When Lynn's eyes fluttered open, the world around him was unrecognizable. Gone were the dim walls of his small bedroom, the flickering glow of his CRT monitor, and the muffled sounds of his sister moving around the apartment. Instead, he found himself in a place that smelled of salt and wood, creaking under the sway of an unfamiliar motion. He was somewhere different—somewhere far from the world he knew.
Fainting after being bullied was nothing new for him—it had happened enough times that waking up in unusual places had become almost routine. He often began his school days in the school's backyard, still reeking from yesterday's abuse. It wasn't like the teachers cared about an orphan like him.
In fact, almost no one at school cared about him.
Lynn always told himself he had to do his best in school. His grades were his ticket out—his way to help his sister and maybe escape the life that seemed to offer nothing but disappointment. But now, school was the last thing on his mind. He wasn't in the classroom, wasn't in the dusty backyard of the school. He was trapped somewhere unfamiliar, adrift in the middle of nowhere, with no idea how he got there.
"Where... where am I?" His voice trembled as he took in the sight of rough-looking men surrounding him, their eyes fixated on the stranger in their midst. The reality of the situation began to settle in, each detail only adding to his confusion and fear.
"Cap'n, the brat's eyes have opened!"
The sudden shout startled Lynn, and he could only gaze at the sailor who loomed over him, intimidatingly close. How did he know they were sailors? The place he had woken up in was made of wood, creaking with the waves, and the men wore pirate attire like something out of a movie. Lynn, as a Japanese kid, recognized the classic pirate look.
But how was this possible?
He'd never even been near the ocean—his life was confined to studying, playing games online, and occasionally reading novels or watching TV shows. He was a nerd, even if being bullied sometimes distracted him from it. No one ever came to his rescue; the teachers were just as scared of the bullies as he was.
Please remember: childhood bullying is far preferable to the torment adults can inflict. But can any form of bullying really be called better or worse?
That's the right question. Children might grow from their experiences with bullying—some might become broken by the trauma, but others strive to rise above it. That's how kids develop. They can survive their past, no matter how dark, as long as they learn to overcome it and become stronger than their tormentors.
But adult bullying is different.
There's no such thing as adult bullying—only oppression. An adult who bullies is a criminal, unfit for society. Such a person will be caught, imprisoned, or... brought down by the very people they oppressed. Adults are expected to maintain dignity and sanity, and those who fail, creating oppression under the guise of "power harassment" or other forms, will eventually fall.
By their own doing, or by those around them.
Humans have limited lifespans, rarely reaching 100 years, and nearly half of that time is spent sleeping or engaged in trivial activities. Cross a certain line, and even an hour of that time could turn into a living hell.
Do you think an hour of suffering for the oppressor could be worse than a year of being oppressed? Without a doubt.
But let's not get sidetracked—Lynn was facing something entirely different now.
The real question is: could he handle it?
"Wh... Where am I?"
"This is the middle of the sea, where else? You're lucky, kid—we found you floating nearby. A little later, and you'd be fish food."
One of the pirates tried to scare Lynn with his words.
But Lynn had never been near the sea. How could he have ended up floating in the middle of the ocean? Was this some new kind of bullying?
No, this was already beyond bullying—it was attempted murder. No group of middle school bullies would go that far, right?
Realizing something was very wrong didn't help Lynn understand it.
He was just an ordinary middle schooler, not expecting to find himself transported into a world like One Piece. He wasn't even a fan—he only knew bits and pieces from what classmates had shared. The story never stuck with him, so he didn't really understand the world or its rules.
In his mind, Lynn was convinced he had been abducted and was about to be sold overseas.
It was the only logical explanation for suddenly finding himself in the middle of the ocean. Or maybe he was dreaming? He stared at the people around him rudely, trying to make sense of it.
Bam!
"Don't give me that look! We may be pirates, but we don't deal in human trafficking. Mind you, kid!"
One of the pirates took offense at his glare, seemingly reading his mind.
