in another world ; one piece : bnha

058

chapter fifty eight
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xii. fishman island arc

After saying their farewells, the crew quickly started their journey to fishman island, where they would need to sink low and deep enough for their heads to explode without the proper oxygen.

Luckily, Rayleigh was good at coating.

"So. . . Shoto, did you get any upgrades?" Luffy and the two others contained their excitement by biting their bottom lip, but their eyes were visibly shining.

"Well," Shoto thought about it, tapping his chin lightly. "I guess I did learn how to control my fire."

"How 'bout your ice—?" Usopp asked eagerly. "Can you coat a whole island with ice now? Or walk on water like Aokiji does?" 

Now that he thinks about it, Aokiji did teach him the trick, it was by simply radiating very cold ice temperatures. Although it was tricky, Shoto basically improved through the years, and he now grasps the techniques. 

"I guess both."

"Woah! Just promise us not to freeze the whole fishman island with ice." The long nose joked light-heartedly. But after seeing the serious look in the heterochromatic's eyes, he immediately cleared his assumptions. "I mean it!"

"Oh."

"Do you have any plans for the future, Shoto?" Chopper curiously asked. "You've never really told us your dream." At this point, all heads turned to them, interested to hear his answer to their doctor's question.

Shoto pursed his lips into a thin line.

"I don't really have a dream. And I don't even know the possibilities of returning to my world or if I really am stuck here forever. But one thing I do know, I want to see you all succeed in your dreams. Perhaps that is my dream."

Damn, was Sanji cutting onions right now?

Everyone turned away, feeling their shoulders lighter than before. It would be unfortunate if the day where Shoto might have to leave them comes.

Before anyone could speak up again, there a sudden movement that bumped Sunny.

Everyone turned to another ship joining them. It was Caribou's pirate crew and ship.

"We meet again!" His words were followed after a condescending laugh. 

As he went on a long speech about finishing them and explaining how superior they were by having a sea cow attached to the front to guide them, Nami recognized the familiar sound and turned immediately. 

"Hey, aren't you that cow from Arlong's park?" She pointed out.

As Caribou slowly slips through their bubble while muttering nonsense, Sanji turned to it as well.

"Oi, Luffy. Doesn't that big guy look familiar?" The cook called out.

The Captain looked as well. "Oh, yeah! It does!"

It was the poor sea cow they bullied, no wonder when the cow saw them, it became frightened and ran immediately, pulling the ship containing Caribou's crew with it.

Shoto could almost muse at the sight.

"Now, let's attack, my men! Bring all of their heads!" Caribou yelled out. How embarrassing to see his crew was nowhere to be seen.

Franky went to deal with him as everyone went back to their usual routine.

"Can I braid your hair?" Usopp looked at Shoto whose eyebrows furrowed. He didn't really like anyone touching his hair unless necessary, it just appears to him that his hair was precious. Without it, he'll be bald. 

"No."

"So blunt!" Usopp deadpanned before going through his bag to show the boy some awesome tricks. "Look at this, if I throw it at the ground, it'll immediately grow into a big plant." He showcased.

Shoto was easily enamored.

"Like the ones from Jack and the beanstalk?" He asked, interested.

"Hmm. . . Not really. These grow really fast! In like a second. The ones from that story would take 3 days!"

"Then. . . Jack and the beanstalk APK?"

"What on earth is APK?"

Shoto blinked. Right, he nearly forgot how they don't belong in the same world, meaning that Usopp was bound to be confused by the modern terms.

"Guys! Look! There's a really big shadow down there!"

They've gotten that far down already? Now that Shoto realized it, he was starting to notice the pressure in his ears. It was painful, obviously. It was as if his eardrums were gonna pop.

"Here, use this." Robin seemed to notice his discomfort and attached something inside his ears. "Does it feel better?" She offered a kind smile.

Shoto nodded, thankful. "What was it? That was helpful."

"It's something Usopp invented before going down this deep."

How useful.

"What on earth is that? It's huge!" Sanji pointed, and soon enough, everyone's eyes were on it. And seeing the outlines more properly, Shoto feared what he believed it might be.

"Is that a kraken?" He casually voices out. It stirred panic in the others.

"Don't joke like that, Shoto-san." Brook nervously told. Everyone in the sea would naturally fear the kraken, it was a hundred times larger than sunny. Perhaps even more. Not to mention, it could easily drown them. And they have enough devil fruit users on board, including their captain.

"I'm afraid I'm dead serious. I've heard rumors about the deep sea before, I'm not surprised if it really is." Shoto informed.

How can he be so calm?!

"You should teach us how you hold your cool like a champ, Shoto." Franky commended. And the boy didn't really understand that.

Hold his cool? Can't they see how he was sweating and panicking? Or did he fail to express that? Nonetheless, he listened to the situation some more. 

"We can't ignore it, it's approaching us!"

"It is. We might need to fend it off somehow." Shoto voiced his concerns. "I think I can do it." He confidently started. "I took swimming lessons and I can hold my breath longer than a minute. Plus, my ice would work better in water."

Considering the choices, they could somehow agree.

"Nope, I'll do it." Luffy pouted. "I want to fight the kraken. It seems fun." Why of course he would think that.

"I'll go too, I have to watch over this idiot." Zoro pointed at their Captain.

"I'm pretty fast." Sanji murmured. "But I should go as well, I have to watch over this moron." He pointed at the marimo.

What a sudden twist of events.

But before Shoto could interject and volunteer himself so that they wouldn't cause any trouble that may affect them, Chopper and Usopp jumped on him and held on tightly.

"Stay with us, Shoto!"

Right, he has to deal with them too. Although hesitant, the boy agreed, it seemed like he could never argue against the monster trio's will to fight. 

"You can use these." Usopp gave them something. "Rayleigh handed it earlier, he said it can help us breathe underwater. Similar to our ship's bubble, I think."

"That's very helpful." Sanji nodded.

"Let's try it then."

But Luffy already used it first and jumped out of the bubble without hesitation, ready to attack. And the other two had to follow quickly behind.

Shoto could only sigh. Hopefully this won't go down to a disaster.