The sensation of spinning subsided at last, and the violent force that had roughly torn Ryoma into the spatial vortex calmed down.
At the other end of the spatial vortex, Ryoma was violently thrown out, stumbling and tumbling a few times in mid-air before he barely managed to stabilize himself.
Beneath his feet was hard rock ground, and in his ears was the roar of waves crashing against the cliff.
The sea breeze, carrying a strong salty scent and damp moisture, assailed him with the potent smell of the ocean, clearing his mind, which had been somewhat muddled by the spatial travel.
He instinctively tried to mobilize the magic power within him, his fingertips habitually attempting to condense an ice crystal, but not even a trace of cold air could be gathered, and that familiar yet irritating sense of restraint arrived as expected.
"Tsk."
Ryoma clicked his tongue in displeasure, then sighed helplessly, raising a hand to rub his still throbbing temples.
He had thought that this time, with a premonition, there might be some special treatment, but it turned out to be the same old rule—the magic banned packages at the start.
He wondered what was wrong with this unreasonable power. Besides randomly throwing him into another world, couldn't it have some constructive functions?
Every time he landed, it would first apply a debuff to him.
He looked around, finding himself on a cliff stretching out to the sea, with dense woods behind him and the boundless blue ocean in front.
A typical coastal cliff landscape, with an open view, and no immediate dangers visible.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Complaining wouldn't solve the problem. Without magic, he was just an ordinary person with slightly stronger physical abilities. The immediate priority was to figure out which corner of the world he had been thrown into this time.
Ryoma patted off non-existent dust from his clothes and walked towards the depths of the forest to see if he could find a populated area to gather information.
After passing through a not-so-dense forest and a few rugged rocky areas, the terrain gradually became flat. Not long after, a faint clamor and the scent of cooking smoke drifted over with the wind.
Ryoma's spirits lifted slightly, and he quickened his pace.
He cautiously emerged from the shadows of the trees, and a tranquil, lively small village came into view.
The village architecture was rustic, mostly wooden houses with wisps of cooking smoke rising from their roofs, everything appearing peaceful.
Ryoma's mind settled somewhat, but he didn't fully relax his guard, walking unhurriedly towards the village.
"I'm not a cat!"
As Ryoma stepped into the village, a commotion caught his attention.
His attention was drawn to the main street of the village, where a man was holding a little girl by the back of her collar with one hand.
The man was about forty years old, wearing a strange police hat with a windmill turning in the wind.
The girl he was holding was about ten years old with short orange hair, her lips stubbornly upturned, tightly clutching a thick book.
"You idiot! How many times have I told you not to steal things!" The man yelled in exasperation.
"I didn't steal it!" The little girl looked up defiantly, her small legs kicking wildly in the air. "I just borrowed that book to read! And whose fault is it that our family has no money? What else can I do?! You stingy old man!"
"You're still making excuses?!"
The man was so angry his beard bristled and his eyes bulged. He carried the girl and walked towards the outskirts of the village.
Ryoma stood there, watching the scene, completely stunned.
Windmill hat... short orange-haired girl... an argument about poverty and stealing books... an incredibly familiar scene quickly overlapped with a memory deep in his mind.
This scene, this dialogue, astonishingly coincided with a certain plot point from that passionate anime deep in his memory.
To verify his thoughts, Ryoma suppressed the turmoil in his heart and silently followed the two figures, one large and one small.
They walked through the village to an orange grove on the village edge, where golden fruits hung heavy on the branches, emitting a sweet fragrance.
In the center of the orange grove stood a small two-story wooden house.
Bang... Bang...
The windmill hat man, carrying the girl, walked unceremoniously to the wooden house door, knocked loudly, and shouted, "Bellemere! Your naughty kitty is causing trouble again! Come out and deal with her!"
Bellemere!
When this name clearly entered his ears, Ryoma's last trace of doubt vanished.
He was almost 100% certain that this time, that strange power had thrown him into the world of One Piece.
This was East Blue... Cocoyasi Village!
Ryoma silently watched this family drama unfold.
Bellemere was still alive, and Nami was only about ten years old. What did this mean?
This meant there were still about eight years until Luffy set sail.
This meant Arlong had not yet set foot on this island to turn it into a living hell, but it was probably coming soon.
Ryoma leaned against the trunk of an orange tree, his mood somewhat complex for a moment.
The world of One Piece...
Although there was no dazzling magic here, there were all sorts of strange Devil Fruit abilities, three types of Haki, and a group of individuals with monstrous physical capabilities.
For him, this might not necessarily be a bad thing.
As for Devil Fruits...
The side effect was too much for him.
But if he could learn Haki here and properly train his body, it would undoubtedly be a huge boost to his future strength.
After all, every time he got thrown to a random world, his internal magic power would be sealed for a period.
Just as Ryoma was contemplating his future "training plan," the wooden house door creaked open.
A woman with long, dark red hair and a cigarette in her mouth appeared at the doorway. She was wearing a green plaid shirt and long pants and was tall and well-built, with a heroic spirit and a hint of rebelliousness.
Seeing Nami held by Genzo, the windmill hat man, she first paused, then helplessly extinguished the cigarette in her hand.
"You're so loud." Bellemere's voice had a slightly husky, magnetic quality. "You're back, Nami."
Nami, held by Genzo, responded with a smile, "I'm back."
"You ask her." Genzo grumbled, pointing at Nami and the book in her arms. "Look, how many times has this happened? It's already spread throughout the village."
As Ryoma's thoughts churned, the family dispute there came to an end, with Genzo being teased by Bellemere and fleeing in disarray.
The two couldn't stop laughing as they watched Genzo flee in disarray.
Only Bellemere and the two girls remained in front of the orange grove. Nojiko, a girl with short blue hair, came out of the house, holding a tangerine.
Bellemere crouched down to meet Nami's gaze, her expression becoming serious. "Ahem! Why are you laughing?"
Watching this warm and familiar scene, Ryoma was pondering how he should settle down in this world.
Should he find a place to lay low and wait for his magic to recover, or...
Crunch!
A soft crunch echoed particularly abruptly in the quiet orange grove.
Almost the instant the sound rang out, Bellemere, who was about to lecture her daughter, suddenly changed her entire demeanor.
She abruptly stood up, immediately shielding Nami and Nojiko behind her, her sharp eyes instantly locking onto the direction where Ryoma was hiding.
That switch from casual laziness to instant vigilance was like a soldier who had been on the battlefield.
"Who's there? Come out!"