from pure.

"What…is going on here?" He murmured, glancing around.

The shrine called to him, a faint but unignorable pull. But unlike before, Ryomen was no longer blindly drawn to it. This time, he was aware, fully expecting what waited within.

With a sigh, he steeled himself and took a step forward. "I can't keep hesitating…if I want answers."

…

When he arrived, the shrine's massive gates stood open.

Inside, a figure lounged on a throne, his face turned to the shadows, his posture exuding casual power. The demon wearing Ryomen's skin looked out into the darkness, as if gazing beyond him.

"About time you showed up." The entity's voice cut through the silence.

"Yeah, like you've got anywhere else to be." Ryomen scoffed.

The demon's lips curved, unbothered. "Oh? A sudden burst of confidence." His tone mocked him, lazy and condescending. "What is it? Some trivial increase in strength? Or do you really think you've finally 'found yourself'?"

"What's it to you?" Ryomen retorted, eyes narrowed.

The demon's gaze sharpened. "Watch your tone, brat. Don't mistake patience for weakness."

Ryomen clenched his teeth, but his curiosity won out. "What's going on outside?"

"It's your mindscape. You should already know." The entity's smirk grew.

"Enough with the riddles. Go ahead, mock me all you want—but I want answers." Ryomen's frustration came through, but he kept his stance firm.

For a long moment, the demon's face was unreadable. Then, almost faster than he could perceive, Ryomen felt a flash of pain at his neck—and suddenly, he was staring at his own headless body.

"Consider this…your final warning." The demon's voice echoed through the space, and Ryomen was suddenly whole again, gasping.

"What…was that?" He muttered, shaken.

"This is a battlefield between two forces, the person you're trying to become and the version of you that I desire." The demon's eyes gleamed with a cold intent.

"Are you talking about how the Devil Fruit changes my soul? Is that why, when I fought Enel, I felt an actual thrill at facing someone so powerful?"

"Exactly. Your 'resolve' might help you resist—for now. But as you are, your chances are laughable."

Ryomen's hands balled into fists. "I won't let these powers change who I am."

The demon's gaze turned colder, though a hint of amusement remained in his eyes. "We'll see…in time."

And with that, Ryomen was yanked back to consciousness, the entity's chilling laughter ringing in his mind.

…

"Ugh…" Ryomen stirred, a dull ache in his side.

"You okay?" Zoro's voice reached him.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to kick me…" Ryomen grumbled, pulling himself up.

"Seemed like you were having a nightmare. Need a nightlight?" Zoro teased with a smirk.

"Haha…" Ryomen's laugh was dry, then he noticed Zoro was still dressed. "Why are you up in the middle of the night?"

Zoro crossed his arms. "I told you—I'm training. Can't let you guys get too far ahead. Even that woman's gotten the jump on me." He muttered the last part under his breath.

Ryomen raised an eyebrow. "Pretty sure it says somewhere in the manual that rest is important for Haki training. And you shouldn't worry about Nami, it was a given she'd be talented in it."

Zoro stood silent, unmoving. "Even so, I need to get stronger."

After a moment, Ryomen sighed. "Fine. Next time you're up training, let me know. I'll do what I can to help."

"...Alright." Zoro gave a small nod.

…

The next day on the ship, the crew was busy with their usual routines, some training, others cooking or reading, while a few simply enjoyed themselves.

Ryomen stood at the helm, staring at the Blue Lotus.

"I meant to ask for a while, what's with that flower?" Nami's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, Vivi gave it to me." He replied, voice soft.

Nami's eyes narrowed a little. "Vivi, huh…"

An awkward silence hung between them.

"Umm…good job with Observation Haki." Ryomen blurted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I told you it would come easily for you."

"Thanks, but…I couldn't have done it without you," Nami replied, her own cheeks reddening a bit. "You helped me train, after all."

"Want to shoot for Armament next?" He teased.

"No way." She laughed, both of them sharing a small smile.

After a pause, Nami took a breath. "Listen…there's something I've been meaning to tell you." She fidgeted, looking down.

"What's that?" Ryomen asked, tilting his head.

Nami opened her mouth, then hesitated, her face flushing. "Well, I…uh…"

"Land ahead!! Ho ho!" Luffy's shout cut through the moment from across the deck.

Ryomen glanced over, concerned. "What was that, Nami?"

"Nothing…doesn't matter now. Let's just dock." Nami muttered, looking away.

"Alright. But remember, you can always talk to me." He gave her a reassuring smile before heading to join the others.

After he left, Nami let her head drop against the railing. 'Damn you, Luffy! I was so close!'

…

"It's empty!" Luffy's voice rang out as the crew looked at the vast, open island. It was dotted with oddly thin trees and little else.

"Woooaa!" Chopper exclaimed, his jaw dropping.

"What is it, Chopper—" Ryomen and Usopp turned, eyes widening as they took in the sight of a tall, thin white bear walking on two legs.

"A…human?" Chopper wondered aloud.

