One Piece: It's always been you

Chapter 73 Do you know you're not from this world?

"There are actually merfolk on this island!"

"Brothers, if we can't find any other treasure, taking this mermaid out might fetch us a good price."

"The captain is right, let's take it!"

Several people were caught in the whirlpool and wandered around the island for a long time, but they could not find a way out, nor could they find any treasure or even a trace of it.

I happened to see a mermaid who was unconscious. This is a rare species, and many wealthy people like to take it home to collect, especially the Celestial Dragons.

"Boss, we..."

"They dared to catch mermaids right under my nose. Let's teach them a lesson."

Just as the eight or nine pirates carried the unconscious mermaid on their backs, two more people jumped out of the bushes behind them. Their target was also the mermaid, but their purpose was different.

"Put her down, or else..."

"I thought they were some kind of people, but they're just merfolk, and there's another fish-man too. You two might as well surrender and keep her company." The pirate captain hadn't seen much of the world; he didn't know who the two people opposite him were. His tone was incredibly arrogant.

The two men didn't take offense; these pirates were still too young. "I don't like to force people to do things their way, but since you didn't cherish the opportunities I gave you, I have no choice but to do things my way."

On the other side, in the center of the island stands a giant tree that used to bear fruit, but now only lush leaves remain.

Yu was asleep on the grass mat under the tree, showing no signs of waking up. If the person sitting next to her were to wake up and see her, they probably wouldn't be as unguarded as they are now.

He is the one who lured You to Tutland – Samojiu.

However, he no longer possesses the imposing presence he had in Totland; instead, he seems like a refined gentleman who has come to live in seclusion.

Dressed in a kimono, she knelt and sipped tea, glancing occasionally at Yu, who was fast asleep opposite her.

"The poison has clearly been neutralized, why isn't he awake yet?" He took a sip of tea, but the person in front of him still hadn't woken up. What should he do? "I'm getting sleepy waiting for him. Let's take a nap."

"Huhuhu~"

Only when she heard steady snoring beside her did You sneakily open one eye to observe Shamojiu. After confirming that he was really asleep, she slowly moved her body to the edge of the straw mat, stuck out one foot to touch the ground, and prepared to sneak away.

Step by step, little by little, she moved her small body, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

"woke up?"

The only person beside her had already stopped snoring, but his eyes were still closed. "You knew all along that I was pretending to be asleep?" Yu thought she had waited long enough for him to fall asleep.

"I know, but I really did fall asleep just now." Shamo Jiu wasn't lying; he really did fall asleep. However, You was too cautious and only moved when he was almost awake, catching him in the act. "You're too slow; I just woke up too."

"...She deserves to be too cautious..."

"You're quite honest."

Seeing that he was awake, You obediently returned to the original straw mat, sat down facing him, picked up another cup, made a cup of tea, and began to taste it in a very proper manner.

"Since I'm definitely not going anywhere in my current state, I might as well have a good talk with you."

"Sure, let's talk."

"What's with the vines in the vortex? It's not your ability, but it must be under your command? Also, you said you cured me of the poison, so why hasn't my body recovered yet? Last time in Tottoland, was someone instructing you to do this? Who was she, no, who were they?"

"Slow down, there are so many questions, which one should I answer first?"

"Let's go by time. First, let's talk about Totland."

"You guessed right about the Totto Land incident. It was a joint operation between the islanders and the pirates. I heard they were planning to poison you, so I joined in and successfully took the blame for it. Otherwise, you might be in even worse shape now. I used my ability to control minerals to introduce the poison into your body, and removing it is the same thing." Samojiu took a sip of tea and continued, "By the way, this poison came from Queen the Plague of the Beasts Pirates. You've made quite a few enemies."

"Then you..." Yu originally wanted to ask if she knew who the people on the island were, but it was all in the past, and she didn't need to know who they were anymore. "Why did you bring me here from the ship? Besides the antidote, there must be something else you want to tell me."

"Although your body hasn't fully recovered, your mind has. I remember you were a bit dazed a few days ago..."

"How do you know? No, you're the stupid one! Answer my question."

Shamojiu brought him here not only to help her detoxify, but also because she had other things to say. "I brought you here alone because there are some things that cannot be known to anyone else, not a single person."

Wait patiently for his next words.

"Do you know you're not from this world?" Shamojiu took another sip of tea before saying this.

For a moment, Yu was incredulous. How could he have known?

“Don’t be so surprised, I’m the same as you.” Shamojiu glanced around, sighed, and continued, “Tell me, what do you know now? For example, you’re not from this world, and what else?”

Unlike Samurai, Yu was speechless with surprise. Besides Katakuri, only Shanks knew anything about it; even Sengoku knew very little. How could he possibly know?

Wait a minute, he knows that his intelligence has deteriorated due to the poison a few days ago. Could it be that he observed this through some means? But he said he and I are the same. So, does that mean that I, Samojiu in front of me, and Cellulose are all from the same place?

Yu decided to trust the person in front of her. At least for now, he could help her learn more, although it was not clear whether he was friend or foe. However, he should be helping her.

Yu briefly recounted what she knew, and also briefly described the incident that happened when she was a child, including the matter of celluloid.

In fact, he knew most of the things that happened to Yu. Although this place was isolated from the world, he could still find out the things he wanted to know.

Samojiu roughly understood, but Yu was different from him. Yu's arrival might change the original fate of some people, or it might not; but he was different. So far, Samojiu had only left the island once, and that was for Yu.

Samojiu's expression kept changing, leaving You somewhat bewildered. So...

Why did you come here?

Why are you suddenly asking this? What's the connection between these two things?

"No reason? Then listen to me." Shamojiu glanced at the big tree beside him, his smile undisguised. "I gave up another world to be with my wife and have stayed here ever since."

"And your wife now...?" Yu hasn't seen his wife yet.

“She went out.” Samojiu wasn’t lying; she went out to meet people. “And what’s your reason?”

At this point, Yu felt a little embarrassed, as her memory was incomplete... "My memory only includes coming here; I've forgotten everything before."

Samojiu's expression was hard to decipher; he seemed somewhat disappointed, but also seemed alright.

“But I guess it’s similar to yours, all for someone, and I think I’ve already found them.” Yu’s gaze drifted into the distance; that person would probably find him soon.

Yu's gaze now was no less intense than the look in Samojiu's eyes when he spoke of his wife.

Samurai was furious. If looks could kill, Katakuri would probably have been killed countless times already. Such a perfect catch had been stolen by someone else's pig. Samurai's heart was bleeding...

I'm back! I'm so sorry everyone, I've been on hiatus for personal reasons QAQ. Sometimes when I'm writing, my train of thought just stops, and I can't come up with anything else, which is why I've been putting it off until now.

I will try to update two chapters a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, ensuring three updates a week. If I write a lot, I will update every four days. I want to leave myself some drafts so that I can update a little even if I break my train of thought.