Canon Fodder

“What is wrong?” Hancock asked.

“Nothing,” I said.

“I can feel it, husband,” she said, looking up at me as she laid her head on my shoulder.

“I hate this Link,” I mumbled again. Able to feel their emotions more clearly, she, Nami, and Robin were able to feel mine as well. It was rather annoying.

A couple of days after the attack on Amazon Lily things had finally calmed down. A few deaths on the Kuja pirates side a large funeral pyre had been formed for those that were killed. Dozens of marines and lackeys of Blackbeard petrified, their bodies were moved to line the walls of the city. Acting as future hostages for attacks that might come. Hancock thought it best to keep them in case she was attacked again.

A day after I arrived, Silvers Rayleigh showed up to help against the marines. When he found everything was okay he left but promised to come back. His girlfriend, Shakky, would most likely stop by as well. The official news of ending the Shichibukai hadn’t happened yet, but we expected the headlines any day now.

After spending a day with my still young children I couldn’t help but become worried once more. “I wish you would come with me,” I admitted.

“The sea is nowhere for children,” Hancock said. “I…wish you would quit.”

“I know,” I said, ashamed. “I know but I can’t yet.”

“I know,” Hancock said. Her thick lips pursing as she stared up at me we were at an impasse. Both of us wanting something from the other. But it couldn’t be. Even if I wanted to quit, I couldn’t. The canon had to happen for me to get quests and rewards to help me in the Challenges.

My most recent loss had really driven it home, that no matter how much I trained, I could still make a mistake. My fight with Maximus continued to replay over and over in my mind. How easily I had dealt with his own preparation. My confidence in getting my friend to submit. All of it became useless when something new happened.

I still didn’t know why I attacked his Summon rather than him. Maybe a part of me hoping my one friend from my old life could live on. But that was useless. You never really could trust someone. With the thought my eyes drifted to Hancock. I could feel her love. Like an almost tangible emotion that she radiated constantly.

I can trust her, I thought to myself. But could I? She had no idea I was from another world. That my mind jumped around like a kid on a trampoline. Always trying to get higher as he moved from one spot to another. Never in the same place very long, and always moving.

“I’m tired,” I mumbled as I moved my forearm to cover my eyes. I could feel Hancock’s love deepen, slowly mixing in worry for me.

“Then take a break,” she said, her body moving to lay behind me she began rubbing my shoulders. I groaned, enjoying the attention, but my mood only darkened.

I lied to all of these women. I wasn’t who I said I was, not fully at least. I guess there always was a Weston Watanabe, or whatever the hell the Moderator did to make a me in these worlds. Either way, I wasn’t exactly sure why I deserved anyone to trust. Max killed me, so I didn’t know him as well as I thought. None of these women knew who I really was, but I expected them to trust me?

My thoughts were stuck in a vicious cycle. I really just wanted to punch something, but also drink myself into a stupor, and fuck every woman that crossed my path. All to forget my worry of-

“I never wanted children,” Hancock whispered in my ear as her strong hands released my muscles.

“What?” I asked, brought out of my thoughts. I looked up into her eyes as she smiled down at me.

“It felt like a death sentence to me. This island holds over 50,000 women. So many of them left the island to help them conceive. When they came back they were content and pregnant. Most never fighting again. I saw this, and I didn’t want to be like them. Then you came along and…”

“Knocked you up?” I asked, smiling slightly.

“Yes, that, but so much more. I finally saw the importance of children.” She looked out the large window to our side. The one that faced the city. “They are our gift to the world. They are a piece of both of us, allowing our legacy to live on.” She sighed, tapping my chest. I sat up, watching her scoot out of bed and move to the window. I groaned but followed.

What was below was all women. Working hard to rebuild what had been broken. Among them were many children. Laughing as they ran materials this way and that, or guided animals to cart around wood planks. “The women that fought the hardest against the invasion were those women that stopped being pirates. Those with children to worry about. Many of them not hesitating to give their all. Trying to go beyond what they were capable of to protect those that couldn’t protect themselves.”

“Yep, kids are pretty great,” I said. My arm over her shoulder as we watched the hubbub below. I had two other children in my past life, and many more that I probably didn’t know about thanks to these new lives.

“Come, let’s see if Lily and Lupin are up from their nap,” she said. I nodded and she pulled away, heading to the side room.

“One minute,” I mumbled. My eyes staring down sightlessly. Trying to grasp something. A feeling that I so desperately wanted. The drive to keep doing this. Jumping worlds, fighting. Doing things I was never built for.

“But I am built for them,” I mumbled. I looked down to my body. No longer covered in scars thanks to receiving a new body, I was as strong as ever. So many muscles rippling under my skin, I doubted that anyone had named all of them. This body was forged in these worlds. Beaten down again and again as I defied death. Saving who I could in my journey.

“Body and mind,” I said. Not only had my body been through it all, my mind had as well. Yes, I was tired, but everyone was. Life wasn’t about the easy parts, it was about preserving through the hard. Who knew how long I could keep doing this. Living the lives these aliens or gods or whatever assigned me to. I had the experience to make real differences.

“There he is,” Hancock said as she walked into the room. Our son and daughter on each hip. Both kids radiated love, though they had barely seen me. The kind of innocent love that only a child could have. Complete and utter trust and affection for me, because life hadn’t shown them any different.

