___
Location: Foosha village, East Blue.
Time: ???
___
The late afternoon sun bathed the shores of Foosha Village in warm golden light, casting long shadows over the sand. The soft breeze carried the scent of salt and seaweed, mixing with the distant chirping of gulls and the gentle murmur of waves rolling onto the beach.
As usual a little girl knelt on the sand, humming to herself as she pressed her small hands around a hastily sculpted mound.
Makino, only four years old, had declared today's creation, The Monkey Castle. A crooked tower topped with seashells, surrounded by a moat filled with seawater.
She giggled softly as she placed a piece of coral on top like a crown. "Now you're the king," she told the sand Monkey with all the seriousness of an adult she could muster.
But Today her playtime was interrupted.
A deeper rumble rolled across the coast, and Makino lifted her head just in time to spot a moderate wave rising on the horizon, far larger than the others before it.
Her Mom once told her stories about strong waves and why she shouldn't stay too close to the edge of the water.
So without hesitation, she scrambled backward, stumbling slightly in the sand as she clutched her tiny straw hat. She backed up until her feet found safer, drier ground, then turned to watch the wave crash against the beach.
Whoosh!
Water exploded outward, drenching her half-built kingdom. The Monkey Castle was no more.
Makino frowned at the destruction but stayed rooted in place, awe-struck by how the sea roared and then calmed once again, like a giant catching its breath.
Then something strange caught her attention.
She squinted against the sunlight, shading her eyes with both hands. Amid the swirling foam and receding surf, something dark bobbed on the surface.
At first, it looked like driftwood, maybe a broken barrel from one of the ships that sometimes passed by.
But then it moved.
Not drifting with the water, but twitching.
Makino blinked, stepping closer instinctively.
Her breath caught.
It was an arm.
She saw a boy... No, someone older, a teenager maybe, lay motionless on the wet sand. He had been thrown there by the sea, half-submerged, seaweed tangled in his dark hair, clothes soaked and torn by the surf.
His face was pale, and he wasn't moving.
Makino froze.
For a moment, she just stood there. Unsure of what to do. Then panic took over.
"Someone's drowning!!" she screamed, turning on her sandals and sprinting up the beach towards the village
"Help!! Help!!" She shouted louder as the edge of the village came into view.
Villagers turned. A few men looked up from fixing a boat. One of them stood up abruptly when he saw Makino's frantic waving.
"A boy! He came from the sea! He's not moving!"
The men were already grabbing ropes and shouting to one another, racing toward the beach with Makino pointing the way.
__
Location: Makino's house, Guest Room.
Time: ???
__
The ragged sound of heavy breathing echoed in the quiet, candlelit room. Past midnight, the world outside was silent, save for the low rustle of leaves brushing against the windowpane. Inside, a lone candle flickered atop a wooden drawer, casting shaky shadows across the plain walls.
A Teenage boy sat upright in bed, sweat clinging to his pudgy face.
His black eyes darted around the unfamiliar room. Bare walls. Wooden floor. A small desk. A closed window with thin curtains swaying slightly in the breeze. He didn't recognize any of it.
"Where... where am I?" the boy muttered, voice cracking from drowsiness and confusion.
He clutched the blanketand tried to steady his breathing. His name... what was his name again?
'Robert...?'
That part returned easily. And as he whispered it aloud, something clicked inside his mind.
He blinked, suddenly still. "Wait…"
Sitting on the edge of the bed now, Robert stared ahead, unfocused. Slowly, images and thoughts trickled back to him, although they were not exactly memories. He remembered filling out a strange form online. Questions about Morals, values and dreams un another world. An absurd application for an isekai form, he had thought after discovering it.
He remembered taking it seriously out of boredom and having nothing else to do.
'Was that... real?'
His mind reached back, trying to find more information about his old life. His family, Friends, Favorite food... But all led to the same answer.
A viscus of blurry fog.
He stared blankly into the wall of his room, he mumbled with a vacant and distant feeling.
"I don't remember… my life.."
It wasn't complete memory wipe, Rather he could still remember what people considered common knowledge but every time he tried to think about his own personal life and connections, It was as though it got erased...
But Robert noticed one thing, he could very clearly remember everything about a franchise called One piece.
