Time flew by.
[System Status]
Host: Monkey D. Luffy
Age: 17
Physique: 7.2
Mental Strength: 7.3
Swordsmanship: 6.9
Armament Haki: 5.0 (Intermediate)
Observation Haki: 5.0 (Intermediate)
Conqueror's Haki: 4.0 (Intermediate)
Special Ability: God-Tier Comprehension
Skills: Ultimate Yang Energy, Absolute Water Immunity, Beast Intimidation.
Combat Power: 6.3 / Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral!
...
Right now.
Surrounded by the endless azure sea, Luffy had finally set sail in a small rowboat, just like in the original timeline.
To be completely honest, he hadn't originally planned on becoming a pirate.
But when he really thought about it, the Devil Fruit he had eaten would eventually awaken into the Nika form.
The World Government would never, ever let him live in peace!
"They've been hunting this God Fruit for eight hundred straight years... Joining the Marines would be like serving myself up on a silver platter," Luffy muttered, shaking his head.
So, the moment he choked down the Gum-Gum Fruit, his fate as a lifelong pirate was sealed.
As for why he hadn't just refused to eat it back then...
Knowing full well it was a literal God Fruit, how could he possibly resist?
He wasn't a saint with infinite self-control!
Still, when he considered his options, playing the lone wolf wasn't his only path forward.
He could've gone to the Revolutionary Army and lived like a prince, snatching up beauties for his ship over there.
Or he could've joined Shanks, become a division commander, and done his kidnapping under a Yonko's banner.
Hell, at the very least, he could've tracked down his bro-con brother Ace and gone on a kidnapping spree together.
"Now that I think about it, I really am spoiled for choice with backup plans. Nepotism at its finest..."
Luffy broke into a wide grin. Nah, being the boss is still the best.
Tossing a chunk of dried meat into his mouth to quiet his stomach, Luffy gripped the oars and rowed with purpose.
A few moments later, a massive vessel loomed ahead. A pirate crew was in the middle of ransacking a luxury liner.
"Wait... are those the Alvida Pirates?"
Luffy knew the plot of One Piece like the back of his hand.
That luxury liner had the misfortune of being targeted by one of the East Blue's more infamous crews.
Captain: Alvida. Bounty: 5 million Beri!
In the "weakest sea," the East Blue, that was enough to make you a big shot.
Right now, the obese, hideous woman was swinging her spiked iron mace, cackling wildly.
"Tell me! Who is the most beautiful woman in all the East Blue??"
The pink-haired boy she pointed it at was trembling like a leaf.
"I-It's you, Lady Alvida!"
"Excellent! Gahahaha!"
Alvida was thoroughly enjoying herself, but a second later, her smile froze.
She spotted Luffy, who had quietly climbed aboard right below her, and her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
"How exactly did you manage to completely ignore me and just climb aboard my ship?"
"I'm starving. I came aboard to grab some food."
"Are you brain-dead? What's your name?"
"My name is Van—" Luffy answered instinctively, but caught himself just in time. "—Monkey D. Luffy!"
'I've been called that for seventeen years, it's a hard habit to break!'
'I can't just throw away my ultimate cheat code of a family background for the sake of my old pride!'
The name 'Luffy' came with an absurd amount of nepotism and plot armor. He absolutely could not lose it!
As for his original name... it was completely useless in the One Piece world anyway. To hell with it!
"Monkey D. Luffy... never heard of you. Are you a pirate too?"
As she asked, Alvida glanced around. Once she confirmed Luffy was completely alone, she sneered. "Just you? I thought another pirate crew had pulled up. If you know what's good for you, piss off before I slaughter you."
"Piss off? Wow, okay. Since you want to be a rude bitch about it, don't blame me for what happens next, you fat cow! I'll kill you myself!"
The moment the words left his mouth, a dead silence fell over the deck. Everyone was paralyzed with shock.
Over in a corner of the ship, an orange-haired girl watched the scene, her eyes wide as saucers.
As for the pirates, their jaws practically dropped to the floor in exaggerated disbelief.
"T-That guy... did he really just insult Lady Alvida??"
"He's got a goddamn death wish!"
"Get back! Move! Lady Alvida is gonna murder him!"
The pirate crew scattered like roaches, scrambling as far away from the impending explosion as possible.
Alvida ground her teeth together, the sheer fury making her chubby cheeks quiver.