"How can a human be this furry? It's a bear!" Luffy told him.

"We do know Masira and Shoujou though." Ryomen said.

"Yeah, but those guys were monkeys!" Luffy replied, making Ryomen shake his head.

"Is that…a house?" Usopp pointed far off in the distance.

"Oh! Maybe there's a shipwright there!" Luffy perked up, and the group headed toward the structure, weaving through tall, thin creatures as they went.

"It's so…long." Usopp muttered, staring at the elongated bodies around them.

"Excuse me! Is anyone inside!?" Luffy barged into the house.

"At least he's polite about it…" Ryomen mumbled.

"Wait! It could be dangerous!" Usopp went after him.

Inside the house, they found a horse with long legs and a stretched neck.

"Neah!" It cried as it left the house.

"Her name is Sherry!" Chopper told them.

"She has a saddle, there must be someone who lives here." Usopp exclaimed.

While the others puzzled over the animal, Luffy's gaze drifted toward a massive bamboo stalk nearby, and he wandered toward it.

"What are you doing, Luffy?" Usopp called after him, curious.

"This bamboo…" Luffy muttered, before the bamboo suddenly jerked, catching him off guard.

"Whoaaa!!" They all shouted in surprise.

"Is it some kind of animal too!?" Luffy asked just as the bamboo swung and hit him square in the face.

"The bamboo hit Luffy!" Usopp shouted, eyes wide in shock.

"I'm not losing to a stupid bamboo!! Gomu-Gomu no…Whip!!" Luffy cried, smashing the bamboo to pieces with a powerful kick.

"Yeah, we won!!" Usopp cheered.

"It broke!!" Luffy shouted, mirroring Usopp's enthusiasm.

"Why was this so dramatic?" Ryomen muttered, exasperated as he shook his head.

The bamboo's fall sent a tremor through the ground, causing Chopper and the horse to come rushing over.

"What happened!?" Chopper asked, worry coloring his tone.

The three didn't answer right away, staring down at an old man now sprawled on the ground.

"Is this…a genie that appears when you break bamboo?" Luffy wondered aloud, genuinely confused.

"Long time no see…are you well?" The old man asked, blinking up at them.

"Huh? Do we know you?" Usopp asked, frowning.

"Doesn't look familiar." Ryomen said with a shrug.

"I don't know him…" Luffy agreed.

"Me either." added Chopper.

The old man scratched his head. "Ah…no wonder I've never seen your faces before."

"What kind of answer is that!?" Usopp yelled, indignant. "And who the heck are you, anyway?"

"My name is Tonji. Thank you for bringing me down from that stilt." He said with a relieved sigh.

"Oh…So you're not a genie…just an old man stuck up there." Luffy muttered, a bit disappointed.

"Why were you on that stilt?" Ryomen asked, genuinely confused.

"I wanted to make the tallest stilt, but then…I got too scared to climb down." Tonji admitted sheepishly.

"Just how stupid are you, old man?" Luffy asked, blunt as ever.

"I was up there…for ten years."

"Are you a super idiot!?"

Luffy's jaw dropped, and Ryomen, barely holding back a laugh, quipped, "Luffy, you finally found your match!"

"Hey!" Luffy protested, clearly annoyed.

Suddenly, the horse neighed, her large eyes brimming with tears.

"Huh? Sherry!? You waited for me!?" Tonji exclaimed, his face breaking into a huge smile.

"Ohhh, I'll never leave you alone again!" He said, patting Sherry fondly as he climbed onto her back. The two trotted off together for their first walk in a decade.

"The horse waited for that guy all this time?" Luffy mumbled, scratching his head.

"Rare to see such loyalty." Ryomen said softly, watching the pair with a slight smile.

"Yeah, she's a great horse." Chopper added with a warm look.

"She must really like that stilt guy." Usopp chimed in.

"Sherry…let's cross the sea together and meet with everyone in the village." Tonji said to her, leaning forward. "There were rainy days, weren't there? Days when it snowed too? I'm impressed you waited."

Sherry's joy was evident as she hopped excitedly in place.

"Whoa! Easy there! You know I'm not good with heights!" Tonji laughed, gripping her tightly.

The crew watched the two, smiles on their faces, until Luffy's eyes suddenly widened in shock.

"Watch out!!" He shouted, but the warning came too late.

Sherry stumbled, blood streaming from a wound as she hit the ground.

"Noo!" Luffy cried, eyes wide with worry.

"Who!?" Ryomen muttered through clenched teeth, his voice taut with anger.

They rushed toward Sherry and Tonji, who was frantically trying to calm his injured companion.

"Sherry, talk to me girl!" Tonji pleaded as Sherry cried out in pain.

"I nailed that horse!!" A man's voice interrupted. "It's mine, so hands off!"

"That's right! The horse belongs to the boss!" A woman beside him said confidently.

"Who…are you people!?" Luffy demanded, his voice hard.

"Who am I, you ask? Don't tell me you don't recognize my face!!" The man said proudly.

