I awoke around mid to late morning the next day. I rubbed the weird eye crust stuff from my eyes, the large fingers and face reminding me that I am not who I once was.
"So it wasn't a dream." I said to no one. It was still a little strange to hear my new voice, I heard my previous one for my entire life after all. I shook my head clear and stood up from my bed of hay and stretched. The cracks and pops felt wonderful and I felt immense relief when I remembered that I won't get to feel the effects of old age that would've come with my new body now.
I picked my bisento up from the ground and opened the barn door, my coat fluttering back dramatically with the wind. Honestly I kind of forget all about my coat during all of last night's encounters. I quickly checked it for any dirt covering it and, to my relief, I found none. If I was going to start my pirating days anytime soon I wanted to start it nice and fresh.
I stepped outside and closed the door. I was immediately greeted by Peelin' as he was walking to me.
"Hey there partner! I was just about ta wake ya!" He loudly said as he waved enthusiastically, a bit too enthusiastic for the morning if you ask me.
I rose my empty hand in greeting and said, "Morning Peelin'. Any plans for today?"
When he finally got close he said, "Well, ah'm thinking' we should go get some grub over at the house first. Then, when we're nice and full, we should head over to the town. I have something' ta do there anyway, besides ah think it'd be best for ya ta meet the townsfolk. Since you are new here and all."
I nodded my head and followed him as we went to go get breakfast. We got to the table that was still set up outside and saw a wonderful spread of pancakes, waffles, other breakfast items, and various fruit. A majority of those fruit were still bananas though. Conversation was abundant throughout the meal, I joined in on occasion but I mostly remained silent while thinking about what to do with those bandits.
I was still thinking when a concerned voice interrupted my thoughts. "Hey partner, you ok?"
I looked at Peelin' confused.
"Heh, well you seem distracted and haven't talked much. Any worries? We didn't offend you or anything' right?" Peelin' seemed like he would be genuinely sorry if they did that.
I shook a hand at him in a "Don't worry about it" gesture and said, "No no. Nothing like that. I was just thinking about what I'm going to do about that bandit problem of yours around here."
I was just about to take another bite of waffle when Peelin' said, "Oh! You have to do anything about it! It's not your problem after all. We keep sending messages to the Navy anyway, though we aren't getting any replies... Besides ah don't want ya to get hurt, there are a lot of them after all."
"Gurarara!" I laughed and shook my head in amusement. "It might not be my problem, but I can't just ignore something like this. Besides, if this has been going on for months and your Navy hasn't done something by now... I wouldn't rely on them to bail you out."
"Besides, Peelin' and his family gave me free room and board. It's the least I could do to pay them back for it. If I've truly been turned into Whitebeard... measly bandits shouldn't be a problem." I thought to myself.
I stuck the rest of my waffle into my mouth, the last bite of breakfast. "And don't worry about me, I might be old but I'm certainly not weak!" I said and flashed Peelin' and his family the same toothy grin that will be used as my future pirate flag as well as show off one of my impressive biceps.
"Now," I said as I got up, Peelin's wife and daughter already cleaning up the table. "How about we go introduce me to your town? I at least want to see the place I'm gonna save!"
Peelin' just sat there in his seat for a moment, but he eventually grinned and laughed. "Hah! You got guts Whitebeard! Alright I'll take ya, just let me get mah bag right quick."
Peelin' jogged back inside his house to get his bag while I waited patiently for his return.
We arrived to the main entrance of the town, which had the most original name, "Banana Town". The houses and shops were mainly made of wood, stone, and brick. It was around a smallish sized town, but that didn't mean it lacked citizens. They were all anthro looking pony things, some even had wings and freaking horns sticking out of their heads!
I think I even saw a few of them that looked like a humanoid, anthro griffin.
The strange, surreal feeling of being in an alien world finally kicked in. I'm certain that I was the only human in existence so that garnered a lot of attention, and it didn't help that I was practically a giant compared to all of these people. I looked and stared at all of the people and buildings around me, and they looked and stared at me as well.
"You holding' up there alright partner?" asked Peelin', who glanced up at me while we walked to the mayor's office.
I stayed silent for a moment before replying, "Yeah, I'm alright. It just finally occurred to me that I really am no longer where I can truly see the similarities of home. The strangeness of this place... I have never seen people with wings or horns before."
