Zack was trapped in a thick, dense darkness, a confinement that felt wet and suffocating. The space was too cramped for him to even stretch his limbs. The air felt heavy and thin, scratching at his lungs with every breath.
"Where am I?" Zack whispered in his mind, his voice feeling distant. Despair began to creep in, but his sharp mind refused to give up. He scanned his surroundings, feeling the endless, damp walls. Then, an absurd idea, one that strangely made perfect sense, flashed in his thoughts.
Could I… still be inside my mother's womb?
The thought was so wild, so preposterous, yet he couldn't shake it. Suddenly, a crisp "Ding!" sliced through the silence.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for binding the System. This System is dedicated to serving you.]
Zack was stunned, his eyes practically popping out of his head. "A System? Even fetuses have Systems now? How 'trendy'!" he muttered. The strange voice continued, ignoring Zack's bewilderment.
[System Function Introduction.]
[Function: Abduct beautiful women from the plot to your ship. If you move them, you can win the ultimate prize. You can win anything, with no limitations on items or creatures.]
[Additional Skill: Can increase the overall strength of crew members, including Devil Fruits, combat power, and physical fitness.]
Zack's cynical smile faded, replaced by an expression of disgust. Abduct "Beauty Pirate Kings" onto his ship? He shook his head. That was illegal!
Then, as if a curtain had been pulled from his eyes, a line in the System's description triggered a thunderous realization.
"Abduct beauty to the ship, Devil Fruit..."
"Holy cow!"
Zack's eyes widened, a terrifying epiphany jolting his consciousness. No way… this was the world of One Piece! Then, another, even crazier question arose. Was I… transmigrated into Luffy's body while he was still in the womb?!
If he really had become Luffy, his destiny was to become a Pirate, a fate he realized was unavoidable. But the most crucial question was: where should he look for these "Beauty Pirate Kings"?
His mind instantly leaped to the biggest factions—the Marines, the Pirates, the Revolutionary Army. Each faction held the potential for these treasures. He began making a list in his mind, and his eyes sparkled.
Miss Bakkin, Big Mom, Dadan...
And Nami… Nico Robin… Boa Hancock…
Yes, this could work!
No, he wasn't after beauty. He purely wanted to preserve world peace, that was his only motivation! A determined smile returned to his face.
"Come on, let the storm rage even more violently!"
[Ding, the Host has bound the System for the first time. Do you want to open the Beginner's Gift Pack?]
"Open!" Zack answered without hesitation.
[Ding, congratulations, Host, for obtaining the superpower: Heaven-Defying Comprehension.]
[Heaven-Defying Comprehension: Your comprehension is so unreasonable. Any fighting technique you learn can be fully mastered!]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for soaking in the amniotic fluid and seeing through the essence of water, gaining the skill of being water-resistant and unafraid of wind and rain.]
[...]
Zack rolled his eyes in shock. He tried to move his body, and strangely, the sensation of being imprisoned by amniotic fluid seemed to have vanished.
Oh my god, am I this amazing even before I'm born?
He directed his gaze to the System panel and saw the section displaying his character attributes.
Host: Monkey D. Luffy
Physical Toughness: 2 Stars
Mental Energy: 3 Stars
Swordsmanship: Completely clueless
Armament Haki: None
Observation Haki: Also none
Conqueror's Haki: Dormant
Superpower: Heaven-Defying Comprehension
Special Skills: Pure Yang Power, Water Resistance
Combat Power: 0 stars, like a seven-year-old child
The name, written so clearly, locked all remaining doubt in his mind. This was 100% Luffy.
The next day, the world welcomed the arrival of little Luffy. His birth stunned the entire family, especially Grandpa Garp, whose eyes widened in disbelief.
Luffy was born prematurely. Yet, contrary to all logic, the baby showed not the slightest weakness. On the contrary, he had an extraordinary appetite, screaming for food even before his name was spoken.
After his first cry, the newborn Luffy scanned his surroundings with his intelligent eyes. Is that my birth mother? he mused. He had never seen his mother in the more than a thousand episodes of One Piece he had watched. Now, here, he was confronted with that reality.
"Ugh... I'm so hungry!"
He wanted to eat meat, but the harsh reality was he had no teeth. So, with deep disgust, he could only ask for milk.
Gulp, gulp.
After drinking the milk, Luffy was taken out of the room, heading toward the destiny that awaited him.
Time passed without mercy. By the age of seven, his mother had long since disappeared, and Luffy found himself helping the village chief. As a reward, he received a fruit, which he promptly took to the back mountain. There, he met a giant monkey, Masira, who was drooling at the sight of the fruit in Luffy's hand.
"Want to eat?" Luffy asked, his face cheerful.
The huge Masira nodded slowly.
"If you can beat me," Luffy grinned, "all these fruits are yours."
What happened next was completely unexpected. The huge Masira ran away.
"What's going on?" Luffy was shocked. "I haven't even moved, why are you running?"
He threw the fruit on the ground and chased after it. But what was even stranger, Masira suddenly turned and ran back again.
"Did it change its mind?" Luffy muttered.
"Owooo!"
A deafening roar came from the forest. A brown bear full of scars ran toward them. The bear's eyes were like red lanterns, and one of its arms—as long as Luffy's—made anyone shudder. As soon as the bear arrived, the huge Masira fainted from fear.
But Luffy, the seven-year-old boy, was overjoyed instead. He shot forward like an arrow, his fist glowing with Haki. He leaped high off a rock and delivered a brutal punch to the brown bear's belly.
"Gomu Gomu no Mi, activate!" he yelled.
"Bang!"
Luffy's tiny fist, with its terrifying force, instantly sent the bear flying. The bear crashed into two large rocks before finally stopping, completely unconscious.
Garp, who heard the commotion, rushed to the spot and was stunned by the scene before him. What the hell? My grandson knows how to use Haki at the age of seven?