"Luffy, can you handle this? If not, let me take over!" Ace called out with exasperation from their gaming room.
After Bamboo Staff gained internet connectivity, Gustave had purchased several computers in addition to the PS5 systems and racing simulators. Luffy had discovered an entertaining game called PUBG (PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds), so he used his limited daily gaming time to play this battle royale shooter.
Ace, like Luffy, had also developed a fondness for PUBG, so the two brothers decided to combine their allocated gaming time to maximize their daily play sessions.
But how should they divide the gaming time between them? That would depend entirely on their individual skills.
Earlier that day, while playing PUBG, Ace and Luffy had agreed on a simple rule: one person per match, and whoever died first would surrender the controls to the other.
Determined to play for as long as possible, Luffy had chosen an extremely cautious hiding strategy. Ace, recognizing Luffy's intention, kept urging him to engage in combat. Luffy was easily provoked by Ace's taunts and rushed into battle wearing only level-one helmet and armor, but couldn't even defeat a basic AI opponent—leading to the scene that had just unfolded.
"No way! It's my gaming time now—don't try to trick me!" Luffy protested stubbornly. Allowing Ace to play would only reduce his own precious gaming hours, after all.
The two brothers had erupted into a massive argument on the third floor, their voices echoing throughout that level of the ship.
Chu Zihang had been practicing peacefully in his room but couldn't tolerate the constant noise from those two, so he relocated to the ship's bow where he could enjoy some tranquility while also serving as a lookout.
Gustave was immersed in playing "Forza Horizon 5" on his racing simulator, while the Moral Lord was deeply engaged with "God of War Ragnarök" on his PS5.
Po and Yang Chan had traveled to Shin-chan's world—both had grown quite fond of the modern environment there.
As for Tom, he was sleeping soundly at the first-floor bar, completely oblivious to the chaos above.
At that moment, the Gate of All Worlds quietly cracked open.
A middle-aged man wearing traditional long robes and cloth shoes, sporting thick eyebrows and a distinctive mustache, stepped cautiously through.
This was Lin Jiu, also known as Uncle Jiu or Taoist Yimei—a master practitioner of Maoshan Taoism from 1930s colonial Hong Kong. In his world, the supernatural was an everyday reality: hopping vampires terrorized villages, restless spirits haunted the living, and malevolent demons preyed upon the innocent.
As one of the most skilled Taoist priests of his generation, Uncle Jiu had dedicated his life to protecting ordinary people from these otherworldly threats, wielding ancient spells, blessed talismans, and consecrated weapons against the forces of darkness. He operated a small Taoist temple while training apprentices in the mystical arts, though his students often proved more troublesome than the supernatural entities he battled. Despite the constant danger of his profession, Uncle Jiu maintained an unwavering moral compass and deep compassion for those he protected, earning him respect throughout the supernatural community.
His face bore an expression of high alert—he had just been opening a door at home to retrieve something when the image of this mysterious door had suddenly appeared in his mind. Before he could comprehend what was happening, he found himself transported to this strange location.
The middle-aged man surveyed his surroundings with vigilant caution, continuously making subtle hand gestures. He closed his eyes and wiped his eyelids with two fingers in a practiced motion. When he reopened his eyes, everything before him remained unchanged.
"Not an illusion?" the man muttered with confusion, having confirmed that everything around him was genuinely real.
Suddenly, he heard loud, argumentative voices emanating from a nearby room. Moving closer to investigate, he discovered two children engaged in an intense quarrel—one scolding the other, who was fighting back just as vigorously.
Knock, knock, knock.
The middle-aged man rapped gently on the door, hoping to ask where he was, but the arguing children inside obviously couldn't hear his polite knocking over their own shouting.
The man shook his head with familiar resignation. The quarreling children reminded him of his two troublesome apprentices back home. Seeing that they wouldn't respond, he decided to descend the nearby staircase to search for any adults who might provide answers.
Reaching the second floor, the man found it brilliantly illuminated by sunlight streaming through several massive windows.
"Is this a restaurant?" he wondered aloud, studying the floor's layout and furniture arrangement.
Walking to the floor-to-ceiling windows, he discovered that the restaurant was actually constructed aboard a enormous ship drifting across the open ocean.
The sight before him was utterly shocking. He had clearly been at home just moments ago, yet now found himself aboard a massive ship. What kind of incredible power could accomplish such a feat?
