One Piece: Undying Dream

6:00 - Outer Markets

Roku moved like a shadow, slipping through the narrow alleyways where the slaver guards wouldn't bother looking. He was not the only one awake, others like him. Too weak or too defiant to be sold, prowled the morning gloom, looking for scraps. 

A few of the kids spotted him and kept their distance. "Good" Roku muttered, it seems they finally learned their lesson. His stomach growls, reminding him that he hasnt eaten since his fight in the pits yesterday. As Roku kept scrounging, he spotted an unguarded fruit crate near the merchant tents. 

Weighing his options: risk getting caught and sent to the Yard or go hungry until the pits. Another growl, Roku sighed "Looks like the action is starting early today". He moves closer towards the crate, careful not to draw attention. He spots a guard lazily watching the crate across the path from the tents. Formulating a plan quickly, Roku decides that the easiest way to get the guard to move is with a distraction. 

His gaze fell upon a cart of metal pipes nearby. It was a rickety thing, the pipes clanging against one another with every breeze, waiting for someone to use them. From Roku's position the guard is to the left leaning against a wall, whilst the cart is to the right further up along the path. He glanced over at the guard again. The man still wasn't paying attention, but Roku knew he wouldn't get another chance like this.

Moving swiftly, Roku crawled low to the ground, staying in the morning shadows, avoiding any open spots where the guard might see him. His heart raced, but his breath was steady. Each movement was calculated, his body moving with the kind of grace that only comes from years of having to sneak around and avoid detection.

He reached the cart, his hand trembling slightly with anticipation as he grabbed a pipe. The metallic sound when he lifted it was far too loud, but the timing was crucial. Roku raised the pipe and threw it across, aiming it to strike against a stack of barrels. The sound echoed through the air, loud and sharp.

"What the hell?" The guard jumped, his eyes darting toward the noise, completely distracted. Without wasting a second, Roku darted toward the crate of fruit, his fingers wrapping around the nearest apple with practiced speed. Without thinking, he stuffed the apple into his sleeve and moved. With a single, fluid motion, he darted behind the nearest barrel, out of the guard's sight. 

7:00 - Edge of Southern Forest

Out near the southern forest, Roku had finally stopped running. His heart rate slightly elevated from the long distance run. Calming down he climbed a tree near the edge of the forest overlooking the coast while eating his apple. "All that, just for one little apple," he muttered, a hint of amusement in his voice. When he was done he dropped to the ground and began his daily routine.

First, he dropped into a push-up position, his chest nearly touching the ground before pushing back up. He repeated this one hundred times, his muscles burning with each repetition. 

Next came sit-ups, his movements fluid and controlled as he curled his torso upwards, engaging his core. One hundred sit-ups. 

Finishing his strength training with squats, Roku focused on maintaining perfect form, ensuring his knees didn't extend past his toes as he moved. Again, one hundred repetitions. 

With the strength exercises complete, Roku took a moment to stretch and think, his eyes scanning the horizon. 

"That strange sensation…" he mused, frowning slightly. It was a flicker at the edge of his awareness, a whisper against his skin from behind whenever he fought. 

He recalled the fight where he'd dodged an attack he couldn't have seen. It was as if something else was guiding him, a primal instinct honed to a razor's edge. 

"What is it?" he wondered, a shiver running down his spine. Was it simply his survival instincts evolving, or was there something more to it? 

He pushed the thought aside for now. Whatever it was, it had kept him alive. And in this world, that was all that mattered.