The sunlight slipped through the white clouds, reflecting off the circus tent and lighting up the empty steel cage.
Clark staggered out of the tent, his body still tired but his heart lighter than ever.
"This… is this really the world of One Piece?"
He stopped for a moment, staring at the blue sky. The salty air filled his lungs; the sea didn't seem far away, and the warmth of the light soaked his skin.
He hadn't felt such serenity in years.
___
A few minutes before he decided to leave…
Clark turned to the three prisoners who were silently watching him. He kept a neutral expression, then tossed them the keys without a word.
The bald man caught the keys but firmly shut the cell door. "Thanks, but we won't leave yet… you can go alone, young man."
"Buggy's pirates are far too vicious. If they catch you again, you won't survive…" said the second man with dark skin.
"With injuries like yours, trying to escape prison is asking for death," added an old man beside them, his expression filled with concern for Clark.
"I can take care of myself. Thanks for the warning anyway…"
He knew these three. They were native to this place.
When Clark had woken up, he thought he was in a dream within a dream. At that moment, strange memories had surged into him as if he were living a different life. He recognized the three from those memories.
He had originally been a young man in his twenties, an ordinary fisherman supporting his family—his mother, father, and younger brother. But on one tragic day, Don Krieg's pirates attacked his former home while he was away, destroying everything. His family was slaughtered, his only refuge in this world erased. When he returned from fishing, all he found were ruins and the same stories from the survivors… Clark's other life was as miserable as his own. Yes, they even shared the same name.
Those memories had ended badly as well—here, in Orange Town. This time, Clark had refused to run away again because of pirates. He decided to stand against Buggy for the villagers who had lost their homes. But he never even saw Buggy's face. His underlings taught him a lesson instead, and then Mohji the beast tamer accidentally killed him when his massive body sat on him. At his last breath, Clark had seized his body.
___
Back in the present, Clark felt sorrow and sympathy for his deceased counterpart. He muttered:
"I've gained your body… that means I've gained your life. Your grievances are mine. If I ever gain the power, I will avenge you."
The first thing that caught Clark's eye as he left the circus tent was a box full of masks, balls, and circus tools.
'I really am in Buggy's circus… This guy always made me laugh when I had a bad day…'
Clark smiled at the thought, then reached out and grabbed a certain mask from the box. A simple white mask with minimal decoration.
He used the box to hide his frail body, then held the mask near his face. At that moment, he caught sight of a mirror among the circus items. He took it and looked at himself.
His face was truly handsome. If it were cleaned up, it would shine—thick black hair, well‑shaped brows over eyes carrying a touch of fatigue and mystery, dark brown‑black irises, a sharp nose bridge, and a cleanly shaved face. He looked like a respectable man.
Overall, his appearance was above average—something he had only dreamed of in daydreams from his past life.
His hand holding the mask trembled… then stopped. He put the mask on his face and decided to leave.
But just as he moved a little further away—
a rough voice rang out behind him:
"Hah?! An escaping prisoner?!"
Clark turned quickly to see a huge shadow standing at the tent's entrance.
A sword gleamed under the sunlight, and wild eyes glared at him… one of Buggy's underlings had spotted the prisoner who shouldn't be free.
___
"You still haven't caught that thief yet?!"
Buggy roared at his men, making them tremble with fear. But at that moment, one of their comrades' shouts saved them from answering.
"Captain, this prisoner tried to escape. Maybe he's that thief's partner—otherwise how could he have broken out of the cell?"
The pirate threw Clark, now unmasked, onto the ground before Buggy.
Buggy glared at Clark with deadly eyes, then calmly moved his hand. It detached from his body and grabbed Clark by the neck, lifting him into the air.
"Talk, or you'll die… Where is that little whore?"
At first Clark felt dizzy, but as the seconds passed the sensation of choking became real. He felt like he would truly die.
But before he suffocated completely, Buggy's grip released him, and he fell to the ground, gasping greedily for air.
"I don't have much time to waste on you. Speak, or else…"
A second hand appeared near his throat holding a sharp knife.
Clark truly felt death close by. This wasn't the stupid clown Buggy he knew from the manga… The one before him looked like an unnatural monster who could take his life on a whim. A real, vicious pirate.
'Am I going to die at the start of my second life? Tsk. I'll be the most shameful among all those other transmigrators.'
Clark thought inwardly, staring at the hand pressing the knife to his artery.
'No. Maybe I can still survive if I use my vast knowledge of the manga… Stay calm and think… Buggy shouldn't kill me this easily.'
"I don't know anything about that woman, but I do know that if you hurt me—"
Before he could finish his words, he felt something cold and sharp pierce his throat. He clutched at his bleeding neck quickly, but the blood didn't seem to stop that way.
"How dare you say my nose is red and big!?"
From the way Clark had phrased his words, Buggy thought he was talking about his nose and killed him without hesitation.
Clark felt the strength leave his arms, and his consciousness began to blur.
'In the end, even in a dream I'll die without any meaning… how shameful.'
His awareness faded completely as he died, his body lying lifeless there.
…
[You have died!]
[Activation condition for the skill 'Returner's Clockwork Watch' fulfilled.]
[You have been killed!]
[Activation condition for the skill 'I Want to Become Just Like You' fulfilled.]