"Hey! You dare disobey the captain's orders?"
"Ark, why aren't you apologizing to the captain yet?"
As soon as Jaden regained consciousness, he was met with a barrage of angry shouts.
He blinked open his eyes to find himself tightly bound to the ship's mast, unable to move.
Surrounding him were a group of burly men in rough, salt-stained clothes, their glares sharp enough to cut steel.
What's going on?
Where am I? Is this still China?
Could it be… I've been kidnapped?
Before he could piece anything together, a sharp headache lanced through his skull, forcing his eyes shut again.
"Captain!" someone nearby sneered, eager to stir the pot. "Ark shows no remorse—he can't be let off lightly!"
The crew erupted in agreement, voices overlapping in a chorus of threats and demands for punishment.
Captain Corliss—his face twisted in a scowl—watched Ark silently. The boy hadn't spoken a word, hadn't even opened his eyes. That only made him angrier.
Amidst the chaos, Jaden finally managed to sort through the jumble in his head.
He'd been an ordinary office worker back on Earth…
…until a 100-ton semi-truck sent him flying into oblivion.
Now he'd woken up in the One Piece world—reincarnated as Kars Ark.
His new parents had died one after another, crushed under the boot of corrupt nobles. With nowhere else to turn, he'd joined a pirate crew just to survive.
But his conscience hadn't vanished with his old life.
Last night, while the crew drowned themselves in rum, he'd secretly freed several kidnapped girls.
Unfortunately, one drunk sailor had stumbled upon the empty cages—and tattled.
And now? Now he was trussed up like livestock, about to pay the price.
Just moments ago, he'd finally broken through the fog of rebirth and reclaimed his past-life memories.
"Hmph! On my ship," Captain Corliss bellowed, "no one disobeys my rules and lives to tell the tale! Men—execute him! Toss him overboard to feed the fish! Let this be a lesson to anyone who dares defy me!"
"Aye, Captain!"
"We oughta make him suffer first!"
"Yeah! He needs a proper beating before he drowns!"
The pirates surged forward, knives and cutlasses glinting in the sun.
Bound and helpless, Jaden's stomach dropped.
No way… Seriously?!
I've only been in this world for, like, three minutes—how is this already the end?!
This wasn't how transmigration was supposed to go!
Other guys got kingdoms, hordes of loyal followers, or at least a harem full of beautiful companions!
Why was his first scene a death sentence?!
Desperation clawed at his chest. If this was his last chance—
Fine!
To every god, spirit, deity, or system out there—East or West, real or digital—if you can save me, I'll worship you forever!
His mind became a frantic shrine of last-minute prayers:
"Buddha, save me!"
"Guanyin Bodhisattva—your mercy is legendary, please help!"
"Jade Emperor! Heavenly Father!"
"Great Sage Equal to Heaven—Sun Wukong, where are you?!"
"Mazu! Goddess of the sea—you're literally here! Say something!"
"God of Wealth—throw gold at them if you have to!"
"Praise the Fool!!!"
"Jesus! Amen! Is it too late to convert?!"
"SYSTEM! SYSTEM DADDY! Stop playing dead—where's my newbie gift pack?!"
Why does every transmigrator get tied to a mast first?!
He was practically shouting into the void:
"HELP! I'M ONLINE—THIS IS URGENT!"
And then—
[Ding.]
A pale blue screen flickered into existence before his eyes.
Cold, minimalist text scrolled across it:
[Host has successfully survived to age 18!
Multiverse Dimensional Summoning System activated.]
Who had time to read terms and conditions when a cleaver was swinging toward his neck?!
Survival instinct overrode everything.
Jaden screamed inwardly:
"OPEN THE NEW PLAYER GIFT PACK! ACTIVATE EVERYTHING!
ANYTHING—JUST HURRY!!"
[Ding~! Strong host request detected. Newbie summoning privileges granted.]
The system's chime sounded like angels singing.
At that exact moment, the fattest pirate on deck—jowls wobbling, muscles bulging—swung his greatsword down with a roar.
Jaden felt the wind of the blade. Cold sweat drenched his back. He squeezed his eyes shut.
Too close—!
Buzzzz—!!!
A surge of raw, alien energy erupted from Ark's body.
The air itself seemed to hum, as though an invisible string had been plucked across dimensions.
Without warning, a blinding violet light exploded outward—engulfing the falling sword, silencing the crew, and drowning the deck in eerie luminescence.
Pirates yelped, shielding their eyes.
"What the hell?!"
"Where'd that light come from?!"
"My eyes—!"
As the glare faded, a towering magical circle—etched with swirling, star-like runes—flashed into view, hovering at human height.
Then, just as quickly, the light collapsed inward.
And in its center stood a girl.
Petite. Pale. Radiating icy intensity.
Her short, lake-blue hair clung softly to one cheek, the other side revealing the delicate curve of her neck.
She wore a pristine white maid headdress and a classic black-and-white dress, ruffles fluttering in the sea breeze—adorable, almost doll-like.
But her eyes?
Those large, jewel-bright eyes burned with lethal intent.
With one slender hand, she gripped the fat pirate's wrist—hard.
His face turned beet red as he strained, but the blade wouldn't budge an inch. It might as well have been fused to stone.
In her other hand, she casually held—upside down—a monstrous weapon that defied logic:
A spiked metal meteor hammer, its head larger than her own, gleaming with cold menace.
The chain trailed down with a soft shink… shink… against the deck.
Silence.
Absolute, stunned silence.
The wind still howled. The sails still creaked.
But the crew—moments ago howling for blood—now stood frozen like startled ducks, jaws slack, eyes wide.
Even Captain Corliss, who'd been lounging with grim satisfaction, leaned forward, his narrowed eyes flickering with disbelief.
Ignoring them all, the blue-haired maid tilted her head slightly. Her voice—clear, melodic, yet laced with confusion—cut through the stillness:
"Where is this place?"
"...Could it be that Rem has been kidnapped?"