The seawater rose gently against the shore and then slowly retreated, leaving behind damp trails and small marine creatures that tinkled rhythmically, creating a very pleasant sound.
Ian stood on the beach, waiting for a while until he finally spotted a dark shadow approaching from the horizon and blew a whistle. Upon hearing it, the shadow turned immediately and flew toward his position. As it drew closer, it turned out to be a gull.
A strange gull… It was very large, wearing a sailor's hat and a satchel hanging from its neck. When Ian saw it land, he walked over, pulled out a coin, handed it over, and said: "Give me a newspaper!"
However, when the gull saw the "50" on the coin, it shook its head with a distressed gesture. With its pointed beak, it pulled a piece of paper from its bag that had a large number engraved on it: "80!"
"The price went up again!?" Ian stared at the gull with narrowed eyes and said angrily, "Didn't it just go up last week? Why is it rising again?"
"Guuu!" the gull let out a cry and scratched its head with its wings, looking helpless, as if to imply it couldn't be helped.
"Fine, fine, here you go! 80 Berries! Next time you raise the price, I'm done being your customer!" Ian begrudgingly pulled three 10-Berry coins from his pocket and handed them over. After receiving the payment, the bird took a newspaper from its satchel and gave it to him.
The gull flapped its wings and flew away. Ian opened the paper and began to read as he started his walk back. A massive headline caught his eye: "Red-Haired Pirates' Trail in the East Blue."
"Red-Haired Shanks…" Ian sighed. "The Four Emperors… There's no doubt about it; this is the world of One Piece."
Three months had passed since Ian arrived in this world. Once again, confirming his reality, he didn't know whether to feel sad or fortunate. His original name was An Yi, a good young man from Earth, but unfortunately, while out shopping, he passed in front of a KFC he used to frequent. It was exactly 12 o'clock and, on a whim, he pulled out his phone in front of the store to open a game and top up his energy. At that precise moment, the massive KFC sign fell right on his head...
He assumed he must have died, because when he woke up, he found himself in a strange place, inhabiting the body of a ten-year-old boy named Ian. At first, he couldn't figure out his location; it was just a remote, isolated village. But when he heard the words "Roger, the King of the Pirates" from his master's mouth, he was bewildered. Only then did he understand he was in the world of One Piece, specifically in Shimotsuki Village in the East Blue. He never imagined he would transmigrate into this world, and although he was a fan of the series, it still felt unbelievable that something like this had happened to him.
As he reflected and walked toward the village, Ian arrived at a dojo where a middle-aged man was waiting for him. He had round glasses, black hair tied back in a ponytail, and a kind face with an innocuous smile.
"Sensei!" Ian shouted upon seeing him, quickening his pace. "Here is this week's newspaper!"
That man was Ian's teacher, Koshiro. Being an orphan, Ian was adopted by him and began learning kendo at the dojo. Koshiro took the newspaper and affectionately ruffled Ian's hair while smiling: "You've worked hard!"
It was meant to be a gesture of affection, but since Ian had the mind of an adult in a child's body, it felt quite awkward. Luckily, Master Koshiro didn't notice anything strange. As he checked the paper, he walked toward the dojo followed by Ian.
"The Red-Haired Pirates? What could they be doing in the East Blue?" Koshiro asked with a worried expression after reading the news.
Ian couldn't help but smile. He knew what worried Koshiro: even though Shanks was a good person, he still carried the title of "pirate." The master feared his presence in the area, but Ian knew Shanks would only be in Foosha Village for a short time and wouldn't come to Shimotsuki Village. Therefore, his master's concern was unnecessary.
"Foosha Village…" Ian remembered that was Luffy's town. "Is this where Shanks will meet him?"
While he pondered, Koshiro gave him a pat on the head: "Ian, what are you thinking about? Time's up; tell your classmates it's time to practice!"
"Understood!" Ian replied listlessly.
If there was one thing he found annoying about this world, it was definitely having to practice swordsmanship for fixed hours. Can you imagine practicing stances with a group of snotty, toothless kids lined up in rows? It felt ridiculous!
Soon, all the disciples gathered in two rows, holding their bamboo swords (shinai). Ian looked at the row across from him and saw a short, chubby boy looking at him through glasses as thick as bottle bottoms. Every time he saw him, Ian thought his eyes looked like two perfect circles. Beside him, a bald boy wouldn't stop sniffing his nose loudly. In the middle, another boy with a strange hairstyle looked like Frieza in his second form. They all had such diverse appearances that Ian didn't know how Koshiro had accepted them as apprentices.
Fortunately, in that tragic scene, there was a bright spot: a girl named Kuina, who occupied the first place in the opposite row. Kuina, Koshiro's daughter, had large brown eyes, short dark blue hair, and masculine clothing. She possessed a tenacious and fierce aura; among that group of children, she stood out with her own light.
When Ian looked at her, she returned his gaze and listened. Although she didn't speak, Ian thought he heard her voice saying, "Brother Ian!" As an orphan adopted by Koshiro, Ian was a bit older than her. In the dojo, Kuina was the strongest, and not even Ian could beat her, yet she still always called him "big brother."
Koshiro's voice gave the command, and practice began. Ian focused and started swinging his bamboo sword.
"Slash! Back! Slash! Back!"
Ian practiced seriously, and with every movement, a voice continuously resonated in his mind:
You have performed a swordsmanship exercise. Basic Swordsmanship Competency +1!
You have performed a swordsmanship exercise. Basic Swordsmanship Competency +1!
You have performed a swordsmanship exercise. Basic Swordsmanship Competency +1!
You have performed a swordsmanship exercise. Basic Swordsmanship Competency +1!
At first, Ian felt a mix of excitement and fear about being in this world full of battles and cruelty. His physical strength wasn't much, and despite years of training with Koshiro, he didn't feel real progress. But everything changed when he discovered something in his mind during his first practice.
Apparently, the mobile game he was opening when he died had been engraved into his soul. It was a chaotic card game where you could build teams with characters from various animes. After the "mutation" suffered upon crossing worlds, this system had become his only tool to carve out his path.