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 )

Creak~

Accompanied by the faint sound of a door being pushed open, light filtered through the small window high on the wall ahead, dispelling the darkness at the entrance and revealing the scene inside the storeroom.

Directly opposite stood a wide wooden rack, filled to the brim with vegetables and fruits. Nearby, several baskets held fresh oranges. Beside these were dozens of bulging sacks of flour piled against the wall.

"All of this is food…"

Drool dripped from the corner of his mouth as his empty stomach growled once more.

"I can't take it anymore!"

The boy gritted his teeth, glanced quickly over his shoulder to confirm the hallway was still silent, and made his decision. He quietly shut the wooden door and rushed to the wooden rack.

Standing on tiptoe, he stretched out his small hands.

Tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, apples…

Grabbing anything edible with both hands, he shoved it into his mouth without even washing it, biting and chewing desperately.

Tomato juice dripped continuously from his mouth, soaking his white shirt with red stains.

Yet he didn't care, stuffing more food into his stomach as he ate ravenously. Between bites, he smacked his lips and muttered indistinctly, as if praising the flavor of the fruits and vegetables.

Finally, after clearing the top layer of food on the rack, the boy stopped.

"Ah, as expected—when you're starving, everything tastes amazing."

Patting his now-bulging stomach, he let out a satisfied belch and smiled contentedly.

"Hmm, I'd better leave. If Aunt Lika catches me, I'm done for…"

Peeking through the slightly open door to check the hallway, he tiptoed to the door and carefully pulled it open, ready to slip out.

Burp~

However, just as he moved, another loud burp echoed, freezing him in his tracks.

Unlike his earlier suppressed burps, this one was loud enough to reverberate down the corridor. Standing at the door, he could even hear its echo from the far end of the hallway.

With such a commotion, even the people in the kitchen downstairs might have heard it…

"What the…"

The boy's face turned pale instantly. Trembling, he lowered his head and stared at his disobedient stomach. "I'm doomed, doomed…"

"Doomed? Why?"

Amid the silence, an unfamiliar voice suddenly broke through, followed by the rustling sound of movement. From the mountain of flour sacks in the corner, a head suddenly popped out.

Black hair, black eyes, and a delicate face—it was a boy about twelve or thirteen years old, staring at him with a puzzled expression.

"You… you…"

The moment he saw the boy's face, the younger boy's mind went blank. After staring dumbfounded for a while, he finally sputtered out, "Shanuo? What are you doing here?"

"Huh? What kind of question is that? Why wouldn't I be here?"

Shanuo looked baffled. Ever since leaving the deck that morning and returning to his room, he'd slept until dusk, missing lunch. That's why he'd come to the storeroom to grab some food, only to have this kid confront him as soon as he emerged.

The boy in front of him had soft, golden hair, with his left eye obscured by bangs, leaving only his right eye and slightly curled eyebrow visible. Fortunately, his delicate features made him look charming rather than odd.

"So this is little Sanji, only nine years old… Somehow, it's kind of adorable."

Looking at the stunned boy, Shanuo couldn't help but have this strange thought.

Although he'd met Sanji several times since seeking out Zeff the night before—exchanging a few greetings and brief conversations—every time he saw Sanji's young, cherubic face, still carrying traces of baby fat, he struggled to associate him with the future "Black Leg" in his mind.

Even his playful yet stubborn personality was a far cry from the calm, composed Sanji of adulthood.

So, overall…

"I kind of… want to pinch his chubby little cheeks."

Cough, cough.

Shanuo dismissed the odd thought and straightened his expression. He pushed aside the flour sacks blocking his way and stepped out, revealing a torn cardboard box behind them. Inside the box were some slices of bread, jerky, rice crackers, and crumbs of sweets. Most of the food had already been eaten.

"Man, Uncle Tado really hid this stuff well. If I didn't hate eating fruit, I wouldn't have spent so long searching and found their stash of ready-made snacks…"

Letting out a satisfied burp, Shanuo stretched lazily and muttered before glancing at Sanji. The younger boy, who had been shocked earlier, now stared blankly at Shanuo's stomach, his eyes full of realization.

Soon, his expression turned indignant. Sanji trembled as he raised his finger, pointing at Shanuo's stomach. "That burp just now… it didn't come from me. It came from you, didn't it?"

"Huh?"

Shanuo blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, I burped just now. I ate a bit too much. Why? Is that a problem?"

"You…"

Sanji's face turned red with anger. His curly brow arched high as if he were ready to punch Shanuo in the face. But instead, he glared furiously, turned around, and cautiously peeked through the door crack at the hallway.

"What's going on?" Shanuo, still groggy and stuffed, remained confused.

"You idiot!"

Sanji spun around and, in a hushed but furious tone, scolded, "Stealing food is bad enough, but making such a loud noise? Are you trying to attract Zeff and Tado here?"

"And you!" Sanji's voice grew angrier. "You found the hidden snacks and didn't even call me to join! What a jerk!"

Feeling wronged, Sanji grumbled, but his expression soon turned smug. He snickered, "But hey, I only ate fruits and veggies. You, on the other hand, ate all their treasured snacks. If they catch us, I'd love to see who's in more trouble!"

"Uh…"

Shanuo glanced guiltily at the empty box. Considering how he'd praised Tado's cooking that morning only to raid his stash in the afternoon, things could indeed get awkward if he were caught.

This kid really had a sharp tongue.

"Hmph, seems like someone needs to be taught a lesson…"

Seeing Sanji's smug expression, Shanuo thought for a moment, then stealthily reached behind his back. Under Sanji's puzzled gaze, he pulled out a yellow cylindrical object.

"Face the wind, Sanji…"