ONE PIECE: FLOW OF FATE

As Renjiro headed out per Kaia's order, it was night, though the sun hadn't fully set.

It'd be really weird if someone did help me at all, as I remember the closest village isn't exactly near ours, and why would they come here anyway? Never mind that, let me go to Drake's house; my abdomen is hurting.

Renjiro left the cabin and went straight to Drake's house. Out of the five families in the village, Mr. Drake's was the furthest from the forest. A notable thing about him was that he had worked in the capital after serving as a mercenary for a while. In terms of wealth, he was on the upscale here.

Renjiro approached the home.

Knock, knock.

The door opened violently, and a man tall, even taller than Bram and Coal, appeared before him. He was the youngest of the three, with white hair on his beard and head, though not fully so.

"If it isn't our little Renji! How's Old Bram doing lately?" he exclaimed, inviting him into the house.

"Honey, who's at the door?" his wife exclaimed from afar.

"It's Bram's son, don't worry. So what did you come here for?"

Renjiro was still surprised at the size of the man.

Yeah, I knew Oda didn't exactly proportion bodies in this world, but first-hand experience makes it hella evident.

Renjiro shook his head to rid the thought.

"Grandma Kaia told me to get ointment from Mr. Drake," Renjiro replied.

"For what?"

"Well, nothing much. I got attacked by a beast earlier today." Renjiro lifted his shirt to reveal a red, bruised area.

"Oh, that's very serious! You know better than approaching off-limits areas," he said. As he said that, his wife, Holly, appeared.

"Oh, sweet heavens, this isn't any normal injury! Where were you playing at, Renjiro?" she said, crouching down and eyeing his injury with a worried look.

Wow, even though these people might not be younger than 40, they still look very beautiful. Renjiro remarked.

"We went to the forest, but weren't expecting a wild bear to appear," Renjiro said.

"Well, you know better than disobeying your parents! If something were to happen to you, who would our dear Maria marry in the future?" she smiled.

What the hell? I'm just a kid! Why are they thinking about such a thing? Such shameless people!

As she spoke, a young girl appeared from behind Drake and Holly. She had a wooden sword in her arm. Her long blue hair and silver eyes astonished the boy—well, adult, whatever suited him.

"Oh, Maria, did you finish the little warm-up I gave you? You ought to be tired. Come and greet your future husband," he remarked, patting her, pushing her toward Renjiro.

"Father, stop! Why do you do that?" she said, embarrassedly.

Renjiro was astonished. What the hell, am I weird for remarking on her beauty? I mean, I am just a kid... maybe not mentally. Wait, I'm not a P-word, right? Renjiro wasn't sure how to handle the situation.

"You guys play around too much! We are still kids, and marrying is for adults," Renjiro replied, trying to sound as childish as he could, only for Drake and Holly to laugh.

"Our little girl here is aspiring to become a Marine when she grows older, so I've been teaching her simple swordsmanship I picked up back in the day," he said, squinting at Renjiro. "Would you like some training too? You can't be weaker than your wife, right?"

"FATHER!" the girl exclaimed, punching his legs.

"Ha, haha, why wouldn't you want a rival? It would be great, not only for you but Renjiro. He is a very smart kid, remarkable even. Teaching him will benefit all of us."

Maria looked at Renjiro as if he'd done something enraging, then looked away.

I mean, don't blame me. I didn't do anything.

"Ouch," he said as Holly applied the ointment onto him.

"Tell Kaia I did her a favor, and she doesn't have to repay me."

It wasn't hurting as much, but now it felt like fire.

"Okay, I will. Also, I would like to take some lessons from you, Mr. Drake. I also dream of becoming a Marine too," Renjiro said.

I need to take advantage of this. Even though I could've asked Bram, he would probably say, "What's a four-year-old asking for training?" I don't know why Drake isn't also questioning that logic, but hey, so be it.

"Hah, great! But we will have to talk to your father about this."

As the night went on, Renjiro was applied ointment and now headed home. He then told his parents what happened.

"Holly, that slick woman, already trying to make her daughter our son's bride!" Kaia said angrily.

"Is Renjiro getting married, Grandpa?" Laughter erupted, except from Yurie.

"No, no, no, it's just all a joke, Renzo, ho ho ho," Bram exclaimed.

Renjiro noticed Yurie's visibly saddened face. What's up with her? She looks upset at the conversation. Let me try cheering her up; not really my expertise, but let's give it a shot.

"Yurie, would you like to take lessons with me from Mr. Drake? He offered to train me."

Yurie looked and said, "As long as that girl is there, I don't want any part of this."

Kids, damn it. Why would she get upset at such a minor thing? Well, I tried, I can't force her.

Bram stood up and said, "You're getting ahead of yourself, young man. You're too young. Maria is older than you and Yurie by a year and a half. If you want to learn training, you'll start next year. But before that, you will be going on hunts with me, ho ho ho!"

I mean, great, I guess, but I don't think I have time to waste if I want to enter the Marines. I don't even know what year we're in. Come to think of it, why didn't I ask this sooner?

Renjiro then asked Bram, "Grandpa, what year is it today?"

"Didn't the newspaper come earlier yesterday? Well, it's 1498. Damn those guys, I can't believe they're late again."

A look of shock crossed Renjiro's face. 1498. The numbers resonated deep within his core, a stark, impossible truth.

1498... No way. That means... the Grand Line isn't even truly conquered yet. The Golden Age of Pirates... it hasn't even begun! Roger... he's alive! He must be! This is two years before his execution, the very year Oden's backstory unfolds, the year Roger and Whitebeard clashed, and just one year before Laugh Tale is found!

His mind raced, a whirlwind of fragmented knowledge from his past life colliding with his present reality. He knew the broad strokes of history in this world: the Great Pirate Era, the Void Century, the World Government, the Revolutionary Army. But to be here, before it all truly exploded, before the legends were fully forged...

"Did you say 1498, Grandpa?" Renjiro blurted out, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes wide and unblinking, fixed on Bram. "Are you absolutely sure?"

Bram chuckled, reaching over to ruffle Renjiro's hair. "Of course I'm sure, you silly boy! It's written in every newspaper, heard in every town. Why the sudden interest in the calendar? Did you forget what day your birthday is?"

Renjiro barely registered the jest. This changes everything. Everything! The strongest in the world... the Admirals... they're still training, still rising. The Yonko are forming their empires. And the Straw Hats... they're not even born yet!(except for Robin and Franky I guess.) This isn't just a second chance at life; it's a chance to rewrite the script, to be a part of the history I only ever read about.

A new, potent wave of determination washed over him, eclipsing the lingering pain in his abdomen. The need to train, to become powerful, wasn't just about protecting his new family anymore. It was about shaping destiny.