Cherreads

Chapter 4 - an upstanding citizen

Eating no longer leveled him up and neither did fighting the east blue weaklings. He had encountered another pirate crew and destroyed them but his level? It stayed at 1/100. Maybe his rapid growth had been because he was such a weak species? Now that he was a mighty ogre, he had broken through the limits of earth and reached superhuman strength. Normal pirates in the east blue weren't even a challenge to him. His body was resilient and with slashing resistance, the pirate's swords barely scratched him. He needed challenges to grow stronger, that was the truth. Sure, regular training worked to a certain point but to truly break through the limits, combat was the only real catalyst.

Another reason to join the strawhats. Crocodile, Donquixote Doflamingo, Charlotte Linlin, Kaido… all stepping stones for his path to be the strongest.

Ogsa took another bite of the pirate he had slain, cooked this time, thanks to the on board kitchen. It tasted Smokey, probably because this man, eyeless Jack, had been a chain smoker. He actually enjoyed the difference in flavor from the other humans he had eaten. His crimson eyes spotted the town, loguetown. The docks were full of life and he could hear the rumbling of voices chatting as they worked. He pulled into the docks and dropped the anchor.

When he jumped down to the dock, a loud thud could be heard. People took notice of the two and a half meter tall man with ash white skin and two horns growing out of his head. He was broad shouldered and quite ripped. 

"What is with that freak?"

"Those horns… is he even human?"

"His skin is as white as chalk!"

"He is quite handsome, I must admit"

Ogsa ignored the words and carried on into the town. The town was as lively as the docks. Everywhere he went though, he received stares, both fearful and filled with lust.

He ignored them and walked towards a weapon smith. The air was hot and suffocating inside the forge but he didn't mind. There before the forge, stood a man, old but still very fit, maybe in his late fifties, hammering away at a chunk of metal. He had long, grey hair, tied in a bun and his hands, which were fiercely gripping his hammer, were rough and calloused from years on forging.

"Excuse me?" Ogsa's voice was deep and rumbling, distinctly inhuman. He would probably never sound like he had in his previous life ever again, since he had abandoned humanity. 

"What do you want?", The blacksmith grunted, not looking up from his work.

"I need a sword, one that fits my size" Ogsa explained.

The weaponsmith paused mid swing and looked at him finally, his eyes shone with something… eerie, hungry, "I can see why you have come To me now. Do you have any preferences?"

"Not really, as long as it can withstand real battle"

"I will have it done in three days, bring 200 thousand berry here and it will be yours" the man said, "now let me measure you"

Over the next few minutes, he took a thousand different measurements, anything you could imagine, he measured.

After that, he headed to a restaurant and sat down. A waiter came rushing over, "h- here is our m- menu, good sir"

Flipping through the pages, he scanned its contents with curiosity. Some of these dishes he had never heard of… Spidertrout fillet? Emperor curry? 

In the end, he ordered a large steak and a glass of wine. He couldn't get drunk but he could appreciate a good red wine.

As he was eating in peace, the door swung open, marines.

"We have been informed about a suspicious looking man in this establishment. Show yourself, vile criminal!"

"I have literally only been eating. Check your wanted posters, have you ever seen this face on any of them?"

"Erm- I-"

"Well, have you or have you not?"

"I mean, not as far as I am aware of but-"

"Then why are you bothering me with this? I have committed no crime, so run along", Ogsa cut another bit of his steak and put it into his mouth, glaring at the marines as if asking them to interrupt his meal any longer and feel the consequences. This was just a marine grunt, not even an officer. He shrank under his glare, squirming uncomfortably before reluctantly leaving the establishment.

He was no criminal, not yet. Once he grew to be a titan of the new world, this grunt would regret not executing him right then, when he could still be killed by bullets but he had the legal highground right now. 

Upon finishing his steak, he threw 5000 berry onto the table and walked out, ducking under the door frame, not built for someone his size.

It was getting late, so he returned to his ship and slept upon it. 

Over the next few days, he exercised like a madman, raising his endurance by one rank. When he wasn't training, he fished a mile out on the sea. When he ate a rather big fish he had caught, he was surprised to see a new skill popping up. It had been long since that last happened.

Water Breathing(breath under the sea) 

He looked at the skill not believing his eyes. He could… breathe underwater? He tried it out, jumping off the ships edge and sure enough, as soon as he was submerged, he could feel gills forming on his neck. He stayed a minute, then five, then ten, when he didn't drown, he was hyped!

In a world that was 99% water, this skill was invaluable. He had no plans of eating a devil fruit but even if he did, he could no longer drown!

Back at the weapon smith, the old Smith presented him a sabre to his exact measurements. It was heavy, only someone with superhuman strength could wield it. Luckily, he was such a person.

"I call it mugenjin, 'hailing from the abyss' it will serve you well, not my best work ever but it is near the top"

Ogsa swung the blade through the air. He liked the extra weight. It was well balanced too. Satisfied, Oga counted bills, till they totalled 200 thousand berry and handed it to the old man, "I wish you good luck. The both of you", the smith smiled knowingly.

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