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[A Job]
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…
After admiring the simple entrance for a moment, Dan didn't beat around the bush and walked straight into the village, looking around with a curious look as he once again reached another important location in the show.
Of course, that novelty only lasted about five or six steps before he realized it was just a boring and small village like any other, with barely anything interesting to it besides its tragic future.
Was he really going to spend his next days here until Arlong came?
He was going to die of boredom, that was for sure.
'At least it's not the ocean.'
He shrugged, realizing it might not be that bad.
As he walked in, glancing around to check what might be worth his time—like the library, or a small inn where he could relish some new food—a figure suddenly made its way toward him, soon projecting its shadow over him and making him stop his sightseeing.
"Are you lost, kid?"
Dan turned and saw a man with a mustache and a brown uniform, staring down at him with a frown.
There was a brief moment of confusion about his identity, but after a second or so he spent squinting at him, his eyes widened as he realized who this was.
He was... well, he didn't remember his name. But he was kind of the sheriff of this village.
He stood up to Arlong when the fishman tried to take Nami away to join his crew, but ended up with scars all over his body as a result.
To think he'd be the first one Dan met upon arriving here.
—Although, on second thought, he was an unknown kid wandering into the village like it was the most common thing in the world. Since the guy was kind of the sheriff, he was obligated to check what was going on.
Dan looked around, arms crossed. "I don't think so. This is Cocoyashi Village, ain't it?"
The man looked a bit startled by the answer.
"So you really aren't lost?" He gave Dan a look over, brow raising at the sight of his pistol and sword. "Brat, don't tell me you came here to cause trouble?"
Dan sneaked a glance at his things before shaking his head. "I'm just here to find work. The sword and gun are things I picked up on my travels for protection. Look, my gun isn't even loaded."
He showed the gun to the man, who gave it a brief inspection.
After checking the chamber, and noticing the long wear of time since it had been used, he gave Dan a simple nod.
"I suppose it's not... So, work? A kid like you?"
Dan shrugged.
"Food isn't free, y'know?"
The man raised a brow. "What about your parents?"
Dan pointed a finger upward. "Up there."
The man followed the direction of the finger, glanced at the sky, and deadpanned.
Still, he didn't seem entirely convinced.
"Still, why here? Seeing where you came from, you must have passed at least three villages on your way here."
'This old guy sure likes to ask questions, doesn't he?'
Dan was silent for a bit.
"I, uh... I already did jobs there. I am something like a nomad, so I go from place to place doing temporary stuff for money, then I move somewhere else to continue my travels."
As he said that, the man looked at him with an unimpressed gaze.
Dan met his gaze with an equally flat one.
The contest of bored looks lasted about five seconds before the man let out a defeated sigh.
"Alright. If you say so, kid."
And so, he handed the gun back.
"Anyway, the name's Genzo, sheriff of this village. If you're having any kind of trouble, don't hesitate to call. Equally, if you're causing any kind of trouble, don't think I won't show up."
"I'll keep it in mind."
And like that, he was just about to turn around to go on his way when—
"So, what can you do, kid?" Genzo suddenly continued the conversation he thought had ended.
Dan paused. "What do you mean?"
Genzo's brows furrowed. "You're looking for work, aren't you? I know everybody here, so I can tell you where you might find what you're searching for."
"Right, right..." Dan laughed wryly.
In hindsight, it might be a good idea to turn this lie he'd made up just now into reality.
While he performed his daily "activities" here, it would be good to have an income and an excuse for staying indefinitely until Arlong got here.
That way, he could also keep a tight watch on the place constantly.
"So what can you do?" Genzo prodded again.
"I... know how to fish, and I'm quite good at it." Dan said, patting himself down to show off his fishing rod before realizing he'd left it at his boat. So, instead, he gestured to his sword next. "And I also know some swordsmanship..."
Genzo gave him a weird look.
"I... don't think there are many jobs you can do here with those skills, kid. There's no fishing crew in this village since all the fish we get is from other villages, and as for your 'swordsmanship' abilities, we're rather peaceful, so I doubt there's any money to be made through those. Not looking for an intern, either. Anything else you know how to do?"
Dan scratched his head, troubled. "Well, I'm not sure this counts as an ability exactly, but I'm also pretty strong and have a lot of stamina."
Genzo looked him up and down, not a single hint of belief running through his eyes.
"Whatever you say, kid."
Dan's eyebrow twitched.
But before he could complain, Genzo spoke.
"Let me be honest, kid. We're doing pretty well as of now. I don't think anyone has the need for an employee... Although..." He tapped a finger against his mouth, eyes narrowing, as if suddenly remembering something.
"Although?"
"There's a family at the outskirts of the village. They own a tangerine farm. Considering it's only one person who manages it every day, they might need extra hands for all the labor it takes to maintain that much land. The owner has two kids about your age, but I'm not sure how much help they can actually be at the farm. If you're as strong and untiring as you say, you might be of help—although I'm not sure if they can pay you much."
"I see..." Dan said, pretending to think about it.
In reality, he was pretty gobsmacked by the offer.
He didn't need to hear more details to know who Genzo was talking about.
