Kaoru Tsubasa stared blankly at the system interface in front of him, completely speechless.
So this was how it worked, huh? A man who could dominate the pirate world was considered nothing more than a rookie in other realms.
But as Kaoru carefully reread the system introduction and examined the attribute panel more closely, something immediately caught his attention.
"Nani… wait a second—why is my lottery chance showing as zero?"
His expression stiffened. A sinking feeling spread through him as he stared at the "0" flashing boldly on the lottery screen.
"What the hell? I used to have unlimited draws! Why is it zero now?"
[Ding! Due to the system upgrade, the rules have been updated accordingly.]
Kaoru's eye twitched. "Couldn't you have told me that earlier?"
[You didn't ask.]
The system's calm, emotionless tone made Kaoru want to punch something. He didn't even know how to respond.
"Fine… so how do I get new lottery chances under the updated rules?" he asked, exhaling heavily.
[Currently, there is no available method for earning lottery attempts. Please look forward to the next update.]
Kaoru's jaw nearly hit the ground. "You've got to be kidding me! You updated yourself and made things worse?!"
He slumped forward in defeat. "Forget it…"
There was nothing he could do but accept reality. He couldn't exactly force the system to hand him back his draws.
With a sigh, Kaoru packed up the items he had taken out earlier and stored them back into the system space. Then he exited the virtual dimension.
The moment he stepped out, he heard voices from the deck.
"We still need to become stronger."
Kaoru turned toward the sound — Sanji was leaning against the rail, puffing a trail of smoke into the air.
The rest of the Straw Hats had already noticed Kaoru's return.
"Hey, that's weird!" Usopp pointed a finger at him. "You didn't get hurt this time!"
Kaoru's lips twitched. What's that supposed to mean? Do I have to crawl out bleeding every time I leave the virtual space?
He couldn't even blame Usopp — after all, every previous time Kaoru had come out, he'd been covered in bruises.
"What were you guys talking about?" he asked instead, ignoring the comment.
"We're trying to figure out how to get stronger," Sanji replied, blowing out another cloud of smoke. "You saw that monster earlier… we can't stay weak."
Kaoru fell silent, thinking.
He had planned to draw some strength-enhancing items from the newly upgraded lottery shop… but that idea was out the window now. With the lottery system frozen, he needed another way.
Suddenly, an idea struck him.
The virtual space had the power to pull people in, didn't it?
If so… could he use it to bring Kaido here for training?
A grin spread across his face. Alright, let's do it.
After explaining his plan briefly to Luffy and the others, Kaoru activated the system and transported the Going Merry directly into the virtual space.
"Wait here for a bit," Kaoru told the crew.
Then he used the search function to scan for Kaido's location across the world. Within moments, he found him on Onigashima, deep in Wano Country.
"Kaido," Kaoru's voice echoed faintly beside the Emperor.
Kaido's eyes darted around warily, finding no one nearby. Before he could react, a surge of energy enveloped him — and the next instant, he was standing in a vast, empty dimension.
"What the hell—?!" Kaido's instincts flared as he surveyed the blank expanse.
"Long time no see, Kaido."
Kaoru appeared behind him with a faint smile.
"Brother Tsubasa!" Kaido's booming laughter filled the void as he turned, grinning ear to ear. "Didn't expect to see you here!"
"I brought you in because I need your help," Kaoru said straightforwardly, wasting no time.
He explained everything — the Straw Hats' need for growth, the nature of this space, and his plan for Kaido to help them train.
Kaido thumped his massive chest. "Leave it to me!"
Since his time teaching Buggy about Haki in Wano, Kaido had grown quite skilled at passing on his knowledge.
"I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" came a loud, cheerful voice from the distance. "The man who'll become the Pirate King!"
Luffy came bouncing toward them from the Merry, his rubber arms flinging him across the air like a slingshot.
He'd heard from Usopp that Kaoru had brought in a strange guest — and of course, curiosity got the better of him.
"Pirate King, huh? You dare say that in front of me, kid?" Kaido barked out a hearty laugh.
After meeting Kaoru, Kaido no longer chased after the title of Joy Boy — his ambitions had changed. In this version of the world, Kozuki Oden was now the vice-captain of the Whitebeard Pirates.
But something caught Kaido's eye.
"Wait, brat… that pendant you're wearing — where did you get it?"
Luffy looked down at the jade pendant hanging around his neck. "This? Buggy gave it to me!"
Kaido froze for a moment — then his expression softened into a grin. "So, you're my Otōtō (little brother), huh?"
"Eh? Who are you, old man?" Luffy asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Kaido nearly facepalmed. "That damn Buggy… he didn't tell you anything, did he?"
When Luffy called him Second Brother a few moments later, Kaido's face darkened.
"It's Big Brother, got it?!"
Luffy didn't seem to care in the slightest. Titles didn't mean much to him anyway.
Kaoru chuckled quietly at the sight, saying nothing, and instead activated the virtual space again.
Kaido might be a powerhouse when it came to teaching combat and Haki, but not every member of the Straw Hats was a fighter.
Kaoru decided to bring in more mentors — ones who had trained the crew in the original timeline after their two-year separation.
First came Zoro's mentor — the world's greatest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk.
It took some convincing before Mihawk finally believed Kaoru's story, but once he did, he agreed to help.
Next was Nami.
Kaoru summoned the old scientists from Weatheria, the Sky Island of Visalia. How Nami would convince them to teach her was her own business — but Kaoru trusted she'd pull it off flawlessly.
Then came Usopp.
Kaoru summoned Heraclesun from the Boin Archipelago, his strange plant-based island mentor.
Finally, for Sanji's training, Kaoru brought in Marco of the Whitebeard Pirates — his sky-blue flames and fluid fighting style would be invaluable.
With all the key figures gathered, Kaoru explained the function of the virtual space in detail and asked each of them to guide the Straw Hats in their respective specialties.
Kaido, Marco, and Mihawk all agreed without hesitation.
Marco recognized Luffy immediately — hard not to, considering someone on the Whitebeard crew constantly flaunted Luffy's bounty poster.
As for the old men of Weatheria, they were hesitant at first. But after Nami's determined persuasion — and perhaps a few threats — they finally agreed to help.
Everything was in motion now. The Straw Hat Pirates' special training was about to begin.