[Insufficient energy. System cannot be activated.]
When Orpheus Chronos opened his eyes in the morning, this was the line of translucent text he saw.
It had been like this almost every day for the past six years. It said there was insufficient energy, but what kind of energy was it lacking?!
Chronos sighed. What was the point of this system of his? Was it just there to give him hope?
After a good round of complaining, Chronos collected himself. No matter how much he cursed, it was useless. What else could he do about his own plot armor? He just had to live with it; it wasn't like he could get a divorce.
Getting out of bed, he washed up and straightened his appearance before leaving the cabin and stepping onto the deck.
The salty, humid sea breeze blew against his face, and an endless expanse of blue appeared before his eyes.
"Yo, Chronos! You're awake? Hungry? Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll go make it."
A large man in white clothes walked over, smiling at Chronos.
He was a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, the cook Thatch. Still a spirited young man, he was on good terms with Chronos.
"Thanks, Thatch, but I don't have much of an appetite this morning. I'll eat later when I get hungry," Chronos said lazily. Thatch nodded in understanding.
As a cook, Thatch was basically in charge of the food for the entire crew. However, there were too many members in the Whitebeard Pirates for one person to handle. The ship had a dedicated team of chefs who worked in shifts to manage the meals. Thatch was off duty today; he had simply seen his good friend and offered to cook him a special meal.
Thatch walked away, and Chronos went to the edge of the deck, leaning against the railing. He stared blankly at the sea, his mind drifting back to the past.
Chronos was not native to this pirate world but a transmigrator. For some unknown reason, he had woken up one day and found himself in this world.
Chronos had watched One Piece, so the moment he realized he had transmigrated into this world, he instantly felt a sense of misfortune.
In this turbulent world, the risk of death was ever-present. The line between life and death was merely dependent on the whims of the powerful figures at the top.
Having been steeped in a peaceful country for over twenty years, Chronos was terrified of such a world. What was the difference between this and being thrown directly onto a battlefield?
Fortunately, Chronos had transmigrated into a bar on a small island in the New World, working as a waiter, so his basic livelihood was secure.
Even more fortunately, he had met Whitebeard, Edward Newgate, who was drinking in the bar at the time.
And so, Chronos took a gamble, and he won.
Now, Chronos was a member of the Whitebeard Pirates and had been living on the Moby Dick for six years.
The kindness of being raised was greater than heaven itself. Although he wasn't used to it at first, Chronos could now easily call Whitebeard "Pops."
If nothing unexpected happened, Chronos could live comfortably into his middle age on the Moby Dick. As long as he paid attention to the succession of the Whitebeard Pirates and Teach's betrayal, Chronos was fully confident he could live peacefully into his old age.
Unfortunately, this pirate world was not quite the same as the one Chronos remembered.
Marshall D. Teach, the future Blackbeard, had not joined the Whitebeard Pirates because his father, Rocks D. Xebec, had not died in this world.
In this world's God Valley incident, although the Rocks Pirates were also disbanded, Rocks managed to survive.
After just a few years of recuperation, Rocks set sail again, returned to Hachinosu Island, killed the traitor Wang Zhi, and once again dominated with his family.
The current Teach's full name was Rocks D. Teach, or rather, Davy D. Teach, and he was the young master of Hachinosu Island.
The reason Rocks didn't die was that the world's timeline had diverged, because in this world, Joy Boy hadn't died either.
In the great war eight hundred years ago, Joy Boy and Imu fought to a mutual standstill, ultimately having to confront each other from a distance, creating a bipolar world they shared.
Imu commanded the World Government, residing on the Red Line, with organizations like the Marines and Cipher Pol under their command, as well as various member nations of the World Government.
Joy Boy led the Great Kingdom, residing in the giant country of Elbaph. He had no specific organizations under his command, but as the first pirate in history, he was regarded as the top leader by virtually all pirates. Various unique races also sided with the Great Kingdom.
