In the distant Island of Karakuri, the birthplace of the legendary scientist Vegapunk, another hidden genius was quietly living in secrecy.
His name was Galileo D. Charles, a name that carried a strange weight, for he was never meant to exist in this world at all.
He had arrived unexpectedly at the icy shores of Karakuri Island, wearing nothing but a thin layer of clothing that barely shielded him from the cold.
When he finally awoke, the chilling wind biting against his skin, Charles was confused and alarmed.
The frozen landscape stretched endlessly around him, and he could not recognize where he was. Then, a sudden surge of memories rushed into his mind like a crashing wave.
"So, I've been transported into the world of One Piece? What island am I even on?" Charles thought to himself as he tried to make sense of the new information flooding his head.
From what he gathered, the body he now inhabited belonged to a boy named Galileo D. Charles, no older than five.
His memories revealed that the boy had been on a merchant ship that capsized after being struck by a massive wave, and that was the last thing this body had experienced.
The truth was simple yet strange. Galileo D. Charles was never supposed to exist in this world.
Before all of this, he had been an ordinary fan of the One Piece series, someone who spent his free time watching every episode and reading every chapter.
He worked as a mechanic, often tinkering with cars and listening to One Piece episodes in the background.
But fate, in its cruel randomness, had other plans. One day, while fixing his car, the floor jack supporting it suddenly broke.
The vehicle came crashing down with its full weight, striking his head. His consciousness faded instantly, and when he next opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the icy ground of this unfamiliar island.
At first, panic gripped him. He stumbled around in confusion until two strange objects appeared in front of him. The first was a vial containing a glowing, mysterious liquid, and the second was a Devil Fruit. Not just any Devil Fruit, but the Gasha-Gasha no Mi, one of his personal favorites from the series.
Back in his old life, Charles had always admired the power of this fruit. As a mechanic, he had often wished he could disassemble and rebuild machines instantly without the tedious work of taking them apart piece by piece.
When he watched the One Piece: Stampede movie, he was fascinated by the concept of a fruit that could reconstruct materials freely. Now, that same fruit was lying right before him.
Excitement quickly replaced fear. Without hesitation, Charles picked up the Devil Fruit and bit into it. The taste was horrible, so vile that it nearly made him gag, but he continued eating.
He remembered reading a Reddit post that claimed eating the entire fruit could lead to an awakening.
He wasn't sure if it was true, since even Kaku hadn't eaten his whole fruit, but if there was even the slightest chance it might work, he was willing to try.
He forced himself to swallow bite after bite until not a single piece remained.
When he finally finished, he turned his attention to the vial beside him. The label on it read "Essence of Scholar."
The name alone gave him no clue about what it was, but since it appeared together with the Devil Fruit, he could only assume it was part of whatever strange "cheat" fate had given him. Without overthinking, he drank the liquid.
Almost immediately, his brain reacted. It felt as if his thoughts expanded beyond normal limits.
Every snowflake falling around him seemed to slow down, every sound became sharper, and his mind began processing information at an unnatural speed.
He could recall every detail of his past life, from the books he had read while studying mechanical engineering to the countless hours spent working in his garage.
All that knowledge, once scattered, now felt perfectly organized in his head.
After what felt like an eternity of mental overload, Charles came back to his senses. He stood up, shivering slightly, and realized he couldn't just stay still or he'd freeze to death.
He started running to generate warmth, searching for something he could use. Spotting a nearby tree, he approached it, placed his hand on the bark, and concentrated.
The wood began to disassemble itself into countless small parts. With a thought, he reshaped it into a crude wooden axe.
"This body is definitely stronger than my old one," Charles muttered, as he began chopping down more trees with surprising ease. In no time, he gathered a decent pile of wood, then touched it again.
The logs disassembled and reformed, constructing a small cabin with smooth walls and a solid roof, all without nails or tools. It took only minutes, a task that would have taken hours in his old world.
Satisfied, he built a fire to warm himself and sat down near it. "I wonder what island this really is," he said to himself, staring into the flames.
From what he remembered about the One Piece world, Karakuri Island was covered in snow and filled with mechanical beasts.
His Devil Fruit power, combined with his engineering knowledge, was a perfect fit for such a place.
After several hours, the snowstorm outside finally calmed. Charles decided it was time to explore.
He transformed his wooden cabin into a large, humanoid robot made from the same timber, stepping inside it to shield himself from the cold.
With cautious excitement, he began walking through the frozen forest.
Eventually, he came across something unusual—two creatures locked in combat. One was a massive gorilla with mechanical limbs and armor, while the other was a wolf enhanced with metallic parts. The sight immediately triggered recognition.
"So this is Karakuri Island," Charles murmured, a small smile forming on his face. "Egghead would have been filled with laboratories and Marines. This… this makes more sense."
As he watched the two mechanical beasts clash, a new plan began forming in his mind, one that would shape the course of his future in this world.