The group stepped into the town, only to halt instinctively at the sight before them.
Firelight danced between shattered walls.
Bloodstains snaked across the ground, glinting a dark crimson.
And at the center of the battlefield—
A black-haired young man was weaving around a powerful foe with blistering speed and footwork.
Ronan.
He swung a wooden stick, his steps so fast the path of his movement was almost impossible to track.
The pirate captain was covered in wounds, his body battered as if hammered out of shape, blood streaming down his face.
As for the remaining pirate lackeys—
One by one they lay in pools of blood, silent and still.
The few who were left were so terrified they could barely keep hold of their weapons, not daring to take a single step closer.
From far away, the old man spotted that upright figure. His pupils trembled.
"It's him!
The young man who saved me earlier!
…Who would've thought he was this strong…"
Beside him, the straw-hatted boy's eyes lit up, his grin stretching into an exaggerated arc.
"Whoa—this guy looks really strong!"
"Hey, Zoro, this guy's pretty good, right?
Wanna ask him to join us?"
Zoro's gaze fixed on Ronan, a faint edge of sharpness glinting in his eyes.
He broke down Ronan's movements with perfect clarity:
That strange footwork, the fierce techniques, the reaction speed beyond normal—
"High level of skill."
Zoro nodded, giving his evaluation.
"His footwork and techniques have substance… but—his power's a bit lacking."
The moment those words fell—
A hoarse roar erupted from the battlefield.
The pirate captain swung one final furious chop. The swing was still heavy, but sluggish now, his stamina nearly drained.
Ronan's eyes flared with battle intent.
His body slid, effortlessly slipping past the massive blow.
The next instant—
The wooden stick spun in his palm, releasing a humming vibration as force drove it into a rapid spiral.
Xingyi · Spiral Force!
When the stick thrust out, it tore through the wind.
The pirate captain's eyes widened, his throat not even managing a sound—
Before the tip slammed through it with ruthless precision.
"Crack—!"
Blood sprayed.
A captain infamous across East Blue, carrying a bounty of 3,200,000 beli—
Ended by a young man holding nothing but a wooden stick—
In a single strike.
Luffy's pupils gleamed, excitement bursting out of him like he'd discovered treasure.
"Zoro! I've decided!
This guy—I want him to be our crewmate!!"
The Ripped Sail captain clutched his throat, blood pouring through his fingers, his eyes filled with disbelief and terror.
He staggered back two steps, then—under Ronan's calm gaze—collapsed with a heavy thud.
Ronan smoothly pulled the stick free, blood running down its tip.
After a brief, stunned silence—
The remaining pirates instantly broke.
"The captain's dead! Run—!!"
Like wild dogs with their throats seized, they scattered in panic.
Ronan had just taken a step forward, ready to chase them down—
Shhk! Shhk! Shhk! Shhk!
Blades flashed. A figure moved as if teleporting, cutting through the chaos.
The cold song of steel and the splatter of blood connected into a single streak in the air.
The next moment—
Every fleeing pirate dropped at once, each chest marked by a terrifyingly precise slash.
Ronan's heart jolted.
When the figure finally came to a stop, he saw the green hair and the three swords at the waist—
His pupils shrank sharply.
—Roronoa Zoro!!
The green-haired swordsman calmly flicked the blood from his blades, then slid Wado Ichimonji smoothly back into its sheath, crisp and controlled.
He lifted his eyes to Ronan. Clearly, he'd noticed Ronan's reaction, and there was scrutiny—and curiosity—in his gaze.
"You know me?"
Ronan's throat bobbed once.
As a One Piece fan in his previous life, he recognized Zoro at a glance.
He just never imagined—
He would see Zoro in a world this real.
Not far away, the straw-hatted boy walked over lightly, his smile as bright as ever;
And the orange-haired girl stood with her hands on her hips, looking helpless—and alert—as she scanned the surroundings.
Ronan froze for half a second.
—Luffy.
—Nami.
Faces he'd seen countless times on a screen were now right in front of him, so real he could hear their breathing and footsteps.
As Ronan stood there stunned, the old man and his grandson ran over.
The old man's eyes were red with emotion as he grabbed Ronan's hand.
"Young man! You… you're alright—thank goodness!
This old man truly… truly owes you my life!"
Ronan gave a small nod, still trying to process the shock in his chest.
Nami walked up, glanced at the corpses on the ground, then looked at Zoro, lips pursed.
"Zoro, that 'Pirate Hunter' title of yours really isn't just talk.
A lot of people know you, huh."
Zoro snorted, but his gaze returned to Ronan.
"Those moves you used… they were unusual."
He stared at Ronan's stick and stance, his tone direct and serious.
"What's your name?"
Ronan took a deep breath, forcing himself to steady.
"My name is… Ronan."
The moment he said it—
"Ronan!!!"
A voice bursting with excitement suddenly exploded.
Luffy shot over like a spring, stopping right in front of Ronan. His eyes were so bright they looked like two lamps, his face full of undisguised joy and anticipation.
He thrust out his hand, his tone unusually solemn.
"Be our crewmate!!"
His voice echoed in the air, carrying a heat that could ignite hearts.
Ronan stared, stunned.
Zoro raised an eyebrow.
Nami pinched the bridge of her nose.
The old man and the child gaped.
But Luffy's eyes were locked on Ronan alone, the invitation offered without the slightest hesitation.
Ronan looked at the straw-hatted boy before him, a wave of unreality washing over his heart.
This person who had once existed only on a screen, on manga pages—
Now stood in front of him, carrying real warmth and light.
And then he looked to the side, at the short orange hair, the sharp, wary girl—
Nami.
Glancing around, he didn't see Usopp or Sanji anywhere—
In an instant, Ronan pieced together the timeline.
—The Straw Hat crew was only just beginning. Sanji hadn't joined yet. Usopp was still back in his village, bragging as always.
Which meant…
He was standing at the crew's purest starting line.
A moment where he could truly participate, change things, and even grow alongside them.
For someone carrying a system, yet still limited in strength after just arriving—
A reliable crew was the strongest support.
And this team, where "nakama" mattered more than life itself, was unquestionably the most trustworthy existence in the pirate world.
Ronan lifted his head and met Luffy's sincere eyes.
In that moment, something deep inside him was struck.
He let out a soft breath and answered solemnly.
"Alright."
"From today on… please take care of me."
The moment the words left his mouth—
Nami immediately crossed her arms, looking him up and down, her wariness unchanged.
"Hey, you agreed that fast…
You're not hiding some other motive, are you?"
Her tone was blunt, but her eyes flickered with a trace of guilt that vanished in an instant.
After all, she had secrets of her own right now.
Ronan smiled faintly, neither arguing nor getting annoyed.
And just then—
"Hahahahaha!!"
Luffy suddenly burst into laughter. He patted his chest, utterly confident.
"Nami, don't worry!"
"Anyone I pick—there's no way they're a bad person!!"
"From today on, our pirate crew is—four people!!!"
The boy's hot-blooded declaration shook through the ruined town.
Zoro gave a quiet huff, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly—an unspoken acceptance of the new crewmate.
Nami rolled her eyes, but didn't keep trying to stop it.
And just like that—
In the ruins where the flames hadn't even fully died down, Ronan officially joined the Straw Hat Pirates.
And in that moment, the boiling blood and qi within him gradually calmed.
The cultivation multiplier ended.
[Strength: 11 → 12]
[Physique: 11 → 12]
[Speed: 11 → 12]
Ronan silently clenched his fist, feeling the surging vitality within him, so abundant it nearly overflowed.
This is the world of One Piece…
A new cultivation…
A new journey had truly begun.