A Gamer's Journey as Akainu

by Tesseractic

A One Piece fan dies and finds himself in a void after being hit by a car. He is given the option to escape the void through a game-like system called The Power System, which allows him to create a new life in any world he desires. Excited by the possibility of living in the world of One Piece, he chooses to become Akainu. Follow his new journey in One Piece.

I felt great as I left school and headed home, excited to finish watching One Piece. The Summit War Saga finally caught my attention, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. However, everything changed when I crossed the road and got hit by a car. Suddenly, everything went black, and I knew I was dead. I would never get to finish One Piece that day.

I found myself in a strange, featureless void when I opened my eyes. All I could see was a blinding white light that stretched out infinitely. I realized I had gotten hit by a car and died, but I couldn't figure out how it happened. Maybe some strange fate brought me to my chosen place of death on the road, but I couldn't be sure. My conspiracy theory mindset was in full swing.

As I looked around, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. I was alone, and I was dead. I had so many questions, but no one answered them. What was this void? What was I supposed to do here? Most importantly, how was I supposed to get out? All I could hear was the steady hum of the void, and I knew I would be here for a very long time.

As time passed, I noticed subtle changes in the void. It looked more worn and faded, and there were differences in the sound and temperature that felt like a calming sense of spring. However, I was still overwhelmed and disoriented, and I felt like I was losing control of my thoughts. My emotions were numb, and I was becoming increasingly anxious and helpless.

My only saving grace was trying to ground myself by thinking about my past life and the memories right before I died. After death, I felt nothing towards my family and friends but knew I would feel the loss later. I was too focused on trying to keep my sanity in check.

I met with The Power System only when I reached my breaking point. I looked at it with confusion and uncertainty. Why was it appearing now, especially when I was close to the edge? I wondered if I had crossed a new world but was ready to take anything. The System's contents were simple enough, and I had nothing else to do and nothing to lose, so I interacted with it.

Welcome to The Power System!

It is an RPG-experienced system that allows you to do anything for the right price. It is also your ticket out of this void.

Do you accept?

[YES][NO]

I immediately hit the "yes" button without a second thought. All I could focus on was getting out of this void. My mind got consumed with the desire to escape, and I didn't want to think about anything else. It was the only thing that mattered to me right now.

However, a fleeting thought crossed my mind - what if I was making a deal with the devil to get out of here? Would I do it? I wondered if being trapped in this place was worse than the possibility of going to hell. The thought was unsettling, but at that moment, anything was better than being stuck in this never-ending white void.

Choose a username!

Looking at the holographic page, I couldn't grasp its purpose initially. It took me a moment to realize that choosing a username meant I would meet other people in this strange void. While it was part of the protocol, there was more to it than that. The thought filled me with comfort, knowing that I wouldn't be alone in this place and that others had gone through this process before me. I couldn't help but wonder if people from ancient times had found themselves in this exact situation.

Connecting with people from different periods filled me with excitement and curiosity. I spent considerable time creating a username that didn't require numbers. It was a frustrating process, but it only heightened my suspicions that this wasn't a modern phenomenon.

Finally, after much deliberation, I settled on a username that felt right to me - Submino.

Choose which world you want to begin your new life.

[Search]

...

Knowing where I wanted to begin took little thought on this one. When I was alive, I focused on One Piece. It was the only world I could think about starting at as I scrolled through the window, confirming my suspicions that I could choose any world I could imagine. Picking the world, I grew ever more excited at the possibilities of my new life. What would I do now in the world of One Piece? What would be my goals? I also ensured the world would slightly be an A.U.; I could always work with surprises.

Choose whether you want to inherit a pre-existing character or make your own.

[INHERIT][CREATE]

...

Now this was hard. It took me a while to come to terms with the idea, not wanting to back out as soon as I had made my choice. The thought of being my own man in the One Piece world and making a name for myself was just as appealing as choosing a great character and ensuring everything was in my favor. Ultimately, the latter was more accessible, and I was getting to be a character I liked. I chose the latter and moved on, not wanting to find any form of regret. I was creating my new life; I had to be happy with what I was becoming.

Choose your One Piece Character.

[Search]

Luffy

Zoro

Sanji

...

The list went on, and all One Piece characters were laid bare, the ones I knew off and those I didn't know, the fodders. Like the last window, I waited a bit, still thinking about my choice. I already had a feeling in mind, and it was Sakazuki, aka Akainu. I chose him as he was my favorite One Piece Character. Several superior options were available, and completing the character of Akainu, who still had a role in the show, was necessary. However, I swallowed the hard pill and accepted my choice. I would understand his story independently then, even if it never finished during my time. It may not even be his real story because I chose to be in an A.U.

Would you like to make any changes to your Akainu?

[YES][NO]

There was nothing wrong with Akainu's appearance or his backstory. At last, that would ruin the point of selecting Akainu in the first place. I was fine and would improve upon him using The Power System. I needed to finish this as fast as possible before choice overload got to me and before I got bored with my selections thus far.

Make your changes!

However, I pressed yes to ensure my P.P. size was up to my standard.

Choose which time you want to start your role as Akainu.

[Search]

...

Damn, I could start as a kid if I wanted to or start old. If I started young, it would give me the time to ensure everyone's perception of Akainu was great and make sure I was genuinely accustomed to the One Piece world, having the cards tipped in my favor. However, it would take too long to reach where I wanted to be in the storyline despite meeting the old legends of One Piece like Whitebeard or Roger. I'd also be ruining Canon as I knew it; there'd be no guarantee that Luffy would even exist now.

Damn, you know what?

I decided to start as a kid. The potential was appealing compared to the fact that most of my life would be gone in One Piece. It wouldn't be as fun, and I could keep Canon somewhat the same. It would work out fine, so I started young and as a baby because of my perfectionism.

Are you ready to begin your adventure?

[YES][NO]

I said yes to the page, and my consciousness faded to nothing. I was almost happy to see black for the first time, and for the time being, I thought everything I had seen before was merely a dream. Maybe I hadn't died, and this was just an elaborate dream that I could somehow see vividly. My dream ended as I felt myself on something warm and soft. I was in a baby's crib, wrapped around with a red blanket. Despite my situation, I couldn't help but notice the symbolism of the veil. Probably a coincidence, but considering the future, it wasn't. One Piece was a world where you couldn't believe in coincidences.

The crib was a harmless-looking basket; I laid upon it harmlessly. I could stare up at the wooden ceiling, and as I looked around from the rather tall sides of the basket, I could make it out that I was in a big log cabin. At least I wasn't in some fishy-looking place, which was good. Either this was where Canon Akainu was born and the beginning of his backstory, or this was the result of the alternate universe of One Piece that I had selected and thus Akainu and his backstory. Ultimately, I will never know; if I could, I was curious if I wanted to.

Welcome to the Tutorial!

I couldn't wait as I was expecting assistance from The Power System. Systems like these in fiction were to make the User's life more accessible, and this would be the same for me. I was ready to play the game, and The Power System noted that as the window switched. There was no option for me to say no to this, as it was illogical for there to be a no to the Tutorial for a first-timer. It looks like everything is going great.

Note: You can interact with The Power System mentally.

The Power System reminded me as I had forgotten that you could sometimes do that if going by the past works of fiction. It would be much easier to talk to The Power System this way without looking like I was crazy interacting with air. It gave me a clue that I could ask questions, and The Power System would answer them. There was a limit to the type of questions I could ask, and as of now, I didn't have any pressing questions, nor did I care to.