"YOU. ARE. DEAD!!"
Consumed by rage, she didn't hesitate for a second. Her massive, several-hundred-pound frame launched into the air. Raising her iron mace high, she brought it crashing down toward Luffy with lethal intent.
Luffy's expression remained perfectly calm. Suddenly, a terrifying aura erupted from his body!
The very atmosphere seemed to warp instantly!
An invisible, crushing pressure blasted outward with Luffy at the epicenter, sweeping across the deck so violently the air itself seemed to roar!
Hmmm... knocking them all out with Conqueror's Haki isn't great for showing off.
Intermediate Armament Haki, it is. Harden!
BANG!
Luffy threw a single punch. Alvida was instantly blasted out of the sky, blood spraying through the air. The sheer force of the blow had nearly punched a hole clean through her torso!
"H-How is this possi—"
SPLASH!
Before she could even finish her sentence, her massive body crashed heavily into the ocean. She was out cold before she hit the water—whether she was dead or alive was anyone's guess!
"That's it?"
Luffy looked genuinely disappointed. He thought the woman might actually put up a fight.
It figured. In a backwater like the East Blue, using Armament Haki against fodder pirates was like bringing a nuke to a knife fight!
Watching the scene unfold, the remaining pirates were left staring in absolute, slack-jawed horror.
"H-He one-shot the Captain?? He's a goddamn monster! RUN!"
The pirates decisively abandoned their loot, scrambling back onto their own ship and fleeing for their lives.
Terrified that Luffy would hand out a one-hit KO to each of them next.
In less than thirty seconds, dozens of pirates had vanished without a trace.
They say fear is the ultimate motivator, and clearly, they weren't wrong.
"Are you just waiting around to die?" Luffy shot a sideways glance at Koby.
He wasn't like the original Luffy. He had zero interest in befriending someone whose life goal was to become a Marine Admiral.
Their paths were fundamentally opposed. Plus, the kid was a notorious coward—a trait Vance despised more than anything.
"P-Please don't kill me! I'm leaving right now!"
Koby, sobbing with snot running down his face, frantically scrambled to lower one of the liner's lifeboats and rowed away as fast as his skinny arms could manage.
Luffy: "..."
'Well, letting him run off doesn't exactly affect my plans, I guess?'
Just as he was shaking his head in disdain, Luffy suddenly frowned and whipped his head around.
A smirk touched his lips. Like a rocket, he launched himself across the deck, landing squarely in front of the orange-haired girl.
"Eek!!"
The girl let out a terrified shriek, nearly fainting on the spot.
She froze in shock for a few seconds before frantically clutching her bundle of stolen loot tightly to her chest, too terrified to move as Luffy clamped a heavy hand onto her shoulder.
"Everyone else was free to run, but you are staying right here!"
Nami was absolutely stunned.
Did he just teleport? This guy is a total monster!
"I've been keeping an eye on you since I got here. Sneaking around like that... you're a thief, aren't you?" Luffy gave her a blindingly bright smile.
Nami forced an awkward laugh and shook her head. Her bright eyes widened in a flattering, pleading look, and she spoke in her sweetest, most delicate voice.
"I'm just a little thief! I'm completely harmless, I swear! P-Please don't kill me?"
As she spoke, she purposefully shifted to show off her impressive assets, shamelessly attempting to play the honey trap card.
"Then let's give you a choice."
Luffy flashed his trademark grin. At the same time, he discreetly coated his crotch in Armament Haki just in case she tried a sudden cheap shot. "Become a member of my crew, or die. Which is it going to be?"
IS THAT EVEN A CHOICE??
Nami was screaming internally at the sheer absurdity of it all!
But given that Luffy's fists were basically weapons of mass destruction, refusing wasn't an option. She nodded frantically, bobbing her head like a chicken pecking at grain.
"O-Okay! I'll join your crew! Just... you have to promise not to go back on your word and kill me..."
Luffy nodded, but then suddenly froze.
Not because of anything she did, but because the System prompt chimed in his mind:
[Ding! Host has successfully forced a crew member to join! Canon Beauty Identified: 'Cat Burglar' Nami!]
[Congratulations, Host! You have earned one (1) Multiverse Anime Gacha Pull. Would you like to roll?]
"Roll!"
[Gacha Roll Initiated!]
--
Drop some powerstones~~