Drake woke to the sound of waves and birdsong.
For a disorienting moment, he forgot where he was. His body ached in places he didn't know could ache, and his mouth tasted like salt and dirt. Then the memories came rushing back the beach, the System, the boar.
Right. Not a dream.
He sat up in his bedroll, groaning as his muscles protested. The cave entrance framed a view of the ocean, waves catching the early morning light like scattered diamonds. It was beautiful in a way that made his chest tight.
His old life had been coffee-stained textbooks and fluorescent lights. This? This was something else entirely.
[Good Morning, Host]
[Daily Quest Available: Physical Training]
[Objective: 100 Push-ups, 100 Sit-ups, 100 Squats, 10km Run]
[Reward: +1 to all Physical Stats]
Drake blinked at the screen. "Are you serious? Is this a One Piece System or a One Punch Man reference?"
The System didn't respond. Of course it didn't.
"Fine," he muttered, rolling out of the bedroll. "But I'm doing the hunting quest first."
He opened his status screen while chewing on some of the fruit he'd gathered yesterday. His stats had improved, but looking at the numbers, he knew he was still weak by this world's standards.
[Status Window]
[Name: Drake D. Carter]
[Level: 2]
Stats:
[Power: 18]
[Speed: 21]
[Durability: 15]
[Haki: 5 (LOCKED)]
Active Quests:
• Hunter's Instinct (1/5 beasts defeated)
• Daily Quest: Physical Training (0% complete)
Drake dismissed the screen and retrieved his hunting knife from inventory. The weapon felt good in his hand solid, reliable. He'd need it today.
The jungle awaited.
The first beast came at midday.
Drake had been tracking it for nearly an hour, following broken branches and claw marks on tree bark. His Analysis Eye had leveled up during the search, now showing more detailed information.
[Analysis Eye Lv.2 - Extended range, reveals weaknesses]
When he finally found his target, he understood why the trail had been so obvious.
[Analysis Eye activated]
[Target: Tiger]
Level: 5
Threat Level: Medium
Abilities: Enhanced Speed, Stealth, Razor Claws
Weakness: Left hind leg (old injury)
The tiger was massive, easily twice the size of any big cat from Earth. Its fur was striped in shades of orange and black, and its claws gleamed like polished steel in the dappled sunlight.
It hadn't noticed Drake yet it was focused on something in the underbrush ahead.
Drake's grip tightened on his knife. The boar had been one thing, but this? This was a predator.
Use your advantages, he thought, his analytical mind kicking in. Analysis Eye shows its weakness. And I have the element of surprise.
He moved silently, circling around to approach from the tiger's blind side. His heart hammered, but his hands were steady. The medical student in him noted the tiger's breathing pattern, the slight favoring of its right side.
Old injury. It'll be slower turning left.
Drake chose his moment. He burst from cover, knife raised, aiming for the tiger's left flank.
The tiger's reaction was lightning-fast despite the injury. It spun, swiping with those razor claws. Drake barely rolled under the strike, feeling the displaced air whistle past his head.
Too fast!
He came up in a crouch, knife ready. The tiger circled him, golden eyes calculating.
This wasn't like the boar this creature was intelligent, a born hunter.
They moved simultaneously.
Drake feinted left, then dove right as the tiger pounced. His knife found purchase along the tiger's ribs not deep enough to be fatal, but enough to draw blood and make the beast roar in pain and fury.
The tiger landed and whirled with terrifying speed, injured leg or not. Its paw caught Drake across the chest, and despite his attempt to deflect, the claws raked across his torso.
[HP: 87/100]
Pain exploded across Drake's ribs. He stumbled back, feeling warm blood soak through his shirt. The wound wasn't deep his durability had saved him from worse but it hurt like hell.
The tiger pressed its advantage, lunging forward.
Drake's mind raced. Can't match it in raw power. Can't outrun it. What do I have?
His Analysis Eye flickered, highlighting the old injury on the tiger's leg.
There.
As the tiger leaped, Drake didn't try to dodge. Instead, he dropped low and thrust upward with his knife, aiming for the weak point Analysis Eye had revealed.
The blade sank deep into the damaged hind leg, and Drake twisted as he'd been taught in those half-remembered anatomy lessons.
The tiger's roar shook the jungle. It crashed down beside Drake, thrashing wildly. Drake rolled away, clutching his bleeding chest, and watched as the beast tried to stand on its ruined leg.
It couldn't.
Drake approached carefully, knife raised. The tiger's eyes met his still defiant, still dangerous. For a moment, Drake hesitated. This wasn't a monster or a mindless beast. This was a living thing, fighting to survive just like he was.