The New World and the Grand Line were jointly controlled by the World Government and the Great Kingdom. As for the Four Seas, they were also evenly divided.
The North Blue and South Blue belonged to the World Government, while the East Blue and West Blue belonged to the Great Kingdom.
Because of the great war eight hundred years ago, Imu and Joy Boy had expended a massive amount of energy and spent most of their time in slumber, allowing the two forces to coexist peacefully.
This lasted until the God Valley incident. Imu awoke, seeking to unify the world once more. They captured the Davy and Buccaneer tribes and began a killing game, meant to announce the return of the Celestial Dragon gods to the world.
As it happened, Joy Boy also awoke. The Buccaneer Tribe's Dance of Liberation summoned Joy Boy, who once again engaged in a great battle with Imu, who had been summoned by the Five Elders.
And so, Rocks survived.
Joy Boy's existence had changed this world far too much.
As mentioned earlier, because Joy Boy's Great Kingdom occupied the East Blue and West Blue, the man who was originally the Hero of the Marines, Garp, never joined the Marines in this world. Instead, he was a great pirate, known as one of the Twin Stars of the East Blue along with Roger when he debuted.
When Chronos learned of this, his mind went numb. Garp, a pirate?
However, before creating One Piece, Oda had created a prequel, which was like a parallel world to One Piece. In it, Garp was a great pirate, serving as the grandfather and guide to the protagonist, Luffy. The Gomu-Gomu Fruit and the straw hat were both gifts from the pirate Garp to Luffy.
This world's pirate Garp had the epithet "White Accident," which happened to match the setting of that prequel.
It was only upon learning this that Chronos realized the pirate world he had transmigrated to was likely a parallel timeline.
Although the people were still the same, the trajectories of their lives had changed.
For example, Garp, and for another, Charlotte Linlin.
In this world, Charlotte Linlin was also sent to Elbaph, the capital of the Great Kingdom. She was valued by the giants of Elbaph and specially trained. She never became a pirate; instead, she became a warrior of the Great Kingdom.
Furthermore, because of her experience of being fostered as a child, this world's Charlotte Linlin had great sympathy for orphans and had adopted a large number of them.
Whitebeard greatly admired this world's Charlotte Linlin, and they became good friends. Chronos had met her several times; she was a gentle aunt.
The current political landscape of the pirate world was exceptionally complex. With the awakening of Imu and Joy Boy, an unprecedentedly massive war should have been on the horizon.
But...
Roger shattered this impending conflict with his feat of becoming the Pirate King.
Joy Boy had not died, and the Nika Fruit had not been reincarnated; it was still Joy Boy's power. Naturally, there was no great treasure left behind.
Roger didn't become the Pirate King by finding a great treasure, but by discovering a new continent!
This pirate world was far vaster than the main world. Beyond the Four Seas, it was enveloped by a wide Calm Belt. Before Roger, no one had broken through this barrier.
Roger was hailed as the Pirate King precisely because he led the Roger Pirates across the edge of the Pirate Continent to a new continent beyond the Calm Belt.
That new continent was called the Gourmet World, and its territory was far beyond comparison to the Pirate Continent, which was divided into countless small islands by the sea.
The most powerful force in the Gourmet World was called the IGO, and its president was named Ichiryu.
This news was shared by Roger when he returned and was drinking and chatting with Whitebeard. According to Roger, President Ichiryu was thousands of times stronger than him, and his own horizons were still too narrow.
Chronos went numb again. IGO, President Ichiryu...
So this world also had the Toriko worldview?
Although One Piece and Toriko did have a crossover.
But speaking of crossovers, Chronos thought of another terrifying worldview.
Dragon Ball!
Dragon Ball also had a crossover with Toriko and One Piece!
And then Chronos learned that near the Gourmet World, there was another newly discovered continent.
When Roger found out, he eagerly rushed over and participated in a grand tournament—the World Martial Arts Tournament.