The lore. The characters. The geography. The Devil Fruits. It was all still there, catalogued in perfect order, like a well documented 'Homework' foldier on a PC.
And he remembered something else.
Something he was promised as his cheat.
'System..?' Robert thought with bated eagerness.
A faint hum filled the air, and then
ding!
A glowing purple panel materialized in front of him, hovering mid-air like a projection from a sci-fi movie.
[You have 1 Unread Message]
Robert stared.
He reached up with one trembling hand, it easily passed through the panel but then hesitation appeared on his face.
After some deliberation, He pinced his leg hard and immediately Pain flared up. No illusion.
'This!… This is actually happening.' Robert thought, His heart pounded in his chest in both exhilaration and fear.
He was in the world of One Piece..!
"Okay. Calm down," Robert told himself, slapping both cheeks with soft smacks. "Focus."
His gaze focused on the panel once more and as though it sensed his intention, The glowing panel flickered again.
[Would you like to read it?]
Robert blinked. 'The system could process intent?'
'…Yes.' He cautiously thought.
Another chime. The message expanded as he expected.
[Hello, Robert :)
If you are reading this, then the Isekai process was likely successful. I have left this message to clarify a few things, just in case you're confused.
First, the date is probably near January, 1499 and yes, that does mean you have around a year before the age of piracy begins with the iconic execution of Gol D. Roger.]
Robert let out a dry muffled laugh. Relief washed over him, when he realized he hadn't randomly spawned within the void century.
'1499…' Robert thought deeply about what he remembered about it. 'I could work with this...'
He knew there were quite a few people during this period that he could recruit if he considered becoming a pirate but...
Robert glanced down at his bulging stomach before he quickly focused on reading the rest of the message.
[Second, you must have noticed your body. Yes, it is indeed your fat body from your previous life :)]
"No shi..." Robert sarcastically mumbled, But quickly closed his mouth when he remembered he was inside a stranger's house and he shouldn't be expressing things out loud anymore.
Still, When he read the next part, It piqued his interest.
[Well, technically it's somewhat different, since it had to be modified to match the power scaling of that world. So congratulations! you can become strong like Garp, Roger, and so on… Well, IF you train hard enough and survive enough battles. Can't just hand you the whole package, now can we? That would defeat the whole purpose of this program.]
Robert stared.
His hands trembled again, but not from fear. From excitement.
He felt an euphoric high like a gacha player finally pulling all his favorite characters after spending a fortune.
His mind already started picturing it. His future self, standing tall with a massive coat draped over his shoulders, casually using divine departure after challenging shanks to a duel... And seeing Shank's shocked expression.
Or even Pulling up at Ohara and putting a stop to the buster call or Inspiring Luffy to become the pirate king before shanks...
He chuckled to himself. For awhile his mind worked overtime to imagine fantasy scenerios but soon he grew tired of them and adjusted his mind.
He knew he had a lot of things to do if he actually wanted to turn those fantasies into reality. So he focused back on reading the message.
[Thirdly, this isn't an entirely vanilla One Piece experience. I've tried to find a timeline where certain individuals from other franchises exist as in-universe characters.
Why? Well, whether you want to become a Yonko or an Admiral, that's up to you — but both need a team of loyal crewmates behind your back if you want to make it in that verse.]
His brows shot up in surprise.
'It makes sense...' Robert leaned forward on the bed, eyes glinting in candlelight. 'There might be recruitable powerhouses but they weren't guaranteed to join me especially not with my current appearance.'
And Truth be told, he preferred it this way. If he had to build a crew, he'd rather do it with people he already admired or knew well, people whose strengths he could predict, whose personalities he had read about or seen countless times.
But his lips soon curled into a thin line when he continued reading.
[But they are on a time limit. Within the next three years or so, they will experience situations that will decide their fate and possibly worsen their situation.
So some you might encounter, and some you might not. Depends entirely on what you selected for your goal...]
'So, they have their own character arcs that I need to participate in..' Robert frowned lightly. Not because he disliked that idea but rather the thought of someone hurting his future crewmates.
He didn't know why but a protective feeling stirred in his chest. He hadn't even met them yet, but already, he felt responsible for them and their lives.
