The serene waters of the East Blue were suddenly stained as a cluster of dark clouds gathered in the bright sky. In a flash, a bolt of lightning, like a giant dragon, twisted across the heavens, splitting the air and striking a small, remote harbor.
"Water… I need water…"
Teren lay weakly on a wooden plank. His throat was dry and cracked. With the last of his strength, he groped around until his hand touched what felt like a railing. He propped himself up, leaning against the cold surface. The touch felt like long-awaited rain after a drought.
"Water!" Instinctively, Teren cupped his hands, scooped up a small amount of the liquid, and brought it eagerly to his mouth. But what he tasted wasn't refreshment, but a sharp, biting saltiness.
"Blegh! Ugh, it's so salty!" The briny taste immediately cleared his mind. Even if he couldn't drink it, at least the seawater moistened his parched mouth.
With a clear head, Teren looked around. "Where am I? Wasn't I struck by lightning? I should be in the ICU right now, and my family would be enjoying a good meal while waiting for me to recover."
His gaze shifted to the stairs at the stern of the small boat, leading to a storage locker. "Whatever's inside, I'll just take it first. I'll pay for it later, I guess." Teren swallowed hard, then opened the tightly sealed storage compartment. Inside, he found a few red apples, a bottle of drinking water, a map, and a sharp dagger.
"Water!" Teren's eyes lit up at the sight of the bottle, as if he had found an oasis in the middle of a desert. He quickly opened it and gulped down every last drop. The cool liquid flowed, soothing his burning throat and restoring his strength.
"I'm alive! I'm alive!" he muttered as he set the empty bottle down, feeling an immense sense of invigoration. Water truly was the source of life!
Next, he picked up the map to figure out his location. However, he frowned. The map was mostly empty ocean, with two large, intersecting cross-like lines that divided the sea into four quadrants. The islands on the map were covered with strange, unfamiliar symbols.
"This layout…" Teren felt this wasn't a map of the Earth he knew. His premonition grew stronger when he saw a red circle with four large characters: "Goa Kingdom."
"Goa Kingdom, Windmill Village… and the East Blue," Teren mumbled, a creeping sense of unease settling in his heart. He looked around, and besides the island in front of him, there was only an endless expanse of ocean. His small boat gently swayed, moored in the harbor.
"This is the world of One Piece!" Teren took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He didn't watch the anime often, but he was familiar with the "Big Three," and he knew how dangerous this world was. He didn't believe the pirates here had the same sense of adventure as Luffy.
His real name was Teren Su, which sounded like the milk brand "Telunsu," but he preferred to be called Teren. He was confused about why he was struck by lightning, but more importantly, what he should do now.
Teren picked up the dagger and gripped it tightly, as if the weapon could give him a sense of security. But that feeling of safety was fleeting, as he realized a more serious problem. The boat he was on looked familiar. Its hull resembled a coffin, two candles on either side emitted a greenish flame, and its mast resembled a cross.
"That's right! This is the rowboat of the world's strongest swordsman, Dracule Mihawk!"
Realizing this, Teren immediately stood up. "No wonder there's only one storage locker and no paddles. The paddles must have been taken by Hawkeye! No, I have to get off this boat right now!"
But just as Teren was about to get off, a man stood on a hillside not far from the harbor. He had short black hair, sharp yellow eyes, and a short beard. The man wore a black hat decorated with a white feather, a maroon shirt, a black overcoat, white pants, and short black boots. A small, cross-shaped knife hung from his chest, and on his back was Yoru, the black sword famous as the strongest in the world. He also carried a small bag that seemed to contain provisions.
Upon seeing the man, Teren's face turned pale. "Dracule Mihawk."
Just as Teren saw Hawkeye, Hawkeye also saw the person getting off his boat. Teren now stood at around 1.9 meters tall and had a physique similar to Ace. He didn't know if it was the effect of the lightning strike, but his body had clearly changed.
"A foolish little thief?" Hawkeye muttered. "I didn't expect anyone to steal from my ship." He slowly walked toward him, in no hurry, as if in his eyes, Teren would die sooner or later.
On the other hand, Teren said inwardly, "I know you're there, System."
"Beep! System 35614 is ready to serve you, dear Transmigrator!"
"Hoo~" Teren let out a sigh of relief, then quickly said, "This is an emergency! Don't beat around the bush. Just give me a function or a 'Beginner's Gift'!"
"This system is a Companion Summoning System. Due to tightening regulations, the store is prohibited. However, rewards will be given randomly during a summon. As for your Beginner's Gift, it is one free summon. Reminder: the summoned character is related to the Host's mental state. Aside from after-sales issues, this system will not answer any further questions."
"Summon a companion based on my mental state?" Teren immediately relaxed, a slight smile gracing his lips. "Doesn't that make me invincible? With my mindset, whoever comes will definitely be a powerful individual. After all, only the strong appreciate each other." Thinking this, Teren smiled and said, "Summon."
A magic circle flashed in Teren's mind, and then the shadow of a man appeared. A tall and mighty figure with a sword at his side!
"Congratulations on obtaining your first companion! However, due to his conceptual ability, and to account for the current world and the reduction in power, one character will be removed from his conceptual ability description."