It was the 18th World Martial Arts Tournament, which had ended a year ago. Roger had successfully won the championship.
This news was also relayed by Roger when he returned and was drinking with Whitebeard.
Chronos gradually understood everything. This world was a crossover of One Piece x Toriko x Dragon Ball!
His once-mighty protector suddenly didn't seem so mighty anymore. Whitebeard could dominate a region in One Piece, but he was nothing special in Toriko, let alone Dragon Ball.
Toriko was fine; it had a happy ending and not too many problems.
But Dragon Ball had the worst possible future parallel timeline, where the world was first hunted down by the Android siblings, then encountered the world-destroying apprentice Supreme Kai Zamasu and Goku Black, and was finally erased entirely, along with the whole universe, by Zeno!
The One Piece worldview had already deviated from the main world, so it was highly likely the Dragon Ball worldview had too.
The thought of this situation made Chronos's head ache. His already diligent daily training routine now became even more extreme.
Otherwise, what if he woke up one day to be hunted by the Androids, eliminated by Zamasu, or erased by Zeno? There would be nowhere to even cry.
Chronos had long since resolved to set sail. In the future, he had to find Kid Goku and the other main characters to ensure they followed the main Dragon Ball plotline and saved the world.
Unfortunately, to reach the Dragon Ball Continent, one had to first cross the Calm Belt at the edge of the One Piece world, and then cross the Gourmet World, making the journey incredibly risky.
Fortunately, Roger had only participated in the 18th World Martial Arts Tournament. In the official Dragon Ball story, Kid Goku participated in the 21st, so there were still over ten years. The Android saga was even further off.
However, this was only in theory. Who knew how old this world's Kid Goku was, or if he even existed.
Just like on the One Piece side, because Charlotte Linlin didn't become a pirate but grew up in the Great Kingdom, not only was she not a Soul-Soul Fruit user, but she never even married or had children.
Due to the changes in the timeline, the children of Charlotte Linlin, led by Katakuri in the original Big Mom Pirates, didn't exist.
Therefore, whether Kid Goku existed on the Dragon Ball Continent was another matter.
But it wasn't a huge problem. He had to go to the Dragon Ball Continent sooner or later. Even if Kid Goku wasn't there, ensuring the Red Ribbon Army was destroyed would be fine.
Dr. Gero, who created the Androids, was an executive of the Red Ribbon Army. Destroying the Androids at their source was also a viable option.
Returning to the Pirate Continent, after discovering the new world, Roger also informed Joy Boy, which made Joy Boy very interested in Ichiryu.
Joy Boy had liberated many countries and treated all special races as equals. President Ichiryu had formed the IGO to unite various nations and promote the birth of the Gourmet Age.
Both men loved peace and equality. After Roger facilitated a meeting, they hit it off immediately and became very good friends.
So, Joy Boy soon had the Great Kingdom join the IGO, becoming one of its member nations.
This put Imu's World Government in a passive position. Because they still had Celestial Dragons and practiced slavery, they were despised by President Ichiryu, and it was impossible for the World Government to join the IGO.
And in terms of strength, Ichiryu alone was enough to spin the entire Holy Land Mariejois with one arm.
Fortunately, the IGO did not interfere much in the internal affairs of other nations, which gave the World Government a chance to breathe.
But to any discerning eye, the demise of the World Government was only a matter of time, because after the Great Kingdom joined the IGO, food from the Gourmet World began to circulate.
Joy Boy himself had said that just by eating one meal from the Gourmet World, he could feel his strength improving.
The World Government had already been driven into a frenzy by the IGO's choice of the Great Kingdom. In recent years, they had been continuously expanding their military forces, drafting soldiers on a massive scale, and even diverting a large portion of the Celestial Tribute meant for the Celestial Dragons to military expenses.
Such a major shift in the world would affect nearly everyone on the Pirate Continent.
