c3 System: Here I come!
In addition to the precious Devil Fruit, the Navy, or more precisely Kizaru himself, also approved 5000 million Berries of start-up funds, along with a new model of Seastone pistol secretly developed by the Navy's scientific research unit under Dr. Vegapunk's supervision, and a finely crafted sword forged in the style of Wano, its name was Frost, a blade that shimmered with a cold, sharp edge.
It has to be said.
Although Kyle's current strength is probably only at the level of a pirate with a bounty in the tens of millions, with these sophisticated weapons and the potential of the Devil Fruit, it was more than enough for him to dominate the East Blue, which was known as the weakest sea.
Only Kyle, the nephew of an admiral, could enjoy this level of treatment!
Kyle did not waste these three days.
Through the Navy's Cipher Pol intelligence network, he obtained a detailed regional map of the East Blue.
Not only did he find the Goa Kingdom, the birthplace of the Navy hero Garp, but he also identified the islands and specific coordinates of Shimotsuki Village, Cocoyasi Village, and Syrup Village.
Unfortunately, by this time, Roronoa Zoro had already left Shimotsuki Village, wandering lost in some unknown corner of the East Blue in pursuit of his dream.
If Kyle could recruit this swordsman prodigy onto his own ship, his journey as a spy and future power in the sea would become far easier.
In the original plot, Zoro only appeared in Shells Town a year later under Captain Morgan's rule.
But now, with Kyle's arrival acting as a butterfly effect, no one could predict what would happen to the future.
Even Kyle himself felt the same.
Because until this moment, he still didn't know what his so-called system truly was!
"The novice gift packages given by this world are already so generous. I hope my companion system can provide me with even greater help!"
Kyle muttered softly as he stared at the unchanged system interface hovering faintly before his eyes.
Merchant ships from Marineford had far more horsepower than ordinary civilian ships.
The massive hull was like a sharp sword, cutting through the rolling waves as it approached the towering Red Line continent.
Kyle, who had already purchased a ticket to his destination, would disembark at a port with the massive lift beneath the Red Line, then ascend through the colossal elevator to the top of the Red Line itself, before taking a vehicle across the continent and directly arriving at a civilian port on the East Blue side for transfer.
Because it was a facility used by commoners rather than the Navy, the entire process would take at least three full days.
Fortunately, it wasn't boring for Kyle.
Being able to see with his own eyes the massive scarlet walls of the Red Line and the giant elevators—things he had only seen in the anime was enough to leave him awestruck.
"Sure enough, the shock brought by the real world is far beyond what any drawing or animation can capture!"
Kyle's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
After leaving Navy Headquarters, his true nature began to gradually reveal itself.
All the melancholy and sadness he carried from the past had been swept away.
If not for the fact that everyone he traveled with looked so nervous and anxious about the possibility of encountering a passing Celestial Dragon, he might have even asked the driver to stop the cart so he could carve a "Kyle was here" mark on the Red Line stone itself.
But no matter how magnificent the scenery, there always comes a day when the novelty fades.
The days drifting across the sea lasted more than twenty days.
After a journey that stretched nearly a full month, Kyle finally arrived at his destination Yaxi Island in the East Blue!
This island was home to one of the largest shipyards in the entire sea.
It was said that more than seventy percent of the fifty massive warships under Admiral Don Krieg, the so-called "Pirate Admiral" of the East Blue, were built here!
!
Long before setting off, Kyle had already used the Navy's confidential East Blue supply line to secretly commission a ship through Sengoku's authorization.
Because the funds were fully covered by the Navy, Kyle didn't know the exact cost of the vessel, but he knew it was by no means cheap especially with Vegapunk's research division supplying design blueprints modified from Marine warships.
Now, more than twenty days had passed since the order was placed, and the ship should be nearly completed.
...
...
At the bustling port of Yaxi Island.
With his name confirmed, Kyle was quickly led by the dockyard staff to see his ship for the very first time.
It was a medium-sized sailing vessel, larger than the Going Merry from the Straw Hat saga, but smaller than Krieg's massive galleons. Its streamlined hull was painted deep navy-blue, designed for both speed and durability.
Two decorative yet functional cannons were mounted prominently above the deck railings, their black steel barrels gleaming in the sun.
In the seas of One Piece, where cannonballs can sink even Marine patrol ships, such armament was indispensable.
Anyone who has been at sea for long knows that battles often come down to artillery exchanges.