Continuing his observation, he noticed a young man in strange clothing sitting cross-legged with eyes closed, apparently deep in meditation. Eager to understand his situation, the man hurried downstairs to question this youth.
Chu Zihang had been practicing with closed eyes, training his Observation Haki, when he suddenly sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching.
Opening his eyes, Chu Zihang saw the middle-aged man walking toward him.
"Lin Zhengying?" Chu Zihang subconsciously spoke a name upon seeing the man's remarkably familiar features. (The actor that play Uncle Jiu in Mr. Vampire series)
"Lin Zhengying? Are you referring to me?" Lin Jiu pointed at himself with a curious smile. Though few remembered his birth name, he had long been known by the nickname Lin Jiu, the ninth uncle among his peers. To students and villagers, he was simply Uncle Jiu, the seasoned Taoist priest. Within the Maoshan tradition, he also carried the respectful title Taoist Yimei, a name that spoke of his skill and dedication to the arcane arts.
"I apologize—I must have mistaken you for someone else," Chu Zihang replied, shaking his head. He realized this probably wasn't the person he'd been thinking of. After all, Lin Zhengying had appeared in so many films that this individual was likely one of those characters.
"My name is Lin Jiu. May I ask what this layman is called, and where exactly is this place?" Seeing that Chu Zihang had acknowledged his mistake, Lin Jiu didn't pursue the matter further. In such a vast world, there were bound to be people who resembled one another.
"So it's Uncle Jiu! You can simply call me Chu Zihang, or just Zihang," Chu Zihang introduced himself politely. "As for this place—I assume Uncle Jiu must have stepped through a door to arrive here, correct?"
"Yes, precisely. I was at home just moments ago. After opening a door, I found myself here," Lin Jiu confirmed with a nod.
"Uncle Jiu, this is another world entirely. The door you passed through is called the Gate of All Worlds, which connects different dimensions and realities," Chu Zihang explained, recognizing that Lin Jiu was a guest invited by the Gate of All Worlds.
"What?! Another world?!" Lin Jiu exclaimed in astonishment. "What an incredible treasure this Gate of All Worlds must be, possessing such tremendous power! Could it be that our ancestors' spirits have manifested?"
Lin Jiu was utterly shocked by Chu Zihang's revelation. While he could communicate with spirits from the underworld, that realm generally existed within the same world as his own. The Gate of All Worlds could actually connect to entirely different worlds—Lin Jiu couldn't imagine what level of mystical artifact could achieve such a feat.
"Uncle Jiu, please wait here for a moment. I'll get you something to drink," Chu Zihang offered. After taking two steps, he suddenly stopped and asked, "What would you prefer, Uncle Jiu? We have tea, juice, milk tea, coffee, and other beverages available."
"I'm familiar with tea and juice, but what are milk tea and coffee? Milk tea sounds like it might be a drink made by mixing milk and tea. As for coffee..." Lin Jiu began pondering these unfamiliar options.
"Could I try a cup of milk tea, please? Thank you very much," Lin Jiu finally decided. He had drunk tea and juice before, but coffee was completely unknown to him. So he chose milk tea—something he'd never tasted but could at least guess the general preparation method.
"Certainly, Uncle Jiu. Please wait just a moment," Chu Zihang replied, heading off to prepare the milk tea.
While waiting, Lin Jiu stood up to observe Bamboo Staff's overall situation more carefully.
"This large ship appears to be a seafaring restaurant. It looks like it should be powered by those two enormous sails, but now the sails are furled. How can this ship still move forward at such speed?" Lin Jiu was fascinated by this propulsion method he'd never encountered before, noting that despite the folded sails, the entire ship continued moving at considerable velocity.
"Uncle Jiu, your milk tea is ready!" Chu Zihang announced, returning with the beverage just as Lin Jiu was investigating Bamboo Staff's mysterious propulsion system.
"Thank you so much!" Lin Jiu bowed formally to express his gratitude.
Examining the milk tea in its glass container and the straw inserted within, Lin Jiu deduced that he should use the straw to drink, so he began sipping through it.
"Why doesn't this milk tea taste like tea?" he wondered aloud. "But it's very sweet—probably because considerable sugar has been added to the milk. It's quite delicious, actually."
"Hmm, what is this?" Lin Jiu encountered the tapioca pearls while drinking. "It's bouncy, like glutinous rice balls, but chewier than any dumpling I've tried."
While Lin Jiu continued sampling his milk tea with curiosity, the Gate of All Worlds opened once again—and this time, guests began arriving one after another in rapid succession.