[Another stranger has arrived.]
In the dark, cramped space, a tiny figure stretched slightly.
[Sigh, every day I can only observe the outside world with this unknown perception ability. When will this life ever end?]
[It's been almost twenty months since I became conscious. It seems the world I'm in is truly extraordinary. Could I be the child of some prominent family?]
Could this be some high-level martial world?
No, no, that's impossible.
[Ahh~ When will this life ever end? And you next to me, stop squeezing me!]
Inside the room.
Silent and solemn,
Under the dim light, a gentle woman could be seen leaning against the headboard.
Her life force flickered like a candle in the wind, yet was as tenacious as wild grass.
Twenty months had passed.
At this thought, the man felt his throat go dry and swallowed hard: "Are you—Portgas D. Rouge?"
Rouge blinked her tired eyes and looked at the man who had arrived—a man renowned and practically a household name in this era—as if she could finally relax:
"Good day, Mr. Garp. It is I."
Hearing her weak voice, Garp felt utterly powerless.
Cough!
His throat dry, he spoke:
"Now that I'm here, you can rest assured and give birth to them. Leave everything else to me."
"Thank you... thank you..."
Rouge said gratefully.
...
[Merit Points +1]
[Huh? What's this? There's some kind of pulling force—am I about to—]
Waaah~ waaah~ waaah~
[It's so dark outside—is it evening? Oh my goodness, I've finally been born.]
The "weak" cries of a baby echoed through the spacious room. A few minutes later, another, even louder cry followed.
[So noisy, what's all the shouting about? Unlike me, so quiet and well-behaved.]
"Wonderful, both mother and children are safe. Doctor, I'll go call that gentleman."
The nurse hurried out.
Moments later, the stranger he had sensed earlier entered the room.
Seeing the newcomer,
[Huh? Why does this person look familiar?]
Rouge, leaning against the headboard, gently cradled the two swaddled infants, pressing her pale face softly against theirs.
Gazing at the babies in her arms, her voice was tender yet filled with infinite reluctance:
"The one with freckles is the younger brother, Gol D. Ace. The weaker one is the elder brother, Gol D. Mesa."
As her words faded, Rouge's arms slipped from the swaddles, her life having reached its end.
[Gol D.? Could it be—]
Mesa froze at the sound of his own name, then sensed Rouge's life force dissipate.
An uncontrollable wave of sorrow surged within him. "Waaah—"
At the same time, the other baby beside him seemed to be affected and began wailing as well.
The doctor nearby looked at the two infants with pity in his eyes and said regretfully, "Sir, please accept our condolences. Mrs. Rouge's body was too weak—there was nothing more we could do."
"Yeah." Garp paused, his expression turning somber. "I understand."
Before long, after handling Rouge's funeral arrangements and settling all necessary affairs, Garp left the place, cradling the two infants in his arms.
"The name Gol is too conspicuous. From now on, both of you will inherit the Portgas surname—your mother Rouge's family name. You shall be called Portgas D. Mesa and Portgas D. Ace."
Walking toward the distant shore where the warship was docked, Garp glanced at the "well-behaved" Mesa in his arms, his eyes shadowed with gloom.
He thought of the doctor's words earlier and the memory-stealing seahorse he'd found in his pocket before coming here.
["Sir, I'm sorry, but this infant named Mesa seems to have congenital weakness and shows signs of premature frailty. I can't pinpoint the exact cause, nor do I know how long he might live. My apologies."]
["Perhaps you could take him to the medical kingdom of Drum Island in the Grand Line, or seek out that newly emerged genius doctor in the West Sea in recent years. Those places might have ways to diagnose his condition."]
["Hmm, I understand. This is a memory-stealing seahorse. My apologies, but you cannot retain any memories of Rouge or the children. Forgive me."]
["Yes, I understand. Even though Mrs. Rouge was our master, such secrets are better known by as few as possible."]
Holding Mesa and Ace in his arms, Garp could feel Mesa's seemingly healthy heartbeat, yet the child's vitality was inexplicably faint.
"It's like he's both strong and weak at the same time—what kind of eerie contradiction is this?"
Garp ground his teeth in frustration, but deep down, he made a decision.
