And I'll do anything to become superior in this new world that fate handed me. But right now, I'm in a serious position—waiting here to get executed by some hypocrite claiming to be righteous.
"Ace, are you okay?" Jinbe asked, his voice full of concern and quiet worry.
He's been checking on me all this time. Does he really care that much? Always asking how I feel… it's weird.
"Yeah, I'm okay." I replied anyway, steadying my breathing.
There's no point being angry right now. I need to keep my cool and start thinking clearly.
From what I remember in the original One Piece, Ace only gets his chains undone when Luffy and the Whitebeard Pirates push their way to the platform—and finally reach him to set him free.
Will I even survive? I said I would, but what if fate has something else planned?
Hah. Who cares.
Fate's a bitch anyway. From now on, I'm the master of my fate.
---
It was already night.
I'd slept a bit earlier, so I wasn't tired. Still, I had nothing to do, so I tried closing my eyes and letting my mind wander.
Why is it so damn hard to sleep?
I sighed, my breath shaky with frustration. The airr was thick and stale, and the cell was disgusting. The smell of mold, piss, and rusted iron. Chains clinking. Rats skittering.
A pirate's natural hell.
I felt cold. Not just from the air—but the steel biting into my skin and the silence that surrounded me.
I glanced up at the glowing blue screen in front of me. Time ticking until the next check-in. A useless countdown from a bastard system that gave me nothing but shame.
I looked at Jinbe—he was sleeping peacefully, despite the chains. Admirable, really.
"Inventory," I whispered, my voice low and rough.
[Inventory]
[> New pair of clothes.]
> more info
The screen flickered and shifted to the inventory menu.
More info? What, do the clothes have secret powers or something? I snorted softly.
But the info button was positioned too high—out of reach, unlike the YES button before. With both hands chained, and barely able to move, I had no way to reach it.
I'll check it when I get out of here.
"What do you mean?" a voice suddenly asked, not far from the cell.
My body tensed.
I shut my eyes instantly, pretending to sleep.
Two sets of heavy footsteps approached. Boots scraping against stone. A soft clatter of armor.
A torchlight hit my face, but I didn't flinch. I stayed still. Quiet.
"He's sleeping real easy for someone about to die," one of them muttered, sarcasm thick in his voice.
"What do we do with him?" the other asked. His voice… familiar.
Wait, is that the food guy? What the hell is he doing here? Isn't he just a damn food runner? But now that I think about it—he's young, calm, and moves like he's trained. Suspicious as hell.
"Nothing," the first one answered. "Just make sure he doesn't escape. After that, we wait for orders."
Their voices faded as they walked away.
What the hell was that?
I opened my eyes, wide and alert.
Are they CP agents? Assigned to guard Ace? I don't remember this in the anime.
Then again… this isn't the anime anymore.
I stared at the ceiling and thought for a while, trying to piece things together. But no use. I couldn't wrap my head around it.
So I let it go. For now.
I closed my eyes again. Trying to rest, even if just a little.
---
Morning came.
I woke up as Jinbe called out to me.
We greeted each other, traded a few words. Simple, quiet.
I looked up at the blue screen. It was the day two reward. Like before, I stuck out my tongue to tap it.
[Congratulations, host. You have gained a new pair of shoes.]
"...."
Of course.
I knew this shitty system couldn't be trusted.
At first, I thought the day one reward was a fluke—but now it's obvious. This bastard's trolling me. Throwing rags at me like I'm some homeless beggar.
"Hey, Ace."
Jinbe's voice snapped me out of it.
"Yeah?"
"I just wanted to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"Why do you hate your father? Not Whitebeard… I mean Gold D. Roger."
For a moment, silence hung in the air.
A low hum echoed through the prison—water dripping, the breathing of distant prisoners.
Honestly, I didn't know what to say.
I'm not Ace. I don't hate Roger. I don't even have a reason to.
But I had to give him something believable.
"My mother suffered because of him." I said, calmly. It was the simplest truth jinbe would've believed.
Jinbe didn't respond. But I felt it—his gaze. Heavy. Thoughtful. Understanding.
The cell returned to quiet.
Just the sound of chains, water, and distant coughs.
I leaned my head back against the cold wall. The only part of my body I could really move.
My tongue still sore from earlier. Damn system made me lick the screen like a dog.
Just for a pair of shoes and some clothes.
Maybe I get the assigned model system mistakenly.
I sighed.
At this rate, I'll be dead before I get anything useful out of it.
I looked up. The UI displayed a new countdown.
"Pathetic," I muttered.
Not the system—but me.
Sitting here, shackled, waiting on rewards from some cosmic joke of a program. No one's coming to save me. except Whitebeard, maybe.
But even then, that's not me saving myself.
I can't rely on luck.
Come on, man. Stop sulking. Trust yourself. This second life won't mean anything if I waste it waiting around.
I closed my eyes and breathed deep—held it in—then exhaled slow.
There's no point sitting here praying for miracles. If this system wants to play games, then fine—I'll play. But I'm playing by my rules.
They think Ace is a tragedy. A name doomed to die.
Let's prove them wrong.
If I can't count on fate—then I'll carve my own.
No one's going to save me.
Not the system.
Not fate.
Not even that fake justice waiting outside this prison.
If I want to live, I need to be ready to take that life with my own hands.
This world isn't fair. It never was. And I'm not dying like a fool again—waiting for someone else to decide my worth.
Even if all I have right now is a cursed system and chains—I'll use them.
Piece by piece…
I'll break out of this hell.
And when I do—.