Name: Sakazuki

Age: 3 hours ago.

Title(s): N/A

Class: The Power System.

Race: Human

Form: Base

Tier: Below Human

Equipment: N/A

Money: N/A

Here is your status. It is a current representation of what you are.

Damn, I was born only three hours ago, which means that Sakazuki's parents were close by, and it was fate that I had woken up alone without any trouble. I was glad for the silence as I wanted the alone time to get used to the Tutorial. I also wanted to see where I was at, quietly and alone. Everything seemed about right, and I couldn't help but gloss over my Tier more than anything else.

Anyone could kill me at this stage, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I knew I was weak as an infant, but The Power System made it known to me constantly if I would keep returning to my status. I needed to change my Tier quickly and early. Age did not matter to strength; you can train as long as you can walk, and that was all I needed to hear. The Power System would assist me greatly and give me the immeasurable gap I needed to be the strongest.

Note: You can click on each critical content for more specific details.

With that in mind, I clicked on my Tier, which gave me an exact representation of my strength. It went beyond just giving me the title, as I knew how fast I was, how much I could lift, etc. It wasn't much in the end for a baby, but it would be more useful in the future than now. The Power System would still be helpful to me, even without questions. It would still help me whether I knew I needed it, and I was grateful for that. Time to move on to the next page!

ADVANTAGES AND PERKS

Gaming Mind

Gaming Body

Observe

Advantages and Perks are absolute powers that exist outside understanding. You can only choose primary perks, but each can be invaluable. Earning perks is done by simply the game. If you complete your quests, you can achieve a perk slot depending on the hunt.

I see why I wasn't panicking over my situation yet, as this specific power did slip my mind. I may have known I had lost my essential family, but I wasn't about to feel terrible about it, especially now. Gaming Mind gave me complete control over my mind, and while I could feel emotions, I could just as quickly stop them. It did not mean I did not miss them as I indeed did.

Now, this was indeed a broken power, as knowledge was power. Observe is the most invaluable power; I could use Observe on anything. Ultimately, I needed to implicate what I was looking for, and I would get the required knowledge. Another aspect of this ability is that it will force me to remember that knowledge forever. The best part was that I would earn perks, and eventually, my bonuses would make me overpowered by anyone who wasn't a Gamer.

STATUS EFFECT: [INSERT LIMIT/WAYS TO FIX]

You no longer feel any pain, now converted into text. The Status Effect will display the damage inflicted on your body, allowing you to read and understand it.

Thanks to Gaming Body, this was my new form of pain. As One Piece was a world that required you to be strong, I would have to do a lot of backbreaking training. Now imagine this was the Dragon Ball World. I would never have been able to defeat Frieza without this power. When looking at the journey to get there, it was painful.

Dungeons

[SEARCH] [CREATE]

...

You can create dungeons to raid for rewards and training.

The idea of fighting inside a dungeon to raid and get rewards for what you could've just dreamed about was fulfilling. I was already living my fantasy life, but it was even more so now. All I needed was some good friends to raid with me in the One Piece verse.

Rooms

[SEARCH] [CREATE]

...

You can create rooms with a customized environment to live in.

The fact that I did not need a place anymore that would also have been stationary was great, as my new place would be the complete opposite of the former. I knew I could make any place I wanted to envision, and it would stay that way unless I permitted otherwise. I couldn't help but imagine myself being in a warm place at home on a beach compared to my reality, which was cold and unforgiving.

I could control time in the Rooms I created, allowing thousands of years to pass and yet only a second in my real world, for example, and vice versa. These two abilities were the ultimate training place and a free pass for time travel.

Skills

...

Novice 0-100: The beginner or entry-level stage, where a person is just starting to learn a skill and has limited experience or knowledge.

Intermediate 100-300: The stage where a person has acquired some experience and knowledge and can perform tasks with moderate competence.

Advanced 300-700: The stage where a person has a high level of expertise and can perform complex tasks with high proficiency.

Expert 700-1500: The stage where a person has achieved mastery of the skill and can perform tasks with ease, speed, and accuracy.

Master 1500+: The highest level of skill, where a person has achieved the highest level of mastery, has a deep understanding of the skill, and is recognized as a leader in the field.

Here is everything you can do. You can sort out your skills by implication. Even after you stop training a skill, it will never atrophy.

I couldn't wait to get out there and make a name for myself, but first, I had to find the Magu Magu no Mi, and with my Observe, it should be significantly easier. I wouldn't be able to do anything as I am now. I didn't have any skills per se; that is to say, if you did not include basic mental skills and hardly physical ones, I was a baby now. There would be unimportant skills that all people should be able to do as I grew up, but I would set the important ones, like fighting skills, to show. All of this made me eager to play the One Piece game. Soon enough, I calmed down as I needed to finish the Tutorial, and I saw the practicality of my situation.

When you play the game, you can receive quests that offer rewards based on the difficulty level. The prizes may be fantastic or meager, depending on the quest's difficulty. Here is an example of how it would look.

QUEST ALERT

TASK FROM THE POWER SYSTEM: COMPLETE THE TUTORIAL!

THE POWER SYSTEM HAS TASKED YOU WITH A STRAIGHTFORWARD MISSION: FINISHING THE TUTORIAL FOR YOUR NEW LIFE.

LIMITED TIME: INDEFINITE TIME

REWARD: +100 Units [B Tier Chest]

FAIL PENALTY: IMPOSSIBLE TO FAIL!

Was The Power System going to give me a B-Tier Chest for a tutorial? I wasn't about to complain about the idea, as a B-Tier Chest was essential, especially for a weakling like me. I really couldn't wait any longer to finish this. What would be the reward? The potential there was truly limitless for it. It could be something outside of One Piece.

Grade Items are rewards separated by how valuable it is, which are grades. Here's the ranking grade list of items in the game.

S-Tier [1,000,000 units]: These items are the best, as they significantly impact gameplay and can become game-changers.

A-Tier [500,000 units]: Strong items that provide significant benefits and are highly desirable.

B-Tier [250,000 units]: Solid items that provide valuable benefits and are good but optional.

C-Tier [100,000 units]: Average items that could be better and better.

D-Tier [50,000 units]: Subpar items with limited usefulness are generally not worth the investment.

F-Tier [10,000 units]: The worst of the worst are items actively detrimental to gameplay, and you should avoid them at all costs.

Each Tier has a corresponding monetary value. Units are the money system of the Power System.

Looking at the B-Tier, I wondered if the chest I would get was as good as I had hoped. I was still eager to open the chest, but it wasn't an A-Tier or S-Tier chest. Had I expected too much from a tutorial quest? It was alright, as there was still much more to see from the Tutorial; maybe another surprise would take my mind off that chest.

Inventory

...

It's a dimensional space where you can store anything. It must be a specific item that you can keep.

Now that would be handy; never again will I need some bag to put my things in. Never again will I have to trust people with valuable items. It's not like I had a problem with bags or people, but my new ideas with the inventory were there. Those ideas were just safer than what the opposite ever could've offered.

The Omniversal Store!

[S-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[A-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[B-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[C-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[D-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[F-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

A whole system that links you with creations and companions from other players and fictional verses alike, you can buy designs and purchase companions from the Omniverse.

This Omniversal Store was far more interesting than the quest to get my B-Tier Chest ever could've offered me. It felt like my eyes would fall out. Realizing I could buy my way to power if I had enough money without needing to train a day was insane. The path looked so easy to me that whether I cheat-trained or bought my way to strength, I would become unimaginably strong.