'I'll protect them...' Robert firmly told himself.
The panel shimmered and scrolled down again.
[Finally, about the system you got. It's a quest-centered system. You complete quests and get rewards based on your verse, although you can get stuff from other verses, they'll be within the power scaling of One Piece.
:) Don't worry, the rewards will be stored in an inventory but only the rewards. If you want a genuine inventory, you'll need to complete the Main Quest I've set for you.]
Robert tilted his head slightly. 'So no infinite inventory from the start… fair.'
Still, He felt excited for those rewards from other verses. His mind could think of a few already.. A stand ability, Jutsus, Maybe even awakening his nen ability...
Eventually he shook his head and focused on the next paragraph but it made him pause.
[Oh yeah, In This timeline, the morals and traditions are more flexible, so by chance you ever think about building a 'harem', the characters wouldn't find it strange. It'd be treated as uncommon, but still acceptable.
:) But hey, if you want to settle with a single lover, that's your choice. I honestly don't care.I just hope you succeed and become a man...
P.S: Your success will decide my year-end bonus, so please succeed :^)]
Robert stared at the screen blankly for a full three seconds.
Then he groaned, dragging a hand down his face in pure existential exhaustion.
"Seriously…?" he blurted out loud accidentally out of irritation.
He didn't even know what to feel. Laugh? Cry? Scream into the pillow? He wasn't exactly Keanu Reeves right now, and it was literally 1499. Most of the girls he liked from the series were either toddlers or weren't even born yet.
'Man, I got isekaied too early' he thought with a dry laugh.
But before he could dwell too long, the final section appeared:
[P.S.S: I forgot to say, but no, only you were isekaied into this timeline. It takes a lot of energy to send more than one person to a single world And since there are a lot of timelines, it's much easier to send people to different ones than to the same one.
As for why you didn't get reincarnated or transmigrated… sorry, that's not our department. Our whole theme is "Isekai."
Kbyeee.]
That… was strangely reassuring to Robert.
'Good.. No future rivals trying to speedrun their own fantasy.' Robert thought with relief and his face visibly relaxed completely for the first time.
He honestly hadn't even considered the possibility of other isekai'd individuals earlier and now that it was confirmed he was truly alone, a weight lifted from his shoulders that he didn't even know he was carrying.
Then he read the message again from top to bottom, slower this time, digesting each point and trying to see if he missed any information.
Eventually he felt tired, He glanced at the glass window. The sky was still dark, stars faint behind scattered clouds. It had to be deep into the night.
A yawned escaped from his mouth, while a sudden exhaustion hit him like a tidal wave.
As if sensing his intent, the glowing panel shimmered gently and began to fade on its own, vanishing with a soft flicker of light.
Robert shifted under the blanket, tugging it over his chest as he nestled into the pillow. The candle still burned faintly nearby, casting a warm glow over the room. His eyes slowly closed.
And with that, Robert drifted into a deep sleep.
__
Location: Same
Time: Early February, 1499.
__
Robert stirred in bed, his face twisted in discomfort. His body felt heavy, as though gravity had doubled while he slept. Sweat clung to his forehead, trickling down his temple. A groan escaped his lips as he rolled onto his side.
Then, a violent cough wracked his body.
He jolted upright, hacking into the crook of his arm. His throat burned. His stomach churned with nausea. Blinking rapidly, he raised a trembling hand to his forehead. It was burning hot.
"Great," he rasped. "I'm sick already…"
As if on cue, another wave of coughing struck him, this time so rough that his lungs ached.
Click!
The door burst open. A broad-shouldered man stepped inside, his face lined with worry. His brown hair was a bit messy, and he wore a worn white apron over casual clothes. Robert didn't recognize him.
"Whoa, whoa, easy there, kid!" the man said, rushing over. "Breathe slowly. Try not to push yourself."
Robert flinched as the man gently eased him back against the pillow. With practiced movements, he handed Robert a glass of water and a small white pill.
"This'll help bring the fever down," he said with a calming voice. "Here, take it slowly."
Robert nodded weakly and reached for the pill, barely able to grip it. With trembling hands, he swallowed it down with the water. The coolness helped, easing the fire in his throat. His breath slowed.