Rubbing his head, Lynn felt pain—it wasn't a dream.
"Yohohoho! I see you're awake now, kid!"
The voice came from a towering figure, easily over two meters tall, with an afro that seemed to defy gravity. He grinned widely, showing far too many teeth, but there was a warmth in his eyes that contrasted with the roughness of his crew.
Lynn had seen characters like this in movies and games, but standing before one in real life was something else entirely.
Backing away, Lynn stumbled and fell.
"Gyahaha!"
The pirates laughed at the pitiful sight, mocking the 14-year-old boy.
"Boy, you're not manly enough! Scared of the vice-captain?" Said one of the fearsome looking people surrounding him.
"I'm the vice-captain of this fine crew, Brook. Welcome aboard... wherever you came from," Brook said, offering a hand that Lynn hesitantly took. The grip was firm but not harsh, another surprise in this sea of contradictions.
"I know he's scary—he's a seasoned pirate, after all. No way a kid like him could handle the pressure!"
"Oy, oy, oy. That's harsh! How can this gentleman be called scary? You guys mock me too much."
The man shook his head, sighing at his crew's teasing.
Despite their roughness, they had a strong bond as crewmates. They weren't the strongest at sea, but they saw each other as brothers. This sense of camaraderie didn't come from nowhere—it was built over time, as they looked out for each other, supported by a captain who fostered their unity.
From strangers to brothers, they grew closer through shared experiences. This bond, once formed, was hard to break.
"Th... thank you..."
Lynn was surprised by the man's kindness despite his imposing stature.
"So, where are you from, kid?"
"I... I'm from Japan."
"That's a new name. Anyone heard of it?"
Seeing them shake their heads, Brook asked again, "Which sea did you come from?"
"Uh... Pacific?"
"Huh, where the heck is that?"
Seeing the confusion on Lynn's face, Brook could tell the boy wasn't lying—he was just as lost as they were.
The only explanation Brook could think of was that the boy had been tossed into the sea by some strange force, perhaps a Devil Fruit power.
"Oh well, my name's Brook. Nice to meet you, kid! Yohohoho!" Brook laughed, ruffling Lynn's hair.
"Guys! We've got a new crewmate! Tonight, we're going to party!"
"Oooo!"
Meeting and parting were typical for sailors, but everything needed to be celebrated to make it official. The crew began preparing for a party, bringing out booze, music, and food. They sang loudly as they introduced themselves to Lynn.
Of course, Lynn felt uneasy around these easy-going but intimidating pirates. But after being forced to drink, he loosened up and started shouting like a maniac.
"FUCK THOSE BASTARDS! IF YOU WANT A FIGHT, PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR SIZE!"
"That's right! Fuck those bastards!"
"IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH HAVING A DEAD FATHER AND A MISSING MOTHER?!"
"There's nothing wrong with that!"
"Exactly!"
Many of the pirates were orphans or came from broken families, living tough lives. They found freedom by sailing the seas and following their captain. Hearing Lynn's outburst, they understood what the boy had gone through.
"Mumble, mumble, mumble!"
"That's right!"
"Oy, what's right? The kid's wasted."
"Oh, whatever it is, he's right!"
As the merrymaking continued, the vice-captain headed inside the ship, walking slowly down the corridor and knocking on a door.
"Captain, we've got a new crewmate..."
[Character Status: Lynn Sadogashima]
Level: 1
Class: [Unknown]
HP: 50/50
MP: 20/20
Attributes:
[STR]: 3 ⬜⬜⬜⬛⬛ (Novice)[VIT]: 5 ⬜⬜⬛⬛⬛ (Novice)[AGI]: 4 ⬜⬛⬛⬛⬛ (Novice)[INT]: 40 ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ (Intermediate)
Passive Skills:
[Dexterous Hand]
Active Skills:
[Locked]: Magical skills yet to be discovered or unlocked. These powers have the potential to be trained and enhanced.
Techniques:
[None Yet Unlocked]: Lynn has yet to develop any specialized techniques.