Now I won't lie; I only thought about women whenever I thought about Companions. I could buy women- I mean Companions, and because I was their only ticket back home and was under contract to serve me, they would all eventually learn to like it. They will have to.

OTHER FUNCTIONS

Chance Rewards

The Power System can randomly generate prizes. Get lucky, and you earn a reward for free.

Equip/Unequip

You no longer have to do anything manually unless it's too easy. Just equip or unequip.

Notifications

You will receive information that is particularly important to you with a ringing sound.

Map

There will always be a Map available to you wherever you go. You can use the map to work similarly to a G.P.S. You will always know where you are and those important to you.

Time

There will always be time for you, no matter where you are or where you go. You can convert that time to whatever you want.

World Hopping

You can hop into different worlds from any place in the Omniverse. Your previous worlds will get saved, or you can wipe them.

The other functions just showed how regular the game was. Despite all the craziness that The Power System has shown me, you usually see these tasks in a game. In the end, I was more than satisfied with The Power System. I was ready to do what I set out to do as Akainu but seven years from now. I'd instead like to wait until I can walk, and it seemed that age would be seven if Luffy's backstory with Ace and Sabo were anything to go by. They started training around that age, which would be acceptable for a One Piece human.

The Tutorial has now concluded, and I wish you good luck going forward!

QUEST COMPLETED!

TASK FROM THE POWER SYSTEM: COMPLETE THE TUTORIAL!

THE POWER SYSTEM HAS TASKED YOU WITH A STRAIGHTFORWARD MISSION: FINISHING THE TUTORIAL FOR YOUR NEW LIFE.

LIMITED TIME: INDEFINITE TIME

REWARD: +100 Units [B Tier Chest]

FAIL PENALTY: IMPOSSIBLE TO FAIL!

Now, here comes seven years' worth of nothing. It would've been boring had I not had the perks I have now. Gaming Mind made everything feel like I was enjoying it, so I could sit here forever and never find myself bored. Right now, I wondered what my parents would look like considering this rather expensive-looking log cabin I was in. I asked if they were rich or if this place was cheap.

Only my mom showed herself after contemplating my future, which was hours more. It led me to believe that my father was out doing the hard labor of some kind. One Piece had always followed traditional values regarding family, most of the time at least. She picked me up and held me in the air, glazing my baby glory before bringing me to her breast and feeding me, smiling along the way. I would've cringed if it had not been for Gaming Mind, unable to swallow another women's milk, for I already had parents and was mentally grown. It was a small price to pay for the overshadowing future I was looking towards to.

I had also been distracted by her flawless and hourglass figure hidden under civilian clothes. I had used Observe on her, understanding her average history and that her name was Taviya. She was beautiful like the average One Piece woman was. Any woman in my old life could not compare to the otherworldly beauty of women in One Piece. My mom had black hair, eyes, and light skin; I can see where Akainu got his looks. It could all still be an A.U.; this wasn't accurately where he earned his eyes nor the backstory itself, but damn, she was fine as hell.

"Good boy Sakazuki!" She cheered on as I mentally sighed, having a realization beforehand. It wouldn't be enough for me to do nothing and mess with my Power System; I'd also have to act like a baby. Just then, a tall man wearing a suit and a marine jacket overshadowed Taviya quickly and looked down at me with an interested gaze. I didn't need to use Observe to know that it was my father nor to know his name, as Taviya did for me. I still used Observe to know his history and always remember him. He looked just like Taviya, and he was a Vice Admiral.

"He has potential to be a great marine, Tempest." Taviya spoke softly.

"He may even surpass me one day! I'd be so proud of him." Tempest laughed heartily. I was glad it wasn't a weird laugh like some One Piece characters.

I opened my inventory to check out the B-Tier Chest that I had. Unlocking it, I had the Magu Magu no Mi in that chest, now occupying a space in the inventory.

Note: This fruit of this world has been found and placed as a quest reward and a gift from The Power System. Enjoy!

I schooled my expression quickly, and I thought about waiting for my new parents to dip after talking about unimportant things. I wondered how such a top-tier fruit could be in a B-Tier Chest, but then it hit me. It was an Omniversal game not limited to One Piece. When you think about it like that, the Magma Magma Fruit wasn't all that good. I needed a reasonable explanation for when I ate the fruit, and today was not the day. How would I explain myself if my parents bathed me and I started drowning?

Damn, so close, and yet so far!

###

"Don't stay out too long, okay?" Taviya called out, sitting on the couch in the living room of the Log Cabin. She was sewing an item of new clothing for me. It looked like it was store-bought. Taviya had permanently sewn things so well for her family. I had asked her to make an unassuming cap for me when I was three, and she did. That was the first ever cap I've worn in this world, and Taviya has only created more for me to select from since then. These days, if you didn't see me with a cap on, I was just not Sakazuki.

"Okay!" As I left the Log Cabin, I called out, looking to explore the village where Akainu was born. This village was called Whispering Pines.

Whispering Pines was a village nestled amid a dense forest of tall, majestic pine trees. The trees would be so thick that they would provide a natural shade, and the rustling of the pine needles in the breeze would create a soft, soothing sound. Hence the name "Whispering Pines." The village consisted of simple wooden homes and buildings with shingled roofs and white-washed walls. The town had a small central square where the locals gathered to socialize and conduct business. A small stream or creek ran through the village, which provided fresh water and a source of fish for the villagers. The villagers were skilled in woodworking and other crafts, using the forest's resources to create beautiful and functional objects.

Taviya and Tempest had taken me throughout the village multiple times, and I still couldn't get enough of it. It was an incredible village, and it sank in how much One Piece had to offer. It had always felt unreal like I was looking at a scene from a fantasy show. The show had always remained within its main cast of heroes and villains, never expanding the verse, and it probably did; I did die before I could see the end of One Piece, after all.

I explored the forest alone, away from the village but not far from where no one could find me. There was little to do except take in the town's scenery and forest. Other children around my age didn't have the same mental capacity as mine, so I could never socialize with them despite my parents scolding me. I thought about befriending only girls for the future implications with them for obvious reasons, but it was too much work. Ultimately, it was okay because you didn't need any game to pull here.

I sometimes saw strange wildlife whenever my parents took me to the forest. However, most of the nature in the woods was one that I got accustomed to back in my previous life. I was glad for the familiarity, but it did leave me feeling a sense of loss. I sat atop an unimportant-looking rock, not wanting to ruin my well-made clothes. Well, the last thing I needed was to run into an animal I couldn't beat.

I pulled out the Magu Magu no Mi and ate the whole damn thing. It didn't taste very nice, but I felt like I was eating fantastic food in Gaming Mind. Sabo only took a small bite and was able to use Ace's powers, but I only ate the whole thing because I was a completionist. I was also paranoid about leaving a piece of the Magu Magu no Mi and someone else able to get the powers despite it being wrong. I felt a rush of energy flow through me, it wasn't necessarily making me stronger or weaker, but it was there. I have now just become a magma human.

It was like a moving limb when I turned one of my arms into magma. It wasn't something that required training; it was something you could always do. I looked at my magma arm with a broad smile, already drunk on my new power despite it being so small in the grand scheme. I calmed myself before I did anything reckless, looking at the practicality of my situation. I could've just tested my powers here, but I didn't want to damage the beautiful scenery around me. Finally, I have eaten the Magu Magu no Mi, and now I will just come home and pretend that I didn't know what the fuck I was doing.