"Since I promised your parents, I'll keep my word. From now on, you two are my grandsons. Mesa, Ace."
Just then, sensing a gaze, Garp looked around before finally settling on the awake little one in his arms.
The next moment, two pairs of black eyes—one large, one small—locked onto each other.
Garp froze momentarily, staring into Mesa's bright, curious eyes as a tiny, wrinkled hand reached for his beard, accompanied by the babbling sounds of an infant.
Unable to suppress a grin, Garp leaned his head closer to Mesa. The next second, he felt the faintest brush against his beard before Mesa withdrew his hand just as quickly.
Garp chuckled. "Little Mesa, do you like your grandpa?"
No sooner had he spoken than Mesa's eyelids began drooping. The infant retracted his chubby arm and closed his eyes.
Garp burst into laughter again.
Meanwhile, behind closed eyelids, Mesa silently scoffed at the doctor's earlier words. "What nonsense."
Still, he stealthily used his perception to study the man holding him.
Terrifying height, a physique beyond human norms, and the overwhelming power hidden within his body.
Even restrained, there was an unmistakable, otherworldly aura about him.
As Garp stepped onto the warship, his body stiffened—he felt as if he'd been stripped bare under an unrestrained wave of observation.
Spotting his approaching subordinate Bogart, who was scrutinizing the bundle in his arms, Garp's eye twitched irritably.
"Bogart, why are you scanning me with Observation Haki?"
The man approaching wore a crisp brown suit with a matching top hat, clutching a female baboon by the scruff—its limbs limp, a large bump swelling on its head.
Bogart froze, staring blankly at his "unreliable" superior who was cradling two infants in his arms, his mouth slightly agape:
"Me? No, I didn't. Oh right, I brought the mother monkey you asked for that just gave birth—buy one get one free. And yes, she's clean."
Seeing Bogart didn't seem to be lying, and feeling "offended" once again, Garp finally pinpointed the source and looked down at the baby in his arms with disbelief.
Observation Haki "collided."
Garp's eye twitched as he stared at Mesa, who appeared to be "asleep" in his arms. "Observation Haki? Innate, unconsciously released... really?"
With that thought, he gently pried open Mesa's left eyelid with his thumb and forefinger. Seeing the slightly hollow-looking pupil up close, Garp's heart clenched.
"Is this child born blind? No, that can't be. He was just looking at me earlier."
But then Garp grew uncertain—maybe that earlier eye contact had just been due to Observation Haki perception.
"Bogart," he ordered immediately, "set sail at once. Head for the Grand Line, Drum Island. Full speed."
Bogart snapped to attention and turned to leave, but the next second, Garp added, "Leave the monkey."
Bogart turned back and set the monkey down.
About ten minutes later.
Inside Garp's cabin.
"So that's how it is."
Sucking on monkey milk, Mesa "gazed" at the indescribably colored, amorphous sphere of light he had discovered earlier, nestled at the very center of his consciousness.
It emitted a faint glow.
Like a smooth, oversized "egg."
Filled with an inexplicable aura.
He had made contact with it as soon as the [Merit Points] appeared.
The moment he touched it, streams of chaotic information flowed into his mind like water, instantly assimilated and understood.
He had been reborn.
Transmigrated.
And he even had a "system."
But his system was far more unique—not only was it perfectly symbiotic with him, mutually completing each other, but it was also constructed from the depths of his subconscious imagination.
Blinking, a crystalline blue, hyper-futuristic interface materialized in his mind, projecting onto his retinas.
He examined the status panel:
[True Name], [Attributes], [Blessing Abilities], [Comprehensive Evaluation], [Merit Points], [Soul Crystal], [Legend Score].
He tapped each one open.
True Name: Portgas D. Mesa
Attributes:
[Physique]: Strength: F- | Stamina: F- | Agility: F-
[Soul]: Willpower: F- | Perception: F- | Spirit: F-
[Special - Mystery (Energy)]: F- (Observation Haki growth bonus active.)
[Special - Charm]: C- (Devil Descendant ability permanent bonus active.)
[Special - Luck]: C- (Devil Descendant ability permanent bonus active.)
Blessing Abilities:
[A-rank Blessing: Devil Descendant], [B-rank Blessing: Myriad Grudges], [C-rank Blessing: Observation Haki].