"Really? You've never seen a pegasus or unicorn before?" Said Peelin'. "That's mighty strange partner. If you haven't seen a pegasus before... who creates and manages the weather where you're from?"
Pegasi and unicorns? Sure, why not?
"Well... the weather takes care of itself? Nature always does that, I don't think it'd be natural if people got mixed up in that." As I said that I happened to look up and saw one of the pegasi in the air, moving a cloud. I looked back down at Peelin' and shrugged. "But new world, new rules I suppose."
He hummed in thought as we finally got to the mayor's office during our brief conversation. Fortunately we didn't have to go inside, as it turned out the mayor was standing outside his office talking to a random stallion.
"They are demanding more food?" The mayor sighed dejectedly, "I don't know how much more we can give out. If this continues... we won't have enough to last us winter."
The mayor looked aged, he had a bit of a slump in his posture, his brown fur looked a little dull, and his hair, or mane as they call it, was grey. The wrinkles on his face signal that he smiles a lot, but he did not seem to be smiling.
"Yes mayor... I think we really should give in to this demand, they seemed really pissed about something. I'm afraid that if we don't cooperate this time... they might do something destructive." Said the stallion.
I might have a guess as to what made them mad.
"No need for that mayor!" Shouted Peelin'. "I think we have out solution right here!" He dramatically swished his arm in my direction.
The mayor turned to Peelin' first, then to me. Or more specifically to my legs, his eyes widened as he looked up and up until his gaze met mine. His mouth dropped when he saw my imposing figure.
"Well... I'll be Celestia's uncle..." Muttered the mayor before continuing, "So who are you, and what can you do for us?"
I smiled, "My name is Luke, but please call me Whitebeard. And as for what I can do.... I can take care of your bandit problem for you!"
The mayor stared at me in disbelief, "Not to be rude... but you are one stallion am I right? How can you possibly beat at least fifty bandits by yourself?" He was a bit skeptical, I couldn't find fault in that. Not everyday you could meet a person that claims that they could beat hundreds of people by themselves.
"I'm very strong. Let's keep it at that. But let's make a deal Mr. Mayor." He nodded, showing that he'll at least hear me out. "If I can defeat these guys for you, you'll have to give me a small ship that I can easily fit and operate by myself. If I can't... well I doubt I'd be returning here alive. We have a deal?" I stuck a hand out.
The mayor seemed thoughtful before replying, "You promise to not say why you were doing this if you get caught?" I nodded and he took my hand and said, "Then we have a deal! I just hope you aren't throwing your life away."
We released the handshake and I said, "Don't worry about that. I'm a tough one. Now how about you tell me where the bandits live and I'll head there immediately."
The mayor nodded and pointed, "They are on the more North-Western part of the island, just past the local banana plantations and over the large hill in the center of the island. They should be living in about four buildings in a semicircle. You can't miss it."
I thanked him and went on my way, but not without stopping to wave a brief goodbye to Peelin'. My trek through town was uneventful, even as I greeted a few curious townsfolk. The town streets soon led to a country road surrounded by banana trees. I looked up at the top of the mountain and decided to head there to get a good vantage point.
With that goal in mind I started a light jog and headed into the surrounding forest.
I walked through the forest, occasionally cutting through brush with my bisento.
"Gah... too much foliage! I can't fit easily through this junk." I continued to grumble. When some thorny bush snagged my pants once again I snapped.
"Damn it! Screw the forest!" I raised my fist in righteous anger and swung it sideways at a nearby tree. To my surprise it glowed right before impact and just when it hit the tree, whiteish-blue cracks appeared in the air and a shockwave blasted out in the direction my fist was pointing, destroying trees and bushes alike. I stared dumbfounded at the destruction caused by the shockwave, unblinking as this information processed in my brain.
Finally it clicked, "I have his devil fruit too?!" A grin formed full force on my face. "This is even more awesome! I just gotta figure this power out and I'll be unstoppable!"
I brought my hand in front of me and clenched it back into a fist. I stared at it and thought, "If I have Whitebeard's body, and his devil fruit... Do I have his haki as well?"
I looked forward and smirked, "I have the tools to become Pirate King at my disposal. I just gotta work on it." I looked back down at my fist. "Now... how do I activate the devil fruit again?"