For the Whitebeard Pirates, their relationship with Joy Boy was very close, and Whitebeard himself often went to Elbaph to drink.
Whitebeard, Roger, and Garp, the three legendary great pirates of the current era, were natural allies of the Great Kingdom and had always looked down on the World Government.
In a future attack on the World Government, the Whitebeard Pirates would surely lend a hand.
Chronos was naturally aware of this, which made his need for strength even more urgent.
Thinking of this, Chronos once again brought up the translucent text before his eyes.
With a long sigh, he wondered, what kind of energy do you need?
Chronos had considered many things. He had even asked his Pops, Whitebeard, for the Pirate Continent's specialty—a Devil Fruit—but the prompt said the energy was incompatible.
If even a Devil Fruit didn't work, Chronos really couldn't think of what kind of energy this system needed.
Lightning, fire, gold, Whitebeard's Cloud-Cutting Sword, even cola—Chronos had tried them all, to no avail.
Chronos's aptitude was good, but at best, it was on par with Marco, Jozu, and Vista, the future top three combatants of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Compared to a legendary great pirate like Whitebeard, he was completely outmatched.
Lacking innate talent, Chronos could only seek out acquired resources, and Devil Fruits were a good choice.
Unfortunately, top-tier Devil Fruits were hard to find, and Chronos looked down on ordinary Zoan or Paramecia types.
As for the top-tier Devil Fruits from the story, Chronos had some ideas.
The Dark-Dark Fruit would be obtained by the Whitebeard Pirates in the future, but that was too far off.
The only other top-tier Devil Fruits in this world were the Rumble-Rumble Fruit on Skypiea and the Vampire Fruit sought by Redfield.
Regarding the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Chronos already had a plan drafted. Skypiea was one of the legends among pirates, and it held a massive amount of gold.
Over the years, Chronos had intentionally or unintentionally brought it up, just waiting for Whitebeard to decide to go on a grand adventure.
As for the Vampire Fruit, Chronos only remembered it was in a place called Old Sleep Town. Although he had asked information brokers, he had received no response.
Although the latest meta in One Piece was Mythical Zoans, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was not bad either.
Originally, Chronos had planned to develop slowly, but Roger had turned the world upside down a year ago, an event no less significant than the start of the Great Pirate Era.
Chronos made a secret resolution: he would ask Pops Whitebeard to make a trip to Skypiea soon.
He had already bought the book about Noland the Liar. His reasoning was sound and he could make a good case.
Just as he was pondering, a hearty laugh suddenly echoed in Chronos's ears.
"Gurararara! My sons, another bountiful return!"
It was Whitebeard, the one and only captain of the Moby Dick, and the father of a group of children.
Chronos looked over, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. Pops was back?!
A while ago, a group of pirates had caused trouble on Sphinx, which was Whitebeard's hometown.
Enraged, Whitebeard had gone there alone.
And then, there was no "and then." The troublemaking pirates were all dealt with, and Whitebeard returned victorious.
Whitebeard strode back, his body as towering as a mountain, his long golden hair brilliant. The iconic crescent-shaped mustache on his face highlighted his identity, and the aura he exuded was as vast as the sea.
The man before him was in his prime, an undisputed legend on the seas.
However, although he said it was a "bountiful return," Whitebeard only had a small bag in his hand, which seemed to contain two round objects.
The crew members on the Moby Dick were not surprised. They all knew Whitebeard's temperament; he had surely sent the gold and treasures back to his hometown again.
"Pops, your definition of a bountiful return seems a bit off," the young Marco quipped. His signature pineapple-shaped hair was already taking form, but his eyes were still bright, unlike the dead-fish eyes of his middle-aged self.
"You brat, how dare you question your father's words!"
Whitebeard's large hand roughly ruffled Marco's hair, quickly messing up the pineapple hairdo.
"Hey, Pops, I'm not a kid anymore!" Marco said, annoyed, but he didn't dodge, which made Whitebeard laugh even more happily.
