It was a bright, clear noon.
Golden sunlight shimmered across the calm sea.
Along the shore, a fisherman hauled in a dark-gray net from the water. Fish and shrimp flashed like silver scales as they struggled inside the mesh. Some slipped free, only to be quickly picked up and tossed into a bucket.
During a brief pause in his work, the fisherman straightened his back and noticed a handsome young man with silver hair standing on a small boat not far away, gazing out over the ocean.
"Norton, heading out to sea today?" the fisherman called with a smile.
The silver-haired youth nodded.
"That's right, Uncle Sam. I'm setting sail!"
"So the day finally came…" the fisherman sighed with emotion. "All these years, thanks to you, our town hasn't suffered a single pirate attack. You're our hero."
In the fisherman's memory, ever since Norton appeared in this little harbor town five years ago, pirates had never dared to approach again.
Not only attacks—over the past few years, pirates had practically vanished from the nearby seas altogether. The townsfolk could travel much farther than before.
About two years ago, the fisherman had even witnessed Norton fighting pirates.
Just one punch.
A pirate ship over ten meters long was smashed and sunk straight to the bottom of the sea.
Norton chuckled lightly.
"Justice is just a hobby of mine. Compared to being a hero… I'm more interested in becoming a king."
With that, he raised the sail and untied the rope securing his boat.
Soon, the wind and currents carried the small vessel out into the open sea.
Today was the day Norton set sail.
It was also the seventeenth year since he had arrived in this world.
This was the world of One Piece.
The Celestial Dragons sat high above the world atop the Red Line, while common people struggled to survive. Pirates ravaged the seas, and the Marines often acted as enforcers of the World Government's rule.
Dreams.
Willpower.
Treasure.
Adventure.
These were the themes that defined people's lives.
The Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Marine Admirals, the Four Emperors…
Those who stood at the peak of the world possessed the power to alter weather and landscapes themselves.
And behind the scenes, the true ruler of the world had remained hidden for eight hundred years, unchallenged.
Even the mighty Rocks D. Xebec had ultimately fallen under that shadow of control.
This was the worst of eras.
But to Norton—
It was also the best of eras.
Because Norton had a dream.
Ever since he was young, he believed he was meant to become a great king.
Cities he conquered would bear his name.
He would stand beneath a towering lighthouse of his own construction, watching merchant ships from every corner of the world sail into his harbor.
Like a god standing atop a war chariot, he would pass through cheering crowds while endless spoils of war were displayed behind him.
And of course—
Luxury was indispensable.
Waking up each morning on beds soft as clouds.
Holding banquets that lasted from dawn until nightfall.
Tasting every delicacy imaginable.
Having chicks from across the world.
In short—
Possessing the entire world.
In his previous life, living in a modern peaceful society, Norton never had the opportunity to realize such ambitions. Immersed in his fantasies, people even labeled him a severe chūunibyō—someone lost in grandiose delusions.
But now?
He was in this chaotic world.
And although he didn't possess a legendary lineage like Monkey D. Luffy, Norton had something else—
A natural cheat ability.
A power originating from the world of One Punch Man.
The same power as Saitama.
He had broken the limiter of the human body.
All living beings possess limits imposed by their species and individual potential—limits that cannot be surpassed no matter how much effort is invested.
These limits exist to allow organisms to grow without losing their instincts or sanity.
This restriction is called a Limiter.
The stronger someone's innate talent, the larger their limiter—but a limit still exists.
But Norton…
Through years of brutal training, had done the same thing Saitama did.
He had broken his limiter.
In theory—
Norton could grow infinitely stronger.
It was a power far more terrifying than any Devil Fruit.
Given enough time, becoming the One Punch Man of the pirate world would be inevitable.
Norton's natural talent was actually fairly ordinary.
But he began training at the age of seven.
Now, ten years had passed.
Ten years of training.
How strong was he?
Even Norton himself didn't know.
Ever since two years ago, he hadn't found anything capable of surviving a single punch from him.
Not Sea Kings,
not bandits,
not even pirates.
Which was exactly why he decided to set sail.
