"You want my treasure? You can have it! I left everything I gathered in one place—now you just have to find it!"
On the execution platform, the man hailed as the Pirate King shouted his final words. Before his voice had fully faded, two long naginatas pierced his body. And thus, with that single declaration, the era that would change the world—the Great Age of Pirates—was born.
"So, this really is the world of One Piece… What do I do now?"
A boy who appeared to be no older than five, Eric, thought anxiously to himself.
Just one month ago, John—a programmer who died suddenly from staying up too late gaming—had his soul reincarnated into the body of a five-year-old boy named Eric, who had survived a shipwreck. Floating alone in a wooden barrel, he was rescued by a passing ship and eventually brought to an orphanage in Loguetown.
After several days of mental chaos, Eric finally came to terms with his transmigration and tried to figure out where he had ended up. It wasn't until he saw a newspaper headline—"Pirate King Gol D. Roger to be executed in Loguetown one month from now!"—that he realized he was in the world of One Piece.
At that moment, one thing made perfect sense: no wonder everyone looked so unique.
But how was he supposed to survive in a world where the strong devoured the weak? That was now Eric's most urgent concern.
As someone who had often joked online about the "Starting Point Orphanage" in web novel, Eric couldn't help but sigh:
"I've become one of them now…"
The execution of the legendary Pirate King attracted a massive crowd. To prevent trouble during the event, the Marines placed the town under heavy lockdown. Even the orphanage director imposed strict restrictions, keeping the children inside. But perhaps because he wanted to witness a moment that would mark the birth of a new era—or maybe just to see the legendary Pirate King with his own eyes—Eric had no hesitation in sneaking out through a hidden hole in the orphanage wall.
The moment he saw Roger's execution, Eric was overwhelmed with awe:
"To conquer the Grand Line and face death like a king… Truly worthy of the title Pirate King!"
Soaking in the pouring rain after witnessing history, Eric quickly made his way back to the orphanage. Along the way, he thought about the future warlords he had just glimpsed—like the hulking Gecko Moria, whose fierce appearance was a far cry from the lazy homebody vibes he'd later show around Luffy.
And who knew where the likes of the future greatest swordsman Mihawk,
the always-50/50 gambler Sir Crocodile, and the two-faced criminal overlord Don Quixote Doflamingo—aka Joker—were at this moment?
But Eric knew one thing: if he actively approached them now, he'd just be asking to get killed.
Then there was Shanks, future mentor of the Pirate King, and Buggy, the man with the Four-Piece-Piece Fruit and the Lucky Break Fruit, both likely crying somewhere in private.
Sure enough, when Eric returned, the kind yet stern orphanage director caught him sneaking back in and punished him with a month of sweeping duty.
As he swept, Eric mused to himself:
"If I remember right, Saitama became One Punch Man by doing 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and running 10 kilometers every day… even in the heat without air-conditioning."
"Too bad I'll probably go bald… but whatever."
As a former programmer, Eric was already mentally prepared for hair loss.
Three years later…
"Wait… something's off. Why am I not getting stronger? Why do I still have a full head of hair?"
Despite religiously following the One Punch Man routine for three years, Eric—who now looked like a pre-teen—hadn't seen the results he hoped for. Still, he stubbornly believed that one day he'd be able to KO the 7-years-older bully in the orphanage with a single punch.
Instead, he got beaten so badly even the director couldn't recognize him.
His strange training methods made him stand out. The other kids soon started calling him a weirdo.
Another five years passed…
Now 13 years old physically (and mentally ** in spirit), Eric had long given up on becoming a bald battle god, but his desire to become strong hadn't wavered. He trained even harder each day.
By this time, more orphans had arrived—children who had lost their families in pirate raids and dreamed of becoming Marines to seek revenge. But Eric had no desire to become a pawn of the World Government.
"If I ever meet those brain-dead, vile Celestial Dragons, I'd be doing well not to punch them. Protect them? Fat chance."
Eric kept his goals to himself. He never got close to the others, only sparring occasionally with wooden swords as a way to push his own training forward.
He also began practicing Soru—a high-speed movement technique requiring dozens of rapid steps in 0.36 seconds to generate explosive speed. From an enemy's view, it looked like teleportation.
"How does stacking force like that even work? Doesn't this break the laws of physics?"
Eric questioned it constantly… but trained anyway.
In a pirate world where strength reigns supreme, Eric could only keep training, expanding his influence, and one day become an Emperor of the Sea.
Wealth, women, power—he would claim it all.
By 1510 of the Sea Calendar, twelve years had passed since the start of the Great Pirate Era. Countless dreamers had taken to the seas in search of the legendary One Piece. Piracy was on the rise, chaos followed. Eric, too, had now spent 12 years in this world.
"Eric, you're officially an adult now. You may not fit in here, but you've always had a good heart."
(The director knew Eric often captured pirates and beat up thugs, moonlighting as a bounty hunter to help fund the orphanage.)
"Please take care of yourself and stay true to your path," the director said, handing Eric a bundle.
"There are two changes of clothes and 50,000 berries in here. Make sure you look after yourself."
The director nagged him again.
"Yeah yeah, I got it. Stop nagging."
Eric hugged the director and took the bundle. He held back tears, turned with a grin, and waved goodbye.
But once he stepped out the gate, the tears flowed uncontrollably.
To avoid being seen in such a sorry state, he spent half an hour crouched by a wall trying to calm down. The salty taste of tears and snot mixed together, and in a moment of pure instinct, he wiped it all on a store's promotional board.
Big mistake. The store owner chased him for a solid 30 minutes.
"Damn it! You're a shopkeeper! Why is your stamina so high?! Go work in sales, not marathons!"
Finally shaking off the triathlon-level shopkeeper, Eric ducked into a weapon shop.
"Boss, I want a short-barrel flintlock and a sword. Show me what you've got."
"Certainly, right this way," the shopkeeper replied. "How about this one?"
Eric, never one to haggle, quickly paid for a decent-looking weapon.
"Thanks for your business."
Having worked as a part-time bounty hunter, Eric had used and trained with weapons taken from pirates he defeated. He wasn't good at maintenance at first and broke several guns and blades, but over time, he learned how to take care of them.
To date, he had captured one pirate with a 4-million bounty, two with 3-million bounties, and over a dozen low-level crooks. While most of the rewards went to the orphanage, he kept a little for himself to buy gear.
[Beep beep…]
[System activation complete.]
"Hey! I've been praying for 12 years—why show up now? You're late!"
[System shutting down…]
"WAIT, COME BACK!"
(End of Chapter)