Comprehensive Evaluation: [F- (Not your average ordinary person?)]
Merit Points: [1]
Soul Crystal: [0]
Legend Score: [Unknown (Merit Points +0/day)]
—
Closing the [Attributes] tab, he willed the [Blessing Abilities] tab to open. Mesa looked at the three abilities that had appeared there the moment he discovered the giant "egg."
[A-Class Blessing: Devil Descendant] (Cannot grow freely)
[Blessing Effect: Survival itself is a stroke of luck—a living legend unknown yet widely whispered. Grants permanent +3 to Luck/Charm attributes below A-rank. Gain 1 Merit Point daily.]
[Blessing Evaluation: Luck or misfortune—you cannot decide the beginning, but you can decide the end!]
[B-Class Blessing: Myriad Grudges] (Cannot grow freely)
[Blessing Effect: Born from the accumulated merits of countless massacred infants and mothers in the South Sea—yearning to be born yet ignored, pure wishes, pure hatred. Grants the protection of Blessed Vigor and the curse of Cursed Frailty.]
[Blessing Evaluation: Though you appear sickly, beneath that frailty lies unparalleled health. One plus one minus equals zero?]
[C-Class Blessing: Observation Haki] (Can grow freely)
[Blessing Effect: An innate awakened perception—the power to "listen," to keenly sense the surrounding aura. Grants moderate permanent growth acceleration to Perception/Agility/Mystery attributes at C-rank or below.]
[Blessing Evaluation: Among the "Three Treasures of Essence, Energy, and Spirit," this belongs to the "Spirit" of perception—Perception is running wild!!]
These three could be considered blessings refined from his life experiences and history. Perhaps this was his:
"Starting capital for life?"
As for whether it was or not, the information conveyed by the "light sphere" provided some explanation.
A moment later.
Noticing the two human cubs had eaten their fill, the mother baboon ingratiatingly glanced at Garp, then pointed a claw at her own offspring while looking at the terrifying two-legged human.
Garp: "..."
Ten days later.
With the warship sailing at high speed, a snow-white island came into view, dotted with towering chimney-like pillars. At the same time, the surrounding temperature plummeted.
Glancing at Bogart beside him, Garp grinned cheekily. "Ace is in your hands. Keep an eye on the mother baboon—those creatures are no pushovers, especially when it comes to other species' young."
The warship entered the island's inner waterway, docking near the shore. Garp, holding the tightly bundled Mather, disembarked and soon vanished from Bogart's sight.
Gazing into the distance, Bogart sighed and muttered under his breath:
"Why go through all this trouble?"
——
PS:
[Merit Points]: Refined from faith and legends.
*Merit Point Acquisition and Uses:
-
Faith & Legend Plunder: Can seize Merit Points from items with legendary traits.
-
Blessing Extraction: Refine abilities from life experiences and history (can manifest voluntarily or consume 1 Merit Point for extraction). Activate by spending Merit Points (quality of extracted abilities depends on points spent) or manifest naturally (quality scales with mastery).
-
Gacha: Use Merit Points to draw treasures from across dimensions—not limited to blessings, items, characters, etc. (Quality range fluctuates based on points spent.)
New book by a new author—feedback from esteemed readers is welcome!
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Future settings will be expanded in the author's notes.
Thank you!!!
——
[Universal Blessing Ability Quality Permanent Enhancement Range (Non-controllable Growth/Controllable Growth)]:
-
F, E Rank: Quality +1/Minor Enhancement.
-
D, C Rank: Quality +2/Moderate Enhancement.
-
B, A Rank: Quality +3/Significant Enhancement.
-
EX Rank: Quality +5/Extreme Enhancement.
PS: Quality determines the specific effects of blessing abilities.
——
[Blessing Abilities Can Be Divided Into Two Types]:
-
Can naturally grow through acquired training.
-
Cannot grow through acquired training.
PS: However, both types can achieve quality improvement by consuming corresponding quality [Soul Crystals].
——
[Quality and Merit Points Range]:
F: (100)
E: (500)
D: (1000)
C: (5000)
B: (10000)
A: (50000)
EX (Beyond A/Conceptual/Demi-god): (100000~∞)
(