“Fudge,” I said, watching my language as I wiped my eyes. I moved to Hancock then, my arms grabbing the backs of the kids as Hancock’s chest pushed into mine. “I love you all,” I said, kissing her forehead.

“We love you,” she said, her eyes sparkling again as she stared at me. “Now, ignore whatever you are going-” She cut out and it all turned black.

“Fuck!” I spat as I appeared in the red room. “You gotta wait!” I yelled. All the other times I had been brought out for a Challenge I had been alone. Not mid-sentence with my family. Now if I died again I would disappear. I wouldn’t hear those last words of Hancock’s. I would….

“Fuck,” I spat again. “I hate this.” I shook my head, hating these Challenges more and more. “I was so close…” I wasn’t sure what I was close to, but I had been starting to feel something. Some epiphany that I felt I needed. Some piece of a drive to keep going no matter what. My body was practically aching for that feeling. That sense that I would do anything and everything to succeed.

But it was gone as the world was. My eyes staring at the One Piece world, it was so close, yet so far away. With a frown I looked to the screen that popped up when I arrived.

Congratulations on making it to the Fourth Challenge

Your Opponent has been chosen.

Your Challenge will begin in:

58:56:00

We recommend you pick Challenger Slots before time expires

World Doors will be Locked until the Challenge is Complete

Letting out an angry sigh I resigned myself to it. “No dying this time,” I told myself, but to my surprise my heart wasn’t in the words. I still felt like something was wrong. Like an axe was hovering over my neck, ready to strike. Slapping my cheeks I knew I had to keep going. I wasn’t sure how many challenges were ahead of me, but I had to keep pushing through. I had to survive.

Moving to the Junction I moved for the Comic Hall, this time I had a key though.

WARNING YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE COMIC HALLWAY

Please pick the Challenger Slots you would like to keep for this new Hall.

Note: All Status screens are locked to the Hallway. Skills, Abilities, Items,

and Bonuses will not be shared between halls unless picked as a challenger

slot.

Do you want to Pick Challenger Slots Now?

Yes/No The most update n0vels are published on n0velfire.net

Warning: Those skills, abilities, bonuses, and items picked will be locked

as challenger slot items, and not be able to be changed.

For the first time ever I clicked Yes and a new popup appeared.

Notice:

One Hall Door Key will be consumed.

The doorknob in front of me made an audible clicking noise, and the door opened.

“Finally,” I mumbled, thankful there was something else to think about. I quickly manipulated my status screen ending up with this.

Name:	Weston Watanabe
Current Quest:
World 1:
World 1 Quest:
Passive Skills:	Memory Meld
	Dead Man Walking
Pet:	Nibi - Level 4	Summon
1 Challenger Slot
Usable Abilities:	Status Screen
6 Challenger Slots	World Escape
	Chakra
	Dynamic Quirk
	Conqueror's Haki
	Berserker Mode
	Nen*
	Tremor Devil Fruit
Bonuses:	Hardened Organs
7 Challenger Slots	Medium Psychic Resistance
	Identity Theft Resistance+
	Panacea
	Mental Resistance
	Fertility Control
	Body Modification Resistance
Items:	Keychain
3 Challenger Slots	Seastone Jitte	Stored
	Hardened Gantz Armor	Stored (29)
	Capsule - Home	Stored
Currency:	Gold	3,400
1 Challenger Slot

After I finished with the screen, I risked it. Opening the door fully, for the first time I was in a new Hall. Stepping inside there were three doors. One on the right, one on the left, and one straight ahead. I knew the side doors were rejects and some choice for doors that I didn’t remember. Straight ahead, the door had a blue light over it. Still after all these years, lit up after I used my World Choice.

“I picked Marvel, right?” I asked as I walked toward it. I opened the blue door and stepped in. Exactly like the Manga Hall there were 12 doors inside. I mentally did a flip, thinking of the entrance as the 6 o’clock door. Walking inside I noticed that the 7 o’clock door was the only one with the light lit up blue.

“There’s Marvel,” I said. Happy to finally have the questioned answered. It was in the same location as One Punch Man in the Manga Hall. Proving that the harder doors were by the entrance.

“Well…I just need to make it through the Challenge,” I said. Nothing else to do in the room I walked back out to the Junction. “I guess I should probably had to a new Hall after this one,” I added with a nod. Trying to tell myself that I would make it. Fear creeping in I pushed it back as I pulled the Hardened Gantz Armor out of my screen. I put it on quickly to study the changes.

It was pretty much the same as the normal Gantz suit, but a lot thicker. Thinking of becoming stronger the veins became as thick as snakes this time. Many more nano bots going to the parts of the suit I needed there were a few more discs scattered on the suits as well. Now they glowed white slightly.

“I can do this,” I said, feeling strong in the improved suit. “I am going to win. I will see my kids again. I will keep going to worlds, and fighting like my life depended on it.” I nodded again, my chest aching as I had a bad feeling. “Just nerves,” I said. The fear of dying still hanging over me as I watched the counter continue to tick down to zero. As it hit zero I mumbled, “I can-” But was cut off as I disappeared.