20 early chapters on Pátreon.com/Herd99.
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The morning came too early, as it always did.
Kain stood at the harbor with a sluggish slump in his posture, his coat wrinkled from sleeping in it. A few Marines saluted him out of habit, still unsure how to treat a man who'd accidentally become a Captain. He nodded vaguely, his mind elsewhere.
The ship was already docked. Mid-sized. Not flashy, but built for long-distance patrols—Grand Line class.
His transfer orders sat folded in his pocket, unread since last night. He didn't need to go over them again. He knew the drill. New post, new headaches, new people who would look to him for answers he didn't want to give.
Stopping at Marineford was mere formality. A waste of time but command was absolute. Sometimes he wondered why he chose to continue on being a Marine, only to remember any other profession would put him at the mercy's of dangerous Supermen Pirates.
The square behind him was quieter than yesterday, the remains of the farewell party still scattered—ribbons caught in trees, a banner that read "Thank You, Kain!" now sagging on one side.
A few townspeople wandered over to see him off. Tashigi among them.
She jogged up, slightly out of breath, holding something wrapped in cloth.
"You forgot this," she said, handing it to him.
He took it, unwrapping the top just enough to see a folded navy-blue blanket inside. The kind he always napped under in the barracks.
"Thanks," he muttered.
Tashigi hesitated, eyes flicking to the ship. "Do you know where they're sending you?"
"Somewhere hot," he said. "Or cold. Preferrably warm and cool. Honestly, no clue."
She gave him a faint smile. "Well… if you get a chance to write, maybe let me know where you end up."
He didn't answer right away. Just stared out toward the sea.
"I'm not great at letters," he said. "But I'll try."
Tashigi nodded, not pressing further.
Behind her, Smoker stood with arms crossed, silently watching. He didn't say anything, but the look on his face said enough: Don't screw this up.
Kain gave a small wave that doubled as a lazy salute. "Well… guess this is it."
"You sure you're ready?" Tashigi asked.
"Nope."
"...That honest, huh?"
He smirked faintly. "Always have been. Goodbye Ta-"
Tashigi slammed into him with a tight hug.
"No goodbyes, Captain Kain."
Kain smiled.
"I'll see you later then."
As he turned toward the ramp leading up to the ship, something—or someone—caught his eye.
A figure leaned casually against a crate, not far from the crowd. Worn orange hat. Freckled grin. That wild, carefree air like he didn't belong in any one place for too long.
Portgas D. Ace.
He was younger than the stories would one day tell. Still carrying that unshaped fire in his eyes. Still on the edge of becoming something the world would fear.
Kain didn't approach him. Just watched.
Ace gave him a lazy salute, like a joke shared between strangers who understood more than they let on. Then turned and walked off, disappearing into the crowd like he'd never been there.
Kain exhaled. "So it begins."
As Kain reached the ship, the Shonen System flared to life again in his head.
[System Notification: Time Skip Approaching – Canon Begins in 3 Years.]
[Reminder: You are now a Captain-class Protagonist. Expect harder challenges, stronger enemies, and more plot-relevant chaos.]
Kain rubbed his temple. "I didn't even accept being a protagonist. I'm barely a functioning adult."
He brought up the system menu. His Battle Points total sat at 5,600. The number stared back at him like a dare.
Scrolling through the shop, he ignored the flashy weapons and overpowered fruit abilities. Most of it wasn't his style. He didn't need explosions or transformations.
He needed growth.
Something lowkey. Efficient. Something that worked while he did the bare minimum.
Then he saw it:
[Ability: Limit Break]
- Cost: 5,000 BSP
– Effect: Removes the user's natural limitations, allowing exponential growth in strength, speed, and durability through intense training.
– Note: Training will be grueling and painful. Gains scale with effort. No shortcuts.
Kain hesitated.
He didn't want pain. Didn't like effort. But deep down, he knew what the Grand Line was. It wasn't a place for comfort. It wasn't a place to coast.
He tapped the purchase button.
[Ability Purchased: Limit Break!]
> – Natural limits removed. Growth unlocked.
> – Side Effect: Expect extreme soreness. And possibly self-reflection.
Kain clenched his jaw as the upgrade hit him like a brick wall. Not a burst of energy. No glow. Just… a quiet awareness that things would never be the same again.
"I hate this system," he muttered. "But if I'm going to suffer, I'm damn well getting stronger for it."
The crew snapped to attention as he boarded. Some whispered. Some saluted. Most looked curious. Who was this Captain they were explicitly sent to pick up?