It was time for me to get stronger physically and fruit. Whitebeard didn't just start strong with his Gura Gura no Mi. After all, he had to train it to destroy the world with it.

Dungeons/Rooms

[SEARCH] [CREATE]

...

I completed my first dungeon creation! I created a dungeon that involved the worst version of the Sahara desert, the blazing heat with the heightened gravity accustomed for me to get stronger. I would be fighting packs of Sand Golems and Giant Scorpions with a boss at the end until my mother showed up looking for me. I entrusted my Notification and Map systems to let me know when she did. As I sat there thinking of a good name to call my dungeon, I called it the Tomb of The Eternal Dead.

QUEST ALERT

TASK FROM YOU: THE ETERNAL REST

ENTER THE TOMB OF THE ETERNAL DEAD AND PUT THEIR SPIRITS TO REST!

LIMITED TIME: 3 DAYS!

REWARD: +1,000 Units [Blaster Pistol]

FAIL PENALTY: NO FUTURISTIC GUN FOR YOU!

I entered the dungeon, and it was scorching hot with mummies all around me. The magma fruit naturally heightened my heat resistance to magma levels, but the blazes of the sun were even more alluring. I looked around to see Sand Golems and Giant Scorpions sprouting out of the desert floor before they set eyes on me and began charging at me. I already felt fatigued by just standing, the heightened gravity making any movement challenging. I turned both of my arms into magma, readying myself to fight.

STATUS EFFECT: [MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS, CARDIOVASCULAR AND RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS, REDUCED MOBILITY, GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS, DEHYDRATION, HEAT CRAMPS, HEAT EXHAUSTION, HEATSTROKE, BODY BURNS BY HEIGHTENED GRAVITY AND BLAZING SUN]

It looked like I was about to die.

The scorpions and the sand golems moved quickly in my eyes as I had made them do, but they weren't unseeable. I turned one of my arms in magma and shot it out like a bullet toward a Sand Golem. The sun was eating at my magma, and the gravity slowed it down, but enough of it made it to the Sand Golem's torso, and with an incredible amount of effort, I shot through it like a meteor, leaving a trail of smoke and dust behind the Sand Golem. I spent so much time and effort defeating one opponent that by the time I finished, many Giant Scorpions and Sand Golems surrounded and attacked me before I could react.

STATUS EFFECT: [YOUR FOES HAVE CRUSHED YOUR BODY, AND THE GIANT SCORPIONS HAVE POISONED IT, COMPOUNDING THE DAMAGE INFLICTED EARLIER BY THE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. YOU HAVE DIED!]

I respawned.

The adrenaline, combined with the constant feeling of enlightenment provided by Gaming Mind, made the whole game more fun than any game I've ever played in my past life. My environment would've killed me if not for my opponents. If only my parents knew this was the game I enjoyed playing, I would receive a stern scolding from my mother and a thorough beating from my father since he would see this as an opportunity to get me started on my training fast. Speaking of my father, I was willing to bet that I only needed less than a month to be stronger than him, a Marine Vice Admiral.

It wasn't rocket science in the end. One Piece characters only got stronger through rigorous training and constant combat, but it was too backbreaking to do this, which is why most people in the One Piece world were weak despite having the potential to level islands. Another thing that needed to be said was that it was also the type of training that people did to get stronger, and Marines always took their time to get strong, which was why Admirals were in their old age when they peaked compared to Luffy, who was already a Yonko by 19 years old. If I trained for years like this, day in and day out, that says for itself with the type of strength, I should be able to do before the moment I even joined the Marines.

I respawned for the umpteenth time, but every time I respawned, I grew stronger rapidly. All One Piece characters adapted insanely quickly, but their mental abilities slowed them down, as explained before, and then some. There was also the physical aspect to consider, as they had to heal for a while from training. Naturally, they had other things to do than training. I didn't have that weakness, as I could keep respawning, change the course of time if I wanted to, and the adaptation rate to my training showed itself. Before long, I could complete my dungeon efficiently.

When I respawned, the sand golems and giant scorpions surrounded me before I dodged a punch from the former relatively fine. I moved to a giant scorpion due to my dodging ability. I merely shifted my body comfortably before turning one of my arms into magma and shooting at it like a bullet. The magma and my body were no longer being weighed down by gravity and the sun; as the scorpion had their inside lobotomized, starting from its head to the underside of its tail, I couldn't help but grin. I did enjoy making a satisfying kill, no matter how insignificant it was, and watching the ragdoll effect of my defeated opponent.

Sand golems and scorpions kept up their onslaught upon me, but naturally, I destroyed them all. I could easily do it with my physical strength, I had kept that up alongside my magma, but it was more work, and I needed to be in close range for that to happen. Magma made things so much easier, and it flew by me so soon before I knew it; I had destroyed the number I had set for my opponents in the dungeon. I was too invested in the jail raiding I had imposed upon myself.

The boss I was about to fight now was a Mummy Pharoah who was to be strong for me even after finely defeating all of my opponents. The magma and the corpses of Giant Scorpions and Sand Golem rocks I left around were everywhere as I entered the Pyramid tomb. I set the door open before entering, and when I was inside, I discovered the burial place of the pharaoh. I opened it up, and it awoke in a mummified fashion. It was easily taller than me, and I stared up at it before it punched me away at my torso, breaking my entire body and killing me on the spot. My body crashed through a part of the tomb onto the far-away sand. I couldn't see the punch; my status effect only told me the obvious before I respawned.

STATUS EFFECT: YOUR DEATH HAS BEEN SET UPON YOU BY YOUR UTTERLY CRUSHED BODY!

The real challenge started now.

At last, I decided to stop my training and return to my home. I did say I was going to wait till my mother came looking for me, but it would be a better look if I came home by myself. It would lead to more trust and freedom before I could leave home without either of my parents worrying. I would still have to wait until I was older to their liking. So after respawning, I returned to my real world. The day was getting rather dark, so I went home from the rock spot I sat on.

When you enter a dungeon, you only return to the spot you entered the dungeon from. If I was in a life-threatening situation, I could not enter a dungeon or room to avoid it. I would need to stay and nullify the problem like a man. The game may have given me the cheat code for my life, but it was still relatively fair to it.

I checked out my skills, feeling pleased with myself from the result.

Skills

Melee Combat: 215

Ranged Combat: 173

Dodging and Evading: 291

Magma Combat: 136

Strategy and Tactics: 247

Stamina and Endurance: 119

A thing to note about my unique way of obtaining skills is that I did not need a mentor to know more. The knowledge will come proportionally as long as I participate in the craft. The only problem is that naturally, the points will get harder to obtain as it goes up, leading to more prolonged and grueling training tasks. It was just one more cheat that I had to truly solidify the idea that it was a Game and only other Gaming users could keep up with my progress. I wouldn't complain for apparent reasons; complaining would be a sin.

I then thought about using the new power I had acquired as I went by the small stream, still waiting to go home. I was too eager to go home, and I wasn't about to be content with hiding it behind Dungeon Training. I decided to play around by the stream, catching fish by killing them with a magma beam through their heads. It was like how the death beam was by Frieza but only magma this time. I contemplated the idea and decided to go along, willing to use my new powers for the first time in this world seven years later.