But this is the One Piece world, he thought grimly. Kill or be killed.
He made it quick.
[Combat Complete!]
[Experience Gained: 150 XP]
[Level Up! Level 2 → Level 3]
[Hunter's Instinct Progress: 2/5]
Drake sat heavily against a tree, breathing hard. His chest burned, and blood dripped down his torso. He pulled up his shirt to examine the wounds four parallel gashes, already clotting but still oozing.
"Inventory," he rasped.
The familiar blue screen appeared, but there were no medical supplies. Just his basic gear and some gathered fruit.
Think. You were a medical student. What would you do?
He cleaned the wounds with water from his canteen, gritting his teeth against the pain. Then he tore strips from his already-ruined shirt and bound them tightly across his chest. It wasn't proper treatment, but it would have to do.
[HP: 91/100 - Slow regeneration active]
"Slow regeneration?" Drake muttered. He pulled up his status screen and found a new line under his passive skills:
[Natural Recovery Lv.1 - HP regenerates slowly over time]
"At least there's that."
He gave himself ten minutes to rest, then forced himself back to his feet. The Hunter's Instinct quest wasn't going to complete itself, and he needed that reward.
The next two beasts fell easier.
A giant serpent (Level 4) that Drake ambushed while it was shedding its skin. A pack of wolf-like creatures (Level 3 each) that he picked off one by one, using the jungle terrain to separate them.
By the time the sun began its descent, Drake stood over the corpse of his fifth kill a massive bird with talons like swords that had nearly taken his head off before he'd driven his knife through its heart.
[Hunter's Instinct Complete!]
[Reward: +3 Power, Skill Unlocked - Basic Combat Lv.1]
[Achievement Unlocked: First Blood]
[Bonus Reward: +100 XP, Title: Beast Slayer]
[Level Up! Level 3 → Level 4]
Drake collapsed onto his back, staring up at the darkening sky through the jungle canopy.
His entire body was one giant bruise. Blood some his, some the beasts'covered his clothes. He had new cuts, new scrapes, new lessons learned the hard way.
But he'd done it.
[Status Window]
[Name: Drake D. Carter]
[Level: 4]
[Title: Beast Slayer]
Stats:
[Power: 24]
[Speed: 24]
[Durability: 18]
[Haki: 5 (LOCKED)]
[HP: 76/120]
Skills:
Active: [Basic Combat Lv.1]
Passive: [Analysis Eye Lv.2], [Fast Learner Lv.1], [Natural Recovery Lv.1]
He pulled up the new skill description:
[Basic Combat Lv.1]
[Effect: Improved hand-to-hand combat ability, basic weapon proficiency, enhanced combat instincts]
"Not bad," Drake said to the sky. "Not bad at all."
A notification appeared:
[New Quest Available: Warrior's Path]
[Objective: Defeat 20 enemies in combat]
[Progress: 6/20]
[Reward: Advanced Combat Skill, +5 to all stats]
Drake dismissed it. Tomorrow's problem. Right now, he needed to get back to his cave, treat his wounds properly, and sleep for about twelve hours.
He dragged himself to his feet and started the trek back, his new Basic Combat skill apparently including an improved sense of direction. The jungle felt less hostile now, less overwhelming.
He'd proven he could survive here. He'd killed, he'd bled, and he'd grown stronger for it.
This is really happening, he thought as his cave came into view. I'm really in the One Piece world.
And despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, despite everything Drake grinned.
Because tomorrow, he'd get even stronger.
That night, after cleaning his wounds and eating a meal of roasted beast meat (which tasted surprisingly good), Drake sat by his fire and opened his System menu. There was a new section he hadn't noticed before:
[Achievements]
He selected it.
[First Blood - Defeated your first enemy]
[Beast Slayer - Defeated 5 wild beasts]
[Survivor - Overcame life-threatening injuries]
[Level 4 Achieved]
Each achievement had a small reward attached XP bonuses, minor stat increases. Nothing game-breaking, but every little bit helped.
Drake closed the menu and stared into the fire. Three days ago or was it three days?
Time felt strange here. Now he was a Beast Slayer with a System, a mysterious "D" in his name, and the potential to wield two Devil Fruits.
His brother would have lost his mind over this.
The thought brought a pang of something that might have been grief or regret. He pushed it down. That life was gone. This was his reality now.
"Day three tomorrow," he said aloud, the sound of his own voice grounding him. "Let's see what you've got for me."
The fire crackled, and somewhere in the distance, a beast roared. Drake smiled and closed his eyes.
He was ready.
End of Chapter 2