The surrounding crew members also gathered around Whitebeard in circles. The entire Moby Dick was built with Whitebeard at its core.
Facing his children, Whitebeard's smile grew wider. This was what he wanted, his own unique treasure.
Chronos also moved closer to watch, once again feeling grateful for the huge gamble he had taken all those years ago.
From the moment he stepped onto this whale ship, he had not regretted a single day.
Whitebeard's gaze shifted and landed on Chronos, the corners of his mouth turning up.
Among all his children, he valued Chronos the most, not just because of his talent, but more importantly, because this child was smart.
When Chronos boarded the ship, Whitebeard was already a famous great pirate, and the territory he controlled was considered prime real estate in the New World.
Unfortunately, Whitebeard didn't understand economic development. He simply collected protection fees in the most basic way, and even after decades, he hadn't managed to make his hometown prosperous.
Chronos didn't know much either, but he understood the fundamentals of development.
After joining the Whitebeard Pirates, he focused on inspecting the territories under their control and consulted with the ship's navigator.
Then, on the sea chart, he successfully pioneered a trade route that could avoid harsh weather to the greatest extent possible and connect most of the islands.
Guaranteed by the power of the Whitebeard Pirates, this route was successfully established and was fanatically sought after by various islands from the very beginning.
Transportation is the basis of development.
Previously, these islands could only develop their own small plots of land in a semi-isolated state. But after the trade route was opened, resources flowed freely, and development was rapid.
The Whitebeard Pirates earned a fortune just by acting as a hub, not to mention the subsequent addition of major merchants.
From then on, Whitebeard's private coffers were never empty. Sphinx, his hometown, also became a transit hub on the route under Chronos's calculations, developing rapidly along with the booming trade route.
The leader who guides a herd of elephants to survival is not necessarily the strongest, but more importantly, the one who can lead the group to find food and shelter.
After discovering Chronos's wisdom, Whitebeard had faintly begun to see Chronos as his successor.
The reason was simple: among the Whitebeard Pirates, where everyone was an orphan with an education that ended at birth, Chronos's existence was undoubtedly like the second coming of Zhang Liang or the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang.
Even Whitebeard himself had received almost no systematic education. He had gone to sea at a very young age and had grown to his current status through trial and error.
"Chronos, come here! Haven't you always wanted a good Devil Fruit? There are two here. Come and see if there's one you want."
Whitebeard waved his large hand and tossed the small bag over.
Chronos was stunned and quickly caught it.
Devil Fruits, and two of them?
"Pops, did that group of pirates have something good?"
"They were probably planning to sell the Devil Fruits for more Berries, gurararara," Chronos asked, and Whitebeard answered with a laugh.
In the past, Whitebeard might have had the same idea. After all, Devil Fruits were very valuable, starting at a minimum of one hundred million Berries.
But now, Whitebeard was rich. There was no need to sell the Devil Fruits directly; he could let his children see if there was one they liked.
The other pirates had no objections to this. It was something Pops brought back, so it was naturally up to Pops to distribute it.
Besides, Chronos was very good with people. Among the family-oriented members of the Whitebeard Pirates, he got along well with almost everyone.
"Chronos, hurry up and open it! That's a Devil Fruit!"
Thatch urged, knowing that Chronos had always wanted a powerful Devil Fruit, so he usually paid attention to such information.
Marco and the others were the same—Chronos had never hidden his desire for a Devil Fruit.
This was the Whitebeard Pirates.
Chronos laughed heartily and didn't hesitate, immediately opening the package.
Inside were two Devil Fruits: one pale in color, almost like a transparent soul, and the other resembling a pocket watch with patterns of time.
[Ding! Detected Paramecia-type Time Fruit. Energy compatibility confirmed. Absorb?]
Chronos froze for a moment, then burst into ecstatic joy.
Was his system finally activating!?