— Brain Depository —
(Friendly reminder: Please leave your brain here before reading.)
Roy, 25 years old, an orphan, and a perfectly ordinary corporate drone, was a hardcore fan of One Piece.
After working overtime one day, he was dragging his exhausted body home, clutching a convenience store sandwich in one hand and scrolling through the latest chapter of the One Piece manga on his phone with the other.
He couldn't stop complaining. "Why hasn't Sakazuki retired yet? It's so tragic watching him get pushed around by the Five Elders all day..."
"Can't the Marines get a comedic Admiral or something? The jokes are getting stale!"
"BEEP—BEEP—BEEP—!!!"
A sudden, ear-piercing horn blared like thunder. Roy shot his head up—only to see a large truck, like an untamed stallion, smash through the guardrail and barrel towards him!
"What the hell?! Isn't this... Isn't this the Isekai Reincarnation Express Truck?!"
His eyes went wide as he subconsciously tried to dodge.
It was too late.
"BOOM!!!"
His body was flung into the air by an immense force, like a kite with a broken string, and he plunged into darkness.
...
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Stop playing dead!!"
A loud, boisterous female voice echoed in his ears.
Roy groggily opened his eyes and found himself floating in a pure white space, as if he were inside a giant movie screen.
Before him, a messy, blue-haired woman in pink pajamas sat with her legs crossed, munching on potato chips and rolling her eyes at him.
Goddess: "Yo, you're awake? Let me introduce myself. I'm the goddess in charge of reincarnation—just call me 'Lady Aqua'!"
Roy's mouth twitched. "...Isn't that character design plagiarized from Konosuba?!"
The goddess choked for a second, her expression stiffening. "Ahem! That's not the point!"
She slammed the chip bag on the table and declared seriously, "Listen up, you were hit by a truck. Now, according to procedure, I'm sending you to another world!"
Roy's eyes instantly lit up. "The world of One Piece?!"
The goddess picked her ear with a look of resignation. "Why do all you transmigrators pick the same damn world... Fine, fine, I've been keeping up with the latest chapters anyway!"
She pulled out a copy of the Transmigrator's Starter Manual, flipped it open, and read with a straight face, "According to the rules, the reincarnated individual will receive one random ability—"
Roy's hands shot up at an incredible speed. "Me, me, me—I want the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit!!"
The goddess slowly dug out a piece of earwax. "In your dreams. That one's already assigned to Enel!"
Roy's eyes widened. "Then, then—the Mythical Zoan, Nika form!!!"
The goddess slammed the manual shut. "Who do you think I am, Oda?! I said random is random, no discussion!!!"
"Poof—!"
The manual suddenly exploded in a puff of smoke. When it cleared, two lines of shimmering golden text appeared:
[Ability 1: Teleport Fruit (Enhanced Version)]
(Note: I go wherever the hell I want.)
[Ability 2: Giant Tribe Physique (Grants the physical stats of a giant, like monstrous strength, but not their height.)]
(Note: Getting hit doesn't hurt, fighting isn't tiring. Even Kaido would shed a tear.)
"Why did two pop up? Ah~ whatever~" The goddess laughed guiltily. "They might not sound like game-breaking cheats, but they're pretty practical, right?"
Roy's face turned green. "This combo is basically forcing me to be a sneaky lurker!!!"
Before he could explode, the goddess slapped a transport button on the table, and the entire white space began to tremble.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention~" the goddess called out suddenly. She leaned in close to Roy, a sly look in her eyes. "A little tip: you'll be born into an ordinary villager's family in the East Blue, and you'll meet Garp when you're ten~"
Roy's mouth twitched. "So?"
The goddess grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. "So remember to build up a good relationship with him! Latch onto that Marine powerhouse!"
Roy went berserk. "Then at least give me a system, damn it!!!"
"System loading is delayed~ Bye-bye!"
A brilliant white light engulfed Roy's figure, accompanied by his blood-curdling scream: "AHHHHHHHHH—!!!"
The next second, Roy's soul was kicked into the world of One Piece...
East Blue · Dawn Island
"It's here! It's here! It's a boy!"
The midwife's voice was a thunderous roar that seemed to shake the rafters.
As the baby's cries filled the air, Roy's consciousness slowly awakened within the tiny body, his mind buzzing. "What the hell?! I really got reincarnated?!"
He tried to speak, but all that came out was, "Waaahhhhhh—!"
(Translation: What kind of crappy start is this?!)
His father, Roc, was moved to tears, holding him in his hands. "Wife! Look how strong this child's cry is. He's definitely going to be a tough man in the future!"
Roy: "Eeyah! Eeyah eeyah!"
(Translation: Tough man, my ass! I'm going to be a sneaky lurker!)
After a chaotic session of being swaddled, fed, and lulled to sleep, Roy could only close his eyes in resignation. Fine, I'll lay low and build up my strength first. I'll play it by ear.
Five years later, East Blue · Dawn Island.
"Roy! You're stealing my chicken again!"
The neighbor lady brandished a broom, chasing him with surprising speed.
A five-year-old Roy sprinted away, a gang of snot-nosed kids trailing behind him as his loyal underlings. He shouted as he ran, "Aunty! The chicken followed me on its own! It probably wants to seek freedom!"
The lady stomped her foot in frustration. "Freedom, my ass! Its leg is tied to your waistband!"
Roy leaped into a large tree, holding his prize. "This is called a strategic partnership, understand?!"
His little brothers looked up at him with faces full of admiration. "The boss is awesome!"
A villager sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Who does this little terror take after..."
In the orange groves on the back hill, Roy crouched on a branch, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the plump oranges hanging everywhere.
"Ability test, begin!"
Swish!
A shadow flickered. He teleported to the orange grove in the next village over, snatched two large oranges, and swished back to his original spot.
"Crunch, crunch—" Roy grinned deviously as he bit into an orange. "The Teleport Fruit—the ultimate snack-stealing tool!"
Not far away, two villagers stared in disbelief.
Villager A rubbed his eyes. "Did... did that orange just fly?"
Villager B remained calm. "Don't make a fuss. Maybe it's a new variety that learned how to grow legs."
Deep in the back hills.
Roy stood with his hands on his hips, striking a provocative pose in front of a raging wild boar. "Come on! Hit me! Give me your best shot!"
The boar glared with red eyes, snorting from its nostrils. "Hmph—!!!"
(It roared and charged.)
"Bang!"
Roy was sent flying ten meters, landing flat on his back. He scrambled up, covered in dirt, and patted himself off with a grin. "Is that all you got? Ten more of you wouldn't be enough!"
The boar's eyes widened, its expression filled with a very human-like confusion. "???"
Roy put his hands on his hips and laughed heartily. "I've got the stats of a giant! I could stand here and let you hit me all day for fun!"
From then on, the legend of "Roy the Immortal Cockroach" began to spread through the village.
"That brat got gored by a wild boar for three days and three nights and was still running around. No idea if his brain is still working right, though!"