This was the East Blue, where the average pirate bounty was only three million Berries. There simply weren't any worthy opponents here.
And his dream couldn't be realized in the East Blue either.
In this world, the Four Blues and the first half of the Grand Line were under the watch of the Marines and the World Government.
Only the chaotic New World remained beyond their full control.
If Norton wanted to build a nation of his own—
The New World was the best place.
But before that…
He needed companions who shared his ambitions.
And, of course—
A ship strong enough to survive the journey.
As his boat sailed deeper into the ocean, the island behind him gradually disappeared over the horizon.
Just as Norton was mapping out his grand ambitions—
The sky above suddenly darkened.
Ahead of him, the sea bulged upward like a rising mountain.
"A tsunami?"
Norton tilted his head back as a blast of sea spray rushed toward him.
"Damn… forgot to check the weather forecast before leaving."
Of course, this world didn't even have such a thing. The ocean's climate was wildly unpredictable.
As the towering wave threatened to swallow his tiny boat like a drifting leaf—
Norton smiled.
His fingers curled into a fist.
And he punched.
Compared to the colossal tsunami, his figure looked pitifully small—like an ant trying to topple a tree.
But the moment his fist shot forward—
BOOM!
The air exploded.
An invisible shockwave blasted forward like a siege cannon, punching a massive ten-meter-wide hole straight through the center of the wave.
The raging seawater was pierced through by Norton's punch.
Norton and his boat shot through the hollowed tunnel in the wave, crossing past the tsunami itself.
He raised his head and laughed toward the vast ocean.
"Ocean! Bear witness to the departure of a king!"
---
Meanwhile – Cocoyasi Village.
Arlong Park.
"Hey! Nami! Going out to steal again?" the fish-men jeered as they surrounded a girl with short orange hair.
"Mind your own business!" the girl snapped stubbornly. "I'll save up enough money sooner or later! And when I do, I'll buy my village back from Arlong!"
"Hahaha! Then you better keep working hard, Nami!" the fish-men mocked.
But Nami ignored their laughter.
Her expression remained deadly serious.
She walked out of Arlong Park and set sail like she always did.
Today, the sea was calm.
Nami had heard that the Grand Line's weather changed unpredictably—nothing like the stable climate of the East Blue, where extreme conditions were rare.
When sailing the ocean, humanity's greatest enemy was the sea itself.
Since childhood, Nami had been fascinated by navigation knowledge.
She loved it.
Her dream was to become the greatest navigator in the world.
She once promised herself—
When she gathered 100 million Berries, she would buy her village back from Arlong…
And then set sail to chase her dream.
And that goal no longer felt impossibly distant.
All she had to do was steal more.
Berries.
Berries.
Berries.
Encouraging herself silently, Nami steered her small boat across the sea, letting the ocean wind brush against her face.
A few weeks ago she had stolen from an extremely wealthy merchant and made a huge profit.
She wondered what kind of luck awaited her this time.
Based on experience, Nami decided to check nearby islands first.
For example—
If a noble family happened to be hosting a grand banquet…
That would be the perfect opportunity.
Easy targets everywhere.
"Just wait, Bell-mere, Nojiko, Genzo, and everyone else…"
"I swear I'll take our village back from Arlong!"
---
Three Days After Norton Set Sail...
Norton realized something troubling.
He was lost.
The ocean stretched endlessly in every direction. Surrounded by nothing but blue, it was impossible to determine where he was.
Even with a map and compass, Norton had no idea where his ship had drifted—or whether he was even still on the right route.
The feeling of having strength but nowhere to use it made him decide something.
The first companion he had to recruit—
Had to be a navigator.
Even worse—
The food he had prepared had been eaten on the first day.
If he couldn't find supplies today, he'd have to keep starving.
Just then—
Norton spotted the shadow of a large sailing ship in the distance.
His spirits immediately lifted as he rowed closer.
Ten minutes later, Norton reached the ship and began climbing up its hull.
The deck above was crowded with people.
"Hey! Look!"
"There's a silver-haired guy climbing up from the side of the ship!"
"So handsome!" one noblewoman exclaimed.
"Could he be a pirate?"