My index finger had gotten lifted in the air as I shot at any fish that came across my sight before using my magma arm to lift it out of the water. The fish burnt a bit, and I quickly moved it out of the water and onto the grass to prevent additional scars. I need to learn how to control the temperature of the magma later on. So far, all I've done was increase the burning of my magma powers, but I haven't done anything to lower it below the average magma burn level. I wondered if such a thing was even possible, and yeah, it was, considering what my life is now, but not as a One Piece Character. I need to figure that out later.

I kept all the fish in my inventory, as I could sell them for a decent price. There were markets in the small central square that I could visit for a quick buck. I wondered who would fish here to see a drop in the fishing supply. I accumulated a lot and would go to the marketplace to trade my hard labor. I couldn't call it hard labor for apparent reasons, but it was hard labor.

Whispering Pines had a small population to populate the small central square like Times Square. Some days it would be inhabited, and other times it was dead. The village needed a higher population to keep the small central square constant with people. I entered the marketplace after buying a big enough net from a different type of marketplace. I entered all the fish in it after entering a secluded area before going to the market, fitting the 1-ton net through the door.

"Wow, these are some impressive fish! How did you manage to catch so many?" The average-looking storeowner said behind the counter, looking down at me because of the height difference.

"I stayed out all day and caught them, I am a natural at fishing." I say casually, lying while staring at the store owner. Whether the storeowner knew I was lying, they did not comment on this further. It would be believable, too, if the store owner were to call my mother and ask if this was true. She would validate my story, as she never saw what I did in the forest, and there would be no other explanation to explain this.

"Damn, kid, maybe you should work for me. I could use someone like you around here. I'm assuming you're here to sell them correct?" The storeowner marveled before getting down to business. I wondered how much this would sell for, as I was no fishing expert, and I had used Observe to see if he could scam me. It was negative, further showing how peaceful Whispering Pines were and how the people here were good-natured.

I nodded at that before he took my bag away, making his way towards it initially. I found a comfortable place to sit in the marketplace, wondering how long it would take him to determine how much I'd get for this haul. He'd use whatever it took to decide that. It didn't take long at all before the storeowner motioned me over.

"5,000 Berries." The man said.

"What?" Did I hear that right?

"You've earned 5,000 Berries." The man repeated but more clearly. This money would allow me to buy things under my parent's radar. I didn't need to rely on my parent's money anymore, not to say they were poor. My father, who worked overseas as a Marine Vice Admiral, paid well. We were rich, but it was fulfilling not to rely on anyone other than yourself for what you wanted. I added this process to my life, fishing, just for money, and I would need to come up with an explanation for why I stopped asking my parents for things. They may be grateful instead and not even ask me about it. A problem was gone; why attract it again?

After quickly observing it, I accepted the fat stack of dollar bills totaling 5,000 Berries from the man. I promptly took the money and placed it in my pocket, making it look like I struggled to fit the whole thing in there as I used my inventory to disappear the money there. I needed to have the necessary pockets to carry a lot of money.

"Thanks." I say as I leave the marketplace. The man would raise the prices of the fish I sold to earn even more money surpassing the 5,000 Berries he gave me. It was how a commission worked in the end. It was simply business.

QUEST ALERT

TASK FROM YOU: THE MONEY FISHER!

DO YOU NOT WANT TO RELY ON YOUR PARENT'S FINANCES? FISH!

LIMITED TIME: REACH A MILLION BERRIES BEFORE YOU ARE 17 YEARS OLD!

REWARD: +10,000 Units [+1,000,000 Berries]

FAIL PENALTY: HOW CAN YOU NOT WANT A MILLION BERRIES FOR FREE?

With that, I went home, and when I got there, my mother was doing her own thing. My footsteps were audible, not something I was going for, but it let her know I was home and safe. I had expected something explosive to happen, to make Sakazuki into what he would be in the future, but nothing happened. I should be glad everything was peaceful, but it did have me on the edge of my seat whenever this thought approached.

"How does it feel to go out there on your own two feet for once?" She questioned lightheartedly, reminding me of my success today which caused a slight smile on my face. I had enough time to come to terms with my newfound strength and the money that I had. It'd also be strange to be so happy to go out alone as if I had just won the lottery. Any kid going out there for the first time alone wouldn't be that happy.

"I feel great, Mom, fantastic," I say coolly, not entirely lying to her, as I walk straight to my room and lie on my bed. My mother spoke loud enough for me to hear from the living room. At times, this doesn't feel real, The Power System, the world I was in, and now my newfound powers & money. All I did was turn my fist into flames to remind myself that it was real.

"Are you going to bed already? You still need to have dinner, you know." She reminded me. I never told her I no longer needed food and that it was another way to heal my body from sickness. Sleep was the same, but I still had to keep it up for appearance's sake. I could break the news and hope she accepts it; One Piece didn't leave much to the imagination, but I still enjoyed living everyday life, so I kept it a secret. I was willing to accept the alternative of revealing my abilities but wasn't about to expedite it.

"I know, Mom, I know," I say loudly enough for her to hear too, contemplating as I stare at the ceiling, thinking about something unrelated to what she said. It had just hit me now that when I was training, I touched upon the surfaces of Haki. It was a little, but it was definitely there and just waiting to be put to good use. During the heat of the moment, my Haki would shine through when I needed it the most. It was through a shocking event or intense exercise to awaken Haki, and I did much of the latter. It was then up to the User to learn how to sense and harness Haki before increasing its effectiveness.

"I love you." She always reminds me, and I can't help but say it back.

"I love you too." I wasn't lying about that idea, either. My parents have been good people to me all around. They've just become too vital for me as a person to let go. There was still a barrier for me to overcome, as I still saw them somewhat as pawns in a chess game, but they were pawns that I could never sacrifice.

She disappears, leaving me to my plans.

The Omniversal Store!

[S-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[A-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[B-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[C-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[D-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

[F-Tier] [CREATION] [COMPANION]

I decided to check back on the Omniversal Store, scrolling through creations. My mind was still on obtaining more raw power and ways to overcome my limitations. Considering the nature of fiction, power sources came from 3 different ways. It was either pure Biology, Energy, or Technology. I could expand upon my Biology, obtaining a Kryptonian-like body, which would be all I needed to dominate the One Piece world for good and beyond. Perhaps an energy source like Ki, which I can improve upon to have the same effect as a Kryptonian. Technology in which I could build powerful tools to aid my arsenal.

It came down to what I preferred, and ultimately, I chose energy as my route. I couldn't help but think about Dragon Ball when selecting. Now what type of energy choice? There were no limits to The Omniversal Store. Inherently no matter which option I made for more power, I wasn't making a wrong choice. I just wanted a type of energy that could fit with my magma powers, something that did not contradict the Magma Devil fruit that I had.

Finding what I was looking for was easy, especially considering the apparent reasons. There was the Magma Force that was a power somewhere in the Omniverse. I certainly wasn't the first and will not be the last to use this type of energy, but this is the kind I was looking for. I found other variations of the same power, so I chose what sounded cooler. The Magma Force was it for me, but I needed more units. Going by the Grade Items price, it is an S-Tier creation, costing 1,000,000 Units. I wasn't even close to getting that and wouldn't be for some time.

Magma Force is an energy source that allows the User to manipulate magma's intense heat and pressure. The User's body generates it, and it can enhance the physical abilities and perform powerful energy attacks. Mastery of Magma Force requires intense training, discipline, and a deep understanding of energy manipulation principles. Experienced users can manipulate the flow of magma, creating fissures and eruptions on a massive scale. Magma Force provides incredible offensive and defensive capabilities but requires careful control, as the intense heat and pressure can cause significant damage if misused.

