The year is Spring 1520.
East Blue,
One Month before Luffy set sail.
Sunlight streamed into the office of the 186th Navy Branch, casting a golden glow across the room.
Behind the desk, a young officer lounged comfortably in his chair, the picture of relaxation.
A dangerous-looking sword rested beside him, its black hilt engraved with a single character: "Might."
The officer casually flipped through a newspaper, a cigarette held loosely in his other hand.
He took a long drag, then exhaled a slow, hazy puff of smoke.
His face was handsome—all sharp lines and a chiseled jaw, softened by an air of pure laziness.
His messy black hair swayed with his movements, giving him an untamed charm.
His eyes, however, held a constant indifference, as if nothing in the world could bother him.
This was Mike, Captain of the 186th Branch, age 22.
It had been three years since he'd been isekai'd into the world of One Piece.
Dong—
The wall clock chimed.
Six o'clock.
Mike glanced up and stretched, his joints popping satisfyingly.
"Alright, time to clock out."
[Ding!]
[Host is clocking out on time. Arriving late is fine, but overtime is a sin!]
[Joyful mood detected. Happy Points +20.]
A faint smile touched Mike's lips.
The Joyful System—his personal cheat code.
As long as he was happy, he earned Happy Points, which he could use for a lottery-style draw or to upgrade items.
In his past life, he'd been a regular nine-to-fiver in some third-rate country.
He'd mastered the art of slacking off: playing games, reading novels, getting paid to take a shit—life was good, free of office drama.
The day he died, he'd clocked out right on time, planning to visit a very professional massage parlor to… discuss life with a lady he'd booked.
Then a runaway dump truck blew a red light, and just like that, he woke up in the world of One Piece.
He had taken the place of a Marine captain who'd just died in battle and was immediately assigned to a remote branch in one of the Four Blues.
Mike flicked his cigarette ash into the ashtray.
When headquarters asked him where he wanted to be stationed, he didn't hesitate.
East Blue.
Saving the world? Too much work.
He wasn't interested.
The East Blue was the safest sea, with weaker pirates and lower bounties.
It was perfect.
To make things even better, he picked the most remote base he could find: Branch 186.
Let Luffy and the others go nuts in the New World.
He'd just kick back and enjoy his life slacking off in the East Blue!
He remembered the day he found out his "retirement" to the East Blue was approved.
He'd been cheering internally when a notification pinged in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Host's joyful mood detected. The Joyful System is now active. Reward: Happy Points.]
[May the host find eternal happiness in the world of pirates.]
A system? And one based on Happy moods? Perfect.
What could be better than just enjoying life? Slacking off, clocking out on time, sunbathing, and fucking beautiful women.
This was the ideal life!
Once he arrived at Branch 186, he fully embraced his slacker lifestyle.
He got stronger bit by bit just by having a good time.
It was a feeling no one else could possibly understand.
After playing around with it, he figured out how the system worked.
1,000 Happy Points got him a 10-item draw, with rewards ranging from power-ups to simple life conveniences.
Items came in five tiers, each with a corresponding color:
Legendary (Gold)
Epic (Purple)
Rare (Blue)
Uncommon (Green)
Common (White)
Duplicates could be fused to upgrade an item's tiers and unlock new abilities.
"Pure bliss," Mike sighed to himself.
It was time to go.
"I'm out!" he murmured, his voice filled with joy.
He'd just gotten paid, and it was the perfect time to go "rescue" some young women and housewives who were down on their luck.
The corner of his mouth curled up.
"Now, which regular should I save today? The one with legs for days, or the one with… boobs bigger than her head?"
"Ah, the joys of life after work!"
Humming a cheerful tune, Mike strolled toward the red-light district.
He bumped into a few of his men who were also heading out.
"Captain! Same destination?" they called out with wide grins.
"Hahaha, you know it!" Mike laughed. "Just drop my name, you'll get a big discount!"
...
Meanwhile, at the Navy base in Loguetown, a big shot has arrived: Admiral "Kizaru" Borsalino.
"Admiral Kizaru," the base commander Smoker, said, his expression a mix of confusion and suspicion.
"What brings an admiral all the way out here?"
Kizaru squinted, his tone as lazy as ever. "Yoo~ Captain Smoker. I'm here because of the 186th branch chief, Captain Mike."
He paused. "Navy Headquarters has decided to recall him to Marineford. So they sent me to… ahem… look into things."
"What? Mike? That disgrace of the Navy?" Smoker's eyes widened in disbelief and anger.
"You're transferring him back to Headquarters? Have the higher-ups lost their minds?"
Just thinking about Mike's lazy attitude made Smoker's blood boil.
The guy had zero accomplishments and actively encouraged his men to slack off.
And now they wanted to bring him to Headquarters?
To corrupt the marines there, too?
"...I'm one of those higher-ups, you know~" Kizaru said, a mocking smile on his lips.
Well, Smoker was Kuzan's problem, not his.
"So, this 'disgrace of the Navy'… care to elaborate?"
"Hmph! Every commander in the East Blue knows about him," Smoker snorted, his eyes filled with contempt.
"He organizes his men to slack off during work hours. No training, no discipline. When pirates show up, he just calls for backup instead of fighting. And the worst part? After work, he takes his whole squad to the red-light district to 'relax'! It's… it's absurd! Where's the Navy's justice?"
As Smoker ranted, the light in Kizaru's eyes grew brighter.
'Well now, this is interesting', he thought.
'A man who's mastered the art of slacking off? Wasn't that my dream back in the day?'
He slowly straightened up, a flicker of excitement in his eyes.
"Perhaps I should meet this man. If everything you've said is true…"
Smoker felt a smug sense of satisfaction.
'This time, that brat won't get away with it. Admiral Kizaru will show him what real discipline is!'
He was so tired of getting distress calls from Mike, only to arrive and find the man napping on his ship deck in a pair of sunglasses.
'Finally, someone's going to put that bastard in his place.'
"If everything you've said is true..." Kizaru finished, his smile widening.
"I won't let him get away!"
'Get away from me, that is,' Kizaru thought.
'I've been looking for a deputy who understands my style! He's fated to be under my command!'