The world turns in the most unexpected ways.
One second ago, Mark was happily cooking a bowl of ramen in his kitchen while watching the latest episode of One Punch Man on his phone.
The next second, a harsh sea wind slapped him in the face, followed by the pungent smell of saltwater and the raucous cries of seagulls.
....
"Huh? Where is this?"
He stood staggering on the sturdy wooden planks, looking around with a blank stare. Before him stretched an endless expanse of blue—the open sea.
Around him were moored boats of unique and strange shapes. Yet, the most striking thing was the place he was standing on: a magnificent restaurant shaped like a giant ship with a large fish decoration on its roof.
"Baratie?" Mark muttered, his eyes wide.
Everything looked too similar, too accurate—just like what he often saw on his computer screen.
"No way..." Before his brain could fully process the situation, a door on the side of the restaurant suddenly opened.
Smoke billowed out,followed by the appearance of a slim man in a neat black suit, a tie, and blond hair covering one eye. He carried a tray of food with an elegant style.
"Sanji..." Mark whispered, almost soundlessly.
The chef's ears were surprisingly sharp. He turned, his brow furrowed at the sight of a stranger standing frozen and confused. "Can I help you? Why are you standing here looking so lost?"
That voice. That style. It was really Sanji!
Mark's heart raced—a mix of overwhelming excitement and sudden fear. He loved One Piece! But this world...was full of psychopathic pirates, corrupt marines, and sea monsters ready to devour anyone. An ordinary person like him might not even survive a day.
"Ah..haha,sorry, I was waiting for my friend here," Mark said, scratching his head awkwardly. Sanji wasn't too involved;there were many strange people on the sea. Their restaurant survived on its strength, so he didn't pay much mind to a young man who looked weak.
"This world is so dangerous..." Mark thought in a panic after Sanji left. "I need power! A system! Novels always have a system! If you exist—appear now!"
As if answering his desperate call, a transparent blue holographic panel suddenly appeared before his eyes, filling part of his vision. Foreign text was displayed on it.
[Multiverse Hero Template System]
[Activation Condition: User must imitate the physical appearance (hairstyle, clothing, accessories) of the selected template to access their abilities.]
[Please choose your preferred template:]
Three images appeared, each with a brief description.
=======================
1. Uchiha Madara
{Image of a man with wild long hair, wearing red armor with a fan pattern on its back}
2. Frieza
{Image of a purple and white horned creature with a tail and a cunning smile}
3. Saitama
{Image of a bald man in a simple superhero cape with a blank expression} =======================
Mark almost screamed with joy. This was too good to be true!
He immediately glanced at Madara. His hairstyle was cool, his armor epic. But... hair that long and complicated? Impossible to imitate quickly. Not to mention the armor—where could he get that in the middle of the sea? He'd be dead before he could find a craftsman.
Next, Frieza. His power was terrifying. But... he had to become a purple creature? How? Painting his body? That wouldn't come close to the original. And surgery? Forget it. His appearance was also kind of... scary.
Finally, Saitama. His eyes fixed on that shiny bald head. The yellow outfit, white cape, along with red boots and gloves.
"Bald..." Mark mumbled, running his hand through his thick black hair. He was quite proud of his hair.
But after glancing at Madara's picture again and looking at the vast,threatening ocean around him, he realized: unlimited power... just by imitating an appearance? It was the best offer—even if the price was baldness.
With a heavy yet hopeful heart, his finger pointed to the third option.
[Template Saitama Selected]
[Activation Condition: 80% Similarity]
[Current Similarity: 0%]
The other two images faded and disappeared from the panel. Now, only the plain image of Saitama remained.
"Now,the problem is how to shave it. Even if I had scissors, I couldn't do it myself," he muttered with slight frustration.
Mark heaved a heavy sigh. He sat down on the floor,leaning against the wall, staring at the endless blue sea. Many thoughts ran through his mind about future plans—whether to become a pirate,a marine, a wanderer, or just live a normal life.
As he was lost in thought,an explosion sounded in his ears, startling Mark.
He looked out to sea,not far away, a pirate ship with a straw-hatted skull flag was clashing with a marine ship.
"That's them," he murmured, his eyes shining. It was Luffy's crew fighting the marines.
Suddenly, Mark got an idea. He planned to wait for the Straw Hat crew to arrive, then find a way to approach them. With Usopp's versatile skills,it shouldn't be hard to make his hair shiny and create a Saitama-style outfit.
...
As expected, the group arrived. Mark was sitting by the door, looking very conspicuous. He had deliberately made his face look miserable, as if he had just lost his entire family.
Yet,they—a straw-hatted boy bouncing around, a beautiful orange-haired girl, a fierce-looking man with three swords, and a long-nosed man—only glanced at him briefly before continuing on their way, almost completely ignoring him.
"Wait! This isn't following the script!" Mark thought in a panic. "They should, especially someone as naive and curious as Luffy, come over and ask!"
Seeing them about to enter the Baratie, Mark immediately launched Plan B.
He cleared his throat loudly and spoke in a hoarse,trembling voice, trying to sound mysterious and authoritative:
"Ahem... Young ones, fate will always guide you to your destination, just as a boat follows the current. The person you seek will appear here in a few days. The god of death is sharpening his scythe behind you..."
The effect was instant. All four of them stopped in their tracks.
Luffy tilted his head, his straw hat almost falling off. "The person I'm looking for? You mean meat? Or a great chef?"
Nami immediately scowled, her eyes full of suspicion. "What do you mean? Do you know something? Or is this just a trick to extort money?" As a smart and cautious navigator, she wasn't easily fooled by strangers.
Usopp, who had been nervous about the fancy restaurant atmosphere, turned pale. "G-god of death? Behind me?!" He spun around in a panic, trying to look at his own back. "Really? I, the brave Usopp, am not afraid! But... please explain in more detail!"
The most striking was Zoro. His initially indifferent gaze instantly became as sharp as a sword. He turned around and stared directly at Mark, as if trying to see through the young man's soul.
"The person I'm seeking...What do you know?" His tone was flat, but carried a strong pressure. His search for Mihawk was something very personal.