The year 1520 of the Sea Calendar.
The East Blue sun sparkled across the ocean waves as a luxurious ship cut through the waters. On its deck, men and women twirled to the rhythm of a waltz, their swirling skirts carrying the scent of expensive perfumes through the air.
"May I have the honor of this dance, beautiful lady?" A voice emerged from the crowd.
A golden-haired beauty sipped champagne elegantly before turning slowly. Her gaze swept over the black-haired young man before her—tall and upright at nearly 185cm, with regular but unremarkable features. His custom-tailored suit clearly cost a fortune, yet the crooked tie resting below his collarbone and the askew belt buckle ruined any sophistication, giving him the gaudy appearance of a nouveau riche.
Her delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly before she took another graceful sip. "I'm afraid not."
With that, her high heels clicked rapidly across the deck as she disappeared into the crowd, leaving Bahr staring blankly at empty air.
"Tch, judging by appearances!" Bahr glared at the retreating figure, rolling his eyes as he grumbled internally: Today you ignore me, tomorrow you won't be worthy of my attention.
Leaning against the railing, Bahr watched a distant whale breach the surface and rolled his eyes dramatically. "Other transmigrators become overpowered protagonists or heartthrobs with beauties lining up for them. But me? I can't even get a dance."
Indeed, Bahr was a genuine transmigrator—formerly an overworked office drone who'd gone to bed exhausted only to inexplicably wake up in the world of pirates.
Born in a peaceful East Blue fishing village, he'd lost both parents to a storm at sea when he was ten, leaving only his grandfather to raise him. From then on, fate seemed to favor him extraordinarily—first accidentally consuming a Devil Fruit, then spontaneously awakening Haki during training.
This kind of luck practically screamed "cheat codes." Anyone would think him a chosen one with this level of Conqueror's Haki Luck!
Truly the transmigrator's law: no dead family members, no golden finger activation.
At twenty, when his grandfather passed peacefully of old age, the now unburdened Bahr gazed at the vast ocean and slapped his thigh—time to set sail.
Become a pirate? Please. Bahr would rather starve to death than turn pirate.
Join the Marines? Not a bad option, but uniforms came with responsibilities, superiors to answer to, and worst of all—playing lapdog to the Celestial Dragons. The mere thought made his scalp crawl.
Bounty hunter? The violent lifestyle didn't suit him either. He had no interest in living life on the razor's edge.
Nor was he some reckless youth ignorant of the world's dangers.
Though blessed with Devil Fruit powers and considerable skill in both Armament and Observation Haki, he understood well the ocean's perils—graveyard to countless prodigies.
The "Seven Warlords of the Sea," the "Four Emperors," the "Three Admirals," and the mysterious "God's Knights"—each could stir bloody storms across the seas with a single step. Add in all the bizarre Devil Fruit users, and one careless moment could send you feeding the fish below.
Even the strongest were still flesh and blood—they bled when cut, suffered food poisoning from bad meals. Hence his philosophy: stay low-key, avoid attention, and you won't become a target.
After much deliberation, being a carefree slacker seemed the most comfortable life—traveling around, witnessing the wonders of the pirate world, lounging on the deck sunbathing while admiring bikini-clad beauties, and fishing for clams. Such a leisurely life was far more appealing than chasing titles like "Pirate King" or "Navy King," wasn't it?
As for needing Berries to live freely? What a joke! In this dog-eat-dog world of the seas, Bahr possessed a Devil Fruit ability and had awakened Haki. Why would he ever worry about lacking Berries?
After all, he had no grand ambitions. Why throw away a life of ease just to pointlessly clash with the big shots and end up battered and bruised? That would be pure foolishness!
At this thought, Bahr couldn't help but smirk. Titles like "World's Strongest," "Pirate King," or "Navy King" meant nothing to him compared to the sheer comfort of lounging on the deck, surrounded by beauties, living as a happy slacker.
If he had to be a king, he'd be the one and only "Sea Clam King."
Just as Bahr perked up, his eyes darting through the crowd in search of his next target, a deafening BOOM echoed in the distance. A cannonball trailing black smoke came flying toward them.
With a loud BANG, the projectile struck the ship, sending the entire cruise liner lurching violently.
Bahr's sharp eyes caught sight of the blonde beauty who had rejected him earlier, now stumbling and about to fall. Instantly energized, he dashed forward, striking a classic movie-hero pose—his left arm wrapping around her slender waist while his right hand dramatically brushed aside nonexistent bangs. "Are you alright, fair lady?" he asked suavely.
