[Some unknown island in the Grand Line.]
A fat butcher kicked a kid laying in the alleyway of his shop, "Hey kid, get up. You're taking customers away from me!"
The kid grumbled and slowly stood up. He was bone thin and his eyes had sunken in from lack of sleep and starvation. The butcher looked at him scornfully and shooed him away.
"Fat bastard..." The kid mumbled as he walked away. This was Sharks no surname. For as long as he's been alive he's been alone. No mother, no father, no siblings, nowhere to call home. Sharks walked down the streets of his "hometown" carefully staring at the crowd he was passing by. He hoped he could score a nice bit of coin. His crimson colored eyes selected his target, an old man. This old man was wearing a gray robe and using a cane to walk. Sharks planned his route and initiated his plan. He watched as the old man approached and his mistakenly bumped into him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry sir!" Sharks said with a deep bow. The old man shook his head, "It's alright sunny. This old man was probably taking up too much space anyway! GARARARARA!" The old man laughed in a...unique way Sharks thought. He bowed to the old man again and quickly made his escape. He walked between two buildings and looked at the heavy pouch in his hand.
"There's gotta be at least 12,000 berries in here!" Sharks said excitedly. His mouth began to water at all the food he could get. Just as he was about to go spend his stolen money, he heard the clacking of a cane behind him.
"GARARARARA! I believe that money is mine young man." The old man laughed. Sharks felt a cold sweat drip down his face. His body went into flight or fight. He looked behind him to glance at the old man, gauging his chances of winning. Once his eyes met with the old man's he felt a wave of fear wash over him, enough to make him want to pass out.
'W-What the hell is up with this old man?! Why is he so...intimidating?!' Sharks thought in fear. Although he was terrified of the old man, something inside of him wasn't backing down. Sharks stood his ground and didn't remove his gaze from the old man's. After what felt like an eternity, the old man smirked.
"Y'know what, keep the money kid. You deserved it." The old man said with a smile. Sharks was confused at the sudden change of heart and in that split second of confusion, the old man had crossed the distance between them and chopped Sharks on the neck.
"Sorry kid, you just piqued my interest." The old man said as he picked Sharks up.
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[Hell Mountains, Yama Island.]
Sharks opened his eyes to a wooden roof. He also noticed he was on a soft bed under warm blankets, what the hell is going on? The last thing he could remember was that old man letting him keep the money. Did he lie and kidnap him? Has he been sold? All of these thoughts ran through Sharks' mind, then the door opened.
"Oh you're awake!" The old man said with a smile. He was without his cane and didn't look so hunched over, making his figure look more like middle aged man instead of elderly.
"W-Where am I? Have I been sold into slavery?" Sharks asked with fear. The man laughed and shook his head, "Fortunately you have not. I've decided to let's say, invest in you."
Sharks was confused, he didn't know what invest meant. The man say the confusion on his face and sighed, "Before we get into any real lesson, you're gonna hit the books kid."
The man sat down at the desk across from Sharks' bed, "Basically, I'm taking you in as my student because you're interesting."
"How am I interesting? I'm some unknown orphan who stole your money. I should be dead..."
"GARARARARA! Trust me kid, you're interesting. You'll learn why later." The man laughed as he stood up and extended his hand, "My name is Ken D. Melty, known to you from now on as Master."
Sharks slowly took his hand, "My name is Sharks, no surname." Sharks then got a closer look at Ken. He had shaggy peppered hair with an equally peppered beard. He had scars on his hands and a scar on his lip. Sharks could feel the thick callouses on his hands.
"Now, for your first lesson!" Ken walked over to the bookshelf and placed two books in Sharks' lap. The books were "Common Language for Dummies" volume one and two.
"I want you to be able to read these books front and back by next week." Ken said. Sharks gulped at this monstrous task but decided to go through with it because what is there to lose?
