Inside the silent cabin, Rosinante lay on his bed, a transparent soundproof barrier enveloping his body.
"Huff… Just as I thought—this is my current limit."
Gasping for air, Rosinante stared at the faint barrier surrounding him. At the moment, it barely covered his whole body, extending no more than a meter in radius.
That limitation was closely tied to his physical condition. His body was far too frail. Ever since his family fled the Holy Land, they had been living in extreme poverty—scavenging for survival. He and Doflamingo had once clawed through trash bins just to find scraps to eat. Moldy bread had been a rare delicacy to them back then.
Even so, they were eventually captured by a furious mob and strung up against a city wall, nearly executed by firing squad. If Doflamingo hadn't suddenly awakened his Conqueror's Haki, the entire family would likely have been slaughtered on the spot.
Anyone who knows One Piece has probably heard the saying: "If you had suffered the same childhood as Doflamingo, you might not have turned out any kinder."
Rosinante had endured the same tragic past as his brother, and yet, deep inside, his heart remained soft. He still longed for goodness, even naively hoping to redeem Doflamingo—a dream as impossible as chasing the wind.
Looking back on the current arc of the pirate era, Rosinante had come to understand the true source of the tragedies that shaped his childhood. It wasn't just fate, it was the system itself. The very structure of the world was what birthed suffering.
The Celestial Dragons stood above the law, free to commit unspeakable atrocities. And when those deeds bore consequences, it was always the common people who paid the price. Centuries of resentment had built up, warping the entire world into a cesspool of injustice.
Desperate to survive, civilians turned to piracy. And in order to stay alive, pirates resorted to looting and killing, passing their pain on to others—creating yet more pirates in the process.
To satisfy the Celestial Dragons' every whim, the World Government bled its people dry. They extorted exorbitant "Heavenly Tribute" from member nations and secretly trafficked humans to provide the Celestial Dragons with slaves. How many commoners had they driven to rebellion? How many more pirates had been born from their cruelty?
It was a vicious cycle. No matter how many pirates the Navy hunted down, more just kept rising to take their place—an endless tide.
They say the Pirate King, Roger, started the Great Pirate Era. But really, Roger was just the spark. The real culprit was the World Government's rotten system. If it hadn't been Roger, it would've been someone else—someone else would've lit the fuse to blow this world sky-high.
If the pirate world was ever going to find peace, if tragedy was ever going to end, the only solution was to change the system at its core. That meant overthrowing the World Government, dragging the Celestial Dragons from their thrones, rebuilding the law so that even the elite were held accountable, and locking unchecked power in an iron cage.
Only then could the world of pirates find peace. The so-called pirates? Most were jokes. If they hadn't been starving or desperate or born truly wicked, how many would've really chosen the path of piracy?
With a proper system in place, the seas would no longer be ruled by pirates, but by merchant ships and vessels of adventurers. Just like Luffy and his crew—they weren't true pirates, not really. At most, they were adventurers. After all, they never murdered civilians or plundered treasure. Real pirates killed without remorse.
Only when that world comes to be, a world of freedom and fairness—will the seas finally thrive. Until then, they will remain stained with blood, tragedy, oppression, and injustice.
"Change… This twisted world must be changed!"
Rosinante clenched his fists. He had crossed into this world once, he had to leave some kind of legacy behind. Otherwise, what was the point of being reborn?
But he wasn't stupid. He knew how insignificant he was now. He couldn't even protect his own life, let alone challenge the World Government or dethrone the Celestial Dragons.
That's why he needed power, needed to work within the world's existing structures. The Navy… the Navy was the best bet. If one day he could become Fleet Admiral, rallying the troops with a single call, wouldn't he finally have the leverage to confront the World Government?
But becoming Fleet Admiral wouldn't be easy. He'd need loyal allies, his own core team and above all, overwhelming strength. After all, didn't Sengoku have to fight to earn that title? If Rosinante wanted to rise that high, he'd need to attain and surpass—Admiral-level power!
Power. That's what it came down to. Power beyond that of an Admiral!
At that moment, his eyes blazed with determination. A person becomes dangerous the moment they find their purpose. Once you have a goal, you find resolve—and with resolve, you grow strong. That's why One Piece always emphasized will.
Your ambition defines you. If all you want is wealth, a ship full of treasure is enough to dull your edge.
If your goal is to become an Admiral, then the moment you achieve it, your drive disappears. But if your dream is to change the world… then only by becoming King of the World will you ever be satisfied.
Rosinante lay there in the quiet cabin, silently making a vow to reshape the world. Just then, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind:
"Ding… Notification: Host has an unclaimed mission reward. Please claim it promptly to avoid delaying future task refreshes."
The reminder snapped Rosinante to attention. He suddenly remembered; he hadn't yet claimed the reward for his "Recognize Sengoku as Your Father" task.
He quickly tapped the [Claim Reward] button.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host. Mission complete: 'Recognize Sengoku as Father.'
Reward granted: Basic Equipment – Rejuvenation Bead from League of Legends."
"Rejuvenation Bead – A basic health regeneration item from League of Legends.
Special Effect: +50% base health regeneration.
(Note: 'Health' is approximately equivalent to 'Stamina' in this world. The faster your health recovers, the faster your stamina regenerates.)"
"Ding! Friendly reminder: Rejuvenation Bead is a basic healing item. In the future, it can be fused with other basic components to create higher-grade gear related to health and stamina."
Rosinante's eyes lit up as the system's voice finished. The reward didn't disappoint. In the world of One Piece, stamina was everything. Whether it was physical combat or Devil Fruit usage, it all burned stamina. Boosting his stamina regeneration meant gaining a massive edge in battle!
"Ding! You have obtained your first item. Equipment system unlocked. Please place your item into your equipment slots to activate its passive effects."
As the voice faded, Rosinante felt six equipment slots open up in his mind. He equipped the Rejuvenation Bead and immediately felt his stamina stop draining and start rapidly recovering. If before he could only recover 1 point of stamina per second, now it was 1.5—a clean 50% boost. His energy reserves, previously depleted from maintaining the soundproof barrier, were quickly restored!
What an incredible item… And this was just a Rejuvenation Bead. If he could eventually synthesize Warmog's Armor, wouldn't that make him practically unstoppable?
Rosinante couldn't help but daydream: if he ever equipped a full six-piece legendary loadout, maybe then—just maybe—he'd have the power to reshape the world.
(End of Chapter)
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