Chapter 7: The Rubber-Powered Resurrection and the First Mate's Claim
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: NEW ADVENTURE PATH INITIATED. NEXT TARGET: SHELLS TOWN MARINE BASE. RECOMMENDED ACTION: ENGINEER DEATH. ACQUISITION: GUM-GUM FRUIT (WEAK). SECONDARY GOAL: JOIN STRAW HATS AS FIRST MATE.]
"This is it. The core of my plan. Get killed by Luffy, get his power, join his crew, declare myself First Mate. Simple. Elegant. And utterly reliant on Luffy's sheer, glorious incompetence when it comes to aiming. Time to make a splash. Or, you know, a very rubbery thud."
Having left the conveniently unconscious Marine in the cove, I made my way into Shells Town. The quaint, seaside village was bustling with the usual Marine presence, a mix of bored grunts and overly zealous officers. My compass, however, was pulling me directly towards the Marine base, an imposing fortress dominated by a giant axe embedded in its facade.
"Axe-Hand Morgan. And Helmeppo. And Coby. And, most importantly, a certain straw-hatted idiot currently trying to recruit a green-haired, sword-wielding insomniac. This is going to be perfect. The stage is set for my grand entrance... and subsequent temporary exit."
I quickly located the central square, where a crowd had gathered, a mix of terrified civilians and belligerent Marines. There he was: Roronoa Zoro, tied to a cross, looking remarkably unbothered. Nearby, a pink-haired boy, Coby, was timidly conversing with a boisterous, perpetually grinning young man with a straw hat and an impossibly wide smile. Monkey D. Luffy. My ultimate target.
Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan, a ridiculous figure with an axe for a hand and an ego the size of a battleship, was predictably spouting off about justice and his own greatness. His utterly useless son, Helmeppo, was preening beside him.
"This is it," I whispered to myself, checking my pockets to make sure the compass was still securely in place. It pulsed rhythmically, aligning with my desire to acquire Luffy's power. "Time for a little bit of performance art. The kind that involves a cannonball and a dramatic, albeit temporary, demise."
I scanned the scene. Luffy was leaning against a wall, completely oblivious to Morgan's rant, his attention drawn to a stray piece of meat on the ground. Zoro was, as expected, radiating an aura of bored indifference. And there, near a pile of rusty cannonballs, was a rather precariously balanced, seemingly unloaded cannon.
"Perfect. Luffy's distractibility. A cannon. Cannonballs. This is practically a cinematic setup for my glorious (and rubbery) resurrection."
I casually sauntered towards the cannon, feigning interest in its dilapidated state. "Excuse me, officers!" I called out, loud enough to draw attention, but not so loud as to seem overtly threatening. "Is this thing even safe? Looks like it's about to fall apart! You wouldn't want any stray cannonballs, now, would you? Someone could get hurt!"
Morgan, momentarily distracted from his self-aggrandizing speech, glared at me. "Who are you, civilian?! Get away from that cannon! This is a Marine installation!"
"Oh, just a concerned citizen," I replied, giving him my most innocent smile. "Wouldn't want any accidents, Captain. Especially with all these… loose projectiles lying around." I subtly nudged a cannonball with my foot, sending it rolling slowly towards the cannon's mouth. My movements were deliberately clumsy, designed to look accidental.
Luffy, whose attention span was shorter than Coby's spine, immediately perked up. His eyes, naturally drawn to anything resembling a toy or a potential food source, fixated on the rolling cannonball.
"Oh! A cannonball!" he exclaimed, his voice ringing out, already winding up for a playful kick.
Coby, seeing Luffy's intent, gasped. "Luffy-san, no!"
"This is it. My moment of glorious self-sacrifice. For power. And for a decent first impression with the future Pirate King. Don't disappoint me, rubber boy."
I watched, almost in slow motion, as Luffy's foot connected with the cannonball. His aim, as predicted, was wonderfully, chaotically off. Instead of going into the cannon, or even at Morgan, the cannonball launched with terrifying speed, heading directly, undeniably, for my chest. I deliberately took a step into its path, widening my stance, accepting my fate.
"Wait, no, don't—!" I cried out, feigning utter panic, my voice cutting off as the cannonball slammed into my sternum.
