The last thing Alex remembered was the stale air of his gaming room, the flickering glow of a monitor, and the rhythmic click of his mouse. Then, nothing. Just a crushing, suffocating void that lasted for what felt like an eternity. He awoke not to the familiar groan of his bedsprings, but to a harsh, salty slap of reality and the piercing shriek of gulls that sounded less like birds and more like starved pterodactyls.
He lay sprawled on coarse sand, the grains digging uncomfortably into his bare back. Overhead, a merciless sun beat down, promising a swift incineration if he didn't move. Every muscle in his 16-year-old body screamed in protest as he tried to push himself up. He was weak. Pathetically, frighteningly weak. He managed a pathetic roll onto his side, coughing up a mouthful of sand and seawater.
"What... what the hell?" he rasped, his voice a reedy, unfamiliar whisper. He scrambled to his hands and knees, fighting a wave of dizzy nausea. This wasn't his room. This wasn't his world. He looked down at his hands, pale and slender, utterly devoid of any muscle. This body was that of a normal Earth human, the kind that might struggle with a brisk walk, let alone survive in… wherever this was.
He pushed himself shakily to his feet, swaying precariously. The beach stretched seemingly forever, flanked by towering, jagged rocks and dense, unfamiliar jungle that seemed to throb with unseen life.
Suddenly, a series of glowing blue text boxes popped into existence before him, shimmering like digital holograms.
[ SYSTEM INITIALIZING… ]
[ WELCOME, BLAZE D. ALEX ]
[ YOUR NEW JOURNEY BEGINS NOW ]
[ NEW NOTIFICATION ]
[ WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ? Y/N ]
Alex stared, bewildered. A system? A game? His mind reeled. He tentatively jabbed at the 'Y' floating in the air.
[ MESSAGE ]
[ I AM AFUREIA. I AM GIVING YOU A CHANCE FOR ADVENTURE WITH A POWER YOU ONLY DREAMED OF, WITH WHICH YOU CAN FULFILL YOUR DREAMS AND WISHES. ]
[ END MESSAGE ]
He scoffed. Dreams and wishes? He just wanted to not feel like he'd been run over by a truck. He swiped a hand through the floating text, but it remained stubbornly present. More panels appeared.
[ SYSTEM ]
[STATUS | QUESTS | INVENTORY | SHOP]
He quickly tapped 'QUESTS'.
[ NEW QUESTS AVAILABLE ]
[ TUTORIAL QUEST 1: SUMMON AN ORGANISM ]
[ DESCRIPTION: Test your newfound power. Find appropriate catalysts and attempt your first summon ]
Summon? He looked around the ruined village, the stench of ash and something metallic thick in the air. He stumbled inland, pushing through thick bushes. The vegetation thinned, revealing charred buildings and the quiet horror of recent violence. A half-burned newspaper lay fluttering near a collapsed fence, its headline screaming about "Pirate Scourge" and "East Blue Plunder."
This was One Piece. And he was this weak.
He grabbed a discarded piece of rotten food, a tattered cloth, and a scrap of the burned newspaper. He concentrated, trying to recall the feeling of power. He envisioned something strong. A warrior or at least a civilian. The air around him shimmered, and a faint magical circle appeared on the ground. A comical pop echoed.
A rat. A scrawny, trembling brown rat stood blinking at him, its tiny nose twitching. It immediately started gnawing on the rotten food and tearing at the cloth, reducing the catalysts to meaningless scraps. Alex felt a surge of energy.
[SUMMONING SUCCESSFUL! ORGANISM: COMMON HOUSE RAT.]
[QUEST REWARD CLAIMED!]
[VITALITY STAT: +1]
[SYSTEM POINTS EARNED: 2]
[TUTORIAL QUEST 1 COMPLETE!]
[TUTORIAL QUEST 2: SUMMON A TOTAL OF 5 ORGANISMS.]
[DESCRIPTION: Further practice your summoning ability.]
He first summoned a frog using a crumpled piece of paper. It flopped onto its back with a comical splash, croaked once, and then simply lay there, staring at the sky. A small green bat, summoned with a broken wooden spoon, promptly flew into a tree, got tangled in the branches, and hung upside down, squeaking pitifully. A tiny scorpion, brought forth by a piece of rusted metal and a bottle with a pungent smell, scuttled into a shadow and stayed there, refusing to move. He even managed to summon a second rat using a torn flag, this one just as unhelpful as the first, sniffing suspiciously at his shoe before wandering off.
"Another rat? Seriously? My dreams and wishes, huh?" Alex groaned.
Desperate for something useful for his last summon, Alex channeled all his remaining energy into a tattered piece of sailcloth. The magic circle glowed brighter, the pop was louder.
A slightly larger, more aggressive looking rat appeared, twitching its nose with an air of defiance. It glared at him, as if daring him to call it useless.
[SUMMONING SUCCESSFUL! ORGANISM: ROBUST HOUSE RAT.]