With that ability stacking onto my Magma Devil Fruit, my magma power would've skyrocketed, and I would've transcended the natural devil fruit weaknesses. I wouldn't have to worry about hitting the ceiling in strength throughout my age which was the bane of all-powerful One Piece characters. However high I raise my energy levels, my physical power will also stay there. I couldn't help but keep glossing over this power. It was so close yet so far away.

QUEST ALERT

TASK FROM YOU: MORE POWER! MORE MAGMA!

TO OBTAIN THE MAGMA FORCE, YOU NEED 1,000,000 UNITS. OBTAIN THEM THROUGH WHATEVER MEANS!

LIMITED TIME: BEFORE YOU ARE 17 YEARS OLD!

REWARD: +5,200,000 Units

FAIL PENALTY: YOU WILL BE WEAKER WITHOUT IT.

I was already going to ensure I obtained The Magma Force, no matter what, and this quest guaranteed it. It was a constant reminder that this was the ultimate power I could ever receive to be the strongest. No matter else would have access to a unique ability like me, and with rarity came power. Blackbeard would be a prime example of this, having two of the top-tier devil fruits of all.

I did nothing substantial for the rest of the day before having dinner with my mother. She did start giving me looks that made me feel naked. I used Observe to find out that she had wondered why I felt so different after today. Were my exploits known to her? I guess it was just a woman's intuition, I hadn't done anything to suspect anything & she still did regardless. I needed to be more skillful, or she was a good mother.

It was a quiet dinner. There was not much to say to each other. Once done, I left my plate in the kitchen before I walked toward my room.

"Good Night, mom!" I say to her in my usual tone.

"Good Night, Son!" She says back to me as I enter my room, and then I sleep. I toss and tumble for a bit before finally sleeping for real.

###

Another bright sunny day to start my morning once again. I had never seen a Rainy Day in the Whispering Pines, something I was glad about. I was never a rain person; my devil fruit certainly accentuated that. My mom was awake, making food if that aroma was anything to go by. I only needed to begin my mundane morning actions before finally having that delicious food in my mouth. There was also a morning routine for me, and it was simply a walk.

I didn't need to clean my body. I have never had to ever since I arrived in this world, and so I was off. To my mother, I made it seem as if I had completed my morning actions lightning-fast and looked like there were signs of anyone's usual morning before I left. It would be strange if it were the opposite, and I wasn't about to push my luck, saying that I cleaned after myself to explain the lack of motions after waking up in the morning. It definitely wouldn't have been noticeable at first if I left with no morning action, but after a significant amount of time, yeah.

"Okay, Mom, I'm off," I say as I leave through the entrance of our humble abode.

"Don't stay out too long, or I will eat the whole food myself." She says in a teasing manner, which I promptly ignore. There was no way she could do that after all. She did have a figure to maintain.

Going for a walk was what I would've done if I was still the old me. If I had not begun my seven-year training process, I would've been doing that, but not anymore. I would do a quick warm-up in my Tomb of The Eternal Dead dungeon. I could only see myself lasting 1 round before I had to come back and eat. I couldn't do more than that, as a real-life Dungeon was time-consuming unless I made it consume less or no time.

Dungeon/Rooms

[SEARCH] [CREATE]

Tomb of The Eternal Dead.

I went through the motions again as soon as I entered my dungeon. I used my magma powers to destroy the Giant Scorpions and Sand Golems much faster than my physical force ever did. I could've used my body and magma powers interchangeably if I were fully grown. It didn't take long, rushing throughout the desert to ensure every last enemy got killed. I was trying to complete this dungeon in the same timeframe as an average walk in the morning for Whispering Pines.

Now for that, Pharoah.

I could prepare to defeat the Pharoah instead of being confrontational. However, it wasn't my style to be prep god as Batman was; I wanted to have my strength do the talking. I went through the same entrance last time and awoken the Pharoah similarly. Only this time, as if I had pre-cogged it, I dodged his punch toward my belly. I sidestepped it completely before turning one of my arms in the leading direction of the sidestep into magma.

I aimed it at the Pharoah's head over my body and fired my entire arm as a magma beam. It didn't look like magma anymore; it was like the Kamehameha Wave but red. If one focused on it, they'd see the magma resemblance. I didn't do shit to the Pharoah's head, and I only burned away the mummified wrappings on the frontal face and maybe a bit of charred skin but not much.

The Pharoah had just moved after that, and I couldn't see his movements. I could only hear the sound effects of his speed before I knew he was upon me. I was again walloped in the torso and sent straight out of the tomb, breaking parts of it. This time I didn't instantly die, already showing the broken adaptation of One Piece characters if pushed to their limits, but I was still worse for wear. Had it not been for my Gaming Mind and my Status Effect, I would've been barely able to stand after that assault, but I did so for apparent reasons.

STATUS EFFECT: [SUCH AN IMPACT RESULTED IN INTERNAL BLEEDING, ORGAN DAMAGE, FRACTURED RIBS, BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA, DIFFICULTY BREATHING, AND OTHER POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES]

Yeah, I would've been on the ground with tears streaming down my face, that was for sure.

I coughed out blood as I turned my two arms into magma. I raised the index fingers of both and fired at the Pharoah. Death beams upon my foe, which he dodged with ease. I wanted to be petty at this time, but I knew better. I tried to turn off the increase in gravity and the blazing sun just to have a better chance at winning, knowing damn well I would still lose even if the limitations I set upon myself weren't there. This Pharoah was wholly adapted to the gravity and blazing sun and was more potent than me.

Before my opponent got too close for comfort, I set the desert ground into magma. I copied Luffy's signature stance whenever he got into Gear 2 before I did what I did but with my palm on the desert floor. I turned the desert ground into magma by setting off a magma wave that crossed at unreal speeds to reach the Pharoah. I was trying to use the dead king's speed against himself. It seemed to consume the Pharoah, and I couldn't see what happened there, as my Magma wave had covered my vision wholly. The magma wave landed flatly on the ground once I released my control, looking like a mass of molten rock and fire, still glowing with intense heat.

I blinked before finding out that the Pharoah was before me. It was so fast that it turned invisible before reaching where it was now. It readied a punch, looking to punch down at me. Even when it looked over, I couldn't help but feel resentment because of my height. Well, the last thing on anyone's mind would be death if they were in my situation. Rather than being crushed, I was knocked back after taking a blow to the top of my head, causing me to fall to the ground and get propelled away from the point of impact.

That was not what I expected, but the answer became clear to me within an instant. I had just unlocked my Haki completely, and I used Armanent hardening subconsciously at the top of my head. It may have been subconscious, but I could still feel my control over it skyrocketing; I just needed more moments like that. Before long, I could control my haki without intensity. Now I had to improve its effectiveness, which would mean more training, which I am doing right now.

Despite the unexpected result, the Pharoah carried on as if expecting this. It jumped through the air, not sky walking, but I really couldn't blame someone if they mistook it for that. It served as a reminder that this was an N.P.C., a killing machine that would achieve its objective no matter what, and that meant killing me. With more access to my Haki, it meant Observation Haki. With a more accurate view of how my opponent was, I could barely dodge the bulldozing punch that the Pharoah left at my location.

I leaped into the air, and with a surge of power, I generated a massive arm made of molten magma that resembled a meteorite hurtling through the sky. I still need to finish my attack. With my endless willpower, I had forced my raid to get imbued with Haki. I wasn't about to make a taxing move for naught after all. I positioned myself to land the big punch comfortably on top of the Pharoah, that looked up as I sandwiched the dead king. I released my hold on my magma arm, which dropped onto the location with a loud thud, causing the ground to shake and leaving a smoldering trail in its wake. I landed safely away from my attack, not looking to get caught off guard by speed because I thought I had won.