Kain didn't say much. Just nodded, found a shaded spot on deck, and leaned against the mast.
He had three years.
Three years to prepare before Monkey D. Luffy set sail. Three years before the world turned upside down. Three years to train, survive, and somehow stay just lazy enough to still be himself.
"Let's get this over with," he muttered, as the ship's anchor lifted and the sails caught the wind.
The ship pulled away from Loguetown as the sun crept higher into the sky, casting long, golden streaks across the waves.
Kain leaned on the railing, arms folded loosely over the wooden edge, the wind tugging at his collar. The town behind him grew smaller with every passing second—its sounds drowned by the creaking of the ship and the steady push of the ocean.
He didn't wave.
Didn't smile.
Didn't say anything dramatic.
Just watched in silence.
"…No turning back now," he muttered, more to the wind than anyone else.
The ocean ahead was wide and uninviting. Grand Line-bound. No detours. No lazy patrol circuits. No excuses. He'd stepped into a new role, even if it had kicked him into it.
Behind him, the newly assigned crew kept their distance. They'd heard rumors, sure—some said he was brilliant but eccentric, others said lazy but dangerously competent. A few just thought he was some guy with weird luck and a good jawline.
No one knew what to expect.
Kain liked it that way.
He tried to sit for a nap under the stairs leading up to the helm. The usual spot for avoiding sunlight and responsibility.
He lasted four minutes.
That's when the Limit Break side effects kicked in.
His joints ached. His spine cracked when he stretched. His muscles tensed with the quiet panic of a body realizing it could now grow stronger faster—but only if it was pushed.
[System Notification: Growth Unlocked – Pain is your new motivator.]
[Suggestion: Begin training immediately for optimal returns]
[Limit Break Daily Exercise:-
-1000 push ups.
-1000 sit ups.
-10KM run.
Kain groaned and stared at the system window. "I'm on a boat. What do you want me to do? Start shadowboxing the mast?"
[Optional Mini-Quest: Start daily calisthenics to awaken hidden potential.]
– Reward: 200 BSP and reduced soreness after 5 consecutive days.]
Kain gritted his teeth. "This system's seriously gamifying suffering."
Still… he stood. Slowly. Stretching each limb like a man twice his age. Then dropped down and started pushups.
One.
Two.
Three.
By fifty, he was sweating.
By hundred, his arms burned.
By three hundred, he swore vengeance on whoever reworked the One Punch Man workout in the system's backend.
That night, he ate with the crew in the small mess hall. The clatter of utensils and quiet conversation surrounded him, but no one dared sit too close. He didn't mind.
He listened more than he spoke. Observed.
The ship's navigator was young, confident but sharp. The medic had the look of someone who'd been transferred too many times. One of the gunners kept stealing glances at Kain, probably trying to measure if the rumors were true.
He let them wonder.
Halfway through the meal, he stood and walked out onto the main deck, his half-eaten rice still in hand. He sat cross-legged near the bow, staring at the stars.
The sea was calmer now. The Grand Line still days away. But something about the horizon felt heavier than before. Like the beginning of something he couldn't nap his way out of.
[System Notification: New Quest Unlocked!]
[Quest: Survive the Grand Line!]
- Objective: Train and gain Vice-Admiral strength by the end of 3 years to survive the dangers of the Grand Line.
– Reward: 10,000 BSP and a Free Nap Pass (50 uses)
– Failure Penalty: Your naps will be interrupted by constant nightmares of Kaido sneezing in your direction.
Kain nearly choked on his rice. "Seriously? Kaido sneezing?! What kind of psychological warfare is this?"
The system, naturally, offered no response.
He lay on the deck that night, arms folded behind his head, watching the sky as clouds drifted past the stars. The cool air helped soothe the soreness in his arms and back. He didn't like pain. He didn't chase greatness. But even he understood—if he stayed where he was, he'd be crushed by the world ahead.
Three years until Straw Hats, Warlords, Yonkos, and Revolutionary chaos.
Kain didn't plan to lead armies. Didn't want a name known across seas. But he did want one thing:
To survive. Quietly, efficiently, and on his own terms.
And if that meant a few thousand pushups and losing sleep… fine.
He could pretend to be a shonen protagonist for a little while longer.
"…Fifty nap passes, though," he murmured, eyes fluttering shut. "Now that's a real treasure."
And somewhere, deep within the Shonen System's interface, the "Main Plot Thread" quietly shifted—acknowledging Kain not just as a supporting character caught in the current…
…but as someone beginning to paddle.