Sharks nodded and Ken smiled, "Great! Now come with me to the kitchen, I can hear your stomach rumbling." Sharks sheepishly smiled and followed Ken to the kitchen. On the table was a meal Sharks could never imagine. Meat, bread, fruits, desserts, foods Sharks could only dream of tasting.
"Dig in. I can't have my student be a pile of bones now can I?" Ken laughed. Sharks took his first bite of food in God knows how long and tears began to form in his eyes. He ate through the tears and at that very moment, a bond only death could break was formed.
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[6 months later]
"Evil old bastard always making fight some crazy creature..." Sharks mumbled to himself as he trekked through a thick jungle. He was no longer thin and had quite a bit of muscle on him. His black and red hair had grown quite long, reaching to his ears and on his waist was a saber. He walked through the jungle but then suddenly came to a stop.
He closed his eyes and placed his hand on his saber. Although his eyes were closed, he could feel the presence of another being. He felt that presence charge him and he opened his eyes. Coming towards him a giant red-scaled lizard. He deflected it's giant claws with his saber, the force sent him flying into multiple trees. Sharks used his saber to stop himself and dusted his cloak off.
"This is going to be a tough battle." He sighed and then ran towards the lizard at speeds a human his age should not be capable of. He maneuvered through the trees and appeared above the lizard.
"HAAAHHH!" Sharks swung his saber trying to catch the lizard off guard but he was swatted by the lizard's tail. Sharks was sent flying again but maneuvered himself in mid-air to safely land on a tree branch. He jumped down and was face to face with the lizard again.
"ROAAAAARR!" The lizard's roar was deafening but Sharks pushed through and charged at the lizard. The force of his sprint was strong enough to leave cracks in the ground. He flanked the lizard and swung his blade but he didn't even put a scratch into the lizard's thick armor. The lizard then swatted him away again with it's tail.
Sharks crashed through multiple trees until he stopped. He was bleeding from his head and mouth and he sat in the destroyed tree.
"How the hell am I supposed to cut through those scales?! It's like trying to cut through steel!" Sharks groaned as he slowly stood up, "Stupid lizard making me use Haki..."
Sharks could feel the lizard coming at him again and he sighed, "I'm going to enjoy roasting you lizard." His arms and saber turned black and he prepared for battle again. The lizard tore through the jungle until it found Sharks and it tried using it's claws again. Sharks sidestepped it's massive attack and quickly swung his saber, removing it's entire arm.
Before the lizard had time to register the pain, Sharks spartan kicked it's ribs, sending it rolling across the ground. Sharks followed through on his assault and removed the lizard's tail as well. The lizard flipped it's body trying to catch Sharks in it's jaws.
"I hope your meat tastes good, otherwise I'm going to be very upset." Sharks said while in between the lizard's jaws. It's massive teeth couldn't penetrate his Haki coated skin. Sharks swung his sword and cut the lizard in half. He swung his blade to remove the blood and quickly returned it to it's scabbard. He then pulled one of it's teeth out, "Proof for the old man."
Sharks then skinned, fileted, and cooked the lizard. He took the first bite of it's meat and his eyes turned into hearts, "AMAZING! You were totally worth the trouble!" After a eating most of the lizard, he brought it's skin and other remains to the town below. He walked into a merchant's store and placed everything on the counter.
"How much for all of this?" Sharks asked a fat man with a monocle. The man was shocked at the hide on his counter, "I-Is this hide from the Terror of the Jungle?"
Sharks nodded and the fat man wiped his sweat away with a handkerchief, "I-I can do 150,000 berries!" Sharks' eyes turned into money, "Sold!"
The fat man quickly went to the back and returned with a small chest full of bills. Sharks thanked him and left the store. He walked down to the docks were his boat was waiting. A small wooden boat, nothing grandiose.
He took a list out of his bag and crossed out the Terror of the Jungle, "Now I only have to kill the Demon of the East and King of the Northern Mountains."
Sharks undocked his boat and rowed into the horizon.