"Who would want to remember someone as pathetic as you?" Ryomen shot back with icy disdain.

"Oh no, boss, don't get depressed!" The woman comforted him as the man visibly wilted, dropping to his knees. "He must be lying!"

"He doesn't know me…" the man mumbled, before quickly pulling himself back together. "My name is Foxy! I'm a man who gets everything he wants!"

"Why you…!" Luffy took an aggressive step forward, fists clenched.

"Wait! 'Straw Hat' Luffy!" Foxy interjected.

"Huh? How do you know my name?" Luffy demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"Our bounties, most likely." Ryomen noted, eyeing them.

"That's right." The woman said, nodding. "Monkey D. Luffy, one hundred million. Ryomen, eighty million. And Roronoa Zoro, sixty million."

"A minor gang of eight with a total bounty of two hundred and forty million is quite impressive." She continued. 

"We, the Foxy Pirates, challenge you, the Straw Hat Pirates, to a three-coin Davy Back Fight!" Foxy exclaimed.

Ryomen's eyes narrowed. "Challenge? Why would we not just kill you now?"

"If you want a match, come at me!" Luffy shouted, fists raised.

"Wait! Don't do it!" Usopp cried out. "We'll lose our friends if we lose!"

"Too late, fool! I heard it loud and clear; he accepted!" Foxy taunted. "Or are you too scared to back down?"

"Of course not!" Luffy shot back.

"Don't fall for his trap!" Usopp and Ryomen growled in unison. 

…

Soon after, the Straw Hats regrouped on the island, where a lively commotion filled the air as barracks were being set up in preparation for the Davy Back Fight.

"Hot dogs! Get your hot dogs!" A vendor shouted, drawing attention.

"Give me two, please." Tonji said, reaching out while Chopper tended to Sherry nearby, her injuries now treated.

"Old man…!!" Usopp exclaimed angrily, pointing toward Tonji.

"All right, scum! Quiet down! I'll now explain the rules!" Shouted the woman from earlier, now standing on a podium.

She outlined the three rules: any crew members or flags lost could only be reclaimed in another Davy Back Fight. Crew members taken by the winners would need to pledge eternal loyalty, and any pirate flag taken could never be used by the losers again.

"Anyone who disgraces these rules will be sacrificed to Davy Jones! Do you swear to honor them?"

"I do!"

"I swear!" Foxy and Luffy shouted in response.

Soon after, the Straw Hats gathered to strategize, the island bustling with the clamor of Davy Back preparations.

"Who'll be the seven to play?" Zoro asked.

Ryomen crossed his arms. "I'm not joining."

"Huh? Why not?" Sanji asked, taken aback.

"Because it's pointless. There's no reason to do this." Ryomen replied curtly.

"We agreed to the challenge. We can't back down!" Luffy insisted.

"No, you're the one who impulsively agreed." Ryomen pointed out with a sigh.

"He's right, Luffy. You should've at least consulted us first." Nami scolded, a glare in her eyes.

"It's already done! We can't do anything about it now!" Luffy said with a shrug.

"Hey, Ryomen, we need your help to win!" Usopp pleaded.

Ryomen shook his head. "It doesn't matter if we win or lose." His voice hardened, a dangerous edge in his tone. "No matter the outcome…I'll kill them."

Silence fell over the crew, each staring at him, expressions ranging from shock to concern.

Realizing the gravity of his words, Ryomen averted their gaze, shifting uncomfortably under their stares. "I…I'll go for a walk." He muttered, leaving quickly. 

…

Ryomen kicked a rock, frustration simmering as he walked along the shore.

'Why did they look at me like that? I only said it because I care about them. I'm not going to let some idiots threaten my crew.'

He paused, staring at his reflection in the water. His face began to blur, morphing into something…familiar.

"Rough day, huh?"

"Yeah…" He muttered absently, only to whip around in alarm, fists raised.

"Who are you!?" He demanded, staring at a tall, tanned man wearing a sleeping mask.

The man raised a lazy hand. "No need for hostility…I get you. We all need a break once in a while."

Ryomen's eyes narrowed. "You're…an Admiral. Aokiji."

"And you're…'The Cursed Being' Ryomen." Aokiji replied with a faint smile.

'Why is he here?! No…maybe he doesn't know about us. He could just be passing through…' Ryomen tried to convince himself.

Aokiji tilted his head. "I heard the Straw Hats were here. Seems it's true."

Ryomen's fists tightened.

"Relax, I'm not here for you. That creep would probably scold me if I were." Aokiji said, though he looked amused. "Then again…maybe he'd enjoy things getting out of control."

Ryomen's frown deepened. "Then why are you here?"

"Nico Robin." Aokiji replied simply.

Without a second thought, Ryomen lunged forward, only to find himself instantly encased in ice.

"Stay here until I'm done." Aokiji muttered, vanishing from sight.

"Mmph…Mmph!" Muffled sounds came from within the ice, a crack slowly forming.