A surge of briny seawater jolted the unconscious Shao Feng awake.
Shaking his slightly dizzy head, Shao Feng scanned his surroundings.
The salty, briny sea breeze accompanied waves that gently lapped at his body.
"The sea?" he muttered, stunned. Why am I here?
Having nearly drowned once before, he always avoided seas or rivers.
Rubbing his aching head, Shao Feng stood up.
"A watch?" On his wrist was a strange electronic watch.
Do I own such a watch?
Why am I at the seaside?
Shaking his head, he couldn't recall anything about these events.
Could this be the legendary amnesia?
No, Shao Feng shook his head again.
He clearly remembered his personal details: Shao Feng, 25 years old, a "triple-nothing" person—no job, no girlfriend, no friends, living at...
"Forget it, let's not dwell on that." Shao Feng climbed up from the sandy beach.
"Huh?" he suddenly exclaimed.
When did my body become so small? I'm 25, but my body looks shorter than when I was a teenager, barely 1.5 meters tall.
Shocked, Shao Feng paled.
"Could it be? Have I stumbled into an even more absurd plot?" His first thought was of Conan, shrinking after being poisoned.
At that moment, Shao Feng's T-shirt hung on him like a long dress, and his oversized boxer shorts barely clung to his waist.
"What's going on?" Confused, Shao Feng looked around and spotted a cluster of buildings nearby—a small town.
Stumbling forward, he entered the town.
Along the way, he checked his belongings: a waterlogged phone around his neck and a 100-yuan bill hidden in the phone's battery compartment.
With money, things would be easier.
Seeing the 100-yuan bill, Shao Feng felt a bit calmer.
Walking through the town, it appeared impoverished, likely a minority region. The people wore strange clothing, and the houses were all wooden.
Listening closely to their chatter, Shao Feng smiled faintly—they spoke Chinese.
No language barrier.
He could find his way home.
A delicious aroma hit him, and his stomach growled in protest.
He couldn't remember the last time he ate.
Following the scent, Shao Feng entered a small diner.
The place was packed with rough-looking, alcohol-scented patrons. Frowning slightly, Shao Feng sat at an empty table in the corner.
The diner's only server approached. "Hello, what would you like to eat?"
"Uh, doesn't matter. Something quick and cheap," Shao Feng replied swiftly.
"How about fried rice? It's fast," the server's crisp voice answered.
"Sure." Shao Feng nodded.
Soon, a plate of fried rice arrived—plump white rice grains, fat shrimp, golden egg bits, and an irresistible aroma. Shao Feng swallowed hard.
"Sir, that's 150 yuan," the server said cheerfully.
"150?" Shao Feng's appetite vanished.
"150 for this plate of fried rice?" Swallowing again, he said sheepishly, "Miss, I asked for something cheap. 150 is too expensive. Can I change it?"
"Expensive?" The server blinked, smiling. "Sir, this is already the cheapest."
"Damn." Glaring at the smiling server, Shao Feng cursed inwardly.
"They're clearly ripping me off as an outsider." Scanning the room, he decided not to make a scene.
He placed the 100-yuan bill on the table.
"Miss, this is all I have—100 yuan, not a cent more. Will that do?"
"100 yuan?" The server stared at the red bill. "Sir, you're not joking, right?"
"What's wrong, An?" a gruff male voice called out.
"Nothing, boss," the server, called An, replied, her face paling as she grabbed the bill.
Her panic caught the boss's attention. He stormed over, snatching the 100-yuan bill from her hand.
"What's this?" he demanded angrily.
"It's…" An lowered her head, looking scared.
Seeing her fear, Shao Feng thought, "Is she trying to scam me?" He spoke up loudly, "That's my payment for the meal. 150 yuan for a plate of fried rice!"
"Money? This is what you call money?" The boss slammed the bill on the table, glaring menacingly at Shao Feng.
Sensing something was off, Shao Feng leaned back, but the boss grabbed his collar.
"Kid, you think you can scam my diner? Boys, take care of him!" With that, he threw Shao Feng out. Two burly men grabbed his legs and dragged him outside.
"Wait, I made a mistake! Let's talk this out!" Shao Feng shouted, terrified.
"Boss, wait! This is his real payment… That was just a joke!" An suddenly yelled, holding up a bill marked with "1000."
The boss took the bill, then slapped An across the face. "You dare use my money to scam me? Looking for trouble?"
With a loud smack, An fell to the ground, blood trickling from her mouth.
"Hey, what's going on? Why are you…" Shao Feng started to protest but was shoved outside and beaten mercilessly.
All he could do was curl up and protect his head.
After a while, the men returned to the diner.
Wracked with pain, Shao Feng couldn't move. What is this place? Will I die here? Tears streamed down his face.
As night fell, an aroma wafted over.
Opening his eyes, Shao Feng saw An, the girl, crouching before him in the faint moonlight, offering a plate of fragrant fried rice.
Staring at the food, he swallowed hard but said stubbornly, "I don't have money."
"It's okay. It's on me," An said with a warm smile.
Shao Feng paused, noticing a bruise on her right cheek. "I'm sorry," he whispered, lowering his head.
"No need to apologize. Eat. You must be starving," An said, her smile like sunlight warming his heart.
"Thanks," Shao Feng murmured. As he reached for the spoon, pain shot through his body, making him wince.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were hurt this badly," An said, sitting beside him. She scooped a spoonful of rice and brought it to his mouth.
"Let me feed you."
Shao Feng blushed. Being fed by a stranger—a girl, no less—was embarrassing.
"Come on," An teased, smiling at his reddening face. "No need to be shy."
With no choice, Shao Feng opened his mouth, his face burning as he ate. After a few bites, An's stomach growled.
"You haven't eaten?" Shao Feng asked, startled.
"It's fine. I'll eat after you're done," An said, avoiding his gaze.
"Liar. This is your dinner, isn't it?" Shao Feng realized, his voice rising.
Under his questioning, An nodded slowly.
Sighing deeply, Shao Feng lay back on the ground. "Thank you. This is the best fried rice I've ever had."
"Did I hurt your pride?" An asked apologetically.
"No." Shao Feng shook his head. "You saved me. Your name's An, right?"
"Julie An. And you?" she asked softly.
"Shao Feng. Your name's kinda weird, like a foreigner's," he said with a faint smile.
"Weird? Your name's weirder. And you're carrying strange money…" An stopped, apologizing quickly.
"Strange money? That's Chinese yuan!" Shao Feng said, half-laughing, half-exasperated.
"China?" An repeated. "Where's that? It's not in the South Blue, so maybe the Grand Line or the New World?" she asked curiously.
"You're asking where China is? It's on the east coast of the Pacific, where the sun…" Shao Feng's face changed as a terrifying realization hit him.
Sitting up abruptly, he grabbed An's hands. "What did you just say?"
"What's wrong, Shao Feng?" An looked scared, struggling to pull away.
Seeing her fear, Shao Feng took two deep breaths. "Don't be afraid. I'm just excited." He released her arms.
An stepped back, eyeing him warily.
"You said Grand Line and New World?" Shao Feng asked, calming himself.
An nodded slightly.
"Do you know the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger?" he asked nervously.
"Gol D. Roger? You mean Gol Roger, the Pirate King. He died 14 years ago," An replied casually.
"Damn it. This is the One Piece world!" Shao Feng raised a middle finger to the sky.
After amnesia and shrinking, transmigrating to the One Piece world didn't seem so surprising anymore.