"…Thanks," he murmured.
The man let out a relieved laugh.
"Don't mention it. You've had us worried since yesterday."
"Yesterday…?" Robert echoed.
The man tilted his head. "Ah, right. I guess you've got questions."
Robert met his gaze, still a bit dazed. "Where... where am I?"
"You're in Foosha Village, son." the man answered warmly. "Small place on the edge of the Goa Kingdom. My daughter, Makino, found you washed up on the shore yesterday. You were out cold. Nearly scared her to tears."
Robert blinked in surprise. "Foosha Village…?"
His mind reeled. He hadn't known where he'd landed in the One Piece world, only that he'd arrived. But to land here... Luffy's home village.
Before he could process it, the man slapped a hand against his own forehead and laughed again.
"Ha! Where are my manners? I didn't even introduce myself."
He stepped back and gave a slight bow like a bartender, grinning.
"Party Masahiro. Owner of the local Party's bar. And the girl peeking from the door..."
The door creaked wider and a tiny figure stepped in.
Makino. A small girl with short green hair and big, curious eyes. She stared at Robert like he was an exotic animal.
"..is my daughter, Makino." Masahiro finished with a proud smile.
Makino walked up to the bed and stood beside her father. Masahiro gently nudged her forward.
"Go on, say hi."
Makino beamed. "Hi! I'm Makino!"
Robert mustered a smile. "Nice to meet you… I'm Robert."
There was a brief pause. Then, Robert's smile wavered under the father and daughter duo. His fingers instinctively clenched around the blanket.
"I… don't remember much else." he confessed. "I don't know who I was before waking up here. I know things.. like facts, history, even weird stuff about this world but when I try to remember my own life…"
He shook his head.
"It's just fog."
Masahiro's expression softened. He pulled over a nearby stool and sat down beside the bed.
"I see. Well, you're not the first lost soul to drift into this village," he said gently. "Memory or not, you're welcome to stay here until you get back on your feet."
Robert looked up, touched by the man's kindness.
"But… if you're planning to stay long-term," Masahiro added, rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment."I'll have to ask you to help out at the bar or chip in for rent. It's just me and Makino now, and I've got to keep the place running."
"No, no, that's completely fair." Robert said quickly. "Honestly, I already feel bad for crashing here without doing anything to help."
Masahiro laughed heartily. "You're a polite one, huh? Don't worry. You'll earn your keep when you're ready."
With a pat on Robert's shoulder, Masahiro stood.
"Alright. I'll go whip something up for you. You need a good meal if you're going to shake off that fever."
He ruffled Makino's hair gently. "Keep your new big brother company, alright?"
Makino nodded eagerly. "I will!"
Masahiro left the room, and Makino climbed onto the chair beside Robert's bed. She swung her legs back and forth, eyes wide with curiosity.
"Do you feel better now?" she asked sweetly.
"A little," Robert replied, Putting his pillow against the wall and leaning on it.
"Do your legs hurt? Your tummy? Your head?"
Robert chuckled. "I think just my throat. And maybe my pride."
Makino tilted her head. "What's a 'pride'?"
Robert smiled. "Something silly grown-ups say."
She nodded solemnly, then continued, "You're not scary at all. Papa said you were big like a sea king. But you're not scary."
He winced playfully. "A sea king? That's a bit harsh…"
Makino giggled.
By the time Masahiro returned with a steaming bowl of chicken soup, the two of them were deep in a cheerful exchange Makino firing off questions, and Robert stammering through his answers, growing more at ease by the minute.
Masahiro leaned against the doorway, watching the scene with a tender smile on his face for a few moments
Eventually, he cleared his throat. "Alright, nurse Makino, let's let the patient get some rest."
Makino pouted but obeyed, hopping off the chair.
"Bye, big brother!" she chirped, waving as she skipped toward the door.
"Its Chicken soup with some fresh bread. I know it's not gourmet, but it'll get you back on your feet." Masahiro said, placing the tray carefully on the small desk beside the bed.
Robert gave him a grateful nod. "Thank you… again."
Masahiro waved him off with a grin. "Bah, don't mention it. If you need anything, holler. I gotta go set up the bar for the day, its nothing crazy but some like to have their breakfast here"
With that, Masahiro patted Robert's Shoulder and stepped out the door, whistling as he disappeared.
