Chapter 2: The Show Begins
BOOM. Boom. BOOM.
The ship jolted and creaked as cannon shells exploded nearby. None of the shots hit directly, but the shockwaves and piercing screams from the passengers still made Luffy—comfortably resting inside the barrel—frown.
And yet… he was excited.
For a teenager who had never stepped outside his home or hospital room, everything in this world felt new and fascinating. With the cheat powers now surging through his body, his mind was wide open to all experiences. He could finally understand why the original Luffy smiled even in the face of death. That kind of fearlessness wasn't just courage—it was confidence. He had that too, back in his old life, but here? It was amplified to the extreme.
The chaos and panic around him didn't bother him in the slightest. As a curious soul from Earth, he was eager to bask in the madness. But for now, he had to stay patient.
After all, the prey was approaching.
Just like he had devoured the original Luffy's essence, there was another "mini-protagonist" aboard this ship—someone who, surprisingly, carried a trait that made his Black Hole ability buzz with hunger.
Suppressing his excitement, Luffy tuned into the flow of the original plot.
The shelling finally stopped, replaced by more frantic shouting and running.
"Looks like the Alvida Pirates have finally boarded... Ah, I can feel it—someone weak is approaching my location."
He smirked to himself.
"That must be the legendary coward, Coby. Oda really tried to patch him into a respectable hero, huh? Too bad no one appreciated it."
Luffy focused on the faint aura drawing closer—clumsy, nervous, and filled with anxiety.
On the other side, Coby crept through the storage area, eyes wide and senses on edge.
"Is… is someone here?" he whispered, ears twitching. "I swear I heard something just now…"
Coby's unusually sharp hearing picked up the sound of breathing from inside the large barrel. He squinted at it, suspicious. But before he could investigate further—
"Oi, Coby! You slacking off again?"
Coby jumped, startled by the sudden voice behind him.
"N-No! I just found this barrel. I was planning to take it back to the ship!" he stammered.
The pirate and two of his crewmates drew closer, their gazes landing on the barrel. Each of their expressions twisted into greedy grins.
"That's a big barrel. Wonder if it's full of booze or treasure…"
"If you don't want to get your face smashed in, Coby," one of them sneered, "just get lost."
Coby hesitated, fear in his eyes. He was about to obey instinctively, but then stopped himself.
"You can't take this barrel! If Alvida-sama finds out, she'll—!"
SMACK.
A harsh slap cut him off. Coby staggered back, blinking through the pain. When his vision cleared, he was met with three pairs of murderous eyes.
He trembled in place, backing away—only to bump into the barrel behind him.
Now surrounded, Coby internally cursed himself.
Why did I say that? Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut? Dammit, me!
Inside the barrel, Luffy sighed.
He'd enjoyed the little drama at first, but now it was getting boring. Despite minor deviations, the plot was still largely intact.
Time to stir things up.
He flexed slightly.
CRACK—BOOM!
The barrel exploded into splinters, blasting wood shards in all directions. The first to take the hit was Coby, who was standing right in front of it—several sharp pieces stabbed into his back and even his butt.
The three pirates didn't fare much better. They were sent flying by the shockwave, crashing into crates and walls with painful yelps.
Within seconds, the entire room fell silent.
Unconscious bodies littered the floor.
Luffy stepped out of the shattered remains of the barrel, stretching lazily.
"Damn. The people in this world really are built like cockroaches. Hard to kill," he muttered, examining their condition. "They're seriously injured, but no one's dead."
He approached Coby, who was lying in a small pool of his own blood.
Luffy winced a bit.
"Yikes… Sorry, bro. I haven't figured out how to control my strength yet. Totally an accident."
Of course, he wasn't actually sorry.
Kneeling beside the unconscious boy, Luffy extended his hand.
A small black hole appeared above Coby's chest. It pulsed once—then vanished as quickly as it had come.
Nothing seemed to happen. Coby was still there, still unconscious.
But Luffy could feel it.
The patch of power that Oda had bestowed on Coby… was gone.
Inside the Concept Space, a new glowing speck of light appeared. Information streamed into Luffy's mind.
[Heaven Rewards Diligence]
"Ooooh, classic!" Luffy grinned. "That's a good one."
While useless to him—someone with infinite growth and no bottlenecks—this concept would be amazing for training others. It bypassed talent limitations and allowed even the weakest to become monsters through sheer hard work.
He patted Coby on the head in gratitude.
"Thanks, Coby. You're a real one."
With a smirk, he turned away and began walking toward the upper deck.
A stronger aura loomed above—not dangerous, just noticeably higher than the mooks downstairs. Maybe… 1% of his current power?
He cracked his knuckles, a glint of anticipation in his eye.
It's time to introduce the world to its new master.