The morning sun poured down without restraint upon the boundless sea, dyeing the azure waters with a warm layer of golden light. The sky was crystal clear, stretching endlessly without a single cloud. Only the faintly salty sea breeze drifted gently through the air, pushing a slightly worn two-masted sailing ship forward at an unhurried pace.
The bow split through the calm surface, leaving behind two gradually widening trails of white foam.
Renji Kuro gripped the rough wooden railing tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning pale from the force.
His eyes were wide as he stared in disbelief at the vast, unfamiliar ocean before him—so immense it stirred unease deep within his chest. The memories of last night were still painfully clear. He had been lying on his sofa at home, snacking while watching the latest anime updates. Drowsiness crept in, and he had simply fallen asleep.
Yet when he opened his eyes again, the familiar noise of a city night was gone. In its place were the rhythmic crashing of waves and the faint creaking of sails and ropes brushing against the wind. Beneath him was a gently rocking deck, and before him, the damp breath of the sea.
A shift of time and space so utterly beyond common sense… aside from "transmigration," he could think of no other explanation.
Just as his thoughts churned violently, trying to make sense of this absurd situation—
Suddenly, it felt as if something had been forcibly stuffed into his mind. A dull ache spread through his head as a flood of unfamiliar information surged uncontrollably into his consciousness.
"Ugh…"
He groaned, clutching his forehead as he was forced to shut his eyes, struggling to digest the fragments of information that had abruptly appeared.
Moments later, he slowly exhaled a breath tinged with the scent of the sea. His expression turned incomparably complex.
Year 1517 of the Sea Circle Calendar…
East Blue…
The weakest of the Four Seas…
These keywords, when pieced together, pointed unmistakably to a world he knew all too well—
One Piece.
A world filled with dreams and passion… but also overflowing with danger and monstrous power.
After the initial shock faded, a chill quietly crept up his spine.
Renji Kuro knew the true face of this world.
Beneath the seemingly romantic and magnificent ocean lurked colossal Sea Kings—creatures as massive as islands, capable of tearing apart large ships with ease.
And the vessel beneath his feet—a mere two-masted sailing ship that looked utterly ordinary—wouldn't even qualify as a proper snack before such monsters. It would be crushed into fragments in an instant.
Even more terrifying than Sea Kings were the pirates that roamed these waters in overwhelming numbers.
Although East Blue was widely recognized as the weakest of the Four Seas, the number of pirates here was anything but small.
In this world, even ordinary civilians possessed physical abilities far beyond those of people in his previous life. Bare-handed combat and swordsmanship were basic survival skills for many.
With his body—that of an under-exercised office worker—
He probably couldn't even defeat the lowest-ranking pirate grunt.
This was nothing like the transmigration novels he had read!
Where was the overpowered start? The crushing dominance?
This was clearly a hell-difficulty beginning. One wrong step, and he'd either be devoured by sea beasts or die under the blade of some nameless pirate.
"Calm down… I have to stay calm…"
Renji Kuro forced himself to take deep breaths, trying to suppress the rising panic.
If something as absurd as transmigration could happen—
Then… by "convention," shouldn't there be something else too?
With a tentative mindset, he focused his thoughts and silently called out in his heart:
"System?… Cheat?… Old grandpa? Anyone there?"
After a brief silence—
A clear, steady, emotionless mechanical female voice suddenly echoed deep within his mind.
[Host consciousness detected… Myriad Realms Can System successfully bound.]
Renji Kuro's eyes lit up instantly, his heartbeat quickening.
A system! It really exists!
[This system is designed to assist the host in traversing the myriad realms and operating a can shop. The cans contain mysterious items from across the heavens and worlds. Upon opening, rewards are granted at random—they may be powerful abilities, miraculous treasures, rare materials… or even ordinary items. All depends on fate.]
[The system is currently in its initial activation state. Available can tiers are: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. The higher the tier, the greater the average value of contained items and the higher the probability of obtaining rare treasures.]
[The host earns points by selling cans to targets across different worlds. Points can be used to exchange for designated rewards in the system store. The store offers, but is not limited to: cultivation techniques, bloodline inheritances, divine weapons, and special talents.]
[For the host's convenience in conducting business in this world, can prices have been automatically converted into the local currency. Current world currency: Beli.]
[Price List:
Bronze Can — 100,000 Beli
Silver Can — 1,000,000 Beli
Gold Can — 10,000,000 Beli
Platinum Can — 100,000,000 Beli
Diamond Can — 1,000,000,000 Beli]
As the system finished its explanation, the corner of Renji Kuro's eye caught something.
At the center of the deck, five cans had appeared silently, lined up neatly in a row.
From left to right—
A dim bronze can, a gleaming silver one, a radiant gold one, a platinum can shimmering with flowing brilliance… and finally, a diamond can composed of countless facets, refracting sunlight into dazzling colors.
Renji Kuro's gaze swept across them, pausing for a moment on the diamond can priced at one billion Beli.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
One billion Beli…
Forget ordinary people—even powerful pirates with bounties in the tens or hundreds of millions would have to think twice.
Who would casually spend such an astronomical sum just to buy an unknown can with completely unpredictable contents?
This business…
was way too hard to start.