[TUTORIAL QUEST 2 COMPLETE! YOU HAVE SUMMONED 5 ORGANISMS.]
[QUEST REWARD CLAIMED!]
[VITALITY STAT: +2]
[AGILITY STAT: +3]
[ENDURANCE STAT: +2]
[TOTAL SYSTEM POINTS EARNED: 8]
He now had 10 System Points. He still felt utterly pathetic. All his summons — the two rats, the frog, the bat, the scorpion, and his stationary brick golem — were just there, either exploring comically (the rats sniffing everything, the frog occasionally attempting to hop) or completely inert. He didn't have the energy or the skill to dismiss them yet.
[TUTORIAL QUEST 3: CREATE A GOLEM.]
[DESCRIPTION: Utilize your new Golem Creation ability. Find a suitable rock or material.]
[REWARD: SYSTEM POINTS (VARIABLE), UNLOCKED: BASIC SUMMONER SKILLS, FRESH SEAKING MEAT (HIGH-GRADE SUMMONING CATALYST)]
He found a large, heavy brick from a collapsed wall. Focusing on the power, he channeled energy into it. The brick glowed faintly, shifting and reforming into a crude, lopsided figure barely larger than his fist. It wobbled precariously, resembling a grumpy, potato-shaped garden gnome.
[GOLEM CREATION SUCCESSFUL! ORGANISM: BRICK GOLEM.]
[QUEST REWARD CLAIMED!]
[SYSTEM POINTS EARNED: 2]
[TUTORIAL QUEST 3 COMPLETE!]
[UNLOCKED: BASIC SUMMONER SKILLS.]
[QUESTS: ALL TUTORIAL QUESTS COMPLETE!]
[YOU HAVE GAINED A LEVEL!]
[LEVEL UP! +10 FREE STAT POINTS TO ASSIGN.]
[FRESH SEAKING MEAT (HIGH-GRADE SUMMONING CATALYST) ACQUIRED]
[NEW SKILLS ACQUIRED:]
[Beast Bond: Growth
Type: Passive
The longer an animal stays as his Pact Partner, the more loyal and intelligent it becomes. Eventually evolves into Named Beasts.]
[Feral Diversion:
Type: Active
Commands a nearby animal to distract an enemy.]
Alex's eyes widened. Skills! Finally! He quickly navigated to his 'STATUS' page to see his updated stats and assign his points.
[BLAZE D. ALEX - CHARACTER STATUS]
Name: Blaze D. Alex
Race: Human
Class: Summoner
Level: 2
Strength: 2 (+0)
Agility: 3 (+0)
Endurance: 4 (+0)
Intelligence: 5 (+0)
Luck: 1 (+0)
Charisma: 2 (+0)
[FREE STAT POINTS: 10]
He grinned, a genuine, hopeful grin. He was no longer completely useless. He quickly distributed his points: Strength +4, Agility +3, Endurance +3. His body immediately felt subtly stronger, a little more responsive. Still not great, but a definite improvement.
[BLAZE D. ALEX - CHARACTER STATUS (UPDATED)]
Name: Blaze D. Alex
Race: Human
Class: Summoner
Level: 2
Strength: 2 (+4) = 6
Agility: 3 (+3) = 6
Endurance: 4 (+3) = 7
Intelligence: 5 (+0) = 5
Luck: 1 (+0) = 1
Charisma: 2 (+0) = 2
[FREE STAT POINTS: 0]
He felt better. He dismissed his useless summons (except the slightly robust rat and the brick golem, which he actually wanted for the next fight) and began planning. He decided to wait until late afternoon for his first real move. Pirates often got lazy then.
As late afternoon waned, shadows stretched long and thin across the ruined village. The distant sounds of coarse laughter and crude shouts drifted from a larger, less damaged building that seemed to serve as a pirate barracks. Alex watched, hidden, his trusty robust rat sniffing intently at some loose rubble, and the brick golem standing guard, looking as if it might trip over its own feet.
He decided to ambush a lone pirate on the outskirts of the village. He spotted one presumably for a perimeter check. Alex waited until the pirate was far from the village. He charged, yelling, his robust rat scampering eagerly beside him, and the brick golem waddling behind.
The pirate, a burly man with a scarred face, turned with a sneer. "What the hell? A civilian? Get lost, kid!"
Alex hurled the brick golem. The pirate, expecting a real threat, easily dodged it, barely even noticing the small, potato-shaped brick that bounced harmlessly off the ground. "Heh, look at him, trying to be tough," the pirate chuckled, drawing a rusty cutlass. "Too bad, kid. This ain't no game."
Alex parried wildly with a broken farm tool he had found earlier, his Agility now just enough to deflect the worn cutlass. He was still slow, but not utterly helpless. The pirate chuckled, circling him. His robust rat darted in, sinking its teeth into the pirate's ankle with surprising force, eliciting a sharp grunt of pain. The brick golem, waddling erratically, managed to get under the pirate's feet, causing him to trip and stumble. As the pirate recovered, Alex, emboldened, tried to land a blow. It scraped harmlessly off the pirate's shoulder.