It was pretty obvious this farm family were Bell-mère, Nojiko, and Nami.
'For real...?'
... Yeah, he'd said he wanted to keep a tight watch on the place, but he wasn't sure about doing so from that close.
Although, on second thought, there wasn't really any problem with doing it from that point. He was just reluctant to get involved firsthand, instead of just watching from the sidelines like he would prefer.
In fact, it would allow him to respond faster in case Arlong's fish-ass got here.
'Yeah, I guess it makes sense.'
Thus, with logic not supporting his whining, he ultimately shrugged his personal preferences aside and decided to go along with it.
Working there wouldn't change his original plan all that much anyways.
'The question is whether they'll have anything to pay me with.' Dan thought, recalling how Bell-mère had struggled with money a lot in the show.
Even if he asked, there was a high chance she'd just shake him off, unable to afford to pay him.
Though, there wasn't any reason not to ask, was there?
With a nod, he gave his thanks to Genzo, before making his way in the supposed farm's direction.
Along the way, he made sure to take note of any other point of interest he might have missed prior to being interrupted, like a carpentry that was somewhere further into the village, where he could ask them to improve his ship or ask for instruments so he could have something to distract himself during his travels.
He also asked around for a blacksmith, since he was going to need some bullets for his empty gun, and a scabbard that fit his new sword and didn't have it swinging up and down constantly.
It was getting on his nerves.
In the end, though, it turned out there was one, but he was quite a distance away, so that'd probably take a whole day of his in the future.
'I'll see when I have time.'
After a while, he arrived at the farm. It was quite big indeed for what was only a single mother and two little girls who were probably younger than him.
It'd take a lot of effort day after day to tend to it properly.
Not to mention selling—carrying all the fruits to the other villages would be a certified pain in the ass.
'Is that why Bell-mère wasn't doing well monetarily in the show?'
With such questions running through his mind, he eventually arrived before the door of the house.
-Knock, knock!-
He waited.
There was a bit of noise from inside for a moment, before the door opened with a creak.
From behind it, a girl with bright orange hair stepped out, looking at him in confusion—someone he recognized almost immediately.
'She sure looks innocent for the money greedy woman she becomes later on.'
Unaware of his thoughts, the girl in front of him stared him down with suspicion. "Who are you?"
"Is your mother here?" he asked, keeping his poker face firm.
"Depends on who's asking. If she owes you money, she isn't here—Aaah!"
She was soon pushed aside by an older woman, a redhead with a horrendous haircut in his opinion, a light-blue shirt, and a cigarette in her mouth.
"I said I had it, didn't I? She gave the orange-haired girl behind her an annoyed look, before turning to him. "Yeah, here I am. Who is—wait, a kid?"
Her head snapped again at the orange-haired girl.
"Oi, Nami, you hit another kid, didn't you?!"
"I didn't, I have never seen him in my entire life!"
Nami ran away immediately.
"Why that kid...!" She clicked her tongue, before turning to Dan with a wry smile. "Whatever my daughter did to you, I'm sorry, kid."
"I have actually never seen her in my life."
That was technically not a lie.
"Oh, you haven't?" She blinked, confused for a moment.
Then, slowly, her head turned to someone not visible from the door.
"Nojiko...?"
"I didn't do anything!" Some exclaimed from inside.
There was a flicker of suspicion in her gaze, before she turned to Dan again.
"She didn't, did she?"
"No."
She scratched the side of her head with her finger, utterly confused. "Well, that's weird... why are you here, then?"
"I came to look for a job."
"..."
"..."
Both stared at each other with poker faces for quite a few seconds.
Then, her face fell.
"A job?" She asked, incredulous. "Here?"
"Yeah," Dan said, putting on his most confident look.
"Doing what?" she asked again.
"Helping at the farm," Dan answered just as fast, jabbing a thumb at the farm right next to the house.
She let out a wry laugh. "No offense, kid, but you don't look like you'll be of much help. A farm is a lot of work, y'know? A lot of land to cover, and lots of heavy fruits to pick and carry under the strong sun. I'm afraid you won't make much of a difference."
"You don't know that, do you?" Dan said calmly, arms crossed.
She raised an eyebrow. She had expected him to get angry and complain at the dismissal, but he seemed calm instead.
An odd sight coming from a kid.
—Though, in the first place, why was a kid at her door asking for a job?
"Where are your parents, kid?" she asked, realizing she hadn't been asking the right questions.
"Dead."
"..."
She fell silent, wincing slightly at the truth—although she had expected it to an extent.
Otherwise, there was no reason a kid as young as him would be wandering here with that kind of request.
And whatever happened to his parents, it must have been recent, judging from the fact that he seemed well-fed.
Suddenly, she began reconsidering the idea of hiring him.
—But as much as it pained her to deny him a way to support himself, the fact remained that she could barely handle Nojiko and Nami as it was.
She didn't know if she could afford to pay the kid a salary just out of the kindness of her heart, when she was struggling with just two kids already.
But as she seemed to contemplate it in genuine agony, Dan spoke up.
