Abdul Azim descended the stairs slowly, deliberately soaking in every familiar sound and scent. The house was alive with the rich, comforting aroma of his mother's cooking - spiced grilled chicken with garlic and herbs, fragrant basmati rice, hearty lentil soup, fresh salad with lemon and olive oil, and soft, warm flatbread. Even though it was already 10:15 PM on New Year's Day, his mother had prepared a full late supper so the family could eat together before the 11 PM Liverpool match.
"Azim! Come sit down, habibi," his mother called cheerfully from the kitchen. "I made all your favorites tonight. Don't let it get cold!"
His father was already seated at the dining table, sleeves rolled up, looking tired from another long day but smiling the moment he saw his son. "Good timing. Your mother has been cooking since evening just for this."
Azim sat down, feeling a deep wave of emotion wash over him. In my previous life, these moments became so rare. I was always too exhausted, too frustrated, or chasing something that kept slipping away.
Never again. This time, I will cherish every single second with them.
The food tasted even better than he remembered. As they ate, the conversation flowed naturally and warmly.
"So, Azim," his father started, scooping rice onto his plate, "tell us about the academy. How is the U18 team this season?"
Azim took a sip of water before replying. "We're in the North Division of the Premier League U18 League. The competition is tough, but we have some good players. Our next important match is on 17 January against Bolton Wanderers U18. I'm determined to start and make a real statement in that game."
His mother's eyes sparkled with pride. "17 January? That's not too far away. We'll try our best to come and support you. Maybe I can take half a day off work. You must score at least one goal for us, okay? Make your mother proud."
"I'll aim for more than one," Azim replied with a gentle smile. "I want to make both of you proud."
His father nodded thoughtfully. "The coaches have mentioned your name more often lately. They say you have good physical presence and height advantage. You just need to show more consistency and leadership. This could be your breakthrough year, son."
Azim listened carefully, nodding. Inside, his mind was racing at lightning speed. If only they knew. I have eleven years of future football knowledge plus a literal One Piece System. Consistency? I'm going to completely dominate this league and eventually the Premier League.
The conversation continued for a long time. They talked about old memories - Azim's first academy trial at age 8, the time he cried after losing a youth cup final, the day he signed his first scholarship. Laughter mixed with nostalgia and pride. Azim shared more openly than ever, asking detailed questions about his parents' struggles and dreams. The dinner stretched comfortably, turning into one of the warmest family moments he had experienced in either lifetime.
After the meal, they cleared the table together as a family, still chatting and teasing each other. Then they settled comfortably in the living room just in time for the 11 PM kick-off.
Liverpool vs Leicester City at Anfield
The match was lively and end-to-end. Leicester, the newly promoted underdogs fighting relegation, played with surprising organization and fight. Liverpool dominated possession but wasted several good opportunities.
While watching intently, a blue notification suddenly appeared in front of Azim's eyes.
Fame Scan Activated.
Current Fame: 6 / 10,000
Note: Fame Points are continuously generated from people's emotional reactions toward you (happiness, admiration, disappointment, anger, etc.).
Conversion Rate: 10,000 Fame Points = 1 System Point
Azim noted it carefully. So this is how it works. Every performance, every viral moment, every strong fan reaction will feed the system. Perfect for my path.
The match continued. Liverpool took the lead twice, but Leicester equalized both times. Around 12:05 AM (during the second half stoppage time), another notification appeared.
Daily Gacha Spin has refreshed.
Available Spin: 1
Azim smiled slightly. The long match had pushed past midnight perfectly.
The final score ended in a frustrating 2-2 draw. Gerrard showed leadership, Sterling was lively, but Liverpool lacked cutting edge. After the match finished past 1 AM, the family chatted for a while about the game - his father criticizing the finishing, his mother praising Gerrard's effort. Azim contributed thoughtfully, hiding how much future knowledge he possessed.
Eventually, his parents went to bed. Azim helped his mother with the final tidying, then went upstairs to his room.
He locked the door, sat cross-legged on his bed, and took a deep breath.
"System. Show full status."
[One Piece System]
Host: Abdul Azim
Age: 18
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 87 kg
Title: Pirate
Pirate Crew Name: Not Set
Current Fame: 6 / 10,000
System Points: 230
Status Window
Strength: 4
Agility: 4
Constitution: 4
Endurance: 5
Control: 5
Willpower: 8
Available Stat Points: 0
Skills Window
Passive Skills: Multilingual Mastery (Level 1/10)
Active Skills: Observation Haki (Level 3/100) – Current Sense Range: 15 meters
Devil Fruit Window
Eaten: Tere Tere no Mi (Telekinesis Telekinesis Fruit)
Mastery Level: 3 / 100 (Perfect Control within 30 meters)
Daily Gacha Spin
Available Spin: 1
Total Spin: 1/100
Would you like to set your Pirate Crew Name?
Yes / No
"Yes," Azim said firmly. "Liverpool Pirate."
Pirate Crew Name successfully set: Liverpool Pirate
Title updated.
Azim smiled with satisfaction. It felt right.
He then decided to use the refreshed spin.
"Spin."
Daily Gacha Spin complete.
Reward: +10 System Points
Current System Points: 240
Total Spin: 2/100
Satisfied, he opened the System Shop and spent a long time exploring every option carefully.
He was particularly interested in the Additional Gacha Spin Ticket (now priced at 1,000 System Points). It would allow him to speed up the pity system without waiting 100 days.
He also looked at Stat Points (6,000 pts each) and Skill Level Points (7,000 pts each), calculating how many performances he would need to afford them.
