"Relatively speaking, becoming a pirate offers a much higher chance of earning a top evaluation!
Find a king from a minor kingdom, assassinate him—your bounty will skyrocket overnight!"
"But the risk? Off the charts. Once you join the pirates, you're a wanted man. The Navy will hunt you. Bounty hunters will stalk you. Even other pirates might cut off your head just to claim your bounty!"
"Choosing the Navy camp is much safer. Just work hard during the official assessment and show off. If you've made it to the Third Stage of the Samsara Tower, your overall strength should be at least D-grade or higher. Most Navy grunts are just ordinary men. Perform well, and you'll stand out. Collecting enough reputation points should be no problem!"
"So… pirate or Navy?"
"It depends on what you want! My advice: if you're unsure of your strength, go to the Navy. At least your safety is guaranteed. Remember—your life is worth more than anything else!"
"And one more thing, this is important: in the One Piece dungeon world, your identity persists. Whatever you choose here, you'll carry into future One Piece instances. Next time you return, you'll still be the same pirate or marine.
So, for those dreaming of making it big as pirates, think carefully!"
Fenric closed the official guide, a faint frown on his face.
It wasn't that the guide was poorly written—on the contrary, it was thorough and helpful for newbies. But its focus was narrow, just a generic overview of factions and mission basics.
No plot information whatsoever.
And that was where Fenric held his biggest advantage.
Knowing the plot is everything.
Without knowing the timeline this dungeon takes place in, he couldn't plan properly.
Still, the guide wasn't useless. At least now he understood the mission framework.
And based on that, his first instinct was clear—Pirate camp.
The official notes were right: pirates offered higher rewards, but at greater risk.
Good. Risk was where the payoff lived.
Fenric smirked. If there was one thing he knew about One Piece, it was that the most untouchable aristocrats were the Celestial Dragons.
If I kill a Celestial Dragon the moment I land… my bounty will explode.
But he wasn't stupid.
The Celestial Dragons weren't just rich trash—they were protected by the World Government. Kill one, and the Admirals themselves would descend.
Fenric was confident in his power, but not delusional. He wasn't ready to fight a Navy Admiral yet. Those monsters were the apex of Marine HQ. Each one stood at the very summit of the combat pyramid.
So if he went through with this plan, he needed perfect timing and an airtight escape route.
And to craft that? He needed plot intel.
Without it, going in blind meant gambling with his life.
Fenric scoured the forum for unofficial guides, hoping someone leaked story beats.
Nothing.
Every thread circled the same debate: Pirate vs Navy.
No timeline clues. No major event flags.
He searched for nearly an hour. Still nothing.
Fenric sighed. So it's going to be blind entry? Damn.
The plan to assassinate a Celestial Dragon was still his top option, but the lack of plot data made it messy.
After some thought, he decided to ask someone who'd already cleared this stage—someone he knew:
Aurora Morwyn.
Tonight, in the Samsara Space, he'd contact her. Get the truth. Then commit.
At school, Fenric spent the day like a salted fish, barely moving.
He'd already made up his mind: after graduation, no college.
Boring. Pointless. A waste of time.
Still, for his father's sake, he'd stick around for the next week, finish his high school, and get the diploma. At least give his old man some peace of mind.
Seven days. That was all he needed to endure.
After School
When the final bell rang, Fenric was ready to leave.
But someone stepped into his path.
The school belle herself—Isla.
"Fenric," she asked sweetly, "you free tonight?"
Her tone was casual, but the effect on the boys nearby was nuclear.
"!!!"
Green-eyed jealousy burned in every glance. Even Jitto's gaze went crimson with envy.
Fenric felt every dagger and sighed inwardly.
Then he shook his head. "Sorry. The college entrance exam's coming. I need to review tonight. Happy birthday, though."
He wasn't worried about these punks "causing trouble." If he wanted, he could wipe the entire faculty and student body without breaking a sweat.
But parties? Social games? Total waste of time.
He'd rather sleep. Rest. Recharge. Prepare for the dungeon.
Pure steel-straight-male logic.
When Fenric refused, the classroom froze.
The school Belle Isla herself twice-invited him. But flat-out declined?
Every guy around looked like their worldview had shattered.
Even Jitto stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"Ric, what the hell?!" Jitto kicked him lightly, then turned to Isla with a hasty smile. "Don't listen to this idiot. He's just… nervous around you! Right, Rick?"
Jitto even stepped on his foot as a hint.
Fenric ignored it. "What I said is true. I need to prepare for the exam. You're already guaranteed admission, but me? I can't even fail the exam, right?"
"Bullsh*t!" Jitto snapped. "You've been spacing out all day. Is that what prep looks like?"
Fenric coughed, a little embarrassed, but stood firm.
"..."
Isla's expression stayed calm as she nodded. "I see. Then your 'review' is important."
But inside? She was furious.
Some people, the more they can't have, the more they want.
His refusal only stoked her determination. And deep down, her suspicion grew sharper:
Fenric… what are you hiding? Could you really be connected to Shura?
She smiled faintly, masking her thoughts. "Fine. Focus on your exam. Once it's over, I'll come find you."
And with that, she walked off—ignoring the collective meltdown in her wake.
Isla wasn't a girl who cared about gossip. When she wanted something, she went for it.
Fenric just stood there speechless.
If I stay one more second, these stares will kill me.
He slipped away fast.
--------
[Translator's note:
There are still 800 Power Stones needed before the deal is complete.
After this update, only 1 more day left before the next arc begins.
It might seem impossible, but hey—Rank 3 isn't too far off. We're currently sitting at Rank 7, after all.
Even if 'we' can't unlock an entire arc in one go, reaching Rank 3 would still guarantee at least 5 chapters daily, which is pretty doable!
FYI: I don't set impossible goals, alright? Since the book's popularity has been rising and the number of readers keeps increasing, I had to adjust the required Power Stones accordingly. I can't just keep it at 300 stones when there are over 2,000 readers, right?]
_______=======_________
By the way, are you still looking for something new to read?
Why not check out some of my other works?
They're not exactly new — I've been working on them for months and originally uploaded them only on my Patreon page.
However, because of some people copy-pasting my translations and claiming them as their own (since I hadn't released them publicly at that time), I've decided to upload them on Webnovel as well.
I cover a lot of different genres:
One Piece? Overlord? Multiverse worlds? Harem? Detective Conan? Dark themes? Manipulative or cautious main characters?
Take your pick — you might just find something you'll really enjoy.
Overlord: Welcome The Birth of the Overlord! (Latest Chapter 333)
One Piece: I'm Gawain of the Knight of the Round Table!? (Latest Chapter 281)
Detective Conan: I'm a Succubus?! (Latest Chapter 299)
Re: Anime Group Chat in a Doomsday World! (Latest Chapter 296)
Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender! (This work is also mine and it's still ongoing. Latest Chapter is 713.)
Ps: You need to search for them since it's on my main webnovel account. @Novelette_Seeker