"I'm not asking you to do this out of pity," he said, looking annoyed, before jabbing a thumb at himself. "I may not seem so, but I'm pretty strong and practically… tireless. Whatever you can pay me, I'll be worth it."
Despite his confidence, Bell-mère remained unconvinced, her expression hesitant.
Seeing that, Dan snorted. "If you're doubting me, I can show you."
"Show me? How are you going to do that, kid?"
Dan pulled his sleeve up, showing his massive nonexistent muscles with a grin.
"Let's arm wrestle."
...
°
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| Minutes later... |
...
"... Hey, Nojiko, what is happening?"
"Why are you asking me? I'm just as confused as you are."
"Who is he?"
"How should I know?"
Both Nami and Nojiko stood by their table, staring as Dan and Bell-mère took their seats, her pulling up her sleeves just like Dan.
"I have to warn ya, kid, I used to be a marine. And working at the farm every single day hasn't exactly made me weaker." Bell-mère taunted, putting her elbow across the table and offering her hand.
Dan did too, grasping her hand. "If I want to prove I can work here too, I should at least be capable of handling something on that level, shouldn't I?"
She smirked. "You sure are confident for having noodle arms."
"Thick noodles."
"Whatever, kid. No complaints later, okay?"
Soon, the two were in position. So Bell-mère began the countdown.
Nojiko and Nami watched, speechless, as the whole thing unfolded. How come Bell-mère had suddenly entered a wrestling match with a kid their age?
They didn't get an answer.
"Three, two, one—" Bell-mère counted, taking in a deep breath.
Then, both tensed.
"Start!" Bell-mère shouted.
And at the same time, pushed against Dan.
For a moment, she believed she would slam Dan's hand against the table, ending the kid's overconfidence.
—But the next second, her eyes twitched as she felt all her force get opposed in equal measure.
She was startled for a second, then pushed harder.
Yet, her arm only pushed a bit further, before it retreated back to its original position, pushed back in equal measure.
'This kid...?!'
She gritted her teeth, eyes finally lifting from the clash of hands to see what her opponent looked like.
Teeth gritted, a deep frown now replacing the until-then calm look on the kid's face.
He was struggling, yes. But a kid shouldn't be able to even struggle.
She had been a goddamned marine, for god's sake. She wasn't a burly macho, but her strength wasn't supposed to be small either. Heck, she was sure she'd beat plenty of the guys at the village in strength.
Though, most of them were old men, so maybe that was a bad example.
But it didn't take away that she shouldn't be getting pushed around by a kid at least a third her age.
Had she grown weaker over the peaceful years she'd spent here, even though the physical toll of farm work wasn't so different from her training as a soldier?
However, she quickly dismissed that thought.
The kid was simply too strong. That was all.
'So he was speaking the truth, then?'
She felt the need to laugh at that.
To think something so unbelievable would actually turn out to be true. A kid with the strength of an adult.
Just what kind of freaky spawn had made its way to her door?
That didn't mean she was giving up, though!
With her teeth gritted and a vein bulging at her neck, she put down as much weight as she could on her side for one last attempt at throwing him off.
For a moment, Dan seemed to be overwhelmed, his arm slowly losing ground, his face wincing in helplessness.
But then, at the last possible second, just a centimeter from having the back of his hand touch the table, Dan suddenly released one last burst of strength, just like her.
With his arm actually bulging a little this time, he began pushing.
And pushing, and pushing.
Until, in the end—
-Tap-
Bell-mère's hand hit the table.
Both instantly released the hold, retreating from the table's center.
"Damn, kid. You were actually telling the truth."
"... Of course I was." Dan said, somewhat exhausted, but smiling proudly.
In the end, he didn't even need Tireless!
He was getting places, that was for sure.
At his answer, she laughed.
"I guess you would really be of help at the farm."
Dan grinned. "When do I begin, then?"
"I never said I was hiring you if you beat me, though?"
Dan, who'd been slumping tiredly in his chair, paused and gave her an outraged look.
She laughed harder.
"I'm joking, kid. With your help, it really should be easier to manage this whole place... though, I'm not sure I'll be able to pay you much. Tangerines are abundant in this archipelago, so for an unestablished vendor like me, let's just say business isn't as abundant."
Dan gave it a quick thought, before shrugging. "It's fine. I can get my own food and place to sleep, so I don't mind if it's little. I'm just looking to save up."
"Alright, then you start tomorrow... do show up, will you?"
"Sure."
While the two talked things out, Nami and Nojiko could only stare, baffled, as things unfolded beyond their understanding.
Eventually, they decided they didn't care, and walked out of the house.
Thus, leaving the two to their antics.
…
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-To Be Continued...-
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Time to reveal my real intentions all this long.
Money.
Jokes aside, you can go to my Patreon to get access to more chapters, and you'll be helping me make ends meet while doing so.
Though, just as an advice, there's too few advanced chapters for now, so hold on until I can stack up more if you want the 5 dollars of the subscription to be worth it.
pḁtreon.com/TheSynonym (Change the a)
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(A/N: Sorry for the wait, university got intense this week. Had to focus solely on it for a bit.
But hey, at least one of my classes closed at last, so that's one last thing to worry about.)