NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1: CH 1
Sea Circle Calendar 1520.
East Blue, Syrup Village.
At the top of the hill, the handsome Bai Yu, with his short black hair, looked at the lively celebration scene below and murmured:
"It's a cruel world. If you don't fight for yourself, you can only end up as someone like Monkey D. Luffy's little brother, a stepping stone, or just part of the background."
"And in a world of the strong, there's no place for the weak. Since I'm here, I might as well turn the world upside down."
"Brother Bai Yu, what are you talking about? What do you mean by little brother or background?"
A girl with pale yellow, shoulder-length hair and a light blue dress trotted over, her bright eyes flashing with curiosity as she asked, "Why did you run up here?"
Bai Yu looked at the little girl, who had stopped to catch her breath. He reached out to wipe the sweat off her forehead and said softly, "Kaya, if you're not feeling well, you should rest properly. It's windy up here."
"Alright…"
Bai Yu's gentleness made Kaya's cheeks blush, but then she smiled sweetly and said, "Brother Bai Yu, while you were training on the mountain earlier, two pirates came to the village."
"One of them was really amazing. Luffy and the others defeated the remnants of the Black Cat Pirates, and I gave them a ship. They're celebrating going out to sea. Brother Bai Yu, let's go to the banquet!"
"Alright."
Bai Yu nodded. It was time for him to set sail.
"Ahhh!"
Kaya yelped as Bai Yu suddenly picked her up and jumped down from the top of the hill.
"Don't be scared, we'll land soon…" Seeing Kaya's frightened expression but noticing the bright light in her eyes, Bai Yu couldn't help but chuckle.
"I trust you, Brother Bai Yu," Kaya said, her eyes sparkling.
Since the day she rescued Bai Yu a year ago, her once-mundane life had become much more colorful.
One year ago.
Bai Yu had mysteriously awakened in the world of One Piece, unconscious and lying in Kaya's courtyard. She had kindly rescued him and nursed him back to health.
At that time, Kaya was grieving the loss of her parents, who had been murdered by her treacherous butler, Klahadore (actually Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates).
Bai Yu's presence brought light into Kaya's life, and her health gradually improved. She eventually agreed to become his ship's doctor.
"It's already been a year…"
With Kaya by his side, Bai Yu's mind drifted back to his arrival in this dangerous world. His body had inexplicably reverted to that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old, and after an initial period of panic, he quickly adapted to the reality of living in the pirate-infested East Blue.
The world, however, was far from safe—especially with Captain Kuro lurking as Kaya's butler. If Kaya hadn't found Bai Yu first, Kuro might have killed him outright to prevent interference with his plans.
Fortunately, Bai Yu had a system.
Upon waking, the system activated:
[Newbie Gift Pack: Primary Physical Enhancement Card, Primary Swordsman Growth Experience Card, Primary Conqueror's Haki.]
After strengthening his body and combining his newfound swordsmanship skills and Haki, Bai Yu wasted no time. He swiftly cut down Kuro in a single strike.
Kaya had fainted from grief, but when she awoke, she realized Bai Yu had saved her from a terrible fate.
Over the past year, Bai Yu had trained diligently. Perhaps due to the rigorous training or the nutritious food in the pirate world, he had grown taller and stronger. Despite his progress, he still felt a sense of urgency.
The Grand Line was full of monsters, and strength was the only thing that mattered.
"The Straw Hat Pirates have just set sail? Perfect timing."
Landing gracefully on the ground, Bai Yu took Kaya's hand and led her toward the banquet. His eyes sparkled with anticipation.
"I've been waiting for this moment!"
Bai Yu's system was peculiar.
It had two core features:
1. Whenever you recruit a notable female character into your crew (or as a subordinate), regardless of whether it's genuine or not, you earn a random reward from any universe. Rewards can include items, abilities, characters, and more, with a chance for optimization.
2. You can permanently integrate all the strengths of your crew/subordinates, including their physical abilities, mental capabilities, combat experience, and unique powers.
While there was no explicit rule that his crew had to consist of women, the system's lottery feature only activated upon recruiting female characters.
This meant Bai Yu's targets were primarily famous women from major powers: the Marines, the Revolutionary Army, the Four Emperors, and the Shichibukai.
"If that's how it works, let the storm hit harder!"
Bai Yu glanced at his system panel:
Host: Bai Yu
Physical Strength: ★★★
Mental Strength: ★★★★
Swordsmanship: ★★★
Armament Haki: Beginner
Observation Haki: Intermediate
Conqueror's Haki: Intermediate
Special Abilities: None
Number of Draws: None
Basic Combat Power: ★★★ / Elite Rear Admiral-level
Additional Combat Power: None
Meanwhile, on the coast of Syrup Village, the Straw Hat Pirates and the villagers were celebrating near a small boat.
The hat-wearing foodie (Luffy), the green-haired swordsman with no sense of direction (Zoro), the long-nosed liar (Usopp), and the orange-haired treasure lover (Nami) were enjoying the festivities.
"You know, as Captain Usopp, it's only natural I joined your crew! But you guys—"
Usopp froze mid-brag, coughing nervously as he spotted Bai Yu approaching from the distance. His face flushed as he stammered, "It's him! It's him!"
Luffy tilted his head curiously. "Who's that?"
Usopp leaned in, whispering, "That's Bai Yu. We only just defeated the Black Cat Pirates, but I heard he killed Captain Kuro with a single strike…"
"With one strike?"
Zoro's hand instinctively went to his sword, his eyes gleaming with interest.
"Whoa! That's amazing! I want to—mmph!" Luffy began shouting excitedly, only for Usopp to cover his mouth.
"Don't say anything! He's a monster. I once saw him split a hill in two… from a distance," Usopp muttered, trembling at the memory.