The sound of thunder roared in the background, as streaks of lightning flashed outside the window, illuminating the dimly lit manor's interior.
A shadow flickered inside, moving smoothly like a ghost.
Clyde's eyes glinted in the darkness as he slipped through the corridors, every step of his quiet.
The rain hammered against the roof like a relentless drummer, masking his movements.
He paused by a door.
A guard paced nearby, grumbling to himself, oblivious to the intruder hidden in the shadows.
Clyde smirked.
"How unprofessional, heh."
He crept closer to the door once the guard turned a corner, his fngers examining the lock.
He pulled a small tool from his sleeve—his trusty lockpick—and slid it into the lock.
A soft click shortly followed and the door eased open.
Inside the dark room, shelves and boxes could be seen with glittering gems, jewels and golden trinkets.
Clyde's fingers danced over the treasures, snatching handfuls of trinkets, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds.
"Not bad."
He murmured, slipping the gems into a small pouch tied at his belt.
Then something caught his eye—a small chest, tucked away in the far corner. Unlike the others, it was plain, made of rough wood with iron bands.
Curious, he moved toward it.
His hand hovered over the latch when suddenly, a shout echoed from outside.
"There's an intruder!"
They had likely found the unconscious bodies which Clyde didn't have the time to perfectly hide.
Without hesitation, Clyde grabbed the chest and bolted.
The manor erupted into chaos—footsteps pounding, doors slamming.
Clyde took one of the sturdier trinkets in his possession and threw it forward.
Shatter!
The sound of glass breaking could be heard.
Skillfully, Clyde leapt out of the window, his hand catching himself at the side of the building as he began parkouring like a nimble cat back to the ground.
Rain pelted his back as he dashed, his heart pounding, yet his mind remained sharp.
He sprinted toward the edge of the island.
Ahead of him, a tiny boat bobbed gently in the water.
Clyde smirked.
It was his ticket outta here!
Clyde leapt aboard, placed the small chest down, and swiftly removed the rope which tied the boat to the island to prevent it from drifting away.
With a strong push, he shoved off just as the first guards spilled onto the shore.
Lightning flashed overhead, illuminating his smirk as the boat slipped into the mist.
His golden eyes gleamed like yellow ambers.
With a theatrical bow, he called out loud enough for the guards to hear over the storm, a cocky grin forming on his face:
"As an uninvited guest, I must thank you all for your hospitality! I'll certainly be sure to visit again, heh~"
Amusement shone on his face as he saw a chubby man running in the distance. It was the wealthy merchant he had stolen from.
He was just in time to see Clyde waving them off, his shameless words lingering in the air as his figure soon disappeared into the storm.
The chubby man roared, completely out of breath.
"Huff! Huff! Bastard! Get back here you fucking thief!"
His rage was only natural.
Clyde had an eye for good treasures.
While the things he stole were small like small gems and trinkets, they were all of the best quality!
Unbeknownst to Clyde, those gems and trinkets were not why the man was so furious. The chubby man had caught the glimpe of the unremarkable looking chest on Clyde's boat, his face becoming deathly pale.
His worst fears had manifested after realising a thief had broken into his manor!
That thief had actually stolen the devil fruit he was planning on selling to a notorious group of pirates!
...
Clyde leaned back in his boat, the rain finally starting to ease as the mist swallowed the island behind him.
Of course, the dark clouds still loomed ominously, but Clyde was used to such weathers.
"Not a bad haul."
The pouch at his hip jingled lightly with the weight of the stolen treasures. He took it off and set it in front of him, sifting through the sparkling contents.
There was even a cool looking whale made out of pure sapphire.
He chuckled and tossed it back in.
His eyes drifted to the plain wooden chest sitting near his feet.
"Mystery box, sweet~"
He wondered what was inside for it to be with all those gems and trinkets.
Without much hesitation, he unlatched it with a swift flick.
Inside the chest, cushioned by a dark velvet cushion, was… a fruit.
He blinked.
"...A fruit?"
