In the quiet depths of the forest, all was silent. Sometimes, silence could be even more terrifying.
Occasionally, a glint of light flashed through the dark undergrowth.
It was like the gaze of a predator spotting prey. If one looked carefully, they might notice a shadow hidden among the trees that didn't quite belong.
"Ah~ I really shouldn't stay up all night! My head hurts so much…"
A small voice of complaint broke the long-standing silence of the forest.
A pair of tiny hands struggled to support a body as small, confused eyes scanned the surroundings.
Nearby, unidentified creatures froze in place as if under a spell, not daring to move.
In this part of the forest, such loud disturbances hadn't happened in a very long time. Even newborn beasts, from birth, were genetically conditioned to blend into the darkness.
Those who recklessly exposed themselves like this were long gone—digested in the bellies of other ferocious animals, expelled as waste.
"Hmm? Where am I?!"
Squinting slightly, the child looked at the towering trees and the shrubs at eye level, instinctively waving small arms.
"What… what's going on?"
Staring at his delicate little hands, the child's pupils widened, his mouth agape.
"Am I… transmigrated?"
"Uh…"
With a sudden shout, the child collapsed unconscious with a thud.
Fortunately, the forest beasts had never seen humans before and did not dare attack recklessly.
[Ding! System binding in progress…]
[Ding! System binding successful. Host may silently think "System" to open the control panel.]
Two cold system alert tones echoed in his mind.
But in his unconscious state, he didn't seem to notice.
In a hazy dream, he experienced a vivid memory.
The dream was simple. At first, someone made strange sounds, and whenever he mimicked them, he received delicious food. Over time, he grew in the dream, able to move freely.
But every day was monotonous—eat, sleep, wake, eat, sleep, endlessly repeating as time passed and he grew stronger.
Eventually, he became aware of a "grandfather," who was very kind to him.
Until one day, "grandfather" suddenly grabbed him by the collar, took him to a terrifying place, and then released him—letting him experience true free fall.
He woke up, eyes wide open…
Though still bewildered, the memories instilled in him by the dream, combined with his knowledge of transmigration novels, told him one thing:
"Have I transmigrated? Or is this the world of my favorite series, One Piece?"
"And I've become the 'Child of Destiny'… Luffy!"
Standing up, Luffy cleared the fog of confusion.
Without any preparation, he had died suddenly in his sleep…
Back on Earth, he still had parents and family.
But he had been too obsessed with the second dimension. His parents didn't understand. Even though in his past life he was a famous content creator online with countless fans, his family still saw him as useless…
Thankfully, the country's two-child policy meant his younger brother had grown up. Combined with the money in his bank account, it should be enough for his family to live comfortably on Earth.
Hopefully, they wouldn't be too sad.
"And…"
Thinking of the stories he loved and the "adorable" people in the pirate world, Luffy's face lit up with a mysterious, confident smile.
Looking at his small body, he thought:
"Being Luffy means I already have excellent potential.
If I work hard, I can become a world-class powerhouse. And this body already possesses the most mysterious Conqueror's Haki among the three types of Haki.
The future me is destined to become a top-tier figure in this world."
"Ah ha ha ha ha ha… uh (⊙o⊙)…"
Still lost in his daydream, Luffy suddenly fell silent.
From the grass in front of him emerged a rat—the size of a husky.
For an adult, perhaps it wouldn't be much of a threat, but Luffy glanced at his small arms and then at the rat's teeth, wider than his thighs, and swallowed nervously.
Without thinking, he ran.
'I can't not run! I still have a bright future ahead. How could I become food for some giant rat—and one that hasn't brushed its teeth in years!'
He ran straight ahead, the enormous rat closing in rapidly.
Just as its nose was about to touch Luffy's rear, he instinctively scrambled onto a tree branch.
"Phew… that was close."
Perched on the branch, Luffy panted heavily.
"Looks like because the rat's body is so big, its limbs can't support it climbing… I just narrowly escaped. Luckily, I'm small enough that my strength is more than enough to climb this tree."
The giant rat hesitated below, realizing the food was unreachable. To avoid attracting other predators, it scurried back into the grass and disappeared.
Luffy sat atop the branch, quietly catching his breath, reflecting on his near-death escape.
He realized he had been too overconfident. Future strength was in the future; right now, he was genuinely fragile.
Suddenly, a dark green shimmer passed across his chest. Immediately, he felt a powerful force wrap around his body, leaving only his head and hands free.
A camouflaged poisonous snake coiled around him, its head opening into a blood-red maw aimed at Luffy's head.
Thankfully, Luffy reacted quickly, bracing his hands against the snake's jaws, avoiding being swallowed.
But after ten tense seconds, sweat dripped from his brow.
He couldn't fathom how the original Luffy had survived such a place.
Just as his arms began to go numb, a shadowed figure watched silently, eyes narrowed.
A gust of wind swept through the forest. The snake's eyes rolled upward, its strength weakening.
Seizing the opportunity, Luffy extended his index finger, stabbing both the snake's eyes.
After ensuring the snake's death, he retracted his hand, staring at the blood covering his fingers in shock.
[Ding! Host killed a common beast. Gained 5 EXP.]
"This…? A System?"
With that thought, Luffy's eyes closed again.
The discomfort of body-swapping, combined with repeated death threats, left him utterly exhausted. He fainted once more.
Within ten minutes of transmigrating, Luffy had already passed out three times.
Thud…
He fell from the tree into someone's arms.
The person wore a dog-headed hat and a white uniform, the cape behind him flowing naturally despite the lack of wind. On the back were two bold characters: "Justice".
"Tch… still need more training. Almost eaten by a beast like that. How can I become the strongest Marine like this?"
Monkey D. Garp looked at the sleeping Luffy with a loving, caring gaze.
If you want, I can continue translating Chapter 2 in the same fully web-novel style, keeping all system mechanics, EXP, and terminology consistent.
Do you want me to continue?