Lost In One Piece

9. Freedom with the Sun Pirates

The sea breeze was cool against Gojo's skin as he stood on the deck of the Sun Pirates' ship, watching the waves roll beneath him. The horizon stretched out endlessly, an unfamiliar world awaiting him. It had been weeks since his escape, since he had left the dungeons behind and joined Fisher Tiger's crew. And though he was finally free, the chains of his past still clung to him—hidden but ever-present.

The creaking of the wooden boards under his feet reminded him of how far he'd come. His new family, the Sun Pirates, had accepted him without question. They were a diverse group, a mix of fish-men and humans, all bound together by the shared experience of oppression. Fisher Tiger's message of freedom and equality resonated with Gojo in a way he hadn't expected.

But still, even on a ship full of camaraderie and strength, Gojo couldn't shake the weight of the brand on his back—the mark of the Celestial Dragons. It burned sometimes, a painful reminder of his time as a slave. And then there were the dreams. The ones where he was still trapped, still fighting in the arena, still watching people he cared about fall in battle.

Gojo closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the salty air fill his lungs. He thought of Kai, and how much he had meant to him. He thought of the promise he had made to himself, that he wouldn't rest until the Celestial Dragons paid for their cruelty.

Flashback: Meeting the Crew

The first meeting between Gojo and the Sun Pirates was tense, to say the least. When Fisher Tiger had decided to take Gojo and Koala aboard, the crew's reaction was anything but welcoming. As a human, Gojo was an immediate source of suspicion and distrust. The Sun Pirates had spent their entire lives being oppressed, hunted, and abused by humans, and now, they were expected to trust one of them? The air was thick with hostility the moment Gojo stepped onto the ship.

The Sun Pirates were a crew made up of all kinds of fish-men and merfolk, each one bearing the scars of their own battles with humans. The moment Gojo set foot on deck, he could feel their eyes on him. Fisher Tiger stood by his side, calm as ever, but the tension was palpable. It was like walking into a lion's den.

"You expect us to trust him?" one of the crew members snarled, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Gojo.

"He's a human," another added, disgust evident in their voice. "How can we know he won't betray us? How do we know he's not one of them?"

"You can't bring a human on board with us! Remember what they did to Kai—our brother!"

"Humans don't care about us, Fisher. That much is obvious."

Gojo stood there, unsure of what to say. He understood their hatred, their anger. After all, he had seen firsthand what humans were capable of. The memory of his time as a slave under the Celestial Dragons was still fresh, and though he had been one of the victims, the crew didn't know that. To them, he was just another human.

"I understand your hesitation," Fisher Tiger spoke, his voice calm but firm, "but Gojo is not like the others. He fought alongside me to free many slaves. He's been through the same hell you all have. He's one of us now."

But the crew wasn't convinced. Jinbe, one of Fisher Tiger's most trusted men, stepped forward, his large frame towering over Gojo. The look in his eyes was cold, cautious.

"Captain," Jinbe began, his voice measured, "I respect your judgment, but this boy... He's a human. And humans... well, you know what they've done to us, to our people. Can you really trust him?"

Gojo could feel the weight of their stares pressing down on him. He knew this wasn't going to be easy. His past in his world had been one where he was always feared and respected, but here, in this new reality, he was just another human in a world that hated his kind. And he couldn't blame them.