On a wrecked Marine ship adrift in the middle of the sea, a young man sat on a large piece of broken timber, one of the few remaining parts of the shattered vessel. Salt-laced wind tousled his short black hair as he stared around in dazed confusion, eyes scanning the endless expanse of ocean surrounding him.
"What the...?" he muttered under his breath, his voice hoarse. "How did I end up here?"
The remains of the Marine vessel groaned softly beneath him, its hull half-submerged and cracked in several places. Scattered debris floated nearby — a shattered mast, a torn sail, a broken cannon. Other than the wreckage, there was nothing but water in every direction.
A deep sense of unease settled in his chest as he looked around again. *This doesn't make any sense.*
He brought a hand to his head, trying to think clearly. Flashes of another place, another time, rushed through his mind.
"Just a moment ago... I was on a plane," he recalled slowly, eyes narrowing as fragmented memories began piecing themselves together. "Yeah... there were terrorists. They hijacked the flight. I saw them shoot people — innocent passengers. And then... I got shot. In the chest."
He instinctively touched his torso, half-expecting to feel blood or pain — but there was nothing. No wound, no scar. Just a healthy body clad in an unfamiliar uniform. His hands were slimmer, his skin smoother. His voice even sounded younger. He looked down at himself in disbelief.
"This... isn't my body," he said in a whisper. "I'm... someone else?"
The realization sent a chill through him that even the sea breeze couldn't match. Standing slowly, he caught sight of a small patch sewn into the white and blue sailor shirt he wore. It was a Marine recruit uniform — one he'd only ever seen in anime. On the patch, in faded lettering, was a name:
*Monkey D. Zino.*
"...Monkey D. Zino?" he repeated aloud. It didn't ring any bells. Was this the name of the person whose body he now inhabited?
The weight of the situation settled heavily on his shoulders. Somehow, he had died — there was no denying that now — and yet, here he was, alive and breathing, but in someone else's body, drifting in the sea in a world that looked eerily familiar.
He looked down at the water, his reflection shimmering faintly. Younger, stronger — maybe seventeen or eighteen years old. Definitely not the thirty-two-year-old office worker he used to be.
"...Don't tell me I've transmigrated into the world of One Piece?"
The thought alone sent a shiver of disbelief through him. But the more he thought about it — the uniform, the vast sea, the wrecked Marine ship — the more it made sense.
Still stunned, Zino stood atop the plank, shielding his eyes from the sun as he scanned the horizon. Somewhere out there, answers were waiting.
And perhaps... so was danger.
A question suddenly popped into Zino's mind as he sat there, gazing at the endless waves.
"If I really got transmigrated... why here of all places? This is a seriously messed-up situation."
He let out a frustrated sigh. There was no one around to hear him, and certainly no one coming to help. It was just him, stranded in the middle of the ocean, clinging to the remains of a wrecked Marine ship.
The gravity of the situation sank in more heavily with each passing second. If he wanted to survive, he couldn't wait for a miracle. No one would rescue him. No Deus ex Machina was coming.
"If I want to live, I've got to do it myself," he muttered with determination.
With that thought in mind, Zino began assessing his surroundings seriously. He needed a plan. Drifting aimlessly wouldn't help. The only logical move was to fashion some kind of makeshift raft and start paddling in one direction — any direction — with the hope of eventually finding land.
But first, he needed supplies.
Clinging to the floating debris, Zino scanned the area around him, carefully examining what the wreck had left behind. A few crates bobbed gently on the waves, tethered loosely by ropes or caught between broken planks. With some effort, he pulled one crate closer and pried it open.
Inside, he found a few lucky treasures: several packs of dry rations — hardtack and biscuits — still sealed and mostly dry. A small stash of clean drinking water in canteens. A coil of marine-grade rope, frayed at the ends but still usable. Tucked inside another crate were two standard-issue handguns, slightly wet but salvageable, along with some ammunition sealed in a waterproof pouch. A marine utility knife rested beside them.
Then, something unusual caught his eye — a small wooden box with brass hinges. It looked important. Curiosity piqued, Zino carefully opened it.
Inside was a single fruit. It looked almost artificial — like something out of a fantasy game. Round and covered in swirling patterns, its skin was a mix of deep gray and cloudy white, with small spiral ridges all over. Its appearance was strange, almost ominous.
Zino raised an eyebrow. "Is this... a Devil Fruit?"*
He wasn't sure which one — or even what type — but its distinct design was unmistakable. He stared at it for a moment, unsure whether to be excited or afraid.
Before he could dwell on it too much, a foul stench assaulted his senses. Turning his head, he spotted the bloated bodies of a few Marine soldiers drifting nearby, lifeless and rotting. Their decaying forms bobbed in the water, their uniforms torn and stained. The sight — and the overwhelming smell — hit him like a punch in the gut.
His stomach churned, and he had to fight the urge to vomit.
"Yeah... I need to get out of here. Now."
That moment of revulsion sealed his decision. He began tying together the largest planks and barrels, forming a crude but passable raft. Survival came first. Answers could come later.
Having finished constructing his crude raft, Zino pushed off from the remnants of the wrecked Marine ship. With a makeshift paddle fashioned from a broken plank, he began rowing steadily away from the wreckage. The stench of rot and the grim sight of floating bodies faded into the distance as the calm sea spread out around him.
