The sea stretched endlessly, flat and silent.
On a barren island stood a young man with short, messy hair. His expression was twisted as if he were battling constipation.
Gilgamesh had just watched a pirate collapse and die of starvation in front of him.
From the man's final, rattling words, Gil had learned the truth: this was the dreaded Calm Belt.
At first, Gil refused to believe it. The world of One Piece? Ridiculous. But the proof was right in front of him: gigantic Sea Kings surfacing now and then, the shredded tatters of a Jolly Roger clinging to a mast like a rag, and the decayed hulk of a pirate ship rotting on the shore.
There was no denying it.
He had transmigrated.
"In the real world, who sails a wreck like that? Only a lunatic obsessed with One Piece. If that's the case, all I can say is… what the hell."
A massive Sea King broke the surface, its fangs glinting. Gil's scalp tingled.
"So it's real. I've actually crossed into the One Piece world. Fantastic. I love the series, sure—but I'd rather not die in it."
He eyed the ruined pirate ship. Maybe—just maybe—he could use it to get out.
But the thought died quickly.
Even if that wreck could float, there was no wind here. No wind meant no sailing. What then—row across the Calm Belt with his bare hands?
Yeah, right.
And even if he managed it, how was he supposed to survive the Sea Kings?
Gil knew the truth: right now his combat strength was nothing. Trash. He couldn't fight a single Sea King. As for seastone? Please. Like this forsaken rock had anything that valuable.
The only option was waiting for a ship to pass and praying they'd rescue him.
But as a One Piece fan, Gil knew exactly how likely that was.
Ships rarely risked the Calm Belt. Even if they did, the Sea Kings turned it into a deathtrap. The odds of hitching a ride out of here? About the same as winning the lottery.
Which meant—
He was going to die.
The only question was how.
Option one: starve to death on the island.Option two: dive into the sea and let the Sea Kings eat him.
"Damn it… in this brutal, blood-boiling pirate world, being weak makes you no different than an insect. Here, strength is everything. Only the strong get to speak. If I had power, I could at least hunt a few Sea Kings for food!"
Growl.
Right on cue, his stomach rumbled.
"…Perfect. Hungry again."
He glanced at the corpse of the pirate who'd died earlier. Was he really going to end up the same way?
"No. I refuse."
In his old life, Gil had been a glutton. He'd eaten his way across the country. For him, food was art. Starving to death? That was an insult to his very soul.
He'd already ransacked the ship. Nothing but empty barrels, a few moldy maps, and a corpse. Not a crumb to be found.
He dropped to his knees, despair crushing him. Then he screamed at the heavens:
"You bastards! Everyone else who transmigrates gets a cheat, and you dump me here with nothing? No food, no water, and Sea Kings everywhere? At least let me die full! Give me a feast, some good wine, a girl or two—then I can die smiling! I'm still a vir—"
"Ding-dong. Congratulations, host. The Max-Level System has been activated."
"…Huh?"
Gil froze.
"No way…"
Then the voice came again, cool and mechanical:
"Congratulations, host. You are correct. You have successfully activated the Max-Level System."
"Max-Level System…" Gil tried to sound calm, but his pulse raced. A system! A cheat! And just from the name, it sounded insanely powerful.
"System, explain your functions!"
"Host, the Max-Level System can raise any elemental or non-elemental ability to maximum level. For example, if you acquire the fire element, as long as you gather sufficient mystery energy, it can be raised to max."
Gil's jaw dropped. "Holy crap. That's broken."
"Ding. Host has unlocked the Newcomer Pack. Would you like to open it?"
"…There's a Newcomer Pack too?"