A thumping sound rhythmically collides to the nail that penetrates the wooden wall. Outside of the hut, Old Geez’s forehead was oozing with sweat as he smashed the hammer in his hand.

“Chief!” a man ran to him in a rush.

“What!?” Old Geez wiped his forehead with dirty clothes that lay on his shoulder.

“Marine!” the man pointed to the shore’s direction as he panted, “There’s a marine ship on the shore, chief!”

On the shore, a mid-age man with a curly goatee jumped out of the ship and landed in front of the lineup fishing boat “Is this the mythical Spiral Island?”

His circle-shaped sunglasses shine as he scans the surroundings, and he sees dozens of villagers staring at him as they whisper at each other.

“Ignorant people.” weakly said as he smirks in disdain.

"Captain Jiggs, the log pose verifies that this is the Spiral Island." a man that only reaches the goatee man's chest jumps out of the ship and stands at his back.

Still looking at the far mountain, "Talk to these uneducated people and investigate what happened here" as Captain Jiggs turns back and walks to the marine ship.

"If they are the culprit then we will cleanse this Island."

"Yes, Captain!" the short man salutes the captain, smiling devilishly as he peeks at the whispering villagers.

***

Looking at his surroundings, Pate feels the powerful force coursing all around him as he extends his limbs and roots.

After an unknown amount of time, he grows stronger, powerful, larger, and full of vitality that he never felt before.

Thousands of small fish kept feeding his every fruit and leaf but he didn't feel any remorse about it. But feel satisfaction that he can smoothly tackle this task that was given to him.

Feeling that he was needed is the most fulfilling goal he wants to achieve and now that he grasps it. He will not let others snatch it over him as he will protect these precious little things beside him.

As time keeps passing through, many generations of fish turn into powerful adults and bear many little fishes to continue the unending cycle.

And he, who was just a little small shrub in the early time, became bigger and bigger.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Just Remembering the first time I had a tiny green twig that grew on me, made me excited, and watched it for a long time.

As I feel the nostalgia of having grown my area to one inch, made my anticipation grow stronger.

Bearing my first fruit, first feed for one little fish, clashing to a behemoth creature that tries to eat me and the little fishes.

It's a good thing that the adult fish come in time and make it food for everyone. And this is the second moment that I feel helpless after facing death, as a thought of being powerful to protect what is important to me.

As I become powerful, I have been given a chance to meet my benefactor. Giving me a title and a name that makes me excited as my effort was noticed.

I am the 'Guardian Shrubs', as many behemoth creatures bigger than the first creature that tries to eat me, become my prey, and be buried in my soil to become my nutrients.

Or become foods to the little mouth of hundreds of fishes.

A small shrub in the past and now has become an underwater forest of death that is feared by many behemoth creatures as they didn't dare to be near me.

For I am the 'Guardian Shrubs' of Fishwheel.

But not only the creature of the sea is the one who wants to conquer this place and grab his precious treasure.

But also the non-sea creature who is hard to deal with as they have a scheming mind and powerful body.

***

"They are here to find the noble kid?" Millee asks as she puts the dishes on the table and looks at his brother who is a fisherman.

"Yeah, not only that, they offer a lot of money to whoever can spill some information about the kid." grabbing a fried fish, the man started to eat it.

"Uhuh" Millee sits down as she starts to eat too.

"But Old Geez said that we must keep our lips tied, as we don't know what their aim is." the man looks at Millee, "You better not do anything stupid again, Millee."

"I am not! What do you think I am?", Millee silently munch the food as she looks out the window.

"Where is that god damn kid?" Old Geez holding his aching head as the man he tasked to call Pate, said that the kid is nowhere to be found.

Under the Big hut of Riz, a dark and small place was made in the past for the meeting of every elder of the village.

Only Riz, Old Geez, and two elders that are in charge of the food supply outside the island - are the only high ranking in the village and can make a decision.

Riz silently pondered where the kid might go but she can't think of another place other than the forest that was already searched by them.

"What if the kid is in the marine's hand? The kid was gone when they just came here at the same time, it's too much of a coincidence. " the elderly woman said.

"If you said it like that then why put a reward money for the villager to search the kid when they can just go and leave." The elderly man asked.

Old Geez lifts his face as he looks at the two elders in front of him, "Let's just put an act that the villagers are searching, as I will see to it what is their aim."

"It's too dangerous, it's a Captain rank of the marines. We don't know if there is another marine ship that hides in our eyes." Riz declines the idea as they are not sure what the marine's goal is.

"Riz is right, we can't make a wrong move as we are dealing with the marines. If they want the kid then just give the kid." the elderly man said.

Old Geez stood up and slammed the table, "We don't know what is the marine's motive for wanting the kid and we will just give him like that?"

"And what!? sacrifice the whole village for a kid that we didn't even know!" the elderly man shouted back.

"Geez kid, you better see the whole situation we are currently in. We can't protect ourselves and much more to protect another one with questionable background!" the elderly woman cut in.

"They are right, Old Geez. We already did what we could do to protect him from the pirates. And now that the marines are searching for him, we can just give the kid to them as they can protect the kid." Riz said while sipping her tea.

Old Geez looks at Riz with a doubt, "Even you, Riz! Wha- "

"I recently found out that the kid might be a devil fruit user." Riz weakly said that made Old Geez stop in his tracks.

The silence lasts a long while, but interrupted by Tom as he enters the meeting room with a panicked face, "Bad news! the marines took arms and surrounded the village, saying that we must surrender the kid or they will shred this place to the ground!"

"What!?"

Outside the village, surrounded by the lineup of marines aiming their rifles at the village as the villagers can only hide in their house, scared.

"Sir Merv? Is this alright? we don't have any evidence that they are hiding the kid." a marine trainee nervously asks the short marine.

"It's okay, we can just say that someone in the village tipped us that they are hiding the kid. We only need a reason to act against them and this is the reason we can use." Merv smiles as he looks at the dark quiet village.

"And I have the guts that this village is the one who destroyed the Drath Fang Pirates."

The marine trainee was shocked, "You mean sir!? the piece of torn cloth that has the image of a bloody fang?"