Most interestingly, in a hidden section under Bloodline Tab, he saw something that made his eyes widen:
Sanji Bloodline - (Rare)
Description: Grants exceptional leg strength, speed, endurance, and powerful kicking techniques. High defense and resilience. Synergizes extremely well with leg-based skills (Soru, Geppo, Tekkai) and striking ability.
Sanji Skill Pack - (Common)
Sanji Bloodline… Azim thought, heart beating faster. Strong legs, incredible defense, and kicking power. For a striker who needs mobility, finishing power, and durability… this is almost perfect.
He spent a long time reading every detail in the shop, making mental plans for the future while his excitement for the upcoming 17 January match grew stronger.
The night was deep, but the Liverpool Pirate was wide awake with ambition.
2 January 2015
The morning sun was still low when Azim finished breakfast with his mother.
"Dad already left for work?" he asked.
"Yes, early shift today," his mother replied, clearing the plates. "Be careful with training, okay? Don't overdo it."
Azim looked at her warmly. "I won't, Mum. Promise."
His mother placed a full plate of scrambled eggs, toast with butter, and some leftover chicken from last night in front of him. She sat down across the table with her own smaller portion and studied him quietly for a moment.
"You're up early again," she said gently. "Training before the academy session?"
Azim nodded, taking a bite. "Yes. I want to put in extra work. The Bolton match on the 17th is important. I need to be ready."
His mother reached across the table and brushed a strand of hair from his forehead, the same tender gesture she had done since he was a child. The simple touch made Azim's chest tighten with emotion.
"You've changed these past few days, Azim," she said softly, her voice full of motherly love and quiet concern. "You seem more focused. More grateful. More… like the boy I always knew you could be. Did something happen on New Year's? You can tell me anything, you know that, right?"
Azim put down his fork and looked directly into her eyes. His throat felt thick.
"Mum… I just realised how much you and Dad have sacrificed for me. You left everything behind before I was even born. You worked night shifts cleaning offices, took extra jobs in kitchens, skipped meals and rest just so I could have new boots or travel money for trials. I took all of that for granted before. I was selfish and blind. But not anymore."
Tears welled up in his mother's eyes. She reached out and held both of his hands tightly across the table.
"Azim… we never saw it as sacrifice, my son. You are our greatest blessing. Seeing you happy on the pitch was always enough for us. But hearing you say these words…" She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, smiling through the tears. "It means more to me than you can ever understand."
Azim squeezed her hands back, his own eyes stinging. "I promise I will make it count this time. I will reach the top. Not just for me - for you and Dad too. I want to repay everything you've given me."
They sat in warm, emotional silence for a while. His mother eventually smiled brightly and ruffled his hair.
"Eat well then, my strong boy. And be careful not to injure yourself with all this extra training. Your body is important."
"I will, Mum. I love you."
"I love you more, habibi."
After breakfast, Azim helped wash the dishes with his mother, enjoying the simple domestic moment. He then changed into his old training kit - slightly worn boots that had seen hundreds of sessions, a faded Liverpool training top, and shorts. He packed six footballs into his large bag so he wouldn't waste time constantly collecting them, slung it over his shoulder, and cycled toward the quiet futsal court near Stanley Park.
The futsal court was peaceful and completely empty in the early morning light. Perfect isolation.
Azim set his bag down and began with a proper warm-up - dynamic stretching, high knees, butt kicks, arm circles, and light jogging around the court. Once his body felt loose, he laid out several cones in different patterns for agility work.
He started with close control dribbling. Using both feet, he weaved in and out of the cones with quick, sharp touches - inside foot, outside foot, sole of the foot. He performed step-overs, Cruyff turns, La Croqueta, and body feints at increasing speeds. The ball stayed glued to his feet as if magnetised.
He then moved to speed dribbling - pushing the ball forward at pace while maintaining control, sprinting the full length of the court repeatedly.
Next came ping-zing passing against the wall. He struck the ball firmly so it rebounded quickly, practicing one-touch control, two-touch turns, rapid-fire ping-pong style passes, and quick combinations. He varied the angles and added spin so the ball would come back at awkward heights and speeds, forcing him to adjust instantly.
He spent a long time on wall training. He smashed the ball hard against the wall from different distances and angles so it would rebound unpredictably. Using his Observation Haki and subtle telekinesis, he controlled every awkward deflection and brought the ball smoothly back to his feet again and again. He repeated this drill for nearly forty minutes without stopping.
After that, he moved to shooting drills.
He set up cones as imaginary defenders and practiced finesse shots - curling the ball around them with the inside of his foot, adding dip and swerve. He worked on corner shots from tight angles, bending the ball into the far post with precision. He used telekinesis to add extra spin and control the trajectory mid-air, making the ball move in ways that would be almost impossible for a normal player.
The Ronaldinho Nike crossbar challenge came next. He kicked the ball high into the air repeatedly and guided it precisely onto the crossbar using telekinesis without letting it touch the ground. He managed longer and longer streaks of success, refining his mental focus and fine control with every attempt.
He also practiced long-range passing and through balls, using telekinesis to add perfect weight, dip, and curl so the ball would arrive exactly where he wanted.
For nearly four full hours, Azim trained relentlessly. He used all six balls he brought so he could chain drills together fluidly without constant stopping. Sweat poured down his face and back, but his focus never wavered.
By the end of the session, he was exhausted but deeply satisfied. His technical ability, ball mastery, and confidence had taken a clear leap forward.
Azim packed his things, wiped his sweat, and cycled home feeling stronger and more determined than ever.