"Marco, Marco, are you alright?"
Sak, the Vice-Captain of the Whitebeard Pirates' First Division, called out anxiously as he stepped into the room.
Marco exhaled slowly, his voice carrying a hint of fatigue.
"I'm fine. I just felt a little dizzy for a moment."
Sak studied him carefully, unable to hide his concern.
"We are about to face the Marines in a full-scale war. You cannot afford to collapse at a time like this."
Marco offered a reassuring nod.
"Relax. I only need a moment of rest. I'll be fine."
Sak hesitated, then let out a relieved sigh.
"Alright. Rest properly. We still have some distance before we reach Marineford."
With that, he turned and walked out, leaving Marco alone in the dim cabin.
Marco remained seated, quietly staring at his reflection in the mirror across from him. The face that looked back at him appeared to be in his early forties, framed by rebellious golden hair and marked by the Whitebeard Pirates' emblem inked boldly across his chest. His eyes carried the usual lazy calm that hid a resilience forged by years on the sea.
The moment Sak's footsteps faded away, Marco let himself fall back into the chair, his expression darkening as the memory of his previous life's final moments surged through his mind.
He clenched his fists and muttered bitterly,
"In that world, being a good person really meant nothing. That damned woman. I shouldn't have saved her. I should have saved a dog instead."
Marco's past self had finally realized the truth. He had transmigrated into the world of pirates. Yet even after crossing worlds and becoming Marco, the anger he carried from his previous life remained sharp and alive.
Back then, he had been nothing more than an ordinary office worker.
On an ordinary morning, on the way to his job, he had spotted a woman jump into a river. Without hesitation, he dove in after her, thinking only of saving a life.
But she had no intention of being saved. Whether madness or hatred drove her, she pushed his head underwater, violently struggling as if he were the enemy she wanted to drag down with her.
They fought in the water until his strength finally failed. His former self drowned from exhaustion. The woman was rescued moments later by passersby.
After his soul left his body, he witnessed the aftermath.
In court, the woman wept as if she were a wronged saint. She told the judges that he had molested her, threatened her, then violently pushed her into the river. She claimed she had only grabbed him in fear, causing them both to fall in.
Her lies were full of holes, yet she spoke with confidence and wide, innocent eyes.
"No woman would risk her life and dignity to frame someone," she said.
Society believed her. He was dead, there were no witnesses, and the court closed the case quickly. They branded him posthumously with attempted rape, attempted murder, forced molestation, and intimidation.
He died saving someone and was repaid with a lifetime of disgrace that followed him beyond death.
Perhaps the truth would be uncovered someday. More likely, it never would. Ordinary people like him had no one who would fight for them.
Returning to the present, Marco rubbed his forehead and whispered,
"So I really transmigrated into Marco. But Marco is over forty and still single."
He sighed softly.
"Come to think of it, most of the Whitebeard Pirates are single."
His memories had fully merged, giving him a clear picture of his current situation. The Marineford War was only hours away. Ace was about to be executed, and the Whitebeard Pirates had already submerged underwater using coating technology, preparing to storm Marineford directly.
Marco let out a long breath.
"Great. I just transmigrated and I'm already marching into Marineford. How are we supposed to fight this?"
The power gap was terrifying. Whitebeard was their only true top-tier fighter, while Marineford had the Admirals, the full might of the Marines, and even Draconic nobles watching from above. The war was one-sided.
Marco had inherited the memories, but he wasn't sure if he could immediately wield Marco's full power.
He swallowed hard.
"Do I have a system though?"
"System, you there?"
In many transmigration stories, the protagonist had some kind of cheat. He clung to that hope.
[I am here.]
A calm voice echoed in his mind, gentle like an advanced smart assistant.
"The Attribute Allocation System is initializing for the host."
Marco's heart skipped.
"An Attribute Allocation System?"
Moments later, the System announced,
"Loading complete. Opening your Attribute Panel."
A translucent board appeared before him.
Name: Marco
Age: 43
Devil Fruit: Mythical Zoan Phoenix Form (Unawakened)
Haki: Armament Haki (Advanced), Observation Haki (Advanced)
Strength: 3500
Speed: 4400
Defense: 8500
Recovery: 45000
Stamina: 8000
Mentality: 4600
System Combat Assessment: Yonko Commander Level
Marco blinked at the neatly arranged stats.
"System, could you explain what all of this means?"
A new screen appeared, showing a hexagon with each attribute clearly marked. Recovery, unsurprisingly, stood out with its massive value.
The System explained,
"Strength, Speed, Defense, Recovery, Stamina, and Mentality are the core attributes of all living beings. Ordinary humans average around ten in each stat. You can earn attribute points by completing missions, and you may freely distribute those points."
Marco nodded slowly as the concept clicked.
"I see. Are there any missions available right now?"
The mission list opened.
There was only one mission.
Mission: Rescue Ace.
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This is something I've been working on for a while now.... please support me.