One Piece: The Deadly

It was an ordinary day aboard the Thousand Sunny—or so it seemed. The crew was busy with their usual antics, but Kikidori was unusually quiet, wandering around the ship with a pensive look on his face.

He stood by the railing, watching the waves crash against the hull, his hands gripping the cool wood. He wanted to say something but didn't know how. It was his birthday, but why bother mentioning it? Birthdays had always been bittersweet for him, and besides, he didn't want to trouble anyone.

From across the deck, Robin noticed Kikidori's solemn expression. She closed her book and walked over to him. "Is something on your mind, Kikidori?"

The boy turned, startled. "Oh, Robin! No, nothing's wrong... just thinking."

Robin tilted her head slightly, her piercing gaze soft but curious. "Thinking about what?"

Kikidori hesitated, glancing down at his feet. "Just... stuff."

Robin smiled gently, not pressing further. "If you ever feel like sharing, we're all here to listen."

Kikidori nodded but remained quiet.

The day passed uneventfully until the evening, when the crew gathered for dinner. The usual chaos unfolded—Luffy was stealing food from everyone's plates, Sanji was yelling at him, and Nami was trying to maintain order.

Kikidori sat quietly at the end of the table, poking at his food with his fork.

"Kikidori, you're unusually quiet today," Sanji said, lighting a cigarette. "You sick or something?"

"No, I'm fine," Kikidori mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

Luffy, with his mouth full of meat, pointed a drumstick at Kikidori. "If something's wrong, you should just say it!"

Kikidori glanced up, meeting everyone's curious eyes. He took a deep breath. "It's nothing, really. It's just... today's my birthday."

The room fell silent for a moment, then erupted with shouts.

"WHAT?!" Nami exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"Yohoho! A birthday is a joyous occasion!" Brook added. "Though I don't have a tongue to taste cake anymore."

"Why didn't you say anything, kid?" Zoro asked, his usual gruff tone softening slightly.

Kikidori shrugged. "I didn't want to bother anyone. Birthdays aren't really a big deal to me."

Sanji slapped a hand to his forehead. "Not a big deal? It's your birthday! That's huge!" He immediately stood up, heading toward the kitchen. "I'll whip up something special!"

Nami crossed her arms, shaking her head. "You should have told us earlier, Kikidori. We could've planned something."

"It's okay," Kikidori said, smiling faintly. "But... there's something else I wanted to tell you all."

The crew leaned in, their attention now fully on him.

Kikidori hesitated, then reached for the hilt of his sword, Ophiophagus Hannah. "The reason I can't swim... it's because I ate a Devil Fruit."

"WHAT?!" the crew shouted in unison.

Kikidori nodded. "It's called the Viper Viper no Mi. It lets me turn into a snake or use snake-like abilities."

"That explains a lot," Robin said thoughtfully. "Your fascination with snakes, the name of your sword..."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Luffy interrupted, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "You have a Devil Fruit power? That's so cool! Show us!"

Kikidori hesitated. "I don't really like using it much, but... okay."

He closed his eyes and concentrated. His body began to shimmer and change, his arms elongating slightly, his pupils narrowing into slits. Scales formed on his skin, and his teeth sharpened into fangs. In moments, Kikidori stood before them, partially transformed into a snake-like hybrid.

"Whoa!" Chopper exclaimed, his eyes wide. "That's amazing!"

"Creepy," Zoro muttered, though there was a hint of admiration in his tone.

"Snakes are such elegant creatures," Robin said with a smile.

"You could've told us this sooner!" Usopp said, hiding behind Sanji. "What if you accidentally bit someone?!"

Kikidori reverted to his normal form, looking sheepish. "I didn't tell anyone because... I didn't want you to think I was weird."

Luffy clapped a hand on Kikidori's shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. "Weird? Kikidori, we're the Straw Hat Pirates! Being weird is what we do!"

The crew erupted into laughter, the tension dissolving instantly.

Sanji returned with a cake, and the crew celebrated Kikidori's birthday in their usual chaotic style. For the first time in a long while, Kikidori felt like he truly belonged.

As the night wound down and the stars lit up the sky, Kikidori stood by the railing once more, staring out at the horizon.

"You did well today," Zoro said, walking up beside him.

Kikidori glanced up at him, smiling. "Thanks, Zoro."

Zoro smirked, ruffling the boy's hair. "Happy birthday, kid."

End of Chapter 24