The moment the door closed, Robert let out a deep sigh. He leaned back into the pillow and rubbed his forehead, feeling the lingering warmth of his fever.
"It's weird…" Robert mumbled. "I didn't feel this sick before I fell back asleep. And now, I'm burning up out of nowhere?"
He set the thought aside with a grunt and picked up his spoon, dipping it into the steaming soup. The flavor was comforting mild, peppered, and slightly oily, just enough to coat the throat and chase the chill from his chest.
While enjoying his soup, he decided to check up on his system that he didn't feel like doing yesterday due to the sheer exhaustion he felt.
'Status.' Robert thought.
A familiar purple shimmer bloomed in front of his eyes, displaying a translucent screen.
--
[Status:]
Name: Robert
Species: Human [Limiter Removed]
Devil Fruit: None
Profession: None
Title: None
[Attributes]:
Strength: F-
Endurance: F-
Agility: F-
Intelligence: E
Charm: F-
Spirit: F+
[Skills]
None
---
Robert stared at it. His mouth twitched.
'…I expected garbage stats, but wow. This is Honestly tragic.'
He took another sip of soup and sighed 'F minus across the board like I'm an NPC background character… Well, at least Intelligence's a solid E...'
The complete lack of skills didn't surprise him, though it still stung. It made sense, this body, even if modified for the One Piece world, was basically his shut-in self. No training, no combat, no nothing. Just raw, untapped fatness.
'Still' he thought to himself positively, trying to smile. 'That means there's only one direction to go now, Improvement.'
Robert leaned back, pulled open the system menu and began testing it. The responses were immediate, simple text boxes would appear in response to his queries. He quickly confirmed the system wasn't sentient, Just concise and textual replies.
'Kind of a relief, honestly' he mused, slurping another spoonful.
Still, a part of him couldn't help but wonder if someone out there was watching or reading him like a Truman show.
He squinted suspiciously at the corner of the ceiling.
'..Nah. Even if it is, not like I can do anything about it.'
He shook his head. Then With a thought, he opened the Quest tab and browsed through it.
__
End.
__
Explanation Of Quests.
You have main quests, the bread and butter which the readers almost always get to decide
Then you have side quests, These are things Robert and the readers will decide together. For example, Robert picks two and the readers pick one side quest. Since he has a cap of how many side quests he can do in a given time.
There is also environmental based quests like specific to each island.
Then there are situational quests, Like Robert getting a quest to defeat a strong enemy who suddenly appeared. Doing something in a given time like saving someone. This would usually be chosen by Robert himself unless I manage to ensure it happens at the end of the chapter.
You get to choose what he gets to do in an island before the arc ends because Robert won't be able to complete all the quests in an island.
___
Voting time
___
Note: Main quests are irreversible and It will affect Robert drastically, thus be careful when selecting a choice regarding it.
Note: Active means it's currently Ongoing.
Main Quest Category:
1. [An Ambitious Man] [M]
Status: Active
[Description: To become a man, The first step is always to pick an ambiguous goal to strive towards.]
A. [Become a Pirate Captain and reach a bounty of more than 100 million belly]
Reward: Basic Mastery of Conqueror's haki Skill
E.G: Fishman island Luffy using his conqueror's haki.
Caution: You can't become a marine anymore without special means.
B. [Become a Marine and reach the rank of Captain]
Reward: Any uneaten devil fruit of your choice aside from the Nika fruit.
Caution: You can't leave the Marine unless they force you to do something that is against your morals more than 3 times.
2. [Learn a Valuable Skill] [M]
Status: Active
[Requirement: Learn at least one valuable skill]
[Description: A true man knows the value of a learned skill]
Note: Skills refer to anything that he has learned or gained. E.G: Marksmanship, Navigation etc.
Caution: The more skills he learns the more difficult it would be for him to succeed.
A. He should Learn 1 Skill [93% Success Rate]
B. He should Learn 2 Skills [71% Success Rate]
C. He should Learn 3 Skills [17% success Rate]
[Reward: Natural born talent in a single skill of choice.]
3. [An Accomplished Man] [M]
Status: Active
Time limit: 365 days left.