After several minutes, he glanced back. The ruined ship had become a shrinking silhouette on the horizon. Only the gentle sound of waves remained, and for the first time since waking up, Zino could breathe a little easier.
Now, with the raft gently bobbing on the open sea, his attention returned to the strange wooden box beside him.
Inside it lay the odd fruit he had discovered earlier — the one with a swirling, unnatural pattern and an eerie presence. As he held it in his hands again, he felt something strange. A subtle vibration. A faint, pulsing energy that seemed to call out to him, almost like it was alive.
"Why does this thing feel like it's… breathing?" he murmured, frowning.
Despite his earlier hesitation, a strange compulsion tugged at him. His instincts screamed caution, but curiosity — and a sense of destiny — overrode it. With a grimace, he took a bite.
The moment the fruit touched his tongue, regret washed over him like a tidal wave.
"Gweh! Puh—!" he spat, gagging violently. "What the hell is this? It tastes like moldy garbage mixed with rust!"*l
He leaned over the edge of the raft and vomited, coughing and wiping his mouth.
"Disgusting… They never mentioned how awful these things taste in the manga."
As he struggled to regain his composure, a sudden voice echoed in his mind, mechanical and emotionless.
[Congratulations. By consuming a Devil Fruit, you have activated the System.]
Zino blinked. "A system? From the fruit?"
Though surprised, a part of him wasn't entirely shocked. In many of the novels he'd read back on Earth, transmigrators often received systems — sometimes upon arrival, sometimes through a trigger. For him, it seemed consuming the Devil Fruit had done the trick.
He sat up straighter, interest renewed.
"Alright, let's see what I got. What kind of system are we talking about here?"
[Host, you have activated the Basic Status System.]
"...Basic? Wait, what exactly can this system do?" he asked, unsure if he should be excited or disappointed.
[It is essentially a system that allows you to view your personal status.]
"That's it?" Zino raised an eyebrow.
[Additionally, you have access to a System Storage feature.]
"And?" he asked, trying to hold on to hope for some kind of cheat ability.
[You will not suffer the traditional weaknesses of Devil Fruit users. Immersion in seawater or contact with Kairoseki will not affect you.]
Zino's eyes widened slightly. "Wait, seriously? So I can swim even after eating a Devil Fruit?"
[Correct. Your body will not be paralyzed or weakened by sea exposure or Sea-Prism Stone.]
"Okay... that's actually kinda awesome," he admitted. It wasn't some flashy, god-tier system, but the fact that he could bypass the most annoying part of Devil Fruit powers was no small thing.
"Anything else?"
[That is all.]
Zino sighed in mild frustration. For a brief moment, he had hoped to awaken some grand power — maybe skill trees, instant mastery, or auto-battle modes. Instead, he got a status viewer and storage… with one solid bonus.
"At least I got something," he muttered, trying to console himself. "Alright then, how do I use the System Storage?"
The system promptly provided a simple mental guide — a visualization technique — and within seconds, Zino understood how to use it. Concentrating, he mentally willed the items on his raft to disappear into storage. One by one, the handgun, knife, rope, box, and remaining supplies shimmered and vanished from view.
The raft immediately felt lighter and floated higher on the water without the added weight.
"Handy…" he nodded in approval. The storage alone would make travel and survival much easier.
Now that the immediate situation was under control, he sat cross-legged on the raft, looking around the endless blue sea. "System, can you tell me where I am? Or what the current date is?"
[Unable to determine. The system requires data input based on the host's discoveries. You must explore to update the world map and establish a local time reference.]
Zino facepalmed. "You're seriously just giving me Google Docs with no internet. Look like you are pretty useless."
[The system is only as useless as its host,] the system responded coolly.
Zino blinked, then chuckled dryly. "Damn. You are actually smart."
[Thank you.]
"Anyway, System, show me my current status."
A soft chime echoed in Zino's mind as a translucent blue screen materialized before his eyes.
[STATUS]
Name: Monkey D. Zino
Age: 17
Lineage: Grandson of Monkey D. Kong
Devil Fruit Ability:
Nomu Nomu no Mi (Swallow Swallow Fruit)
- Primary Power: The ability to swallow and control elemental substances.
- Current Limitation: Can only control one element at a time.
- Unawakened Power: Can transform into the currently swallowed element.
Swallowed Elements:
1. Air – Level 1
Zino stared at the screen, blinking in surprise.
"Monkey D. Kong's grandson? Really?" he muttered to himself, eyebrows furrowed. He had read enough of One Piece back on Earth to know who that was — a high-ranking Marine hero. And now, apparently, he had become part of the famed D. Clan… but on the opposite side of Luffy.
"So I'm a D... but a Marine one," he said quietly, letting the weight of the revelation sink in. "Talk about ironic..."
His gaze drifted down to the second part of the status screen — the Devil Fruit ability.
"Swallow Swallow Fruit, huh? So that weird-looking fruit I ate earlier wasn't just for show." It was finally confirmed: his power allowed him to absorb elements and control them.
"Wait, I already have one?" He noticed the "Air (Level 1)" listed under the swallowed elements.
"It must've been from the air I breathed earlier." Zino made a guess.