One Piece: Fear [Reboot]

The watchman stormed into the restaurant, pointing a trembling finger at me. "YOU LITTLE RAT! YOU BROKE THE DAMN DOOR!" he shouted.

The entire restaurant went quiet. I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Look, I just gave you a little push. If your door couldn't handle that, it sounds like a you problem."

"You think you can just walk in here and disrespect me?" he yelled, pulling a small club from his belt. The other diners gasped, some backing away to avoid whatever might happen next.

"Hey, hey," I said, raising my hands. "I came here to eat, not start a scene. But if you really wanna do this..." I stood up slowly.

The man hesitated for a moment, clearly intimidated, but his pride got the better of him. He swung his club at me, aiming for my head. My reflexes kicked in, and I caught the club mid-swing.

"Nice try," I said, snapping the club in two like it was a twig. The sound echoed through the restaurant.

The watchman stumbled back, his confidence crumbling. "Y-you're crazy!"

"Crazy? Maybe," I said, stepping closer, "but I'm also hungry. Now, if you don't want to end up like your club, I suggest you let me eat in peace."

He bolted out the door, muttering curses under his breath. I shook my head and sat back down, gesturing for the waiter.

"Sorry about the commotion," I said, giving the stunned server a small smile. "Can I get a menu, please?"

The waiter hesitated, then nodded quickly, handing me a menu and scurrying off. I looked around at the other diners, who were still watching me with wide eyes.

"Carry on, folks," I said, giving a casual wave. "Just a misunderstanding."

As I scanned the menu, my stomach growled loudly, reminding me why I was there. I ordered the biggest feast they had—grilled meats, roasted vegetables, fresh bread, and a pitcher of ale.

The food arrived quickly, and I dug in. I didn't care that I was making a mess or that people were still whispering about me. For the first time in days, I felt like a normal human being.

Well, as normal as someone with a sack full of pirate treasure and a bound criminal waiting outside could feel.

Just as I was finishing my meal, the restaurant door burst open again. This time, it wasn't the watchman—it was a group of Marines. Their crisp uniforms and stern faces told me they weren't here for dinner.

"You!" the lead Marine barked, pointing at me. "Are you the one who apprehended the pirate Clarke?"

I wiped my mouth with a napkin, leaning back in my chair. "That depends. You here to thank me or arrest me?" Wait a minute, how do they know it's me? Oh, I know! Lazy writing.

The Marine frowned. "Bring us to him. Now."

I sighed, standing up and grabbing the sack of treasure. "Fine. But I'm not doing this for free."

The Marines exchanged glances, but the lead officer nodded. "If Clarke is truly in your custody, we'll ensure you're compensated."

*CUT*

We're now at the ship and the Marines are capturing him as the Marine head is walking towards me. "The Marine Corps is thankful for your service, the people of East Blue can roam much more freely now. You will be compensated a fine amount of 10 million berries for your trouble." He handed me over another big bag of cash.

I nodded as I was still a bit dizzy from all the rum. Damn, I've got some moneh!

With the sack of cash now in hand, I couldn't help but grin. "Pleasure doing business with ya," I said, slinging both the bounty and my treasure sack over my shoulders. "Maybe next time, don't wait so long to deal with guys like Clarke."

The lead Marine frowned, clearly unimpressed with my attitude. "We operate with strategy and precision," he said. "Unlike bounty hunters who stumble into luck."

I shrugged. "Call it luck if you want, but I still got the job done. Anyway, thanks for the cash."

I turned and walked back toward the docks, feeling the weight of the bags pulling at my shoulders. It was a good kind of weight—one that screamed money. The buzz from the rum still hummed in the back of my head, but I was focused. First priority: ammo. Second priority: food that wasn't grilled meat and bread. Third priority: figuring out where the hell to go next.

The streets of Loguetown were lively as always. Merchants shouted about their wares, kids dashed around playing games, and pirates—both wannabes and seasoned ones—roamed the streets with varying levels of swagger. I kept my head down, not wanting to attract too much attention. After all, I was carrying a small fortune, and I wasn't in the mood for another fight.

I found an arms dealer tucked into a quiet alley, the sign above the door creaking in the breeze. The shopkeeper, an old man with a patchy beard, looked up as I entered.

"Looking for something specific?" he asked, squinting at me.