But still
After the staff demonstrated the firing mechanism, Kyle, who had just felt the thunderous recoil of a real cannon blast, couldn't hold back his excitement:
"Fuck! Awesome!"
After admiring every part of the vessel, Kyle impatiently asked the shipwrights to move it out of the drydock.
Although a little flustered, he managed to get the ship into open waters, relying on his above-average physical strength which far surpassed ordinary men thanks to his Devil Fruit training and the instruction manual provided.
After a quick exploration of the cabin, Kyle immediately claimed the highest deck room as his captain's quarters. Sitting cross-legged on the wooden floorboards, he rubbed his hands together with anticipation.
"Next, it's an exciting moment!"
"System, after all these days of waiting, are you finally going to respond?"
He pulled from his pack a pirate flag he had painstakingly designed.
On a pitch-black canvas fluttered a grim skull with lifeless eyes an image based on his predecessor's memory, already filed with Sengoku to serve as his official cover identity.
And with that flag came the name of his crew.
Yes.
Long before leaving Marineford, Kyle had already decided on the name of his pirate group.
The Dusk Pirates!!!
At first glance, the name sounded simple, even ordinary. But when considered deeply, it carried a sense of finality and hidden menace.
For Kyle, who had spent seven days struggling with naming inside the system interface, the importance of the title was secondary.
It was only after being tasked as a spy that he remembered an old TV drama from his past life called Spy Family Roleplay. Its strongest agent carried the codename "Dusk."
And so, Kyle borrowed that name, hoping it would bring him luck in this world where shadows and deception mattered more than titles.
Now, the ship, the flag, and the name were finally united!
Everything was ready the only thing missing was the east wind!
After hoisting the flag high onto the mast, Kyle hadn't even had time to savor the moment when a system prompt suddenly flashed before his eyes.
[It is detected that the host has founded a pirate crew. Would you like to bind to the "Dusk Pirates"?]
[Confirm] or [Reject]
"Huh? It's that smart?!"
Kyle, who was still pulling the mast rope, froze for a moment, before his lips curled into a delighted grin.
He quickly focused his mind and pressed the [Confirm] option.
At once
The blank naming interface that had troubled him for so long dissolved into gray mist.
A brand-new, radiant game-like screen unfolded in his mind.
"I'm coming!"
Kyle's heart thudded with excitement as he gazed at the familiar yet foreign interface.
Suppressing his racing pulse, he began carefully inspecting the new functions, wondering how much had changed after his reincarnation.
It must be said.
Compared with the clumsy, money-grabbing mobile game he remembered, this system seemed much cleaner and more streamlined.
At least the constant pop-ups urging "first recharge for S-rank hero" had disappeared.
But in truth, this was not entirely a blessing.
Back then, a mere six-yuan recharge had rewarded players with an overpowered unit capable of both offense and healing. In this world, no such easy exploits seemed to exist.
"It seems the system has changed drastically after crossing dimensions."
Kyle muttered as he studied the options, a faint unease creeping in.
Somehow, he felt the modifications weren't as simple as removing pop-up traps.
On the shimmering interface, five basic icons pulsed with light: [Captain], [Backpack], [Partner], [Dock], and [Gachapon].
Following instinct, Kyle tapped the [Captain] option first.
Instantly, a new panel emerged.
On the left side of the display was a rotating 3D projection his exact likeness down to the smallest detail.
When Kyle waved his hand, the hologram mirrored the gesture perfectly. The model could even be rotated 360° with his thoughts.
"Hmm… not bad! I don't need mirrors anymore!"
"I like this feature!"
After amusing himself briefly with the image, he turned his eyes to the right-hand information bar.
It listed his stats:
[Captain: Kyle]
[Level: 0]
[Experience: 0/10]
[Total Combat Power: 0]
[Skill: None]
"…Truly the definition of a beginner's panel, but…"
Kyle frowned at the numbers.
"Even if I'm considered a small fry now, I'm still leagues above East Blue fodder. My combat power shouldn't be zero."
"And this skills section why don't I remember captains having skill slots in the original game?"
As if responding to his doubts, the data panel flickered.
Several bullet windows popped up, offering clarification:
[Experience: Every 1,000,000 Berries spent in the system grants the Captain 1 EXP.]
[Total Combat Power: Captain's Combat Power = (Crew Total Combat Power × Captain's Level × 10%).]
[Skills: Each time the Captain levels up, a random skill will be drawn from the universal card pool.]
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