"Unlikely. What pirate sails alone?"
Amid the murmuring crowd, Norton pulled himself onto the deck.
He glanced around.
Among the crowd, he noticed a girl with orange hair quietly slipping backward.
But soon his attention was captured by something else entirely.
"Oh! Cake!"
This was clearly a luxury passenger ship for nobles. The deck was lavishly decorated, and chefs in white uniforms moved about serving pastries and drinks.
The sweet aroma of cake made Norton ignore all the nobles questioning him.
He dove straight toward the table and began eating.
"Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!"
The nobles and ladies gathered around, pointing and whispering.
"Hey! Silver hair!"
A fat noble walked over and tried to grab Norton.
But when he pressed down—
He was shocked to discover he couldn't move Norton at all.
The noble's face twisted in anger.
Seeing the curious gazes of the noblewomen around him, his face turned bright red.
Furious, he pushed with all his strength.
Veins bulged on his forehead.
Sweat poured down his face.
Yet Norton remained completely unmoved, calmly enjoying the food.
"So good!"
Exhausted, the fat noble collapsed onto the floor, panting like a dog.
Embarrassed by the surrounding stares, he snapped angrily:
"What are you looking at?! Hurry up and help! Throw this rude bastard into the sea!"
The noblewomen hesitated.
"That seems a bit harsh…"
"Yeah. He looks like a poor castaway."
"He's just hungry!"
The male nobles couldn't take it anymore.
"You women just like his face, don't you?!"
The ladies immediately protested.
"What nonsense! Do we look that shallow?"
The nobles silently scoffed, not believing a word—but they didn't expose them, saving the women some dignity.
"Guards! Throw him overboard!"
Finally, the Duke, the highest-ranking noble present, gave the order.
Several guards stepped forward toward Norton.
But just then—
BOOM!
The sea suddenly exploded upward in a massive splash.
The deck rocked violently.
Nobles and ladies tumbled to the ground from the sudden jolt. Even the guards fell flat.
"Pirates! Pirates are here!"
In this era, pirates were a symbol of terror.
From ordinary civilians to wealthy nobles—no one wanted to encounter them.
Though pirates spoke of dreams and freedom, in reality most were demons wearing human skin.
They had no morals.
No bottom line.
No principles.
They simply took whatever they wanted.
At least—that's how most people saw them.
Encountering pirates at sea was the worst possible scenario.
There was nowhere to run.
"Get into the cabins! Guards! Stop them!"
Too late.
The pirate ship closed in at incredible speed.
"Board them!"
With the command of a red-bearded pirate captain, pirates swarmed up the boarding ladders onto the ship.
"Capture all these fat sheep!" Redbeard ordered.
Some pirates charged the guards with machetes.
Others grinned wickedly and rushed into the cabins.
Redbeard stood at the bow, watching the chaos with a cruel smile.
But as his eyes swept across the deck—
He noticed something strange.
Amid the panic and chaos…
A silver-haired young man sat calmly at a table.
Still eating cake.
"Who the hell is that brat?!" Redbeard's face darkened.
His authority was being ignored.
Everyone was supposed to fear him.
After all, he was Redbeard, a pirate with a bounty of eight million Berries!
"Sanosuke! Go grab that silver-haired kid!" Redbeard ordered.
"Yes, Captain."
A pirate dressed like a ninja stepped forward. He wore a silver forehead protector and a mask covering most of his face.
Redbeard folded his arms and smirked.
Sanosuke was his strongest subordinate.
This should be entertaining.
The masked pirate silently approached Norton from behind.
Seeing Norton continue calmly eating dessert, he lowered his guard.
"Another weak shit who can't even notice my presence… how pitiful," he thought.
Even if someone stayed calm in the face of danger—
That didn't change the fact that they were weak.
And the weak…
Could never escape the fate of being controlled.
As this thought crossed his mind—
His kunai stabbed toward Norton's lower back.
Clang!
The sharp blade struck Norton—
And produced the sound of metal colliding.
Sanosuke's pupils shrank.
He instantly flipped backward, retreating several meters away.
Cold sweat poured down his face.
Danger.