The pirate snarled, his patience gone. "You're a brave idiot, kid, but you're done!"
Just then, two more pirates rounded the corner, their faces scowling.
"What's all this ruckus?" one of them growled, seeing their comrade engaged with a scrawny kid. "And here I thought you are struggling with a woman? Had no luck with the female villagers since we are on duty assigned on patrol, damn it!"
The first pirate grinned, "Look what I found, boys! A fresh one!"
Alex felt a cold dread as the two new pirates closed in. He struggled with just a single one even with his summons, but they were too strong. They snatched the farm tool from his grasp and threw him to the ground. His shirt ripped easily.
"Just a boy," one pirate chuckled, his eyes filled with dark, ugly intent. "Won't make much difference." His companion laughed coarsely.
They began to beat him, the blows raining down. He struggled, kicked, and squirmed, but it was useless. They tore his remaining shirt, then started on his pants.
Nearby hidden amongst some thick bushes, a woman with intelligent, weary eyes watched the scene unfold. She had arrived in the East Blue seeking a quiet, forgotten corner of the world, a place far from the oppressive gaze of the World Government. She'd been watching the pirates for days, assessing the situation. She initially assumed the boy's bizarre summons were some kind of newly awakened Devil Fruit ability—odd, but not unheard of.
Her gaze was fixed on the struggling boy. He was so young, so utterly outmatched. His defiance, even in the face of such overwhelming weakness, sparked something within her. A flicker of memory. Her own daughter, so small, so vulnerable. She'd been observing him since he stumbled into the village. His awkward attempts at summoning, his almost endearing ineptitude in a world clearly too big for him. She'd even caught him, more than once, stealing glances at her when she'd deliberately leaned over, providing a glimpse of cleavage. This one's certainly got some fiery desires, she'd mused with a wry smile.
But now, the scene unfolding was far from amusing. The two pirates were about to cross a line. Her eyes hardened. Motherly instinct, dormant for so long, flared. This boy, this foolish, weak, yet determined boy, was too pure for this.
"Perfect," she murmured, a chilling calm in her voice.
He felt the cold touch of dread as one pirate unbuckled his belt, his eyes filled with cruel, pent-up frustration. Alex was utterly exposed, naked, shriveling in shame. He instinctively covered himself with his hand. The pirates' pants were already around their knees, their intentions clear.
The pirate on top of Alex gurgled, eyes wide, before slumping, a knife embedded precisely in his neck.
The second pirate, pants still around his knees, stared in shock at his dying comrade. Before he could react, the woman was on him. She snatched the saber from the fallen pirate's grasp, its blade glinting wickedly. A swift, practiced slash, and the second pirate fell, gurgling, blood blooming across his chest. Meanwhile, the robust rat was gnawing at the first fallen pirate's ear, and the brick golem had waddled over and was attempting to repeatedly bash the third pirate (the one already attacked by summons) with its potato-shaped head, leaving small, dusty imprints.
Alex lay there, gasping, adrenaline coursing through him. He scrambled backwards, pressing himself against the wall, eyes wide as the mysterious woman stood over the corpses, her face grim. She hadn't said a word. She was quicker than he'd imagined, and utterly ruthless. She crouched to check the fallen pirates, ensuring they were truly dead.
She straightened, turning to him. Her expression softened slightly at his terrified, yet furious, eyes. "Not quite the welcome you expected, I imagine, Boy," she said, her voice calm and measured. "But you're alive. And now, you're angry. Good." She tossed him a relatively clean piece of cloth she'd salvaged to cover himself. "My name is Olvia. Nico Olvia."
"Alex," he managed, his voice still a little shaky, but with a new edge of determination. "My name's Blaze D. Alex." He glared at the dead pirates, a cold, hard resolve settling in his chest. His weakness had almost cost him everything. From now on, if needed, he would kill. He had to.
Olvia led him to a small, untouched house on the outskirts of the village. They found some spare, if ill-fitting, clothes for him among the abandoned dwellings. Inside, she gave him some dried meat and water. Alex ate silently, still reeling from the ordeal. Olvia watched him, her expression thoughtful.
As she bent, her cleavage was briefly, tantalizingly visible. Despite the horror he'd just faced, Alex felt a distinct erection. His face burned. He tried to hide it with his hand, but it was too late. Her gaze flickered to his exposed form, a small, knowing smile touching her lips, finding his attempt to hide his penis, and his sudden erection, surprisingly cute.
They spent the entire evening and till the late night resting and planning their next move. The sounds of the pirate camp grew louder as darkness fell, filled with raucous laughter and the occasional moans that carried on the breeze, reminding Alex of the scene he'd spied earlier.
"The main group of pirates will be drunk or otherwise... occupied tonight," Olvia said, her eyes glinting in the dim light. "That's when we hit them. We'll find their weapon depot first."