The moment my feet touched the harbor's ground, a wave of new sensations hit me. The salty smell of the sea mixed with dried fish and spices, the cries of seagulls echoed in the sky, and the loud voices of merchants competed with each other.
"Fresh fish! Straight from the sea to your pan!"
"Apples, sweet as a maiden's heart!"
I stood there, stunned for a while. After spending an entire year alone on that island, this place felt alive—too alive, like a painting bursting with colors.
But the words of the old sailor who had ferried me here echoed in my mind: "Be careful, boy. This era is full of monsters."
I didn't know what monsters he meant exactly… but I swore to myself I wouldn't stay weak.
---
I found an abandoned yard behind a storage shed near the edge of the harbor. It became my personal training ground.
Every day, from sunrise until dusk, I pushed my body to the limit: punches, kicks, sword swings, lifting barrels, chopping wood.
Weeks passed, then months. With every passing day, my body felt tougher, faster, stronger.
The local kids eventually got used to seeing me and often teased me.
"Ha! Look at the weird kid fighting with the air!"
I'd grin back at them: "Careful… the shadow attacks from behind when you least expect it."
They'd burst out laughing and run away.
Through a full year of relentless training, I earned 12 skill points. Not a gift from the system, but the fruit of sweat, bruises, and endless nights pushing myself beyond my limits.
---
One day, while I was buying bread in the marketplace, I heard chaos from down the street—shouting, smashing, laughter.
I rushed over and found them: a gang of ten ragged men, carrying rusty knives and wooden clubs. They were robbing the merchants, shoving stalls aside like bullies in a playground.
I clenched my fists. No bounties, no names, just petty bandits. But letting them terrorize people would make me no better than a coward.
I stepped forward. One of them sneered, "Well, well… a kid playing hero. Get lost before we slice you up!"
I smirked back. "Don't worry, I'm small. Won't take long."
Their faces twisted with anger.
---
The first one charged at me with his knife, but I countered with a punch straight to his chest.
BOOOM!
He flew back two meters, groaning on the ground.
The second swung a club at me. I ducked low and drove my foot into his stomach. He collapsed, retching.
"Oops, sorry! Didn't mean to ruin your dinner."
The third—by far the biggest—rushed at me, but I drew my dagger and stabbed quickly at his arm. Not to kill, just to make him drop his weapon. He howled and fell, clutching his wound.
Within minutes, they all dropped one by one. The market erupted in cheers:
"Bravo, kid!"
"You saved us from those thugs!"
Breathing hard, sweat dripping down my face, I realized: my training had finally paid off.
Suddenly—
> [Ding! You have acquired a new skill: Carpentry (Level 1)
After working with wood and barrels in your training, you have gained basic knowledge of carpentry.]
I chuckled. "Great… now I can build myself a chair to sit on after all these fights."
---
That night, I sat in the corner of a small tavern, sipping a glass of water. On the next table, a sailor had left behind a newspaper. I leaned over and read the headline:
"The Rocks Pirates' influence continues to expand, dominating more seas year after year."
A chill ran down my spine. That name… I couldn't mistake it. Rocks… the legendary crew, the strongest pirate alliance in history.
I did the math in my head. If the newspapers were writing about their rise, that meant only one thing: this was five years before the God Valley Incident.
I put the paper aside and closed my eyes.
"It's confirmed… I really am in the world of One Piece. And with the system, I'll become the strongest."
A faint smile tugged at my lips, but deep inside, my ambition burned like fire.
— End of Chapter 6 —