One Piece : Deathless Surgeon

"Yup, everything's packed up, Master! We're ready to set sail!" Anna shouted after checking our supplies.

"Are we really going to the Grand Line? I heard the sea is really dangerous there," Robin said worriedly.

I smirked, patting her head reassuringly. "Hmm… You don't have to worry about anything, little Robin. After all, I'll be there to protect you."

I was strong now—strong enough that the first half of the Grand Line held little danger for me. Well, except for the Marines, but hey, I'm not a pirate.

As long as I stay under the radar, the World Government won't pay much attention to me. At least, not yet. I still had a lot of work to do—collecting the best genes and Devil Fruits. Blackbeard's genes, in particular, were crucial since they could allow me to combine multiple fruits, creating an unbeatable combination.

But my real ace? A certain Devil Fruit. It took me over ten years in this world to realize just how essential it was to my plans. And the best part? I doubt anyone could guess which one.

It's better that way. Gotta keep some mystery, it makes me seem cooler.

And when I am done with all of my plans, then it will not be me who hides, but the world government, who will pray that I don't look towards them.

But for now, the Grand Line awaits.

Lately, I'd been thinking—I've been too goal-oriented since arriving in this world that I never really took the time to just relax. Well compared to others of this world, I was practically living in a vacation, but I like to keep my procrastination standards high.

Luffy in the original work had blitzed his way through the first half of the Grand Line in a matter of months, but I'm not Luffy. I plan to take my time, explore every island, and enjoy myself.

No, I am not that lazy, mind you, there was also a practical reason for this—before setting foot in the New World, I needed to reach at least Admiral level. That place was dangerous. I should at least be strong enough to fight as equals to Kaido and Big Mom. Let's ignore Whitebeard for now..

After that? Well, then I'd head to Sky Island, set up my base, and start spreading rumors about how I've ruled Heaven for eons.

No particular reason—just felt like flexing. And once I had an army of powerful "angels" under my command, who would argue with me?

And even the world government might just believe it, like who would believe I achieved all that in a decade. Compared to that, an ancient god ruling heavens for eons is much more believable.

As for my current strength, my Observation Haki was improving at an insane rate. I'd originally thought I'd need life-or-death battles to push it forward, but apparently, stacking Shanks and Roger's talent, then enhancing it further, did just the trick. At this rate, I think I would become a top-tier Haki powerhouse in no time.

Okay, enough overthinking for now, time to set sail.

"Alright everyone! Let's go—cheers to new adventures!" I shouted as we left the dock.

This time, I had a proper crew—about twenty people. After my last voyage, I learned my lesson: going without a crew was stupid. Mihawk is an exception.

So I sat at Loguetown's docks, fishing peacefully, catching talented navigators, snipers and sailors from different pirate crews, mind-controlled them, wiped out their previous crews, cashed in their bounties, and took them with me. Perfectly disposable and skilled crew.

Ofcourse Anna knows everything about it, but I told Robin that they are volunteers who joined us, and would leave later.....maybe that was stupid of me...that girl's too smart for her own good...she might have figured it out.

With an complete crew, I had no worries.

I also stocked up on supplies, including ten Log Poses (because knowing my luck, a few would break) and a handful of Eternal Poses—to Alabasta, Water 7, Jaya, and Sabaody. My route would mostly follow the Log Pose, but having backups was always a good idea.

And of course, I'd have to visit Skypiea. Not for anything specific—just to scout my future kingdom.

"Alright, everyone! We're back at Reverse Mountain," I announced.

Then I frowned at the towering, ridiculous death trap in front of us.

"Yeah… I'm still not climbing this shit."

ROOM.

Teleport.

And just like that, we were in the Grand Line.

No island whale attacks, no dangerous rapids—just an instant shortcut. Because why struggle when you can just relax? I enjoy my life pefectly risk-free, thank you.

Still, moments like these reminded me that if I wanted to keep enjoying this life—or even enhancing it—I needed to keep growing stronger. The ultimate goal wasn't just strength. It was freedom.

Some say immortality is a curse. Maybe. But if I became strong enough to leave this world and explore the multiverse, I'd never run out of things to do. Infinite worlds mean infinite adventure. I figure it'll take me a few thousand years before I get bored.

And, of course, I already had a grand goal—becoming a God.

Not just of this world—all worlds. Wouldn't they all benefit from a merciful, benevolent deity like me? So, for the greater good, I must sacrifice myself and rule over everyone.

"Lord Alexander, there are seven possible routes from here. Which one should we take?" one of my NPC navigators asked.

Ugh. Right. The Grand Line splits into seven routes, all eventually leading to Sabaody Archipelago. The problem? I only knew the details of Luffy's route. And all my Eternal Poses were for that path.

So obviously, we were taking the same one. Maybe I'd check out the others later, once I had free time after becoming God.

"We're taking the Alabasta route. After that, we'll go buy a new ship at Water 7," I decided.

"Alabasta? I heard it's one of the largest islands in the world," Robin chimed in, our very own walking little encyclopedia. "A supermassive desert kingdom with a population of several million."

Alabasta, huh? A country with deep ties to history. Ruled by the descendants of Nefertari D. Lily—the one who was rumored to have spread the Poneglyphs. In this country also lied the poneglyph mentioning the resting place of Pluton… not that I needed to see it though.

Pluton was in Wano, which would eventually belong to me. So naturally, Pluton belonged to me, too.

The World Government most likely had an Ancient Weapon of their own. And if they had one, I sure as hell wasn't going to be the only one without a nuke-level trump card.

After some time at sea, we spotted an island with massive cactus-like hills.

Whiskey Peak.

Right now, it was just a den of bounty hunters. In the future, Baroque Works would take over, but at the moment, it was just a chaotic free-for-all.

Boom!

Huh. They were firing cannons at us.

"We're not pirates!" I shouted.

"Fuck you!" came the reply, followed by another barrage.

These bastards…

Zzzzzzt!

A wave of red and black lightning exploded outward. Buildings cracked, the ground trembled, and every bounty hunter on the island dropped unconscious.

Conqueror's Haki for the win.

And just like that, my not-so-eventful journey through the Grand Line began.

___________________

Whiskey Peak – The Perfect Trap

"Welcome, pirates, heroes of the seas! You've arrived at Whiskey Peak, a paradise for seafarers. Please, allow us the honor of hosting a grand banquet in your name!" Bored_NPC_22 announced with a cunning smile, arms spread wide in mock hospitality.

The innocent reader blinked. "A banquet? Free food? Sounds good to me!" they thought, completely oblivious to the sinister scheme unfolding before them.

---

A Few Hours Later…

The once-lively banquet hall was now eerily silent. The air was thick with tension as shadows loomed over the dazed reader, who slowly realized something was wrong.

CLANK. The doors slammed shut.

"Now, now… my dear pirates," Bored_NPC_22 purred, reclining in a chair as he swirled a glass of wine, his grin stretching unnaturally wide. "I do hope you've enjoyed your feast, because I have just one… tiny… request before you leave."

The reader gulped. "W-What request?"

Bored_NPC_22 leaned forward, eyes gleaming with wicked delight. "Simple. Surrender all your power stones… and leave a five-star rating."

He threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing through the chamber like thunder. "Refuse… and well, let's just say, I love seeing pirates struggle."

The reader's eyes darted around. The banquet had been a trap all along. There was no escape.

They had only one choice.

Shakily, they reached for their device. "F-Five stars… right away, sir!"

Bored_NPC_22 smirked, leaning back with satisfaction. "Good. Very good."

And just like that, another unsuspecting victim fell prey to Whiskey Peak's greatest bounty hunter.