"What a rotten world. Without cheats, I'd be nothing but a lackey, a stepping stone, a background extra to the future Pirate King Luffy."
"In a world ruled by the strong, the weak never get a seat at the table. Since I'm here, I'll turn it upside down."
Year 1520 of the Sea Circle Calendar.
East Blue, Syrup Village.
Atop a low hill, a black-haired, handsome young man Shiratori Hakuba looked down at the lively celebration below and murmured to himself.
"Big Brother Hakuba, what were you saying about lackeys and background extras?"
A girl with pale-blond hair to her shoulders and a light blue dress jogged up, eyes shining with curiosity.
"How did you make it up here?"
Hakuba brushed the fine sweat from her brow with his fingertips and smiled softly. "Kaya, your health is fragile. Rest properly there's a chill on the hill."
"Mm…"
His gentleness brought a blush to Kaya's cheeks before she flashed a bright, adorable smile. "When you were training up here, two pirate crews arrived in the village."
"One of them is decent. Luffy and his friends beat the remnants of the Black Cat Pirates. I gave them a ship, and they're celebrating before they set sail. Come join the feast, Big Brother Hakuba."
"Alright."
Hakuba nodded.
It was about time for him to set sail too.
"Ah ah ah!"
With Kaya's gasp still hanging in the air, Hakuba scooped her into his arms and leapt from the hilltop.
"Don't be afraid. We'll touch down in a moment…" He couldn't help but chuckle at the sparkle in her eyes despite her pretending to be scared.
"I trust you, Big Brother Hakuba."
Kaya's eyes shone even brighter.
Ever since the moment she saved Hakuba a year ago, her world had found new color.
A year earlier
Hakuba had woken up in the world of pirates, collapsing unconscious right into the courtyard of Kaya's manor. The kind-hearted girl took him in and nursed him back to health.
At that time her parents had just been murdered by Kuro. Crushed by grief, she took to her bed and wasted away, her already frail body growing weaker by the day.
Hakuba's arrival brought her light, and her health slowly improved.
They made a promise: when he set sail, she would be his beautiful ship's doctor.
"A whole year already…"
As they dropped toward the slope, memories flickered through Hakuba's mind.
He had transmigrated out of nowhere into this pirate world. Fresh out of university, his body had even reverted to that of a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old. After a moment of panic, he accepted reality.
But this world was dangerous.
Especially the butler at Kaya's estate Klahadore, better known as Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates.
If Kaya hadn't found him first when he crashed into her yard, Kuro might have silenced him. A pirate like Kuro didn't tolerate accidents in his plans.
Fortunately, Hakuba had a system.
It activated the moment he woke up.
Newbie Gift Pack:
Item: Primary Physique Enhancement Card
Item: Swordsman Beginner Growth Experience Card
Item: Three-Color Haki (Basic)
After fortifying his body and merging the swordsman experience and Haki, Hakuba didn't waste words he cut Kuro down on the spot.
Kuro's death sent Kaya into another fainting spell, but when she woke, she learned Hakuba had struck the right man.
In the year that followed, Hakuba trained hard.
Maybe it was the regimen, maybe it was the food of this world, but he shot up in height as well.
Even so, after a year of effort, only his Conqueror's Haki and Observation Haki had grown markedly stronger. The rest was barely enough to scrape by in the East Blue, and that constant pressure gnawed at him.
Looking good doesn't feed you. Power gets you everything.
"The Straw Hat Pirates, fresh off their voyage? Perfect timing."
Landing lightly with Kaya in his arms, Hakuba took her hand and headed for the festivities, a flash of excitement in his eyes.
"I've finally waited you out."
Hakuba's system was… special.
Or rather, specially broken.
It had two functions:
Function One: For each story heroine he forcibly recruits as a crewmate or subordinate sincere or not he earns a Multiverse Lottery pull with no limits on prize type: items, abilities, even beings, with a chance for optimization.
Function Two: He can fuse the total strength of all crew and subordinates. The fusion is continuous and permanent, covering physique, spirit, abilities, and combat experience.
There was no rule saying every recruit had to be a woman but only recruiting women triggered the lottery.
Story heroines?
Most of them were tucked inside the great powers.
The Navy, the Revolutionary Army, the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords… Just thinking about those behemoths sent a thrill through him.
"In that case, let the storm hit harder!"
Hakuba flicked his gaze to the system status only he could see.
Host: Shiratori Hakuba
Physique: ★★★
Spirit: ★★★★
Swordsmanship: ★★★
Armament Haki: Basic
Observation Haki: Intermediate
Conqueror's Haki: Intermediate
Special Abilities: None
Lottery Pulls: None
Base Combat Power: ★★★ / Marine HQ Elite Rear Admiral!
Additional Combat Power: None
Notes: Tiers are Basic → Intermediate → Advanced → Apex.
Notes: Combat power ≠ raw destructive power.
…
Syrup Village coast.
A small boat lay moored by the shore while the Straw Hat Pirates and villagers threw a lively banquet nearby.
A bottomless-stomached boy in a straw hat, a green-haired swordsman with a questionable sense of direction, a long-nosed braggart, and an orange-haired money-lover
"You know, as Captain Usopp, letting me aboard your ship is cough, cough!"
Usopp, halfway through a boast with a mug in hand, spotted Hakuba approaching from afar, choked, and turned crimson.
"It's him! It's that guy!"
"Who?" Luffy tilted his head.
Usopp ducked his head and whispered, "That's Hakuba. We only beat the stragglers from the Black Cat Pirates, but word is he killed Captain Kuro. With one slash…"
"One slash?"
Zoro's hand drifted to his swords. His eyes gleamed as he stared at Hakuba.
"Waaah, that's awesome. I wanna mmf!" Luffy's shout was cut off as Usopp clamped a hand over his mouth.
Sweating bullets, Usopp hissed, "Don't say another word. He's a monster. I once saw him from a very safe distance cleave a… small hill in two with a single stroke."
He had been terrified ever since
And made sure to keep well away from Kaya's house, where Hakuba lived.