Morning came fast.
The Murky Scales rocked gently under the rising sun, but today felt different. Today was my beginning — not just floating along with fate, but actually steering toward something. A purpose.
The crew was still asleep when I packed my things: a satchel filled with some supplies Jaro had quietly slipped me — dried meat, a few maps, a rough sketch of the Grand Line, and most importantly, the shimmering, triple-needle Log Pose.
When I climbed onto the main deck, Jaro was already waiting.
"You sure about this?" he asked, arms crossed.
"I have to be," I said.
He grunted, then tossed me something. I caught it — a brass compass, old but still working.
"Backup," he said. "That fancy Log Pose might lead you to ancient secrets, but you'll still need to know where north is."
I smiled. "Thanks."
He nodded toward a small dinghy tied to the side of the ship. "We rigged you a little escape pod. Sails fine. Not fast, but should get you to the next island."
I slung my satchel over my shoulder and stepped into the dinghy. The wood creaked under my weight. The ropes creaked as they lowered me into the water.
"Where will you go next?" Jaro called.
I grinned. "Wherever this Log Pose points."
He gave a rare, genuine laugh. "Then good luck, Beast of Balance."
The crew — bleary-eyed and half-dressed — came to the railing, shouting half-hearted insults and goodbyes. I waved back, heart pounding with excitement and a little fear.
The sails caught a morning gust, and the dinghy pulled away from the Murky Scales.
I was on my own now.
Hours passed.
The ocean was endless, the sun relentless. I adjusted the sail and checked the Log Pose. Its three needles spun like mad, then jerked slightly toward a direction just off east.
Following that.
I dozed a little under the awning I'd rigged with a torn tarp. Dreamed of islands covered in mist, ancient ruins, roaring beasts.
When I woke, the sky had darkened.
A storm was brewing.
Great.
I braced myself as the wind picked up. Waves slapped the hull. The dinghy bucked like a wild horse.
And then — dark shapes on the horizon.
Ships.
Pirate ships.
Three of them, sleek and fast, red flags snapping in the wind. Their sails bore a strange emblem: a skeletal dragon curled around a cracked egg.
Not exactly the friendly kind.
I scrambled to lower my sail, hoping to drift unseen — but a signal shot into the sky. A burst of green smoke.
They'd spotted me.
The nearest ship veered sharply, heading straight for me.
"Oi! You there!" a voice boomed through a speaking horn. "Surrender your cargo and we'll let you live!"
I glanced around at my vast supplies — a bag of jerky, a busted compass, and a magical Log Pose that apparently pointed to forgotten world secrets.
Yeah. Not handing that over.
I gritted my teeth. My hands sparked — a tingle of electricity danced between my fingers.
I still wasn't used to fighting. Still didn't know how far I could push my powers without losing control.
But I was about to find out.
The enemy ship pulled alongside. Grappling hooks snagged my dinghy, yanking it close. Pirates leapt across — six of them, armed with cutlasses and flintlocks.
One lunged.
Instinct took over.
I sidestepped, feeling something shift inside me — the Kirin energy flaring. In one fluid motion, my skin shimmered with faint scales, and my reflexes sharpened. I grabbed the pirate's wrist mid-swing, twisted, and sent him flying into the sea.
Another came at me swinging a club.
I ducked — and without thinking, stomped the floor.
Lightning arced from my foot, cracking the wood and blasting the pirate back across the deck.
They hesitated now, realizing this wasn't an easy target.
"Devil Fruit user!" one shouted.
"Careful!"
The largest of them — a tall man with metal teeth and a curved sword — stepped forward.
"Don't matter what tricks you have," he sneered. "You're alone. You're dead."
He charged.
This time, I embraced the change.
I let the Kirin inside me rise — not fully transforming, but enough. My body glowed faintly, hooves flashing over my feet, breath steaming in the air.
I dodged his strike and countered with a palm to his chest.
Boom.
A bolt of lightning sent him sprawling, smoke rising from his clothes.
The others ran.
Cowards.
I barely had time to celebrate before the enemy ship fired a cannonball.
Whump — boom!
Water sprayed as it slammed near my dinghy, rocking it violently.
I couldn't stay here.
I needed a way out — fast.
Heart pounding, I focused.
The Kirin wasn't just about strength or electricity — it was about mobility. Swiftness. Balance.
I crouched, summoned everything I had — and leapt.
A burst of lightning propelled me upward. I soared — over the enemy ship's mast, past the shocked faces of the pirate crew — and crashed onto the far side of their deck, knees buckling but landing on solid wood.
Adrenaline pumped through me.
I grinned.
Their ship was mine now.
It took a messy, chaotic half-hour, but I got the basics of steering down. Mostly yelling at the wind and yanking ropes until the sail shifted the right way.
The other two pirate ships gave half-hearted chase, but when they saw their leader's flagship sail away under new ownership, they broke off.
Cowards again.
Once I was safely out of range, I leaned back against the wheel and laughed.
I had a ship.
A real one — battered, sure, but way better than a dinghy.
I steered toward the horizon, following the strange tug of the Log Pose.
Ahead, beyond the setting sun, a new adventure waited.
Ancient islands. Forgotten treasures. Secrets of the Twelve Beasts.
And somewhere out there — my destiny.