It was taking a long time. For a while, I was starting to think as if I had won. But I only knew I had won if I got notified that there were no opponents to beat in my dungeon, meaning I had killed the Pharoah. The pharaoh rose from the magma like a demon incarnate, but I knew it was on its last legs. It was losing pieces of its body. I could see bone through its body. Had I made the Pharoah akin to a living creature, it wouldn't have survived at all, much less be standing right now. I had just realized how stronger my magma attack became with Haki that I had almost one-shotted the pharaoh.

I just walked through the magma pool I had made before I was face to face with the pharaoh. It stared down at me, unable to do anything because of its bodily condition I had made it to be now. I jumped high into the air, accompanying an uppercut with a magma fist, forming it into a dragon shape as I removed the Pharoah's head from its body with all my might. Had it still been in top condition, I wouldn't have succeeded with the uppercut, and even in such a sorry state, it took all my strength to kill it with the uppercut.

DUNGEON COMPLETED!

QUEST COMPLETED!

TASK FROM YOU: THE ETERNAL REST

ENTER THE TOMB OF THE ETERNAL DEAD AND PUT THEIR SPIRITS TO REST!

LIMITED TIME: 3 DAYS!

REWARD: +1,000 Units [Blaster Pistol]

FAIL PENALTY: NO FUTURISTIC GUN FOR YOU!

I immediately went into my inventory to check out my future gun. A weapon that was from another world and that no one could replicate save for the geniuses of this world. I couldn't help but view the importance of this gun and how I could accidentally advance military firearms for ages if I could just present the Marines or any other impressive military force with this gun. I fired my gun a bit, my haki control being naturally better than before as I used observation haki not to miss my shots when shooting down a bird. It fell to the ground before I doused it with magma, just watching its corpse melt into hot liquid. Before I did any impressive action, I had gone to the forest at remarkable speed.

I went home soon after that, not wanting to save time out here. Doing a dungeon quest was what I had in mind, but completing it was not. I had expected to complete it slowly, but I had underestimated my strength during the fight with the Pharoah. As the war progressed, it was starting to look like I could beat him, and I just did. It wasn't that I underestimated my strength. I forgot all about Haki and did not think I'd obtain it so soon. When I got home, the food was already on the table, and I got right into it.

It was a bowl of hot porridge; I stared at it before conversing with my mother. I was still relatively happy about completing the Dungeon quest quickly, but I couldn't sit quietly and eat.

"Mom, I want to join the Marines," I say with a small smile. Looking back through my memories, I don't think I had told my mother I wanted to join the Marines. Maybe I had implicated it at some point, but I've never officially made it known.

My goals didn't stop her from eating porridge; she merely continued and nodded in approval. Well, that's good; transitioning from when I became a marine would be much smoother. I hadn't expected her to say otherwise; she did have a marine husband, after all.

"Of course, you can, my dear, but being a Marine isn't just about fighting. It's about protecting people and keeping them safe. That's the most important thing." She smiled warmly and spoke thoughtfully to me. She was right, but I was becoming a Marine to fulfill Akainu's role in One Piece. However, she didn't need to know that at all.

I nodded in agreement; even if it wasn't the case, I didn't want to make it look like her words flew right over me. Before I knew it, I had finished my porridge lightning quick. With my newfound powers, my speed was incredible and reflected in my eating. If my mom noticed that I ate stupidly quickly, she didn't note it. I picked up the bowl and looked inside pointedly at it. I didn't leave even a speck of it inside.

"Looks like someone is hungry today." Mom said out loud, looking at me with a warm smile.

"Truly," I added on. Curious, looking into my bowl made Mom say what she just said.

"Do you think I can be a great Marine like Dad?" I tell her for no reason other than to make small talk. I knew I would be a far greater marine than my father; there was no debate about that.

"Yes, dear, I know you can," she said before the edge of my lips curled, and then I left my porridge bowl at the kitchen sink. I left the house to my mom before saying one last thing.

"See you later, Mom," I say.

"Stay safe, Sakazuki." She reflected.

When I made my way to the forest, I sat upon the rock from yesterday to begin my new dungeon quest. I was about to go into an ice-themed dungeon with creatures of all sorts to fight. I was calling this one the Winter's Keep.

I was setting the dungeon entirely in a big and old freezing castle. I had made the place cold enough to freeze up even my new and improved magma. It would take so much effort to make sure my magma didn't freeze up to the cold, and it would make me so much stronger for it. The cold was naturally more brutal than my first dungeon, not just because of the applications I set upon it. It was also because the human body naturally adjusts to heat better than cold. Making sure the gravity got adjusted to my new strength, the dungeon was complete.

The ice-themed dungeon's cold and foreboding environment is home to various dangerous creatures. Ice Elementals roam the halls. Their frigid bodies resist senseless attacks and can deal chilling damage to me. Frost Giants, towering humanoids with powerful weapons and icy breath, may guard key areas or launch surprise attacks. Agile and spectral Ice Wraiths may flit through walls and freeze me with their icy touch. Snow Goblins use traps and magic to harass me and slow me down. And Lurking in the deep, dark crevasses, fearsome Yeti and Ice Dragons wait for their chance to strike, using their immense strength and powerful breath attacks to deal devastating blows to me. Taking a lesson from my first dungeon, I made this to adapt to my rapid growth and for a far superior reward when I finished.

QUEST ALERT

TASK FROM YOU: FROZEN FURY!

VENTURE INTO THE ICY DEPTHS OF THE WINTER'S KEEP TO DEFEAT THE SORCERER ICEHEART AND END THE ETERNAL WINTER!

LIMITED TIME: 7 YEARS!

REWARD: +260,000 Units [Mjolnir from Marvel Comics]

FAIL PENALTY: YOU WILL LOSE A POWERFUL GAME CHANGER.

Yeah, the final boss would be a sorcerer I dubbed Iceheart. He could control Ice through magic and be a more powerful version of Aokiji. If I could beat him, I'd be able to beat Aokiji in his current self in the future. I could've made the final Boss, Aokiji himself, if I wanted to. I decided that he wouldn't fit the theme of an original dungeon that I'd made for myself.

With nothing else to do, I went right into my dungeon. I almost instantaneously froze to death. I was quick enough to fire out the magma from my body to keep myself as alive as possible. It didn't do much, as my magma froze faster than I could produce it.

STATUS EFFECT: [EXPOSURE TO EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES HAS CAUSED DAMAGE TO YOUR BODY IN SEVERAL WAYS, INCLUDING HYPOTHERMIA, FROSTBITE, COLD-INDUCED DIURESIS, CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS, RESPIRATORY EFFECTS, AND AN INCREASED RISK OF INFECTION. AMONG OTHER EFFECTS, THIS IS YOUR IMMEDIATE CAUSE OF DEATH. ]

That sounded about right, and I had respawned into the dungeon again to freeze to death again. I had lasted longer than I did in my first run, but it was barely noticeable. If it wasn't apparent to me before, it certainly was now that I was probably going to spend weeks just freezing to death before my body could finally survive this type of cold. Maybe even longer than that before I could eventually not freeze to death within the beginning steps into this dungeon. There was a reason that it would take seven years to complete this and that I would get a broken weapon once it was all done.