The impact was immediate, a sickening thud that sent a jarring shockwave through my entire body. I felt my ribs splinter, my lungs collapse, and my heart seize. The force was immense, pulverizing. My vision exploded into a blinding white, then rapidly faded to black. The last sensation was the acrid smell of gunpowder and a profound sense of physical obliteration.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: DEATH RECORDED. KILLER: MONKEY D. LUFFY. ABILITY ACQUIRED: GUM-GUM FRUIT (WEAK). REVIVAL INITIATING. PLEASE WAIT.]
"Gum-Gum Fruit (Weak)! YES! It worked! Oh, thank you, random, incredibly clumsy rubber boy! This is going to be so much fun. Now, for the dramatic re-entry. Because if you're going to die, you might as well make it a show-stopper."
I gasped, a sudden, ragged breath tearing into my lungs. The world snapped back into vibrant focus. The sounds of the square, the sunlight, Morgan's continued bluster – it all flooded back. I lay there for a moment, just breathing, feeling... normal. And then, a strange, rubbery sensation. My limbs felt light, springy. I wiggled my fingers; they stretched, impossibly long, before snapping back with a satisfying thwack.
I slowly sat up, pushing myself off the dusty ground. The entire square had gone dead silent. All eyes, from the Marines to the civilians, from Morgan to Coby, were fixed on me. Zoro, for his part, had actually cracked an eye open and was staring. And Luffy… Luffy was staring, his jaw practically on the floor, his eyes wide and unblinking.
"Huh," I said, stretching out an arm experimentally, watching it extend for a good ten feet before retracting. "Well, that was rude. Did you know you have terrible aim, Straw Hat? You almost hit me."
Luffy, bless his utterly bewildered heart, finally managed to stammer out, "You... you got hit! By a cannonball! You're... you're not dead?!"
I chuckled, getting to my feet, dusting myself off. My clothes were intact, not even a wrinkle. "Nope! Turns out, I'm just… incredibly difficult to kill. Like a particularly stubborn weed. Or maybe a cockroach. Take your pick, I'm not picky." I then extended my arm again, this time aiming for the cannonball that had 'killed' me. I snagged it, pulled it back, and held it up. "See? Perfectly fine. Though, I do have a strange craving for meat now. Is that a side effect of being rubber, or just general hunger?"
Luffy's eyes widened even further, if that was even possible. "You... you're rubber too?!" he exclaimed, a note of pure wonder in his voice.
"Apparently so!" I said, giving a small, experimental bounce. It felt… bouncy. And strangely liberating. "Looks like you gave me a rather… stretchy going-away present. Thanks, I guess. Though, a gift card would have been less painful. And maybe a less dramatic entrance."
Morgan, finally recovering from his shock, bellowed, "Impossible! No one could survive that! He's a Devil Fruit user! Arrest him!"
"Well, Morgan, dear," I said, striking a pose, one arm stretched out dramatically, "it seems you've underestimated the power of… well, me. And perhaps the sheer amount of plot armor I've apparently acquired. Now, about that Marine who's tied up over there… Zoro, right? You really shouldn't keep a man from his naps. Or his swords. Seriously, it's just bad manners."
Luffy, meanwhile, was practically vibrating with excitement, completely ignoring Morgan. "You're amazing! You're rubber! You're my First Mate! Join my crew! Be my first mate!"
"Well, that was easier than expected. Though, I'm pretty sure 'first mate' duties don't usually involve dying on command. But hey, I'm flexible. Literally."
I grinned, a genuine, wide grin that felt good on my new, slightly rubbery face. "First mate, huh? Sounds like a job with good benefits. Do you guys get dental? And more importantly, do you have a chef? Because I'm pretty sure I'm going to be constantly hungry now."
Luffy just laughed, a booming, infectious sound. "Shishishishi! We'll find one! So, you'll join?"
"You know what, Straw Hat? I think I will." I then turned to the utterly stunned Marines, particularly Morgan, and gave them a theatrical bow. "Gentlemen, it's been a pleasure being dead. But duty calls. And by duty, I mean endless adventure, copious amounts of thievery, and hopefully, finding a woman who appreciates my… unique charm. See ya!"