"Ammunition," I said, dropping a handful of coins onto the counter. "Revolver, rifle, and shotgun. And maybe something new if you've got it."

His eyes lit up at the sight of the cash. "You're in luck. Just got a shipment in from the Grand Line. High-quality stuff."

As he laid out boxes of ammo and an assortment of firearms, I felt my pulse quicken. Some of the weapons were unlike anything I'd seen—sleek, deadly, and expensive. I picked up a compact pistol with a strange emblem etched into the grip.

"This one," I said, tossing more coins onto the counter. "And all the ammo I can carry."

The shopkeeper grinned, quickly wrapping up my purchases. "Pleasure doing business with ya."

But as I made my way toward the edge of town, a familiar voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Oi! You thought you could get rid of me that easily?"

I turned to see Clarke's second-in-command, a burly man with a scar running down his face, blocking my path. Behind him was a group of pirates, all armed and looking pissed.

"Ah, for fuck's sake," I muttered, setting down my bags. "Can't I just enjoy my payday in peace?"

The man sneered, drawing a massive cutlass. "You made a fool of our captain, and now you're gonna pay for it."

I drew my new compact pistol and shot him in the head and muttered, "Don't bring a sword to a gunfight, you fucking idiot..." I threw out my old pistol as I felt that it was too heavy.

Suddenly, I heard a sharp voice, "Hey! I just saw you, you were the guy who captured Clarke, right? I'm Aditya, I just settled here and have a job as a journalist, tell me your name and let me take a picture of you, you are gonna be famous and I'm getting a bonus, alright?"

"I like the offer, but I can't show my face," I told him, I needed a mask so that I ain't recognised all the time, that could ruin my chance of hunting bounties. 

Aditya tilted his head, raising an eyebrow at my response. "No face, huh? Mysterious bounty hunter? Fine, we can work with that."

Aditya rolled his eyes. "Deal. There's a market just down the road. Follow me."

We navigated through the streets, dodging merchants and pirates alike. Aditya seemed completely unfazed by the chaos, his notebook clutched in one hand, a camera slung over his shoulder.

"How'd you even end up here, anyway?" I asked, curious.

He shrugged. "I was looking for adventure. Writing about mundane stuff back home got boring fast. And Loguetown? It's where all the stories happen. Like yours. The Pirate King was born and executed here!" He smirked. "Seriously, catching a pirate like Clarke? That's headline gold."

We reached the market, a noisy sprawl of stalls selling everything from exotic spices to contraband weapons. Aditya led me to a stall packed with masks of all shapes and sizes—some simple, others overly elaborate.

"Pick your poison," Aditya said, gesturing to the display.

I scanned the options, eventually settling on a stylish, black mask. It was lightweight and comfortable. I just need the mask for when I'm bounty hunting, so I don't need to

"This'll do," I said, tossing a few coins to the merchant. Aditya wasted no time, snapping a picture as soon as I put it on.

"Perfect," he said, beaming. "The readers are gonna love this. So, what's the name?"

I hesitated. Giving out my real name was a bad idea, but I needed something to go with the new persona. "Call me... Phobos."

Aditya scribbled furiously in his notebook. "Phobos, the bounty hunter of the East Blue. Yeah, that's got a nice ring to it. Alright, Phobos, you're officially a legend in the making."

I shook my head. "Phobos, a bounty hunter from East Blue?" Come on, you can do better than that." I clicked my tongue and leaned in slightly. "Phobos, a bounty hunter of the Grand Line. Now that has a ring to it."

Aditya paused, his pen hovering over the page, and grinned. "Ambitious, are we? Fine. Phobos, bounty hunter of the Grand Line it is." He scribbled the correction, muttering to himself. "Sounds bolder anyway. The readers are gonna eat this up."

"Good," I said, adjusting the mask. "Because I plan to make it more than just a title. Get ready to write some real stories, Aditya."

Aditya shrugged. "Trouble makes for better stories." He gave me a wink. "Good luck out there, Phobos. If you ever want to share more tales, you know where to find me."

With that, he disappeared into the crowd, notebook in hand, leaving me to continue my journey. 

"Well, for my next bounty, how about that guy?" I looked at a bounty poster on a bricked wall, it said 'Arlong: 20 million berries.' 

Well, seems good, weird I haven't met anyone with that much bounty, there are probably tons of men on East Blue with the same bounty as him.