It was an odd-looking thing—spiraled, covered in uneven swirls and ridges. It looked like someone had asked an artist to draw a fruit from memory after drinking too much alcohol whilst also tripping on shrooms.
He frowned.
"You've got to be kidding me."
He picked it up with a sigh, turning it over in his hands. The skin was white, with strange yellow curling patterns.
He sighed once more, and slumped back, holding it up to the cloudy sky.
"I could've taken at least three more handfuls of gems. If only curiosity didn't get the better of me..."
His stomach suddenly growled.
"Right... I haven't eaten since yesterday. Maybe it's not completely a bad thing... Perhaps fate had brought this fruit to me."
Clyde chuckled in amusement.
His days of planning and patience to break into the manor successfully had made him run out of rations.
Thus, he was rather hungry.
He stared at the fruit with a smirk.
"It should be tasty at least, right?"
With that thought, he lifted the strange fruit to his mouth and took a big bite.
Instant regret bloomed on Clyde's face.
"Blegh—!"
His face twisted.
The taste was unbearable!
It tasted like the smell of a dead dog, mixed with a horrible saltiness that was hard to describe.
This thing was a fruit?
What a load of nonsense!
He launched the strange fruit into the ocean with all the disdain he could muster.
"Useless thing."
He wiped his mouth, scowling.
"If that thing gives me food poisoning, I'm going back to that island just to slap that merchant's face ten– no twenty times! I'm never trying a weird looking fruit again!"
Clyde lamented, taking a moment to organise himself—and his taste buds which had been assaulted!
The wind picked up slightly, catching the sail.
The boat continued its slow drift across the endless blue.
After a moment, Clyde took in the view.
"The sea is truly daunting. But it is also where I feel the greatest sense of freedom."
Ever since he was young, Clyde had always dreamed of an adventure.
To leave tales and stories to inspire young dreamers like himself.
With the Great Pirate Era emerging after Gold D. Roger's death, the seas became a wilder and more chaotic place—teeming with ambition, bloodshed, and the dreams of countless fools and legends alike.
Clyde had been one of them.
Naturally, he did miss his hometown, but he didn't regret his decision to leave and set sail.
It was at this moment that the sky darkened.
The sea, which had been gently rocking Clyde's little boat, suddenly surged. The waves grew taller, crashing violently against the side of his boat.
Thunder began to roar once more as the waves started to become turbulent.
Clyde narrowed his eyes at the horizon.
"It looks like it's gonna get a bit troublesome from here on out..."
He stood up, tying the pouch of gems tight against his waist, making sure it wouldn't fall off.
"It's fortunate I'm used to rough waters..."
He muttered with a small grin.
"Besides, I'm an amazing swimmer—"
As if punishing Clyde's cockiness, a monstrous wave began forming ahead—dark and steep, a wall of water clawing toward the sky like a beast set loose from the ocean itself.
Clyde's grin faltered for a moment.
"..."
He looked at his small, creaking boat, as if questioning his terrible luck.
The boat was barely big enough for two men. He knew without question: it wouldn't survive the impact.
Without much thought, Clyde secured the pouch of treasures once more, braced himself—and dove into the sea just before the wave crashed.
Down he went, slipping into the cold abyss.
But almost immediately, something felt… wrong.
His limbs were heavy. His muscles felt sluggish.
"What the…?"
He kicked his legs, but there was no power behind it. He tried to swim upward, but instead, his body only sank faster.
The water pressed in on him, choking off his thoughts.
And then it hit him.
"I can't fucking swim!!"
He cursed, questioning why he had suddenly lost his ability to swim.
His eyes widened in horror, bubbles escaping from his mouth.
He thrashed, trying to swim, to move, to float—anything.
But it was like trying to move through chains. His limbs refused to obey. His strength was draining out of him like sand through a broken hourglass.
He sank deeper and deeper, swallowed by the sea.
Above him, the wreckage of the little boat shattered apart under the wrath of the wave.
The storm raged on.
And Clyde?
Clyde was about to drown!