The Outcast

(Everyone, hold off on roasting me for now. This will be an entirely new story. Any similarities are purely your imagination.)

There was an unremarkable island on the Grand Line called Aska Island.

The people of the island were simple and kind, working hard for a living. They should have been able to enjoy a relatively prosperous and peaceful life.

But that was not the case. Because of an unverified rumor, pirates visiting the island came one after another, bringing terrible disasters upon its people.

The houses on the island were all connected together, a change made to defend against pirates who might attack at any moment. However, if one looked down from above, one would find a treehouse standing alone in the forest, completely at odds with the island's overall atmosphere.

At that moment, several thin figures appeared beneath the great tree and approached while shoving one another. It seemed that none of them wanted to get close. In the end, it was a slightly older child who summoned his courage and shouted at the treehouse:

"Allen, the High Priest wants to see you!"

The sound of footsteps came from the silent forest. A handsome little boy poked his head out of the treehouse, but in an instant, the brats beneath it scattered like birds and beasts, leaving only their panicked, terrified voices drifting through the woods.

"Run! The monster's come out!"

"He saw me! I'm doomed! He must know that I sneaked some beast meat!"

"You little punk, you actually sneaked some beast meat? That's too much... How could you not call me for something like that?"

Allen's little face remained calm, as if he had long grown accustomed to other people's fear and rejection. He merely turned toward the treehouse and called, "Big brother's going out for a while. Be a good girl and stay home, okay?"

A delicate little girl poked her head out from inside the house and said sweetly, "Big brother, Demi won't run around. Demi's the best-behaved!"

Allen relaxed, closed and secured the doors and windows, then leaped directly from the treehouse, nearly ten meters above the ground.

Before long, Allen had arrived at the village temple. The High Priest appeared at just the right moment, leaning on his cane and looking old and frail, with wrinkled skin and white hair.

"Allen, I called you here because there is a matter concerning the life and death of our clan that I need your help with," the High Priest said, shame written across his face.

"High Priest, please don't say that. Just tell me what you need me to do," Allen replied, his little face filled with seriousness.

A trace of hesitation flashed through the High Priest's eyes, but he soon remembered something, and his gaze hardened once more.

"This matter begins several thousand years ago. Allen, do you know that legend? The legend of the Cursed Holy Sword?"

"I do. I heard that those pirates keep coming to the island because of that vague and baseless legend." Although he did not know why the High Priest had brought it up, Allen still answered with complete seriousness.

"Vague and baseless? It is not merely a rumor. It is the absolute truth!"

"Th-that's impossible!" Shock filled Allen's small face.

"According to legend, several thousand years ago, a Red Full Moon descended upon Aska Island. Our ancestors believed that the bloodstained and evil moon would bring disaster and misfortune. Thus, that moon came to be known as the Ominous Moon!"

"Therefore, the Gods of Aska, wishing to protect the people from disasters and calamities, bestowed three jewels upon the King of Aska as a shield, and the Seven Star Sword as a spear."

"Unfortunately, over the long years, the Seven Star Sword gradually became tainted by darkness and ill omen, becoming a Cursed Holy Sword. Our clan's mission is to guard and suppress it, preventing those with evil intentions from exploiting it, while also stopping the darkness of the Seven Star Sword from invading the world."

Allen did not understand. He waited for the High Priest to explain.

"Whenever the Red Full Moon descends once every century, the seal's power becomes weakest. It must then be resealed with the bloodline of the Miko and the Three Sacred Jewels. However, the next generation's Miko has yet to mature, and I have long since grown old and feeble. There is no one else in the clan capable of completing the seal. Once the Seven Star Sword emerges, darkness will blanket this entire sea!"

"So, what you mean is..." Allen's voice fell, as if he had already guessed what the High Priest intended.

"Only by offering the gods the most perfect sacrifice can we quell their wrath and reinforce the seal on the Seven Star Sword. And your talent... You can practically be called the God-Given Child!"

Allen was kind—so kind that he was willing to give up his life for the villagers who rejected and feared him. But he could not die. If he died, who would take care of his young sister?

Because of the pirates' attacks, life on the island had always been difficult. No one was willing to shoulder the burden of another mouth to feed. That was precisely why precocious Allen had revealed his value, merely to secure food for his sister from the village.

The High Priest seemed to see Allen's hesitation. His aged voice rang out: "You don't need to worry about Demi. As compensation, I have already contacted a high-ranking noble couple who have no children. They are more than willing to adopt Demi. After you're gone, Demi will live better than anyone else."

Those words undoubtedly struck Allen's heart. He did not mind other people's strange looks, but he absolutely could not bear for Demi to suffer the same fate. He hoped that Demi could live a dreamlike life, eating well and sleeping warmly every day.

"High Priest, I agree!"

"Good boy. It's just that you'll have to suffer!"

The High Priest's promise was fulfilled soon enough. Although Demi's heart-wrenching cries made Allen stop in his tracks several times, he ultimately hardened his heart and left without looking back. Demi was still young. After a few years, perhaps she would forget her incompetent big brother and live the dream life everyone yearned for!

The scarlet moonlight was about to envelop the earth. Allen followed closely behind the High Priest as he stepped into the temple. Everything around them radiated an ancient air, as if it had emerged from primordial time.

A crude stone coffin stood in the temple's lowest level. A six-pointed star array had been drawn on the floor with blood. Allen stood at its center. After telling Allen not to wander off, the High Priest fled as if his life depended on it.

Although the surroundings were bloody and eerie, Allen was not afraid. Instead, he looked around curiously.

Suddenly, a soft ringing echoed through the silent, dark room, like cicadas singing merrily in the forest. Wisps of black mist seeped into Allen's body through his pores, and an utterly bewitching voice rang out in his heart.

"Go... Open the stone coffin and take up the divine sword. You will possess supreme power!"

Seeing that Allen remained unmoved, the black mist continued to raise its offer.

"...Power, wealth, fame... As long as you take up that sword, everything you desire will follow!"

However, Allen merely muttered, "Is this the gods' test? It doesn't seem very difficult."

The trembling blade of the Seven Star Sword fell still. It did not possess a complete consciousness, only a faint sentience like most cursed blades. Of course, its sentience was certainly beyond comparison with the likes of Kitetsu III.

At that moment, if the Seven Star Sword had possessed intelligence, it would surely have been baffled. How could anyone have a soul so pure, without the slightest trace of darkness?

Ahem, anyone who read my previous work is probably thinking, This idiot author must have run out of new ideas. He isn't even adding any new elements. But... don't worry. The story ahead will be very interesting. This author solemnly guarantees it while touching his shattered sense of integrity. (ˇˇ)