The Grand Line. An unnamed, desolate island.
A battered wreck of a pirate ship sat moored against the shore, the rhythmic groaning of splintering timber echoing through the air.
"Drake, the ship's finished," said a tall, lean young man. Clad in leather boots, his sharp eyes flickered with a piercing intensity as he looked down at the youth lying beneath a tree.
Vale D. Drake opened his eyes slowly. He had been in this world for exactly one week.
In his previous life, he was a citizen of Earth's Huaxia. One night, in the heat of an intense gaming session during the quiet hours, a sudden wave of vertigo had swept over him, and he woke up here—in the world of One Piece.
From the memories of the body's previous owner, he learned that his predecessor shared the same name. More importantly, he was Luffy's third older brother.
In this world, Luffy didn't just have two brothers; there were four of them. And Drake was the third.
The Paramount War at Marineford was now a mere ten days away.
Like his brothers, Drake harbored the ambition of becoming a pirate. Since childhood, he, Luffy, Ace, and Sabo had shared the same dream of absolute freedom. Tragically, in the hearts of Luffy and Ace, Drake—much like Sabo—had met an early grave years ago.
In truth, Drake's fate had mirrored Sabo's. He had been rescued but had remained in a vegetative state for years, his physical condition withering until he was even weaker than he had been as a child. When the soul from Earth crossed over, he took over the body, fueled by a singular desire to set sail.
He had eventually been saved by a man named Kenshin. Drake had just managed to convince Kenshin to join his crew as his first partner when reality dealt him a crushing blow.
God, it hurt.
They had nearly been killed, and their ship was a total loss.
Is this place even fit for human life? Drake cursed inwardly. When he first arrived, he had nearly drowned. Not a few days later, he was almost devoured by a Sea King. Now, stranded on a barren, uninhabited rock, he could already envision his grim end.
He thought of Sanji and Old Red-Leg Zeff, who had once been stranded on an island and endured eighteen levels of hellish torment. It wasn't just a matter of willpower; it was a test of fundamental human nature.
"Other transmigrators get 'Golden Fingers' and overpowered systems," Drake muttered to himself. "Why the hell do I have nothing?"
As a fan of both webnovels and One Piece, he knew the standard operating procedure. When he first arrived, he had been full of high spirits, grandiosely talking his way into getting his "savior" to join his crew. Yet, the expected cheat ability was nowhere to be found.
[Ding! The Supreme Brother-Protector System has successfully bound to the host!]
"It's here!" Drake's body shivered slightly. His savior had finally arrived!
[Ding! In ten days, your younger brother, Monkey D. Luffy, will arrive at Marineford—the headquarters of the Marines and the seat of the most powerful force in this world!]
[As a senior Brother-Protector, leaving your younger brother to face such a desperate situation alone is strictly forbidden! The host must reach Marineford within ten days and assist Luffy in rescuing your eldest brother, Ace, during the Paramount War.]
[Warning: If the mission fails, the host will be immediately obliterated!]
[Ding! Detecting that the host's current body is too weak to survive in the world of pirates. The system is providing a Special Newcomer Starter Pack.]
[Ding! Congratulations! The host has received: Swordsman Cultivation (Swordsman Master level), the Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit), and one Spirit Sword!]
"Whew..." Drake took a long, deep breath. He knew all too well that in this world of "freedom," those without strength didn't even have the luxury of wanting to survive. His experiences over the last few days had proven he was woefully unprepared for the Grand Line.
But then, a wave of irritation washed over him. You damn system, it's bad enough you showed up late, but what kind of nonsense is that? You're saying I'm too weak to survive? I'm only in this mess because you took your sweet time getting here!
Drake kept these thoughts strictly to himself. If he offended this "Grandpa" system and it decided to go MIA again, he'd be truly finished.
"Open Status Panel," he commanded mentally.
[World]: One Piece [Host]: Vale D. Drake [Cultivation]: Swordsman Master (Note: Due to the fluid power scaling of this world, the system categorizes strength as follows: Swordsman, Swordsman Master, Great Swordsman, Sword Saint.) [Skills]: None [Items]: Mera Mera no Mi, Spirit Sword. (Note: Items are stored in the system's internal space. External non-living objects can also be stored.)
Looking at his "Swordsman Master" rank—the second tier on the list—Drake felt a sting of resentment. He was headed for the Paramount War, a gathering of the world's most terrifying powerhouses! This level of strength felt like offering himself up as a side dish.
"System, what does 'Swordsman Master' actually mean in the grand scheme of things? I'm going to Marineford. With this measly power, I'm basically just delivery food. They probably wouldn't even bother to eat me."
"How about... you just give me the Sword Saint rank?" Drake suggested tentatively, his heart full of hope.
He waited for a moment. Silence.
"Fine... if that's too much, I can settle for Great Swordsman. That's reasonable, right?"
A long silence followed.
"Son of a...! You think you're a big shot just because you're a system?! You play dead every time things get critical? Go to hell!" Drake exploded in a silent rage. He had waited for an answer, but the "dog system" hadn't uttered a single word.
If he hadn't felt the sudden surge of power flowing through his veins, he would have thought the system's appearance was just a hallucination.
This godforsaken system!
[Warning: The host has used malicious and injurious language toward the system. This is a formal warning. A second offense will result in the system detaching from the host immediately!]
"I... you..." Drake's eyes widened in disbelief. This thing was... it was absolutely infuriating!
"Drake? What's wrong with you?" Kenshin asked, staring at Drake's fluctuating, manic expressions with a look of concern.
He wondered what kind of captain he had signed up with.
"Uh..." Drake froze, then slowly sat back down. He realized the gravity of their situation. They weren't out of the woods yet. For now, he had to rely on this piece of work.
"Heh... hey now... Lord System, I was wrong. I shouldn't have been so arrogant. Please, Great System, show me the way out of here..." In his mind, Drake's attitude did a complete 180-degree flip. He was practically prostrating himself.
"Oh? Weren't you acting like a tough guy just a second ago? What happened?" the system teased, sounding amused.
I'll kill you... Drake cursed the system's entire lineage in his head, but his mental "face" remained subservient. "What are you saying, Great System? That was just nonsense. You can't take that seriously..."
"Hmph." The system seemed satisfied, though Drake couldn't see it. "At least you know your place."
"Regarding your current predicament, I can't interfere directly. However, I can tell you this: someone will arrive here shortly. When they do, you'll have your way off the island."
The system's voice grew fainter until it vanished entirely.
Drake sat there, stunned. Was he really just teased and then ghosted?