"Th-thank you..." the blonde stammered, still trembling from the shock.
"Think nothing of it!" Bahr straightened his vest, its golden buttons gleaming, and flashed what he believed to be a dashing smile, lowering his voice. "A gentleman like me could never stand idly by while a beautiful lady takes a fall."
The blonde's lips twitched slightly as she subtly pushed him away and took a step back.
Bahr paid it no mind. When fishing for clams, one had to be shameless. If you were already plotting to backstab someone, what did a little rejection matter?
Just then, a panicked shriek came from the lookout: "Their ship flies the Skull Anchor Flag—it's the Iron Anchor Pirates, with a bounty of 15.5 million Berries!"
15.5 million Berries—in the East Blue, that was undeniably a "great pirate" level. The deck erupted into chaos as noblewomen screamed and scrambled toward the cabins.
The blonde beauty turned deathly pale, her grip tightening on Bahr's hand as she trembled uncontrollably.
Bahr's heart soared. This is my chance! He gently patted her hand and reassured her, "Don't worry. With me here, I'd give my life for you."
In moments of sheer terror, people clung to any lifeline. The blonde instinctively wrapped her arms around Bahr's, seeking safety in his sturdy frame.
Feeling the softness pressed against his arm, Bahr couldn't suppress a wild grin. Glancing at the approaching pirate ship, he declared, "Fair lady, behold as I put on a spectacular show just for you."
A bunch of small-time pirates? They were nothing. This was the perfect stage for him to show off—no, to shine. Since they'd arrived at just the right moment, he might as well make their deaths quick.
The blonde beauty froze in place, only belatedly realizing that her waist had been encircled at some point. She was gently led to the front of the deck when, with a strange ripple in the air, the man reached through nothingness and pulled out a longsword.
Witnessing this bizarre scene, the blonde beauty forgot all about his abruptness, her eyes widening and her small mouth forming an "O" shape.
The outline of the pirate ship became clear in their vision. Bahr raised his blade and swung—a razor-sharp slash shot across the sea's surface. With a crisp "crack," the once-arrogant pirate ship split in two and was swiftly swallowed by the waves.
Smooth as silk—perfect.
Silence instantly fell over the scene. Bahr "gracefully" sheathed his sword and looked down at the stunned blonde beauty. "Well, my fair lady, did you enjoy the performance?"
The blonde beauty stared at him blankly, her eyes filled with shock and curiosity, her voice trembling slightly. "H-how did you do that?"
Pulling a sword out of thin air, then destroying a distant pirate ship with a single swing—annihilating a crew with a 15.5 million berry bounty—was that something a human could do?
Bahr's hand idly caressed the blonde beauty's waist as a smirk curled his lips. "Consider it a magic trick performed just for you, my lovely lady."
In truth, it wasn't magic—it was his Devil Fruit ability: the Space Fruit.
A Devil Fruit involving space was naturally overpowered, allowing him to manipulate the very fabric of "space"—spatial cutting, storage, teleportation, barriers, transference, and so on... all incredibly potent abilities.
The earlier slash wasn't spatial cutting but a pure flying slash. He'd practiced swordsmanship simply because it looked cool—a surefire way to reel in the "pearls." Who knew he'd pick it up so effortlessly?
Don't ask why. The answer was simple: talent.
The blonde beauty's eyes sparkled, her gaze shifting from initial disdain to sheer delight and curiosity. "You can call me Daisy."
Bahr's heart soared with triumph. His hand slid an inch lower on Daisy's waist, fingers kneading gently. "Miss Daisy, how about we find a quiet place where I can... slowly unveil the secrets of this magic trick?"
Instead of pulling away, Daisy smiled coyly. "Then let's go to my room."
"Gladly." Bahr's eyes gleamed as he wrapped an arm around Daisy and headed for the cabin, leaving the noisy deck behind.
The cliché of rescuing a damsel in distress might be old, but it was undeniably effective.
Meanwhile, in a corner of the deck, a girl with short orange hair clenched her fists, staring intently at Bahr's retreating figure. A peculiar light flickered in her eyes.
If he could effortlessly take down pirates worth 15.5 million berries... what about 20 million?
PS: Sea Clam King is like to have lazy and leisurely life surrounded by beauties.