Davi D. was perplexed. He was downright confused. He knew where he was. Damn, if he was one of the only who did. It said so right on that annoying screen in front of him. It even gave him a sense of time. What he didn't know, was why the hell he had been born so damn early! Wasn't he supposed to go on some amazing adventure with the Strawhats?

Welcome to the PreGame! You will be given time to create a Legacy with a randomly generated power in the world, which will affect your next life in the world of One Piece; Pre-Void Century. Your Randomly generated power is: Hie Hie no Mi. Have fun!

He felt extremely ticked off by those three sentences. Sure, they were telling him he'd be born again, and potentially again and again. Sure it was telling him he would be given one of the most busted Devil Fruit in existence. But, to be born before the Void-Century even started? Wasn't this just too unfair!? How was he supposed to get a crew when the idea of Piracy likely didnt even exist yet!?

He looked around casually, an attempt not to draw attention, at the village he was in. It was a small and peaceful one, which he'd already explored quite thoroughly. Although the village was small, the island he was on was most certainly the opposite. It was huge but he doubted he'd know it if it was in its cannon appearance. He got up and began walking away from the village.

The forest nearby would be a good training place, Davi mused as he walked. He would train there for a while. Perhaps he would train his body and Haki before he began to grind his Devil Fruit - the Hie Hie no Mi. He knew exactly how broken Logia-type fruit were, and he also knew how broken Busoshoku, Kenbunshoku, and Haoshoku Haki were.

Busoshoku Haki, Haki that would enable him to hit other Logia-type fruit users. Kenbunshoku Haki is a special observational type Haki that would enable him to see into the future once he was good enough with it. Haoshoku Haki was the strongest of the three, and the difference was clear. It could dominate those who had weaker wills and crush all possibility of opposition.

A quick glance around showed a small clearing in the now secluded forest around him as he began to set a few things up. First, he would train his actual body before attempting Haki or Devil Fruit nonsense. After all, Devil Fruits needed Stamina, and what was the ability to harden, see the future, or conquer if you didn't have the strength to back it up?

Davi began to work out vigorously. For about ten minutes that is, before his sub-par physique began to show itself. He was gasping for breath as the unnatural recovery rate of the One Piece universe began to take hold, he was fully ready to work out again after only half an hour or so. The results of the previous workout had, almost unexplainably, already began to show.

The next set he could work out, he had been able to do so for 14 minutes. And then 20, and then nearing 35 before the skies turned dark. A combination of push ups, sit ups, and squats practiced in repetition for nearly four to five hours. Towards the end the benefits had certainly skyrocketed, but afterwards he had reached a kind of plateau with the benefits.

In only a single day his strength had probably quintupled, although still incredibly weak by this worlds standards, he's not exactly sure where he stood now. How strong was he compared to the average person at this time? Perhaps the people of this world were incredibly strong, stronger so than Gol D. Roger. Although that was certainly an overestimation, it was plausible.

He had no information. His strength had risen to such incredible amounts in a single day, which in his past life would have taken months of gruesome training. He would continue to train, but he would increase the intensity. He would have to. A single day of normal training granted him so much physical strength, would he not take advantage of the benefits for more arduous training?

-~- Three Months Later -~-

Davi D. had learned a lot in three months. First off, this world was incredibly strong. Strong enough to a point where Devil Fruit were widepsread enough, most commoners had them. That was another thing that had changed. There were absolutely uncountable Devil Fruit in circulation. Most were weak, shamefully so, but the point stood.

The second thing was that almost everyone he had met had immense physical strength. Probably rivalling that of a Pirate with several tens of millions of Berri bounty - if you were to assign one to them. In comparison, Davi after a three month session of training, could easily beat them. But that was the average civilian.

The current hierarchy in Villages, as he had learned, was as follows. Chief, Strongest Warrior, Warriors, and then Civilians. Although the Strongest Warrior of the villages could get smacked down by the Chief, he was the second strongest in the village at any given time. In Davi's own Village, he had made a name for himself by dueling many of the villages Warriors.

He had seen the power disparity first hand - the Warriors were simply civilians with excellent control over their Devil Fruit. Rarely did these Warriors specifically train their body. This allowed Davi to win most of the fights he had engaged, even without using his Devil Fruit. He had lost to only a few of the Warriors.

The Strongest Warrior and the Chief, however, both gave him a smackdown when he had challenged them. It was a brutal one-sided fight that allowed Davi to see the strength difference. His village Chief was probably as strong as a Vice-Admiral, and the Strongest Warrior was about the strength of a Rear Admiral.

Davi sighed as he worked out, processing all of the information that he had learned within the last three months. He would train his body for the remainder of the year before beginning to work on his Devil Fruit. His current strength was not even enough to challenge a Village, so how would he become a pirate?

-~- 9 Months Later -~-

Davi gave a grin toward the villages strongest warrior, Garro.

"Davi D. Roger, if you beat me, I will agree to join your group. You have been training for a long time for this, and the Village Chief has agreed to let me go." Garro spoke with a resolute voice, as if he already knew he would lose this fight.

"I see, Garro," Davi D. Roger gave him a wide smile. "Then let the fight begin!"

Two figures clashed in an instant. A distortion effect crippled the air where I had been previously standing, a backflip saving Davi's life, as Garro rushed me. Davi smashed his fist forward causing the air to ripple slightly, Garro being pushed back, as Davi rushed his stunned form with a kick covered in a small layer of Busoshoku Haki. Garro was sent flying.

Davi dashed after his body - a distortion in the air distracting him for a slight second forcing Davi to halt before he would get mangled, followed by a brutal punch that seemed to break a few of Davi's bones in the process. He did not go flying back, instead tanking the full force of the blow. Ice crept up onto the body of Garro, effectively immobilizing him unless he wanted to lose a limb or two in the process.

Garro gave an annoyed sigh - and declared the fight over. He had been beaten. Davi had also, in the process of recruiting Garro, figured out what his Devil Fruit was. It was a Paramecia-type distortion fruit. It had the potential to be absolutely devastating if it was trained properly. But, for now, all he wanted to do was take a break from training his damn body... and learn how to, finally, use his Hie Hie no Mi.

He gave a small grin to the defeated Garro, before declaring loudly; "Garro has officially joined The Maelstrom Pirates!"

Garro gave me a questioning look at the word Pirates, before shaking his head and following Davi as they left for his makeshift training area. They were both around the age of 15, and looked as if they could be twins - dark green hair on the precipice of black and tanned skin. Most people in the village shared the same look, so it wasn't too surprising.

They reached the training area and not long after, began to spar again and again. But the only change was, they were only allowed to use their devil fruit. The unnamed Paramecia-type distortion fruit versus the legendary Hie Hie no Mi? It wasn't as one sided as you'd think. Davi was struggling against the all-consuming distortion effect brought on by Garro's devil fruit.

But, this was training his Ice's strength and durability, as well as his control and maneuverability. Garro was training his size, strength, and reach as well. It'd only take a few months time before they'd reach a roadblock by Davi's estimates. Then they would need to fight to get stronger.