###

It quickly traveled to a finishing day, and I decided to leave my dungeon for the same reasons. I wanted to look responsible when I came home to meet my mother. I didn't bother fishing this time, as I needed to wait for that marketplace owner to have enough money for another commission. I wasn't an expert on this topic, but I knew enough that 5,000 in Berries was an impressive sum that didn't just grow on trees. So I decided to walk home, or I would've home if I didn't get hit with a quest out of the blue.

QUEST ALERT

TASK FROM THE WHISPERING PINES: PRESERVING THE WILD!

EMBARK ON A QUEST TO FIGHT AGAINST POACHERS AND PROTECT ENDANGERED WILDLIFE. USE YOUR COMBAT, STRATEGY, AND STEALTH SKILLS TO TRACK DOWN AND STOP THE POACHERS FROM HARMING INNOCENT CREATURES.

LIMITED TIME: 10 MINUTES!

REWARD: +100 Units [Marvel Comics Captain America's Shield]

FAIL PENALTY: THE ANIMALS BECOME MORE HOSTILE TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING YOU!

I didn't think there would be any poaching in a beautiful village like this. I had always assumed that my father would've turned them loose, and there was some marine presence here because of my father, but maybe he was occupied in a critical mission. Maybe the poachers were just that stealthy? Ultimately, the only thing necessary to me was the shield I would get from completing this mission. I could see myself in the future, using the powerful shield as a symbol of my strength combined with the Mjolnir that I would soon get in the future. Even if the shield never became that great, it was just cool to have around and could save my life one day.

I began to skywalk. The lesser gravity I was now in after being occupied in two different dungeons with greater gravity didn't hold me back anymore. Combining that with the incredible speed that made me look invisible, I covered the entirety of the village quickly, and I found those poachers.

Ready to gun down a grizzly bear with their rifles, I shot a magma death beam through one of their heads; the individual who appeared to be leading the charge got killed immediately. It seemed not to have registered among themselves that someone just died before them, and I realized I had killed someone. There may have been fodders in the one-piece show, a character never shown, but now this was my reality, and they were as accurate as they come. I didn't think my first confirmed kill would be so mundane.

"Why did the Boss just drop down like that?" A poacher man said from behind the kill that I'd just made. The beam I shot was too fast for them to see, and the wound had gotten cauterized so that no blood would flow. It just looked as if, to them, one of their homies just dropped creepily and never got back up.

"Boss! Get up! It isn't funny at all!" Another one began to speak loudly, and I decided to watch for a bit. I looked at the time, seeing it progress as 10 minutes dropped. I wanted to see their reactions but didn't want to forget myself and lose Captain America's shield for a while. I had been right that the guy I shot down was their boss, and I didn't even observe.

The Bear that they were going to shoot down had traveled away from them at this point. They did not want to get poached, as did other nearby animals. It was also due to the sudden collapse of the boss that also may have sparked leave. I had forgotten that the animals in One Piece had human-like intelligence. Chopper could speak to animals as if they were humans. They knew what a rifle was and what it would do to a fearsome predator like the Grizzly Bear.

"Guys, I think he's dead. He has a hole in his head." The man behind my kill stammered as he examined more closely, flipping his body around to see his lifeless expression. Seeing the time tick down, I decided that enough was enough. I didn't know what I expected from watching people suffer, but I didn't feel I accomplished something.

"We shouldn't be here. If our boss went down like that, what would happen to us." The voice of reason spoke up amongst their group before, collectively, it all turned to screams as a ball of magma overshadowing them fell onto them with a thud. The unnatural intense heat of the magma alone was enough to incinerate everything in its path within seconds, leaving nothing but destruction and chaos in its wake. The fiery inferno consumed them, silencing the voice of reason and sealing the group's fate.

I killed their entire group by dropping an aerial magma attack on them. My stronger version of magma could quickly turn their bodies into nothing, compared to regular magma, which would take considerable time. I wasn't looking for people to show up to a horrific sight, and considering how small the village was, it wouldn't take long before fingers got pointed at me. Anything was possible in One Piece, meaning a kid capable of producing magma, was on the list.

QUEST COMPLETED!

TASK FROM THE WHISPERING PINES: PRESERVING THE WILD!

EMBARK ON A QUEST TO FIGHT AGAINST POACHERS AND PROTECT ENDANGERED WILDLIFE. USE YOUR COMBAT, STRATEGY, AND STEALTH SKILLS TO TRACK DOWN AND STOP THE POACHERS FROM HARMING INNOCENT CREATURES.

LIMITED TIME: 10 MINUTES!

REWARD: +100 Units [Marvel Comics Captain America's Shield]

FAIL PENALTY: THE ANIMALS BECOME MORE HOSTILE TO EVERYONE, INCLUDING YOU!

There was a reason why it only took 10 minutes, and that was because it was an easy mission. The units were so low because it wasn't a challenging mission. Captain America's shield, while nearly invincible, was useless in a practical manner. Throwing a shield out did not compare to a stream of my magma, and my natural defenses were already there, even if it wasn't on the same level as Captain America's shield. It did not need to be.

Still, it was cool to have around. I went into my inventory and got my shield out. I was too small to lift the thing properly, but that would change over time. I just wanted to make sure it was real, that I had it. I was close to testing the shield's durability but said no. I just wanted it to be fresh. I couldn't help it because of my paranoia. I didn't want to end up somehow damaging the legendary shield.

Turning one of my hands into magma, I stretched out my magma hand into the magma pool of death that I'd made and absorbed it back into my body. I walked away from my kills, readying myself to skywalk back to my safe spot before I dungeon hopped. Before I could do it, I heard footsteps on a tree branch. I craned my neck and turned toward the tree branch to find my father. He was wearing his suit and marine jacket, which remained untied for some reason. It looked like my secret was out, but I wasn't about to become irrational. It didn't mean that I wasn't nervous at all, not willing to mute my emotions completely. I hoped he didn't see me use my inventory.

"Son, did you do all of that?" Tempest began, not believing what he had just seen. I nodded slowly, readying for any reaction. My mind was racing about the future of my life in this small village. How everyone I knew would treat me differently, in a way, it wasn't so bad. I'd be able to train for as long as I wanted. I'd be able to do anything I wanted now. If my secret was out here, I could reveal everything minus The Power System. After all, if any future incident were to happen, fingers would point at me.

"When did you become so strong, son!? You're practically ready to join the Marines!" Tempest said happily. He had jumped away from his position and approached me before picking me up and hugging me. I couldn't help but smile at his reaction. It looked like I was worried for nothing, but only one obstacle was left: my mother. I made a severe lapse in my judgment, didn't I? If my father were happy with my strength, my mother would be the same. I didn't tell her because I wanted a regular life, but I could still have a stable life even with my new self.

"I unknowingly found a devil fruit, and wondering how it tasted, I ate it whole. I became a magma human, and I've been training with my powers out in the forest ever since then." I finished the statement with a huff. I was being smothered to death with a hug while trying to return it. Before I said anything, it took me a minute to realize that I was supposed to answer this question. It wasn't a rhetorical question, so I answered it with a half-truth and a lie.

"That is incredible, son! Does your mother know about your powers?" My father inquired, and I shook my head.

"Wow, don't you trust us? I'm really wondering what we could have done to make you feel this way," he assumed. Tempest made it seem like he was talking to me while talking to himself. I still winced at that. It wasn't like that, but maybe it was. I couldn't shake off the feeling that his words may have hit a nerve.