[Requirement: Complete at least 5 Secondary Quests within a year]
[Description: If you can't even accomplish that much in a year, are you even a man?!]
[Reward: 4-slot Dimensional Inventory ]
[Note: Temporarily available during the duration of this quest as free trial.]
[Caution: Living entities can't be placed inside]
__
__
Note: [S] Stands for Secondary Quests, Robert can only accept upto 3 active Secondary Quest at a given time until it either fails or is completed. All unaccepted Secondary Quest unless they are Environmental and Situational will be available to accept at any time.
2/3 Secondary Quests selected.
Currently available Secondary Quests [4]:
1. [Exercise to Become Fit]
Status: Active
[Description: To become a True Man, You must maintain your body properly.]
[Requirement: Consistently Following a Custom Adaptable exercise Routine for a whole year]
Reward: Ravenous-Recovery Skill
_
Note: [Ravenous-Recovery]
[Description: All you need is a heartily meal and a good night of rest to rapidly recover from most illnesses and Injuries.]
[Note: Temporarily available during the duration of this quest as free trial.]
_
2. [Get a Job]
Status: Active
[Requirement: Get a job That will help you survive until your departure]
[Description: Even a begger needs to eat, So hurry up and get a job.]
[Reward: Pension Pouch]
_
[Pension Pouch]
Type: Passive-Item
[Description: A magical pouch that mysteriously gives you 1% of the total wealth stored inside every month.]
[Note: Temporarily available during the duration of this quest as free trial.]
_
3. [Bond with people of foosha village]
Status: Available [Island specific]
[Requirement: At least get to know the locals by first name basis]
Description: A true man, doesn't stay isolated in his room, He communicates and helps his community.
Reward: Intuitive Empath Skill.
_
[Intuitive Empath]
Type: Passive-Skill.
Description: Being able to intuitively Understand others and what they truly want to do.
E.G: Luffy.
[Note: Temporarily available during the duration of this quest as free trial.]
_
4. [Explore Dawn Island]
Status: Available [Island Specific]
[Requirement: Explore Relevant Locations mentioned by The locals.]
[Description: A true man knows his surroundings like the back of his hand.]
Reward: Explorer's Map
_
[Explorer's Map]
Type: Passive-Item
[Description: This Map will automatically register The player's surroundings upto 100 meters.]
[Note: Temporarily available during the duration of this quest as free trial.]
___
___
Example of how to make a Vote.
"M1A He becomes a pirate
M2B, He learns two skills, Navigation and Swordsmanship.
I want him to do S2." - Rillik
You could explain your reasoning behind each choice so more people likes your comment as the likes on your comment will count as rheir "Endorsement" of your choice.
E.G:
"The reason I want to choose M1A is because Conqueror's haki will help Mc in the long-term, As Kaido says Haki reigns supreme And I think he should try to learn two skills at max which being Navigation and Swordmanship (M2B) because as Robert pointed out, There aren't a lot of Navigators in the series in his period aside from Lafitte and who knows where he currently is.
Also He could after learning Navigation Use the reward to Get a Natural Born talent in Navigation thus effectively becoming Nami of this era. The chapter also mentioned His physical growth's upper sealing has been raised so he will definitely be strong like Garp and Roger in the future. It personally feels refreshing to me if The mc is the navigator while being as strong as Roger.
As for why that specific Quest it's because if he wants to be a captain, Then he needs to understand his crewmates and their needs. So Empath is a Must." - Rillik.
___
___
Author's note:
Word count: 3647 Excluding Quests Portion and onwards.
I initially wanted to let readers choose all three side quests, but I realized that would make the mc too passive Especially since he himself has the system and gets the rewards. Thus you get to select 1 side quest this chapter.
Btw while researching about Makino, I learned her japanese VA was the voice of Kirby, so her father name is basically the creator of Kirby's name.
I will upload one chapter every 3 days. So since this was uploaded on 17th of July. The next chapter will be available on 20th of July.
Until then, I will count the votes and see what won, although I will most likely only use the first 24h votes as the deciding factor so I have time to write.
Do suggest Quests that can be done or Voted for in the future.
Discord server link:- https://discord.gg/7bsCckTDar