Chapter 2 – The Dimensional Chat Group
"Eh… what the—?"
Borsalino froze.
A Dimensional Chat Group?
Wait a second—did his golden finger just arrive… decades late?
So he wasn't born without a cheat—it just took its sweet time showing up?!
Thinking back to all those years of brutal training, all the times he'd been crushed by cruel reality, Borsalino couldn't help feeling a deep ache in his chest.
It was like finding out there had been an open-book exam—but nobody told him until after the test ended. And worse, that test was the college entrance exam!
His emotions were a tangled mess. He thought of how he'd given up and settled into his current state—resigned, lifeless, and lazy.
Right, this was the world's fault. Definitely not because he was naturally lazy.
Yup. Not at all.
With that comforting self-deception, Borsalino chose [Accept].
---
[Ding! Welcome, Borsalino, to the Dimensional Chat Group!]
Borsalino has joined the chat.
[Kobayashi]: Welcome, welcome~ My, my~ Another new face in the group!
[Haibara Ai]: A newcomer? Judging from the name, sounds like a foreigner. Hopefully not from another weird world again…
[Orochimaru]: A new world, hmm… how delightful.
[Random Bystander Trying to Hug Protagonist's Thigh]: Holy crap! Kizaru?!
[Kobayashi]: Huh? You know this new guy, Random-san?
[Haibara Ai]: So suspicious! Every time someone new joins, you somehow know who they are—and you even changed your name to hide your identity! Don't tell me you're the mastermind behind all this?
[Random Bystander Trying to Hug Protagonist's Thigh]: I'm innocent! I'm just an average transmigrator! How could I be some kind of puppet master?! @ZhangSanFeng, back me up here!
[Kobayashi]: Come to think of it, all six of us—including the new Borsalino-san—seem to come from completely different worlds, huh?
[Zhang Sanfeng]: Indeed, this old Daoist entered before our friend Random, yet I too was not the first to join.
[Orochimaru]: The first one to join, and the one who rarely speaks... quite suspicious, don't you think, Jotaro-kun?
[Jotaro Kujo]: Good grief. Enough with the baseless accusations!
[Kobayashi]: Since Random-san recognized our new friend, how about you do the honors and introduce the group to Borsalino-san?
[Haibara Ai]: Kobayashi sure loves playing mediator. Honestly, letting them argue wouldn't be so bad.
[Zhang Sanfeng]: Harmony above all, young Lin truly understands the way.
[Random Bystander Trying to Hug Protagonist's Thigh]: Uh… @Borsalino a.k.a. Admiral Kizaru, can you see my messages?
---
Borsalino, who had been silently observing the bizarre chat feed, raised his head.
He glanced sideways at Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who was still droning on about strategy. Just as he wondered how to type in this strange chat, words appeared in the chatbox on their own—matching his thoughts exactly.
[Borsalino]: I can see you. Seems like you know me, young man?
[Random Bystander Trying to Hug Protagonist's Thigh]: Hold up—let me confirm something. Is this… the current year of the Sea Circle Calendar? No, wait—simpler question: is Pirate King Roger dead yet? Has the Marineford War happened? Who's the Fleet Admiral right now—Sengoku or Akainu?
[Borsalino]: Pirate King Roger was executed years ago. The Marineford War hasn't happened yet. Fleet Admiral Sengoku's still alive and well. Sakazuki hasn't taken over.
---
A faint, amused smile crept across Borsalino's face as he read the messages.
Well, well… another transmigrator, huh? What a coincidence. Too bad they weren't in the same world.
The Vice Admirals attending the meeting noticed Kizaru's sudden smile and instantly grew tense.
Had Sengoku said something coded—a hidden order from the higher-ups?
Why else would Kizaru smile like that? Was it the part about the growing chaos in the New World? Or that Headquarters planned to focus on suppressing pirate activity there?
---
[Random Bystander Trying to Hug Protagonist's Thigh]: Holy crap—you're not the real Kizaru? Wait, don't tell me… you're a transmigrator too?!
[Borsalino]: "Transmigrator"… does that mean 'prophet'? Funny you say that—there was a pirate I killed once who claimed the same thing right before he died.
[Random Bystander Trying to Hug Protagonist's Thigh]: Damn, poor dude! Just crossed over into a new world and immediately ran into you?! Talk about rotten luck!
[Kobayashi]: Sounds like Borsalino-san's quite the big shot. That dead pirate… was he your acquaintance, Random-san?
Kobayashi quickly stepped in to smooth things over—clearly worried the conversation might spark conflict.
He wasn't sure if this "Kobayashi" was the same one he was thinking of. Considering that he was currently playing the role of the Navy Admiral Borsalino, it wasn't exactly appropriate for him to ask directly.
[Random Bystander Trying to Hug Protagonist's Thigh]: Nah, we may both be transmigrators, but there's no connection between us. I was just sighing—poor guy probably died so miserably because he didn't have a cheat.
Seeing that response, Borsalino couldn't help but nod in agreement.
If he hadn't transmigrated into the young version of Kizaru, chances were he'd have already died in some nameless sea by now.
[Kobayashi]: Ah, I see. That's good then. But we still don't know who Borsalino-san really is. Could you introduce him to us, Mr. Bystander?
Oh, right! I'm Kobayashi, just an ordinary programmer who loves cute maids! That's all!
[Random Bystander Trying to Hug Protagonist's Thigh]: Sure, I can do that. But… Admiral Kizaru doesn't mind, right?
Hmm, guess I should introduce myself too. I'm just a totally average transmigrator—no cheat system, no noble background. My dream? To cling to the protagonist of Swallowed Star!
[Zhang Sanfeng]: Young friend, there's no need to belittle yourself.
I am Zhang Sanfeng, humble master of the Wudang Sect.
Borsalino waited for the remaining three members to introduce themselves, but no one else spoke up.
Then again, thinking about their personalities, that was perfectly normal.
Even if they didn't say anything, he already knew who they all were.
Still, it felt oddly amusing—everyone else chatting with their real names while he hid behind a pseudonym.
[Borsalino]: I don't mind. But when you say "from different worlds," what exactly do you mean?
Since he'd already decided to act under an alias, he might as well keep the role going.
Even if pretending served no real purpose for now, maybe one day, it could give some schemer out there a very unexpected surprise.
[Kobayashi]: Oh, I meant it literally! It seems everyone in this chat, including Borsalino-san, comes from different worlds or even different time periods.
For example, @Grandpa Zhang Sanfeng here seems to be from centuries ago—I even looked up his name online!
[Random Bystander Trying to Hug Protagonist's Thigh]: No, no, no… It's not about time periods. We're talking different universes! You're from a magic world, he's from a wuxia world—no way you'd normally meet!
[Kobayashi]: Well, I don't know about that. There's no magic in my world! Finding a dragon on the street sounds more like something out of a fairy tale.
[Orochimaru]: Heh… If you do happen to find a dragon, Kobayashi-kun, be sure to let me know. I have a keen interest in all… special lifeforms.